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CaptainIDS (Captainids)
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Username: Captainids
Post Number: 41
Registered: 9-2007
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 10:15 am: | |
Are you a Licensed Coast Guard Captain?
This is for you
http://www.captainids.com/ |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 4:08 pm: | |
Seas are down, baitfish outside the inlet are thick so guess it's time to go play outside. We did a few trips recently livebaiting nearshore. Around the sandpile, plenty of bonitas to bend those rods with a few kingfish and cudas mixed in. Jeff Kane from Moorsville, Indiana had his hands full with bonita around 15 pounds on 12 pound test. On another trip, Tom Bishop released 3 kingfish to 20 pounds and a few boneheads fishing the same area near the sandpile. I have only ran the beaches once the past few weeks looking for tarpon and jacks. Did release a few jacks over 20lbs in about 18 feet near the House of Refuge. Seeing several boats livebaiting near the rocks for catch and release snook and anchoring up in the crossroads for tarpon.
Most of the snook we have been releasing have been around the 25 & 10 cent bridges. The 10 cent bridge has been holding a bit of everything. Jacks to 10 pounds, snook to 38", croaker, black drum, goliath grouper, tripletail, weakfish and still some pompano around. The water in the St. Lucie River is quite clean which raises that salinity level. The onlybad thing I've noticed is lack of baitfish in the inlet and surrounding areas. The inlet itself has been on the slow side lately execpt for a few nice catches of bonefish and redfish.
The sailfish flats are still holding those leaping ladyfish on both tides. Further north, the Jensen Bridge along the fenders have snook, jacks and small mangrove snapper. This bridge used to be a haven for black drum 3-6 pounds but I believe the recent construction (bargeloads of rocks dumped) have moved them out.
Still tripletail on the crab traps and channel markers. Seeing lots of little ones which is a good sign. Guess I can mention now one of my hotspots the past 3 months. Marker 208 just south of the power lines has been LOADED with tripletail. The coast guard finally replaced the red float with a piling so there goes another hot spot. As far as the grassflats go, gotta get out there early. I left my marina yesterday at 8:00 am and the water was 85 degrees.
Just got in from my morning trip on July 1st fishing the Kocis family from Pittsburg. Started out at the 10 cent bridge with a nice assortment including black drum, croakers, goliath grouper, whiting, jacks and lookdowns. By 10:30 the tide was dead low so we headed towards the inlet to catch incoming. Did about 4 drifts and caught mangrove snapper, black margates, pompano and a nice 7 pound permit.
Thats about all for now. Catch em up and watch out for those afternoon thunder boomers !!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
Catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 7:38 am: | |
Lets start in the St. Lucie River this time and work our way east. We have been fishing the 10 cent bridge often lately with great sucess when the current is moving. Quite a mixed bag with snook to 39"on live shrimp, rootbeer terrorize and also trolling jointed bombers and rattle traps. Have been seeing quite a few boats in this area live baiting with large mullet and greenies. Also hitting the shrimp are pompano, weakfish, flounder, croaker, jacks, lookdowns, and trout. Good to see the species list growing around the bridge. Some days you will notice large numbers of rays just outside the shadow line which I believe are spawning.
Docks along Sewells Point are holding snook, jacks, trout and ladyfish but you gotta put in your time. Marker 19 has been quite slow for the past few months. Deep water in Hell's Gate holding a few pomps and ladyfish but slow. Grassflats outside Willowby Creek on late incoming, you have a shot at pompano and ladyfish. Most baitfish I have seen in the St. Lucie has been near the southern tip of Sewell's Point and around the docks. Lots of shallow water here making it easy to see the mullet that are running around 9".
The St. Lucie inlet has been hot and cold lately. When the water is clean on incoming has been best but some days the water is milky due to the high seas. Some really nice flounder to 4 pounds, along with croakers, jacks, ladyfish, scattered redfish and goliath grouper and bonefish. Great to see bones which really put up a great fight. Have not seen any tarpon in the inlet yet but just a matter of time.
Just outside the rocks you will find sheephead, snappers, black margates, spots, blue runners on the bottom with scattered mackerel and large jacks still cruising through. Talked to several captains who have been playing with monster jacks outside the house of refuge on live greenies and sardines. I have a few full day trips coming up and will give that a try if the seas are down. For the most part the spanish mackerel bite is over but there are still a few large macs hanging around the baitschools near shore.
Sailfish flats are holding mostly ladyfish with a few pompano and bonefish. Some days you gotta search for water that is not holding suspended weeds which always makes casting a pain in the neck. Have not fished the quarter bridge lately due to the construction. Playing from land? Try the dock at the Indian Riverside Park. Some trout and flounder about half way out in 3-4 feet on shrimp and rubber baits. Under the floating docks and at the docks end are some big fish gobbleing up livebaits and kicking everyones butt. Large snook over 40" along with tarpon to 40 pounds have been hooked here. If you decide to livebait here, may I suggest bumping your tackle up to 80 pound braid. Too much structure here to be fishing with 20 pound mono.
The Jensen Bridge is holding mangrove snapper, sheephead, snook and a few drum and pompano but be prepared to loose tackle. The catwalk on the east side facing the power plant have areas that are only 4 feet deep and loaded with rocks. I think they went a bit overboard dumpimg these rocks. If they built the catwalk the same height as the old one, all this would not be needed. The old catwalk sat about 5 feet above the water at high tide. The new catwalks have about 1 foot clearance. During the hurricanes, these "new" catwalks were about 4 feet under water and colapsed. So they rip out the new catwalk and build another one the same height as the one that colapsed. Think this one will survive. I doubt it!!
North of the Jensen Causeway have trout on both sides starting around county line and running north. Tripletail are on the crab traps and channel markers. We have caught some nice ones under 14 pounds the past few weeks. Took a buddy out the other day and caught 2 about 10 and 12 inches. These fish were gently placed in my livewell and were transported to Florida Oceanagraphic to be added to their new fish pond. Plan on going over and checking on my little tripletails next week which I have named Henry and Squeeky. (Squeeky is the larger one !!!)
Tight lines,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 02, 2006 - 12:40 pm: | |
Action in the grassflats has been decent north of the county line on both sides. A mixture of trout, redfish, ladyfish, snook, jacks and pompano have kept anglers busy. Seems the past few months the majority of baitfish are concentrated north of the Jensen Beach Causeway. The normal shrimp, soft rubber baits and top water plugs early are working well. Still giving the tripletail a break on the markers and crab floats but will begin to target them more in April. Some of the spoil islands between the causeways I like to fish have been quite slow for most of the year. Looks like we lost grass bottom in some of these areas.
The Jensen and Stuart bridges have been hot at times. Last week we had the Taylor family with and inshore slam of 3 trout to 22", 2 snook to 30" and a 24" redfish right under the Jensen Bridge. The bottom around the Jensen bridge changes every day. Large rocks are being added under the catwalks and around the fenders by the bargeload. I know some areas have changed as much as 8 feet. I believe this area will be grouper city in a few years. Be prepared to snag bottom from time to time but I believe once the construction is done, this area will hold tons of fish. I know Henry at the Snook Nook don't mind the rocks!!! Took my friends out yesterday for a few hours around 1pm fishing this bridge. Some nice jacks 2- 5 pounds along with a 21" trout and my buddy Charlie getting his butt kicked by a snook around 44". Can't wait for the mullet run to hit this area. Every day will be the fourth of July!!!
Sailfish flats have been decent most of the time with ladyfish topping the list. Had 2 trips lately with 4 or more pompano but no big numbers. Also mixed in are small jacks, bluefish and a few large spanish mackerel. The only down side in this area lately has been the slimy bright green algae that we dealt with last year. Quite a problem to cast in but some areas are cleaner than others. It seems this is the only area that holds this stuff. This area always fishes great on the windy days.
The Stuart bridge has been invaded by blowfish. Enough said.
The St. Lucie Inlet has been best on incoming and early outgoing tide. The past 3 weeks we have released around 20 bonefish to 18" that always put up a great fight. A mixture of shrimp and trollrites, skimmer jigs or DOA cals are getting the bones. Scattered pompano, bluefish, macs, ladyfish, sheephead, jacks, redfish and goliath grouper are also around. Snook will begin to invade the inlet soon along with the tarpon.
Have not fished Willowby Creeks or Hell's Gate but have been snookin around the 10 cent bridge. Some large jacks on the bottom and snook near the top on jointed bombers. Both tides are working as long as the water is moving.
Outside, Pecks Lake has been hot and cold. Seems the boats anchored and chumming are doing the best. We are killing the macs trolling half way there in about 25 feet normally where the color change starts. Try dragging 3 of Joe's silver jigging spoons with about 8" of # 3 wire attached. Last week we had 26 macs in 45 minutes. The mackerel season is drawing to a close. In another 3 weeks they may be history.
Till next time,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 7:03 pm: | |
The last couple of weeks we have spent several trips sitting right outside the St. Lucie Inlet catching an assortment of fish including pompano, lane and mangrove snappers,bluefish, sheephead, jacks, blue runners, black margates, and mackerel mainly on shrimp and trollrites. We did run south to Peck's Lake twice recently only spending a short time there. Lot's of netters around but nobody was catching much. The spanish bite this year has been weird. I'm sure if you wait them out, eventually they will turn on but on a four hour trip I need to find fish fast.
Inside the inlet has been decent with ladyfish, pompano, bluefish, goliath grouper and jacks. Both incoming and outgoing have been producing. Yes the water turned brown again a few weeks ago but not quite as bad as it was in December. We are still recieving a nice flushout on incoming tide which to me is important.
The bridges have been hot for snook mainly in the evening and early morning. The catwalks on the Jensen Causeway are open. Live shrimp or DOA terrorize on the bottom have been working well. Some trout around the docks in between the causeways but it seems the best bite is north of the power lines where the bait is more concentrated.
We did catch 5 more tripletail since the last report. All the fish have been between 6 and 10 pounds. Look for the larger ones over 20 pounds to show around May. We have been mixing it up with shrimp and soft rubber baits for the tripletail. The trout bite up to the power lines has been slow, however when the water gets rough on the flats, try throwing a redtail hawk and crank it fast.
All in all the fishing has been decent the past few months. We are not quite back to "pre hurricane" numbers but the water has been cleaner (except for the inlet the past few weeks) and baitfish are slowly returning. It's good to see birds diving again.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 - 4:58 am: | |
Conditions are definitely improving along the Treasure Coast. Clean green water can be seen well north of the Jensen Beach Causeway and past Hell's Gate in the St. Lucie which to me is a prayer answered. Water temps the past few weeks have heated to upper 60's to 71 degrees helping these fish thaw out from the previous upper 50's we have delt with early in the year. When the water is that cold, you really need to fish those deep holes where the temps remain the same. Most fish can get pretty sluggish in the cold. Baitfish are coming back in the Indian River which is a very welcome site. For a while in December and mid January, I could not find any bait schools around, but the past few weeks I have seen a change. Just look at the birds chowing down. Really looking forward to fishing again in clean water and let's keep our fingers crossed.
Let's start in the Inlet area and work our way inside. Have not been to Peck's Lake for 3 weeks now. It's funny, when it's 5-10 mph- 1-2 foot seas nobody wants to fish. Let the wind get cranking 15-30 and my phone rings off the hook. What's up with that ??? I did speak with my buddy Kevin a week ago and he stated the Spanish Mackerel were thick. My last trip out there in early January was slow. No netters around. Actually there were only about 6 boats out there mostly trolling. I believe the macs will sometimes head deeper, all the way out over 100 feet deep in search of minnows. Prior to that 1 trip, we have been doing well on the macs mainly casting or jigging Capt. Joe's jigging spoons on 8 " # 3 wire leader which are available at all the local baitshops. The larger macs up to 5 pounds have been all on the bottom. When things slow down, we tip the jigs with a little shrimp which seems to help. Look for jacks, blue runners, snapper and even sheephead to hit them along with the macs.
Just outside the rocks, look for jacks, sheephead, snapper and occasional spanish. Here we jig frozen shrimp on trollrites. When the jacks are thick, go with small pieces of shrimp. This are can be really hot at times but can also be absolutely dead. I like it incoming if possible. The water is so much cleaner now. 2 months ago I would avoid the entire inlet area on outgoing tide. Fish don't swim in Maxwellhouse coffee!!! Inside the inlet to the crossroads, add pompano, croakers and a few flounder to the list. Target the pomps on incoming tide with tippeped jigs or join the crowd near Sailfish Point and anchor up with sand fleas. The pomano we have been catching lately are large. Not lot's but LARGE.
A few weeks ago, we were under a "jack attack" in the Indian River and inlet. One trip we must have released over 60 of them, most under 3 pounds but fun. The bridges in the Indian River are holding croaker, sheephead, mangroves and the snook bite is heating up. Last trip we released 4 snook, two in the slot 29 and 33" . The water has heated up 10 degrees and the snook are letting me know it. Sailfish flats have been slow for the most part. A few pomps each trip but no numbers. Even the ladyfish here have been slow. We fished there yesterday and things did pick up.
Further north, some docks are holding large sheephead and crusing trout. Did land 4 tripletail the past 2 weeks all running 6-10 pounds. Have not decided if I am going to keep score this year. 2 years ago we had 158. Last year was screwed up with the hurricanes and my tempory marina location. Really have not spent much time in the grass flats. It's been so cold lately, I think I'll wait a while. I get daily reports from friends who wade every morning. Think he's catching more "large" pompano than trout.
Finally, we did abort the 28' Pacemaker "Buddy Lee" for deep sea charters. Things just did't work out. However we did add a brand new 41' Luhrs named "Hooligan" for 1/2, 3/4 and full day trips as well as Bahama and swordfishing trips. Still have to change my website and brochures. With all this nice water, all I want to do is fish, fish, fish !!!!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 6:44 am: | |
Happy New year to everybody. 2005 was a tough year for this area's inland waterways. We were just starting to recover from 04 storms Jeanne and Francis when we got slammed again with Wilma in 05. The good news is that the inlet area has been getting a really healthy flushout of clean ocean water the past few weeks. This will slowly bring salinity levels up in both the Indian and St. Lucie River. I hope the fish gods will look down on us and spare this area any tropical systems in 06.
The past couple of weeks, jacks have been so thick you could almost walk on water. We have been fishing mainly from the Stuart Causeway south to the inlet. We tried the Jensen Causeway a couple of trips 2 weeks ago but the bite was slow. Water temps in this area were as low as 60 degrees which makes fish sluggish. Travel a few miles south and watch the temps rise a staggering 10 degrees. The Stuart bridge area has been loaded with jacks, jacks, and more jacks. If you can baits past the jacks, some nice croaker and sheephead near the structures.
The sailfish flats have been slow in the mornings but picked up in the afternoon. Mostly ladyfish, jacks but a few pompano and bluefish mixed in. We were also picking up some pompano in the crossroads area but are catching the most outside the rocks and along the beach. Outside the rocks, look for some larger jacks and sheephead over 4 pounds. Scattered mangrove and lanes here too.
Have made several trips to Peck's Lake. The large macks are on the bottom and running over 4 pounds. Some trips have been better than others. I don't believe we have seen the mother load yet. Glass minnows in the area have been scarce. When the minnows come in solid, you will see more top water action and can sightcast for them.
I'm glad to see green water again in the inlet and hope things continue to improve. Need to change my website and brochures again. I have added 2 offshore boats, 28' Pacemaker "Buddy Lee" and brand new 41'Luhrs "Hooligan". Buddy Lee will fish up to 4 on 3/4 and full days. Hooligan will fish up to 6 on 1/2, 3/4 and full days. Also offering Bahama and swordfishing trips.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 7:35 am: | |
Fishing is picking up inshore with snook at area bridges banging broken back bomber lures and rattle traps. Not much baitfish around so stick with swift moving water at your favorite hole and work them hard. The St. Lucie inlet has been quite productive on incoming tide when the water is green. We had a trip last week spending over an hour drifting the inlet and the water never did clean up. This was about the forth hour of incoming and fishing was slow so we vacated. Other days when the water was cleaner, redfish, ladyfish, jacks, sheephead and flounder topped the list.
In the sailfish flats area, fishing has been pretty good regardless of water clarity. Lot's of ladyfish with a few jacks, bluefish and pompano around. Have been seeing a few boats in this area fishing with sand fleas on the bottom targeting pompano. I prefer drifting this area and a strong wind is even better. This allows us to cover a larger area in less time. Docks near the house of refuge are holding some large sheephead and some decent mangrove snappers.
Bottom fishing at the area bridges has been hit or miss. Last week we released several nice black drum along with a 9 pound redfish. Sheephead are nice size running about 18" and small grovers mixed in. Have not fished any channel markers lately for my favorite tripletail. Water temps in the Indian River have been as low as 63 degrees in the morning and tripletail don't like the cold. Sure there are still a few around but I'll wait till March to play with them again.
Outside, the mac's have been hitting pretty good and decent size too. We have been trolling and casting Capt. Joe's jigging spoons with good results. The water at Pecks Lake has been brown most days so silver or chartruce have been working best. Seems like a strong south current nearshore has pushed the brown water south. Good news, I have only seen 1 commerical boat in that area.
Finally, we should have the 28' Pacemaker back at AA Marina by December 10th. Really looking forward to offshore fishing again.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 1:15 pm: | |
Things are finally getting back to normal since Hurricane Wilma. Just prior to the storm I had the pleasure fishing with the Lucas family who were visiting the area from England. It was a full day charter so we fished the Indain River north of the Jensen Beach Causeway to the power plant in the morning catching an assortment including jacks, trout, spanish mackeral, black drum, mangrove snapper, ladyfish and a 6 pound tripletail which was dinner for 4 that night. We did not spend much time in the shallow grass flats. Normally when I have more than 3 anglers aboard, I try to avoid shallow water and live baiting as much as possible. After stopping at Nettle's Island for a brief pit stop, we continued fishing heading south to the St. Lucie Inlet to catch the incoming tide. Plenty of rod benders with some large ladyfish over 4 pounds along with jacks and blue runners. We did have a tarpon around 70 pounds roll off our bow but was not interested. All in all a decent trip with plenty of action.
We have been fishing the bridges on the Indain River several nights since the mullet run. Snook, trout and ladyfish top the list fishing live mullet and greenies, top water chuggers, DOA shrimp and Cals, and covering the bottom with red tail hawks. The mullet run has been weird this year. One night the baitfish are all over the place and the next night they are hard to find. The new Jensen Bridge is really lit up now. Lights on top of the span, lights on every bridge support about 10 feet above the water and soon both cat walks will have lights. This entire area will sure to become a baitfish haven.
