It is getting to be that time of year again, the 2026 Snook Nook Customer Appreciation Tent Sale is rapidly approaching! Join us at the shop on Saturday, December 12th from 8am-6pm to catch the deals of the year across your favorite brand as well as talk to reps and pro staff members from some of the top brands in the industry! Reps and pro staff will be on hand from the following companies to answer any of your questions; Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum, Penn, Van Staal, Tsunami, Bull Bay Rods, No Live Bait Needed, Thumper Shrimp, JYG Pro, Fishbites, Danco & More!
This year will feature more deals and more tent space than ever as the event continues to grow thanks to all of you! Find savings store wide, savings up to over 50% off, buy 2 get 1 free specials, free braid promos and much much more! As always with a purchase of $100, you will receive a limited edition Snook Nook event shirt and with every $100 spent you will receive a raffle ticket to enter to win well over $15,000 in prizes ranging from inshore and offshore charters, rods, reels, rod & reel combos, tackle packages, gift cards and more!
Stay tuned to our social media accounts as we get closer to the big day! If you have any questions regarding the event, as a crew member on your next stop in or shoot us an email using the ‘Ask The Crew’ button on the home screen. We hope to see you all there!
Inshore Fishing Report
The inshore fishing has been on the slower side to close out the month as we near the end of our annual mullet run. Main factors that have contributed to the slower fishing have been the extremely high king tides we have been experiencing along with the harsh winds to close out the month. Once we get past all this wind, we should begin to transfer into our fall and early winter bite as the water temperatures begin to cool down a bit which can be really good for the fishing. The fish will tend to feed a little bit more and you will get more opportunities at getting on a bite throughout the day once we get the cooler temperatures. Those looking to target Snook and Tarpon will still have their opportunities and we will begin to see more of our fall/winter species moving our way with each cool front such as Black Drum, Redfish, Sheepshead, Triple Tail, Croaker, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish here inshore.
Snook: November generally provides us with a pretty good Snook bite. The Snook fishing has been more productive in the mornings and evenings as well as at night here lately. However those fishing the Jensen Causeway have been producing in the rougher conditions throwing jigs and swimbaits. The water has been so churned up from the waves at the Jensen Causeway that they have even been feeding on baits such as Gulfstream Flash Minnows. Those fishing the dock lights at night have been able to put up steady numbers of fish using live shrimp and artificials such as artificial shrimp and smaller paddle tails. As we begin to get greeted with some cooler temperatures, the Snook will begin to be more inclined to go after baits with a slower presentation such as a shrimp. On the warm days and as the sun gets a bit higher on the cooler days, they will still be willing to feed on live bait with no hesitation such as Pilchards, Pinfish, Croaker, Mullet, etc. A majority of the Snook have moved away from the inlet and can be found throughout both the Indian and St. Lucie River around structures such as docks, bridges, sea walls and mangroves. There have also been Snook caught by those fishing the flats north of the power plant and the numbers of fish in that area will continue to increase. Snook season is still open all month if you are looking to harvest a slot size fish between 28-32”, the season closes on December 15th.
Tarpon: Tarpon fishing has slowed down a bit for us to close out the month. Those who have been hunting for them have been fishing around the Roosevelt Bridge, in the North Fork and up by the power plant around Little Mud. Live mullet in those areas will typically be your best bet, for those who want to throw artificials in those areas a Rootbeer TerrorEyz or Bait Buster are always reliable choices. You also can’t rule out a shot at a Tarpon between the Jensen & Stuart Causeways on an outgoing tide.
Trout & Redfish: Trout fishing has remained steady for anglers fishing both the east and west side of the river north of the power plant. You should be able to find some Trout south of the power plant as well, but the stronger numbers have remained north of it. For those fishing the east side of the river, you’ll find more Trout on the grass flats away from the mangroves. The mangroves have been holding more Snook and the occasional Redfish. Typically if you find one Trout, you will start finding more bites as they have been found in schools. Top waters in the morning and evening, then switching over to MirrOlures as well as soft plastics such as paddle tails or jerk baits and artificial shrimp have all produced for trout fishing. Fishing a larger profile such as a 4” DOA shrimp can occasionally weed out some of the smaller fish in the school. For those looking for Reds, you will have a better shot at finding them in Fort Pierce north of the inlet fishing the islands and mangrove lines up there. Pitching lures like DOA Cals or Thumper Shrimp into the pockets of the mangroves is an effective strategy to locate some reds in that area. You can also catch them on chunks of mullet or ladyfish along some of the cuts with deeper water and steady current flow next to the mangroves.
