Fishing Report: Surf and piers reporting big numbers

Fishing Report: Surf and piers reporting big numbers

Published: Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 9:53 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 9:53 a.m.

Facts

Monster Postscript

But Capt. Todd Wynn said anglers beware. He said Higbee's catch — a goliath grouper estimated to weigh 75 pounds — is baby-sized for the species.

“That's a smaller goliath,” Wynn said. “The species has the ability to get up to 600 pounds. A fish in the 70- to 80-pound range is considered a juvenile, and those kind of fish stay together.

"Chances are there is a school of up to 20 fish like that in that area.”

In other words, those fishing with light tackle can expect to have their lines snapped and their reels destroyed if they try to bring those goliaths up to the surface.

Higbee said he removed eight to 12 hooks from the fish he caught Wednesday morning before returning it safely into the Halifax River.

Rhonda Nelson, at the Sunglow Pier, said pompano are beginning to show up in the Daytona Beach Shores surf. The bait of choice is clams. The pier is also yielding blues, redfish and whiting to 14 inches.

“We've seen a black drum and sheepshead here and there,” she said.

Capt. Todd Wynn, at The Fishin' Hole, said surf fishermen have reported big blues, redfish, whiting and pompano. The pompano catch gets better each week as air temperature cools.

“The catch off the Daytona Beach Pier has been amazing,” Wynn said. “In the last five days, two different guys have caught king mackerel in the 18- to 20-pound range off the pier. That's pretty uncommon.”

Wynn said the redfish are thick and flounder are “stacked up around the pilings of the pier.” Anglers are catching whiting and black drum from the planks.

Monster kingfish sets new pier record

CAPT. MIKE VICKERS

On Oct. 2, Bradley caught a 30-pound kingfish off the end of the pier, and on Saturday he set a new pier record with a monster king weighing 49 pounds 14 ounces.

The fish was caught right after it stopped raining.

"I looked down and saw the king around a pier pylon and watched him swim out and eat my live bait," Bradley said. "After a short battle, the fish just rolled over and we were able to get him to the net and up onto the pier."

Other anglers on the pier were busy catching trout, redfish, whiting, and bluefish. Many of the blues were in the 2- to 3-pound range. The anglers were using cut mullet as bait.

Surf fishing on Saturday, Tim Miller said the black drum bite was the best he has seen in a while. Using sand fleas as bait and catching two at a time, Miller said most of the fish were small but he did manage to catch a 25 1/2-inch, 4-pound, 5-ounce redfish to win the biggest fish in the surf tournament held by the Flagler Sportfishing Club. Miller was fishing the first drop in front of the sand bar in the Beverly Beach area.

Farther south on the beach, Andy Block and Jodie Vongal were catching redfish, blues, flounder and whiting to take first place in most species. Ron Gorney came to the scales with a 4-pound, 4-ounce pompano. With the water warming up a few degrees last week, look for more of these big pompano to show up in the surf. Greg Wilks came to the weigh-in with a small permit that he caught fishing the beach by the inlet.

Early morning and the incoming tide is the best time to fish the surf. Early afternoon and evening seem to be feeding time at the pier.

Richard Bradley is “king” of the Flagler Beach Pier these days after muscling up two kingfish weighing 30 and 49 pounds in the span of a week.

Bradley told Capt. Mike Vickers that he caught the larger king — a pier record — Saturday after seeing it swim near the structure.

“I looked down and saw the king,” Bradley said. “I watched him swim out and eat my live bait. After a short battle, the fish just rolled over and we were able to get him to the net up onto the pier.”

At the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores, Rhonda Nelson said reds have taken root around the pilings. She offered visual proof, sending along a photo of angler Ramze Zaza holding a 27-inch keeper.

“We've got reds,” Nelson said. “We also have flounders, blues and whiting.”

The Daytona Beach Pier reports a bounty of reds, blues and flounder.

Trout are still in their summer pattern with all the hot weather we continue to experience. That means look for them around daylight..

10-25-12

Capt. Todd Wynn, The Fishin' Hole, said these look-alike fish are called palmettos and have no catch limits. “They look like a cross between a permit and a pompano,” Wynn said. “It's a pretty fish. It's like the sport model of a pompano.”