Fished a few locals the other day near the power plant on both the east and west sides. The wind was cranking out of the northeast about 15 to 20 but did manage to catch redfish to 5 pounds on the westside and trout along the east bank. I believe St. Lucie Inlet in the months to come will be productive for the incoming tide. Water temps were in the upper 60's the other day so start looking for pompano and mackeral to start showing up. By the end of November, look for the mackeral to invade Peck's Lake.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 01, 2005 - 10:25 am: | |
We are keeping our fingers crossed as we near the end of the hurricane season. Last year we took a double hit in September with Francis and Jeanne. The Indian River is holding more baitfish and water quality is improving. Last week the mullet were thick from the St. Lucie Inlet north. We ran a few night trips fishing the Jensen Beach Bridge and had some nice action on snook to 9 pounds, trout to 4 pounds and ladyfish. Finger mullet on circle hooks along with DOA Baitbusters and jointed Bomber lures did the trick. When everything is feeding on mullet, we try to match the hatch. I did notice the shadow lines have changed at the Jensen Bridge. They added lights about 10 feet up the bridge supports and really lights up the area now. Fishing lighted docks we switched over to glow shrimp and caught some jacks to 3 pounds along with smaller trout under 15 inches.
In the inlet area, fishing was slow till the last couple of hours of incoming tide. Among the catch list were blue runners, jacks, snapper, redfish and did see a few tarpon in the 80 pound class smashing baits but no takers on topwater chuggers. It was quite sporty near the rocks so we wisely elected to stay inside. Water temps were down as low as 77 degrees last week but jumped back up to 83 yesterday.
Planning on running a "recon trip" Sunday scouting areas north near the power plant. The baitfish that were so thich between the causeways last week seem to have moved north. Think I will fish the grass flats early morning for trout and redfish and maybe look for a few tripletail after. Won't be long now for the pomps and macks to return.
Still refitting the 28' Pacemaker for offshore trips. We are going through everything on the boat getting it ship shape and should be up and running in a few weeks. Just added a new flushing head and livewell and can't wait to get deep sea trips going.
Good fishing,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 01, 2005 - 6:22 am: | |
Sorry about no August report but lot’s of bad press on the river’s condition has resulted in a slow August for me and many other captains. I am now back at my home AA marina on Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach. Lately we have been fishing the Inlet area for snook, flounder, redfish, and jacks on incoming tide, live baiting a mile or two outside for kingfish and bonita and fishing the bridges for snook, black drum and snapper. Really have not fished north but once lately catching 3 tripletail to 13 pounds. The quality of the St. Lucie River is a crime and plan on staying away till things clean up. I will be getting back to the trout north of the Jensen Causeway on the Indian River tommorow. With the water releases slowing down, we should slowly see an improvement in water quality in the St. Lucie River but for now it’s not healthy.
Good news, starting around September 10th, Catch 22 Fishing Charters will be offering deep sea fishing charters for ¾ and full day trips aboard my friend’s 28’ Pacemaker “Buddy Lee”. Capt. Bud Friedley holds a 100 ton masters and has been fishing offshore for many years. He will also be fishing out of AA Marina.
I will be getting back to posting current fishing reports for both inshore and offshore in October. For the past year or so I have been posting a “fishing forecast” which many anglers enjoyed and thanks for the e-mails. They have served it’s purpose and it’s time for a change.
Good fishing everyone,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 09, 2005 - 6:11 am: | |
The last month or so I have been mainly fishing the St. Lucie Inlet targeting mid-incoming tide to early outgoing. Plenty of snook along with some nice flounder. Also mixed in are jacks and lookdowns. Have seen an increase in tarpon outside the rocks and in the crossroads. Up until 3 weeks ago we were catching lot’s of bonefish near the crossroads along with a few redfish and late pompano . Back then the ocean was still flushing the inlet pretty good. This storm Dennis should move some of the dirty water north away from the inlet.
Thank god it’s my last month in Rio. I would like to thank Dean at Pelican’s Nest for dockage since October but I really need to be on the Indian River. I return to AA Marina on Indian River Drive August 1st. The water up the St. Lucie is nasty so this will give me a few more options like trout, tarpon and tripletail running north. I have not fished the power plant area since early September of last year.
Keep your eyes peeled just south the temporary red marker right at the southern end of Sewells Point on the Indian River. I ran a trip 3 weeks ago and believe I hit the old piling which was submerged. The engine came flying up and bent the shaft of the trim unit. Had to rebuild the unit. There is a channel that takes you around the southern tip of Sewells Point I use as a “shortcut” to head up the St. Lucie River.
So for a few trips I was operating without power trim which is no big deal staying in deeper water around the inlet. My last trip a few days ago, we just started fishing the inlet for maybe a half hour when my steering cable bit the dust. Was able to turn right which pushes the cable but had no left turn. I ended up rigging a rope around the cowling which worked out great. Continued fishing 3 more hours releasing a few snook and keeping 2 nice flounder around 3 & 4 pounds. When it rains, it pours!!! Anyway the boat is fixed and will pick it up Monday morning after Dennis runs by.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 - 5:22 am: | |
It’s summertime! Surf temperatures will reach a whopping 84 degrees with inland water even hotter. Now’s the time to slip into “summer mode”. Target low light hours when possible. Inshore and along the surf, try to hit the water before sunrise until 10:00 a.m. or near sunset for maximum bite time. Fishing night time is productive, just find moving water. If you must fish mid-day, seek deeper water or shaded areas where the water is cooler. Summer fishing is great, with baitfish plentiful. Remember to utilize “summer mode” and have a great time out there!
Starting inshore, tarpon mania begins, with fish averaging 30-50 lbs. roaming just outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. The entrance to Big Mud is still closed. There’s a yellow boom stretching across the entire entrance, but the tarpon don’t know it’s closed and they head in and out on a regular basis. Water depth just outside Big Mud can reach 30 feet. In the creeks, watch for rolling tarpon and throw a DOA baitbuster or rootbeer terrorize right at them, allowing it to sink about 10 seconds. Top water chuggers and windcheaters will also get their attention (if they’re in a feeding mood). Live mullet on a circle hook always is an option, using 12 lb. mainline with a 30-40 lb. fluoro-carbon leader will handle tarpon to 50 lbs. For the monsters, I suggest “kicking it up a notch”. Other areas for silver kings are Nettles Island, where water depth averages 10 ft. This area always holds baitfish and the tarpon usually follow them in. Around the Jensen Causeway, tarpon will be feeding on bunker. Channels near Sundance Marine, Anchors Aweigh and the Dolphin Grill hold some huge tarpon when the baitfish are present. These fish require patience. Some days I’ll see them rolling all over the place, but refusing anything thrown at them. Put in your time and you’ll be rewarded. The Quarter bridge at the Stuart Causeway to Marker 239 in the crossroads is a super spot to look for tarpon. Nighttime in the summer I prefer to cast windcheaters about 50 yards south of the bridge. Snook are up close near the shadowline, but the tarpon are pounding baits just to the south. The North Fork of the St. Lucie is generally hot early in the morning. As a rule, tarpon won’t refuse live greenies or sardines, so keep a few Sabiki rigs on hand for baitfish near the Whistle Buoy or sandpile just outside the inlet and throw them in the live well just for insurance.
The trout bite in the summer is excellent, with big hogs to 10 lbs. roaming the shallow inland waters early in the am. Top water lures in less than 2 feet until 7 a.m. will get the big ones. Later, switch to soft rubber or live shrimp in 3-4 feet or wade dropoffs near spoil islands. These islands run just east of the ICW Channel from Stuart north. If you have a hard time finding the spoil islands, try cruising near low tide when they’re more visible and mark them on your chart. Some spoils will hold lots of trout under 20”.
Summer is “big” tripletail time. Most fish run 8-12 lbs, but the big boys (over 20 lbs.) are a good possibility. I strongly suggest releasing the big fish over 14 lbs. This will insure breeding fish to re-populate. It seems more and more anglers are targeting this species and you need to be aware the regulations are 15-inch minimum, with 2 per angler.We have been catching some real nice ones the past few weeks with 2 released at 23 and 17 pounds. Most fish are running around 10 with a few smaller mixed in. Early in March we caught our first one of the year. I am still running out of Pelican’s Nest Marina on the St. Lucie River . The latest I’ve heard it will be around August till I return to AA marina on Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach. We headed out early for some snook. I like to pick up some live baits before hand so we tipped sabiki’s with squid and picked up a dozen pinfish and a 13” tripletail to boot. Nice little fight on a sabiki. The slot I prefer to set for my boat and anglers are 18” to around 12 lbs. There’s plenty of meat on one of these guys to feed a family. DOA shrimp, terrorize and CAL lures along with “old faithful” live shrimp on a trollrite are the baits of choice. The best bite is after 10 a.m. and some fish can be spotted near the surface. These channel marker will also hold other species like sheephead, snapper, grouper, flounder, jacks and more.
Snook season closes June 1. Yesterday we managed to hook a few slot sized snook around the bridges. The summer spawn begins with the breeders heading to the inlets and along the surf. These are big snook and they are there for a reason. If you target these fish for catch and release, do everything possible to release them quickly and unharmed. Circle hooks with live bait work best eliminating the chance of gut hooking. Catch a few, take some pictures and leave them alone. Each year, more and more anglers are targeting these snook in spawn and they are really sitting ducks. No sense hammering these fish all day long.
Some big black drum always show up near the bridges this time of year. The Roosevelt and Jensen Bridge have provided 40-60 pounders in the past. Redfish along the docks on the west side of the Indian River or under the mangroves on the east side of the River have proven most productive. There are plenty of flounder in the sandy patches and ladyfish in the Sailfish Flats on windy days keep everyone entertained with their wonderful aerobatics, along with croaker, sennet and bonefish. Last month, aboard Catch 22, eleven bonefish were released in this area. Just the past few weeks we have released a dozen more in and just outside the inlet. Nothing really to brag about, but running into numbers of that species in Martin County is basically unheard of.
Into the surf, whiting on small crappie jigs tipped with shrimp or squid in the troughs works well. Pompano, bluefish and Spanish Mackerel will be very scattered with some resident fish still around. Tarpon, snook and big jack crevalle show up in the very early mornings hours and will dominate the catch and release scene. Twelve lb. test with 30-40 lb. leader will bring in “most” of them. If you encounter big tarpon (over 100 lbs.), there’s no stopping them on 12 lb. test (but it is very “sporting”). Try a live bait and hook it in the tail, allowing the baitfish to swim out (but switch to 20-30 lb. tackles). Now you have a shot at “Mr. Big”.
Offshore, dolphin are showing along the weedlines with quite a few resident sailfish still around. Three days ago seas were flat and I had a day off, so what did I do? Fish, of course. I took the pontoon offshore to about 300’ with my friend Hank and hooked up with (and released) a nice 6’ sailfish. Be sure to take your time reviving these sails. The one I hooked had eaten two live greenies (on different rigs). Hank and I were looking at each other wondering if we snagged each other or had a double hook-up. Finally, Hank’s line broke off and I brought the sailfish in on 20 lb. spinning gear after a great 10 minute show, including a dozen or so jumps. This fish took a good five minutes to revive and swam off for another day. When trolling, don’t overlook any floating debris. A small floating bottle or a piece of wood can hold some really big fish.
Kingfish should remain strong inside 60’, with dolphin out farther. It looks like it’s going to be a “bumper” crop of dolphin this year. Lots of bonita, barracuda inside 6 miles are always there to test your tackle.
The bottom fishing remains good with big muttons over 20 lbs. gag grouper, mangrove and true red snapper topping the list. The ever-present “cuda” is always on their tail, so bring the fish in fast. Remember, the grouper with the round tails are “goliaths” and are illegal to keep. Also known as “jewfish” they are showing up in the river and offshore in good numbers, but they are still “protected” and can cost you your boat, fines, license and much more. A few cobia are still showing up on the reefs and wrecks. If you’re looking for wahoo, try kicking up the RPM’s. Trolling purple, red and black skirts down deep at 8-10 knots worked for me.
Summer’s here, stay cool and fish early!!! –Well, just fish!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
catch22 (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 11:41 am: | |
May is here and it just happens to be one of my two favorite months for both inshore and offshore fishing. Starting offshore, the big story in May will be the dolphin bite. Last year the beginning of the month was a blowout with strong east winds, but the remaining 3 weeks more than made up for it. Historically, dolphin show up in the Keys the end of April in big numbers. By early May you can find them in 80-200 feet as they migrate northward towards the Treasure Coast. The good news is dolphin now have a 20 inch min which will help the population. Remember, limit your keep, don’t keep the limit! By far, trolling is your best bet for dolphin; dragging ballyhoo, rigged squid and mullet. Try to get at least two baits down using downriggers, planers or 16 oz. cigar weights. Covering various water columns will increase your odds drastically. I prefer red or purple with black skirts on my downlines (good wahoo colors) while on top using naked baits or yellow, green and pink skirts which work great. I suggest that you forget wasting time catching greenies unless you want to target kings or sailfish. Run out to 80 feet and start trolling. Keep an eye out for color and temperature changes, weedlines, any floating debris and working birds. Always have two spinning combos ready on standby. A 2 oz. jig with squid or cut bait will come in handy if you stumble upon dolphin schools or manta rays holding cobia. Usually you have about 30 seconds to react before they are gone, so be ready for them. Keeping squid chunks or sardines nearby will often prove to be the difference between a single fish in the box or multiple fish in the box. You can hold a school near the boat by chumming them. A little at a time while tossing those standby jigs will hook you up. Always leave at least one hooked-up dolphin in the water if you are in a school. This keeps his buddies around the boat.
Other species to target are kingfish, cobia, wahoo, sailfish and summertime bonita and cudas. Live bait works best for kings in close from 40-80 feet. A short steel leader with a treblehook stinger attached to a 3/0 live bait produces excellent results. In close, keep your eyes peeled for big manta rays and toss a jig about 30 feet in front of them for that cobia hiding in their shadows. Sailfish can be anywhere. To increase your wahoo odds, speed your troll up to 8-10 knots. I’ve caught most of my “hoos” in 250-350 feet, but you never know. I saw an 86 lb. wahoo caught in 60 feet of water to win a tournament in the last 30 minutes before lines out.
Surf and bottom fishing is also great in May. From the surf, look for bluefish and pompano still lurking about. Cutbait or spoons for blues, sandfleas or crabs cast far out for the pompano. Look for plenty of whiting and some croaker in close to shore. I almost forgot to mention the snook and tarpon that will be cruising the shorelines. It’s a great time to cast for snook in the surf. Casting diagonally with top water mirrolures, spooks, bombers, DOA Baitbusters & Terrorize, red tail hawks produces hook-ups. The snook are feasting on whiting near shore. If you catch a whiting, re-hook it and toss it out with a 3/0 live bait hook. It’s a good bet it will catch the eye of a hungry snook.
The tarpon will be cruising a bit deeper in 10-30 feet of water. Drifting live mullet, pinfish or sight casting DOA Baitbusters and Terrorize top the list. With the weather getting increasingly warmer, it’s best to fish very early or late before these guys head for the deep water to cool off. Bottomfishing is strong this time of year on the outside, with larger than average mangrove snapper and grouper. I prefer a long leader (30’) for the muttons using grunt heads for bait. They tap it a few times, but wait until he grabs it and runs, then stick it to him! Always throw a flatline or two out to increase productivity. You can catch dolphin, kings and sails while you’re bottom fishing. It’s easy, it’s maintenance free, and it makes sense.
Inshore, the St. Lucie Inlet will start holding more snook showing up early for their summer spawn. The detached jetty, the perimeter of Sailfish Point (high-water best) and the south side of the Inlet, close to shore will produce fish. The crossroads area from Marker #239 north to the “quarter” bridge (east of the channel to the sand bar) holds early morning tarpon all summer long. On Catch 22 we drift finger mullet in this area until bout 9:00 a.m. while ready to sight cast DOA Terrorize on standby rods. The water in this area near high tide can get really clean and with a 10 foot depth average, you can see bottom very well. I use 20-lb. spinning rigs with a 6-8 foot 60 lb. leader. You can fish lighter, but expect a long battle when that hefty tarpon takes hold. Last year a 9 year old boy on one of my charters hooked a 60 lb. tarpon on 10 lb. test. Forty minutes later and a mile up the River the tarpon was brought to the boat and released. This fish made five runs into the channel forcing me to play water-traffic cop trying to wave boats off. Plenty of tarpon will appear in the St. Lucie River also. The last three years were banner tarpon seasons here. Who needs to go to the Keys to fish, we have it all right here!
Area bridges should hold mangrove snapper, sheephead, black drum and croakers. Live or frozen shrimp on the bottom on light tackle seems to work the best. The night-time snook hang out near structure and shadow lines where the water is moving. May is the last month of open snook season until September, so now’s the time.
In the grass flats, big trout will dominate the scene. Start as early as 5 a.m. and fish until 7 a.m. with topwater lures in skinny water. Docks along the west side from Walton Road north to Fort Pierce are hot. From 7-10 a.m., go to 3-5 ft. deep with soft rubber baits (DOA CAL series and glo shrimp) or live shrimp on a popping cork. On windy days, fishing from a boat, try drifting popping corks 100 ft. behind the boat and set them in the rodholders. Cast your rubber baits downwind to increase your odds. Don’t forget the spoil islands either early or late. Look for diving birds and there’s sure to be trout around. Most trout in these areas will be under 18” so fish as light as 6 lb. test with no leader. The redfish will be close to shore on the west side or under the mangroves on the east side. Johnson’s gold spoons top the list as the lure of choice.
Channel markers in the Indian River have been pretty dormant the past 6 months with big sheephead and tripletail being noticeably scarce. Hopefully, with the water clarity much improved, the river will come alive with the snapper, flounder, tripletail and goliath grouper reappearing. Further north, the Port Canaveral area (the tripletail capital of the world) has shown a big increase in the tripletail numbers which means they should be heading south soon. Around channel markers, start casting soft rubber baits or live shrimp on a jig head from a distance and work a 30’ radius around the piling. Finish off on the bottom, no more than 5 feet from the marker. Lift up an inch or two every 10 seconds. If you feel dead weight, count to 3 and set the hook. Tripletail are sure to run from the boat and towards the piling. Keeping the line from brushing barnacles is difficult but a must if you want to boat that fish. They are strong, ugly and ornery, but one of the best tasting fish you will ever eat and well worth the battle!
Big and Little Mud Creeks are the hot spot for tarpon between 5-8 a.m. Lots of unmolested tarpon lurk inside Big Mud with the yellow boom blocking the entrance. If the Creek is still closed, try fishing the entrance and the channel leading into Big Mud from the main channel. There’s nothing like seeing that giant silver fish leaping when he’s attached to the end of your line.
