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+--- Thread: Stuart Inshore Report: 12-10-03 (/showthread.php?tid=85454)
Stuart Inshore Report: 12-10-03 - catch22 - 12-10-2003
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