Pompano & Spanish Mackerel: We’ve had some Pompano make an appearance inshore for those who have been jigging on the East Side Mosquito Bridge of the Jensen Causeway. Moving tide is the key for the Pompano as the bite generally shuts down when the tide goes slack. Chartreuse & Orange Jigs paired with either a pink or gold teaser seem to have been the favorite here at the shop. Continue working your jig all the way until it gets right underneath you as sometimes you may get bit right at your feet. Expect to see more Pomano pushing through the river in the coming weeks. The inlet, the crossroads, Sailfish flats and the flats up by the power plant all should start producing as we get more in the area. Some Spanish Mackerel have begun showing up around the Jensen Causeway already, anglers have been catching them on small pilchards, shrimp and spoons. We can expect to see more showing up with more cold fronts and you will be able to find them inshore around the bridges and in the inlet. We typically get into our better numbers of Spanish Mackerel towards the end of the month and into December as you will see anglers heading to Pecks Lake to fish the schools of Mackerel there.
Tripletail: If you are heading to the north, stone crab season opened in October and that means a lot more crab traps lining the channel. All those crab trap buoys are great areas to look for Triple Tail. We typically see better numbers of Triple Tail caught after stone crab season opens up, due to them having more structure to hang around. You can free line a shrimp or fish one on a jig head and pitch it to them if you see one.
Black Drum & Sheepshead: We begin to start seeing more Black Drum & Sheepshead in our area this time of year, these numbers will continue to increase as we get deeper into the season. Black Drum can be found around all the causeways along with on docks in the St. Lucie River and occasionally on the channel markers in the Indian River. You can target them using live shrimp, pieces of shrimp or chunks of crab on either a jig head or knocker rig. For those targeting Sheepshead, look for structure with heavy barnacle growth on them and you will typically find some Sheepshead crunching on those barnacles. The same baits and presentations will work for Sheepshead, but Fiddler Crabs are one of the best baits you can throw at them and we will try to have a steady supply of them throughout the season, but it does get difficult to get them when it gets colder as they are caught in northern Florida as well as Georgia.
Offshore Fishing Report
Surface Fishing: The offshore reports definitely came to a stop to close the month out with the rough seas we have had. However prior to the blow, the surface bite was really good with Sailfish, Mahis, Kingfish and Large Blackfin Tunas all consistently making the catch lists. Historically, November doesn’t offer the most weather windows to get offshore especially for those in some of the smaller boats but when we do get the right window, the fishing is generally pretty good. Expect to see the Mahi fishing to be productive with some solid gaffers in the mix. You will see a majority of boats switching over to trolling this time of year as bait gets to be a bit difficult to put together. Live baiting and kite fishing will definitely work as well if you find yourself in the right zone. Expect to find your Sails mixed in with your Mahis. Look for a good condition before setting your lines out such as a color change, debris, weedlines, temperature change or signs of life to increase your chances as your pelagics will generally hold to a water temperature they like or something that may be causing bait to hold up in the area. We can expect to see the Blackfins hanging around out at Pushbutton for a bit, as mentioned earlier before the blow, there were some quality sized Blackfins caught including many over 20lbs. You can catch them trolling feathers, cedar plugs or ballyhoo in the morning. If you are able to get some live baits, they are typically the most productive and can weed out some of the smaller Tunas generally. Those fishing live baits will generally set their baits at different depths to cover more water. Anglers have been able to catch some of their Blackfins jigging as well. If you are looking for some live baits, reach out to Bryan or Mike with Stuart Live Bait to see what they have available. They are on the white Carolina Skiff in the Pocket right out in front of the Sandsprit boat ramp, 772-985-0425. Kings have been caught in the 60-90’ range on the wrecks and reefs.