Good luck and tight lines!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436 |
Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 01, 2005 - 5:34 am: | |
April is a transition month with winter pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on their way out, bringing an increase of baitfish inshore with tarpon and snook hot on their tails. Water temperatures both inshore and offshore will continue to rise – “summer’s not far behind”.
Offshore, look for cobia still hanging around inside 100 feet deep around wrecks and beneath giant manta rays. With more east winds around, weed lines begin to form making the area prime for you dolphin fans. Ricky Who ???. Look for a strong dolphin run in late April or early May with fish migrating north from the Keys. You cannot go wrong with trolled ballyhoo, allowing coverage of more ground than drifting live baits. The kingfish bite should be good in the 40-60 ft. range using greenies, sardines or dragging dead baits. There’s still a need a watch the weather in April due to traditionally strong east winds from time to time. Bottom fishing is always good in April (someone once told me never say “never” and don’t ever say “always”, but year after year it’s proven to be so.
In the surf, the biggest bluefish of the year will be terrorizing everything that moves. Look for fish over 12 lbs. both in the surf and inshore. Spoons, plugs, poppers and cut bait on the bottom seem to attract the most attention. Blues are excellent sport fish providing screaming runs on light tackles. There are still a few pompano around (mostly far away from the bluefish). Sand fleas still rule in the surf. Snook and tarpon will be cruising in the first trough, mainly in the dark hours near sunrise and sunset. Live baits, soft rubber or lipped lures work great! Windcheaters work extremely well when its blowing out of the east.
Inside, look for a definite increase in baitfish. Small greenies can be found right off the Stuart Causeway boat ramps with bunker under the quarter bridge at night fleeing from large tarpon just outside the shadow lines. Mullet will be cruising in the shallow grass flats. From the bridges , snook are still banging flair hawks along the bottom along with shrimp and mullet. Get those baits deep!!!
The trout bite is good in April with many fish under 18” around. Look towards the east side of the river near Herman’s Bay if the wind picks up. Otherwise, the west side should be hot with trout, snook and reds. This area along Indian River Drive should produce a fair number of inshore slams.
Tripletail season swings into full gear with most of them within 30 feet of channel markers and bridges. Live shrimp on a trollrite or DOA CAL and shrimp are my favorites and seem to be the tripletail’s favorites too. This morning’s trip proved very “hot” with the largest at 14 lbs. I encourage releasing any fish that’s not dinner for the night, but especially the ones over l5 lbs., insuring a population for the future. The minimum is 15” with 2 per angler.
Tarpon mania will soon be underway, with fish at the normal spots (just outside the channel south of the quarter bridge to marker 239, IRP channel, Club Med and outside Big and Little Mud Creeks). Don’t overlook the grass flats. There will be tarpon well over 60 lbs. tracking bait schools. Drifting live baits or sight casting with DOA silver and black baitbusters or rootbeer terrorize will hook you up!!
I’m looking forward to a great month of April fishing here on the Treasure Coast.
The days are getting longer, so get out there and fish!!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
|
Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 5:56 am: | |
March is here, bringing warmer weather to the Treasure Coast. Slowly our water temperatures will rise from the chilly 57 degrees that we experienced early in the year. Look for inshore fishing to improve dramatically, especially for snook that have been struggling to just stay alive. Pay attention this month to wind direction, which will dictate your fishing strategy. If it blows from the east, surf fishing and offshore can get “sporty” to say the least. Fishing inshore offers plenty of protected areas. As the water warms up, you will also notice an increase in baitfish inshore. Early morning flats fishing will resume so get those topwater lures ready!
Let’s start with inshore and work our way out. If history repeats itself, March could be an east shore bit zone with strong winds at times out of the southeast. Shallow water early in the morning will pick up, throwing topwater lures for trout and snook. Try to get up close to docks on the west side or mangroves on the east side of the Indian River. By 9:00 a.m., drop to 3-4 feet with soft rubber baits in the flats. I mainly use DOA shrimp and CAL lures. Throwing both light and dark colors will produce a feeding pattern. Water clarity can dictate choice in colors. If the water is dark, throw rootbeer shrimp. In clean water I prefer a lighter color such as a glow shrimp. Live shrimp on a popping cork is another great option. The main thing is slowing down your bait presentation. Plenty of species also roaming in the flats include pompano, flounder, jacks, bluefish, redfish, baitfish and many others.
Area bridges will be holding plenty of mangrove snapper, sheephead, black drum, pompano and everyone’s favorite – snook. The snook will be an early morning or night bit along the bottom. Gulfstream’s flair hawks or red-tail hawks, dragging slowly along the bottom seems to produce the best result. If you can find mullet or pinfish, weigh them down with a 2 oz. egg sinker with 4 feet of leader. Its amazing, but a crushed mullet head planted on the bottom is very attractive to big snook.
In the St. Lucie north fork, look for deep holes around river bends. Bounce a 3/8 oz DOA rootbeer terrorize along the bottom and hold on. Some of these holes are quite deep, so work that bottom machine. Each year the St. Lucie produces some monster black drum. A few weeks ago a 60+ pounder was caught at Sandsprit Park off the bulkhead! Black drum regs are 14” minimum, one over 24”, with 5 fish maximum.
The largest pompano will be in the River, responding well to Gulfstream redfish and shrimp jigs in the grass flats of Sailfish Point and deeper in Hell’s Gate area. From the quarter bridge on the Stuart Causeway, look for the pompano brigade on the southwest section of the bridge, throwing bullethead nylure jigs. When targeting pompano you can expect to find ladyfish, jacks and blue runners as well.
Look for a strong trout bite with the early morning bite coming alive. Also look in deeper channels in the Indian River like the Dolphin Grill and Anchors Aweigh channels. Sheephead will be thick in the St. Lucie Inlet. Get your bait to the bottom in a rocky area near slack tide (after high tide is best) using a ¼ oz. trollrite and a small piece of shrimp. Before clearing the detached jetty just south of the channel is an excellent bet. This area was not disturbed during previous dredging. The water on the north side near Sailfish Point is now much deeper than before and less rocky. Also just outside the north jetty you will find plenty of sheephead, snapper, spots and margates. Remember sheephead must be 12” to the fork with a 15 per angler maximum. On Catch 22 we don’t keep anything under 14” and only what can be eaten in one sitting. Of course some people have a larger capacity than others in one sitting. If you’ve ever cleaned a sheephead you know that a 12” fish is not worth the effort.
Tarpon should begin to show up just south of the Stuart Causeway to the inlet as well as further north around Nettle’s Island and outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. Live bait on circle hooks or sightcasting topwater poppers, DOA baitbusters and terrorize will get their attention. As we progress into the summer, the tarpon will get better and better. Last week tarpon were rolling near Club Med in the North Fork.
Most of the redfish have been concentrated north of the powerlines in shallow water. Reds are easily spooked, so keep it stealthy. Soft Rubber and gold spoons top the list. Further north into Fort Pierce and Vero north to the Cape have always been the most productive areas for big redfish.
I normally begin my assault on tripletail around this time of year. Channel markers and bridges will hold most of them. Soft rubber and live shrimp are the baits of choice. . Last year was a decent season ending with 145. Most of these fish until April will be under 6 pounds, with the summer catch averaging 8-12 lbs. Last year, on Catch 22, my anglers caught 8 fish over 20 lbs. Great rod-pulling action and super table fare. Remember the 15” minimum, and two per angler. I release all tripletail over 15 lbs which allows the big females to reproduce.
Let’s head to the surf, with bluefish and Spanish mackerel dominating the scene in close all day long. Cut bait (mackerel, mullet, ribbonfish) on the bottom attract the most attention. Normally 2 oz. will hold, but if the southeast wind picks up, 4 oz. may be necessary. Once you locate these fish, break out a small spinner, casting silver spoons or topwater lures for great fun. Don’t forget the steel leader for these toothy critters.
Look for large dark clouds in the water just outside the inlets and along the beaches. This is the time of year to play with monster jacks running 15 to 30 pounds. I ran a trip yesterday with one of my anglers hooking up to a 20 pounder on 12 lb test resulting in a half hour battle. Jigs, spoons and topwater poppers work great but nothing beats a live greenie. I would suggest beefing it up to 20 lb mainline or expect a good half hour battle on 12 lb.
Pompano will be out far, so break out the long rods. Double or triple kayle rigs with sandfleas, shrimp and clam strips is the prime choice for bait. When using these triple rigs, if you have a pompano on, let it set 30 seconds. Pompano run in schools, so why not catch 2 or 3 at a time! In the surf, expect a 2 lb. average, with the larger one inshore. There are plenty of sandfleas out there and it’s worth taking the time to get them. Nary a pompano can turn down a sandflea. For custom surf rods or any more information on pompano fishing, feel free to call my friend, Ward Woodruff, who is this area’s pompano guru. He can be reached at (772) 334-1708 and will be glad to answer any questions or build you that special rod.
Offshore should be great, with cobia topping the list. Last year’s bite was awesome. Large manta rays make their appearance this time of year and the cobia can be found cruising underneath them. It’s not uncommon to see a dozen cobia under a single ray. Keep your eyes peeled for these rays and have a Gulfstream cobia slayer ready to cast or add a chunk of cut bait or large grub tail to a large bullethead jig. If the cobia come to the top while anchored or drifting, toss them a DOA Baitbuster and hold on. When boating these fish, have a cobia club handy and a cooler open. I’ve seen some incredible damage from a thrashing 40 lb. cobia.
Dolphin should be in 120’ to 250’. Last year in March, there were plenty of dolphin in the 8-20 lb. class. There’s no sense in keeping any schoolies. At the rate of growth of these fish, by the end of summer they will be worth catching again and you’ll have yourself a “real” fish. It is really aggravating to see boats coming in with multiple school-sized fish. Down in the Keys (and some a little closer to our area), there are charter boats that pose with as many as forty 3-lb. dolphin. You’d think they would be embarrassed. There needs to be a legitimate limit on dolphin (say 28”) and watch the population skyrocket in one year.
Sailfish could be in really close, depending on the bait schools. Plenty of kingfish are still in the area, inside the 6-mile reef. On the bottom, large grouper and mutton snapper with some true red snapper have shown up north of the St. Lucie Inlet. South of the inlet to Pecks Lake, the Spanish mackerel are still in residence, hitting spoons, minnow jigs, tube lures, shrimp tipped jigs. In other words, just about everything!
Remember, with all fish limit your take, don’t take your limit !!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 6:56 am: | |
Well, the New Year is well underway, the temperatures have been cold, but the trout action has been hot!.Let’s begin offshore and work our way inside. Look for plenty of sailfish action between 120 and 180 feet where the water is a bit warmer. Trolled ballyhoo, split-tail mullet or drifting live baits will get their attention. While fishing this zone, you can expect some dolphin to bend those rods. Inside 6 miles (30-65 feet) kingfish and cobia are a definite possibility. Don’t forget those stinger hooks on your live greenies and watch your kingfish catch skyrocket. February brings plenty of manta rays in our area. Under the rays are where to target some nice cobia. Have a rod rigged and ready to cast. I like using a 2 oz. jig with a chunk of cut bait or a large white grub tail attached. We cast 20 feet in front of the ray and let the bait sink. Cobia are great fun and fantastic table fare. Use extreme caution when boating them. Have a cooler open and ready when you bring them aboard.
Near shore, Spanish mackerel action reaches its peak. Capt. Joes Jigging Spoons, Gulfstream’s flash minnows, green and chartreuse tube lures, Clark spoons, white bucktails tipped with shrimp all produce. We played around and caught fish on beef jerky last week so what does that tell you! There’s no need to cruise all the way to Peck’s Lake. Just keep your eyes open for birds and baitfish on top, and there you will find the macs. It’s more fun fishing away from the pack and you’ll probably boat more fish. It also allows you to be more sporting, using 6-8 lb. test, producing longer runs and better fishing. If the action slows down, before moving to another area, try allowing your bait to drop 20 seconds before retrieving. Many times these macs will sit near the bottom. When I have smaller groups of 3 or less, I like to troll the area. This seems to lessen cutoffs . For you small boaters, check sea conditions before departing. This month can spark northeast winds in a hurry.
Along the surf, bluefish action will dominate the scene. Normally, 2 oz. will hold the bottom using cut bait (mackerel, mullet, ribbonfish) while casting in the first trough. Whiting will also be in close. Small crappie jigs tipped with shrimp, claims or squid will catch ‘em. Usually when the bluefish are biting, the pompano are hiding. If fishing for pompano, try long-casting triple kayle rigs with a combination of sand fleas, clams and shrimp. There are plenty of beach accesses in our area. If you pull up to one and the water looks dirty, drive north or south for cleaner conditions.
Inshore, look for calm water when things kick up. Aboard Catch 22, I spend many hours on the east side of the Indian River. Calmer water always holds more baitfish, making this zone very fishable. The trout bite in February is excellent. Topwater lures up close and shallow, fishing early, will result in some great action. The mangroves on the east side or docks on the west side in the Indian River hold some gator trout between 7-9 lbs. Later in the morning and afternoon stay in 3-4 feet or near the spoil islands, throwing soft rubber baits or live shrimp. I use a combination of live and DOA shrimp and CAL lures in the grass flats during the afternoon hours.
Snook season opens February 1st and the majority will be deep, near area bridges and seawalls. Big baits like Gulfstream’s flair hawks and redtail hawks along the bottom are your best bet. You can also plant a mullet head deep and let it sit. Eventually something big will inhale it. Snook regulations remain the same with a 26-34 in. slot, 2 per person. The season for those linesiders remains open until June 1st. Choppy conditions pump up snook, making them more aggressive. When the water temperature drops, slow down your presentation. Snook get lazy and sluggish in cold water.
Area bridges hold plenty of sheephead and black drum on the bottom. Frozen shrimp on trollrites are at the top of the bait list. Most drum in the Indian River run 4-10 lbs., but the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart historically holds bigger fish. Know your limits. Sheephead need to be 12” minimum from the head to the fork in the tail. Black drum must be at least 14” with one fish over 24”. Try the Indian Riverside Park dock for drum, sheephead and flounder. Fish the east end of the dock where its 6-8 feet deep. On the riverside, there’s plenty of action with flounder to 3 lbs. feeding on live shrimp along the bottom. Casting redfish jigs on incoming tide provides nice pompano action in this area too.
If you’re serious about flounder, take a ride north to Fort Pierce and fish the south jetty. Look for a sandbar and cast past it into the deeper water, dragging the bait up into the sandbar and watch the action. This month, flounder in the Sebastian area move south making the south jetty an excellent choice. Again, shrimp on trollrites work the best.
Last year tarpon made an early appearance just south of the Stuart Causeway and farther north just outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. It’s worth a try using live mullet, DOA terrorize and Baitbusters. In the grassy areas, a wide selection of trout, redfish, jacks, ladyfish, pompano, flounder, Spanish mackerel and bluefish are plentiful.
Tripletail remain scattered until March, but the first week of January produced 3 tripletail aboard Catch 22. Most of the early tripletail are under 5 lbs. but they still put up an excellent fight. We released 2 of the 3, all being well above the 15” minimum.
Want to load up on sheephead? Head to the St. Lucie Inlet and anchor up a half hour before low or high tide. This will give you about an hour of great fishing when the current is slow, allowing your bait to stay near the bottom. We fish ultra-lite on Catch 22, using 6 lb. test, with 12 lb. leader and small pieces of frozen shrimp on 1/0 quarter-ounce trollrites. Using a small hook and small bait will increase production. At high tide, look for a rocky bottom and you’re in the target zone. Marker #235 in the ICW is also a rocky area, holding plenty of sheephead in the winter.
Finally, Hell’s Gate in the St. Lucie and the Crossroads are hot on high outgoing tide. In Hell’s Gate, anchor up for pompano, mackerel and ladyfish or drift the Crossroads. The pompano bite has picked up in the inlet and near the quarter bridge. You can’t go wrong with sand fleas on the bottom. A buddy of mine caught 16 pompano last week near the house of refuge on late incoming using live fleas.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
(772) 225-6436
http://www.catch22fish.com
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 6:40 am: | |
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! Cooler weather the past few weeks have kept water temperatures in the upper 50’s to lower 60’s inshore. I’ve heard of scattered pompano catches from a few of my commercial fisherman friends that search for pompano in the surf during the winter months, and some other reports from people fishing the bridges and flats, but nothing much to get excited about. One of the best pompano-fisherman I know says sand fleas have been easy to find and are the bait of choice. We have been catching a few pomps here and there but lately most of my trips have been 5 or 6 anglers which forces me to drift with jigs and shrimp rather than anchor up with sandfleas.
Speaking of the pompano fisherman, Ward Woodruff from Jensen Beach, is not only one of those commercial pompano guys, but he builds custom surf rods. These rods are beauties, one-piece 14’ lamiglass casting or spinning rods and can include your name, pompano decals or anything else you might want to include on your rod. The price of the rods at $185.00 is well worth the money. He also carries l-lb. spools of 15 or 20 lb. black mono to fill the reels with. Ward says that black line in the surf is a well-kept secret – oops, not so much of a secret anymore. His latest report is that the best fishing lately has been between North Hutchinson Island and Vero Beach. In the past month, his best daily catch was 26 pompano. At $5.00/lb. paid by local restaurants and fish houses, you can see why commercial fishing is not only a life-long dream but profitable too. You can contact Ward at (772) 334-1708 to order surf rods or line (or to just hear a good fish story). He’s got a great workshop and is always proud to show off his workmanship.
In the River last week, with trout season still closed, I’ve been running south, fishing different areas near the St. Lucie Inlet. At full high tide or dead low tide, I’ve been anchoring on the south side of the Channel about 200 yards west of the detached jetty. Water depth is around 9 feet with scattered rocks. This is the best time for bottom fishing using minimum weight (1/4 oz. Trollrites with frozen shrimp is the bait of choice). You can expect mangrove snapper, mutton snapper under 16”, sheephead to 4 lbs and an occasional pompano, black margate and lots of spots. Normally an hour in this spot is productive while the current is slack. Once the current starts cranking, it takes lots more weight, so Plan B comes into action (drifting the Inlet).
On the drift we hooked some snook, sheephead, mangrove snapper and big jacks. The Crossroads area has been holding a few pompano, ladyfish and jacks, with one of my anglers lucky enough to boat a 10 lb. permit in the same area. A couple of days last week were a real challenge with cold water in the upper 50’s and high winds. Sometimes the cold water leads to lockjaw. The good news is the water temps are back up to lower 70’s in the inlet.
