Captain Bob Bushholz
Jensen Beach, Florida
(772) 225-6436
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ALL YEAR LONG!!!!' | | Fishing Report for
February 12th, 2002
"Up & Down"
Well, Pucksatawny Phil saw his shadow last week, so I hope that means
all you angling northerners will stay for another six weeks. Water
temps last week cooled down a bit making early morning trout fishing
challenging to say the least. Quality is great, but the constant
lowering of temperatures makes the fish a little sluggish in the flats.
Tuesday morning I ran an early morning trip with Eddie (without most
of the famous "Cruisers") and his son from Boynton.
Departing at 5:00 a.m., we started on the east side of the Indian River
around Joe's Point to fish a few lighted docks. Unfortunately the
trout seemed to be stunned by the cold water and were not interested in
anything we had to offer. By daybreak we headed to the Inlet and did
some bottom fishing, releasing mangrove snapper, sheepshead and
jacks. Not the best trip of the year, but the water doesn't stay
cold in the River for long. Morning fishing will pick up with the
next warm front.
Wednesday morning was much the same with "catching" on the
slow side for some of my regulars (the Grotz party of 4 from Port St.
Lucie). Some fish were caught, but not the numbers that they are
accustomed to. That afternoon, with the Sears party of 2, fishing
picked up. Drifting in the Inlet, fishing both DOA C.A.L. series and
terrorize, 4 snook were revived and released after putting up a fine
fight. The snook averaged about 24" and were great fun on 10
lb. spinners. When the current slowed, we anchored up near the
detached jetty and caught an assortment of fish using trollrites and small
pieces of shrimp. Sheepshead to 3 lb., mangrove snapper, lookdowns,
spots and black margate topped the list, providing good entertainment and
tight lines. Bottom fishing remains great even in the cooler
water. Dead high tide in the Inlet is best when reaching max water
temperatures.
Thursday morning, departing at 8:00 a.m. with the Gavlik party there
was some cause for concern about the weather with the winds to 20 mph and
rain expected later. We drifted the Inlet awhile, releasing a few
snook and then headed to Sewall's Point to fish the Archipelago
Bridge. Non-stop mangrove snapper action on 6 lb. test resulted in
over 30 fish released and somehow any weather concerns soon evaporated.
Monday morning (February 11) I was greeted by the Perkins party of
4. Arriving at the Inlet at 8:30 a.m., we caught the last few hours
of incoming tide. Fishing the detached jetty produced snapper,
porkfish and grunts (all happily released). By 9:30 the water
movement was slowing down which meant it was time to throw the anchor and
go after some sheepshead and snapper. By 10:45, 13 sheepshead to 5
lbs., 6 mangrove snapper (shorts unfortunately), a few spots and a
scorpion fish made their appearance. When anglers aren't familiar
with local fish like the scorpion fish or catfish (both of which can
inflict some serious pain if not handled correctly), it's a good thing to
be fishing with an experienced guide. In any event, the Perkins
family was great, will enjoy a sizeable fish fry and I hope they return
soon.
From area bridges, pompano action has seemingly slowed down judging by
the number of anglers jigging off the "quarter" bridge.
I've spoken with a few nighttime snookers who frequent the bridges and
they reported the same slowdown. Cool water causes some sluggishness
in these fish, but not to worry, we live in Florida and things will heat
up shortly.
I have a 6-banger in the morning with members of the Port St. Lucie
Anglers Club. The plan is to hit the Inlet and hopefully loading
up. These guys are serious fisherman and like to catch a
"boatload" of fish.
This will be my last trip until Saturday. I'm taking 3 days off
from the River (busman's holiday) to fish the Dry Tortugas aboard the
Yankee Capts., which departs from Key West. We leave the dock at 10
p.m., reaching the fishing grounds by 4 a.m., then it's non-stop fishing
for 32 hours, returning around 4 pm on Friday. I'm bringing plenty
of film and will post an article on my website under "fishing
reports" when I return. I am sure there will be some great
photos to accompany the report (positive mental attitude).
'Til next time, if you want to book a trip, just call and leave a
message and I'll get back to you as soon as I return. By the way,
the area code just changed today - 772-225-6436.
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