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+--- Thread: Stuart Inshore Report: 11-16-03 (/showthread.php?tid=80917)
Stuart Inshore Report: 11-16-03 - catch22 - 11-16-2003
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