Cool Water Species Drawing In

Aldo Luis Rodriguez is one of many anglers that put pompano back on the dinner menu this week!

Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fishing friends; I hope you all had a great weekend! Time for another installment on the happenings around the inlet. Good news: the fishing has picked back up just as I predicted when the water cleaned up and cooled down. Seas are 73 degrees along the coast in our area, and that, in turn, draws the ‘cool water’ species. With that said, here’s the breakdown.

North Side, west of the tide pool

Nice snook are being caught along the mangrove shoreline for those wading back there and using live pigs, pins and shrimp, or croakers, and for the folks fishing in the boats as well. Most fish are being caught on the incoming tide when the water is the cleanest, but some are also being caught on the very first of the outgoing tide. Most of the fish are over slot — and a lot of smaller ones – but there are some slots being caught. Also, back here on the incoming tide, black drum and sheepshead are biting on sandfleas and live or dead shrimp along the rocks and shoreline. Also, on this side in the surf since the ocean has calmed down considerably and cleaned up, the pompano have made a showing, along with some nice black drum and whiting on live and dead shrimp fished way out past the breakers. The boaters have been doing well also with the drum, and the snook, but the guys I talked to said most of the snook are too small to keep, but plentiful, so there should be some in the surf as well if you can find some mullet.

South side

Over here, it is the same deal: black drum, pompano, black margate and some sheepshead on live or dead shrimp and sandfleas fished on the outgoing tide at the tip, ocean side. The pompano can also be caught on the goofy jigs. Also, this is the time of year that the flounder show up, so one might just catch some in the “surf pocket” area beach side, there were some last week in the back by the T-dock. Small live baits and jigs will work for them. On the incoming tide along the jetty and the entire shoreline, snook are still possible using live baits, shrimp, pigs, pins and croakers. You will find most are too small to keep with the cooler water temperatures, but fun, nonetheless. Also being caught along this side especially incoming tide has been black drum and sheepshead on dead shrimp.

T-Dock area

Back here has been a little slower, but still, they are catching fish, mainly on the incoming tide with the cleaner water. Sheepshead, black drum and an occasional pompano or two are being caught. Live or dead shrimp is the ticket. Some snook are still around for those fishing live baits and artificials, mainly on the incoming, and the very first of the outgoing tide. Haven’t heard of any more flounder back here, but that doesn’t mean they are not around.

Surf Area, both sides

As I mentioned earlier, the talk is about the pompano drawn by cleaner and cooler waters. They are around, but not in big numbers yet. The water needs to clean up and cool down a bit more. Also, they have been catching some nice black drum and decent whiting in the surf while fishing for the pompano, not many, but a few.

Well folks, that’s it for this week! The weather is supposed to be stellar, with calm seas and the possibility of rain on Thursday, so get out and enjoy the nice weather, and catch some fish! I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!