sebastian inlet report

Good morning all you Sebastian fishing super fans! I hope everyone had a great weekend! The weather was really good, but the fishing at the inlet has slowed down quite a bit from what it was, mainly due to the rain runoff water coming out of Sebastian River, and staining up the clean ocean water we did have previously, plus it cooled down from 85 to 81 degrees along the coast. This is the time of year that we usually get a thermocline come in and cool things down along the coast. But, with that being said, the fishing wasn’t too bad, just kind of slow. If you could find some pockets of warmer and cleaner water, you might just find some fish willing to play. So with that being said, here we go with the action spots.

North Jetty

Out here most of the action I saw over the weekend, and last Friday when I fished it, was on the outgoing tide at the tip. There were quite a few big “catch and release” snook being caught up top on live baits, mullet and croakers, and some on the artificial shrimp jigs. The boaters out there were doing well also on the live croakers. Most, if not all the fish caught were in the 34-40 inch range. Another species I heard about, but didn’t see any, were the cubera snappers on live mullet at the tip. I heard of a few being hooked, but none caught that I’m aware of. A couple other species I saw being caught while I was there were some nice spanish mackerel on the beach side, both tides on live greenies being freelined under a cork. The spanish I saw were all in the 14-15 inch range. Mangrove snapper remain kind of slow and small, but they are around the rocks and pilings. Cut bait and live greenies are doing the trick for them. The schools of mullet that were there a week ago, have vanished again, so the big jacks and reds that were around chasing them have gone too. Along the rocks between the jetty and catwalk, the mangrove snappers are starting to show again. Cut bait and small live baits such as greenies and majorras will entice a bite. Sheepshead are also a possibility in the area on fiddler crabs.

South Jetty

On this side, there has been some action at the tip on the outgoing tide. Cut baits such as majorras and shrimp are accounting for black margates, small mangroves, blue runners, and an occasional jack crevalle. On the incoming tide along the rock shoreline between the bridge and the jetty, I saw some really nice mangroves caught Saturday. One angler I chatted with had just arrived, tossed a majorra out and caught one about 12 inches long! Hadn’t seen one of that size for a couple weeks. I think he ended up with three like that. So they are there, you just need to find them. Also, if you find some clean water, as the south side has been dirtier than the north because of the SE winds and the surf picking up, the possibilities for some snook and redfish action are there. Live croakers and majorras are the baits of choice.

T-Dock area

Back here with all the small baitfish around the dock the action has picked back up. Small, and some keeper size mangroves are being caught around the pilings, and along the rock shoreline just east of the dock, and around the cleaning table. Live and cut baits, shrimp and greenies are the baits of choice for this action. For you spanish mackerel guys, fishing live greenies either freelined, or on a cork float line, should do pretty good since there are some around the north jetty. Catch and release snook action is kind of hit and miss due to the dirtier water, but they are around. Live baits, either majorras or croakers will get a bite, incoming tide would be the better time to fish when the water quality is better.

Surf Area, both sides

Again, as last weeks report, not much going on as hardly nobody is fishing the beaches around the inlet. About the only thing I can suggest, is if you do go to the beach to fish, look for schools of bait fish in the surf, if you do find any mullet, cast net some and fish them, or fish an artificial swim bait in the 3-5 inch size, that should get bit as well, around the mullet, and even the glass minnows that usually show up this time of year, but I haven’t seen any yet in our area.

Well guys and gals, that’s all I have for this week! Supposed to be a bit breezy all week from the SSE, so that may churn things up a bit in the water clarity, but it should warm the water back up some. So, grab your gear, some bait and plenty of water, and hit your favorite spots and see what you come up with. You never know from day to day what might be biting at the inlet.

Have a wonderful week everyone!