JAN. 29, 07 FISHING

         BRRRRRRR….ONE COLD MORNING, 50 DEGREES.  TO SAY THE SNOOK NOOK IS BUSY THIS MORNING WOULD BE A STRETCH.  WIND IS OUT OF THE NORTH AT A STEADY 15MPH AND THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT. ALL YOU ANGLERS LOOKING FOR THAT WATER TEMP TO DROP, WELL YOU ARE GETTING YOUR WISH.

         SURF ANGLERS LOOKING FOR POMPANO THE WATER WAS WARM AND THE FISH WERE IN AND OUT BUT I WOULD SAY THAT HAS ALL CHANGED WITH THE COOL FRONT.  THE TURBITY HAS SETTLED AND THIS COULD BE THE DAY FOR POMPANO. ALL SEASON IT HAS BEEN TWO HERE AND THREE THERE BUT WITH TWO DAYS OF COLD I AM MORE THAT SURE THEY WILL LOOK FOR THE FLEAS ON THE BEACH. YES, A LONG CAST MIGHT BE IN ORDER BUT LOOK CLOSE THEY MAY BE JUST OUT SIDE THE BLUE FISH. BLUES ARE EVERY WHERE, SHORT CAST AND LONG THEY FISHING….JAN. 07

         LETS GO CATCH A FISH, YES I KNOW THE WATER IS WARM, SO FISH LIKE IT IS SUMMER.  FLORIDA, I LOVE THIS STATE.  WE HAVE HAD A FEW COOL DAYS BUT NOT ENOUGH TO COOL THE WATER. WINTER FISH ARE NOT SURE, SUMMER FISH ARE CONFUSED BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THEY ARE ALL HERE.

         SURF HAS BEEN ROCK AND ROLLING, BIG SURF BUT NOT ENOUGH TO COOL THE WATER. LOTS OF WHITING, GOOD SNOOK BITE BUT HERE COMES THE BLUES. LOTS OF BLUES ON SPOONS AND CUT BAITS, FISH THREE TO FIVE POUNDS, EXCELLENT TABLE FARE. SNOOK IS CLOSED, BUT THERE IN GOOD NUMBERS FOR THE EARLY ANGLERS, THEY THINK ITS SUMMER. WHITING, CROAKERS, BIG JACKS AND KINDA POMPANO. YES, POMPANO FANS THE WATERIS WARM AND THE POMPS ARE JUST NOT SURE. THERE BUT NOT IN THE NUMBERS WE ARE USED TO HAVING. A FEW IN THE MORNING A FEW IN THE AFTER NOON BUT NOT A GOOD SOLID RUN, WATER TEMPS ARE THE KEY.

         OFF-SHORE HAS BEEN TOUGH WITH BIG SEA CONDITIONS. THE SAIL FISH BITE IS OFF IN NUMBERS. YES WE STILL GET ONE A TRIP BUT THE WATER JUST IS NOT COOL ENOUGH FOR THE NUMBERS. HARD FOR THE FISH BUT PERFECT FOR THE WIMP, ME.  THE DOLPHIN BITE HAS BEEN THERE BUT THE SEAS HAVE KEPT MOST BOATERS IN. 3 TO 4 SEEMS TO BE THE THING WITH THE OCCIONAL 5 TO 6 JUST TO KEEP THINGS SPORTY. KINGS, SPANISH MAC’S THE FISH ARE THERE JUST GETTING TO THEM WILL TEST THE EQUIPMENT. TODAY THE ACTION ZONE STARTED IN 80’ OUT TO 125’, TWO DAYS BACK IT WAS 150’ TO 200’, IT HAS TO BE THE TEMPRATURE OF THE WATER. FAVORED BAITS HAVE BEEN TROLLED BALLYHOO.