Bottom Fishing: Vermillion Snapper fishing has been steady when conditions have permitted and anglers have been able to catch their limits. Vermillions have been caught out at Pushbutton as well as a few spots inshore of there. The Muttons have been caught around the six and eight mile as well as to the south at the Loran Tower in 60’-90’. Your best strategy for them will be fishing a long leader with either a live bait or a grunt plug, some nice sized Muttons have been caught, you may just have to pick through a few shorts. The water may be a bit churned up after this blow so we may need to wait a few days after it stops for it to clear up as they generally prefer the cleaner water. We should begin to see our Lane Snapper fishing start to pick up as we get into the fall on reefs in the 60’ range and even shallower. We generally see some good Red Grouper fishing going into the fall in the 120’ range both on live baits along with chicken rigs with full squids.
Surf Fishing Report
Prior to the blow, the Pompano were making a very strong appearance off of our beaches. We can hope that that stays the same after this all dies out. One thing that will not remain the same after the high surf and king tides will be our beach structures. Troughs, run-outs and just general surf characteristics will not be what they were on your favorite beach when this wind event started per Capt. Paul Sperco. Low tide conditions will give everyone the best look to see changes in beach structures when things get back to normal. Prior to the blow, the better bite was first thing in the morning and during high tide. The bite had been slowing down approaching the bottom of the tide. The majority of the action was coming from 50-80yds off the beach. Staggering your casting distance to locate the fish when you get to the beach and adjusting your rods to the distance where you find them is always a great strategy and will remain to be a great strategy with the changes in the beach structure. Sandfleas tipped with EZ Flea Electric Chicken Fishbites has been the winning combo for Capt. Paul Sperco here lately. He will generally start out with a different color Fishbites on his rods and adjust to which one that they are keying in on. Clams have produced as well for those fishing with natural bait. Capt. Paul is planning to load us up with his very popular Pompano rigs on a weekly basis for those who are looking for them. Be warned, they do go quickly sometimes!
Lake Okeechobee Fishing Report – Capt. Angie Douthit
Lake O’s water level continues to slowly rise but for the most part, for this time of year, it’s
pretty much stabilized and most areas of the lake have experienced fresh water; fresh
vegetation growth; and a new winter-season ahead! I’ve been taking guide trip bookings for
both bass and crappie and I’m so excited about this coming season catching big bass; quantity
of bass and lots of crappie limits from November through May so now is a great time to book
your next fun-filled, productive day fishing Lake Okeechobee. I can accommodate groups;
single person discounts; multi-day discounts and Veteran discounts and various start time
schedules for those travelling; kids to get out of bed and etc. I also extend a deep hotel
discount to the top hotel in Okeechobee. If you’re wanting to jig to catch big “specks” aka:
crappie, no worries, I offer a quick 5 minute lesson and you’re off and catching some great-
tasting; white flaky-eating fish for the whole family to enjoy. If you’re after landing that big
bass of your dreams; I offer both live bait and artificial guided trips or both. Yes, you can fish
with both live bait then finish your trip throwing lures…very popular !! I can accommodate
most people’s preference and will offer “whets the best to have the most productive day on the
water advice for my clients”. When calling me to book your trip, I encourage questions…no
question is dumb/sounds off the wall. It’s important to gain the knowledge and feel
comfortable when booking a fishing trip of a lifetime !!
Ok….so what’s happening now out on the lake for bass and crappie fishing….The bass are
scattered which means you’ll get some bites out on the grass edges where the water is a little
bit deeper throwing moving lures such as top water early in the am’s; swim jigs/jigs; worms and
frogs. Once inside the grass edge, those same lures will work but as the day progresses you’ll
have to slow your presentation down and be more precise with casting accuracy and be
patient. You’ll dealing with new water and more anglers all at the same time so remember, it’s
an all new season and conditions you’ll be dealing with. For the crappie bite, you can catch
them around structure; bridge pilings; river ledges; canals and open-water deeper water areas
such as going out the Kissimmee River into the lake where you’ll see boats fishing off-shore;
where they will be slow trolling with live-scope catching the schools of crappie as they feed
before moving into the shallows for the upcoming spawn time which usually kicks off in late
November which can be a great time for catching specks on jigs in the shallows !! To book
you’re next fun time on the water call me at 863-228-7263 and check out my website
www.southfloridabassfishing.com. I supply all rods/reels/lures/bottled water/sun screen/rain
gear if needed.
