The Snook Nook Jan. 2003 FISHING REPORTS

JAN. 6, 03 FISHING

"HE IS BACK", NEW YEAR AND IT IS TIME TO BACK TO MY FISHING REPORTS. THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE JUST BEEN BUSY TO A POINT THAT THE SITE HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, BUT THIS IS ANEW YEAR AND WE ARE BACK, THE FISH ARE IN TROUBLE NOW.

LETS START IN THE BLUE WATER AND WORK IN. THE SAILFISH BITE IS ON AND THIS COOL WEATHER WE ARE HAVING IS JUST WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THEM ON THE MOVE. WE HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL BITE GOING FROM THE ST. LUCIE INLET; THE ACTION ZONE HAS BEEN FROM EIGHTY FEET OUT AND THE FISH ARE HUNGRY. TROLLED BALLY HOO TOP THE BAIT LIST, BOTH SKIRTED AND NAKED WITH SOME ARTIFICIAL MIXED IN HAVE KEPT ANGLERS BUSY. THE NUMBERS ARE GOOD, THE FISH ARE ACTIVE ALL DAY AND THE DOLPHIN ARE RUNNING WITH THEM. THE DOLPHIN WE LOOKED FOR ALL SUMMER ARE HERE AND CAUSING A PANIC FOR THE SAILFISH TOURNAMENT ANGLERS. IT HAS BEEN ALONG TIME SINCE I HAVE HEARD OF THE TROUBLSOME DOLPHIN EATING ALL THE BAITS BUT IT DOES HAPPEN. THE DOLPHIN BITE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT AND EVEN BETTER IF THE TARGET IS SAIL FISH, HOW DO THEY KNOW?? GOOD NUMBERS, NOT MONSTERS, BUT FROM FIFTEEN TO TWENTY POUNDS HAS BEEN THE NORM. THE KINGS START IN THIRTY FEET, THAT’S WHERE THE BIG KINGFISH ARE TAKEN AND THE NUMBERS START IN THE SIXTY FEET ZONE. THE NUMBERS ARE THE FISH IN THE EIGHT TO TWELVE POUND CLASS. NO ROCKET SCIENCE HERE JUST A DOWN BAIT, SPOON, STRIP, YOU NAME IT THEY ARE HUNGRY. IF YOU ARE TARGETING THE KINGFISH, EASY ON THE DRAG AND GO WITH LIGHTER EQUIPMENT SO YOU CAN FEEL THE FISH. IF YOU TRY TO MUSCLE THIS FISH CHANCES ARE YOU WILL PULL THE HOOK. BOTTOM FISHING HAS BEEN EXCELLENT FROM THIRTY FEET OUT. WHAT WITH THE COOLER TEMPS THE BAIT SCHOOL HAVE GONE TO DEEPER WATER AND THE REEF FISH HAVE NO COMPLAINTS. YES, THE SPANISH MAC’S ARE SOUTH OF THE INLET AND IT IS ONE CAST ONE FISH, SO THE LIMIT IS TEN BUT HOW MANY FISH CAN YOU CLEAN TAKE THE BARBS OFF THE HOOK AND HAVE BIG FUN IN A BIG SCHOOL OF FISH.

THE SURF AND THE INLET HAVE BEEN OUT OF CONTROL WITH THE BLUE FISH AND JACKS. BUT THE LIST IS LONG WITH SPANISH MAC’S, LADYFISH, POMPANO AND WHITING TO FIT YOUR TIME ON THE BEACH. THE BLUES START EARLY ON CUT BAIT AND SPOONS, THEN THE POMPANO MOVE IN AND THE BLUES ARE BACK, SURF FISHING HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. THE WHITING ARE HERE ALL-DAY AND SO ARE THE JACKS BUT THERE IS JUST A LOT OF FISH AND THAT IS THE GOOD PART. THE POMPS ARE THERE FOR THE LONG CAST BUT THEY MAY BE AT YOUR TOES, LOOK FOR THE CLEAN WATER, SAND FLEAS ARE THE FAVORED BAITS. SNOOK SEASON IS CLOSED BUT IF YOU DO HOOK ONE IT WILL BE WELL OVER THE SLOT, SO RELEASE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH OUT BRINGING IT UP ON THE SAND.