Yes, some pompano are being caught. But the big ones remain to the north and will travel south only after cold weather chases them down. Until then, blues and whiting are dominating beach fishing.

“That's what we are catching here,” Sunglow Pier caretaker Rhonda Nelson said. “The surf is rough. You are going to need a heavy weight to go fishing this weekend.”

Wynn said the redfish count at Daytona Beach Pier has been “ridiculous.”

“And they're catching black drum, sheepshead and flounder,” he said. “The blues and Spanish mackerel are thick as well.”

11-1-12

Hurricane Sandy made Sunglow Pier, of Daytona Beach Shores, rock 'n' roll for much of the week.

“It looks like Sandy stocked the pond here,” Nelson said. “We're seeing a lot of happy fishermen.”

Lytwyn said the Daytona Beach Pier has been on fire, too, including a surprise catch.

“They are catching sea trout like crazy; I mean big trout,” he said. “That only happens occasionally at the pier.”

In addition to trout, DBP anglers are catching sheepshead, reds, blues and small sharks.

11-7-12

Jacksonville Beach Pier fishermen have been scoring big on a wide variety of good-eating fish in recent days. Top action is during outgoing tides with clear water for black drum, whiting, sea trout, sheepshead, some redfish and pompano.

Mullet bait schools are still running strong in the surf, and fishermen from Ponte Vedra Beach to Anastasia Island are doing very well. Pompano fishing has been best near Vilano Beach.

Flounder fishing is on fire throughout much of coastal Northeast Florida. Anglers from Fernandina Beach to Matanzas Inlet are hammering flat fish. Many are big, pushing double-digit weights, with average fish scaling 1.5 to 3 pounds. The lower St. Johns River and St. Augustine are holding plenty of fish.

Live finger mullet are best, fished off a sliding-sinker rig or with a jig head. Mud minnow baits work, too, and if bait isn’t available, a 3- to 4-inch Gulp shrimp or minnow on a jig works well

11-7-12

By Godwin Kelly

With water temperatures on the decline and tides back to a normal pattern following a super-strong full moon cycle, the fish are stacked up in the surf line and around the area's three piers.

“We are catching everything under the sun,” Rhonda Nelson said from her post at the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores. “Sea trout, whiting, blues, black drum, reds, pompano, flounder and sheepshead.”

Surfcasters have been patiently waiting for the pompano run, which is now in full force. “The pompano have been really nice-sized fish up to 18 inches,” said Nelson, who added that the bite started a week ago and hasn't stopped.

“A week ago Thursday, we had two guys from West Virginia who caught five redfish up to 38 inches,” she said. “From then on, we've had people catch big reds every day.”

The Flagler Beach Pier is reporting trout, reds, blues, flounder and pompano, while the Daytona Beach Pier has been nothing short of spectacular.

“The Daytona Pier has been gangbusters, ever since Hurricane Sandy cleared out,” said Capt. Todd Wynn of The Fishin' Hole. “They have been catching reds, drum, Spanish mackerel, tons of trout, flounder, whiting and pompano.

“The pompano are in, and there are a bunch of people still catching the palmetto fish, too. This palmetto catch is crazy. This is the best palmetto catch I can remember in the last eight years. I don't know what it is, but they are mixing with the pompano this year.”

Wynn said he's heard of anglers catching reds up to 50 pounds while fishing the surf. “This is the time to fish the surf, both inlets and off the piers,” he said. “The mullet are running and that's attracting the attention of these fish. If you want to catch something big, now is the time to go fishing.”

11-8-12

11-14-12

Rhonda Nelson said there are many happy anglers on the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores. “Ever since Hurricane Sandy passed by, the bite hasn't stopped,” she said.

Nelson said she saw a 14-pound black drum lifted to the planks Monday night, and there's been a steady stream of fishermen with gigantic sheepshead. “I'm not kidding,” she said. “These are the biggest I've ever seen in my life.”

Add in keeper-sized pompano, and it's no wonder the pier has been rocking. “There's a lot of fish in the water,” Nelson said.

Capt. Todd Wynn, of The Fishin' Hole, had much the same news from the Daytona Beach Pier at the end of Main Street. Wynn said the bite off the DBP has been “ridiculous.”

