Sebastian Area Fishing Report: July ‘10
• Captain Sherrie Stovall •

The weather has been flat calm and the fishing overall has been hot.. or maybe that’s just the temperature outside.

The offshore bar is holding some good numbers of kingfish right now. Slow-troll live baits or free-line them off your transom for an aerial show complete with exploding action as a silver bullet launches from the water and into the sky. Sailfish and dolphin are being caught on trolled ballyhoo in blue water from 130 ft. on out toward the cones. Get close to the Gulf Stream for temperature breaks and floating debris. Good numbers of cobia are still being caught along the Bethel Ledges and shallow bars close to shore. This will slow down as the month progresses. Many boaters have been bringing home a bonus cobia after a long day on the water.

I’ve been holding off on the bad news for this report — it looks like the cold summertime water is here already and not playing around. The surface temperatures have really dropped and it is frigid on the bottom already. Divers are about the only ones who are happy when the cold water upwellings move in for the summer. Most of the fish rock up in their favorite holes or caves to conserve energy until the water temps warm up. The bottom fishing is a bust with the new regulations, and if you want to mess with the smaller bucket fish like sea bass and triggers, that will slow down now with this cold water.

Sebastian Inlet has been a pretty good bet recently. The inlet is full of sheepshead right now, so grab your barnacle scraper and some fiddler crabs and go get them. The small blue crabs are starting to float out of the river on the outgoing tides. This can bring a whole herd of different species into the Inlet to suck them off the top. Expect big redfish, snook, tarpon, permit, and maybe even a cobia to be in there fighting for a chance at one of these crabs. If you can match the hatch and scoop up some of the crabs floating out, that will definitely work. If you can’t get any crabs, heavy topwater plugs thrown out in the middle of the Inlet will also work. The permit are usually further out off the tip, so long casts with a heavy weight can do the trick.

The surf has been too calm recently to provide any of the wave action the fish like. Early morning high tides have been the best time to fish. If we get a little swell, expect fishing to improve. Despite all this, anglers are still picking up some nice-sized whiting and the occasional pompano. Most of the pompano have been small, so release these fish with care. One thing you can do when it’s calm is work the trough with your favorite lure. There are plenty of snook cruising the surf right now up against the beach. When it’s calm and clear you can actually sight-fish them. Areas around the Inlet tend to produce more fish, so grab your plug box, and walk and cast to get exercise at the same time.

The river this time of year is going to be best in the morning or evening. The water warms up quickly as the sun begins to climb, so the fish are most active in low light conditions. Live shrimp or pig fish under a popping cork can work wonders. If you’re an artificial guy or gal, topwater plugs or shallow diving plugs can do the trick. I’ve been hearing good reports of big trout and slot-sized reds in the river. With these long days, it’s great if you’re an early bird because you can get a few hours of fishing in the morning and still make it to work on time.

As always, check in at Whitey’s for the latest and greatest fishing reports and techniques. If you want to get on the river for a day of fishing, check out our rental boat fleet at: www.sebastianinlet.com.

Until next time, tight lines!

Sebastian Area Fishing Report: June ‘10
• Capt. Eric Metcalf, Attitude Adjustment Charters •
www.attitudefishing.com

Inshore

With the water warming up, it’s set to be a great month for fishing. The bluefish were really thick around the Inlet, river, and beaches. Look for them to start moving north as it gets even warmer. Snook have also been very active and should start moving to the beaches soon. Reports have been promising, and it looks as if there are still some pretty good-sized swimmers to be caught. Hopefully, snook will reopen in September. Mullet are showing up pretty thick on the flats as well as a lot of trout the occasional redfish. Early mornings are best before it gets too hot. There’s tons of action unfolding just outside the Inlet along the beaches. Thread fins with a few sardines mixed in have been thick in 40 ft. Kingfish and cobia have been congregating and have provided some nice catches throughout the past two weeks. Schools of big jacks have been cruising the 30-ft. area as well. Hold on!

Offshore

Where were the May dolphin? A few big ones were caught last month, but it seemed like most were still hanging out further south. Nonetheless, June looks to be a good month for them, so keep your hopes up. Grouper season just reopened, but reports for them have coming in a bit slow. Red snapper are still closed and are thicker than ever in 80 ft.; releasing all the big ones has been pretty tough. On the upside, sea bass and trigger are plentiful as always, and cobia and kingfish have been spotted a little closer to the beaches around the bait pods.

Stovall Report: May ‘10
• Captain Sherrie Stovall •

Sebastian Inlet Report
Nighttime anglers are catching snook on buck tails and windcheaters during the outgoing tides. Focus on the tide changes and that should help produce a slot-sized fish. The bluefish have been very thick at the Inlet and expect to hook a few while trying to bag a redfish or snook. Good numbers of black drum, sheepshead, and pompano have been around the rocks at the tip of the North and South Jetties.

With all the bait moving in and out of the Inlet, don’t let the mangrove snapper fishing go by without exploring it. They love all the mojarras and other bait fish rushing by them. The mangroves will hang out under rock ledges waiting for an easy ambush around the channels and catwalks. Fish your baits close to the drop offs with a 3/4-oz. lead weight on a light 15-20 lb. fluorocarbon leader with a #1 (or even a #2) light gauge hook to minimize the sight of your gear. Fluorocarbon is expensive, but in the grand scheme of things it can make the difference between catching and just fishing for the mangroves.

