Offshore Report:The seas have finally calmed down a bit after weeks of it being too rough to make it offshore for most boats. We’ve been getting reports in the last few days that the kingfish bite has been good from Lost Tree to Jupiter Inlet. Most reports have been of smaller fish, but there have been plenty around. The fish have been holding between 60-100ft. Live goggle eyes or blue runners have been working best, but they’ve also been caught on dead sardines and cigar minnows.
The bottom fishing bite has been pretty hot off of Palm Beach as well. Yellowtails and Muttons have been biting between 60-90 ft from the Dodge Wall to MacArthur Park. Frozen sardines or squid on the bottom have worked the best. There have also been quite a few Cobia around in the same area. Make sure if bottom fishing, to have a flatline bait up on the surface and a spinning rod with a jig ready in case cobia are cruising the area.
Inshore Report: Last week’s cold weather has pushed plenty of Pompano from along the beach inshore into the ICW. Two good spots to try are in the North end of the Lake Worth Lagoon and in the Loxahatchee River. The best option in these area’s is going to be a jig like a Goofy Jig or Gulfstream Highjinx. Target the flats or channel edges where there is lots of moving current. Snook have been around the local bridges at night and the season opens up again at midnight on February 1st. Large swimbaits or flair jigs are your best bet for snook.
If you just want to get out and bend a rod, there have also been plenty of big jacks around the Palm Beach Inlet. Heavy spoons or diamond jigs will work the best. Target deeper water areas inside the inlet and around the power plant and look for the schools of jacks on your depth finder.