During the week, I cruised the Sailfish flats a few times when the water was high. The pompano action was non-existent even though lots of boats were drifting the area. A few ladyfish, jacks and others in the area. Sooner or later the pompano action will pick up. I believe once the winds die down around Wednesday and the water cleans up, we will see a huge increase in pompano inshore. These fish do like the cleaner water. So far this year I have not seen any large crowds on the SW side of the quarter bridge. The pompano brigade took the holidays off but I expect to see them up on the bridge shortly. Looks like you need to park on the east side of the bridge with construction going on.
Spanish mackerel will remain thick around Peck’s Lake (2 miles south of St. Lucie Inlet). They should be in the area for about 3 more months, hitting Capt. Joe’s jigging spoons, minnow jigs, tube lures and various other shiny baits. They should be real hungry with no fishing pressure the last few weeks due to the high east winds.
Yesterday was a recon day and we played around using the ultra-lights in the grass flats throwing DOA rootbeer and glow shrimp for a few hours getting ready for trout season. For trout, fish early and remember 15” minimum size, 1 over 20”, 4 per angler. Trout season will find me running northward to find the “hot” spots. Many trout and small flounder were released that day. Up near Walton Road in shallow water, trout and redfish running 24” can be found just off the docks but the majority of fish has been up along the east side in calmer water.
Snook season re-opens in February, and March through October will be tripletail time. In 2004 we ended up with 140 tripletail with 10 over 20 pounds. Looking forward to a great year of fishing and hope to hear from lots of you anglers soon. The water quality has incredibly improved since the hurricanes. There are still some
Planks and 2x4’s floating around so keep your eyes peeled. I have noticed some lately in the St. Lucie between the 10 cent bridge and Sandsprit Park.
Again I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 03, 2004 - 7:36 am: | |
Cannot believe it’s December already. The inland waters have really cleaned up mainly due to the stopping of water releases just west of us at the spillways. The Indian River actually has a green tint to her and you can tell by the increase in both baitfish and fish being caught. The trout bite remains very strong on both sides of the Indian River. I have heard reports of over 100 fish in 3 hours. Best time seems to be morning but fish can be caught in the afternoon with the temps dropping. Remember trout season is closed now and will reopen January 1st.
The pompano are slowly starting to show up in a few locations. The other day we spent an hour or so in the Sailfish Flats and did see a few skipping around and did manage to catch a few around 2 pounds. Tons of jacks in this area with scattered ladyfish action. I have noticed several boats anchored in the St. Lucie inlet on the outgoing tide waiting for the pomp bite but really didn’t see much happening. The inlet lately has been quite interesting with a variety of fish. Snook, redfish, flounder, jacks, and sheephead to name a few.
Outside the mackerel bite will remain strong into March or April of next year. Just have to get mother nature to cooperate. Capt. Joe’s jigging spoons remain my bait of choice. The larger macs have been on the bottom lately.
We have been doing some structure fishing at area bridges and some pilings with mixed results. Some days are great with snook, grouper, flounder, goliaths, drum and sheephead. Other days you really have to work at it. Guess that’s why they call it fishing!!!
Looks like I will be returning to my home marina on Indian River Drive February 1st. Right now they are pouring a new seawall and still have the new docks to go in. I would like to thank Dean over at Pelican’s Nest on 707 in Rio for offering dock space till my marina is finished.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 9:12 am: | |
After getting hammered with 2 major hurricanes on the Treasure Coast this season, the inland waters are beginning to show signs of improvement. Finger mullet that simply refused to enter the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers weeks after the storms are now roaming our waterways. The west bank of the Indian River is loaded with baitfish and is a definite good sign. The water is still brown but salinity levels are slowly creeping up. The diesel smell is gone and I believe things will get back to normal real soon.
Starting in the grassflats, trout are all over the place and why not. Season closed November 1st . Sometimes I believe these fish read the Stuart News knowing it’s safe to enhale anything that moves and they will be safely released. We have mainly been throwing DOA glow and rootbeer colored shrimp in 3-4 feet along with topwater plugs up close just outside the bait schools. Mixed in are some jacks to 5 pounds , flounders and bluefish. Since relocating To Pelican’s Nest Marina in the St. Lucie, I have not been running as far north on the Indian River as I would like but I have talked to a few guides telling me the trout bite is on north of the power plant to Fort Pierce. I expect to return to my home (AA Marina) on Indian River Drive January 1st. Remember the season is closed thru December so crimp those barbs and release these trout in good shape. When January rolls along, you will be glad you did.
Structure fishing inside at bridges and channel markers were really slow weeks after the storms but is on the rebound. Snook, tripletail, gag grouper, croakers, sheephead and black drum have begun to reappear eating shrimp on trollrites. Mangrove snapper have been a rare sight. Bridge fishermen off the quarter bridge have been banging sheephead using fiddler crabs. Speaking of the quarter bridge, pompano season is right around the corner. I’m not certain when DOT will halt bridge fishing for the new bridge construction but I have seen people fishing up there recently. If I hear anything I’ll post on next report.
The St. Lucie inlet has been a challenge. You may have 3 hours of decent water near the end of incoming tide and the first hour of outgoing. A few snook and jacks last week but that’s about it. Once that fresh water starts rolling out the St. Lucie, things go downhill. The detached jetty is holding small snapper, spots, blue runners which are perfect for bending those ultralite rods. Outside the rocks some sheephead and jacks with an occasional blue or Spanish.
Peck’s Lake is beginning to show Spanish Mackerel. Most fish are under 2 pounds with a few 3’s mixed in. I will be fishing there every chance I get this fall and winter (weather permitting). I have been rigging a combination of clark spoons, Capt. Joe’s silver jigging spoons, Gulfstream minnow jigs and green tube lures. I like to rig the following: using an Albright knot connect 36” of 40 lb. (mono or flurocarbon) to 10” of # 3 wire. Next, haywire twist your lure of choice to remaining wire allowing 6” length. Next I tie a black swivel to end of mono. Finally connect your mainline to swivel. To totally eliminate all “jewelry”, use a line to line knot instead of swivel. I prefer the swivel because I can pre-rig at home and is quicker for me with my Fred Flintstone fingers I was blessed with. The black swivel is important. Mackerel will go after a brass swivel that shines. The Mac’s have been scattered but chumming them up with glass minnow chum really gets their attention. In another month or so they will be so thick in there you can catch them on beef jerky!!!
We took a beating here in South Florida but conditions and fishing are slowly improving week by week. I’m looking forward to a great winter fishery and there is no place else I would rather live.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 04, 2004 - 12:48 pm: | |
October is here bringing along a few changes, both in weather and fishing possibilities. The St. Lucie River, Indian River Lagoon and coastal waters have taken a beating since early September in water quality due to the Hurricanes. I will be fishing deep as possible to find the salinity in the water. I just launched my boat yesterday and will be docking at Pelican’s Nest Marina on SR 707 in Rio until my home marina ( AA marina) is back and running which may take several months. The first hurricane (Frances) launched a palm tree across the bow of my boat taking out the port side railing. I consider myself lucky because when the tree came down, it landed on a seat support which actually held the tree up from doing more damage.
On to fishing----Starting in the River, mullet will still be around, bringing with them predators of all species. Redfish, trout, snook, jacks and tarpon will be having a field day on huge schools of baitfish. Normally we see an increase this time of year with northeast winds driving the majority of baitfish to the calmer east side of the Indian River. Look for large bait schools and cast just outside of the schools throwing your favorite lure or live bait. Lures should “match the hatch”. Black and silver is the color of choice. DOA baitbusters and swimming mullet, Yozuri crystal minnows, and Gag’s Mini Mambos are a few that deserve mentioning. If fishing with live mullet, try trimming ½” off the tail with a pair of scissors which forces the mullet to swim erratically, thus drawing more attention as a wounded bait rather than just blending in with the school. When wading or fishing open areas the best tackle is a 12-lb. mainline with a 2’ 40-lb. fluoro-carbon leader with live bait and a circle hook. Apply the hook near the top dorsal for topwater or hook them in the tail, which forces them to swim deep and away from the angler. Circle hooks work great as long as you remember not to attempt to set the hook. Simply reel slowly to allow a perfect hook-up.
Area bridges will hold big snook, so beef it up to 20-50 lb. mainline with 80 lb. leader. These fish need to be turned quickly to avoid those guaranteed break-offs when they head for structure. Pompano should be showing up in the grass flats and near bridges. In the flats, Gulfstream shrimp or redfish jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp work well, bouncing or dragging along the bottom. South of the Stuart Causeway the last three hours of incoming tide is the best. Pompano like clean water and that’s where they will be found. From bridges nothing beats a nylure jig. Just vertical jig it with a slow retrieve bouncing on the bottom. Where there are crowds of anglers bunched up on the southwest side of the Quarter Bridge, it’s a sure bet the pompano are in and biting. The tripletail action slows down on channel markers until spring, but look for an increase in sheephead and flounder.
In the surf, bluefish and Spanish mackerel can be caught casting silver spoons or bottom fishing with cut bait. Whiting and croaker are at your toes in the first trough and respond well to light tackle using shrimp or squid. Break out the 14’ rods, long-casting for pompano. Sandfleas on triple kayle rigs work best. Remember, two rods per person in Martin County is the limit. St. Lucie County north allows a 4-rod max. There will still be mullet cruising along shore, so look for tarpon and snook to be in hot pursuit. When you see the mullet school, cast out diagonally, working the first trough area. The results can be some rod-bending excitement.
Offshore, the sailfish bite should be good with plenty of large residents still around and hitting on live greenies and sardines. Kingfish and cobia should appear in around 40’ with wahoo and dolphin a good possibility chasing trolled ballyhoo. In closer near Peck’s Lake (2 miles south of St. Lucie Inlet), look for Spanish mackerel. Silver spoons, glass minnow lures and tube lures always seem to attract their attention. Of course they won’t turn down a shrimp tipped jig either. If it shines, they’ll hit it. Line weight max should be 12 lb., with a 30 lb. mono leader produces lots of action, but expect to lose a few rigs to those toothy critters. You can also try an 8” thin steel leader which minimizes cutoffs, but the visibility of the leader also minimizes the hookups.
Looking back over the past few years, our water quality has bounced back around this time, but we also weren’t faced with the major fresh water releases that began in early October. Hopefully history will repeat itself and Mother Nature gets a chance to recover. If left alone she always seems to rebound. Our ecosystem each year is stressed to the max with the water releases. I hope everyone faired well during the storms and looking forward to getting things back to normal again.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 11:30 am: | |
The big event on the Treasure Coast the past couple of years in September has definitely been the tarpon bite. Each year, fishing gets better and better. Pretty soon we will see Florida Keys residents traveling north to Stuart to target our “silver kings”. I can picture it now. Stuart, the “Sailfish AND tarpon capital of the world”. September provides many angling opportunities. It’s the beginning of fall and we will cover it all!
This month marks a few changes in both weather and fishing. The dog days of summer are waning and temperatures will begin to drop slightly. September also marks the opening of snook season. Remember your regulations: 26-34 inch slot with 2 fish per person. Another welcomed change is the start of the fall mullet run. Schools of six- inch baitfish will be everywhere. Along the surf, large pods will be traveling south with plenty of predators following them. Nighttime fishing along area bridges is awesome at times reminding me of the fourth of July. From the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart, try Gulfstream flair hawks and DOA rootbeer terrorize while the current is running. Last year this bridge was hot the first few weeks of September. The finger mullet will be thick everywhere. The Stuart Causeway is sure to see lots of action this year with nearby Jensen under construction and closed to landlocked anglers. Twenty feet from the bridge, look for a 4 foot wide shadowline. The snook will be lying there waiting for unsuspecting bait swimming by. Snook are big-time ambush feeders and this is a perfect spot for them. Try casting topwater lures (bombers, mirrolures, windcheaters) or DOA glo shrimp, live shrimp or mullet 20 feet past the shadow line and retrieve. I have occasionally hooked up tarpon on this bridge with windcheaters which you can cast a country mile. Most tarpon will be far from the bridge but within casting distance with these babies. Try to fish at least two nights in a row and take notes. You will notice about a 45-minute period when the snook simply go nuts. Most snookers throwing topwater lures go with spinners or baitcasters with around 20-lb. test and beef it up to 80-lb. mainline throwing flairhawks. No matter how heavy you fish, sooner or later you will get your clock cleaned.
Starting in the surf, whiting and croaker are still around in the first trough. Try ultra light 6-lb. test, casting no more than 10 feet out, using crappie jigs tipped with shrimp, squid or clams. Guaranteed great action for everyone on light tackle. Don’t be afraid to toss a whiting out on a circle hook with beefed-up tackle (12-20 lb. test) for snook roaming in the trough. You can also cast net all the finger mullet you want, so fling one out on a livebait rig. If you feel like taking a stroll, bring a 7-foot rod with 12-lb. test using a 20-lb. leader, throwing an assortment of artificials and there’s a good chance of hooking into snook, tarpon, permit, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and who knows what else. DOA’s baitbuster, crabs and terrorize, bombers, spoons, Gag’s mini mambo, Yozuri plugs and windcheaters are best for those long casts. Just look for the baitschools. A good place to start, if the water clears up, is Bathtub Beach, fishing south to the Inlet. If conditions are dirty heading south, just fish north casting diagonally, working the baits in the first trough (the “strike zone”). Last month we experienced terrible water conditions but hopefully things will change. Resident bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel always show up at the craziest times. Early morning till 10 a.m. and near dusk (low light hours) seem to produce the best results. If fishing from a boat surfside, look for tarpon inside 20’. Schools of permit and snook are also in close. Be respectful of the surf anglers by not crowding their already limited space. It’s easier to motor 300 yards than it is for the angler on the beach to walk. Don’t forget to use plenty of sunscreen and bring lots of water.
Moving into the River, it’s the same deal. Fish early or late. If you must fish midday, the fish move into deeper water into the inlet, crossroads, bridges, channel markers or anywhere they can find cooler water temps and/or shade. By 11 a.m., shallow water reaches the hi 80’s and there won’t be anybody home. Water temps in 10 feet of water are cooler by up to 10-15 degrees. Since we all know fish have a tendency to outsmart us, just follow their lead. Cooler is better. It’s still hot out there. If there are more releases from the canals and Lake Okeechobee, fishing deep will keep you in saltwater. Fresh water sits on top in the St. Lucie River, so the dirtier the water, the deeper you need to fish. Last year in September, water quality improved dramatically so let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Tarpon will be everywhere. In the North Fork of the St. Lucie, look around Club Med south to the Roosevelt Bridge. These tarpon will be munching on abundant glass minnows and eels that run through the area in September and can be found all the way to the Hospital dock. Heading east, the St. Lucie Inlet and crossroads to the Stuart Causeway are a good bet for tarpon action just east of the ICW channel. Sailfish flats will hold tarpon, but it’s a large area to cover. Channels into the Dolphin Grill and Anchors Aweigh Marina hold a few huge tarpon (over 100 lbs.) and like to feast on mullet. There seems to be a resident “monster” that stalks the Indian Riverside pier looking for easy prey. You can spot them rolling in the channel all the way north to Fort Pierce, but “rolling” doesn’t necessarily mean “eating”. At the power plant entrance, right up against the yellow boom and just outside of Little Mud Creek in 12 feet of water has produced some super jumpers. These fish have been in Little Mud Creek for two months now and will really test your patience. They almost seem to recognize certain boats and absolutely refuse anything you might throw at them. Maybe a disguise is in order. Bullsharks will show up in this area at times spooking the tarpon, but these tarpon will reappear.
Tripletail will still be hanging around channel markers up and down the Indian River until the beginning of October. It seems the hotter the air temp the better they like it. Live shrimp on a 2/0, ¼ oz. trollrite jighead seem to be the preferred bait with DOA shrimp and terrorize, assorted sort rubber baits working well too. You have to be mobile, spending no more than 10 minutes on each piling. Flounder and jacks will be spread out all over. Spanish mackerel in the past few years have appeared unexpectedly around the Mosquito Bridge on the Jensen Causeway, making them a “boaters only” target for the next two years during the construction period. Black drum are hanging around the structure of the bridges, with the Roosevelt and Jensen Bridge holding drum to 10 lbs. on the bottom. Snook remain on the beaches, inlets, flats and bridges.
Night fishing is excellent in September. Private lighted docks hold plenty of trout and snook. If you’re fishing these docks, approach with much stealth, cast into the shadow lines and work your casts close to the docks. Slow sinking DOA glo shrimp are hard to beat. Live shrimp (baitshops should now have) and topwater plugs will definitely work. If there are lots of glass minnows around, try throwing Capt. Joes Jigging spoons and match the hatch. They’ve made a believer out of me! Remember to respect the dock owners and not blast your casts onto the docks leaving line and hooks behind.
There are plenty of great fishing opportunities in September. The key is low light for shallow fishing, deeper water for midday. New fish pictures are now posted on my site. Just click on “Latest Fish Pictures”
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 5:02 am: | |
As August nears, expect much of the same weather pattern (HOT!). So far this year, the majority of the rain has remained west of I-95 with easterly breezes keeping most storms inland. But, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Keep your eyes peeled if fishing in the afternoon. The last thing you want is to be caught in the open water when the lightning starts flying. The inland waters by 10 a.m. have reached 89 degrees. If you are targeting trout, get out there early (5-8 a.m.) with your favorite top water plugs in shallow water. After that, back off to 3-5 ft. with soft rubber or live shrimp. Most of my charters this year have departed at 8:00 a.m. with an average of 4-5 people fishing, so I have been staying away from the shallow grass for the most part. I found out many years ago that fishing a large group in shallow water after 8:00 a.m. doesn’t produce good results. Trout can spook easily and having 5 people casting is like setting off hand grenades. I did have two early departures last month with small groups and did really well with trout over 8 lbs., jacks and ladyfish.
The water quality inshore has been excellent. There are areas where you can see bottom that could not be seen for many years due to the Lake Okeechobee discharges. We have been fortunate the last several months with few or no discharges, but that could change any minute unless the pressure is kept on the politicians to “keep our water clean”. As you go north in the Indian River, between Nettles Island and the Power Plant, visibility is unbelievable! Remember the area in the general vicinity of marker 209 is a slow current zone located right between St. Lucie & Fort Pierce Inlets. The reason is that as you near the power lines, the current changes direction (you are now picking up the Ft. Pierce Inlet current flow). Once you’re north or south of the area, you’ll notice some more water flow.