River Report
Flats fishing will remain good throughout most of the month as schools of bait continue to gather on the grass flats. The trout are up on the flats getting lots of food to fatten up for their spawn. Try to really key in your fishing time early in the mornings or when the bait is up on the surface. Use soft plastic baits with a light jig head or your favorite topwaters to put a few fish on your stringer. As the weather continues to settle into summer-like patterns, the water temperature will rise on the flats and slow down the daytime fishing.

Offshore Report
May is a great time for offshore trolling and usually means heading out deep toward the cones or Gulf Stream for some of the best dolphin and wahoo fishing all year. The dolphin are migrating back north this month, using the currents of the Gulf Stream to head toward the Carolinas. rolled ballyhoo naked or with a skirt will help you cover some ground as you look for dolphin action around weed lines, floating debris, temperature breaks or color changes. Many boaters will venture to the other side of the Gulf Stream in search of yellowfin tuna; while crossing all that water, an occasional board, tree or weed line will hold some of the best dolphin action around.

Bottom fishing is a good relief from trolling, and right now the amberjack have shown up along the deep-water reefs. Live bait and vertical jigs will set any angler up for a good 10- to 20-minute tug-of-war against some 40+lb. reef donkeys. Most of us could use a good cardio workout from the bottom species since we’ve been stuck on land for the past few months. Grouper opens back up this month, so break out the bottom digging gear and go for it.

The kingfish are back up in our area and thing are heating up around the Pines and along the 90-ft. offshore bars from Bethel Shoals up toward the northern grounds by the High Bar. If your pockets are empty and the cost of fuel is keeping you at home, hang out close to the beach or right outside the Inlet for the kings and Spanish mackerel. Pods of greenies and pogies are showing up right along the beaches in 40 ft. of water and the smoker kingfish are right on their heels. This can be a great alternative to running way offshore and will provide lots of great action for all. Who knows what else you might find at the end of your hook…

As usual, stop by Whitey’s to get the latest information or check us out on the web at: www.whiteysonline.com.

Until next month…

Put another log on the fire and sit back for this month’s fishing report.

Due to all the recent freezing temperatures throughout most of Florida, the fish have been the ones hit the hardest. In early January, several nights of freezing 30-degree weather dropped the water temperature so low in the river that a large population of fish died. Many of the local species like tarpon, snook, mangrove snapper, sheepshead, ladyfish, and catfish have washed up along the water’s edge over the past few weeks. With major fish kills of this proportion it will take some time for the numbers to rebound. The FWC has taken some action to eliminate some of the pressure off snook, tarpon, and bonefish populations by banning the harvest for several months. With snook season set to open February 1, you will now have to hold off harvesting a snook till the fall season — September 1, 2010.

The fishing around Sebastian Inlet has been producing some good numbers of black drum, bluefish, pompano, and whiting. The black drum are sucking up the live clams and ranging an average of 5 to 8 lbs., with a few fish over 15 lbs. If the water cleans up along the beaches, the pompano will make a run by the jetties. The whiting have been on the south side and in great numbers with the occasional pompano mixed in. Blues are everywhere; if you want to try your luck with them try casting silver spoons on outgoing tides. They are a fun fight and are great on the smoker.

Seatrout didn’t take a huge hit in the cold weather, so it might be a good time to break out the trout rods and sharpen the trebles on your Johnny Rattlers. Expect fish to be on the flats in the warmer afternoons around the potholes. A bonus redfish might pop up now and then since they are another species that took the cold well. Live baits like shrimp and mullet make a great choice for drifting over a productive flat.

Offshore has been good for king fishing when the seas allow. Most of the kings are scattered from the Bethel ledges north up to the Port. This time of year, expect a few cobia to come over and take a look around the boat. Always keep a rod handy with a pitch jig or live bait to cast when they pop up. Recently, a legal 33-inch cobia was caught inside Sebastian Inlet by the cleaning table on the south side. A few fish now and then come from the jetties, but also from inside the back of the inlet! Who knows what to expect this month. Also keep a strong eye out for the manta rays swimming on the surface; they will usually have a cobia or two swimming below. There have been good reports of wahoo over the cones as well. Try high speeding your favorite lead head lure and see if the striped fish makes it to your frying pan. You never know — maybe a gaffer dolphin might make it to your skillet too.

As always, check in at Whitey’s for the latest reports and updates.

Until next time, stay warm and tight lines!

The seasons of change are definitely upon us with the bluefish showing up in huge numbers. The bite along the beaches and at Sebastian Inlet has been great, thanks to the rough and dirty surf.  When fishing for the blues, remember that they have a mouthful of tiny, razor-sharp teeth that can destroy any plastic bait or mono leader. Break out the metal lures and wire leaders or a morning of fishing will soon become a huge financial burden. Tie on a Gotcha jig, silver spoon, diamond jig or any other metal like lure in your tackle box, attach a section of wire leader in front and start working the water. The use of a wire leader will help not guarantee the loss of tackle, but will certainly reduce it. Fishing for the blues can be very exciting while you’re waiting for other winter favorites like pompano to show up.

