InShore
Peak Sheepshead season is around the corner with cold fronts starting up. We’re expecting more big sheepshead to start showing up around Johns Pass ready to feed on shrimp, fiddler crabs, oysters, and barnacles.
There is still tons of snook and redfish around the pass and the beaches being caught on live shrimp. The warmer than usual water is keeping them here longer than normal. Triple-tail are also pretty prolific around the crab trap buoys and the passes and even the dock lights of Johns Pass at night. They will also love to eat a live shrimp presented to them within their striking range, we love to use DOA shrimp when we have a chance to present a bait to those good eating prehistoric looking fish.
Near Shore
There are lots of tuna around the 15-18 mile range. We have caught some trolling on the way offshore aboard our 39-hour trips using Rapala Xrap magnum 30’s. We have also been catching some nice hogfish lately aboard our private charters and even a few aboard our 5 and 10 hour all day fishing trips on the party boats.
The lane snapper bite has been consistent lately as well especially when using the live shrimp targeting the hogfish. Kingfish are finally starting to show up, we got our first few kings this past week in the deeper near shore waters aboard the ten hour all day deep sea fishing trips at Hubbard’s Marina. The gag grouper bite has been hit and miss from day to day.
Off Shore
39-hour, long-range, deep sea fishing trips started back up in late October. Big amberjack were very ready to chew on many of the ledges in 120-160 foot of water and a nice pile of them were on a deep-water wreck too. The mangrove snapper were a little picky but a nice pile of them were caught too. Gags were a little tough, but around 2 dozen fat ones, were brought to shore. Plus, there were some kingfish while trolling and plenty of tuna on the flat lines and while trolling too.
The next Tuesday the bite was completely different. Over 40 nice gag grouper and especially great action around sunrise and sundown. The amberjack were a little pickier on the Tuesday trip. We found some absolute monsters but unfortunately many broke off. Mangrove snapper were plentiful with tons of nice fish and nearly a three-quarter boat limit of great eating snapper. The yellowtail snapper we’re pretty active for us on the mid-week 39-hour trip too and we were pleasantly surprised at the large catch of grouper, snapper and a few nice jacks.
The mid-week 39 hour had the same plentiful tuna but only a single kingfish on the troll and flat lines.