Did I say Blue Fish, from the bridges, surf and flats? Blues and more
Blues, so many you could see them coming. Surf anglers talked about the
Whiting and the Pompano but it was the Blues that kept the rods bent.
>From early to late on cut mullet, and spoons, at a few points it was
one cast one fish, so many, anglers were removing the barbs from the
hooks so the fish could get off. Long cast and short they were every
where. The Pompano were there if the Blue fish did not get the bait
first. Heard about and saw some nice catches of Pomps but the catch
times and locations were short and fast. Look for the Sand fleas on the
edge, where there is food there will be fish and Sand Fleas are the
favored for the Pompano. The Blue fish were in the two to four pound
class, anglers reported catches of two at a time, lots of fun and I was
at work.
Off shore it was north of the
inlet, eighty to one hundred feet of water was the zone, lots of
Dolphin. Lots of small Dolphin but there were plenty of good size fish
also and one could sort through the small and larger fish, no excuse for
taking those small fish. Anglers looking for live baits in that thirty
foot zone, spend a few more minutes and have that pitch rod ready, still
plenty of Cobia in the area. Spanish Mac's are thick south of the inlet
, you might want to freeze a few, they do make excellent cut bait for
bottom fishing.
Fishing the rivers, now that Trout season
is open we have had good reports form the Neetles island north to Bear
point, from Joe's point south to the Stuart Causeway but all any one
wants to talk about are the Pompano, come on anglers they are just
Jacks with a good PR man. There are no Pompano reports from the
library in Ft. Pierce to Walton Road but there are plenty of Red hanging
around those docks on the west side of the river. No pompano form bear
point south but some excellent Trout on new penny jerk baits. No trout
at the bottom of Sewalls point but pesky Pompano have been there taking
anglers baits. No Red fish in the Hells Gate area but again those pesky
Pompano are there, we have had reports of those pesky Pomps in the Club
Med area of the St. Lucie river but no Blue fish. Now there are a few in
Indian river but if I were looking for the Pompano the St. Lucie river
is where I would be.
Till next week, a fish to
important a resource to be caught only one time, release for
tomorrow.....Henry
Cool
this week, not as cold as the weather man predicted. Yes the
wind was strong but not the 15 to 25 that the weather man
predicted and the seas were not as high as the prediction, what
a job every body wants you to be wrong.
Cooler water and Blue fish
just go together, surf anglers report Blues all day from early
to late, Blue fish. Short cast and long cast it was three to
five pound Blue fish, cut bait top the list but spoons took
their share. Whiting, would you hang around a school of Blue
fish? Pompano were hit and miss, Blues from all location,now the
Pompano if they were at a location it was a short time, they
don't want to hang around a school of Blues either. A few
Flounder from the jetty in Fort Pierce on the surf side if you
could get your bait away from the, you guessed it, Blue Fish.
Well like the weather man, the
fish should have been in three to five feet and the Snook well
every body knows they do not feed in the cold water and I was
wrong. Anglers kept stopping by to tell me about the Trout they
were catching in knee deep water and the Snook eating top water,
well maybe these fish didn't know they don't like the cooler
water. Several anglers spoke of seeing the fish and getting out
of the boat and wading to them. Excellent Trout bite with a mix
of Snook on live shrimp and artificial, fish were just hungry
after spending days in 3/5 feet. From Bear Point south to the
Stuart causeway the bite was on, Trout and more Trout, yes Snook
season is closed to the first of February. At the bridges it
was Drum, Blues and Sand Perch with a few runs of Pompano but
they were a hard call.
Off shore the action was up on the
200 line , that is about ten miles north of the St. Lucie inlet
in sixty to one hundred feet of water. The Dolphin bite was on
and the pesky Sail Fish were at the trolled bally hoo. To the
south it was the Loran Tower with Dolphin and Sails in about the
same depth with several reports from in between, Sunday was a
dolphin day. A few Kings reported from anglers drifting over the
Reefs and plenty of Snapper using sardines for bait.
The next time I tell
you 3/5 feet just go to your favored location, the fish are
conspiring against me...................have a great
week...........Henry
FISHING 1/10/09
That was one big moon we had last week,
bright and brighter lasting three nights. Talk to any angler and
they all have their idea on how to fish that full moon and most will
say " the best bite is the front of the moon, the first three days
before the moon. No rocket science here, big bright moon has every
thing lit up, no place to hide if you are a bait fish, so the fish
are up all night eating. So, if you are up all night eating you will
probably sleep in and eat later in the day. Now getting back to that
full moon, go later the fish have been up all night eating, in shore
and off shore, bite time after 12:pm.
