From the land to the deep sea, Stuart’s inshore and offshore waters offer an abundance and variety of different catches. We’re proud to team with the Coastal Angler to bring you the latest fishing reports to help put you on the fish and keep your lines tight
Happy 2025 everyone, let’s go fishing! This month we can expect some great inshore pompano fishing. Drifting local sand flats along the Indian River can produce good pompano action while jigging with T & A Whacky Pompano Jigs just off the bottom. Once you locate the school of fish, sometimes I will anchor, and baitfish with clams, shrimp, Fishbites, and or sandfleas. While on anchor with the bait rods out I will still continue to jig with the T & A jigs allowing for more hookups and a faster way to catch your daily limit. Expect some bonefish, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish, and the occasional flounder mixed in.
Nearshore fishing has been absolutely fantastic for Spanish mackerel along local beaches and down south at Peck Lake. Find a large concentration of boats and chances are the mackerel will be plentiful. Light Quantum Spinning reels such as the Strive 3000 will allow you to cast a 3/8 Tsunami glass minnow jig with a light wire leader easily all day allowing you to catch fish until your arms are sore.
Bluefish are also cruising the inside/outside reefs if you need some extras for the smoker. Again, casting a shiny lure with a medium retrieve will catch you plenty of blues.
Beach fishing with surf rods will be a good idea this month if you like to catch pompano and whiting. Local beaches on the right tides will produce good numbers of fish using pompano rigs with sandfleas and fish bites. Long surf rods will help you get the rigs to the right location.
Tight lines!
The promise of a New Year will shine bright in the eyes of January’s offshore anglers, whose happiness will be gauged by a color spectrum of fish, that will magically appear on our doorstep. Like “sleight of hand”, the magic of fish color will be found around naturally occurring coral reefs and the (over) seven dozen artificial reef sites east of our St. Lucie Inlet. These bottom structures will become the focal point for offshore game plans and fishing strategies. Like the changes on the pages of the New Year`s calendar, the offshore playing field will display a new profile in the form of wintertime fish that will settle into these salty reef habitats. Schools of Spanish and king mackerel and lane snapper will congregate this month and populate seasonal, preferred reef areas. While most species of fish can be found over a wide area in our local zone, these fish seem to have a predilection to certain spots, like the offshore Peck Lake/ Kingfish Hole, the 140 King Numbers, and the Sand Pile (the Texas Reef), just to name a few. Local knowledge of the preferred and proven fish haunts will be the primary component to any angler`s chance for success. Anglers can search out for GPS numbers for many of Stuart`s reef locations by logging on to www.martinreefs.com. This website will give one an expansive selection of all of Martin County`s offshore Artificial Reefs.
The seasonal conditions associated with the Florida winter will be firmly in place in January`s near coastal fishing zone. This month, the continued procession of cold fronts will have patterned the way these fish feed and move through the zone. Given the proper, user-friendly weather window, anglers will be able to ply honey holes in depths from 25 to 180 feet of water, where pelagic and resident fish will frequent, for feeding and spawning. Live bait, at times, should be available in January; however, anglers should always bring a good selection of dead baits (like Spanish sardines, ballyhoo, and squid) in case live bait is not easily found on a particular fishing day. Spoons and jigs should always be part of good offshore tackle box, so don`t forget to bring a selection of artificial baits or lures, along with whole dead baits. A good selection of frozen baits and jigs will always complement a live well full of ammo and give offshore anglers endless options as they dial in their desired fish catching strategy.
So, in January, watch the weather, find your fish-friendly window, and keep your offshore strategy options open. With pre-planning and a cooler full of bait, this will lead to happy fishing and a Happy New Year!
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