Weekend Fishing Outlook (1/23-1/25/15)

OFFSHORE- Fishing was pretty good offshore for the early part of the week.  Lots of scattered dolphin from Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet.  Depth varied widely for the dolphin, with some being caught right around the 120' ledge and some coming more than ten miles out.  All the usual tricks will work for catching the dolphin.  Trolling ballyhoo, strips, and squid to cover water is effective; as is drifting and chumming for them.  Look for weedlines, rips, bait, and color changes and the dolphin shouldn't be too far away.  In along the 120' ledge (Juno to Jupiter especially) the kingfish bite was good this week.  A wide class of fish around, with snake 10-12lb kings in good numbers and some stud smoker size kings as well in the mix.  Also along the ledge has been a good number of cobia.  Try drifting sardines and small runners for the cobia, and don't be afraid to chum heavily for the cobia.  Bottom fishing remains good for this time of year. A mixed bag of snapper and other assorted bottom fish are willing to bite sardines and squid.  

INSHORE- Snook reports are staring to trickle in as anglers start to do a little scouting for snook season (Season opens 2/1 for Atlantic coast).  Look for the snook to be laid up around boat docks,  dark mudflats, and mangroves; especially those areas close to deeper water.  The bridges are still producing a fair number of snook at night, especially on outgoing tide.  Live shrimp, shrimp jigs, DOA Shrimp, and smaller swimbaits are all good choices for the snook right now.  Inshore action around the grassflats was a little quiet this week, but those spending some time out there have found a few fish.  JAcks, ladyfish, and a few smaller trout have made up the bulk of the reports coming in.

SURF/PIER- Surf fishing was great early in the week for a wide variety of species; but, unfortunately has tapered off as the week has went on.  Early in the week spanish mackerel invaded the Juno Beach pier in great numbers.  Crappie jigs, glass minnow jigs, boober rig with clark spoon, and gotchas all were producing good numbers of macs this week.  Bluefish remained in the mix in good numbers this week as well at the pier and Jupiter Inlet.  Silver spoons and cut bait seemed to be producing the best numbers of blues this week.  Pompano were caught in fair numbers at Loggerhead for a few days this week.  Spinner sharks are beginning to show up in good numbers along the beach as well right now.  Lots of good stuff going on in the surf right now!

Thanks For Reading,
Todd

Nice cobia caught on The Red Beard with Capt Howard this week (http://www.redbeardfishingcharters.com/)