“Someone caught a 52-inch red there the other day,” he said. “That's a big fish. They are still catching trout, which is unusual, plus big sheepshead, pompano, Spanish mackerel off the end. It's a large variety of fish.”

The pompano bite is at full song. These tasty fish are being caught from area piers and all along the beach. Wynn said there's no reason to wade waist-deep to cast. The fish are feeding close to shore.

“They are taking sand fleas, clams and an artificial called ‘Fish Bite'," Wynn said. “If it's high tide, don't wade out in the water. People are walking right past the fish to cast. They are closer to shore than you think.”

11-21-12

Rick Hale of Rick’s Bait & Tackle in Jacksonville Beach says surf anglers are doing well from Jacksonville Beach to St. Augustine. Beach fishermen also are getting plenty of fish from Fort George Inlet to Fernandina Beach. Whiting are in good supply, with some sea trout, redfish and black drum. Little Talbot Island is a good bet for surf fishermen.

Excellent spotted sea trout fishing is reported throughout much of the First Coast area. Most trout are under the 15-inch minimum size limit for angler harvest. However, some anglers are catching 20 to 30 fish per trip, and are putting enough legal-size trout in the boat for a subsequent fish dinner.

11-14-12

11-22-12

The fish are still biting out at the Sunglow Pier, according to Rhonda Nelson.

“Sunday, I saw a beautiful 45-inch red caught,” Nelson said. “And we are seeing mostly black drum and whiting.”

Nelson said some blue fish and sea trout are being brought in as well.

At the Daytona Beach Pier, Capt. Todd Wynn of the Fishin' Hole said the bite has been strong despite the weather.

“The wind is blowing about a trillion miles per hour out there,” he said.

Wynn said he is still seeing blue fish, whiting and pompano coming off the pier and the beach.

“We are also seeing a few reds at the pier,” he said.

Offshore

Wynn said the weather has negated much offshore action.

“The ocean has been blown out,” he said. “We haven't talked to anyone that has been out. Hopefully, it'll break soon.”

Ponce Inlet, Halifax River

Wynn said that reds and blue fish are still being caught in the inlet.

“The sheepshead have been picking up in the river and the inlet,” he said. “The trout have been decent too, and we are seeing a fair amount of jacks and lady fish in the river.”

Wynn said a few flounder are finding their way onto hooks in the river as well.

11-28-12

Whiting are being caught in the surf from Ponte Vedra Beach to Matanzas Inlet, with a few pompano as a bonus. Whiting also are being caught on sandbars with dead shrimp baits near St. Augustine Inlet.

Long spell of bad weather is ending, .which should make the next four or five days exceptional for pompano and whiting.

The last 2 weeks we have had big seas and dirty water. But when the NE winds kick in, should be good for Whiting and Pomps. SA north winds NOV 14-22 strong

By Godwin Kelly

Page 2 of 3

Not literally, but bull whiting are attacking bait near the Daytona Beach Shores institution. Nelson said anglers were getting a nice catch of black drum, pompano and blues.

“We are getting a red here and there, catching some nice flounder and the panish mackerel are in and out; depends on the day,” she said, adding that frozen shrimp is the bait of choice.

The Flagler Beach Pier is also heavy on whiting and blues.

Becky Smith, of Inlet Harbor Marina and Restaurant in Ponce Inlet, said surf fishing has been strong with blues, flounder and pompano being caught on a variety of baits.

She said those landing the bigger fish are using 4-ounce weights and sand fleas, clams and finger mullet as bait.

Rhonda Nelson said “whiting are jumping on the Sunglow Pier.” Not literally, but bull whiting are attacking bait near the Daytona Beach Shores institution. Nelson said anglers were getting a nice catch of black drum, pompano and blues.

“We are getting a red here and there, catching some nice flounder and the panish mackerel are in and out; depends on the day,” she said, adding that frozen shrimp is the bait of choice.

The Flagler Beach Pier is also heavy on whiting and blues.

Becky Smith, of Inlet Harbor Marina and Restaurant in Ponce Inlet, said surf fishing has been strong with blues, flounder and pompano being caught on a variety of baits.

She said those landing the bigger fish are using 4-ounce weights and sand fleas, clams and finger mullet as bait.

