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Check out what's happening at your favorite fishing hole. Please feel free to submit a fishing report. Let us know what they're biting and what they're not.

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Date:	Mon Mar 27 20:58:15 2006
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Report...

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_bellsouth_DoT_net
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Date:	Wed Feb 1 18:07:20 2006
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Weather:	Sunny
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Report... Conditions are definitely improving along the Treasure Coast. Clean green water can be seen well north of the Jensen Beach Causeway and past Hell's Gate in the St. Lucie which to me is a prayer answered. Water temps the past few weeks have heated to upper 60's to 71 degrees helping these fish thaw out from the previous upper 50's we have delt with early in the year. When the water is that cold, you really need to fish those deep holes where the temps remain the same. Most fish can get pretty sluggish in the cold. Baitfish are coming back in the Indian River which is a very welcome site. For a while in December and mid January, I could not find any bait schools around, but the past few weeks I have seen a change. Just look at the birds chowing down. Really looking forward to fishing again in clean water and let's keep our fingers crossed. Let's start in the Inlet area and work our way inside. Have not been to Peck's Lake for 3 weeks now. It's funny, when it's 5-10 mph- 1-2 foot seas nobody wants to fish. Let the wind get cranking 15-30 and my phone rings off the hook. What's up with that ??? I did speak with my buddy Kevin a week ago and he stated the Spanish Mackerel were thick. My last trip out there in early January was slow. No netters around. Actually there were only about 6 boats out there mostly trolling. I believe the macs will sometimes head deeper, all the way out over 100 feet deep in search of minnows. Prior to that 1 trip, we have been doing well on the macs mainly casting or jigging Capt. Joe's jigging spoons on 8 " # 3 wire leader which are available at all the local baitshops. The larger macs up to 5 pounds have been all on the bottom. When things slow down, we tip the jigs with a little shrimp which seems to help. Look for jacks, blue runners, snapper and even sheephead to hit them along with the macs. Just outside the rocks, look for jacks, sheephead, snapper and occasional spanish. Here we jig frozen shrimp on trollrites. When the jacks are thick, go with small pieces of shrimp. This are can be really hot at times but can also be absolutely dead. I like it incoming if possible. The water is so much cleaner now. 2 months ago I would avoid the entire inlet area on outgoing tide. Fish don't swim in Maxwellhouse coffee!!! Inside the inlet to the crossroads, add pompano, croakers and a few flounder to the list. Target the pomps on incoming tide with tippeped jigs or join the crowd near Sailfish Point and anchor up with sand fleas. The pomano we have been catching lately are large. Not lot's but LARGE. A few weeks ago, we were under a "jack attack" in the Indian River and inlet. One trip we must have released over 60 of them, most under 3 pounds but fun. The bridges in the Indian River are holding croaker, sheephead, mangroves and the snook bite is heating up. Last trip we released 4 snook, two in the slot 29 and 33" . The water has heated up 10 degrees and the snook are letting me know it. Sailfish flats have been slow for the most part. A few pomps each trip but no numbers. Even the ladyfish here have been slow. We fished there yesterday and things did pick up. Further north, some docks are holding large sheephead and crusing trout. Did land 4 tripletail the past 2 weeks all running 6-10 pounds. Have not decided if I am going to keep score this year. 2 years ago we had 158. Last year was screwed up with the hurricanes and my tempory marina location. Really have not spent much time in the grass flats. It's been so cold lately, I think I'll wait a while. I get daily reports from friends who wade every morning. Think he's catching more "large" pompano than trout. Finally, we did abort the 28' Pacemaker "Buddy Lee" for deep sea charters. Things just did't work out. However we did add a brand new 41' Luhrs named "Hooligan" for 1/2, 3/4 and full day trips as well as Bahama and swordfishing trips. Still have to change my website and brochures. With all this nice water, all I want to do is fish, fish, fish !!!! Tight Lines, Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Capt. Josh Foster
E-Mail:	jfoster_AT_hubbardsmarina
City/State:	CLearwater/Tampa, FL
Home Page:	www.hubbardsmarina.com
Date:	Tue Jan 17 08:09:24 2006
Location of fishing trip:	Gulf of Mexico
Date of fishing trip:	01/01/06
Weather:	Partly Sunny
Temperature:	75
Barometer:
Wind direction:	NE
Wind speed:	12kt
Water temp:	68
Water clarity:	Clear
Report... The Florida Fisherman II out of Hubbard's Marina, has been coming home with very impressive catches of Big Gag and Red Grouper, Amberjack, Mangrove Snapper, Scamp Grouper, Blackfin Tuna, Kingfish and a lot more. Winter fishing on our 34-Hour Overnight Middlegrounds trips is on fire. The bite is Hot and will stay that way for quite some time! Capt. Matt continues to earn his title as The Godfather of the Gulf. Our 1/2 day. All Day, and 12 Hour Extended trips have been coming home with very nice cathes as well. 1-800-755-0677 for the Ultimate Florida Fishing Trip

