# What's in SI area late Nov, early Dec?



## fishaholic (Oct 13, 2003)

I am heading down there on vacation 11/25 to 12/2. Wondering what type of tackle to bring, line class, etc. Will be hitting the Inlet park for some surf and jetty action, but I will also have access to a small boat for IR action. Any and all tips are much appreciated.


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## jettypark28 (Jun 23, 2006)

*If*

you do surf fishing up there, that same stuff will work down here. SI isnt that hard to fish,except for all the people that hit it. I have always fish it late at nite, when everybody is almost gone. The current in this inlet is really strong and it claims alot of tackle. The blues and jacks will start getting bigger, and depending on how cold it gets. Everything else should still be biting, give us a list of what you have. And the guys here should be able to tell U what to bring and what to leave home....also think about what fish you would like to catch...that has alot to do with the outcome...But our bait for all season is still the Shrimp, everything will hit it. And you really don't need beefup gear to fish with it....again let us know


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## fishaholic (Oct 13, 2003)

Thanks for the reply there jetty. I've got plenty of tackle, lures, sinkers, etc., but as you've already figured I don't want to lug all of it. I'm planning on bringing a 10' penn spinfisher, 9' tica, and two 6' ugly stix. I have an 11' St. Croix Ben Doerr, but that thing is a pain to transport. My trusty 13' Daiwa Eliminator would probably enjoy a return visit to its home state, but not sure if I really want to bring that. All of my larger reels are spooled with 14 or 17lb with 30lb leader, but I also have extra spools in case I need to go lighter or heavier. Reels I use are Okuma av50, tica Sportera baitrunner, and a large, old, but still my trustiest Shakespeare Alpha. My small rods sport a Mitchell spinner and an old Shimano 350 Baitrunner. The Mitchell has 20lb spiderwire on it. The Shimano is probably 14lb copolymer (breakaway).

whattya think? Any ideas what the river holds at that time of the year?


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

Big reds at end of north pier. 
What I would do is bring what you talked about earlier and hit the pier and talk to everyone. Watch everyone as well. You will figure out what you need in no time. Bring bottom rigs for passive fishing and big jigs and spoons or 3oz egg sinkers and leader with good strong hooks for live. There is a bait shop at the base of the pier on land.


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

Hey fishaholic. Take it from a fellow Va. fishermen who has been going down there for the last 5 years. The surf is fished mainly for pompano using long poles and light gear.

Your best bet is to go to the North Jetty for all species during the day. If you have a cast net, bring one or plan to catch live bait with a sabaki rig. Bring a bucket and aerater to keep your bait alive. They will die without an aerator. They are not like our minnows.

Snook is the most prized fished for fight and meat. Pound for pound it is one of the strongest fish and a striper just can't compare. The most fun way to catch it is using a 1.5 oz bucktail jig (white/red or chartreuse or pink). You must have a 40 or 50 lb. leader and most people use a 30 lb. braid. The reason is that the snook's sharp fins and gill plate will cut anything less. Most use a leader that is about 2 to 3 feet long (some swear by fluro, but I have seen others catch with regular mono leader).

You must fish the bucktail close to the bottom and if you want to catch fish, you will lose the bucktail if inside the inlet as there are many rocks in the inlet (not so on the N. Jetty). Some locals get 12 per dozen so ask some snook fishermen where they get it from. I lost over a $100 worth of store bought jigs last year. Well worth the snooks I caught.

Your 9 ft pole and 7 is best bet for snook. Ideally, you use a beefy but light 7-8 ft pole. A lot of folks there use nice gear such as Loomis, custom made and Shimano Sustain, Stradic and even Stella $500 model).

You can also catch using something called a wind cheater and 6 inch bomber (2 piece deal in red and white) it would be color #21 at Bass Proshop. 

Also, use something called a Rapala knot. This gives more action. Check your leader for nicks and cuts and replace if detected. Set your reel for drag so that you can pull line out with some force. The snook will have a smallmouth bass (albeit 12 lbs or larger) like initial charge and the drag needs to be right.

You can also use live bait (pin fish, pig fish, spot (they call them croakers down there and considered junk fish), mullet, live shrimp etc.). You use a large snap sinker used for freshwater fishing with bobbers (1/16, 1/8, 1/4 oz) or egg sinkers. The jig set up, bomber/windcheater and live fish set up can be tied together using a 2 way swivel for braid and leader.

