Now I know why the fish have been
biting, they knew it was going to get cold again. That north
wind is just not Florida, what happened to my sun and warm
temps?
Pompano more Pompano and
did I tell you about the Pompano bite? From north of the turning
basin to the St. Lucie inlet and north to the North Fork it has
been Pompano. In the flats a small jig with a piece of shrimp
worked slowly across the bottom has been the ticket. In the
deeper water a little bigger jig and from the bridges it is the
jigging spoon. Surf anglers are using sand fleas and clam strips
to get their fish to the beach. Pompano and more Pomps, mornings
is when most reports come in but we have just as many fishing
all hours of the day with the same reports, " we got our limit
in the first thirty minutes and do you have any more of those
spoons". It is the season for the Pomps and weather you like the
surf or the river try it you will like it.
In the river Trout
and Reds, three feet of water, look for a grass edge and you
find your target. Soft rubber baits worked slower than slow is
the method and as long as it does not get to cold the fish are
striking the baits. Now if those pesky Pompano are not jumping
around the boat the Blues will keep you busy and SNOOK is not
open. We are lucky to have the Snook population we have, lets
give them a chance to recover. Still plenty of Black Drum and
Sheephead at the bridges along with some real nice Sand Perch
and those Pesky Pompano with a mix of Jacks, Blues plus the
biggest Mac's to stay busy with.
Surf
has been a mix up, some days polite and on our days off not so
polite. Blue Fish early on Spoons and cut baits although if it
stays cool we may have get back to one cast one fish Blues. This
week in the later morning the Blues backed off and the Whiting
and again those pesky Pompano moved in. Shrimp, clams and sand
fleas are the baits and they all work but the clams will work
for all of the above. Cut your clams in strips, very elastic,
stays on the hook will not
come off on those long casts. Pompano will eat a sand flea but
whiting might not so they both like clam strips, why not.
Off shore was a hard week to call.
Just when you thought it was right the seas were against you.
Action zone was between 125' and 180' straight out the St.
Lucie, Sails, Dolphin and Kings were all the catch list but it
was hard fishing. Three to five then four to six foot seas with
the wind changing directions just made it less than polite. The
churned up seas will keep the fish around now all we have to do
is get a bigger boat, really bigger boat to go play, I guess I
will have to wait.
Till next week
...........SNOOK IS CLOSED TILL SEPTEMBER 1... I don't care what
your neighbor heard......................HENRY
Fishing 1/23/10
Weather
is back to normal, sun shining and the fishing has been hot. Why are
all the boats across the Sail Fish Flats, all those anglers standing
on the bridges and a line at the cleaning tables, Pompano is the
answer. Finally they have showed, a little late but here in force.
From the bridges it was an all day bite? In the flats it was moving
water as the tide slowed so did the bite but it picked up again as
the water picked up speed. Anglers from the bridges were getting
limit catches using jigging spoons some with teaser hooks and some
with out. let the spoon fall to the bottom and lift and let fall and
you had a Pompano. Boaters were using small jigs with a piece of
shrimp on it, casting and bumping the bottom found a few more
species then they took off the shrimp and it was all Pompano. Now
if these fish were at the bridges and the flats north of the St.
Lucie Inlet they had to be every where in between, Pompano in force.
Excellent Trout bite north of county line road on any thing that
even looked a little like a shrimp and it was all day, slot Trout
and over the slot were keeping anglers busy. Plenty of small Reds,
slots and just under it almost make me nervous the way these fish
are feeding. Do they know something about the weather I don't?
Plenty of Drum and Sheephead from the piers if the Pompano did not
take your bait. The best part of the day was I had anglers in
telling me about the Snook they saw feeding, that is a good sign.
Surf anglers we are getting
back to normal, if Blue fish is your target, fish early, the coolest
water of the day. There is still plenty just not all day. Be there
at sun up casting spoons or a piece of cut bait and you will find
plenty after the sun comes up fish deeper they will follow the
cooler water. As the surf edge warms the Whiting, Croakers and
Pompano will move in and there has been plenty.