Speaking of pompano, there have been several reports of a few fish scattered along the surf, but until the water cleans up and the wind backs off, the action will be slow. As the cooler northeast winds drop the water temperature, the pompano will settle in for the next few months.

Standard surf gear is a 10- to 12-ft. rod, with a larger sized reel, spooled up with 12- to 20-lb. mono. Most rigs consist of two gold hooks with or without floats, sand fleas or cut clams for bait. When casting out your rods, stagger them by throwing one rod short and winging the other one as far as you can throw. This will help locate the bite as the pompano move around looking for a food source, either right close to the beach or as far out into the ocean as you can cast. Keep the weight as light as the wave action will allow; usually, on calm days, a 2- to 3-oz. pyramid will work and a 4- to 6-oz. weight helps during windy conditions. If pyramids aren’t holding on one of those rough days, try using a Sputnik weight, offered in 2- to 6-oz. weights, which are made up of little wire legs that stick into the sand. When tugged tight, they dig in deep and when pulled hard, roll open to allow the weight and rig to be retrieved back to the beach. Sputniks are a little costly, but on days when the ocean and wind just will not cut you a break they’re worth every penny.

Snook fishing has been great at the Inlet in the early mornings and late evenings. Schools of bait are getting pushed around the jetties, and the redfish, jacks, bluefish, snapper, flounder and tarpon are there to feed. Windcheaters bucktails and the larger swim baits are working along the channels and from shore. Live pinfish, mullet, croakers and shrimp can also be cast from the jetties or drifted through the Inlet channels by the boats. Bucktails on the south-side rocks have been producing a lot of fish recently at night on the outgoing tides.

November can be a big month to flounder fish as the water temperatures in the river start to drop. The flounder bite is definitely one of the hottest things going this month, but the best action will come on the second cold front. That second drop in temperature really gets the flatties moving out of the river through the Inlet and on their way offshore to warmer water. With each consecutive front, the action just gets better.

The ideal time to fish for flounder is during the slack tide. The window is short and the conditions can be a bit extreme, not because of the weather, but because of the competition. So do your homework, get your bait and get moving to your hot spot early ahead of the others.

If you’re up for some competition, join the Whitey’s Flounder Tournament. Anglers must sign up before fishing and the entry fee is $20 per person with 100% payout. The tournament runs for two months. You can log on to www.whiteysonline.com for more rules and information as well as the daily leader board.

Hope everyone has a wonder T-day. I know I will be enjoying a nice organic Osceola this year. Things just don’t get much better than that.

Until next month…

STOVALL REPORT

Snook season is open — and the bite is hot, too!

With lots of bait in the surf, the action along the beaches and at Sebastian Inlet has been red-hot. Huge schools of mullet are migrating through the surf and are being followed by every predator on the beach. At the tide changes, they round the jetties and make their way into the inlet. Sometimes the schools get trapped inside the inlet by the tide and just get worked over for hours by the snook and redfish. Many of the redfish are oversized and must be released, but after several big boys look for a slot-size fish to come along. A few mojarras have been caught along the bridges, but pinfish, mullet and croakers are still the choice baits to fish right now. After the action cools down on the surface, drop a few smaller baits to the bottom for mangrove snapper and flounder.

New Florida State regulations require every angler to have a fishing license, resident or non-resident. Residents must have a saltwater fishing license or the new shoreline angler endorsement. So get to the computer and purchase your license online at www.myfwc.com, or leave a few minutes early and stop by Whitey’s to get your fishing license next time you get out.

Getting offshore this time of year is very challenging with the changing weather. If the wind is blowing and the seas are rough, look to hang close to shore for bonito, kingfish, tarpon, Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Schools of mullet and other baitfish are scattered along the beaches and several miles offshore. Look for the birds diving on the bait or watch your bottom machine to get into the action. Sabiki live bait or cast silver spoons, top water or diving plugs along the edges of the bait or right into the middle of the schools. Make sure your drag is not too tight to start with. You can always tighten it up as needed, but backing it off usually costs you a lure or a broken line before you get the tension right.

If you’re looking to grab a few kingfish for the smoker, start working 2-3 miles off Sebastian Inlet. Trolling live baits on the downrigger or dragging a few spoons around will raise the fish. The grass has been very scattered on the surface and will require a constant watch to keep the baits and lures clean. Try trolling ballyhoo further offshore toward the Gulf Stream for some mahi and sailfish action.

Bottom fishing on the offshore bar has been slow, producing a few good fish here and there, but most of the action has been sea bass, triggers and a few smaller snapper. The larger prized grouper and red snapper catches have been further offshore along the deeper 170-ft. and 220-ft. rock ledges. Live baits are the way to glory right now; look for some live sardines along the inshore bars and Bethel buoy. The hardest part about offshore in October is getting a good weather window when you have the time off.

As October comes and goes, lets hope we’re still lucky enough to get some calm seas and light winds!

