With no more fronts forecasted for the next 2 weeks with westerly winds moving in, now is a good time to check out the coast if you’re on a small boat. The mackerel have schooled up thick ½ mile south of the St. Lucie Inlet. Bring spoons, green Gulfstream jigs, and Got-Cha lures to load up on Spanish.

Yesterday, we spent a couple hours commercially jigging along Bathtub reef for jack. We loaded up with small jack and got pompano on that same pink or yellow 3/8 oz. goofy jig. There’s also been some cobia spotted close to shore off the bathtub reef and near the House of Refuge. As those rays move down, we should see more cobia along the shore. Good jigs for that are Capt. Al’s Cobia 3 oz. and Gulftream’s Cobia Slayer.

Back at the Roosevelt Bridge at night, huge snook have been caught on Red and Blue tail hawk jigs. Bring your boat on the down-current side of the bridge and cast up-current along the corners of the bridge platforms. Slowly retrieve down-current along the bottom and pass by the fenders and platform corners. The best nights have been during outgoing tide with slightly choppy conditions.

Some large snook and redfish have also been caught down in Palm City Bay while casting and slow-trolling TerrorEyz, C.A.L. jigs, and gold spoons. Brighter colors work well down there, and tide doesn’t play a big role. Just get out there early. Pompano haven’t showed back up in the North Fork, but keep your eyes open for skippers.

As the winter passes through, the windy season has begun with rainy fronts and low pressure moving through. Calm, sunny windows will still show up between fronts giving anglers a chance to get out north of the St. Lucie inlet 40-60 ft. of water. Here, the sails and cobia are being caught constantly. While bait has been hard to find, large schools of horn bellies are moving through at the same depth as the sails at 20-40 ft. Horn bellies aren’t the most popular bait, but if that’s all that’s out there, that’s what they’re eating. Free-lining or deep dropping bait has also pulled nice sized cobia 20-35 lbs. Some captains are still trolling, but save gas while you can.

Cobia have also being caught closer to shore sight-jigging along the rocky beaches (Peck’s Lake, Tiger Shores, and Bathtub).While jigging the shallows, have pompano jigs ready too as they are moving south  with this cooler water. Get ready for the manta rays holding cobia as they should come through at end of the month and into March. That thick chain of rays should show up be just outside the inlet in 20-35 ft. and is amazing just to see.

Keep your eye on the weekly forecast with these fronts. Live webcam sea conditions are available at stlucieinlet.com

While the pompano have not yet been showing up as well as last year, they are being caught randomly near the causeways, Hell’s Gate, and some have been spotted way back along the docks of the North Fork. The most consistent spotting, however, remains to be off the rocky bottom beaches. Some of these are Tiger Shores, Bathtub, and the House of Refuge. Through February and March, we should see the pompano skipping more out on Sailfish flats so keep on the lookout.

Herds of sheephead have been moving through the natural sandy cuts of the Sailfish Flats with some anglers limiting out using shrimp and jigs. The channel markers found off the Northwest corner of Sailfish Point have been loaded with sheephead. Lots of which kayakers are catching by putting in at the House of Refuge or the inshore trail at Stuart Rocks beach access. Some redfish, trout, and flounder have also been caught off the flats along the edge of the main channel near Boy Scout Island. C.A.L. jigs and goofy jigs are what worked for us. Just keep your eyes open for manatees as dozens are showing up there right now.

The mackerel and bluefish are still schooling up around the St. Lucie inlet and Peck’s Lake. With calm seas, it makes for a nice family fishing trip and plenty of seafood. Speaking of seafood, the Port Salerno Seafood Festival is this Saturday with lots of live music, dancing, and beauty pageants. Stop by our booth and pick up a new GOT BAIT! shirt or grab a few of our stickers and put them on your grandmas bumper!

See you there!

As the New Year dawns, the offshore fishing gets better and better out of the St. Lucie Inlet. The sailfish have showed up in record numbers with over 320 sailfish released during the 3 day Pirates Cove Sailfish Classic last month. Many were caught trolling in water depths ranging from 90-130’, yet the red flags have been stacked up most on boats coming in from 200-240’. Many dolphin and kingfish were caught as well. Just keep your eyes open for weed patches as their depth varies daily. Wahoo have also been showing up more between Stuart and Jupiter from 170’-200’ so make sure to keep wire in mind.

For bottom fishermen, grouper season has come to an end until April. However, lots of lane snapper and triggerfish are being caught at the six-mile-reef found at 80’ using squid, sardines, and live blue runners being found out of the inlet. Amberjack are also being caught as their season begins March 1^st so make sure to get yourself ready. Tight Lines Guys!

Many anglers have been out enjoying the beautiful holiday weather and catching lots of mackerel, bluefish, jack, and ladyfish. We have had very calm seas making the inlet and Peck’s Lake possible for small boats. However, another cold front has arrived bringing with it onshore winds and choppy seas. So, get out there while you can.

The pompano bite continues to get better as most are being caught off beaches. (Tiger Shores, Seminole Shores South to the Inlet) If looking for the pompano inshore, small schools are showing up just North of the Jensen Causeway not far off the channel. Some are also being caught off the Stuart Causeway and Sailfish Flats towards the end of incoming or beginning of outgoing. Double or single hook Chicken Rigs with shrimp work for bait fishermen. Capt. Al’s Goofy Jigs in pink, tan, and yellow have been working best. If the water is looking cloudy, throw on a teaser with flash. When working near the inlet, stay on the Northern shoreline off Sailfish Point and work the current seams coming off those sandy points. Doing so with an outgoing tide gives a good drift to bounce jigs off each current seam.

