Pier 60 Fishing Report

Capt'n Tom

June means summer is in full swing, and fishing on Pier 60 has heated up as well.

We are still seeing a lot of Spanish Mackerel action first thing in the morning. The Macks have been hitting free-lined shrimp, small minnows, or plugs that mimic those small fish. We have also seen a smattering of undersize small King Mackerel mixed in with the Spanish. It is important to know how to tell the difference, as the King Mackerel needs to be at least 24 inches to the fork of the tail, while the Spanish need only to be 12 inches to the fork in order to be a legal keeper fish.

Tarpon are traveling in pods up and down the beach, and as they move past, offer a chance to hook up with the “Silver King”. Most of the fish are in the 50 to 80 pound class, but fish over 100 pounds have been hooked and jumped. Tarpon fishermen have been getting hits on live Pinfish or Grunts suspended under a float.

Snook caught June 2010 on Pier 60

Snook are all along the beaches and in the passes. Best time to get in a tussle with one of these bruisers is in the very early mornings, or late at night. The bite usually lasts an hour or two in the evening, and most anglers have found catch-and-release success using live Pinfish, Grunt, or Ladyfish. Many of the fish being caught are females well over 40 inches, and are survivors of the winter’s cold spells. It is hoped that these spawning fish will replenish the stock of this gamefish whose numbers were severely curtailed during the winter.

Spotted Sea Trout, June 2010

Spotted Sea Trout are showing up during the day here and there, but the best time to target them is at night. Live shrimp, small live sardines, and grubtail lures tipped with a bit of fresh shrimp are working best. Quite a few Trout over 20 inches have been taken.

A few Redfish are starting to show up, and most are in the keeper slot size of 18 to 27 inches. Reds like shrimp best, but the larger fish will readily take a small live fish on the bottom.

Pompano action has been fairly steady, with a few fish taken daily. Some of the Pompano have been in excess of 18 inches, and are quite colorful, with their golden bellies contrasting against their bluish-silver sides. Pompano have been biting jigs and live shrimp.

Sheepshead can be seen feeding around the pilings during daylight hours, and some fishermen have caught a limit of ten fish in an afternoon. Success requires patience, a light touch, and the right bait and presentation.

Schools of Jack Crevalle make an appearance daily by rushing, en masse, into a school of fry or small baitfish, churning the water’s surface into a boiling mass for a minute or so. Jacks, although not considered good table fare, are a determined and strong fighter that break tackle with the initial hit and sustained powerful fight.

Cobia are migrating down the coast, and Pier 60 provides ideal structure for a prowling crab-eater. Some of the fish have been just undersize, but there have been a few keepers over 33 inches caught on live baits fished on the bottom. Cobia are inquisitive and opportunistic, and many times will follow the Manatees as they move up and down the beaches during the day.

A few Flounder were caught in June, with a few fish in the 18-inch range. Most have been around 12 inches, taken on live shrimp.

Whiting have been showing up in decent numbers over sandy bottom areas mid-way out on the Pier, and have been partial to cut shrimp and squid.

Lots of small Sharks have been caught and released this month, with the majority being BlackTip Sharks. BonnetHead Sharks are also here in abundance, and are seen mostly at night.

Some of the largest Key West Grunts seen inshore in years have been caught recently. Some of the Grunts have measured up to 15 inches, and provide tasty fillets. Grunts have been biting on squid and shrimp.

Other species we have seen this month include Undersize Gag Grouper, Blue Runner, Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, and Ladyfish.

It’s a great time to get out and experience some of the best fishing of the year.

Good Luck Fishing!

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!

Patrick, Billy, Sarah and Jenni cleaning a batch of Spanish Mackerel

Fishing in May on Pier 60 has been very good for a variety of species. As water temperatures reached the high-70’s, the most reliable daytime catch has been spanish mackerel. Some of the fish were up to 23 inches, and many anglers took home a limit of 15 fish. Mangrove snapper action has been spotty, but the few taken have been well over the minimum of 10”. There were a few undersize cobia caught and released. Other species include pompano, jack crevalle, gag grouper, flounder, blue runner, key west grunt and ladyfish.

