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Fishing Report
From Capt. Bob
Bushholz
Catch
22 Fishing Charters
Jensen Beach - Martin County
772 - 225 - 6436
Email : fishcatch22@aol.com
Website : www.catch22fish.com
11-1-06
November is the month marking several changes in weather, water
quality and fishing itself. Air temperatures begin to drop which in turn brings
the water temperatures into the 70’s. Look for an increase in northeast
winds, making the east side of the Indian River the “target zone”
for inland fishing.
Trout season is closed November and December. Like snook, the resident trophy
trout must read the newspaper being well aware of the closed season and seem to
taunt anglers by hitting anything that moves. Topwater, soft rubber, or live
shrimp, it doesn’t seem to matter to these guys, making it a perfect time
to practice safe releases. There are several things anglers can do to give the
fish a better chance of survival. First, crimp all barbs. You’ll catch
just as many fish while minimizing damage when unhooking them. Wetting your
hands prior to handling any fish allows the fish to maintain its protective
slime coat and keeps the slime off your hands. Release the fish in the water,
if possible, avoiding nets, dropping them onto your boat deck or slinging them
out for a “deep six”. Taking care of these fish now will produce
some great results in January.
Look for redfish along mangrove shorelines on the east side or in shallow water
along Indian River Drive on the west side. There are numerous docks along
Indian River Drive that hold plenty of fish, but stealth is the key. Approach
the docks slowly and quietly casting under and along structure. I know a group
of senior “snowbird” anglers who go wading every morning, fishing
this zone and they do well on trout, snook and redfish. Expect and increase in
ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel and bluefish which will show up anywhere and
everywhere. Make sure you have some wire leader in your tackle box in case you
happen on a school of blues or “macs”. Using wire in this situation
can save a lot of tackle. An 8” piece of #3 wire works great!!!
November’s also a good time for flounder. They can usually be found
around structure or where there’s a sandy bottom. Take a drive up to Fort
Pierce and fish the South Jetty with shrimp and trollrites. Cast out and plant
it on the bottom or slowly (and I mean slowly) retrieve along the bottom.
Remember, flounder regulations are 12-inch minimum and no more than 10 per
person. Personally I won’t keep any flounder under 15 inches, allowing
the smaller ones to grow. Have you ever cleaned a 12” flounder?
It’s really not worth the effort.
Snook will still be around, mainly inside around area bridges, seawalls, and
other structure. If the wind picks up, fish the bridges where big snook will be
pounding big baits. Snook really do like choppy water and I believe it’s
due to an increase in oxygen levels. Flair hawks and large live baits like a
9” mullet top the preferred list.
Pompano fever begins in November, lasting until March. From the Jensen bridge
nothing beats a nylure jig on 10-12 lb. test, vertically jigging along the
bottom. These “pomps” like clean water, so try the last two hours
of incoming tide until the first hour of outgoing. If you’re fishing from
a boat there could be pompano anywhere. My favorite areas are the crossroads,
Sailfish flats, near the quarter bridge (just outside casting distance of the
bridge anglers), channels running east and west like Indian Riverside Park,
and finally around the spoil islands. I like to mix up the tackle with
Gulfstream’s redfish and shrimp jigs, live shrimp, Capt. Joe’s
jigging spoons or sand fleas on triple-rigged kayle hooks. Just be aware of
the manatee zone when heading to the Sailfish flats (west of the House of
Refuge). There are two manatee zone signs in east and west line with the House
of Refuge. All water south of the signs to the Inlet is no wake, slow speed.
It seems to also be a favorite area for Fish and Game and Sheriff’s boats
to monitor and hand out autographs, so keep it slow and avoid a stiff fine.
Heading into the surf, the blues, Spanish mackerel and pompano will be the story
all winter long. Macs and blues will be in close feeding on cut bait along the
bottom or. silver spoons, glass minnow jigs. Casting anything shiny should
result in a “whack”. The pompano will be out farther so it’s
a good time to break out the 13’ rods. Sand fleas on kayle rigs top the
list. Even in the surf the pompano will be seeking clean water. There are
plenty of beach accesses, so find some clean water and start fishing. Remember
when fishing in Martin County, there’s a maximum of 2 rods per angler,
while in St. Lucie County the maximum is 4 rods per angler. The pompano limit
is 10 per person (no matter where you’re fishing) with a 11 inch minimum
to the fork, and only one over 20 inches.
Anglers as far south as Miami will be heading to Peck’s Lake for the
Spanish mackerel run. Peck’s Lake is located two miles south of the St.
Lucie Inlet, about 100 yards from shore. The macs show up in November and since
the net ban they remain in the area well into the spring. You can troll for
them or cast a variety of lures. Joe’s Jigging spoons, Gulfstream flash
jigs and tube lures seem to produce the best results. Another option is
bullethead jigs tipped with shrimp. Some anglers will chum them to the boat
using glass minnow chum. Mono leader works the best, but expect some cutoffs.
To avoid cutoffs use a 8” #3 wire leader. If you’ve never seen the
“mac attack” it’s really a sight to behold. If you
don’t like fishing in crowds you can still find these fish closer to the
inlet and using light tackle and allows them to run which is a blast on 6-lb.
test. Mackerel regs are 12” to the fork, 15 per day. There’s
really no need to max your limit. Catch plenty but keeping a few should be rule
of the day. I run many charters to Peck’s Lake this time of year on the
Catch 22, sometimes catching over 50 a trip!! The action is fast and furious
and I’ve seen some very seasoned anglers really get excited.