Structure fishing so far this summer has been great, keeping up with last year. Last week I noticed a decline in baitfish (glass minnows) around bridges and markers. Diving birds and porpoises have been a rare sight. This is not uncommon. Each year you will have slow periods lasting a week or so. I’m sure things will pick up shortly. My charters up to July 20th pr produced lots of flounder, tripletail, snapper and black drum and made fishing very exciting. A combination of live shrimp (if you can find them), frozen shrimp, or a DOA or Glo & Root Beer lures have worked best. We did release two tripletail over 20 lbs. in July, both caught on a pearl DOA CAL lure. In the deeper water (around bridges) several snook to 12 lbs. and Goliath grouper under 10 lbs. are inhaling ½ oz. jigging spoons. It’s amazing how many goliaths are inshore. This year alone we have released over 80. (REMEMBER, both species are catch and release). Capt. Joe Massaro from Stuart designed some spoons about a year ago and let me tell you, “they work well”. You will want to stock up on that tackle for the winter mackerel and pompano bite as well. The spoons hold up great to the toothy Spanish macs. You can contact Capt. Joe at 772-286-0702.
Moving to the St. Lucie Inlet, tarpon & snook are the targeted species. Pick up live baits outside on sabiki rigs and anchor up or drift with circle hooks. Snook season is closed until September 1st, so catch and release a “few” fish and treat them gently. Each year you’ll notice boats around the jetties targeting these spawning linesiders. Do yourself and the fish a big favor and don’t target them all day. They are here for a reason – to spawn – not to be hammered by “so called sport-fishing anglers” that cannot catch a snook when the season opens and they’re not sitting ducks.
Outside the rocks along the beaches, tarpon, jacks and permit are possible. Don’t be surprised to see cobia in close also. Last week we released two “cobes” under 33 inches, keeping one 20 pounder. When spotting cobia on top, try a pearl DOA shallow running Baitbuster.
The ocean has been cold most of July, with cold up-dwellings present. I have gone over a few pockets at 73 degrees. The bait situation lately has been decent with plenty of sardines and greenies around. Just because you see 100 boats in one area doesn’t mean everyone is catching bait. Most times it’s counter-productive. A small school may surface and within 5 seconds there are 10 boats spooking them. Try running outside the boats and load up on a school of your own. Remember, there might be a nice sized kingfish under the bait.
Inside 60 feet, the bonita have been plentiful with scattered kingfish and cobia action. I’ve been outside a few times resulting in some decent catches.
Stay Cool,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 1:41 pm: | |
It’s summertime! Surf temperatures will reach a whopping 84 degrees with inland water even hotter. Now’s the time to slip into “summer mode”. Target low light hours when possible. Inshore and along the surf, try to hit the water before sunrise until 10:00 a.m. or near sunset for maximum bite time. Fishing nighttime is productive, just find moving water. If you must fish mid-day, seek deeper water or shaded areas where the water is cooler. Summer fishing is great, with baitfish plentiful. Remember to utilize “summer mode” and have a great time out there! Last week in the inlet area I have seen greenies all the way into the crossroads. The bait schools were thick but only lasted 5 days. Saturday was the Treasure Coast Builders event. This weekend is like the indy 500 on water with everyone who owns a boat is out there. Needless to say the baitfish left the area.
Starting inshore, tarpon mania begins, with fish averaging 30-50 lbs. roaming just outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. The entrance to Big Mud is still closed. There’s a yellow boom stretching across the entire entrance, but the tarpon don’t know it’s closed and they head in and out on a regular basis. Water depth just outside Big Mud can reach 30 feet. In the creeks, watch for rolling tarpon and throw a DOA baitbuster or rootbeer terrorize right at them, allowing it to sink about 10 seconds. Top water chuggers and windcheaters will also get their attention (if they’re in a feeding mood). Live mullet on a circle hook always is an option, using 12 lb. mainline with a 30-40 lb. fluoro-carbon leader will handle tarpon to 50 lbs. For the monsters, I suggest “kicking it up a notch”. Other areas for silver kings are Nettles Island, where water depth averages 10 ft. This area always holds baitfish and the tarpon usually follow them in. Around the Jensen Causeway, tarpon will be feeding on bunker. The wooden fishing pier, just to the west of the drawspan on the north side, is a spot worth checking out. Channels near Sundance Marine, Anchors Aweigh and the Dolphin Grill hold some huge tarpon when the baitfish are present. These fish require patience. Some days I’ll see them rolling all over the place, but refusing anything thrown at them. Put in your time and you’ll be rewarded. The Quarter bridge at the Stuart Causeway to Marker 239 in the crossroads is a super spot to look for tarpon. Nighttime in the summer I prefer to cast windcheaters about 50 yards south of the bridge. Snook are up close near the shadowline, but the tarpon are pounding baits just to the south. The North Fork of the St. Lucie is generally hot early in the morning. As a rule, tarpon won’t refuse live greenies or sardines, so keep a few Sabiki rigs on hand for baitfish near the Whistle Buoy or sandpile just outside the inlet and throw them in the live well just for insurance.
The trout bite in the summer is excellent, with big hogs to 10 lbs. roaming the shallow inland waters early in the am. Top water lures in less than 2 feet until 7 a.m. will get the big ones. Later, switch to soft rubber or live shrimp in 3-4 feet or wade dropoffs near spoil islands. These islands run just east of the ICW Channel from Stuart north. If you have a hard time finding the spoil islands, try cruising near low tide when they’re more visible and mark them on your chart. Some spoils will hold lots of trout under 20”.
Summer is “big” tripletail time. Most fish run 8-12 lbs, but the big boys (over 20 lbs.) are a good possibility. I strongly suggest releasing the big fish over 14 lbs. This will insure breeding fish to re-populate. It seems more and more anglers are targeting this species and you need to be aware the regulations are 15-inch minimum, with 2 per angler.We have been catching some real nice ones the past few weeks with 2 released at 23 and 17 pounds. Most fish are running around 10 with a few smaller mixed in. Early in March we caught our first one of the year. We headed out early for some snook. I like to pick up some live baits before hand so we tipped sabiki’s with squid and picked up a dozen pinfish and a 13” tripletail to boot. Nice little fight on a sabiki. The slot I prefer to set for my boat and anglers are 18” to around 12 lbs. There’s plenty of meat on one of these guys to feed a family. DOA shrimp, terrorize and CAL lures along with “old faithful” live shrimp on a trollrite are the baits of choice. The best bite is after 10 a.m. and some fish can be spotted near the surface. These channel marker will also hold other species like sheephead, snapper, grouper, flounder, jacks and more.
Snook season closes June 1. The summer spawn begins with the breeders heading to the inlets and along the surf. These are big snook and they are there for a reason. If you target these fish for catch and release, do everything possible to release them quickly and unharmed. Circle hooks with live bait work best eliminating the chance of gut hooking. Catch a few, take some pictures and leave them alone. Each year, more and more anglers are targeting these snook in spawn and they are really sitting ducks. No sense hammering these fish all day long. Last year an angler stated to me he caught 32 snook by himself in one day. Anyone that thinks this is an accomplishment needs to have his head examined!!
Some big black drum always show up near the bridges this time of year. The Roosevelt and Jensen Bridge have provided 40-60 pounders in the past. Redfish along the docks on the west side of the Indian River or under the mangroves on the east side of the River have proven most productive. There are plenty of flounder in the sandy patches and ladyfish in the Sailfish Flats on windy days keep everyone entertained with their wonderful aerobatics, along with croaker, sennet and bonefish. Last month, aboard Catch 22, eleven bonefish were released in this area. Nothing really to brag about, but running into numbers of that species in Martin County is basically unheard of.
Into the surf, whiting on small crappie jigs tipped with shrimp or squid in the troughs works well. Pompano, bluefish and Spanish Mackerel will be very scattered with some resident fish still around. Tarpon, snook and big jack crevalle show up in the very early mornings hours and will dominate the catch and release scene. Twelve lb. test with 30-40 lb. leader will bring in “most” of them. If you encounter big tarpon (over 100 lbs.), there’s no stopping them on 12 lb. test (but it is very “sporting”). Try a live bait and hook it in the tail, allowing the baitfish to swim out (but switch to 20-30 lb. tackles). Now you have a shot at “Mr. Big”.
Offshore, dolphin are showing along the weedlines with quite a few resident sailfish still around. Three days ago seas were flat and I had a day off, so what did I do? Fish, of course. I took the pontoon offshore to about 300’ with my friend Hank and hooked up with (and released) a nice 6’ sailfish. Be sure to take your time reviving these sails. The one I hooked had eaten two live greenies (on different rigs). Hank and I were looking at each other wondering if we snagged each other or had a double hook-up. Finally, Hank’s line broke off and I brought the sailfish in on 20 lb. spinning gear after a great 10 minute show, including a dozen or so jumps. This fish took a good five minutes to revive and swam off for another day. When trolling, don’t overlook any floating debris. A small floating bottle or a piece of wood can hold some really big fish.
Kingfish should remain strong inside 60’, with dolphin out farther. It looks like it’s going to be a “bumper” crop of dolphin this year. Lots of bonita, barracuda inside 6 miles are always there to test your tackle.
The bottom fishing remains good with big muttons over 20 lbs. gag grouper, mangrove and true red snapper topping the list. The ever-present “cuda” is always on their tail, so bring the fish in fast. Remember, the grouper with the round tails are “goliaths” and are illegal to keep. Also known as “jewfish” they are showing up in the river and offshore in good numbers, but they are still “protected” and can cost you your boat, fines, license and much more. A few cobia are still showing up on the reefs and wrecks. Las week I took a few guys out who work at the nearby baitshop Snook Nook. A few bonito and a nice 37” cobia that ate a DOA baitbuster. If you’re looking for wahoo, try kicking up the RPM’s. Trolling purple, red and black skirts down deep at 8-10 knots worked for me.
Summer’s here, stay cool and fish early!!! –Well, just fish!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 5:36 am: | |
May is here and it just happens to be one of my two favorite months for both inshore and offshore fishing. Starting offshore, the big story in May will be the dolphin bite. Last year the beginning of the month was a blowout with strong east winds, but the remaining 3 weeks more than made up for it. Historically, dolphin show up in the Keys the end of April in big numbers. By early May you can find them in 80-200 feet as they migrate northward towards the Treasure Coast. Can you imagine the results if a size limit were in effect statewide? Dolphin are eating machines and grow at an alarming rate. By the time the numbers of the peanut sized fish that are currently killed in the Keys actually made it to our area, there would be a fishery of unbelievable proportions. Remember, limit your keep, don’t keep the limit! By far, trolling is your best bet for dolphin; dragging ballyhoo, rigged squid and mullet. Try to get at least two baits down using downriggers, planers or 16 oz. cigar weights. Covering various water columns will increase your odds drastically. I prefer red or purpose with black skirts on my downlines (good wahoo colors) while on top using naked baits or yellow, green and pink skirts which work great. I suggest that you forget wasting time catching greenies unless you want to target kings or sailfish. Run out to 80 feet and start trolling. Keep an eye out for color and temperature changes, weedlines, any floating debris and working birds. Always have two spinning combos ready on standby. A 2 oz. jig with squid or cut bait will come in handy if you stumble upon dolphin schools or manta rays holding cobia. Usually you have about 30 seconds to react before they are gone, so be ready for them. Keeping squid chunks or sardines nearby will often prove to be the difference between a single fish in the box or multiple fish in the box. You can hold a school near the boat by chumming them. A little at a time while tossing those standby jigs will hook you up. Always leave at least one hooked-up dolphin in the water if you are in a school. This keeps his buddies around the boat.
Other species to target are kingfish, cobia, wahoo, sailfish and summertime bonita and cudas. Live bait works best for kings in close from 40-80 feet. A short steel leader with a treblehook stinger attached to a 3/0 live bait produces excellent results. In close, keep your eyes peeled for big manta rays and toss a jig about 30 feet in front of them for that cobia hiding in their shadows. Sailfish can be anywhere. To increase your wahoo odds, speed your troll up to 8-10 knots. I’ve caught most of my “hoos” in 250-350 feet, but you never know. I saw an 86 lb. wahoo caught in 60 feet of water to win a tournament in the last 30 minutes before lines out.
Surf and bottom fishing is also great in May. From the surf, look for bluefish and pompano still lurking about. Cutbait or spoons for blues, sandfleas or crabs cast far out for the pompano. Look for plenty of whiting and some croaker in close to shore. I almost forgot to mention the snook and tarpon that will be cruising the shorelines. It’s a great time to cast for snook in the surf. Casting diagonally with top water mirrolures, spooks, bombers, DOA Baitbusters & Terrorize, red tail hawks produces hook-ups. The snook are feasting on whiting near shore. If you catch a whiting, re-hook it and toss it out with a 3/0 live bait hook. It’s a good bet it will catch the eye of a hungry snook.
The tarpon will be cruising a bit deeper in 10-30 feet of water. Drifting live mullet, pinfish or sight casting DOA Baitbusters and Terrorize top the list. With the weather getting increasingly warmer, it’s best to fish very early or late before these guys head for the deep water to cool off. Bottomfishing is strong this time of year on the outside, with larger than average mangrove snapper and grouper. I prefer a long leader (30’) for the muttons using grunt heads for bait. They tap it a few times, but wait until he grabs it and runs, then stick it to him! Always throw a flatline or two out to increase productivity. You can catch dolphin, kings and sails while you’re bottom fishing. It’s easy, it’s maintenance free, and it makes sense.
Inshore, the St. Lucie Inlet will start holding more snook showing up early for their summer spawn. The detached jetty, the perimeter of Sailfish Point (high-water best) and the south side of the Inlet, close to shore will produce fish. The crossroads area from Marker #239 north to the “quarter” bridge (east of the channel to the sand bar) holds early morning tarpon all summer long. On Catch 22 we drift finger mullet in this area until bout 9:00 a.m. while ready to sight cast DOA Terrorize on standby rods. The water in this area near high tide can get really clean and with a 10 foot depth average, you can see bottom very well. I use 20-lb. spinning rigs with a 6-8 foot 60 lb. leader. You can fish lighter, but expect a long battle when that hefty tarpon takes hold. Last year a 9 year old boy on one of my charters hooked a 60 lb. tarpon on 10 lb. test. Forty minutes later and a mile up the River the tarpon was brought to the boat and released. This fish made five runs into the channel forcing me to play water-traffic cop trying to wave boats off. Plenty of tarpon will appear in the St. Lucie River also. The last three years were banner tarpon seasons here. Who needs to go to the Keys to fish, we have it all right here!
Area bridges should hold mangrove snapper, sheephead, black drum and croakers. Live or frozen shrimp on the bottom on light tackle seems to work the best. The night-time snook hang out near structure and shadow lines where the water is moving. May is the last month of open snook season until September, so now’s the time.
In the grass flats, big trout will dominate the scene. Start as early as 5 a.m. and fish until 7 a.m. with topwater lures in skinny water. Docks along the west side from Walton Road north to Fort Pierce are hot. From 7-10 a.m., go to 3-5 ft. deep with soft rubber baits (DOA CAL series and glo shrimp) or live shrimp on a popping cork. On windy days, fishing from a boat, try drifting popping corks 100 ft. behind the boat and set them in the rodholders. Cast your rubber baits downwind to increase your odds. Don’t forget the spoil islands either early or late. Look for diving birds and there’s sure to be trout around. Most trout in these areas will be under 18” so fish as light as 6 lb. test with no leader. The redfish will be close to shore on the west side or under the mangroves on the east side. Johnson’s gold spoons top the list as the lure of choice.
Channel markers in the Indian River have been pretty dormant the past 6 months with big sheephead and tripletail being noticeably scarce. Hopefully, with the water clarity much improved, the river will come alive with the snapper, flounder, tripletail and goliath grouper reappearing. Further north, the Port Canaveral area (the tripletail capital of the world) has shown a big increase in the tripletail numbers which means they should be heading south soon. Around channel markers, start casting soft rubber baits or live shrimp on a jig head from a distance and work a 30’ radius around the piling. Finish off on the bottom, no more than 5 feet from the marker. Lift up an inch or two every 10 seconds. If you feel dead weight, count to 3 and set the hook. Tripletail are sure to run from the boat and towards the piling. Keeping the line from brushing barnacles is difficult but a must if you want to boat that fish. They are strong, ugly and ornery, but one of the best tasting fish you will ever eat and well worth the battle!
Big and Little Mud Creeks are the hot spot for tarpon between 5-8 a.m. Lots of unmolested tarpon lurk inside Big Mud with the yellow boom blocking the entrance. If the Creek is still closed, try fishing the entrance and the channel leading into Big Mud from the main channel. There’s nothing like seeing that giant silver fish leaping when he’s attached to the end of your line.
Good luck and tight lines!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 11:40 am: | |
April is a transition month with winter pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on their way out, bringing an increase of baitfish inshore with tarpon and snook hot on their tails. Water temperatures both inshore and offshore will continue to rise – “summer’s not far behind”.
Offshore, look for cobia still hanging around inside 100 feet deep around wrecks and beneath giant manta rays. With more east winds around, weed lines begin to form making the area prime for you dolphin fans. Look for a strong dolphin run in late April or early May with fish migrating north from the Keys. You cannot go wrong with trolled ballyhoo, allowing coverage of more ground than drifting live baits. The kingfish bite should be good in the 40-60 ft. range using greenies, sardines or dragging dead baits. There’s still a need a watch the weather in April due to traditionally strong east winds from time to time. Bottom fishing is always good in April (someone once told me never say “never” and don’t ever say “always”, but year after year it’s proven to be so.
In the surf, the biggest bluefish of the year will be terrorizing everything that moves. Look for fish over 12 lbs. both in the surf and inshore. Spoons, plugs, poppers and cut bait on the bottom seem to attract the most attention. Blues are excellent sport fish providing screaming runs on light tackles. There are still a few pompano around (mostly far away from the bluefish). Sand fleas still rule in the surf. Snook and tarpon will be cruising in the first trough, mainly in the dark hours near sunrise and sunset. Live baits, soft rubber or lipped lures work great! Windcheaters work extremely well when its blowing out of the east.
Inside, look for a definite increase in baitfish. Small greenies can be found right off the Stuart Causeway boat ramps with bunker under the quarter bridge at night fleeing from large tarpon just outside the shadow lines. Mullet will be cruising in the shallow grass flats. From the bridges , snook are still banging flair hawks along the bottom along with shrimp and mullet. Get those baits deep!!!
The trout bite is good in April with many fish under 18” around. Look towards the east side of the river near Herman’s Bay if the wind picks up. Otherwise, the west side should be hot with trout, snook and reds. This area along Indian River Drive should produce a fair number of inshore slams.