If you get a nice fish this month and want to share it with us, send an email with the details to Whitey’s. You might even see it next month in The Resident…

As the tropical action heats up in the Atlantic, expect the mullet to show up any time along the beaches for their annual migration. When the run is here, look for many predatory fish to shadow the schools and make endless attacks on the mullet. The smaller ones will blast through the air in defensive maneuvers to avoid being dinner, while the tarpon will make aerial displays rolling and jumping around them.

The key to fishing these huge schools of bait is to stay where the action is. Stop and check the local beach accesses to see where the bite is happening. Most of the time, it’s right out your back door and will stay there most of the day. More active feeding times will be a couple hours after sunrise and later in the evening several hours before sunset.

Live bait, mullet, and an assortment of lures should be rigged up and ready to go on a 30- to 40-lb. leader of mono or fluorocarbon. Swim baits that look very natural work great tracking through the water at different depths based on the rate of your retrieve. Try some of the Calcutta Flash Foils in a mullet, pinfish or red/white color, and/or the Berkley paddle baits in a mullet pattern around the 5- to 6-inch range.

For the surface bite, grab your favorite wind cheater or any surface popper like the Cotton Cordell pencil poppers. Top water and diving lures will stand up to more aggressive strikes and are not prone to having the tails bitten off by smaller fish.  You can expect to catch everything, from jacks, tarpon, mackerel and snook to sharks, bluefish — the list goes on.

As the mullet round the tip of the jetties at Sebastian Inlet, everything goes crazy. Snook will start doing cartwheels out of the water and the redfish will blaze through the schools inhaling bait. Live pinfish and pigfish along with croakers are showing up in the inlet and moving out from the river during tide changes. Live bait on the tide changes during the night is always a snook favorite along with diving plugs and bucktails. During the day, live shrimp and pinfish drifted from the piers on incoming tides should produce some action.

With the long-awaited start of snook season begins September 1, and the timing could not be better for the mullet run to start. Keep in mind that the snook regulations are 28 to 32, and one fish per person, per day. Also, all fishermen must have a license now. If you’re fishing from shore, the shoreline endorsement is $9.50; a regular saltwater license is $14.50. Shorebound anglers must purchase a snook stamp for $2.50 in order to posses a snook.

Offshore fishing was really slow last month. The bottom has been dirty due to the swells from Hurricanes Bill and Danny. Most of the fish have been caught while trolling baits — a fair number of mahi in the 12- to 15-lb. range and maybe a wahoo scattered here and there. Bottom fishing will improve as the swells die down. The water temperature on the bottom is not very cold, and the snapper and grouper are still hanging around your favorite rocks.

As the weather permits, get out of the house and hit the beach or Sebastian Inlet for some of the best fishing action all year.

With the cold water still at bay for the summer, the Gulf Stream currents have been close to Bethel shoals. Scattered weed lines seem to be holding some flying fish and live bait around 120 to 180 feet. Sailfish and dolphin are residents there and can be a sure catch if you slow-troll live baits or drag a few dead ones. Several cobia have been lingering along the offshore bars and swimming right up to the boats. Always keep a pitch bait or bucktail close by, because cobia are known to make a surprise visit and leave just as quick.

For those of us who love to dive, this is the month to pull out the dive gear that’s been collecting dust since last year. Lobster season begins August 1 and continues through March 31. Most of the inshore ledges and 50 to 60-foot reefs have shown good numbers of lobster prior to the start of season. With calm weather conditions and warm water, most divers should have a good chance of harvesting a few nice sized lobsters for dinner. Remember: the bag limit is 6 lobsters per person with a 3″ carapace. Also take a good look at your catch, and make sure the females don’t have any eggs. If you do catch one with eggs, use great care in releasing her unharmed to help ensure we have good lobster stocks for the future.

The bite at Sebastian has been fairly predictable recently and should remain so through August. Snook, reds, mangrove snapper and the occasional flounder have been coming over the rail fairly often. Outgoing tides seem to be producing a good number of reds, whereas incoming tides have been producing snook. Shrimp, mojarras and pinfish have been the baits of choice unless you can find any of the elusive croakers, which will surely draw a strike. Most of the snapper have been caught during the incoming tides or slack tides using shrimp and mojarras. Snook season starts September 1, so it’s time to start patterning the fish if you want to be the guy or gal who goes home with a keeper on opening day.

This is just a little FYI note for all you shorebound fisherman who’ve not had to purchase a fishing license in the past. Starting August 1, the State of Florida is regulating all saltwater fishing by requiring residents to purchase a saltwater fishing endorsement. The licenses will be sold in two forms: a $9 shoreline fishing license for those who fish from shore or a structure affixed to shore, and a $17 saltwater fishing license. The State has passed this new license requirement to keep the Florida residents from having to purchase a new, more expensive federal angler license that will take effect in 2011.

Until next month…

Lobster season opens for a short two-day mini season July 29 and 30 for 2009. Lobster must be at have at least a 3″-carapace, and the limit is 12 per person for mini season. The regular spiny lobster season is August 6 through March 31. The daily bag limit is 6 per person per day during that time. Don’t forget to add the $2.50 lobster endoresment to your saltwater fishing license to keep a lobster limit.