Off shore the fishing has been very
good and some day out of control. Live baits have moved back in and
a lot of anglers are taking advantage of them. From eighty feet out
Sails, Dolphin, Kings, Wahoo and Bonita to let you know you are to
far out,even Cobia made a showing. Trolling down baits from sixty
feet was the location of the big Kings and to a few anglers the
location of some really nice Cobia, these fish were not seen and
casted to, but there to keep you on your toes. Dolphin and Sails
were mixed, nice Sails and real nice Dolphin in the twenty pound
class. From 100' to 180' was the action zone, trolled and live
baits caught equal fish, no preference. Wahoo were not big fish and
as with the Cobia they were just there, no special conditions, just
there.
Till next week, what is the size and
bag limit for all those Pompano?
Henry
FISHING 1/17/10
Finally the weather is getting back to normal, I was almost pleased to
here the air unit come on. The cold took its toll on our fish and the
Marine commission is being proactive in closing our Snook Season, good
for the Snook. Most anglers are still shaking their heads on the impact
of the cold on our fish. Why did some make it and some not, only mother
nature can answer that but thank you to the marine commission for
acting quickly on this and have to study, what I do not know.
Water is cold and one thing
for sure the Blue Fish are here, twenty five fish in twenty six casts.
The surf is crazy with Blues, cool thing is what ever time you get to
the edge they are waiting. If it flashes and dashes they are on it,
Spoons, chrome top water and chuggers top the list and then the cut
mullet for the angler that likes baits. These fish are just a pitch not
a cast from the edge, wire leaders and long shank hooks will find all
the action you can take. Blue fish have a minimum length of 12" and the
bag is ten, watch your limit it easy to get caught up in the action.
When you have what you want take the barbs off the hooks, for and easy
and quick release with no damage to the fish. Change your hooks over to
a single barb hook, the fishing is so good if you miss one before you
can pick up your bait another fish will have it. Pompano, well who would
hang around a school of Blue fish, as the water cools and the Blues move
off I am more than sure they will show, water has to warm a few more
degrees.
In the river, you guessed it Blue
Fish, you can see them coming just follow the birds. Trout season is
open as long as the water is cool you will need to fish deep and slow,
put your shrimp on a jig or on a float and keep in mind they will pick
up the bait not strike it, if the rod tip move set the hook. Those
pockets of mullet that you see are really Red Fish, they do not mind the
cooler water, let them come to you and cast to the fish that is on the
outer edge, that will keep them scattering. Have heard a lot about
Snook on the sand bars after sun up warming their souls, not eating.
Plenty of Sheephead from the bridges (12" min. 15 is the bag) with a mix
of Black Drum to keep busy with and the Pompano still waiting. Last year
at this time we were in the fish and the Pumps are there just not the
numbers but with water temps being crazy as they are once they stabilize
a little the fish will not disappoint us, I hope. there has been catch
reported across the Sail Fish flats, Hells Gate, north of North Bridge
in Ft. Pierce so we know the fish are here just when are they getting to
the bridges?
Off shore it has been 80 to 150 feet of
depth trolling Ballyhoo, on the catch list has been Sails, Dolphin and
Kings in good numbers. Weather you are fishing off the Black Condos or
the Loran Tower seas have been sporty and the fishing has been hot.
Captain Pat Price from Day Maker Charters has reported these catches
daily and if you trolled a bait deep you may have brought home a Cobia,
three for four boats did. These boats were looking for smoker Kings and
all they
found were Cobia, we all feel bad for them.
Till next week enough
cold weather, I am ready for the
heat...........................................................................Henry
Fishing1/10/10
How
many way can you say cold or colder, just plain cold is the only way to say
it. The week of winter, temperatures that made me dig out the real winter
clothes. If you were fishing the Sail Fish tournament I know you fished,
other than that it was tough to find anglers.
