Captain Bob Bushholz
Jensen Beach, Florida
(772) 225-6436
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ALL YEAR LONG!!!!' | | Fishing Report for
November 11th, 2004
"Looking Better"
After getting hammered
with 2 major hurricanes on the Treasure Coast this season, the inland
waters are beginning to show signs of improvement. Finger mullet that
simply refused to enter the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers weeks after the
storms are now roaming our waterways. The west bank of the Indian River
is loaded with baitfish and is a definite good sign. The water is still
brown but salinity levels are slowly creeping up. The diesel smell is
gone and I believe things will get back to normal real soon.
Starting in the grassflats, trout are all over the place and why not.
Season closed November 1st . Sometimes I believe these fish read the Stuart
News knowing it's safe to enhale anything that moves and they will be safely
released. We have mainly been throwing DOA glow and rootbeer colored shrimp
in 3-4 feet along with topwater plugs up close just outside the bait
schools. Mixed in are some jacks to 5 pounds , flounders and bluefish. Since
relocating To Pelican's Nest Marina in the St. Lucie, I have not been
running as far north on the Indian River as I would like but I have talked
to a few guides telling me the trout bite is on north of the power plant to
Fort Pierce. I expect to return to my home (AA Marina) on Indian River Drive
January 1st. Remember the season is closed thru December so crimp those
barbs and release these trout in good shape. When January rolls along, you
will be glad you did.
Structure fishing inside at bridges and channel markers were really slow
weeks after the storms but is on the rebound. Snook, tripletail, gag
grouper, croakers, sheephead and black drum have begun to reappear eating
shrimp on trollrites. Mangrove snapper have been a rare sight. Bridge
fishermen off the quarter bridge have been banging sheephead using fiddler
crabs. Speaking of the quarter bridge, pompano season is right around the
corner. I'm not certain when DOT will halt bridge fishing for the new bridge
construction but I have seen people fishing up there recently. If I hear
anything I'll post on next report.
The St. Lucie inlet has been a challenge. You may have 3 hours of decent
water near the end of incoming tide and the first hour of outgoing. A few
snook and jacks last week but that's about it. Once that fresh water starts
rolling out the St. Lucie, things go downhill. The detached jetty is holding
small snapper, spots, blue runners which are perfect for bending those
ultralite rods. Outside the rocks some sheephead and jacks with an
occasional blue or Spanish.
Peck's Lake is beginning to show Spanish Mackerel. Most fish are under 2
pounds with a few 3's mixed in. I will be fishing there every chance I get
this fall and winter (weather permitting). I have been rigging a combination
of clark spoons, Capt. Joe's silver jigging spoons, Gulfstream minnow jigs
and green tube lures. I like to rig the following: using an Albright knot
connect 36" of 40 lb. (mono or flurocarbon) to 10" of # 3 wire. Next,
haywire twist your lure of choice to remaining wire allowing 6" length. Next
I tie a black swivel to end of mono. Finally connect your mainline to
swivel. To totally eliminate all "jewelry", use a line to line knot instead
of swivel. I prefer the swivel because I can pre-rig at home and is quicker
for me with my Fred Flintstone fingers I was blessed with. The black swivel
is important. Mackerel will go after a brass swivel that shines. The Mac's
have been scattered but chumming them up with glass minnow chum really gets
their attention. In another month or so they will be so thick in there you
can catch them on beef jerky!!!
We took a beating here in South Florida but conditions and fishing are
slowly improving week by week. I'm looking forward to a great winter fishery
and there is no place else I would rather live.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
(772) 225-6436
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