Fishing Report - Sheepshead 8-19-12

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Tide: Tail end of incoming nearly full
Time Fished: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
M.F.-1:05 PM
Partly Cloudy
Wind: SSW at 10-12 mph

Other Observations: The water is very brown right now. I assume it it tanic acid runoff from all the rain we have been having? tide was so high I had trouble catching some crabs but did not seem to be very many? used up all my bait and quit.

Catch:
-(1) unknown mystery fish?
-(4) sheepshead on, lost two largest.
-(2) small mangrove snapper

I started out on the hunt for some bait schools at the beach this morning but after driving all the way North to Marineland without seeing a single pogy or any birds diving, I decided to hit one of my sheepshead spots where I could at least find something that would pull on my line.

Tide was real high when I arrived at marineland but I was able to catch a dozen or so fiddler crabs.
I almost did not put in due to the wind blowing right down the river but launched anyway.

The Sheepshead were biting when I arrived and I lost a real good one right off the bat that cut me off on a pile.

I lost a few baits and then hooked a fish that I don't think I have ever caught before. If anyone knows what this thing is, please post me a comment.

I also caught a couple small mangrove snappers that were under size.

Then I hooked up with a really good Sheepshead that was the strongest fish I had on all day. That one cut me off on a pile also. I was not as prepared for this trip as I should have been.

The smallest of the sheepshead was just a 1/2" short of the minimum so I tossed him and ended up with the one good keeper. That one should make a meal for me and my bride.

I feel like the fish are there! I just needed more bait and a better tide. It was close to topping out.

I will probably hit them again in a few days.

unknown fish, If anyone knows what this thing is, please post me a comment.

Look at that rod, That's what I like to see!!

Larry S.


P.S.,  I discovered the species of the mystery fish....it is a "Rock Sea Bass"! That's a first for me, maybe even a record, that's about as large as they get.

Fishing Report 6/25/11 - Marineland

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Marineland, Florida
Sat.  June 25, 2011
Moon - 2 days past last quarter
M.F.=  7:00 am
Temp.: Low 73,  86 h.
wind: variable@ 5-8mph (it was up and down, it would lay then change directions)
pressure: 29.98

humidity: 83% -66-100%   

rain: 2 1/4" last night and 1 3/4" this afternoon

Partly to mostly cloudy & building into the afternoon

 

After giving my self some time to heal up from the kayak fishing tournament last weekend I decided to try some sheepshead fishing for a change, up around Marineland.

 

The first order of business was to catch some bait. I stopped at the beach on the way to round up some sand fleas. I didn't have any kind of sifter so I just used a shovel and dumped it up on the hard beach to catch the fleas. It took a while but I caught 3 dozen or so and headed north.

 

There were a pile of pelicans diving bait way out but I could not see what kind of bait it was with the cloud cover.

 

I also caught up some fiddler crabs after I launched to go with my fleas.

 

 

The tide was supposed to full about 7 AM so it was about half out by the time I got there. That was not really the plan but it took well over an hour to catch the fleas.

 

My first fish came pretty quick but I was surprised to see a small Gag Grouper when I got him to the boat. I was only in 3 feet of water when I caught him.

 

 

I was getting a few bites starting out but they were all a little short. I finally caught a good sheepshead after a while but he would be the first and last for this day. I did have one other one that was just about 12" but I turned him loose.

 

There is some kind of major construction project going on in the river right now and there are some big barges and dredges anchored everywhere. There are some large pipes on the west side of the river and it looks like they are dredging a pipe line in of some sort. The water is pretty muddy looking and I suspect this did not help my fishing outcome.

 

That's pretty much the report for now. (1) grouper, (5) sheepshead

 

 

Larry S.

Fishing Report 5/29/11 - Pellicer Sheepshead (Part Two)

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Pellicer Fishing Report
Sun.  May 29, 2011
Moon - 3 days to new moon
M.F.=  8:55 am
Temp.:  72 L-82 H. (felt hotter to me)
wind: E @ 0-7AM-10-9AM  mph, (light winds early) steady at 10 mph after 9am
pressure: 30.08

Humidity: 73 avg.(60-91)  

Rain: 0

Sunny

I made the mistake of thinking I would go back after some more of that sheepshead action at pellicer this morning. The boat traffic was unbelievable!!! The Palm Coast Navy was out in full force. It was one boat after another, after another, after another.......I've never seen the boat traffic so bad. I decided to leave around 2:30 before they all started back in...best decision I made all day.

Well, I did manage to catch about 8 of those little bait stealer's but it was a struggle and they were smaller than the fish I caught on Friday. I have a little trick I'm gona put on em' next trip....we'll see how that works!

The tide was still comin' up when I got there so I had a little trouble catchin' some crabs but I wrangled up enough to get started. After the tide started out I had to go catch some more and I had one bucket of fine bait. Too bad the fishin' was so slow.

That's fiddler crabs all around the boat!

There has been a bunch of dolphins feeding on mullet here and one of them bastards snuck up behind me and damn near jumped in the boat with me. A little spooky when something moves that much water so close to your plastic boat! I saw another one actually chase a 12" mullet into the air and grab it right out of the air about 30yds in front of my yak as I was paddling back to the hill.