Tripletail season swings into full gear with most of them within 30 feet of channel markers and bridges. Live shrimp on a trollrite or DOA CAL and terrorize are my favorites and seem to be the tripletail’s favorites too. This morning’s trip proved very “hot” with the largest at 14 lbs. I encourage releasing any fish that’s not dinner for the night, but especially the ones over l2 lbs., insuring a population for the future. The minimum is 15” with 2 per angler.
Tarpon mania will soon be underway, with fish at the normal spots (just outside the channel south of the quarter bridge to marker 239, IRP channel, Club Med and outside Big and Little Mud Creeks). Don’t overlook the grass flats. There will be tarpon well over 100 lbs. tracking bait schools. Drifting live baits or sight casting with DOA silver and black baitbusters or rootbeer terrorize will hook you up!!
This wind that has been cranking now for several weeks should let up soon. I’m looking forward to a great month of April fishing here on the Treasure Coast.
The days are getting longer, so get out there and fish!!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 12:57 pm: | |
At this time of year, with many vacationing anglers in the area, (and just a reminder for the resident anglers) a few important notes regarding regulations need to be repeated. Trout season remains closed until January 1st and snook season closes Dec15th of this year and opens again February 1st .
I took my black lab for a walk the other morning to the nearby Indian Riverside Park. While making it out to the end of the 700+ foot dock I noticed two anglers with three trout sitting in their 5-gallon bucket. I informed them about the regulations and they reluctantly threw them back into the water. It’s such a waste to see these fish floating away but I do hope those anglers learned an important lesson (one that did not cost them an expensive ticket this time). All tackle shops carry state regulations on all species in one form or another. There are several publications with the same information and many of them do not cost anything (i.e. Fishing Lines, Florida Sportsman pamphlets, decals and at a minimal charge, Florida Sportsman lawsticks). It’s up to each individual to know these regulations and abide by them. That’s what makes our fishery one of the best!
Outside, the Spanish mackerel are everywhere. You can head south of the St. Lucie Inlet all the way to Peck’s Lake and join the hundreds of boats; or simply run anywhere near shore and look for birds working on small glass minnows being pushed up to the surface. Most of the resident anglers use Gulfstream’s flash minnow jigs with a 40-50 lb. mono leader. Regular 20-30 lb. leaders don’t stand a chance on these toothy critters. Sometimes, when the macs are thick, I switch over to a small piece of 6” wire leader. It’s amazing how many jigs are saved with a little wire. Of course the action isn’t quite as fast and furious, but the results are pretty good. Other options are sliver spoons, green and chartreuse tube lures, or bullet head jigs tipped with shrimp. Mackerel regulations remain the same (12 inch minimum to the fork in the tail, 15 per person). I don’t know many people who can eat 15 mackerel, so take what you need and release the rest. We are blessed to have an abundance of mackerel in this area from November to April due mainly to the net ban that was enacted (in the not too distant past).
Pompano have returned to area beaches and inshore waters. It seems like scattered action with the bigger “pomps” running inshore. The Stuart Causeway can be hot at times if you’re bouncing bullet head nylure jigs, bare or tipped with shrimp. Sandfleas seem to remain the preferred menu if you have time to spend fishing the surf. On recent trips I’ve fished just south of the “quarter” bridge out of casting range of the bridge ”jiggers” which produced ladyfish for the most part. I know they’ve been doing well off that bridge, but it hasn’t been when I’m in that area. Personally, the Sailfish flats, Hell’s Gate and the spoil islands have been the most productive spots, mainly bouncing Gulfstream’s redfish jigs or DOA’s smaller CAL jigs with a pearl and pink shad tail. You need to bite off an inch of the tail, reducing its size to about 2”. Pompano regulations change January 1st to 11” minimum to the fork and 6 per person.
Elsewhere, snook and black drum are deep at area bridges with some sheephead, croakers, lookdowns, mangrove snapper and goliath grouper. It seems the goliath grouper have really bounced back since they made the “protected species” list. Catch 22 has released over 300 this year (mostly in the 3-15 lb. range). Remember, if you catch a grouper with a round tail it is not a legal fish to keep.
In the grass, trout action is great for catch and release. Trout are a pretty delicate species, so please take special care not to harm these fish. Mixed in with the trout are some hefty jacks and nice flounder hanging in sandy patches and dropoffs. Tarpon and tripletail seem to have left the area and moved out to offshore waters. There’s always next year!
Christmas time is rapidly approaching, so take a kid fishing! If you get a chance, take the kids and stop by Florida Oceanographic and feed the stingrays.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 7:33 am: | |
It has been like playing “hide ‘n seek” during the past few weeks with Catch 22 “hiding” from the wind and “seeking” fish holding up in “less turbulent” waters. It’s no real secret when the winds are cranking at 25 mph you need to find sheltered areas where turbidity is minimized. We spent lots of time on the east side of the Indian River, using Hutchinson Island as a nice wind block. Plenty of trout, with some flounder, bluefish and ladyfish mixed in gobbling up DOA shrimp. Both the glo and root beer varieties produced well, with glo having a slight edge. Live shrimp on popping corks drifted 100 ft. behind the boat also had good results, with rods unattended in their holders. Remember trout season remains closed until January 1st so release them in good shape.
Another species worth talking about is “pompano” with plenty starting to show in our area. Look for the clean water and you should tear ‘em up.
The surf lately has been unforgiving with up to 11’ seas just the other day. Once things cool off and lay down a bit the “pomps” will really move in. From the surf, it’s hard to beat a triple rig with kayle hooks and floats, using sandfleas as bait. The pompano brigade is starting to form on the quarter bridge during incoming tides. Bullet head nylure jigs rule. In the grass nothing beats a Gulfstream redfish jig bouncing along the bottom. Fish it bare or tip it with a small piece of shrimp. If you want to increase your odds, drift a triple rig with a 1/16 oz. split shot behind the boat on the bottom, using sandfleas. Set it in the rodholder and fish another rod, casting. It’s almost too easy. Pompano regulations are changing January 1st with the minimum size going up an inch to 11” and bag limits dropping from 10 to 6 fish. Some anglers get upset with changing regulations, but no me. In the long run it benefits us all. Could you imagine if snook regulations were still 18” with no maximum and a 4 fish per day limit like they were in the 70’s. There would be no snook today!
The Spanish mackerel are here and will remain here for quite some time. Run south to the St. Lucie Inlet and look for the boats about 2 miles farther south. I haven’t hit the macs yet but once the seas calm down , I’ll be there. Tube lures, silver spoons, shrimp tipped jigs all work but my personal preference are Gulfstream’s mylure jigs. Long and narrow with that silver flash that mackerel can’t resist. If things get slow, glass minnow chum will definitely improve your odds. Sometimes the macs are so thick I’ll go to a small steel leader to prevent cutoffs. Mono leaders will always out produce steel but you pay the price.
Just got in from a morning trip with the Murphy party from up north. They were interested in tripletail so we hammered the structures. Water temperatures are starting to cool down inshore and with that comes certain changes. Snook will sit deep near area bridges, tarpon and tripletail head out and bluefish, mackerel and pompano move in. Any way, no tripletail that trip but lot’s of others including flounder, sheephead, grouper, black drum, mangrove and lane snappers, blowfish, jacks, sailcats, blue runners, bluefish, and ladyfish.
Fish God, enough with the wind already!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 31, 2003 - 6:48 am: | |
The trout bite has been good up and down the Indian River from the Stuart Causeway north to Fort Pierce. The east side has proven to be the best with the high winds out of the northeast that we’ve been experiencing recently. We have been drifting DOA rootbeer shrimp behind the boat while casting Mirro Lures, spooks and bait busters down current. Most of the trout have been running under 20”. Remember, trout season is closed in November and December, so release these guys in good shape. If you must handle any fish, make sure to wet your hands which reduces slime removal from the fish.
There have been some snook showing up in the grass, but the docks near the ten-cent bridge have been holding some monsters. Two of my buddies, Hank and Charlie, have been getting smoked with 25+ lb. snook inhaling topwater lures and being unable to turn these fish with 50 lb. Power Pro before getting cut off on nearby pilings.
Turning to the St. Lucie River, we were in the Hell’s Gate area last week and this is the best I’ve seen the water in that area since early August (prior to the water releases). Of course it was high tide and I’m certain the color turns brown again once the outgoing tide kicked in, but at least we are beginning to flush out this area. There was lots of action in Hell’s Gate, with a few pompano and lots of “big” ladyfish. With strong northeast winds this is a great place to hide and catch plenty of fish.
During the past few weeks the St. Lucie Inlet area has been fair, with jacks, blue runners, mangrove snapper and a few snook, but it’s still not the action I’d like to see. In the crossroads a few tarpon are still rolling, but I haven’t really targeted this area. Have not fished the Sailfish Flats (near the house of refuge) for several weeks now. I like to fish this area more from December- April when the pompano run is happening.
Heading north, the quarter bridge and Jensen Bridge remain good with black drum, snapper, sheephead, snook and two nice tarpon under 20 lbs. released last week. We did catch a few more tripletail, both under 5 lbs. and released, bringing the tripletail total to 103 this year.
Didn’t see any Spanish mackerel or bluefish last week, but rest assured, they are on their way (along with the pompano). Get those sand fleas, Gulfstream redfish jigs and spoons ready. These winter species will be here before you can yell “POMPANO”!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Ed Williams (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 01, 2003 - 7:28 am: | |
The fishing continues to be very good with lots of action from Amberjacks, Kings, Bonito, Sharks, a few Sailfish, Dolphin and Grouper. I have not caught a Wahoo recently however several people I know have targeted them and have been successful with a couple of fish over 60 pound reported. If rod bending action is your thing now is a great time to get offshore and do some fishing. Catching live bait continues to be very easy one day and extremely difficult the next. Regardless of how much effort it takes finding live bait is the key to an action filled day of fishing.
I also heard a report of some very good Dolphin action about 30 miles offshore. According to the information I received they found some very large Dolphin in good sized schools and were able to catch all the fish they wanted. To make one of these trips you need nice weather, calm seas and be lucky enough to find the condition that holds the Dolphin. Based on my experience about half of the time these trips work well. I am anxious for one of my customers to say lets give it a try!
The weather has been a bit challenging the last few days with fairly choppy seas and lots of storms. On Saturday we were greeted with choppy 4 to 5’ ocean with gusty winds and an occasional rain shower. We started looking for bait just off the inlet where we found some but it was very difficult to catch. Finally we ran several miles north up the beach where we found enough bait for the day.
After spending more time catching bait that I like we moved offshore to 65’ feet of water northeast of the inlet where we immediately found a non-stop King Mackerel bite. We caught several Kings along with a good number of Bonito and a Barracuda. None of the Kings were large so I decided to move south and offshore to about 125’ of water. Again before we had two lines in the water we were greeted by a King bite that continued as long as we fished that area. At times the bite in this area was frenzied with a variety of fish. In addition to the Kings we were catching Bonito and Amberjacks whenever we could get outside the Kings. My crew was hoping for a Sailfish and I am sure we were in the right place however with all the Bonito and King action I am not sure the Sails were aggressive enough to get to our baits ahead of the other predators. Saturday was typical of the fishing we have been experiencing the last few weeks and is what we expect our fishing to be until the weather begins to change this fall.
Good luck and remember you can’t catch’em at the dock.
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Capt. Bob Bushholz (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 1:51 pm: | |
Fishing the past few weeks has been decent. Some really great trips mixed in with other slower ones. The problems we have been dealing with are a combination of cold offshore temperatures and water releases from the lake that has really dropped salinity levels south of the Stuart Causeway. The inlet area is still holding plenty of catch and release snook and tarpon. Some guides are planting dead mullet on the bottom during outgoing tide. Some real bruisers in the crossroads running 150 pounds! Yesterday my morning charter fished the inlet for about an hour with two snook (17 & 18 lbs) along with a mixture of Spanish Mackerel, lookdowns and mangrove snapper over four pounds. The cold water offshore has pushed mutton and mangrove snapper along with grouper inside the inlet and along the beaches where temps are more stable. When fishing the dirty water, try keeping your baits down where the salinity is greater. Tomorrow, it’s recon day so I plan on fishing these snappers and groupers that have come ashore. The plan is live and frozen sardines on the bottom. Bait is an easy find with greenies in the surf around the House of Refuge or run 21/2 miles ENE to the sand pile for sardines. Should be able to bend those rods on bonita and cudas in this area. Last week with calm seas, several of my charters played in this area with great success.
The early morning trout bite remains steady with action on both sides of the Indian River till 9:00 am. Topwater up close to shore is hooking the larger ones with live and DOA shrimp in 3-4 feet catching the numbers. Also in the grassflats are flounder, jacks, pompano, bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel. It’s the middle of summer but don’t tell these winter species. I believe the cold water offshore has confused these fish . Bridges are still holding mangrove snapper, black drum, goliath grouper and increased sheephead. Some really nice tripletail the past few weeks with 2 released over twenty pounds. Total for the year is 92 with only eight more to go for that “magical 100”.
My advise is finding clean water or fish deep when in the brown stuff. I really don’t see water management stopping these releases in the near future. Waters north of the Jensen Beach Causeway to Fort Pierce are in much better shape. Offshore, find the warmer water. This would be an excellent time to fish the “boils” right outside the nuke plant.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt Bob
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 11:26 pm: | |
Trout action remains excellent on the Indian River. The west side is the place to be from the Stuart Causeway north to Midway Road. Early morning (5 – 7 am) throw your favorite topwater lure near the docks and close to shore. Most trout and redfish will be sitting in less than 2 feet so keep the noise to a minimum. Lot’s of glass minnows and scattered mullet schools in the area. After 9:00 am drop it back to 3-4 feet with soft rubber baits and live shrimp. Most trout will be in the 2-3 lb class at this time with the gators biting early in the morning. We have fished the east side at the bird platforms (just south of the nuke plant) with great action on DOA glo and rootbeer shrimp. Quite a few nice flounder also in the flats. Find sandy patches dragging a live shrimp along the bottom. Some jacks hitting shallow but nothing over a few pounds.
The bottom action was hot until last week with fresh water runoffs making it’s way north. I was in the inlet yesterday at hi tide and the water looked great. I left at the beginning of outgoing and the water from the St. Lucie River didn’t look quite as bad. The quarter bridge and Jensen Bridge are still holding mangrove snapper, sheephead, black drum, goliath grouper and a few snook and tarpon cruising through. The channel markers have been hot and cold with mainly small lane snappers (bait stealers) along with flounder, jacks and tripletail. We have hit 75 of them this year already so “100” is looking good this year. Last year we fell short with 78. We are seeing an increase of smaller tripletail in the 5 pound and under class which is a great sign. Fish under 5 pounds and over 15 are released to swim another day on my charters.
In the St. Lucie Inlet I suggest livebaiting with greenies and sardines . Plenty of bait outside the rocks near the whistle bouy and sandpile. Lot’s of flatsboats are anchoring just outside the detached jetty on incoming tide pitching baits up close to the rocks for catch and release snook. Circle hooks are the rule allowing a fast and safe release of the spawning linesiders. For tarpon, just outside the north jetty, along the beaches, inside the inlet near Sailfish Point and from the crossroads to the quarter bridge are target zones. Yesterday we were just outside the north jetty bottom fishing shrimp for snapper when a 150 lb tarpon enhaled a shrimp. We got to see 2 quick jumps before he broke us off. On 12 lb test we would still be out there fighting it. If livebaiting I suggest a full spool of 20 lb test with 60-80 lb flurocarbon leader . A 7/0 to 9/0 livebaithook will work. I like the area near marker #239 anchoring between the marker and sandbar just east. This is a major intersection where inbound tarpon must pass while heading north up the ICW. Look for monster jacks in the 20-30 pound class in this area too. Tie a float to your anchor line so you can quickly chase the fish and retrieve your anchor after the release. Give other boats plenty of room when you see them hooked up. We are in prime time for tarpon so have fun and don’t forget the camera!!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Ed Williams
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 24, 2003 - 9:37 am: | |
Subject: Fishing Report
Offshore fishing the last few weeks has been very slow. On several occasions I have recommended to my customers that they reschedule their trips if possible. Most days we have been able to catch a Dolphin or two along with some Bonito, Barracuda and Spanish Mackerel. Not exactly the exciting fishing we generally have here in Stuart. I attribute the slow fishing to the weather we are experiencing along with the normal transition from winter to spring fishing. Most days for several weeks we have experienced a WEST wind and some very hot weather—which is very unusual for this time of year. The sea conditions for March have been very comfortable most days with only a light chop.
During the past weekend we had a very good day of fishing. The day before the trip I talked to the people and explained the way the fishing had been and gave them the option of rescheduling their trip—this was one of those times they chose to go regardless. We started our morning by catching a couple of dozen greenies then running to the north to some of the offshore wrecks—hoping we were going to catch a Cobia. Shortly after we put out a couple of lines one of the baits became very nervous then a sudden strike and a Sailfish was airborne. A quick couple of jumps, a back flip and he managed to throw the hook. That was followed by several Barracudas, a Bonito then a very large Cobia that was curious but would not eat our baits. Before long several other boats arrived on the scene and began dropping anchors, then resetting their anchors, etc. Needless to say it was time to move on to another wreck that was not as popular. After moving a couple of miles to another wreck we saw lots of bait on the surface and fish activity. We repeated the process and within minutes saw a large BAT that was holding several decent Cobia. One strategic toss of a bait and we were hooked up on a large Cobia. Anytime you hook a large Cobia on 20 pound spin tackle you are in for a battle. After some time we managed to get the Cobia in the fish box. There were several BATS working in the area but the light was so bad that spotting them was difficult. We continued to look and did manage to hook a couple more Cobia that we pulled the hook on. Finally we decided to take a break and go trolling. Soon after getting our spread set another Sailfish came up behind the short ballyhoo we were trolling. A quick drop back and we were hooked up! This was not a large Sailfish but one that enjoyed putting on an aerial show for us. After a few minutes we had the fish fairly close to the boat and as I was thinking we are just about getting ready to release the fish he charged the boat—an unusual move from my perspective—fortunately I was able to move the boat forward fast enough to keep him from fouling the line against the boat. He then decided to go aerial again and again and finally we were able to get to the leader, remove the hook and take a couple of quick pictures and release him unharmed. We finished our day by catching a number of very large Bonito while working our way around a couple of very large thunderstorms. A good day of offshore fishing!
The following day we experienced the same kind of action. In addition we are beginning to see some fairly decent schools of Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) further offshore. It is beginning to look like the spring fishing is about ready to turn on to the level we normally expect.
If some Dolphin fishing is on your agenda now is the time to make plans for the fishing during the peak of the action which runs from mid-April through June.
Good luck and remember you can’t catch’em at the dock.