Offshore, look for sailfish in 60’ and deeper. When trolling double
hook-ups are common so if you’ve got a good spread, try to leave one line
in the water after hooking up the first fish. Dolphin will be hanging around
the weedlines starting at 60’. Dolphin fish regulations are 20” min
to the fork and 10 per- person. There should still be plenty of kingfish inside
60’. They’ll hit trolled ballyhoo, live greenies or sardines.
Finding live bait can sometimes be tough, so don’t waste the day in search
of greenies when you’ve got some perfectly respectable ballyhoo in the
boat that will attract the attention of almost anything offshore. You might
even run across a nice wahoo if you’re running a line on a planer.
Bottom fishing should be good as long as the seas cooperates. The grouper bite
may not be the best, but it’s a great time for some big mutton and red
snapper.
November is a great month for fishing. Be sure to check the weather before
heading offshore. Have fun out there!.
Tight lines,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
Wow, it's June already and we are definitly into our summer
mode. Water temps are in the low 80's inshore and we are seeing an increase in
baitfish in both the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers. Water quality the past few
weeks has been great with clean water making it all the way to the 10 cent
bridge. For you shallow water fanatics, get out there early with those top water
plugs for trout, reds and snook. I have been seeing bait schools running along
the west bank of the Indian River starting around county line and running north
towards Fort Pierce. After 10:00 am, back up to 3-4 feet with soft rubber or
live shrimp. Over on the east side, look for tarpon in the 20-30 lb class
outside little and big mud creeks early am. While we are still north of the
Jensen Causeway, don't forget the tripletail under crab trap floats and near
channel markers. Caught some real nice ones the past few weeks running up to
23.8 pounds. For you tripletail fans out there, I would fish north of the power
lines starting around marker 200 and work north to Fort Pierce. Those markers do
not get fished as much, (by myself anyway!!!)which should increase your odds and
don't forget the crabtrap floats. Please do their future population a favor and
release the big ones over 15 pounds.
We have been fishing the St. Lucie Inlet and the 10 cent bridge heavily. Snook
are migrating to the inlets and along the beaches for their annual spawn. Time
to break out those circle hooks for safe catch and release. In the inlet, a
mixture of snook, flounder, jacks, ladyfish, lookdowns and snapper. No bonefish
the past few weeks but expect to see a few shortly. Outside the baitfish has
been in around 35 feet in line with the whistle bouy with greenies and sardines
north at the 14. Some hefty jacks are running along the beach ready to gobble up
a livebait. Further west at the 10 cent bridge, snook, flounder,pompano,
weakfish, jacks, croakers, lookdowns and scattered tarpon from time to time. Get
there when the water is moving and have fun. For the snook, live greenies have
been working and don't be suprised to hook a goliath grouper. All the other
species are eating live shrimp on trollrites or Joe's jigging spoons tipped with
a small piece of shrimp. These spoons have nice action and catch just about
everything. They just came out with little 1/8th ounce spoons and added a glow
color to their arsenal. Most tackle shops carry them or go to
www.joesjiggingspoons.com and check them out.
Outside it's dolphin time along the weedlines along with kings inside 70 feet
and scattered sails, cobia and plenty of boneheads.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
Capt. Bruce Hrobak's 8 year old son Tanner recently underwent surgery for a
cancerous brain tumor. After emergency surgery and a 22 day hospital stay,
Tanner will now recieve 6 weeks of radiation/chemotherapy in addition to
extensive physical therapy. Bruce's wife Debbie is a nurse and was the provider
of the family's medical coverage. She had to leave her job to tend to Tanner and
his younger sister while Bruce works the family's recently acquired bait and
tackle shop (Billy Bones) in Port St. Lucie which is open 77 hours a week. The
family is experiencing tough times both emotionally and financially and face
monumental medical expenses and other related costs.
The Treasure Coast Rod Benders (fishing club) is conducting a bash/ fund raiser
to assist the family in their time of need on Father's Day June 18th at
Sandsprit Park in Stuart, Florida. They will be raffling/ silent auctioning
various items including rods/reels, full and half day fishing trips, German beer
steins, fishing equiptment and much more. Also raffle tickets are being sold for
a weeks getaway at Marathon in the Keys. Accomodations include a newer 3
bedroom, 2 bath fully furnished canal front home which sleeps 8 and will
accomodate a 50 foot boat.Raffle tickets for this vacation will be limited to
the first 250 entries and cost $20.00 each. Winner will need not be present at
drawing. The event will also feature a pig roast/ barbecue. For those of you who
don't know Bruce, he's a great guy with a heart of gold and has always been the
first to offer a donation of a rod/reel or other items when someone else is in
need.
Prayers and wellwishes for Tanner's speedy recovery are appreciated. If you
cannot attend the fund raiser but would like to help out, please send donations
by logging on to www.tcrodbenders.com and click on Tanner Fund. Please take a
moment of your time and send what you can.
Thank You,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
5-1-06
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
4-2-06
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
3-1-06
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
2-2-06
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
1-8-06
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
12-3-05
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
11-1-05
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
10-1-05
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
8-31-05
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
4-2-05
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
3-3-05
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
2-03-05
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
1-3-05
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
12-03-04
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
11-11-04
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
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
7-30-04
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
6-24-04
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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