The jig and lure affair is a night time deal. The live bait is both night and day. If using shrimp, you must keep it alive which means putting hook on it's tail or back where there is an area you can put the hook through without killing it. Ask a local how to hook your shrimp if using.

You will find the average Florida fishermen much better fishermen than in Va. They also have much better gear on average because the type of fish they have and the conditions demand it.

Sebastian Inlet is a fisherman's paradise with outstanding quality fish.

I you have a boat, you go near the bridge area and drift fish using live bait. 

Best time for snook is 3 hours window before and after slack tide (high or low) during the night. I haven't analyzed the moon phase portion of it as I have not been there enough times.

The flounder there is also amazing. These are southern flounders which are shorter but thicker. They are stronger than our flounder.

All flounder must get out of the inlet into the ocean to spawn. Thanksgiving to Christmas is their migration time. 

Here, you use a 11/16, 1/8 to 1/4 oz egg sinker and have at least 20 lb leader. You can get by with lighter mono on spool (12 and above). 

The current there is swift so if the fish are not biting, you can get hung up left and right. Keep the leader short. You don't have to cast out far. Just drop your line close to the rocks and work 180 degrees. The best bait is small mullets which are very hard to come by. The smaller the mullet the better. 

They will also hit shrimp and mud minnows. One of these days, I would like to try a long strip of squid and see what happens. Their junk fish is the jack and it may bite. Maybe not worth eating, but it is a great fighter and a lot of fun catching. 

The red drum fishing there is also fantastick. They hit jigs and live bait. I saw one snook fishermen get mad because he caught a 40 lb red. They are very plentiful at the end of North jetty and inside the inlet.

Other game fish:

Pompano - use live sand fleas (clean water is best)
Spanish Mackerals - Use steel leader and gotchas ( clean water is best)
Sheepshead (use sand fleas and fiddler crabs near pilings)
whiting (may catch if using clam, shrimp and have dirty water)
blues (spoons)
tarpons (will bite during night if jig not on bottom)
catfish - will catch if using cut bait (these are slimy boogers and the locals will meow at you if you catch it consistently).
look down fish (round, flat, funny looking fish with no scales, but consider great table fare) - speck rigs, live bait.
Sand perch - may catch if fishing Va style.
Puffers - may catch if fishing Va style (uglier than the VA variety and poisonous)

Have fun dude.


The


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## jettypark28 (Jun 23, 2006)

*Sorry i didnt*

see this before i reply to you on the sheephead issue...(CCC6588) It looks like you done your homework on SI and Snook. But the one reason most of us like fishing for Snook, is because he can be so hard to get to bite. There are times that you can't miss, but most of the times the Snook wins. He a really picky eater at times, that why most of us have more then one bait. The bigger Snook have " almost" always been caught on livebait. (90% of the time).....but the one good thing about targeting them with livebait....Is that you never know whats going to hit your pole down there. The inlets is rough at times, the flounders are caught more inside then anywhere else. Baitfish are almost everywhere, but there are times when you don't see any.....During the day the beach is a great place for famliy, fish the early morning late afternoons. And come back at night and take your chances with some of the monsters that come in there ...other thing to be prepare for...alot of people will there fishing also, thats why the night fishing is great. I would also bring my small gear, to catch bait and just have fun when nothing else is biting. Most of us only use fluo during the day, at night i go back to mono leader.....And be ready to lose alot of rigs in the inlet, till you get a hang of it. Not everyone fishes the same, as for locals.....they can be unfriendly most of the time. Thats just the way it always been down there. If someone talks or offers advise, he might be from someone else. But not a local As for using squid...catfish city. Try to stick to livebait, the little airpump runs about ten bucks in the wal-marks down here. That will keep (baitfish) alive in a 5gallon bucket most of the night. Just change water often, water in the bucket gets hot after awhile. So change it, this will save any baitfish you catch. Do a search (here) on how to fish SI, also you can get the tides for the days you will be there. (Tides play into catching any fish) over the net. Read and use what you have, and don't forget to have fun....I am sure one of the board memebers might be out during that time...Ask...and somebody might be able to show up and wet a line with you....Have fun


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Gulp! Mullet 4" with a 1 oz. jighead. Sort of like the VA style of jigging for flounder. Very effective on flounder, only problem is that sometimes the snapper like to eat the tails off.