12-1-12

Mild wind also made for excellent pier and surf fishing for anglers from Fernandina Beach to Matanzas Inlet. St. Augustine area surf fishermen did especially well for whiting, plus some pompano. Temperatures in the 70s and a slow-rolling slick sea made for great family time at the beach, and tasty fish were brought home for dinner.

12-5-12

Rhonda Nelson, of Sunglow Pier, Daytona Beach Shores, said the primary catch during the last week as been bull whiting and bluefish, with an occasional pompano mixed in the bag.

“We had somebody catch a four-pound pompano this week,” she said. “We've seen black drum pulled up here and there.”

The big whiting are ruling the surf line right now, sharing space with blues and black drum. Wynn said pompano are migrating further south in search of warmer water near the coastline.

Pomps have moved south of us (Saint A)

12-6-12

Surf fishing has been excellent for whiting during recent warm, calm weather conditions, says Rick Hale of Rick’s Bait & Tackle in Jacksonville Beach. Beach anglers are catching whiting near where 6th Avenue runs to the ocean at Jacksonville Beach, plus South Ponte Vedra Beach, Micklers Landing, and the Gate Station toward St. Augustine. Pompano are scarce for surf casters, but some huge redfish are running the beach sloughs. At the Jacksonville Beach Pier, recent catches of reds weighing 25, 35 and 45-pounds have been made. All such over-the-slot red drum must be released unharmed immediately after capture.

According to Rhonda Nelson at Sunglow Pier, the black drum and sheepshead have been coming in good. She said the baits of choice for both fish have been barnacles and fiddler crabs.

“The black drum have also been biting shrimp,” she said.

Nelson said the water at the pier has been clear and calm, which is keeping whiting and blues away.

The Flagler Beach Pier reports that black drum and bluefish are showing up. The big catch there, though, has been redfish, with a couple of 44-inch fish having been reported.

Granada Pier Bait and Tackle reports big redfish, mangrove snappers, trout and “a ton” of bluefish coming in.

The Fishin' Hole's Todd Wynn said pompano, whiting and a few drum are being caught in the surf on sand fleas and clams.

Wynn said action has been steady at the Daytona Beach Pier, with “bull whiting,” coming in. He said catches of as many as 40 fish at one time have been reported. Wynn said catches of pompano and sheepshead are also being reported at the pier.

The rough surf and steady wind are not ideal conditions for fishing off the piers or from the beach. Sunglow Pier's Rhonda Nelson said the primary catch has been whiting and black drum. “But we did have someone catch a 10-pound drum this week,” she said. “We're looking for some good fishing out here this weekend when the weather calms down.”

The Daytona Beach Pier is heavy with sheepshead, which favor sand fleas in surf conditions.

12-27-12

12-29-2012

The bull whiting are cruising Florida’s East Coast right now, so we went down to the beach to see if we could take a few home for dinner. We ended up catching 15 whiting and a pompano. Special thanks to pinnacle, pro cure, hoo rag, breathe like a fish, and brewsees!

1-2-13

Dead shrimp on the bottom are most productive, and anglers should note multiple baited hooks are legal and effective for whiting.

Anglers casting from shore, and those working in boats, are catching plenty of fish during mild, calm weather.

Some of the area’s better whiting fishing spots now are the Vilano Beach Pier near St. Augustine; North Beach north of St. Augustine; Matanzas Inlet; from Sixth Avenue in Jacksonville Beach to the Gate Station near Ponte Vedra Beach; at Fernandina Beach near Fort Clinch; and American Beach on Amelia Island. Whiting anglers should stay on the move until fish are located, spending no more than 30 minutes at a spot if no fish are caught.

Capt. Todd Wynn, The Fishin' Hole, downtown Daytona Beach, said the surf is yielding whiting, blues, black drum and pompano.

“Normally, pompano are done by now and have moved south,” Wynn said. “But it's not been cold enough to chase them out.”

Off of New Smyrna Beach, Jeff Burkehead, Fishin' Cove Bait & Tackle, reports a “big variety of everything in surf,” adding anglers are hitting pompano, red and black drum.

Rhonda Nelson, Sunglow Pier, Daytona Beach Shores, said she's seen some fat whiting approaching three pounds and some black drum. The catch has been slow this week but is expected to pick up over the weekend.

The Daytona Beach Pier is thick in blues, and fishermen are catching keeper-sized trout.