The Crossroads has been a good spot to anchor up near the Northeast corner and cast for large jack crevalle, bluefish, and ladyfish moving through in schools. Sheepshead are being caught near the rocky shore of “Hole in the Wall” and the Southeast corner of the Crossroads.

Enjoy the rest of the year with the family and have good holidays!

The water has cooled down enough with the passing swells for the swordfish to show up. At nighttime, deep squid and bonita trolling rigs with green LED lights have pulled some out at night 600-1,000 feet Southeast of the St Lucie Inlet. Some nice sized dolphin are also being hooked while trolling out deep. With decent weather forecasted over the next week, now is a good time to schedule a night trip.

Sailfish have been showing up in numbers mostly 70-90 feet. Some at 130. Trolling ballyhoo dredges 30 feet down with 24 oz. cigar weights works well. With a few more greenies now showing up around the inlet, some sails and dolphin have been caught free-lining near the Loran. Grouper are still being pulled there, as well as at the six mile reef using sardines and squid.

The Stuart Sailfish Club’s 58^th Annual Light Tackle Invitational Sailfish Tournament will be December 8-11^th. Enjoy the holidays with the family! From all of us at Southern Angler!

Click here for tournament details.

http://www.stuartsailfishclub.com/tournament_ltt.php

Register here.

http://www.stuartsailfishclub.com/pdf/ltt/2011/LTT_2011_Invitation.pdf

The good old holiday season has arrived bringing with it, pompano, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish. They can be found in schools along the inlet and beaches south to Pecks Lake. This makes for great family fishing and gives first-time anglers a great chance to hook up.

For mackerel and bluefish, GOT-CHA lures, Ande’s Tube lures, and ½ oz. spoons work great. Use fast, yet deep retrieval and reel your catch in before a porpoise takes it!

Pompano have started showing up more inshore along the Stuart Causeway and Sailfish Flats shortly before and after high tide. Big schools have also been spotted behind Bird Island on Marsha’s Flat. Chicken rigs with sand fleas or shrimp work great for bait fishermen. Capt. Joe Jigs work well in pink, white, and yellow for lures. For flies, small pink, white, and tan clousers or JR’s fleas are great patterns to use.

Don’t Forget Your Regulations:

Bluefish

Size Limit- 12” minimum

Bag Limit- 10 per day

Spanish Mackerel

Size Limit- 12” minimum

Bag Limit- 10 per day

Pompano

Size Limit- 11” minimum

Bag Limit- 6 per day

The pompano run has started inshore near the St. Lucie Inlet and the Sailfish flats. The beaches near Jensen Beach and the Jupiter Inlet are producing the biggest pompano so far during the high tides. Sheepshead are also spawning and piling up around hole in the wall and 10 cent bridge. Seas have finally calmed down to 3 to 4 feet with Sailfish, Dolphin, and Kings being caught in around 80 feet of water with fresh ballyhoo working the best. A cold front will be coming in at the end of the week around Thursday, with seas kicking up to 7 to 10 feet so make sure to get out this week and enjoy the beautiful weather while it’s here. Come by the Southern Angler for all of the latest updates on local fishing, weather, and tides. We also have a long list of classes and seminars always going on, so give us a call or come in and sign up for something today!

Southern Angler. A Local Shop Since 1991.

For Anglers toughing out the conditions, the sailfish and dolphin bite has been turning on as water temperatures continue to drop. As winter gets closer, the sailfish will be found in numbers on the reef and wrecks. Troll ballyhoo in 80-110 feet or free line down south at the Loran Tower. Greenies are still not showing up much near the inlet, but lots of mullet can be found near the crossroads and hole in the wall.

For bottom meat-fishing, some nice size tilefish are being been caught way out at 800 ft. The Six Mile Reef and the Loran Tower have been producing some sea bass, red grouper, and mutton snapper using squid and sardines. But bonito strips are working best. Catch your bonito just south of the inlet and rig it while you cruise to the Loran Tower for some bottom action. Earlier the better!

As always, thanks for checking in with the Southern Angler! Give us a call if you have specific questions and our team will do whatever it takes to help you out!

With the water cooling down…trout, snook, and reds continue to gorge on the giant mullet schools found near the bridges and cuts along the Sailfish Flats. Pompano have been seen gathering in the shallows of the North and South Forks during outgoing tide. Simply cruise the shallows along the inside of docks and look for fins. Small bucktail jigs and Spanish jigs will work for lures. If you’re fly fishing, throw pink, white, or rootbeer/gold Crazy Charlies.

Up in Fort Pierce, decent sized reds and snook have been seen schooling along the seawalls and grass flats near the inlet. DOA shrimp have been working well along with small Crazy Charlie flies.

The tarpon have continued to migrate as the water cools down, but some are still being seen along the beaches and inlet. Mullet are working best and are easy to find. For bait size, stay in proportion with the tarpon sizes. If the rolling tarpon look to be under 50 lbs., stick to 5-8” mullet and pinfish. If you see big poon rolling, throw on big horse mullet and hold on!

Stop by the Southern Angler today for more local information and make sure to check out our fly fishing school, educational programs, and topic specific workshops we have scheduled for the 2011 season! Tight lines!