Pier 60 Fishing Report

Capt'n Tom

The weather in October was sweltering, and the fishing on Pier 60 was HOT!

Spanish Mackerel continue to be caught starting at first light, and throughout the day. The Mackerel feed best on live minnows caught on the Pier, but will also take a lure, live shrimp, or strip bait. Most of the fish have been 15” and up, but early-risers have caught many Macks over 20”, fishing deeper with larger baits.

A few stray King Mackerel were hooked, providing a sizzling run on large live baits presented under a float. Most of these lone Kingfish overmatched fishermen’s gear, but a few fish were landed in the 15-25 lb range. Look for more big “Smokers” as the water cools in November.

Cobia have been caught daily on the Pier, but most of those fish have been undersize. Larger fish of 48” or so have appeared from time to time, but have managed to wrap a piling and get away. Big Cobia are powerful, and it takes both skill and luck to get a keeper away from obstacles and into a waiting landing net without having him bolt at the first sight of the net. Cobia always seem to have a reserve burst of energy just when you think they are whipped….so be warned.

Tarpon are still about, but not in huge numbers. A few large fish have been jumped, and they straightened, threw, or broke the hook. Silver Kings bit early in the day or near sundown. These fish will leave the area as the weather cools.

Snook have continued to hang around the area, feeding at night or early morning. Successful anglers have been getting hits on large Greenbacks or small Ladyfish. Most of the Snook have been slot-sized keepers, 28”-33”, a few fish have been over, and zero reports of small fish. In November, Snook will migrate off the beaches, into the passes, and then back into the bay. As these fish move, they pause at Pier 60 for a snack, and provide great excitement and excellent eating for those who target them.

Jericho and Felicia with some Pier 60 Flounders

We have seen more Flounder on Pier 60 this year than ever! All through October the flatties have been active and have provided a daily addition to the catches. Most all the Flounder we have seen were well over the 12-inch minimum, with many over 20”. Flounder have been biting on live shrimp, small minnows, and cut baits.

Big schools of Redfish mixed with Black Drum have shown up occasionally both day and night, swimming lazily in formation past the end of the Pier. Live baits and cut bait have been successful in getting some of these fish to bite. The Reds and Drum have all been around the same size, about 48” and perhaps 30 lbs. After a bruising fight and strong battle, all of these oversize fish were released by exhausted anglers.

Spotted Sea Trout show up nightly at Pier 60, and quite a few nice fish over 20” were taken once the fish quit looking and started biting. Small minnows are the choice bait for them, but lures will work also. November starts the closed season on the Spotted Sea Trout, and since trout don’t do well as catch-and-release, most anglers stop targeting them during the closed season.

Whiting are one of the staples of winter fishing at the Pier, and they have been waiting for fall to arrive to show up. A few days of cold weather and falling water temperatures will no doubt bring more than the incidental catch we have seen in October.

Sheepshead are feeding on the barnacle-encrusted pilings here, and those who know how have successfully nabbed a few of them. A small hook, careful eye, and light line help ensure success. The Sheepies like small crabs, small bits of shrimp and other delicacies, and have been from 1-3 lbs. As the water cools, more and larger fish will be taken.

Almost daily, a feeding spectacle we call a “Jack Attack” occurs as schools of hungry Jack Crevalle force bait schools to the surface, where a feeding frenzy occurs. The surface of the water literally erupts as the Jacks thrash and slash in a wild display for a minute or so. Some of the Jacks are as large as 24 “, and although not known as good table fare, they fight with a tenacity rarely rivaled in the fish world.

A few Mangrove Snapper have been caught lately, sized anywhere from a keeper 10” to a nice 15”. Not a consistent catch this month, the Snapper have been here one day, and absent the next.

There have been a few Gag and even Red Grouper caught this month, but there have been no fish of legal size. Still, it bodes well that they hang around the Pier. No doubt there will be some shallow-water Grouper of legal size taken as the water cools off in November.

As always, when you have a lot of fish, there will be predators and scavengers. Sharks of many species are an incidental catch, since we do not allow “Shark Fishing” on Pier 60. Hammerhead Sharks are usually prowling around when the Tarpon are here, and we have seen some beautiful 6-footers fought and released. Spinner Sharks are also in the area, and provide a thrilling display of aerial acrobatics when they feel a hook. A five-foot, 70-pound rocket-powered torpedo-with-teeth arching out of the water and spinning as it goes is a sight that will make most anglers and sightseers gasp in awe! Bonnethead or Shovelnose Sharks, Blacktip Shark, and Bull Sharks are common around the Pier. No doubt that some strikes and runs that are completely one-sided affairs are big Bull Sharks taking a bait and running towards Mexico.

Good Luck Fishing!

Capt'nTom

November, 2008: Fishing this time of year is hit-or-miss. The key to catching fish in these changing weather conditions is to be adaptable.

On days when the sun is shining and water temperatures approach 70 degrees, Mackerel usually can be found, hitting the little whitebait minnows we catch on sabiki rigs. When the Mackerel are around, so too are the schools of Bluefish and Jack Crevalle. There are also reports of Pompano being seen in the mornings.

As the wind kicks up, and the sun heads for the horizon, fishermen have been having good luck targeting Silver Trout and Whiting, using cut bait, shrimp, or squid.

There are lots of small sharks around, Blacktips, Sand Sharks, and Bonethead Sharks. While we do not allow Shark fishing per se on Pier 60, an incidental shark catch is an interesting event. Small Blacktips are also good table fare.

The pilings around the pier are loaded with nice-sized Sheepshead right now, and little crabs or bits of shrimp work well. The key to hooking Sheepshead is to watch your line quiver when she bites….once you feel a nibble, it is usually too late! Once you get the hang of it, it’s not so hard. I use the smallest circle-hook you can find, and a light line. You have to keep your baits away from the hoardes of Pinfish that will tear into any morsels you send their way.

There are even a few late-season Snook to be found at night, and wil feed on a lively Greenback minnow or even a Ladyfish. Bull Redfish are out and about, and alttho the are likely to be larger than the slot-size allows, they are a hard-fighting bruiser that will test your tackle and your stamina.

After dark, the Spotted Sea Trout move in. It is closed season through December, so it is a good idea to use circle hooks to prevent gut-hooking, and it is also beneficial to the Trout to handle them as little as possible. I use pliars to grab the hook as the fish is reeled up to the pier, and he gets released without any touching at all. A Sea Trout slung up on the pier looses his slime coating, and any handling further decreases his chance of survival. There have been some real “Gator Trout” caught recently, well over 8 lbs.

Good Luck Fishing!