Rick Newman at White Shell Fish Camp on Heckscher Drive says Nassau Sound and Fort George Inlet have been good for lots of small redfish, and whiting are in the surf in the Nassau area. Small bluefish are very abundant throughout the coastal area now, and can be a nuisance as they take shrimp and lures intended for other species.

1-12-13

Bite is on fire at Playalinda. Caught about 50 fish, lots of whiting and some blues and 1 big pomp.

Plenty of Blues and dozen whiting on an outing south of Marineland

Sunglow Pier's Rhonda Nelson said anglers were landing quite a few bluefish Thursday. Earlier in the week, she said the catch was whiting, blue fish, flounder and sheepshead using shrimp and mullet.

The Flagler Beach Pier also reports a solid whiting catch with some small bluefish coming in as well as redfish and black drum.

Gene Lytwyn, of The Fishin' Hole, said the surf and the ocean piers have been the most active. Lytwyn said the whiting activity has been good, but fishermen on the pier have also been mixing it up with large sheepshead, black drum and flounder.

1-23-13

n good weather, whiting fishing has been outstanding at St. Augustine, and in the surf north of the inlet. Don Edwards at Avid Angler, says whiting are weighing to well over 1 pound, and anglers can make big catches by soaking dead shrimp baits on sandbars near the inlet in about 20 feet of water. Redfish also are hitting well in the upper ends of St. Augustine creeks, and in sheltered mud-bottom bays and coves. Plenty of small sea trout and tons of bait-stealing bluefish are available, too. Sheepshead fishing is only fair.

Lagoon Bait and Tackle's Al Huffman said when the temperature drops as it has this week the fish school.

Over the course of the last week, Huffman said that has been good news for local anglers.

“The reds are schooled and they're everywhere,” he said. “The bite has been good. Trout has been solid. Black drum has been solid.”

Huffman reports that big black drum are being caught in Haulover Canal, and that big redfish and trout are being caught around Tiger Shoals. He said the sheepshead bite has been good around the docks and rocks as well.

Surf and Piers

Sunglow Pier's Rhonda Nelson said anglers are reporting solid whiting and bluefish catches.

At the Flagler Beach Pier, reports are that oversized reds, whiting and undersized reds are being brought in.

Capt. Todd Wynn, The Fishin' Hole, said trout are being caught in good numbers off the Daytona Beach Pier with some as big as 26 inches. Wynn said fair numbers of whiting, sheepshead and drum are also being caught.

In the surf, Wynn said whiting, bluefish and a few pompano are being caught.

1-27-13

Sometimes, when fishing isn't so great, it is easy to spot the leader, and that title this week goes to the Daytona Beach Pier.

According to Capt. Todd Wynn, from The Fishin' Hole in downtown Daytona Beach, the Daytona Beach Pier has been a fisherman's paradise, especially when it comes to trout.

Wynn, of limitlesscharters.com, said the trout bite has been really strong, reporting spots from 17 to 25 inches in length.

“And, they are thick and heavy,” he added.

Anglers have also enjoyed some blues, a few reds and keeper pompano. There is one aggravating development on these planks. Giant sheepshead — 4 to 6 pounds — are swimming around the pilings but not taking the bait because they are more interested in spawning.

At the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores, Rhonda Nelson said it's hot one day and not the next. She said the primary bite has been whiting and blues. The tote board at the Flagler Beach Pier shows black drum, whiting, blues, sheepshead and reds being pulled from the ocean this week.

2-6-13

Apparently, if you cast bait into the surf, you will likely hit a whiting in the head. Whiting are thick in the surf, according to Gene Lytwyn, The Fishin' Hole, downtown Daytona Beach.

“I'm having customers come in with large numbers, like 20 to 30 whiting per outing,” Lytwyn said, adding that blues and pompano are being caught here and there during this whiting assault.

The bait of choice is Fishbite, a synthetic strip made in St. Augustine that is irresistible to fish in the surf.

Last week's hot bite at area piers has slowed down. The primary catch is whiting and sheepshead. At the Daytona Beach Pier, anglers are catching trout by floating live shrimp.