THE RIVER IS BUSY WITH FISH, BLUES, MAC’S, POMPANO, TROUT, FLOUNDER AND A BUNCH MORE. THE BRIDGES, THE SAILFISH FLATS, HELLS GATE IN THE ST. LUCIE RIVER ARE ALL PRIME TIME FOR THE POMPANO AND IT IS THEIR TIME. FROM THE BRIDGES IT IS THE NYLURE JIG WITH A PIECE OF SHRIMP ON IT, CATCH AN INCOMING TIDE AND YOU WILL BE IN THE FISH. THE FLATS AND HELLS GATE AREA IT IS THE RED FISH JIG AGAIN TIPPED WITH SHRIMP, TEN FISH NO PROBLEM. THE GOOD SIDE IS THAT ALL THE REST WILL BE THERE SO YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE ROD PULLERS YOU COULD ASK FOR. INCOMING WATER IS THE BEST BUT THE BITE HAS BEEN AN ALL DAY THING. THE TROUT HAVE GONE TO THE DEEPER WATER THAT IS AN EASY FIND. GET A BAIT TO THE BOTTOM AND SLOW DOWN, THE STRIKE IS SOFT NOT THE USUAL GRAB AND RUN, USE YOUR LIGHTER EQUIPMENT. THE DOA SHRIMP, COTEE GRUBB, THE JERK BAITS ARE ALL CATCHING, YOU JUST HAVE TO SLOW DOWN. BEST BET IS STILL THE POMPANO, YOU WILL SEE THEM SKIPPING BEHIND YOUR BOAT, MAY HAVE ONE JUMP IN HOW THAT FOR EASY TO LOCATE. FLOUNDER NOT A TARGET SPECIES IN OUR AREA AND I AM NOT SURE WHY BECAUSE THERE IS PLENTY AND THEY ARE EATING THAT SLOW BAITS YOU ARE THROWING FOR THE TROUT. LOOK FOR SHALLOW WATER FALLING QUICKLY TO DEEP, THEY ON THE EDGE LOOKING INTO THE CURRENT, BRING YOUR BAIT WITH THE FLOW OF THE TIDE.

COOL WEATHER BUT HOT FISHING, TILL NEXT WEEK DO NOT FORGET YOU CAMERA…QUESTION JUST DROP US AN "E"MAIL AT henry@snooknook.net………………………………………………………………..

JAN. 12,03 FISHING

MORE BLUE FISH AND MORE BLUE FISH. THESE COLD DAYS HAVE PUT THESE FISH ON THE BEACH ALL DAY, MORNING NOON AND NIGHT. BLUE FISH ARE HUNGRY ALL THE TIME, IFIT FLASHS THEY ARE ON IT. SPOONS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, CUT BAITS, UP CLOSE AND FAR OUT, THEY ARE EVERY WHERE. THESE FISH ARE IN THE FIVE-POUND CLASS, SCHOOLED IN GOOD NUMBERS AND THEY DO MAKE EXCELLENT TABLE FARE. HAVEYOU EVER CAUGHT A BLUE FISH ON A TOP WATER PLUG? POPPERS WITH RATTLES HAVE BEEN THE ONE; IT’S THE RATTLES THAT BRINGS THEM. AFTER YOU LOCATE THE FISH, TAKE THE HOOKS OFF, THEY WILL FIGHT EACH OTHER UP TO THE SAND WITH TWO AND THREE ON THE SAME PLUG, THAT’S HUNGRY. THE WHITING HAVE BEEN ON THE EDGE TAKING SMALL JIGS AND PIECES OF SHRIMP. IF THEY GO OUT THE BLUES WILL GET THEM. POMPANO CONTINUE TO BE SMALL FROM THE SURF, GOOD NUMBERS, and LOTS OF THEM BUT SMALL. SAND FLEAS FOR THE POMPS AND BRING SOME, THIS COLD HAS MADE THEM IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND. IF YOU WANT ROD PULLERS GO TO THE BEACH.

