The tripletail is on the markers
Fishing report: Wahoo for days
Good wahoo bite along the Treasure Coast
Did you enjoy your false spring? You know, when it warms up nicely only to get a cold snap again?
That will only happen about two more times before spring begins. It disturbed the plants, such as the mango trees were blooming, and the fish, as well. Fishing patterns rebounded slightly for a few days, then returned to normal.
So look for pompano to start migrating north soon, along with beach sharks – spinners, blacktips and hammerheads feeding on the other two. And snook fishing and tripletail fishing will be good again.
Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:
- Snook: Harvest opens February 1 on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Bag limit: 1 per angler per day. Size limit: No more than 28 inches and no more than 32 inches. License: Saltwater fishing license and $10 snook stamp required unless exempt. See MyFWC.com for exemptions and regulations.
- Spotted seatrout: Harvest reopened Jan. 1. Central East region regulations — Bag limit: 2 per harvester, zero captain and crew bag limit when on for-hire trips. Slot limit: Greater than 15 inches and less than 19 inches overall length. There may be one over 19 inches per vessel or, if fishing from shore, one over 19 inches per person, included in the bag limit. Harvest closed Nov. 1-Dec. 31.
- golden tilefish: Harvest reopened Jan. 1. Bag limit: 1 per harvester within 3 combined grouper/tilefish fish limit. Harvest is closed based on annual catch limits set by NOAA.
- Grouper: Harvest closed Jan. 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest will reopen on May 1 in Atlantic waters.
- Hogfish: Harvest will reopen on May 1.
- Blueline tilefish: Harvest will reopen on May 1.
- Cobia: Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inch fork length. There is no closed season.
- Red fish: Redfish harvesting has been banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since Sept. 1, 2022. FWC will reevaluate in the future.
- dolphins: The bag limit is 5 fish per day per angler. The boat limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in the limit. State waters regulations begin May 1, 2022.
- Lobster: Harvest closes March 31. No egg carriers, 3-inch minimum carapace length. A lobster stamp is required. The sports season (mini-season) will be July 24-25, 2024.
- Alligators: Hunt season opens Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits are required.
- Flounder: Size limit: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person. Harvest is closed Oct. 15-Nov. 30.
- Bass: Bass on Headwaters Lake will soon be catch-and-release.
For complete Florida fishing regulations go to MyFWC.com.
Sand Spike Shootout
Pompano and whiting surf fishing tournament to benefit Indian RiverKeeper is March 23-24 on the beaches of Hutchinson Island. Entry fee: $50 includes free bag of Fish Gum, Pompano Rich rig, Bag of Fishbites and raffle ticket. Winners receive prizes. To register go to theindianriverkeeper.org/sand-spike-shootout
DOA Paddlers Tournament
The return of the popular DOA Paddlers Only Fishing Tournament is April 12-13 at the River Palm Cottages in Jensen Beach. The tournament is limited to 130 entrants who will fish exclusively with the DOA Lure Package provided at captain meetings the night before the event and in kayaks, canoes or stand-up paddleboards only. Anglers will fish for prizes in the inshore slam (snook, trout, redfish), snook, tarpon and mystery fish divisions in a catch, photo, release longest inches format. For complete rules and prizes, go to DOALures.com for more information.
Indian River County
Offshore: There has been decent offshore fishing for kingfish and Spanish mackerel in 20 to 60 feet of water. None of the kingfish were big, most in the 15-18 pound range. Spanish mackerel are just off the first reef in Vero Cove, Rio Mar down to Avalon Beach.
Inshore: Snook can be caught on spoil islands points from Grant to Vero Beach. Use live sardines, live mullet or even live shrimp around catwalks, bridges and seawalls. Sheepshead, croaker, black drum, flounder, redfish and trout are other possible catches.
freshwater: Bass fishing will be great come the full moon. Look for bass around the edges of ponds, lakes, and canals in beds and coming off the bed after spawning. Speckled perch fishing is still fairly steady at Blue Cypress and Stick Marsh.
St. Lucie County
Offshore: Yahoo for wahoo. That’s what Captain Richard Hunt of Little Adam charters in Fort Pierce said this week. On Feb. 17, he and his charters boated not one, not two, but eight wahoo while fishing out of the inlet with live blue runners. No high speed trolling for them.
Inshore: Fish around docks, bridges, jetties, seawalls and the Turning Basin at night for springtime snook shots. Fish with a 1-ounce flare hawk type jig at the beginning of the outgoing tide. A few redfish, tripletail and trout have been caught in the lagoon recently using live greenies.
surfing: It’s been hit and miss recently on the beaches of Hutchinson Island. On days where it is calm enough to fish, anglers are struggling to catch pompano, but are finding a decent bite of bluefish, Spanish mackerel and jacks.
Martin County
Offshore: One big catch is starting to get everyone’s attention: An estimated 500-pound swordfish. More on that later. Snapper and kingfish fishing on the reefs in 60-70 feet of water has been steady. Triggerfish, porgies, and lane snapper rounded out the catches.
Inshore: The St. Lucie River is affected by Lake O discharges that began on Feb. 17. Although open gates usually act as a dinner bell to snook, the flow rate is high so the snook are likely to be downstream somewhere. When the Army Corps pulls back into the flow stream, snook will likely approach the gates within casting range of a 20-pound rod tipped with a 1-ounce chartreuse flare hawk jig.
Lake Okeechobee
The lake is high at 16 feet and the change means the water is higher on the north and west side of the lake, Bass fishing is pretty good in that area following the full moon. Speckled perch fishing remains steady at King’s Bar and in the river.
Ed Killer is the outside writer for TCPalm. Email your fishing reports and photos to [email protected].
