Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fishing family; I hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather was absolutely impressive, but not so much the fishing at the inlet. It was decent, but nowhere near what it could be.
My visits last week from Wednesday through the weekend was a hit-or-miss with the snook. They are around, but you have to be there when they do decide they want to play a bit. With all the toothy critters running around the inlet lately, big blues, jacks, nice Spanish mackerel and quite a few bull and hammerhead sharks, the snook really don’t want to have anything to do with them. Most of you fishing snook know that they are very skittish and easily spooked when they feel threatened, and they will NOT want to bite — along with the giant Goliath groupers that want to eat them.
On a good note, the water has warmed up nicely — up to 73 now as of this morning — and I saw some decent schools of finger mullet around the north jetty last time I was down there, that’s a great sign, along with a fairly good showing of mojarras in the inlet. The good snook bite is just around the corner. But the inlet is still pretty active with the monster blues keeping them at bay. So here we go with the breakdown action spotter.
North jetty
As I mentioned earlier, there have been finger mullet coming down the beach and around the jetty. This will attract some sprint time action for sure. The snook I saw caught last week have been largely on the outgoing tide, ‘walking the dog’. Quite a few oversized fish, but some are in the slot to be kept. The incoming tide has produced a few, but not like the outgoing has. I also saw anglers using live shrimp and catching a few nice redfish on the incoming tide, along with the snook that were biting. Between the pilings they are still catching some nice sheepshead on cut shrimp and fiddler crabs and sand fleas. Another species being caught in good numbers were the Spanish mackerel at the tip, incoming and outgoing tide were both producing nice fish, and in good numbers. Small white jigs and gotcha lures are the ticket for them.
Also, on the outgoing tide for those fishing cut bait and large silver spoons, the “monster” bluefish are back again for another go round. The fish I saw caught were in the eight to 10-pound range, and in decent numbers to get a limit of three per person. Beachside of the jetty has been slow, but out towards the end I did hear of whiting and a couple of pompano caught on cut shrimp and sand fleas. Back towards the bridge along the shoreline on the incoming tide I saw some redfish caught, along with a few small undersized snook on live shrimp.
South Jetty
Here, the fishing has been slower due to the water being a bit dirtier from the SSE winds, but on the incoming, a few nice slot snook and small snook are being caught on live baits — mojarra and shrimp are the ticket for them. Along with the snook I did see a couple nice redfish caught, along with monster bluefish farther out in the channel. Big silver spoons and jigs were getting the bite from the blues. They were quite plentiful so you could get your limit of three per person. At the tip on the outgoing tide, they guys were catching blue runners, jacks and black margates and a couple nice pompano on cut shrimp. Closer to the beach in the surf pocket area I saw a couple small flounder caught on small white rubber swim baits fished slowly bumping the bottom. They are there all the time, just nobody fishes them.
T-Dock area
It’s been slow here, but the action is picking up due to warmer and cleaner water. Friday, on the incoming tide, I saw anglers catching monster blues, but not in the numbers as out on the jetties. Also, those tossing small white or green jigs were getting a few of the nice Spanish mackerel that have been around. Snook fishing back here has picked up some with the presence of warmer, cleaner water AND the presence of the mojarras. Incoming tide has been the time to fish the area or them. Most of the fish I saw caught were oversized, but a few were able to be kept. Redfish also have been present back here on both tides, in certain areas that offer an eddy in the current.
Surf Area, both sides
South of the inlet —from the state park day use area to just south of the jetty there has been pompano activity, if you find some clean water. Cut shrimp and sand fleas are the baits of choice. Also, they have been catching some whiting and smaller black drum, same baits. And for those tossing silver spoons and jigs, Spanish mackerel and the big blues are a possibility. The north side of the park from the jetty north the same thing, and baits. Find some clean water, and fish it.
That’s it for today’s report, and the fishing is improving as I predicted. Springtime is here, it’s going to get hotter and the fishing will continue to improve. Grab your gear, get your favorite bait, and get out to your favorite hotspot.
Tight lines everyone!
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