sail cat

Allie’s first fish caught from a boat was also her first fish caught on an artificial lure. The six pound Sailcat ate a Z-Man Minnowz suspended under a popping float.

First off, I’d like to apologize for my lack of regular reports. I promise I’ll get back on a normal weekly schedule very soon. Aside from this past week, the blustery winds have made fishing “iffy” at best and downright dangerous at times!

Easter Sunday was my most recent outing. Michael and Allie were here for nearly a week and the weather simply wouldn’t let us get on the water. Since Sunday was their last day in Fort Pierce, we gave it a shot as the winds diminished just enough to make boating at least comfortable.

This trip was Allie’s very first experience fishing from a boat, and while the fishing was awful, it gave her time to learn some basic casting skills.

We hid from the fifteen knot easterly winds under sheltered shorelines and found nothing interested in eating cut mullet or the array of lures Michael was tossing non-stop. Much to my chagrin, the bait shops were out of live shrimp.

Eventually we decided on trying some canal fishing to hide from the building winds. Allie caught the only fish of the morning near a residential dock.

On a brighter note, this past week the weather was fantastic and the jetty and land based anglers caught a wide assortment of critters. Snook were taken on live shrimp, pinfish and whitebait from the rocks and boats during incoming tides most every day. Pompano were occasionally active for the jig casters and bluefish and jacks eagerly devoured cut bait, jigs, spoons and plugs.

On an even brighter note, I’d like to report the presence of baitfish on the beaches and inside the inlet. Lots of “small fry” too little to identify as well as SOME pilchards, anchovies and thread fins large enough to sabiki. While they’re not here in big numbers yet, more are sure to show up soon.