Awesome Year of Fishing and Looking Ahead to 2024

Happy New Year!

We had an awesome year fishing and hope 2024 is just as good. Sheepshead fishing has been on fire earlier than normal. Many people have been getting 10–20 keepers a trip and a bunch of nice 2-4lb fish. The jetties have been holding a lot of fish when you get a break in this non-stop wind we’ve had. Both sand fleas and fiddlers have been doing the trick with a bottom sweeper jig or a fish finder rig. There has been some slot and just over slot redfish around the jetties and some black drum. 

Definitely try to have a couple options for bait this time of year. I will have two or even three different baits at times. I’ve been bringing live shrimp, sand fleas, and either mud minnows or finger mullet to the jetties and when I’m fishing the river as well. 

In the river, there are a bunch of things going on. There has been hundreds of tarpon right off the channel in New Smyrna around the bridges and some bull reds. I’ve been catching pinfish and pigfish when I get a chance to use for them. These bigger fish are easier to spot on the fish finder, so I’m always keeping an eye on it when I’m in the area. 

There’s been a bunch of pompano in the river over the last month or so, and a lot of people have been getting them in good numbers. I’ve been getting them off some deeper river banks down in Ponce and New Smyrna. There’s been a ton of jacks in the same areas along with blues, sheepshead, and some redfish. 

This time of year you can get out to some nearshore spots outside the inlet and tear up sand trout, weakfish, and some big sheepshead. Sometimes up to 6-8 lbs. It can be awesome for kids because the sand trout and weakfish will be piled up and keep the kids busy with a ton of action! It’s not uncommon to catch 50 or more in a trip. I’ll pretty much stick with live shrimp and sand fleas out there since those are the three main target species. 

There are a bunch of different things going on, so I base the target species off of the conditions and what the clients are looking to accomplish, whether it’s trying to catch a trophy fish or a meal. The perfect trip is when you can do both.