Off shore it was bottom
fishing, Mutton Snappers in the ten pound class and all the rest of
the Snapper family were there to keep anglers busy, favored bait
were sardines and the action started in thirty feet. The Grouper
were smaller or pull you to the gunnels, heard a lot about fish
that were in the twenty pound class. Grouper action started in sixty
feet and went to ninety feet, sardines also top that bait list.
Trolling was a hard call early in the week, before the moon the fish
were on the 120 line from 80 to 125' then the moon, scattered and
it was a late bite if any. Heard about a Dolphin here and there, no
pattern. Sails were looking at baits and backing off, the Kings were
in the 10/12 pound class and they were in thirty feet of water way
out of the pattern. the only one that was a guarantee were the
Spanish Mac's, south of the inlet eating any thing that was chrome
on a thin mono leader, good size Mac's at that.
Surf anglers had a good week with the
Pompano, some days they were up close and others out there. Yes you
need to be able to make that long cast but do not be afraid to move
that bait in, you could be on the other side of the fish. On the
catch list were Blue fish, not so many but enough to keep one
interested, cut bait and spoons to their bait list. Whiting were in
and out all week, if you are not catching fish move to one of our
other access, fifty yards will make a difference.
River anglers it was that moon, the
bite started after noon, sun was high and that did not help but if
you were fishing deep or shaded water I know you did well. Pompano
from many locations just not limits. These fish were scattered,
anglers fishing the St. Lucie and the Indian Rivers found the fish
fro a few minutes, hooked a few and then they were gone. The river
is clear, you can see the fish and they can see you, so when you
hook up look to see where the others are going and change locations.
Not much in the Red fish department to talk about but the Trout made
up for them. Small jerk baits and live shrimp were the favorites all
week, look for those sand holes in the grass and put your bait on
the sand and move it slow, very slow, the fish are in the grass
waiting for some thing to pass.
Watch your charts for
that full moon and have a plan B that you can go to or just go and
enjoy these beautiful resources........Henry
JAN. 4/09 FISHING
It was a sporty week for anglers, wind and
plenty of it had the sea and rivers kicked up. With the wind changing
direction, anglers had to look for flat water, less turbid water, and
the off shore anglers were more dependent on down baits than at the
surface.
Off shore I am not sure it ever
settled and that had the catch list looking rather light. Those that did
get out found most action was on their down baits and that included
both Sails and Dolphin. There was live baits on the Bull Shark reef for
the early angler but the fish that we heard about were caught on trolled
baits, swimming just below the surface. Fish from sixty feet out to
three hundred, no pattern, no reason, they were just there. Scattered,
one here one there, most of the Kings were in close but I saw two
dolphin in the twenty pound class from forty feet and there was no
reason for them to be there, no weeds or color, they were there. Good
Sail fish bite, most anglers reporting jumping two or three, and a lot
of anglers reported getting there baits stripped and that strong run
just before the break off, Wahoo. Mono rigs are fine if there is no
Wahoo in the area, but "should have rigged with wire", we heard that a
few times this week. The Spanish did not disappoint any anglers that had
them in their sights.
The surf was Pompano and more,they were
there, gone and back again form many locations. The week started with a
long cast and as the week move on the fish moved in. Most anglers were
fishing beyond the fish and then when checking their baits found the
Pomp's up close. Favored bait this week has been sand fleas and clam
strips. Bait on hook with a flea and one with a strip, witch ever gets
hit first is the bait of choice. Some Blue fish, some Jacks but
conditions were tough on the anglers, three to five ounce all week.
River anglers found some Trout and Reds
in three feet of water, live shrimp and slow moving rubber baits top the
bait list. The wind kept changing directions and the water stayed pretty
turbid no sight fishing this week end. Same went for the Pompano in the
river, hard find but if you did you limited out, Sail Fish flats, and
the St. Lucie river were the two location that kept coming up in
conversations. Lots of Lady fish, some Blues and Mac's did keep most
anglers busy.
With the wind changing directions so often
fishing all week was a job, lets hope this coming week it will settle
down and we can enjoy our selves a little more.
Till next week does every one on your boat
know where the "Life Jackets" are stowed?????
Henry