The summer coldwater currents have not moved in yet, and the bottom temperatures are still warm. Look for the water to stay warm until the winds start blowing from the west. West winds are the summertime curse for thermoclines and make it hard to fish the bottom, but great for diving. Many of the larger gray grouper have been stacking up along the shallow reefs around 70 feet. There is a plankton layer along the bottom and tons of small anchovy baits are present. Most of the snapper seem to be gorging themselves on that protein-rich snack.

The summer months make a great time to do some late evening or overnight mangrove fishing. Try anchoring up on a favorite bottom spot and throw a chum bag overboard. Tie on a long fluorocarbon leader and use a light egg weight inline and just be patient. Sometimes the mangroves rise up to the back of the boat and you can fish for them right off the transom. Keep a watchful eye on the evening and late-night storms.

Anglers are finding that the 70- and 90-foot reefs are barren of large baitfish and the bite seems slow due to the buffet of little baits below. For better grouper and snapper fishing, you need to make that run further offshore to the deeper ledges around 130-240 feet for better bottom action. Many amberjack have been on the deep numbers and have even been seen 10-15 feet below the surface in large schools of 30 to 50-lb. class fish.

Most of the mahi and kingfish will be scattered along the offshore bars. Try trolling live bait on the surface or tolling strip baits along the pines and the offshore 80-foot bar. Schools of cobia have been swimming up to the boat and have also been spotted close to the beaches on a few rays. With calm summer conditions on the surface, look for schools of bonita busting bait on the surface. Trolling small spoons through them can make some great light line action.

Sebastian Inlet will host some awesome shots at big redfish this time of year as summertime stimulates the blue crabs to exit the river. The outgoing tides will bring the crabs out of the river and through the inlet for a redfish buffet. The reds along with jacks, snook and tarpon will stack up in the channel and go crazy, popping the crabs from the water’s surface. Try dipping a few of the floaters from the catwalks or along the rocks. Boaters can dip the crabs all over the inlet or along the grass flats south of the boat ramp. The best fishing time will be when the tide starts going out and the surface current really gets moving out of the Inlet.

Try to beat the heat and go fishing…

Expect kingfish to remain strong throughout the summer. Try areas south like Bethel Shoals, the Pines, or up north around the High Bar and if you want to find a  smoker, but don’t forget the easiest place of all, the beach.  Drifting live baits or bump trolling them on the surface can draw some explosive top water action.  If fishing slows try dropping one down on the downrigger.  A good way to locate the kings is trolling lipped plugs or spoons on planers.  If you catch a few fish in an area slow down and deploy the live baits for some light line action.  This can be one of the most productive ways of fishing offshore and you never know what you might catch.

Bottom fishing should remain good this month if we can keep the upwellings at bay.  With a few sporadic reports of cold water it’s not looking good.  Hopefully this last blow will help stop the flow of cold water inshore.  Grouper, snapper and amberjack catches have remained strong throughout last month.    Try areas from 80ft all the way out to 300ft.  Live bait always is the best bet if you can get it.  If you can’t try a jig you might be surprised on how well these things work or what will bite them for that matter.  A good bet is to target snapper.  The snappers are spawning and you can really get on a bite this time of year.  Check your bottom #’s out by driving over them and watch for a  pyramid of fish above the reef.  Anchor up and drift baits back to them, or put out the chum bag and the fish will come to you.  If you are looking for a little adventure, stay out overnight and fish all night for mangrove snapper.  If you hit it right you can haul in some really nice fish. They always say the full moon in June is the time.  Just watch the local radar and be ready to pack it up and head home to avoid a late evening or midnight thunder boomer offshore.

With snook season closed expect the snook to start feeding heavily and biting every bait or lure you throw at them.  Even the sunburnt tourist at the end of the Jetty with the snoopy rod turned upside down using rotten shrimp he found on the floor will catch one.  Oh, did I forget to mention they will all be in the slot of course.  All joking aside the summer is a great time to snook fish.  Just remember to take care in the handling of these prized gamesters and release them unharmed.

If you get tired of playing with the snook at Sebastian Inlet why not turn your attention to something you can take home and eat.  Mangrove Snapper move in this month and take residence in the Inlet.  Small silver baits like mojarra or greenies rigged on a sliding egg weight and a hidden hook are the key in catching these fish. It is a waiting game and you can go through a lot of tackle, but it is worth it.

If all this rod screaming action is too much for you and you want to just have a relaxing time fishing then try the beach.  Surf fishing can be pretty consistent this time of year with action from whiting and the occasional pompano.  Clams, sandfleas and shrimp rigged on a pompano rig can be your best bet.  Bring the kids and the sunblock and enjoy your day on the beach just relaxing, and hopefully catch some fish.

The river can be teeming with life this month and it is a great time to get out and enjoy it.  Trout, reds and snook start to turn to their summer time patterns by taking up station on the deeper flats or dropoffs as the water warms up.  Expect the shallow flats to be most productive in the early mornings and evenings and then as the day progresses move out to deeper waters to stay on the fish.  A deep mangrove point can be a great place to target as the waters warm up.  A live shrimp, pigfish or pinfish are probably the trick to catching a lazy summer fish.

