Fishing Report: Offshore a bust but inshore booming

Offshore fishing has been a bust this past week, but inshore angling is rewarding fishermen with nice catches.

SURF, PIERS: Gene Lytwyn at The Fishin’ Hole in downtown Daytona Beach said surf and pier fishing remains extremely active. “Surf fishing is still doing well, with large whiting, blues, a few pompano being caught,” he said. “Traditional pompano rigs are working the best from the surf and piers.”

OFFSHORE: Capt. Michael Mulholland has kept the Sea Spirit party boat at the dock this last week. “It has been too rough out there,” he said. Capt. David Caruthers (strippinlipscharters.com) had a similar report. “The wind was horrible pretty much all last week,” he said. “We did get out one day. We caught lots of red snapper and also some nice lane snapper.” Some of Lytwyn’s regulars managed to break through and pick up some fish. “Some of them were rewarded with nice wahoo catches. Bottom fishing is good. Grouper, various snappers, cobia and black seabass, are the main catches.”

PONCE INLET, HALIFAX RIVER: Capt. Jeff Patterson (smallboatbigfish.com) has been working up and down the Halifax River. “I've been fishing for sheepshead around the area bridges and docks,” he said. “I've been trying out some new docks I've never even fished before and catching some nice sheepshead up to 4-pounds between Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach. I like to fish docks with the most structure; the more pylons, the better the bite. The inlet continues to hold some very big fish, according to several anglers. Capt. Fred Robert (fishing-guy.com) has been nabbing oversized redfish in the inlet.

TOMOKA BASIN, RIVER: Capt. Barry Englehardt (fishwithcaptainbarry.com) filed this report. “Fishing is slow in Tomoka although we were able to catch small redfish, sheepshead and mangrove snapper and hooked a tarpon,” he said. “It was nice when the wind subsided. Other than the tarpon most of the fish were tight to tree branches in the water.”

MOSQ. LAGOON, INDIAN RIVER: Capt. Michael Savedow (edgewaterriverguide.com) said the Edgewater boat ramp has been closed for renovation. Savedow said it is the ramp located at Kennedy Park. “It’s scheduled to open back up by September,” he said. The ramp closing has not slowed anglers from fishing this area. “We have been catching sheepshead, trout, snapper and also a few snook, redfish, black drum and bluefish,” he said. “Water levels are back down to normal.”

MATANZAS INLET, RIVER: Capt. Mike Vickers Jr. (hammockbaitandtackle.com) filed this report. “Redfish have been found in the river from Flagler Beach up to the Matanzas Inlet. The flounder bite has picked up and the sizes are increasing. Trout have been steady early morning and just before sundown.”

ST. JOHNS RIVER: Capt. Bryn Adams at Highland Park Fish Camp said the speckled perch bite keeps getting better. “We have seen some improvements this week on speck fishing,” she said. “It’s still not red hot, but with the upcoming cold front we are hopeful that it will get fired up. We are still seeing nice keeper size fish coming in.”

SEND PHOTOS: We want to see your most recent catch. Email your fish photos to godwin.kelly@news-jrnl.com. Be sure to include type of fish, size of fish (weight and/or length), where the fish was caught, first and last names and hometown of angler who caught the fish, and first and last name of person who took the photo. If a child is in the photo, please include their age.