THE SAILFISH BITE IS STRONG STARTING UP CLOSE IN FIFTY FEET OF DEPTH. KINGS AND DOLPNIN WERE ON THE LIST ALL FROM THE SAME AREA. IT IS COLD, THE BAIT SCHOOLS IF YOU CAN FIND THEM ARE IN THE DEEPER WATER LIKE FIFTY FEET, SO WHY WOULD THE FISH BE ELSE WHERE. WATCH YOUR BOTTOM MACHINE AND IF YOU SEE A CLOUD ON YOUR SCREEN IT IS A BAIT SCHOOL, START LOOKING. YOU MAY EVEN JIG UP SOME LIVE ANDTHEN PUT THEM OUT OR TROLL THE AREA SLOWLY WITH DOWN BAITS. TAKE DINNER TO THE FISH. SNAPPER FISHING HAS BEEN EXCELLENT AND AS YOU SLOW TROLL THE AREA, LOOKING FOR THE BAIT SCHOOLS WATCH FOR LEDGES ON THE BOTTOM AND THEM COME BACK TO THEM. SNAPPER TO TWELVE POUNDS ON CUT BAITS MAKE A GREAT DINNER. SPANISH MAC’S SOUTH OF THE INLET, CATCH A FEW TOTAKE OUT IN THE MORNING FOR BAIT AND FEW TO TAKE HOME FOR THE GRILL, EXCELLENT.

RIVER FISHING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING ABOUT 11:AM. FISH THE WEST BANK AFTER THE SUN HAS BEEN UP WARMING THE SHALLOW WATER. IT IS TOPWATER BAIT IN THE SHALLOW WATERS, THE SOFT BOTTOM WARMS AND THE TROUT WILL BE ON IT. EXCELLENT TROUT CATCHS FROM ALL POINT FROM MID MORNING. THE POMPANO ARE EVERYWHERE, BEAR POINT, LITTLE MUD, JENSEN AREA, STUART BRIDGE, and SAILFISH FLATS THE LIST GOES ON. A SMALL JIG SLID ACROSS THE BOTTOM IS THE KEY, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON ABOUT EVERY LURE THAT EVER CAUGHT A TROUT. WATCH BEHIND THE BOAT FOR SKIPPING FISH, IF WADING YOU WILL SEE THEM PASS BY, LOTS OF POMPS AND ALL GOOD SIZE. IN COMING TIDE IS BEST BUT WE HAVE HAD REPORTS ALL DAY. BIG BLUES, MAC’S, JACKS AND LADYFISH WILL KEEP YOU BUSY. TEMP ARE COOL BUT THE FISHING IS EXCELLENT. WHERE IS YOUR CAMERA????????????

JAN.20,03 FISHING

TO COLD, HAD TO WEAR LONG PANTS AND A JACKET ALL WEEK, BUT IT IS STILL FIFTY DEGREES WARMER THAN MOST OF THE COAST. RUNNING THE RIVER IN THE OPEN BOAT MAKES ME THINK OF FISHING IN MICHIGAN, IN MAY. COOL DAYS WITH LITTLE WIND HAS MADE A LITTLE EASIER TO DEAL WITH. LAST WEEK IT WAS COOL THIS WEEK COLD AND COLDER. DO THE BLUE FISH CARE? THE POMPANO? THE MUTTON SNAPPER ? NO IT ONLY ADDS MORE TO THE SCHOOL.

