Inshore Fishing Report
Sheepshead still seems to be the best option inshore lately. We have some tough weather situations but thankfully the sheepshead love some nasty weather and stirred up water. They seem to flourish when other species shut down due to weather. We are seeing them around the docks, piers, bridges, and jetties. Often, when we have to cancel trips, you can still go catching by coming down and fishing our docks with the pieces of shrimp, cut oysters, clams or even some barnacles. Targeting them as close to structure as possible is always going to give you the best chances.
Trout action is also going well around the area, especially on the shallower flats during the day, and around the dock and bridge lights at night. You can find some deeper holes and pockets holding plentiful trout too. They are all about the live shrimp, but will take white bait if you can find it as well. Go to lures for trout are going to be soft plastics typically especially the Mirrorlure provoker on a 16th ounce head or a doa shrimp.
Snook are around, but they are tucked back into the upper bay and back bay areas trying to stay as warm as possible in this cooler time of year. They are going to be hiding on the sundrenched, wind protected shorelines, or in the deeper holes as you move into the back country or at the start of rivers, creeks or bayous. Looking for them with some big dead baits, slow moving artificials or big dead baits are a great option. Often you can find some really big fish back there if you can get them to eat.
Redfish action is going well around the dock lines of the area, especially those docks close to the flats or mangroves. We are also seeing a lot of them on the flats, oyster bars and mangroves shorelines of the area if you can find some areas protected from the wind and drenched with plenty of sun. They are more cold tolerant than the snook, but they still enjoy finding that warmer water.
Nearshore Fishing Report
Hogfish is our focus near shore, but weather has made it tricky to get out there. Plus, on the handful of days we are able to get out there its been tougher with cold, wind and murky water. We need a decent weather window to get the hogfish cooperating really well for us. Looks like we may have a good shot Monday if the weather continues to stay like it is forecasted now.
Lane snapper are also biting well near shore and yesterday’s ten hour crushed some nice sized lanes on the HUB. We got good numbers of them too! Great time to get out there and catch plenty of lane snapper while hunting the occasional hogfish and mangrove snapper.
Mangrove snapper are biting pretty decently near shore, but we still see more and larger ones out deeper in the offshore waters. However, we are seeing a handful of the mangroves in shallower and were happy when we do
Offshore Fishing Report
We would love to get offshore again soon, but unfortunately the weather has made it entirely too challenging to even make it offshore. We have only fished one day so far in 2024 in the offshore waters and that was the first day of the year! We are hoping to get back out deep soon as the fat red grouper are ready to rock and roll and we are hoping to crush them. Plus, we typically see a lot of the blackfin tuna this time of year offshore too while trolling, flat line fishing or jig fishing.