That was pretty much the story....a little slow but I put enough fish in the boat to make a couple messes.

Larry S. 

Fishing Report, Pellicer, 5/27/11

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Pellicer Fishing Report
Fri.  May 27, 2011
Moon - 3 days past Last Quarter
M.F.=  7:35 am
Temp.:  71 L-88 H.
wind: SSE @ 4/7AM-15/2PM  mph, (light winds early)
pressure: 29.95

Humidity: 79 avg.(61-94)  

Rain: Rain started just after 2:00pm

Sunny

I went back to Pellicer this morning. When I arrived the tide was still coming in and never got very high. I don't know just what time it changed as I was on the flat but I believe it was around 7:30-8:00 AM. I pretty much fished the worst tide conditions, very tail end of the outgoing and the slack tide. On top of that there were no less than 5 boats all trying to fish the small flat. By 8:30 the action was so slow I decided to paddle out.

I knew the tide would not be exactly right but I wanted to fish so fish I did. Pretty much all I did was fish, there was little catching involved! I  did pick up a short red in the cut on the way in to the flats. I noticed a small bait leap out of the water in the middle of the shallow cut. It was not a bait you normally see jump so I new something had chased it to the top! I grabbed my jig rod and made a cast to the spot. About 3 seconds later I had the red on the other end of a tight line. It's important when your fishing shallow water to always be paying attention to what is going on around you, ready to capitalize on any opportunities that may present themselves.

That would have been the end of a rather poor trip but for one thing. I had noticed some fiddler crabs on an exposed mud bank on the way in and I stopped and caught a half dozen or so, without any real plan for them.

There are a few pilings that I typically pass on the way to the flats and one day last year with the sun high in the sky I came paddling by real close to the piles and I could see some sheepshead hanging around them. Well, I had a rod rigged for bait so I put a couple crabs on and dropped them in tight to one of the piles. It instantly drew a bite but I missed him. I re-baited and slipped it back in and caught a big pin fish. I put my last two crabs on and they were stolen immediately....never even felt him.

I thought that was pretty interesting and I might be on to something. I paddled over to a sand beach that was exposed from the falling tide and had an oyster bar beside it. There was an army of fiddler crabs there and I chased down about 3 dozen or so in the oysters. I paid for them in blood however.... I cut the heck out of my fingers flipping oysters.

I paddled back over to the pilings and it was on. It was difficult to keep the yak in position and fish so close to the pile. Who knows how many I ran off when the wind or boat wake pushed me in to close to the piles. However, before it was over I put 8 or 10 stripped bandits and one real nice 24" redfish in the boat. I lost at least 3 real nice ones also.  A couple pulled so hard on my medium action Ugly stick it felt like they were going to break it.

The fiddler crab idea turned a sows ear into a silk purse and I came home with some nice fish. Had I started off fishing like this I feel like I would have had a limit.

My gear today was an Okuma Epixor 30 spinning reel, 6'6" medium action UglyStick rod, 30lb power pro with a 17lb mono leader and 2/0 eagle claw bait hook. I was using a small cork as well due to the kayak and difficulty trying to hold a position. Had I been in a regular boat or maybe if I had brought my anchor I would probably have just free lined straight down, no cork. I think I would like to use a bronze hook but I have to look into what is available. Sheepshead can be shy to bite. A bronze hook would blend in to the crab legs though the shinny silver Eagle Claws did not seem to bother them this day.

The Okuma is a great little reel for the money. Here's a link with more info. : Okuma Epixor, I also like the low stretch of the power pro for this kind of fishing.: Power Pro, The ugle stick stick rod is also one of my favorite rods for the money and has a great warranty: Ugly Stick rod.

Here's some pictures of em'. Even got a couple action shots for ya!

That's a nice sheepshead there! Look at the stickers on his back!

This 24" red fell to a little fiddler crab!

This one was a little short but he sure was pretty!

Another real nice bait steeler!

I found this stone crab flipping oysters while catching fibbler crabs,

Don't let this guy catch your finger!

Mangrove roots, you don't see many grow this way up here.

Another short one.

Man, that one was stretching my line!

 I had fish everywhere... forgot to bring a stringer!

That's a low tide! I made it out just before the rain.

Fishing Report 1/15/11 - Sheepshead

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Jan. 15, 11 - Port Orange, Fl., mid-day

M.F.= 1:15 pm +/-

Temp.: 37-63 deg. (mid 50 while fishing)
wind: N @ 5  to 14mph, gust to  - mph 

pressure: 30.22

hunidity: avg-74%    (48-100%)

rain: 0

sunny

This trip did not actually include my kayak as its a little to cold for that so my dad and I took his rig out Saturday to a spot where he has been catching a limit of sheepshead off some docks at ponce Inlet.

After we caught some bait we headed for Dad's hot spot at the Inlet. The water was really clear and you could see the bottom in 5ft of water.  With my polarized glasses I could see a few sheepshead feeding on the piles. I actually sight fished one nice fish off an inner pile with a small, med.wt. jig rod  & 30 wt. spinning reel tipped with

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