Good morning all my Sebastian Inlet fans and fanactics! I hope you all had a nice and enjoyable new years. Here we go with our FIRST report of the new year. So here we go.

First off I’d like to start off with a few jetty safety reminders, rules that are posted on the big sign on the way out to the jetty for everyones safety and enjoyment. Number one is now that the black drum are starting to bite, one of their favorite baits to catch them on are “live clams.” Posted on the sign live clams in the shell ARE NOT PERMITTED out on the jetty! You must shuck them at the cleaning station and put them in a container to take them out on the jetty to fish. Reason being as people always crack them open on the deck and leave the shells laying everywhere to cause a tripping hazard, and don’t clean them up, and make the jetty look a mess, and the juices when dried up cause a pretty nasty smell! So please help keep your jetty clean! We appreciate that.

Next is that you are only allowed to fish with TWO rods in the water at any time, it is a PARK rule, not an FWC ruling, and for safety purposes you ARE NOT ALLOWED TO STRAP THEM TO THE RAILING. Reason being if you have to move them quickly, you can without any delay. So please, keep it safe.

Lastly, one of our park rules is that obnoxious and rule/vulgar behavior WILL NOT BE TOLERATED out there, that is one rule that could result in you losing your fishing privileges on the jetty, and possible park expulsion. So please, be courteous of your fellow anglers, as families, women and children are out there all the time. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Keep it clean and safe for everyone. Now off we go for the action.

North Jetty

Out here the action has been mostly on the early morning high tide phase with the black drum,( aka-“big uglies”), biting at the tip on clams and dead and live shrimp, also a great bait for them is pieces of live blue crabs, they love crabs! Other species I saw were some small snook on live shrimp, not many because the water is so cold, 65-67, they don’t like that temperature range. Also Being caught were some small, but keeper spanish mackerel and bluefish on silver spoons and jigs, both tides. Also there has been some nice sheepshead being caught around the pilings on the jetty, inlet side on live fiddler crabs, and shrimp. Beach side of the jetty on dead shrimp has been producing some small whiting, and an occasional pompano or two. Back towards the bridge between the bait shop and the bridge on the incoming tide there has been a few sheepshead being caught on shrimp and sandfleas. Not too much on the flounder on this side.

South Jetty

On this side the incoming tide at the tip, beachside has been producing a few nice pompano on goofy jigs since the water is pretty clean, and the right temperature, inlet side, same tide has been producing some small snook on live baits, but you can’t keep them as the season is closed until February first. Closer to the bridge on the incoming tide along the seawall there has also been some pretty nice flounder being caught on live finger mullet, fish in the 3-4 pound range have been noted. Outgoing tide at the tip has been a lot of small to medium sized bluefish being caught on jigs, bait, and silver spoons, also the guys fishing dead shrimp have caught some black margates, whiting and sheepshead, and a pompano of two. The surf pocket area is finally producing some decent flounder on small rubber swimbaits, and small live finger mullet and mud minnows. Most of the fish have been in the 14-16 inch range, but they are keepers!

T-Dock Area

Back here all the fuss is about the flounder bite that has picked up between the cleaning station and the bridge, flounder in the 3-5 pound range have been seen caught on live finger mullet, either tide will work, you just need to be there when they decide to move. Fishing on the dock has been producing some small spanish mackerel and bluefish on small swim baits and silver spoons, either tide will produce fish, incoming being the better tide as it isn’ moving so quickly.

Surf Area, both sides

The south side surf has been producing some flounder as I have mentioned, between the jetty and the sandbar where it hits the beach has been good, live shrimp, finger mullet are the baits of choice. Also for the shrimp and sandfleas guys there have been a few nice pompano caught as well, along with a few whiting. North side pretty much the same, except no flounder on this side, but add in some black drum. The good fishing has been north of the jetty at the northern most parking lot, as there is a big sandbar right next to the jetty which keeps the water pretty shallow, so north of that is best.

Well folks, that’s it for this week, not too bad, but still kind of slow from what we should be seeing of our “cold water” species. It’s supposed to be a great week weatherwise, so if you get out to fish, hope you catch something! Happy New Year everyone! Hope is’s a good and prosperous one!