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2003 - 7:52 pm: | |
Subject: Stuart Inshore Report- 03-15-03
It’s been really busy the past few weeks aboard the Catch 22. The majority of my trips have been 5 or 6 anglers, keeping me in deeper water where things have been quite productive. Area bridges are still holding mangrove snapper jacks, black drum and an increasing number of snook. Most of the snook have been under the slot, averaging 23”, but a few keepers are running with the schools. Black drum averaging 3-10 lbs and are responding well to frozen shrimp on trollrites.
The water temperature in the shallow grass flats has rebounded nicely making it more suitable than the 58 degree temps last month. I haven’t targeted the grass flats so far this year due to the unseasonably cold water temperatures. It’s also tough to fish 5 or 6 anglers drifting the flats. I might as well set off M-80’s in the water. On a few private charters of 2-4 angles we were able to fish the Sailfish flats which resulted in numbers of ladyfish and pompano and provided some great action. When the wind blows I usually head to the area which is somewhat sheltered and is productive even with 6 anglers aboard. A few tripletail to l4 lbs. the past few weeks have shown up on the channel markers. As the water warms, the action will pick up!
My wader friends have been doing well up and down the Indian River on the west side, with snook and big trout. Their best response has been from throwing soft rubber baits. Most of the snook are being caught on drop-offs when the water is choppy.
The St. Lucie Inlet has been hot and cold. Still, sheepshead are showing up near high tide along Sailfish Point with ever increasing numbers of snook making an appearance. One morning trip, we had 8 snook on shrimp or DOA CAL lures. There weren’t any in the slot, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the rod-bending action even a small snook can produce. Just outside the inlet there have been small schools of large jacks, running 15-25 lbs. Look for dark areas in the water near the surface. These jacks are hitting shrimp, poppers and spoons (just about anything). The mackerel brigade has been 300 yards south of the detached jetty in line with the whistle buoy. No more heading 2 miles south to Pack’s Lake, there right outside the rocks! Aboard Catch 22 last week, several 5-6 lbs. macks were caught and released.
Tarpon have been showing up in small numbers around the quarter bridge at night, chowing down on 6” bunker. We have not seen any on the day trips yet, but just give it a week or two. I’ve heard of some tarpon along the beach up near the nuke plant. Over all, things look pretty good. You will soon notice an increase in baitfish in the area, which translates into one thing – “fish on”!!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. David Fawcett
Unregistered guest
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 1:10 pm: | |
Subject: crevalle
SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOESN'T LOVE A CREVALLE
I ran up the Beach yesterday in search of other folly than Spanish mackerel and saw Scott Cormier hunched over his gunwale, fly rod fully torqued, attempting to influence a sizeable fish from the depths.
Aha! They're here!
Toro. Crevalle. Cavally. Whatever you call him he is one tough dude. He's known around these parts as Crevalle Jack. No... not Jack Crevalle...Crevalle Jack and his personage demands respect. So call him by his proper name.
These fish, which every spring run our beaches in a pre spawn ritual, are very impressive, reaching world class proportions and testing even the most accomplished of anglers. Though one or two is about all I can take (it must be my age) these bruisers are a guide's dream fish. Two or three fish and my half day is over.
Anyway... the crevalle are on the Beach and you can pretty much catch them with anything, but, their surface strikes are awesome. Please try to use single hook baits however because these fish inhale a lure and if you are using treble hooks you'll have one hell of a time trying to extract them just for these fish's very size. They are pushing, and, exceeding the 30 pound mark. So try to treat them, and all fish for that matter, with care. After all... they're in the process of creating more Crevalle to provide my grandchildren with pleasant, angling punishment.
"How long is this going to last?"
My client had been on the fish for about 45 minutes now. Scott Cormier had long since busted his 10 weight (I hate it when that happens) and I'm thinking... something there is that doesn't love a Crevalle.
Nonsense!
So...I'm sticking on the Beach now. I even saw a tarpon on the Beach the other day, but he must have been lost. The Spanish mackerel have been pounded so hard they are becoming anorexic. A fly rod is still the way to go but who cares. There are more exciting fish to pursue now.
Cobia fishing remains strong with a good deal of the fish taking up residence on area reefs and wrecks and though the manta migration has slowed there is the occasional pack of "bats" to be fished.
There still are kings to be had. A scattering of dolphin. AJ's on the wrecks.
THE LAGOON
The water is finally improving again and the Lagoon should kick into high gear with all species.
Though pompano fishing has been hit or miss for the most part this year a little bit of searching can go a long way. We were covered up with pompano the other day on the Sailfish flats the following day...zip. I am sure the fish moved further up the river with improving water quality.
Put on your sunscreen!
Capt. David Fawcett/Free Jumper Charters
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 10:03 pm: | |
Subject: Inlet Comes Back To Life
The early morning trout bite has been hot until 9 a.m. on both sides of the Indian River. The past few days I have witnessed an increase in baitfish both close to shore and along the ICW channel. Trout are running to 4 lbs. hitting topwater lures and DOA rubber baits with equal enthusiasm. Live shrimp on bobbers, drifting far behind are a definite bonus.
I’ve seen some tarpon rolling near the power lines and south of the Stuart Causeway, but have personally not really targeted them yet. Most of my charters during the past few weeks were comprised of 4-6 anglers, making it impossible to fish live mullet or greenies. Snook season has just recently closed and I elect not to harass these spawning linesiders.
Area bridges have seen a resurrection of black drum. The quarter bridge and Jensen Causeway bridge are holding drum to 12 lbs., along with mangrove snapper, small snook, jacks, lookdowns, Goliath grouper and an occasional tarpon. All fish in this area are deep and the best bet is to use shrimp on trollrite, or DOA CAL lures with ¼ oz. chartreuse heads. The channel markers are hot and cold. Some awesome flounder were caught the past few weeks (up to 6 lbs.) This morning we boated two tripletail (10 and 14 lbs.) which mark 52 for the year. The “little guy” was released, the “big guy” was taken home for dinner.
I’d have to say the really big news is the St. Lucie Inlet. The crossroads are being dredged, shutting off that area, but inside the rocks today bait schools were busting all over the place. Jacks, sheepshead, black margate and lots of nice sized mangrove snapper were hitting live shrimp on trollrites. It’s great to see the inlet alive again after two months of shutdown due to the algae bloom. I’ve been avoiding the inlet the past couple of months, but it looks like it’s time to return. Barring some excessive releases from the canals, the action should continue.
Again, remember to crimp those barbs or use circle hooks on live baits if you plan to catch and release (especially the snook during the spawn). Catch a few then go to plan “B”. It’s “better” for the spawning snook and “better” for the population when the season opens again September 1.
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Ed Williams
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 1:19 pm: | |
Subject: Fishing Report
If you like calm seas, warm weather and fish that cooperate now is the time to go offshore fishing. During the last few days we have experienced sea conditions from flat calm to only 3 to 4 feet. Most days it is between flat calm and a foot or two of chop—just right for fishing.
The fishing is very good with lots of action from a variety of species. On one recent trip we limited out on King Mackerel without much effort. We moved slightly offshore and were able to catch several nice gaffer size Dolphin and all the Bonito you wanted.
The following day we started by catching a bait-well full of Sardines. We then moved offshore to an area where we had been catching some Kings and Dolphin. The action was fairly slow with only some Bonito and Barracuda action. Soon it was obvious that the action was not up to my expectations so I moved to another area in a little deeper water. By the time we had our baits in the water three rods were bending over with drags screaming. It was the unmistakable pull of Amberjacks. We managed to have two lines cross which cut one of the fish off then we pulled the hook on a second. After an extended battle we managed to get a nice Amberjack to the boat that we were able to release without a problem. That action was followed by constant action for the next hour or so from some very large Amberjacks. At one point while we were catching a smaller Bonito an enormous Amberjack tried to eat the Bonito. After we tried of catching Amberjacks we moved offshore east of Push Button Hill were we found some beautiful water, nice conditions but no fish. After working that area for a few minutes we moved back to the reef where we had nonstop action from Bonito and Kings. As we were nearing the end of our day a Sailfish hit the Bluewater Bobber. This was an exceptionally big Sailfish that jumped time after time—he put on a great show for us. We were able to get the fish along side the boat and release him so we can have the thrill of catching him again another the day.
During my recent reports I have not mentioned the Bluewater bobber. I fish with it each time I fish with live bait and it consistently produces quality fish. If you are not using a Bluewater Bobber you should give it a try—you will be amazed with the results.
Good luck and remember you can’t catch’em at the dock.
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 9:27 am: | |
Subject: Early Trout
The trout bite early has been hot, with 2-4 lb. fish inhaling topwater lures close to shore on the Indian River. The west side has been most productive. Some mullet and lots of glass minnows around steps up the action. The past few weeks aboard Catch 22, we have mainly fished deep around bridges, channel markers and cuts, with some nice catches. Our tripletail total for the year is at 43, with most fish under 12 lbs. Last week produced 9 flounder to 6 lbs., also caught in deeper water.
Black drum have suddenly reappeared near the bridges. No monsters, but several to 10 lbs. were taken on shrimp and trollrites along with DOA C.A.L.s and rootbeer shrimp. These fish are holding near the bottom. There are tons of small mangrove snapper and some jacks to 10 lbs., while the snook remain close to the pilings.
We have been staying away from the St. Lucie Inlet area. Since the algae bloom began about six weeks ago, the inlet has been a dessert. Each week I give it a quick try, but really haven’t seen or marked much at all. The snook should start showing up for the pre-spawn. Only a few days left to keep any linesiders. Remember, June 1, snook season closes until September 1. Try not to hammer these fish during the spawn and allow them to reproduce which will benefit us all in the near future!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Ed Williams
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 19, 2003 - 7:09 pm: | |
Subject: Fishing Report
The weather has been very nice, the ocean calm and the fish have been biting the last few days. We have enjoyed several days of rod bending action and we have caught a good variety of fish including Dolphin, King Mackerel, Cobia, Sailfish plus several other species.
On one recent trip we started our day by catching a bunch of live bait then moving offshore to about 80 feet of water. The day started slow with an occasional bite from a King or Bonito. The action picked up about mid-morning with a couple of nice Kings. As soon as we got the Kings in the box the downrigger went off and I immediately started clearing lines. Within seconds the fish jumped and everyone shouted “Sailfish”. I didn’t get a good look at anything but the splash. The fish made a nice run and as I was finishing getting everything out of our way the fish jumped again and again I only got a glimpse. It didn’t look just right but I dismissed any thought of it being anything but a Sail. The fish then went down and the fight was on as my angler tugged on the fish for at least an hour. Finally I saw color and was amazed to see a SWORDFISH. By any measure this was an outstanding catch in 80’ of water on a sardine in the middle of the day. We completed the day by catching a few more nice Kings and a gaffer Dolphin.
I enjoy fishing this time of the year as we can normally find plenty of action and great variety of fish. Most days our catch includes Dolphin, Kings, Bonito, along with a few Sailfish, Cobia, Blackfin Tuna and you never know when a Marlin or Swordfish is going to decide to make your day. If you enjoy action packed fishing action now is a great time to go fishing here in Stuart.
Good luck and remember you can’t catch’em at the dock.
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Capt. Ed Williams
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 10:51 am: | |
Subject: Fishing Report
The fishing during the last week has presented some interesting opportunities and challenges. The weather has been beautiful, the sea conditions very acceptable and the fishing has ranged from excellent to slow. We continue to catch only a few scattered Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) which is very unusual for this time of the year.
Several days ago I had a group of anglers who wanted to RUN and GUN for Dolphin. We ran as far offshore as 35 miles, covered over 100 miles and found very limited conditions that were favorable for Dolphin. We did manage to catch a few small fish but it was not even close to the action we expected.
The following day we fished in 80 to 100’ of water and had a very good day including several King Mackerel that were over 30 pounds, shots at 2 Sailfish that we missed, bunches of Bonito and some small Dolphin.
The next morning I tried to repeat the process and found that the water temperatures were a couple of degrees colder than the previous day. We worked very hard that day to catch a few Kings along with a bunch of Bonito’s and several mystery bites. As the day continued the water temperatures declined which means cold water was filtering into the areas we were fishing. It was apparent that the cold water was having an negative impact on the fishing.
The following morning I decided to run North to get away from the cold water. Live bait was fairly easy to find and we managed to find some water that was a couple of degrees warmer than we were finding further south. We started our day by catching some Barracudas, Bonito followed by a nice Cobia. We continued working that area and continued to get bites from Barracuda’s, Bonito and the occasional mystery bite. Later in the day we saw a group of several Cobia and were able to catch one that was over 40 pounds. We had lots of activity and caught some quality fish.
Yesterday we again found cold water everywhere we fished. After working hard to catch some live bait we moved offshore to about 80’ feet of water where we marked some bait and saw some activity. We started by catching some Barracudas and Bonito. Before long a Sailfish picked up the flat line and we were hooked up on a quality fish that put on a great show for us. This was an unusual fight for a Sailfish as he never ran very far but jumped continuously. Finally we were able to get to the leader and release the fish. We continued fishing the same area most of the day having a lot of bites and catching a good variety of fish. We finished our day by catching a nice Cobia.
The fishing should continue to improve as the cold water dissipates. I am expecting that the action will be very good including some good Dolphin fishing.
Good luck and remember you can’t catch’em at the dock.
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 10:30 am: | |
Subject: Summertime
It’s summertime! Surf temperatures will reach a whopping 84 degrees with inland water even hotter. Now’s the time to slip into “summer mode”. Target low light hours when possible. Inshore and along the surf, try to hit the water before sunrise until 10:00 a.m. or near sunset for maximum bite time. Fishing nighttime is productive, just find moving water. If you must fish mid-day, seek deeper water or shaded areas where the water is cooler. Summer fishing is great, with baitfish plentiful. Remember to utilize “summer mode” and have a great time out there!
Starting inshore, tarpon mania begins, with fish averaging 30-50 lbs. roaming just outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. The entrance to Big Mud is still closed. There’s a yellow boom stretching across the entire entrance, but the tarpon don’t know it’s closed and they head in and out on a regular basis. Water depth just outside Big Mud can reach 30 feet. In the creeks, watch for rolling tarpon and throw a DOA baitbuster or rootbeer terrorize right at them, allowing it to sink about 10 seconds. Top water chuggers and windcheaters will also get their attention (if they’re in a feeding mood). Live mullet on a circle hook always is an option, using 12 lb. mainline with a 30-40 lb. fluoro-carbon leader will handle tarpon to 50 lbs. For the monsters, I suggest “kicking it up a notch”. Other areas for silver kings are Nettles Island, where water depth averages 10 ft. This area always holds baitfish and the tarpon usually follow them in. Around the Jensen Causeway, tarpon will be feeding on bunker. The wooden fishing pier, just to the west of the drawspan on the north side, is a spot worth checking out. Channels near Sundance Marine, Anchors Aweigh and the Dolphin Grill hold some huge tarpon when the baitfish are present. These fish require patience. Some days I’ll see them rolling all over the place, but refusing anything thrown at them. Put in your time and you’ll be rewarded. The Quarter bridge at the Stuart Causeway to Marker 239 in the crossroads is a super spot to look for tarpon. Nighttime in the summer I prefer to cast windcheaters about 50 yards south of the bridge. Snook are up close near the shadowline, but the tarpon are pounding baits just to the south. The North Fork of the St. Lucie is generally hot early in the morning. As a rule, tarpon won’t refuse live greenies or sardines, so keep a few Sabiki rigs on hand for baitfish near the Whistle Buoy just outside the inlet and throw them in the live well just for insurance.
The trout bite in the summer is excellent, with big hogs to 10 lbs. roaming the shallow inland waters early in the am. Top water lures in less than 2 feet until 7 a.m. will get the big ones. Later, switch to soft rubber or live shrimp in 3-4 feet or wade dropoffs near spoil islands. These islands run just east of the ICW Channel from Stuart north. If you have a hard time finding the spoil islands, try cruising near low tide when they’re more visible and mark them on your chart. Some spoils will hold lots of trout under 20”.
Summer is “big” tripletail time. Most fish run 8-12 lbs, but the big boys (over 20 lbs.) are a good possibility. To date, aboard Catch 22 this year, 36 tripletail have been caught, mainly on channel markers. I strongly suggest releasing the big fish over 14 lbs. This will insure breeding fish to re-populate. It seems more and more anglers are targeting this species and you need to be aware the regulations are 15-inch minimum, with 2 per angler. The slot I prefer to set for my boat and anglers are 18” to around 12 lbs. There’s plenty of meat on one of these guys to feed a family. DOA shrimp, terrorize and CAL lures along with “old faithful” live shrimp on a trollrite are the baits of choice. The best bite is after 10 a.m. and some fish can be spotted near the surface. These channel marker will also hold other species like sheephead, snapper, grouper, flounder, jacks and more.
Snook season closes June 1. The summer spawn begins with the breeders heading to the inlets and along the surf. These are big snook and they are there for a reason. If you target these fish for catch and release, do everything possible to release them quickly and unharmed. Circle hooks with live bait work best eliminating the chance of gut hooking. Catch a few, take some pictures and leave them alone. Each year, more and more anglers are targeting these snook in spawn and they are really sitting ducks. No sense hammering these fish all day long. Last year an angler stated to me he caught 32 snook by himself in one day. Anyone that thinks this is an accomplishment needs to have his head examined!!
Some big black drum always show up near the bridges this time of year. The Rossevelt and Jensen Bridge have provided 40-60 pounders in the past. Redfish along the docks on the west side of the Indian River or under the mangroves on the east side of the River have proven most productive. There are plenty of flounder in the sandy patches and ladyfish in the Sailfish Flats on windy days keep everyone entertained with their wonderful aerobatics, along with croaker, sennet and bonefish. Last month, aboard Catch 22, eleven bonefish were released in this area. Nothing really to brag about, but running into numbers of that species in Martin County is basically unheard of.
The St. Lucie Inlet in early April took a big hit with the alien algae bloom. It was impossible to fish there due to that clinging bright green “stuff” snagging everything in its way. By mid-April the water cleared up a bit, but the fish had already vacated the area. Hopefully fishing will rebound in the inlet. We have enough problems with water releases (which have begun again) that we don’t need any more headaches. Something can be done, but Indian Riverkeepers, Harbor Branch and Florida Oceanographic need your help. Find out what you can do and pitch in.