Off shore as cold as the temps were
that is how hot the fishing was. North or south of the inlets, from eighty
to one hundred and fifty feet of depth trolling Ballyhoo. Live baits not to
be found, all went deep to get away from the cold temperatures and they are
probably still down there. Sails aplenty, some pesky Dolphin getting in the
bait spreads and the King fish just to keep you busy. The problem, it was
just cold, to cold for most anglers but there was a few. Sails, Dolphin and
King Fish made the catch list and it was done in a short time. Being cold
is one thing, cold and wet, now that is cold.
Surf fishing top the list, Blue
Fish and more blues, cut bait and spoons were the favored. So many Blues
they pushed the other fish up on the sand. The best part, they were there
all day. No matter the time anglers reported catching their limit in as
many casts. Not to many anglers but plenty of Blues. Dress in layers so you
can take some off or add to depending on how the bite is. A few Pompano but
a little to cool to just sit and wait, fish the action, Blue Fish.
In shore from eleven till three,
giving that sun a chance to warm the water, Reds, Trout, Blues and some
Pompano. Good bite of just inside the slot Red Fish on jigs and live
shrimp. In that mix has been nice Trout, wait for that sun to warm the sand
bars and shallows and them move slowly to location. The fish are cold also
looking to warm, but hungry knowing it is going to be cold. Pompano from
the cross roads, hells gate, both causeways just not many anglers willing to
deal with the cold. I live here I can wait till it warms and I will.
Fish impacted buy the cold, plenty
just depending on your location. Snook are very temperature sensitive, from
the St. Lucie up into the Indian River we may have lost more than I wish to
talk about. Heard about Triple Tail at the Roosevelt, up side down.
Croakers and Look Downs at the causeways, baby Tarpon at the Power plant,
lets hope this is over by the time you read this. Till next week, stay
warm..........................not so happy Henry
Fishing 1 /2/2010
Happy new year and where did this cold come from? Cold and colder for this
week, will keep the river fish deep looking for warm water. But then how about
the Pompano, Blues and Mac’s they seem to like the cooler water and that is
the target you should be on. Trout is open and yes there is plenty of them
there but they are in the deeper water keeping warm, with the Pomps skipping
behind the boat and the Blues chasing everything I have to go with the
action. Bear Point, Little Mud, Nettles Island, Sail fish flats and both
inlets Pompano have caught a lot attention. You have seen them skip, now you
know where they are turn around, get back to the location await a few minutes
for them to settle down, now pitch a jig with a piece of shrimp on it and work
it slow a cross the bottom, you want your bait to look like a small crab
crawling. The best part is they are there all day. Finish breakfast, let the
sun come up, then come on down. Trout are deep and slow, they will pick up the
bait not strike as when the water is warm, pay attention what feels like a
small snag my be the bite, set the hook. Snook season is closed, let us hope
this cold has little effect. Some Flounder but not enough to target, sliding
that jig on the bottom has found a few but not the Mats we are looking for.
Have that other rod rigged and ready, when you get bit off it is all about the
Blues and Mac’s. Plenty of small Red Fish for the early anglers on small jerk
baits, now if we could just find the big Reds.
Off
shore has been off the charts with Sails and Dolphin topping he list. One
hundred and fifty feet of water, north of south of the inlets has been the
action zone. Anglers report multiple Sails and Dolphin in the twenty pound
class and plenty of them. Trolled Bally is the bait, mono or wire rigged is
up to you but bring some extra the birds have been hungry.. Any where you see
a weed patch and I don’t care how small with a small rip on it, that is the
location troll back to it and pay attention. With a mix of Kings, Bonita and
some Black Fin Tuna off shore fishing has been hot in spite of the cold.
Surf has been all about the Blues, conditions have changed buy the hour, from
weeds to high surf and the wind. Spoons and cut mullet has been the bait and
any time you could make it seem to be the time. Few small Pompano mix in some
Jacks and Macs and there was plenty to keep busy.
Now it is time for me to put another log on the fire, fifty degrees and no
relief till Thursday…………………………………….Henry
