Captain Bob Bushholz
Jensen Beach, Florida
(772) 225-6436
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ALL YEAR LONG!!!!' | | Fishing Report for
March 16th, 2002
"Great Fishing"
Our waterways are starting to heat up and so is the fishing.
Weather this past week has improved dramatically. Seas are down from 7-9
foot to a comfortable 1-3 allowing Catch 22 to go prowling around outside
the St. Lucie Inlet. The past couple of days large schools of jacks in the
20 pound class have been running along the coast. Each school is holding
over 100 fish mainly running on top. We did manage to hook up several
after throwing topwater Mirrolures and spoons at them. On 11 lb test you
can imagine the sound of the drags screaming. Both fish took around 15
minutes to land and were really enjoyed buy my customers. With the winds
down, visibility is outstanding along the beaches and inlet area.
Yesterday on my morning trip we ran south to Peck's Lake for an hour of
mackerel action. It's been three weeks since I've been down there and I am
happy to say the Spanish are still around. Not the big numbers like
previous weeks but some steady action along with blue runners and mangrove
snappers.
Saturday morning Ryba and her friend down from Columbus, Ohio fished
north around Herman's Bay on the west side of the Indian River. A nice
assortment of fish including a nice 5 lb trout were boated. We were
throwing DOA glo shrimp downwind and drifting live shrimp on bobbers 100
feet behind us. Channel markers in the area have been on the slow side.
Another morning trip fishing northward produced 6 trout to 18 inches in
the same area. Further north near the power plant more trout and a small
flounder in the channel leading into Big Mud Creek. Under the powerlines
some nice sheephead and snapper with a couple of trout. Tripletail has
been slow but with the improvement in the weather look for these guys to
start showing again. The spoil islands just east of the ICW channel has
been holding some decent size trout.
Bottom fishing in the inlet near slack tide remains excellent.
Sheephead to 4 lbs are the main attraction along with scattered mangrove
snappers, margates, jacks and bluefish. Still using light tackle (1/8 oz
trollrites on 6 lb test) with small pieces of shrimp on the bottom. Last
week over 100 sheephead were boated in the area just inside the detached
jetty, south of the channel. If fishing light, get there 45 minutes before
dead hi or low. Remember to stay out of the channel. Channels are for
navigation , not anchoring up in!
We did catch our largest pompano of the year last week while drifting
along the south side of the inlet near the weather station. Gulfstream
shrimp jig worked great boating a 5 ½ pound pompano. I believe 11 pomps
were caught last week. 3 in the inlet, 3 in the crossroads and 2 in the
sailfish flats and 3 in Hell's Gate. We are getting near the end of the
pompano season but definitely still some around. If you are a sailcat fan
fish just south of marker # 239 in the crossroads along the bottom. We
released one over 7 pounds. Look for good ladyfish action in this same
area. Have not seen too many snook around but with the weather stabilizing
I hope to start seeing both more snook and tripletail. No night trips last
week. I did have one scheduled but elected to push it back a week or two
and allow the water to warm a bit.
In the surf, jacks, bluefish and whiting remain the big target with
pompano still being caught on sandfleas or shrimp. Offshore bottom fishing
has been good with mangrove snappers over 9 lbs with occasional mutton and
grouper. Last week on the Lady Stuart I released a small shark but kept a
12 lb mutton fishing grunt heads on long leader. Near the end of that trip
we were greeted by a school of dolphin running ten pounds. Of course at
the time I was busy fighting a large rock and by the time I retrieved my
hook the school was gone. Throwing squid in the water did keep the school
around for a short time but not long enough for myself. Things are looking
great and looking forward to some great spring and summer action.
Tight lines everybody,
Capt. Bob
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