Into the surf, whiting on small crappie jigs tipped with shrimp or squid in the troughs works well. Pompano, bluefish and Spanish Mackerel will be very scattered with some resident fish still around. Tarpon, snook and big jack crevalle show up in the very early mornings hours and will dominate the catch and release scene. Twelve lb. test with 30-40 lb. leader will bring in “most” of them. If you encounter big tarpon (over 100 lbs.), there’s no stopping them on 12 lb. test (but it is very “sporting”). Try a live bait and hook it in the tail, allowing the baitfish to swim out (but switch to 20-30 lb. tackles). Now you have a shot at “Mr. Big”.
Offshore, dolphin are showing along the weedlines with quite a few resident sailfish still around. Three days ago seas were flat and I had a day off, so what did I do? Fish, of course. I took the pontoon offshore to about 300’ with my friend Hank and hooked up with (and released) a nice 6’ sailfish. That makes 22 sails caught on my pontoon boats. Catch 22, Get it? Be sure to take your time reviving these sails. The one I hooked had eaten two live greenies (on different rigs). Hank and I were looking at each other wondering if we snagged each other or had a double hook-up. Finally, Hank’s line broke off and I brought the sailfish in on 20 lb. spinning gear after a great 10 minute show, including a dozen or so jumps. This fish took a good five minutes to revive and swam off for another day. When trolling, don’t overlook any floating debris. A small floating bottle or a piece of wood can hold some really big fish.
Kingfish should remain strong inside 60’, with dolphin out farther. It looks like it’s going to be a “bumper” crop of dolphin this year. Lots of bonita, barracuda inside 6 miles are always there to test your tackle.
The bottom fishing remains good with big muttons over 20 lbs. gag grouper, mangrove and true red snapper topping the list. The ever-present “cuda” is always on their tail, so bring the fish in fast. Remember, the grouper with the round tails are “goliaths” and are illegal to keep. Also known as “jewfish” they are showing up in the river and offshore in good numbers, but they are still “protected” and can cost you your boat, fines, license and much more. A few cobia are still showing up on the reefs and wrecks. If you’re looking for wahoo, try kicking up the RPM’s. Trolling purple, red and black skirts down deep at 8-10 knots worked for me.
I really miss the offshore action, but not for long. Saving my pennies for a new 25’ Parker and soon will be running two boats, both inshore and offshore.
Summer’s here, stay cool and fish early!!! –Well, just fish!
Capt. Bob Bushholz operates Catch 22 Riverfishing out of Anchor’s Aweigh Marine on Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach, fishing up to 6 anglers on the Indian River and St. Lucie Inlet for snook, tarpon, trout, redfish, tripletail and lots more. He offers both private charters and per-person rates and the summer rates are in effect until October. Private charters are only $200.00 up to 5 anglers. For reservations or more information, contact Capt. Bob at (772) 225-6436 or visit his website at www.catch22fish.com
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 26, 2003 - 3:40 pm: | |
Subject: Tarpon, Bonefish and Sennet
Fishing the past few weeks aboard Catch 22 has produced some great catches. Most of the trips recently have averaged 20 or more fish, but as always, there were a few slow trips in the mix. The St. Lucie Inlet area remains slow (three weeks now). The water looks cleaner, but I believe the algae bloom has forced the fish out. We tried fishing the Inlet about five times without marking any fish. With a little cleaner water in the area now, hopefully the fish will return.
The Hell’s Gate area and around marker #19 in the St. Lucie River produced mainly jacks, ladyfish, bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel roaming. Some really decent macs to 5 lbs. were among the pack. The ladyfish action, for the most part, has been steady (especially on windy days). Since April 10, there were some uncommon catches of bonefish and sennet. Seven bonefish under 2 lbs. along with 6 sennet at 20” were released. Each year we encounter both species, not usually as plentiful, but always great to see.
Trout have been small but there are lots of them from County Line Road north to Ft. Pierce on the west side. Deep channels near Anchors Aweigh and Sundance Marine are holding trout in the afternoon. DOA root beer and glo shrimp worked slow, along with the old faithful, shrimp on a trollrite, seem to get the most attention.
Tarpon are finally starting to make an appearance in the area. Last week Fred Schuck, from Michigan, caught his first tarpon aboard Catch 22, releasing a nice 25 pounder that inhaled a DOA root beer terrorize near the Jensen Causeway. We spotted several of the “silver kings” in the flats chasing mullet schools. The Lady Stuart dock also holding a few large tarpon from time to time. As we get closer to summer, look for lots more baitfish with tarpon hot on their tails.
Snook have slowed down with the “dead” St. Lucie Inlet, but I expect things to turn around real soon. There are still big snook holding deep in the North Fork with most fish over the slot. I don’t fish there simply because it takes me forever to get there and my charters like to spend there time fishing, not cruising. The tripletail total for the year is 32 to date, with 13 fish to l7 lbs. the past few weeks. Right now, I am 7 fish above this time last year, so “100” is looking good. Remember to let the big ones grow bigger and spawn, and let the little ones just grow bigger.
Finally, black drum around the Jensen Causeway are still around, mixed with snook, snapper and goliath grouper. The pile drivers are near the draw span now, so we haven’t fished the bridge as much as usual. “Earplugs required.”
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Ed Williams
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 26, 2003 - 10:00 am: | |
Subject: Fishing Report
The weather continues to play a big role in our offshore fishing. A couple of weeks ago when it appeared the Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) bite was turning on we had a cool weather system that dropped the water temperatures several degrees along with some windy days that made the water dirty. Those events seemed to slow down the Dolphin bite a little. During the last week or so we have experienced a good Sailfish bite for this time of year along with great action from the King Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Bonito and a few Dolphin.
One recent trip we started our day by catching Sardines and Cigar Minnows then moving offshore to about 60’ of water. On this particular morning we got a late start so I had been listening to the VHF radio and it appeared the bite was slow about everywhere. We made our first troll with the live bait and only managed to hook up and pull off one King. On the second troll the action picked up a little for us with several strikes including a nice Jack Crevalle and a small King. During this time I had been talking to several other boats trying to determine if there was a better bite. The reports were not good and the radio was very quite so we continued working the area we were in since we were getting a few bites. After a storm moved offshore of us and the ocean settled down a little the water began looking better and better. The size of the Kings improved and we caught several that were 20 pounds or better. We had a 50 to 60 pound Cobia follow a bait we were checking to the boat but we were not able to get him to eat anything. It was steady and got to be predictable action for most of the day. As we set up to make the last troll of the day the ocean had once again blown up to about 4’. Not bad and we were trolling down wind so it was very comfortable. We placed all the baits where they belonged and within seconds the downrigger bait was hit. This time it was different, just a steady heavy pull and suddenly it broke the surface in full flight—a Sailfish. He ran a little and jumped a lot. What a show for a family from Middle-America who have never seen a Sailfish let alone had one tied to a 20 pound spin rod. After a few minutes we were able to get the Sail along side the boat, take some pictures and release him unharmed. Another great day of offshore fishing here in Stuart!
On another recent trip our focus was to catch a BIG Dolphin. We began by trolling along a green to blue color change. Some action from a few Bonitos then we jumped off a fairly nice Dolphin then some action from a few small Dolphin. As the day progressed we did hear a few reports of some scattered Dolphin being caught. We moved a little deeper and found a blue to bluer color change. Before long we found the right spot and were hooked up on a very nice gaffer Dolphin. After several minutes we were able to put the Dolphin in the fish box to the delight of one very happy angler. We continued trolling for Dolphin without much success. The conditions on the ocean were changing quickly so I decided to fish with some live bait on the bluewater side of a green to blue color change in about 200 feet. As soon as we got out two baits we had our first strike. The King Mackerel bite was on and the action was good for a few minutes. As soon as the action slowed I put out my downrigger and no sooner than it was set the reel started screaming. It was obvious that this was a larger fish. After a long battle the King Mackerel made its appearance behind the boat to the delight of everyone. It was a great fish that was nearly 40 pounds. We finished our day by catching and releasing a few more Kings.
As the weather settles into a more predictable pattern the fishing should get better and better over the next few weeks including some excellent Dolphin fishing. Good luck and remember you can’t catch’em at the dock.
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 9:34 am: | |
Subject: April Forecast
April is a transition month with winter pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on their way out, bringing an increase of baitfish inshore with tarpon and snook hot on their tails. Water temperatures both inshore and offshore will continue to rise – “summer’s not far behind”.
Offshore, look for cobia still hanging around inside 100 feet deep around wrecks. With more east winds around, weed lines begin to form making the area prime for you dolphin fans. Look for a strong dolphin run in late April or early May with fish migrating north from the Keys. You cannot go wrong with trolled ballyhoo, allowing coverage of more ground than drifting live baits. The kingfish bit should be good in the 40-60 ft. range using greenies, sardines or dragging dead baits. There’s still a need a watch the weather in April due to traditionally strong east winds from time to time. Bottom fishing is always good in April (someone once told me never say “never” and don’t ever say “always”, but year after year it’s proven to be so.
In the surf, the biggest bluefish of the year will be terrorizing everything that moves. Look for fish over 12 lbs. both in the surf and inshore. Spoons, plugs, poppers and cut bait on the bottom seem to attract the most attention. Blues are excellent sport fish providing screaming runs on light tackles. There are still a few pompano around (mostly far away from the bluefish). Sand fleas still rule in the surf. Snook and tarpon will be cruising in the first trough, mainly in the dark hours near sunrise and sunset. Live baits, soft rubber or lipped lures work great! Windcheaters work extremely well when its blowing out of the east.
Inside, look for a definite increase in baitfish. Small greenies can be found right off the Stuart Causeway boat ramps with bunker under the quarter bridge at night fleeing from large tarpon just outside the shadow lines. Mullet will be cruising in the shallow grass flats. From the bridges , snook are still banging flair hawks along the bottom along with shrimp and mullet. Get those baits deep!!!
The trout bite is good in April with many fish under 18” around. Look towards the east side of the river near Herman’s Bay if the wind picks up. Otherwise, the west side should be hot with trout, snook and reds. This area along Indian River Drive should produce a fair number of inshore slams.
Tripletail season swings into full gear with most of them within 30 feet of channel markers and bridges. Live shrimp on a trollrite or DOA CAL and terrorize are my favorites and seem to be the tripletail’s favorites too. This morning’s trip proved very “hot” with the largest at 24 lbs. I encourage releasing any fish that’s not dinner for the night, but especially the ones over l2 lbs., insuring a population for the future. The minimum is 15” with 2 per angler.
Tarpon mania is underway, with fish at the normal spots (just outside the channel south of the quarter bridge to marker 239, IRP channel, Club Med and outside Big and Little Mud Creeks). Don’t overlook the grass flats. There will be tarpon well over 100 lbs. tracking bait schools. Drifting live baits or sight casting with DOA silver and black baitbusters or rootbeer terrorize will hook you up!!
New fish pictures now on website.
The days are getting longer, so get out there and fish!!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Bob Bushholz
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 10:07 pm: | |
Subject: North vs South
On a scale from 1 to 10, fishing south of the Stuart Causeway has gone from a 10 to a 0 within a week. Three factors have contributed to our water’s demise. (1) Strong north winds on Monday stirred up the ICW, (2) water releases from the spillways making our water look like old Maxwell House coffee and (3) bright green slimy grass, so thick in the inlet it was virtually impossible to fish. It may be an algae bloom or that foreign algae everyone’s talking about that’s invading our waterways, but something really needs to be done. I sure hope Riverkeepers stays on top of this one.
This morning I decided to fish north of the Stuart Causeway to the Power Plant where the water is 100% better. A few trout made an appearance right off the bat along with jacks to 5 lbs. On the markers, four tripletail to 12 lbs., a 5 lb. gag grouper and more jacks in the 5-lb. range couldn’t wait to take the bait. Needless to say, I’m probably fishing north most of the month of April.
Prior to Monday, we caught 18 snook with 6 in the slot taken from bridges and the St. Lucie Inlet. Outside the rocks, nice sheepshead to 4 lbs. and scattered schools of large jack crevalles to 25 lbs. provided some great rod-pulling action. The black drum action since January has been fast and furious, with too many to count in the 12 lbs. and under range. There’s been great ladyfish action in the Sailfish flats with scattered pompano skipping in the area until Monday, March 24 when the water quality went sour. My advice for a while is to head north. Maybe in a few weeks the water will clean up and the big tarpon will magically appear. Remember, even a bad day fishing (even though there’s no such thing as a “bad” day fishing) is better than the best day working. (I guess I can consider myself lucky since fishing is my “work”!)
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
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Capt. Ed Williams
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 9:33 am: | |
Subject: Fishing Report
The wind is blowing again and we are anxiously awaiting the next lull so we can fish again. Looks like by the middle of the week the ocean should be calm enough to fish. We have experienced some exceptional action the last few days. Live bait has been fairly difficult to find so it is taking some work each morning to find enough live bait to fish for a few hours.
As soon we catch bait it is not long before we are fishing in about 80 feet of water and catching one King Mackerel after another, some extra large Bonitos along with a Dolphin here and there. We are still having a chance at a Sail or two most days as well as a Cobia on the wrecks or under the occasional BAT that we see. On one recent trip we caught a Hound Fish that was nearly 4’ long. Hound Fish are not exactly one of those fish you catch everyday here in Stuart.
During the last few weeks I have had several inquires about the upcoming Dolphin season. Dolphin fishing is very good from about the middle of April through mid to late June here in Stuart. Some days all you need to do is get offshore in about 100 to 150 feet of water and troll anything or just drift live baits to catch them, other days it is a bit more challenging. In addition to catching Dolphin, we expect to catch Kingfish, Bonito, some Sailfish and Wahoo, plus several other species during this time.
I begin a normal day of Dolphin fishing by catching some live bait if it is readily available. Then we're off to the edge of the Gulfstream to look for the conditions that will produce fish for us. During these trips we troll ballyhoo/lures as well as drifting and bump trolling live bait for Dolphin, Sailfish, Kingfish, Cobia, Bonito, Wahoo, Sharks, Barracuda plus many other species. On these trips we utilize an opportunistic approach to fishing taking advantage of whatever the ocean provides us on a particular day. If the action is slow we may move to some of the wrecks/structures on the edge of the reef and catch Kingfish, Cobia, Bonito, Barracuda, Grouper, Snapper and whatever else will bite. Most days the action is very good if you are willing to put in the time and move around until you locate the fish.
My favorite way to fish for Dolphin is to “RUN and GUN”. This approach is just the ticket for the more adventuresome angler. By any measure this is an exciting way to catch Dolphin. When I Run and Gun I begin my day by running deep into the Gulfstream looking for flotsam, patches of weeds, diving birds, or anything else that might hold fish. At times we may run 30 or more miles before we find the right condition to fish. When we locate the fish we sight cast to them using jigs, dead and live baits. When you can see the fish, cast a bait to him and watch him devour it ---excitement abounds. Often when we find fish you will see several BIG fish and you have to pick the one you want to attempt to catch. At times you will find a large school of smaller fish and you can catch as many as you want using light spin tackle. Occasionally, when we find the right conditions, we will troll until we locate the fish. When you go offshore for a day of RUN and GUN fishing you need to be prepared to fish a variety of ways and to take advantage of whatever the ocean provides that particular day. When we are doing a day of RUN AND GUN fishing I like to leave the dock early and plan on a long day of fishing. Run and Gun trips produce some very large Dolphin, an occasional Wahoo, Sailfish and once in a while a Marlin. The weather and sea conditions dictate the days that I do this type of fishing and it requires a lot of fuel.
If you decide to take your own boat offshore for one of these Dolphin fishing adventures I recommend that you verify that your equipment is in good working order, you have plenty of fuel, keep a close eye on the weather and only go on a day where the sea conditions are favorable. Take plenty of ballyhoo and be ready for an action filled day.
Good Luck and remember you can't catch'em at the dock.
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Capt. David Fawcett
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2003 - 4:07 pm: | |
Subject: HMS
HMS, KILLER ALGAE,HURRICANE WARNINGS, ALLAPATTAH, AND RAMA, LAMA, DING DONG
No it doesn't stand for His Majesty's Ships. Not even Health Management Services.
It stands for Highly Migratory Species. A required permit for virtually every offshore angler. And... the newest thumb screw of the National Marine Fisheries Service.
I spoke with Brad McHale of the NMFS the other day.
Brad explained that this new permit would allow the Service to get a better handle on the impact on our fisheries in both the recreational and commercial sectors so more decisive rulings could be made as to how we might better protect our resources.
Effective this month every offshore angler, recreational or commercial, will have to carry an HMS Permit if they are targeting billfish, sharks or tuna.
This pretty much includes everybody who fishes offshore.
The permit costs $22 and can be obtained through the NMFS on their web site.
The FWC along with the Coast Guard, and ,who knows whom else, is currently going to enforce this new permit.
"Brad, could this new permitting come back and bite me in the ass?"
"Well no. It might even benefit you."
I'm not going to hold my breath.
KILLER ALGAE
Just as El Nino began to ebb and the Estuary began to return to normal with the curtailment of dumping excess fresh water on us we are struck with Caulerpa brachypus, an exotic algae which has no natural enemies and destroys estuarine sea grasses and habitat.
Said Harbor Branch scientist, Brian Lapointe, to the Stuart News, "The data we could get with the money from the state this year could identify the sewerage nitrogen driving the algal blooms in the lagoon."
Hmm.
HURRICANE WARNINGS
Thank you. Thank you. Thank You... National Weather Service for giving us five days instead of three. Like you could predict the landfall of a hurricane within three days much less five.
Methinks Home Depot has a finger in the pudding.
ALLAPATTAH
Hey! We're getting closer. SFWM has begun prepping the Allapattah Ranch, acquired under our River Tax monies, for ground water retention. It's certainly a step in the right direction. Maybe... one day...we won't have to spend money identifying the "sewerage nitrogen driving the algal blooms in the lagoon."
COBIA, KINGS, CREVALLE, TARPON
That's right...TARPON.
It's early but there are tarpon on the Beach. Not high profile but they are there, especially at the Boils, before the sun gets too high. If you don't get a tarpon you're sure to get a spinner shark. They are all over the place. We tagged one on a Rattletrap the other day. But I have also seen tarpon at the Inlet and at the House of Refuge during last week. So...early or not...keep your eyes open.
The BIG crevalle are still doing their pre-spawn ritual and cobia fishing remains consistent. King fish on the inshore numbers south of Fort Pierce and on the Six Mile.
The Lagoon is giving up some pompano along with ladies and small crevalle and BLUEFISH. I went through 50 TerrorEyz and Baitbusters last week. JERRY!!!!!!!
In spite of what you might read I am still not too excited about snook fishing. The bridges are giving up some snook, but, the North Fork is dead along with the River's usual comfort areas. Trout...look further north. Walton Road and up.
Put on your sunscreen!
Capt. David Fawcett/Free Jumper Charters
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