Captain Bob Bushholz
Jensen Beach, Florida
(772) 225-6436
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ALL YEAR LONG!!!!' | | Fishing Report for
December 10th, 2003
"Winter Fishing"
At this time of year, with many vacationing
anglers in the area, (and just a reminder for the resident anglers) a few
important notes regarding regulations need to be repeated. Trout season
remains closed until January 1st and snook season closes Dec15th of this
year and opens again February 1st .
I took my black lab for a walk the other morning to the nearby Indian
Riverside Park. While making it out to the end of the 700+ foot dock I
noticed two anglers with three trout sitting in their 5-gallon bucket. I
informed them about the regulations and they reluctantly threw them back
into the water. It's such a waste to see these fish floating away but I do
hope those anglers learned an important lesson (one that did not cost them
an expensive ticket this time). All tackle shops carry state regulations
on all species in one form or another. There are several publications with
the same information and many of them do not cost anything (i.e. Fishing
Lines, Florida Sportsman pamphlets, decals and at a minimal charge,
Florida Sportsman lawsticks). It's up to each individual to know these
regulations and abide by them. That's what makes our fishery one of the
best!
Outside, the Spanish mackerel are everywhere. You can head south of
the St. Lucie Inlet all the way to Peck's Lake and join the hundreds of
boats; or simply run anywhere near shore and look for birds working on
small glass minnows being pushed up to the surface. Most of the resident
anglers use Gulfstream's flash minnow jigs with a 40-50 lb. mono leader.
Regular 20-30 lb. leaders don't stand a chance on these toothy critters.
Sometimes, when the macs are thick, I switch over to a small piece of
6" wire leader. It's amazing how many jigs are saved with a little
wire. Of course the action isn't quite as fast and furious, but the
results are pretty good. Other options are sliver spoons, green and
chartreuse tube lures, or bullet head jigs tipped with shrimp. Mackerel
regulations remain the same (12 inch minimum to the fork in the tail, 15
per person). I don't know many people who can eat 15 mackerel, so take
what you need and release the rest. We are blessed to have an abundance of
mackerel in this area from November to April due mainly to the net ban
that was enacted (in the not too distant past).
Pompano have returned to area beaches and inshore waters. It seems
like scattered action with the bigger "pomps" running inshore.
The Stuart Causeway can be hot at times if you're bouncing bullet head
nylure jigs, bare or tipped with shrimp. Sandfleas seem to remain the
preferred menu if you have time to spend fishing the surf. On recent trips
I've fished just south of the "quarter" bridge out of casting
range of the bridge "jiggers" which produced ladyfish for the
most part. I know they've been doing well off that bridge, but it hasn't
been when I'm in that area. Personally, the Sailfish flats, Hell's Gate
and the spoil islands have been the most productive spots, mainly bouncing
Gulfstream's redfish jigs or DOA's smaller CAL jigs with a pearl and pink
shad tail. You need to bite off an inch of the tail, reducing its size to
about 2". Pompano regulations change January 1st to 11" minimum
to the fork and 6 per person.
Elsewhere, snook and black drum are deep at area bridges with some
sheephead, croakers, lookdowns, mangrove snapper and goliath grouper. It
seems the goliath grouper have really bounced back since they made the
"protected species" list. Catch 22 has released over 300 this
year (mostly in the 3-15 lb. range). Remember, if you catch a grouper with
a round tail it is not a legal fish to keep.
In the grass, trout action is great for catch and release. Trout are a
pretty delicate species, so please take special care not to harm these
fish. Mixed in with the trout are some hefty jacks and nice flounder
hanging in sandy patches and dropoffs. Tarpon and tripletail seem to have
left the area and moved out to offshore waters. There's always next year!
Christmas time is rapidly approaching, so take a kid fishing! If you
get a chance, take the kids and stop by Florida Oceanographic and feed the
stingrays.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
(772) 225-6436
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