sebastian jetty fishing

This entusiastic angler, Atticus, age 4, showed off his fifth blenny of the morning. His family was visiting last week from Texas.

Good morning all you fishing and outdoor sun loving folks! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Here we go with the scoop on the fishing at the famous “Sebastian Inlet!”

I have to start off by saying not a whole lot has changed in the past week from the week before, due mostly because of the water quality and clarity. Some people will say I’m crazy and that doesn’t matter too much about the water, but I have been fishing the inlet for a VERY long time and do pay attention to all the specifics of our inlet and the marine environment there. There has been a lot of rain runoff coming out of the intercoastal waterway that is mixing with the clean Atlantic water and clouding up the water and tainting it with a lot of fresh water from Sebastian River. This DOES and will affect the baitfish and what predators will come around and be comfortable with that water. The baitfish, greenies and pilchards have thinned out quite a bit from what they were, but there are still some around the jetty and the inlet. Also the schools of glass minnows have vanished, I have not seen any in a week or so, and the mullet that were there have gone as well. The majorra are still present in and around the inlet. There are some fish around, but you have to hunt them down, and find the right conditions to get them to want to bite. So here’s the breakdown…

North Jetty

About the only thing going on over here is we had a decent spanish mackerel bite last week. Tuesday through Thursday there were several anglers doing well on live greenies and small jigs, but the greenies were the better bait. Most of the fish were in the 13-15 inch range, nothing big, but nice numbers. Also over here there has been a little improvement on the mangrove snapper bite, but again most are still too small to keep. Either tide has been good for both species, but incoming being the better tide to fish. Blue runners, skipjacks and jack crevalle round out the other species wanting to play. The catch and release snook bite has slowed way down mostly due to the huge goliath groupers harassing and Hearding them! On the incoming tide when the water is clean enough, you can look down along the jetty and see these huge sea monsters just sitting around, or swimming along the jetty and out to where the schools of snook are. Barracuda’s also are still around, as they like to chase and eat the spanish mackerel and snappers folks hook up with. That’s about it over here.

South Jetty

Over here the action has been also the mangrove snapper, and again a lot of them are too small to keep, but the numbers of them being caught has gone up. Incoming tide is the better tide because you have more area to fish along the jetty rocks. Ougoing at the tip there have been a few caught in the eddy pool on the NE corner, and the SE corner, along with black margates and blue runners. Cut bait being your best bait for the runners and snappers, shrimp for the margares.

T-Dock area

Back here again, it is a snapper world! Plenty of small mangroves, some lanes and a few muttons are being caught on cut and live greenies around the dock pilings. There have been some keeper mangroves caught, but most are still small. For those tossing small jigs or free lining live greenies, there are some nice spanish mackerel being caught as well. Plenty of baite around back here to attract them. That’s pretty much it for back here.

Surf area (both sides)

I haven’t heard very much on the surf fishing. Most of the areas that I know of where the fishing is good have been vacant of any fishermen. Not to say that there aren’t any fish around. Whiting should be almost everywhere this time of the year and will bite cut shrimp. If you find any schools of glass minnows in the surf, possibilities of snook, redfish, tarpon and spanish mackerel could be a happening thing. Small swim baits or any live bait could entice a bite. South of the inlet where there are some rock structure in the surf, mangrove snapper and sheepshead are possible. Shrimp, live or cut will do the trick.

Well folks, that’s pretty much it in a nutshell! Like I mentioned in the start, it really hasn’t been that great, for what it should be! Water quality and bait situation being the main culprits to slow it down. Like I said, I have done this a very long time, and THIS year has been the weirdest/worst summer I have ever seen!! So garb your gear, get some bait, water, sunblock and possible some shade, find your place in the sun and enjoy the day!