Until next month, keep the sunscreen on and drink plenty of water as you get out and hook up on the big one…….

May brings closure to the snook season for Sebastian Inlet anglers. The full moon in April brought good numbers of baitfish into the inlet and along the flats in the river. Schools of good-size mojarras and greenies are keeping the snook and other game fish active in the inlet for most of the day. Redfish, ladyfish, bluefish and jacks have all been waiting in the channels to feed on the bait as they move through the inlet. Live shrimp are still a good standby option, just in case the baitfishes are out of cast net range. Look for the mojarras around the catwalks, boat ramp and L-dock on the south side. Most of the pins and pigfish will be by the bridges and around the steel at the tidal pool.

Nighttime anglers are catching snook on bucktails and windcheaters during the outgoing tides. Focus on the tide changes and that should help produce a slot-sized fish. The blue fish have been very thick at the inlet and expect to hook a few while trying to bag a snook before the end of season.

Just remember that as of June 1st, snook will be closed all summer and open up again on September 1st. Pay close attention to the tight slot limit and measure your fish to make sure they’re 28 to 32 inches with a pinched tail.
With all the bait moving in and out of the inlet, don’t let the mangrove snapper fishing go by without exploring it. They love all the mojarras and other bait fish rushing by them. The mangroves will hang out under rock ledges waiting for an easy ambush around the channels and catwalks.

Fish your baits close to the drop-offs with a 3/4-oz. lead weight on a light 15- to 20-lb. fluorocarbon leader and a #1 or even a #2 light gauge hook to minimize the sight of your gear. Fluorocarbon is expensive, but in the grand scheme of things it can make the difference between catching and just fishing for the mangroves.

It might pay off to also fish the slack tides for a few minutes as the flounder are still returning from offshore through the inlet on their way back into the river. Dean Good of Vero Beach caught a 6.5-lb. flounder on his 85th birthday using a pinfish. Sounds like a great birthday present to me.

Flats fishing will remain good throughout most of the month as schools of bait continue to gather on the grass flats. The trout are up on the flats getting lots of food to fatten up for their spawn. Try to really gear your fishing time toward the early mornings or when the bait is up on the surface. Use soft plastic baits with a light jig head or your favorite top waters to put a few fish on your stringer. As the weather continues to settle into summer like patterns, the water temperature will rise on the flats and slow down the daytime fishing.

May is great time for offshore trolling and usually means heading out deep toward the cones or Gulf Stream for some of the best dolphin fishing all year. The dolphin are migrating back north this month, using the currents of the Gulf Stream to head towards the Carolinas. Trolled ballyhoo naked or with a skirt will help you cover some ground as you look for dolphin action around a weedline, floating debris, temperature breaks or color changes. Many boaters will venture to the other side of the Gulf Stream in search of yellowfin tuna. While crossing all that water, an occasional board, tree or weed line will hold some of the best dolphin action around.

Bottom fishing is a good relief from trolling, and right now the amberjack have shown up along the deep-water reefs. Live bait and vertical jigs will set any angler up for a good 10- to 20-minute tug of war against some 40-lb. plus reef donkeys. Charlie Ryder of Melbourne Beach battled a 95-lb. amberjack in 160-feet of water for 20 minutes after hooking it on a live greenie on spinning tackle.

Look for things to heat up on the beach as well, with greenies and pogies showing up; smoker kingfish will be right on their heels. This can be a great alternative to running way offshore and burning lots of fuel. Just stay on the beach –  you’ll be amazed at what you might find.

As usual, stop by Whitey’s to get the latest information or check us out on the web at www.whiteysonline.com.

Until next month…

March came in like a lamb for a few days and then the winds roared like a lion for the rest of the month. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that April brings some clam fishing weather our way.

The water temperatures are unusually cooler right now, which has really slowed some of the prime inshore fishing down. The snook at Sebastian are slow to take a bait during the day and seem to be more active on the nighttime tides.  Plugging from the rocks with wind cheaters and bucktails will be the least work in the cooler conditions.

As the water warms up and the winds die down, use bait fish and shrimp during the day to land a few slot-size snook and redfish from the piers. Live baits cast off the jetties and weighted with a light split shot or egg weight will place the bait right in harm’s way for that hungry snook. Expect to see catches of redfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jacks, sheepshead, black drum and even a few flounder. The larger over-sized redfish have been a blast for pier anglers casting large 2-3oz. silver spoons out into the tide lines. Spoons and smaller diamond jigs seem to be a favorite when it comes to bluefish and Spanish mackerel working the beaches and piers at Sebastian Inlet.

The surf has been rough due to N-NE winds. The larger schools of pompano have moved south past us; most of the local pompano catches have been smaller fish. Look for the legal-sized pompano to bite as the surf becomes calm again. The beaches south of Sebastian Inlet have been good lately, but that can change at any point. Expect to catch some small whiting, jacks, sheepshead and a few black drum from the sand.

Sandfleas have been spread out in the surf and may take some time to locate, so when they are showing, take that opportunity to rake extra for a few days of fishing. While the water conditions are dirty, look to clams for that extra scent in the water to get the attention of a passerby.