         FISH THE RIVER LIKE IT WAS SUMMMER, 2/3 FT OF WATER FOR THE TROUT, THEY DO NOT KNOW THE SEASON IS OPEN, PLEASE DO NOT TELL THEM. THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS SEASON IS THE LATE MORNING SUNB RISE. THE REDS ARE THERE IN THE MORNINGS LOW LIGHT AND THE EAST WATER HAS BEEN FLAT. STAY IN THE CHANNEL AND WATCH FOR ACTIVITY, WHEN YOU SEE IT GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DRIFT AND LET IT MOVE YOU INTO CASTING ZONE. ANOTHER METHOD IS TO GET AHEAD OF THE FISH TRAVELING AND LET THEM COME TO YOU. LOTS OF BAITS INCLUDING LIVE SHRIMP BUT A GOLD SPOONA ND A SLOW RETRIEVE IS HAD TO BEAT. POMPANO ARE SKIPPING EVERYWHERE IN THE RIVER BUT NOT RUNNING FOR THE BAIT.  WATER IS WARM AND THEY JUST ARE NOT THERE FOR THE HOOK. BRIDGE ANGLERS ARE GETTING A FEW BUT NO PATTERN, CAN SEE THEM IN THE WATER BUT ONLY A BITE HERE AND THERE. HERE JUST NOT HUNGRY. BUT LOTS OF OTHER FISH AT THE BRIDGES DRUM, MAC’S, BLUES, TROUT, BIG JACKS, LOTS OF ROD PULLERS.

         YES I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE SAILS, MORE POMPANO, ALL WE NEED IS COOLER WATER. DID I TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LIKE WARM RATHER THAN COOL, CONFUSED?

ARE CHASING THE BAIT UP ON THE BEACH. CUT BAIT, SPOONS AND BIG TOP WATER WILL FING THEM WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. WHITING COULD BE A HARD FIND; WOULD YOU HANG OUT WITH A SCHOOL OF BLUE FISH?

         SAIL FISH FANS THIS IS THE COLD FRONT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. THIS WEEK IS HAS BEEN DOLPHIN CRAZY, WITH A STRONG COLOR LINE IN EIGHTY FEET THE FISH WERE CRAZY. WITH A FEW SAILS MIXED IN THE DOLPHIN IN THE FIFTEEN POUND CLASS AND BIGGER KEPT ALL ANGLERS ATTENTION. THE WATER HAS BEEN WARM AND THE SAIL FISH HAVE BEEN OFF, BUT THAT WAS YESTERDAY AND AS COOL AS IT IS AND WILL BE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE SAIL FISH MAY JUST BE EVERWHERE. FEW WAHOO MADE THE CATCH LIST TAKING DEEP RUNNING BAITS ALONG WITH A FEW SMOKER KINGS. THE SPANISH MAC’S ARE THICK IN THE HOLE SOUTH OF THE INLET, ONE CAST ONE FISH USING THAT GLASS MINNOW JIG.  IF YOU ARE THINKING OF BOTTOM FISHING, STOP AND JIG A FEW MAC’S, GREAT BAIT FOR ALL BOTTOM SUSPECTS.

         TROUT FANS LOOK DEEP; 3 TO 5 FEET THESE FISH ARE NOT BIG FANS OF THE COLD. THE POMPANO LOVE THE COLD AND THE REPOTS OF SKIPPING POMPANO MIGHT CHANGE TO CATCHING POMPANO.  THE WARM WATER HAS KEPT THE POMP CATCH TO HIT AND MISS AT BEST FROM THE NOTH FORK TO THE INDIAN RIVER THERE IS A BUNCH AND THIS COULD BE THE START OF A SERIOUS CATCH. FROM THE BIDGES USING SMALL JIGGING SPOONS TO THE RIVERS USING SMALL JIGS WITH A PIECE OF SHRIMP AND LETS NOT FORGET SAND FLEAS IN THE FLATS SHOULD BE BUSY WITH THE POMPANO.  SNOOK SEASON WILL OPEN FEBURAY FIRST, COLD WATER WILL KEEP THESE FISH DEEP, BIG BAITS PRESENTED SLOWER THAT SLOW IS THE KEY. THE REDS LIKE THE COOLER WATER LOOK TO THEM TO SPREAD OUT OVER THE FLATS FORAGING LATER INTO THE MORNING HOURS. PLENTY OF BLUES AND BIG SPANISH EVERY WHERE, TAKE SOME EXTRA BAIT.

         COOLER WATER, GREAT FOR THE FISH BUT NOT SURE FOR HENRY……………..DO NOT FORGET THE CAMERA, PLENTY OF GOLIATH GROUPER……………..