Schools of tarpon have arrived, and can be seen daisy-chaining off the end of the pier and alongside the bait house in the calm of the early morning. In the late afternoon, 80-100 lb tarpon have been jumped on live pinfish.

Joshua Collins of Hunnington, Indiana with Spotted Sea Trout

Spotted sea trout show up at night, with some nice fish of 18” to 20” taken on live shrimp. Whiting of 12” to 14” have been caught in the evenings as well. Snook have been schooling around the pier, with a few linesiders caught and released. A nice redfish of 27” was caught recently, so look for more in the weeks ahead. The summer weather pattern seems to have arrived a bit early. It is most effective to get out early to catch the morning bite, and then again in the evening to fish for spotted sea trout and snook.

Capt'n Tom

Jesse from Tampa displays his Pampano

Spotted seatrout

Fishing in April has been decent when the weather cooperated. There were a couple of late-season cold fronts that pushed though, and some winds that turned the Gulf of Mexico into a mass of whitecaps. Temperatures sank into the low 70’s during the days, but there were still quite a few good fishing days and nights. Water temperatures are now firmly into the mid-70’s, and things look good from here out into summer.

Spanish Mackerel fishing has been very good, with the toothy speedsters biting well on live shrimp and plugs. A wide variety of other fish have shown up, including Jack Crevalle, Lane Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Ladyfish, Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, Sheepshead, Whiting, Flounder, Key West Grunt, Gag Grouper, Pompano, and Cobia. Some King Mackerel have been hooked, but none have been brought up as yet.

Spotted Sea Trout have been biting very well, with some fish taken during the day, but a majority are caught at night under the lights on live shrimp, small greenbacks, or grub lures tipped with a bit of fresh shrimp.

Tarpon are here, with a few fish jumped, but none tamed. Any day we should see schools of Tarpon daisy-chaining off the beach near the pier. We have a No-Kill policy for Tarpon here on Pier 60. No Tarpon are to be beached, gaffed, killed or removed. Tarpon are to be released unharmed.

Snook fishing has started to pick up, but only a few fish have been taken. Most of the Snook have been powerful and quick to wrap the line around a piling and break off.

The local technique for catching Snook is simple and inexpensive. First, one rod is dedicated just for catching baitfish with a sabiki rig. Since we do not allow cast nets on Pier 60, the sabiki rig is used to catch a few Greenback minnows. The lively Greenback is hooked in the nose with a small live bait hook, or circle hook tied to a length of fluorocarbon leader material. The bait is free-lined, no weights, swivels or beads to alert the wary Snook. The Greenback is tossed just to the edge of the illuminated area off the pier, and the Snook usually take the baitfish in a gentle sneaky fashion. It is important to watch your line movement, because you won’t always feel the bite until it is well along. When the fish feels the hook, the Snook might jump once then lunge under the pier to try and wrap around a piling. The fight is usually decided in the first 30 seconds. If the Snook gets tired out, then stage two of the battle begins.

We use a large hoop net, or pier landing net to get the fish up top. The net is lowered, and the fish is brought into the net. Then the Snook can be brought up, unhooked, measured to see if it is a keeper, (28 inch Minimum / 33 inch Maximum total length) and photographed.

It is important to take care and support the belly of a large Snook while out of the water. Holding a big fish vertically lets the guts of the fish slump downwards, and can damage and mortally wound the fish internally.

The third stage of the fight is the release. The fish should be put back into the net, lowered gently, and revived with an up-and-down motion of the net. When the fish has recovered enough, it will be upright in the net, and alert to rejoin its’ friends. Most all of the larger Snook are females, and it is important to insure the survival of the large breeders. After all, it is the success of Florida’s fisheries management that has kept the Snook fishing so awesome here on Pier 60.

Good Luck Fishing!
Capt’ Tom