NOW IT WOULD SEEM FROM THE BLUE WATER CATCH LIST IT HAS SLOWED THE FISH, NO JUST THE NUMBER OF ANGLERS. HAVE HAD SEVERAL CALLS ABOUT SHORT REPORTS AND I TELL THEM ALL, WE LIVE HERE AND WE CAN WAIT TILL IT WARMS FOR US SENTIVE ANGLERS. THE FISH ARE THERE THE ANGLERS ARE NOT AND I DO NOT BLAME THEM. THE LIVE BAIT IS DEEPER THAN LAST WEEK, SO LETS WAIT TILL AFTER NOON BEFORE GOING OUT THE INLET. MOST CATCHS REPORTED HAVE BEEN ON THE WAY IN AND I THINK IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH TEMPRATURE OF THE SURFACE WATER THAN DEPTH. WE HAVE HAD CATCHS REPORTED FROM FIFTYH FEET OUT BUT THE BITE TIME IS THE KEY, NOON AND LATER. DRIFT BOATS ARE CATCHING ALL DAY, THERE FISHING DEPTHS DO NOT CHANGE LIKE THE SURFACE TEMPS. TROLLING, OR LIVE BAITING FINISH BREAKFAST THEN COME ON DOWN. GET YOUR BAITS IN THE WATER AT SIXTY FEET AND TROLL OUT TO HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE FEET AND BACK IN. SLOW TROLL THE AREA AND I MIGHT SUGEST THE PIPE BARGE, THE LAST TWO COBIA CAME FROM THERE.

THE SURF IS BIG BLUE FISH MANIA, FISH ANY TIME AND THEY ARE THERE, THE BIGGEST HAVE BEEN IN THE EVENING BUT BLUES ALL DAY. THE EVENING SURF HAS BEEN ALL BIG BLUES RIGHT AT YOUR TOES EATING EVERYTHING YOU CAST FROM SHRIMP TO JIGS WITH SPOONS AND CUT BAITS IN THE MIDDLE. POMPANO CONTINUE TO BE SMALLS BUT IN NUMBERS, SAND FLEAS DO NOT LIKE THE COLD, BRING SOME. WHITING HAS BEEN SPOTTY, SOME NOW THEN LATER, WOULD YOU SWIM IN A SCHOOL OF BLUES? WHEN THE BLUES STOP RIG FOR THE WHITING, WHEN THE HOOKS GET BIT OFF IT IS TIME FOR THE BLUE FISH RIGS. ANGLERS WALKING THE SURF HAVE CAUGHT A FEW FLOUNDER BUT NOT ENOUGH TO TARGET. THE ROCK JETTY AT THE INLET HAS BEEN THE FAVORED AREA FOR FLOUNDER BUT TO WALK IN THIS COLD! STRONG SPANISH MAC BITE CLOSE TO THE INLET ON THE SMALLEST SPOON YOU CAN CAST. BEST BET GO IN THE EVENING CASTIN SPOONS AND PLAY WITH FIVE POUND BLUE FISH, LOTS OF ROD PULLERS.

RED FISH MUST BE RETARDED THEY LIKE THIS COLD WATER SO START YOUR DAY WITH THEM IN MIND AND TARGET THE TROUT LATER. REDS AT MIDWAY RD, WALTON RD, BLIND CREEK AND SOUTH TO BIRD ISLAND. NOT LOTS OF RED FISH BUT EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT THEM. FLOUNDER ALSO, LOOK FOR A DROP AT ANY SANDY SHOAL KEEPING IN MIND THEY WILL LAY FACE INTO THE CURRENT WAITING FOR THE TIDE TO SWEEP SOMETHING OVER IT. LOOK FOR CEMENT WALLS NEXT TO THE WATER, WITH THE SUN ON THEM THEY WARM AND WARM THE WATER AROUND THEM, WHY DO I ALWAYS GIVE AWAY ALL MY SPOTS. CAST YOUR BAIT TO THE WALL AND WORK IT SLOWLY FROM THERE. THE WATER HAS BEEN CLEAR, TIME TO GET OUT THE FLUOROCARBON LEADERS. TROUT AFTER NOON WHEN THE WATER WARMS, DEEP IF YOUMUST FISH EARLY, THE TROUT WILL BE COZY WARM IN FOUR TO SIX FOOT OF WATER. PAY ATTENTION THE BITE WILL BE SOFT NOT THE NORMAL AGGRESSIVE STRIKE, IF YOU FEEL A BUMP SET THE HOOK.

JUST MAYBE IT WILL GET WARM AND I MIGHT CATCH A FISH, BRING YOUR CAMERA. YOU OFFSHORE ANGLERS BRING YOUR BINOCULARS AND USE THEM, LOOK TO THE SHALLOW WATER THE SAILS MAY BE IN FORTY FEET.