Offshore has been good for a few who are trying their luck at trolling the cones and deeper blue water close to the Gulf Stream. The end of the cooler months is a good time to work the deeper structures for some high-speed wahoo action. To target the wahoo, drop a few heavy deep-running lures back in your spread and kick up your RPMs a few notches. The increased speed of the lures whizzing by will trigger an instinctive bite by most wahoo. Several good catches of mahi have also been brought back to the docks while working the cones for wahoo. Most of the mahi are ranging from 10 lbs. up to 30+lbs. There are still a few sailfish hanging out deep along the weed lines and temperature breaks.

Dropping the baits down to the bottom is a favorite of mine this time of year. Red snapper bites have been holding strong with most of the fish coming up on the legal side of the ruler.  Try tying on a double-hooked chicken rig with cut squid or shiny baits to see who’s on the reef when you get there. Good numbers of big trigger fish and sea bass have been biting the smaller squid baits. Look to hook up on the bigger “black belly” grouper on the deeper 90 to 180-ft. ledges using live baits or dead sardines.

After all the other catches this month, how could I not mention the monthly favorite, cobia. Large pods of baitfish will start popping up several miles off the beaches and further offshore, playing host to some roaming cobia. Look for the nervous water or birds and take a look with a bucktail ready to see if a cobia might be around.

Manta rays also make their way through our waters on a migration, and provide ample cover for schools of cobia. Position the boat alongside these huge rays and cast a bucktail in front of them, careful to give enough distance for the jig to sink under the ray, and then work it back quickly to pull a few fish out and hopefully hook up. If you do hook up, try to apply enough pressure to keep the cobia from returning to the ray for cover. This will give you another shot at catching a few more fish off that manta ray without spooking him. If you hook the manta ray in the wings or mouth, you can kiss it goodbye. He’ll sound on you and the cobia will take off, too. That mistake is a humbling lesson in patience and precision casting. Better to cast too far in front of the ray than hooking him.

Stop by and sign up for our annual Cobia for Cash Tournament. The tournament is extended this year and will run through April 30th, which now gives anglers two whole months to catch the big one. Entry fee is $20 per person and you must be registered prior to fishing. All fish must be weighed in at Whitey’s. Check out the rules and leader board online at www.whiteysonline.com for regular updates.

Best of luck on the water this month…

The snook at Sebastian Inlet are slow to take bait during the day and seem to be more active on the nighttime tides. Plugging from the rocks with wind cheaters and bucktails will be the least work in the cooler conditions. As the water warms up and the winds die down, use bait fish and shrimp during the day to land a few slot-size snook and redfish from the piers. Live baits cast off the jetties and weighted with a light split shot or egg weight will place the bait right in harms way for that hungry snook. Expect to see catches of redfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jacks, sheepshead, black drum and even a few flounder. The larger oversized redfish have been a blast for pier anglers casting large 2-3 oz. silver spoons out into the tide lines. Spoons and smaller diamond jigs seem to be a favorite when it comes to bluefish and Spanish mackerel that are working the beaches and piers at Sebastian Inlet.

The surf has been rough due to N-NE winds and the larger schools of pompano have moved south past us and are being caught down the beach towards Ft. Pierce. Most local pompano catches have been smaller, but look for the legal sized fish to return soon. South of the Inlet has been good lately, but that can change at any point. Expect to catch some small whiting, jacks, sheepshead and a few black drum from the sand.

Sandfleas have been spread out in the surf and may take some time to locate, so when they’re showing, take that opportunity to rake extra for a few days of fishing. While the water conditions are dirty, look to clams for that extra scent in the water to get the attention of a passerby.

Offshore has been good for a few who are trying their luck at trolling the cones and deeper blue water close to the Gulf Stream. The end of the cooler months is a good time to work the deeper structures for some high-speed wahoo action. To target the wahoo, drop a few heavy, deep-running lures back in your spread and kick up your RPMs a few notches. The increased speed of the lures whizzing by will trigger an instinctive bite by most wahoo. Several good catches of mahi have also been brought back to the docks while working the cones for wahoo. Most of the mahi are ranging from 10 lbs. up to 30+ lbs. There are still a few sailfish hanging out deep along the weed lines and temperature breaks.

Dropping the baits down to the bottom is a favorite of mine this time of year. Red snapper bites have been holding strong with most of the fish coming up on the legal side of the ruler.  Try tying on a double-hooked chicken rig with cut squid or shiny baits to see who is on the reef when you get there. Good numbers of big trigger fish and sea bass have been biting the smaller squid baits. Look to hook up on the bigger “black belly” grouper on the deeper 90 to 180-ft. ledges using live baits or dead sardines.

After all the other catches this month, how could I not mention the  monthly favorite, cobia. Large pods of bait fish will start popping up several miles off the beaches and further offshore, playing host to some roaming cobia. Look for the nervous water or birds and take a look with a bucktail ready to see if a cobia might be around.

