Florida fishing: Gale warnings, king tides will hamper plans to wet a line
Northeasterly winds will dominate the weekend weather forecast so I doubt there will be an opportunity to fish offshore, along the beaches, around the inlets or the western shoreline of the lagoon. In fact, marine weather will be rough enough to cause Sebastian Inlet State Park officials to close the north jetty, likely.
Welcome to November.
It's probably the windiest month of the year, so expect to lose a few good fishing days. With any luck, the winds will subside next week and some pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish will be in the trough along the beaches.
But the weekend will begin with gale force warnings — gale force!
Another thing to keep in mind is the closures that are upon us. Flounder, closed since Oct. 15, will remain closed through Nov. 30. Spotted seatrout are closed as of Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 from Volusia to Palm Beach counties. Hogfish closed in Atlantic waters Nov. 1 also. Harvest will re-open May 1, 2024.
Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:
Spotted seatrout: Harvest closed November 1 through December 31, 2023 in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest reopens Jan. 1, 2024.
Hogfish: Harvest closed from Nov. 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024. Season re-opens for harvest May 1, 2024.
Flounder: Harvest closed Oct. 15 to Nov. 30, 2023. Size limit: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person.
Gag grouper: Harvest closed for both recreational and commercial sectors on Oct. 23. Re-opens May 1, 2024.
Snook: Harvest opened Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required. Harvest closes Dec. 15.
Blueline tilefish: Harvest closed Sept. 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters. Season re-opens for harvest May 1, 2024.
Golden tilefish: Harvest closed July 17. Harvest opens Jan. 1, 2024.
Lobster: Regular season opened Aug. 6-March 31, 2024. No egg bearers, 3-inch minimum carapace length. Lobster stamp required.
Alligator: Hunt season opened Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.
Grouper: Harvest opened May 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1.
Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.
Redfish: Harvest of redfish has been banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since Sept. 1, 2022. FWC will reevaluate in the future.
Dolphin: Bag limit is 5 fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. These fishing regulations began on May 1, 2022, for state waters.
Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.
For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.
Citizen catches wanted
ORCA in Vero Beach is sponsoring a contest to encourage recreational anglers to donate catches to science. There is a raffle going on for catches donated from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. Snook, flounder and pompano get three raffle entries each. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are among the catches that receive two raffle entries. Coast Del Mar Tailfin sunglasses are first prize. A Z Man fishing lure package is second prize. A DOA Lure fishing package is third prize. Instruction on catches and more information can be found at TeamORCA.org.
Indian River County
Offshore: Spanish mackerel will school off the beaches on the southern end of the county. Fish just off the Cove with Mylar jigs or Gotcha plugs. Reel fast to get macks and bluefish to bite. Look for amberjack and snapper in 180 feet of water.
Inshore: Jig at Wabasso Causeway low bridge with Doc's Goofy Jigs for pompano, ladyfish and jacks. Fish for redfish along Jungle Trail to escape the wind. Use live shrimp either freelined or under a popping cork.
Freshwater: Bass fishing has been at its best along the edges. Fish will set up for spawning around full moon and new moon phases.
St. Lucie County
Offshore: Good fishing for large mangrove snapper should resume when the sea conditions allow. Try 70-80 feet of water with cut grunts or pinfish. Sailfish, kingfish and dolphin will be in 150 to 190 feet of water.
Inshore: High tides will have fish feeding close to mangroves. Cast spoons or jigs up close to trees to get bites. Snook will take flair hawk jigs around catwalks, bridges and seawalls. Fish for trout around points.
Surf: Beaches will likely experience some erosion and high water well up to the dune line. Salt spray will also be bad. Even a '57 Buick won't be enough weight to hold bottom Friday or Saturday. Look for action to resume as winds drop out.
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Martin County
Offshore: Prior to the winds there was a good dolphin bite along the current edges, according to reports from Stuart Big Game Fishing's Capt. V.J. Bell and Off the Chain Fishing's Capt. Scott Fawcett. Trolling ballyhoo was the best way to find the fish in 120 to 180 feet of water. There was also a good bite of blackfin tuna there.
Inshore: Water will be high throughout the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon with the easterly winds and king tides. Snook will be well up into the woods in areas around St. Lucie Inlet State Park Preserve and the South Fork of the St. Lucie. Fish the bottom for croaker and black drum around the pilings of bridges near the Roosevelt and railroad bridges.
Lake Okeechobee
The level of the lake is 16.20 feet. Water is still high in the western and northern areas of the lake, so bass are feeding along the edges. Watch for wind advisories the next few days on the giant lake. The better bass fishing will resume will occur after the winds die down.
Ed Killer is the fishing writer for TCPalm. Email him your photos and fishing reports to ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida fishing: Gale warnings, king tides likely to hamper plans