2-11-13 Fished PlayaLinda today with father-in-law. Started out in lot 2 around 6:15am. Weather was nice, so was the bite. Mosquitos were out in force!!! Caught a bunch of whiting on fishbites (orange). Caught some jacks on shrimp, nothing on sandfleas. Rip was strong. Left around 12pm. Waves were getting big. I was not totally sold on sputniks before today, but now I will never fish with a pyramid again!  does anybody know of a website I can visit to purchase sputniks fairly cheap? Happy fishing! 2-12-13 Ive been getting 20 Whiting per trip recently over the last 2 months with lots of Blues and pomps mixed in. At low tide you have to walk out to the sandbar and cast. High tide the fish are 10 feet from the sand. CNS 2-13-13 Redfish have been hit or miss, with most fish being on the short side of 18 inches. Keeper-size trout and flounder have been steady around the inlet and creek mouths north of Bings Landing on a falling tide. The best redfish schools have been down by the condos in Flagler Beach. If you fish the high tide in the back country, you should be able to locate these schooling fish. In the surf, anglers are still catching bull whiting, along with some nice redfish, bluefish and a few pompano. I talked with angler Gene Van Dorpe who had been fishing at the end of Mala Compra Road and his catch included 12 bull whiting, one 25-inch redfish, one pompano and he said he lost two big black drum in the rocks. Gene was using dead shrimp for bait on a single-hook rig. Redfish are the fish of the day at Flagler Pier, but most fish are over the size limit of 27 inches. However, there are a few keepers coming over the rails. Intermittent Whiting with the best bite at night. County pier. 2-15-16, 2013 ormond I fished both Friday & Saturday and this time it was more like fishing than catching . I have been spoiled lately getting double digit on every outing. But this time it was very different. On Friday the high tide was at 11:40AM and I only made it there at 12:30. Having missed the last two hours of incoming, I didn't have high expectations. I got 5 whitings and a blue withing the first hour and than the bite shut down completely. Then on Saturday, I was there at 10:30AM and for one hour and a half I had only one whiting in the cooler. At first I thought the cold front must have shut down the bite but than an old man comes next to me I starts fishing with two rods next to my five rods and starts pulling whiting after whiting! To add salt to the injury, he throws back every single one of them even though they were decent size!

2-16-13 Playalinda

I fished the beach from 8:30 to 12 this morning. Fishing was slower than I expected, and I caught a lot of whitney, but no pompano... Total count for Whiting was around 15, but I only kept 8 because I was technically after pompano. The wind got really bad at noon, and I could see some weeds near to the shore so I decided to leave, but hopefully the weather will be better by next weekend, and I will hit the beach then! All the fish came on a mixture of baits, either sand fleas, shrimp, clam or crab... The fish are out there, so go get them! Good luck! 2-19-13 Pier fishing has the usual suspects being caught. Sheepshead have been good on days with a north/northeast wind to clear up the water. Live fiddler crabs fished on a single-hook rig works best. When fishing for sheepshead, fish as close to the pilings as possible. Drop the bait to the bottom and then wind your line up two or three turns of the reel so the bait is moving around the piling with the wave action. Redfish, whiting, blue fish, and a few trout round out the fishing experience at the pier. 2-20-13 Whiting to 2 pounds continue to be caught in large numbers throughout the coastal region when anglers have good weather to fish effectively. North Beach at St. Augustine and the Fort Clinch area near Fernandina Beach are prime bets for anglers soaking shrimp on the bottom in 20 feet of water. 2-20-13 Feb 20, 2013 ... In the surf, whiting is still the most consistent bite but even it has been hit or miss. You had to be in the right place at the right time. 2-21-13 Ponce inlet is A+ for filling cooler. Amazing sheepshead bite and snapper bite has improved greatly. filddler crabs for sheepshead and finger mullet or mud minnows for snapper. For snook or reds, bait a larger mullet or the biggest shrimp in the bucket. Tons of sheepshead at Sunglow pier on sandfleas. Also landing whiting and blues with occ BD

2-28-13

Capt. Todd Rawlings said reds are being taken from the surf and that blues “are everywhere.” Pompano and bull whiting are taking sand fleas and shrimp from the shore and piers.

2-28-13 Whiting reports haven’t been good but netters are getting them all along crescent beach. Some jumbo whiting on dondanville road. Go on low tide and throw out 50-75 yds, in front of last bar.

3-1-13