Manta rays also make their way through our waters on a migration and provide ample cover for schools of cobia. Position the boat alongside these huge rays and cast a bucktail in front of them, careful to give enough distance for the jig to sink under the ray and then work it back quickly to pull a few fish out and hopefully hook up. If you do hook up, try to apply enough pressure to keep the cobia from returning to the ray for cover. This will give you another shot at catching a few more fish off that manta ray with out spooking him. If you hook the manta ray in the wings or mouth, you can kiss it goodbye. He will sound on you and the cobia will take off, too. That mistake is a humbling lesson in patience and precision casting. Better to cast too far in front of the ray than hooking him.

Stop by and sign up for our annual Cobia for Cash Tournament. The tournament is extended this year and will run from March 1st through April 30th, which now gives anglers two months to catch the big one. Entry fee is $20 per person and you must be registered prior to fishing. All fish must be weighed in at Whitey’s. Check out the rules and leader board online at: www.whiteysonline.com for regular updates.

Best of luck on the water this month!

Surf fisherman are finding small schools of pompano in their favorite deep water holes off the beach. The pompano are good size and seem to biting early in the mornings, but this will change through the month as the cold fronts come and go. The best recipe is small wave action coinciding with a high tide in the morning. Blue fish are running along the trough and taking a quick swipe at your rigs as you retrieve them from the surf. Some sheepshead, black drum and jacks will also be along the beach throughout the day. Sand fleas and live cut clams will be the ticket for success. Keep a spoon handy for the blues and Spanish mack’s as the toothy bandits pass in front of you.
Snook season will open again Febuary 1st and most guys are more than ready to go get them. Most of the larger snook have been holding in the deeper chanels of the inlet and off the ends of the piers. Large schools of big, oversized redfish are still in and out of the inlet with the tides. Large silver spoons between 2 and 3 oz. are heavy enough to cast off the piers out into the schools of redfish. Also use live mullet, pinfish and shrimp while fishing at the inlet.
Good numbers of sheepshead and black drum have also set up shop in Sebastian. Sandfleas and fiddler crabs are a sure bet for the sheepshead who use their sheep-like teeth to crush shells to get to the food within. Clams and sandfleas dropped to the bottom of the inlet floor will bring in the black drum. Remember the old saying: Elephants eat peanuts. Junior Sanders of Vero caught  a black drum weighing over 46 lbs. on a small sandflea. That would be a surprise battle.
For the offshore angler, kingfish schools have been lingering several miles out and on the 50- to 70-ft. reefs. There have been some 15- to 25-lb. fish caught, and even a few in the 35-lb. range. King spoons and deep-lipped plugs trolled at about 5 to 6 knots have been the key to success. As usual, any sort of live baitfish slow-trolled on the surface or on a downrigger will generate some fish.
Grouper and snapper can be at their best this month, weather depending. Red snapper are schooling up in the shallow water along 70 and 90 ft. They’re in large numbers and many fish are legal size (the legal limits are 20 inches for red snapper and 2 per person). Both the grouper and snapper are gathering in preparation for their spawn. A good number of nice gag and red grouper are out in 90 to 180 ft. Try anchoring on some of the shallow reefs and work the area just a little bit longer for a mangrove or mutton snapper bite. Several cobia have swam up to boats recently, and more numbers of fish should be making their way through as the late winter migration starts. A bucktail tied up and ready to be cast at any moment or a live bait rig on standby will help you when the dark brown shadow swims by the boat. Any sort of shiny live bait is your best bet for the bottom fish. Try to Sabiki some sardines or pinfish off the shallow reefs and bouys. When all else fails, you can always break out the frozen sardines or squid for bait. If you like to use chicken rigs, the sea bass and triggerfish have been thick on the bottom. Bait your hooks with squid for nonstop action.
Until next month…

Some of the pompano and mackerel are hooking around the piers and can be caught throwing light jigs tipped with shrimp or fishing sand fleas on the bottom with pyramid weights. The ocean water is clean and will stay fairly fishable as long as the wind stays down. The surf temperatures are still really warm for this time of year, so the beach fishing has been somewhat slow to date.  Look for the surf fishing to turn around this month as a few more cold fronts come through and drop the surf temperatures as the month goes on.

With a few good days of weather in a row, the offshore forecast says “Go fishing!” The bottom bite has been really good from the 60-ft. reefs on out to the deeper water ledges. Good numbers of legal red snapper are inshore and seem to be eager to strike as soon as the bait gets to the reef.  Several muttons, lane snapper and trigger fish are striking the hooks and adding a little variety to the fish box. There have been a few reports of large wahoo cruising the offshore waters. Try high- speed trolling large, heavy lures for these striped blue demons.

The inshore bite has been really hot the last few weeks. Trout season is back open, so it’s a good time to hit the flats. Schools of redfish are cruising the east shore along with the occasional snook. Sight fishing has been possible when the winds are light or in the lee side of land. Soft plastics, live shrimp and DOA’s have been producing good catches in the river.

We are all very thankful to have the grouper regulations pushed back for another year. So get out and enjoy what you love so much about Florida in the winter.

Until next time, keep your lines tight and hooks sharp.

Whitey’s 2008 Flounder Derby Results:

First Place: Jimmy Winter; 13 lbs.
Second Place: Dustin Jones; 10 lbs.
Third Place: Jerome Launder; 9-3/4lbs.