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

emanuel said:


> Gulp! Mullet 4" with a 1 oz. jighead. Sort of like the VA style of jigging for flounder. Very effective on flounder, only problem is that sometimes the snapper like to eat the tails off.


I would imagine you lose a lot of rigs with a 1 oz jig at SI.


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

as for locals.....they can be unfriendly most of the time. Thats just the way it always been down there....

This has been my experience as well. Most things I learned was from observation. 

I did have some nice guys last year who gave me some jigs when I ran out. They were from Orlando. One guy gave it to me for free and I promptly caught a snook with it. His buddy sold me several he had for the rest of the night. They were very good snook fishermen and taught me a few things.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Yeah, so many locals think they own that place, but last time I checked, it was a state park. I have met some really decent people out there and then I have met some that I just wanted to pitch over the rail. I finally figured out the snapper down there, thanks to a couple locals kids who decided to be nice. 

I always try to feel out who is friendly and who isn't as soon as I get there. That way I know who to help and who to ignore. The locals think they have that place to themselves but I'm not above cutting a line or refusing a net when need be.


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## snookfowl (Nov 17, 2006)

"I finally figured out the snapper down there, thanks to a couple locals kids who decided to be nice"

please explain??


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## jettypark28 (Jun 23, 2006)

*The Snookers*

down there will never change, and the only way to get them talking. Is if you show them up by catching a larger Snook, more then one. Cause i was once told...Anybody can get lucky I was with a group of guys, and caught a few more that night. We don't like to show any fish most of the time. As this will get people running right on top of you. But on that nite, I held them high and yell it out "DAMN ANOTHER ONE!!" after a few seasons under my belt....Some of them know me now Its like you have to prove something...But i quit going and started hitting the Cape, some people don't belive it. But there are some monster Snooks at the cape also...They are just a little harder to fool....


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

snookfowl said:


> "I finally figured out the snapper down there, thanks to a couple locals kids who decided to be nice"
> 
> please explain??


yep SPILL!


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## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

They are all over SI under the catwalks. Ligthweight, and even circle hooks... heck Snapper is pretty much all I caught there last time I went and I hate snapper


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

I really do not fish the catwalks that much..
What size are they?
I love Snapper.............


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

VICIII said:


> yep SPILL!


They saw me catch a couple snapper and saw that I knew my stuff. So they told me a good spot to cast where I wouldn't have to fight them out of the pilings. On top of it, my aerator was on the fritz that day, so they let me throw my bait into their livewell. Snapper aren't hard to find down there when the run is on. There's still some down there, saw a nice one last time I was fishing.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

emanuel said:


> They saw me catch a couple snapper and saw that I knew my stuff. So they told me a good spot to cast where I wouldn't have to fight them out of the pilings. On top of it, my aerator was on the fritz that day, so they let me throw my bait into their livewell. Snapper aren't hard to find down there when the run is on. There's still some down there, saw a nice one last time I was fishing.


That is really not a great "Spill"... Try again.
I have caught small ones at the cat walk when snook hunting... but they were very small and hit a windcheater about there own size... Are you fishing the bottom like when flounder catching...?


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

exactly. I still haven't mastered the art of snapper slapping but I can do ok. If you want me to show you, meet me down there one day and we'll hit them. By the way, shouldn't you be working right now? 

I'll call you if I can get down there today. I'd fish tomorrow but I avoid that place on the weekends.


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## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

When I was down there I was catching tons of 14-18 inch Snappa under the north catwalk on live shrimp. I was using my typical fishfinder rig. How big of Mango's could you realistically be looking to catch inshore?


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## PoppinPilz11 (Nov 15, 2006)

KodiakZach said:


> When I was down there I was catching tons of 14-18 inch Snappa under the north catwalk on live shrimp. I was using my typical fishfinder rig. How big of Mango's could you realistically be looking to catch inshore?


what does your typical fishfinder rig consist of?


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## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

1/2oz to 2oz egg weight on main running line stopped by the swivel which is connected to a 1.5ft to 2ft flor leader and size 1 j-hooks.


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## patindaytona (Jun 17, 2006)

Amazing!


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Sounds like your sheepshead rig.  

Actually that about right, I tend to stick to the lower end of that weight range unless the current is truly ripping. Most of the inshore snapper aren't big, but a 18-20" fish will turn up from time to time. Fiancee loves them and wants me to catch them every chance I get.


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