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_bellsouth_DoT_net
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Date:	Sun Jan 8 08:13:47 2006
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Weather:	Sunny
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Report... Happy New year to everybody. 2005 was a tough year for this area's inland waterways. We were just starting to recover from 04 storms Jeanne and Francis when we got slammed again with Wilma in 05. The good news is that the inlet area has been getting a really healthy flushout of clean ocean water the past few weeks. This will slowly bring salinity levels up in both the Indian and St. Lucie River. I hope the fish gods will look down on us and spare this area any tropical systems in 06. The past couple of weeks, jacks have been so thick you could almost walk on water. We have been fishing mainly from the Stuart Causeway south to the inlet. We tried the Jensen Causeway a couple of trips 2 weeks ago but the bite was slow. Water temps in this area were as low as 60 degrees which makes fish sluggish. Travel a few miles south and watch the temps rise a staggering 10 degrees. The Stuart bridge area has been loaded with jacks, jacks, and more jacks. If you can baits past the jacks, some nice croaker and sheephead near the structures. The sailfish flats have been slow in the mornings but picked up in the afternoon. Mostly ladyfish, jacks but a few pompano and bluefish mixed in. We were also picking up some pompano in the crossroads area but are catching the most outside the rocks and along the beach. Outside the rocks, look for some larger jacks and sheephead over 4 pounds. Scattered mangrove and lanes here too. Have made several trips to Peck's Lake. The large macks are on the bottom and running over 4 pounds. Some trips have been better than others. I don't believe we have seen the mother load yet. Glass minnows in the area have been scarce. When the minnows come in solid, you will see more top water action and can sightcast for them. I'm glad to see green water again in the inlet and hope things continue to improve. Need to change my website and brochures again. I have added 2 offshore boats, 28' Pacemaker "Buddy Lee" and brand new 41'Luhrs "Hooligan". Buddy Lee will fish up to 4 on 3/4 and full days. Hooligan will fish up to 6 on 1/2, 3/4 and full days. Also offering Bahama and swordfishing trips. Tight Lines, Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_bellsouth_DoT_net
City/State:	Jensen Beach/Fla
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Date:	Mon Oct 31 14:31:01 2005
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Weather:	Sunny
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Wind direction:	N
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Report... Things are finally getting back to normal since Hurricane Wilma. Just prior to the storm I had the pleasure fishing with the Lucas family who were visiting the area from England. It was a full day charter so we fished the Indain River north of the Jensen Beach Causeway to the power plant in the morning catching an assortment including jacks, trout, spanish mackeral, black drum, mangrove snapper, ladyfish and a 6 pound tripletail which was dinner for 4 that night. We did not spend much time in the shallow grass flats. Normally when I have more than 3 anglers aboard, I try to avoid shallow water and live baiting as much as possible. After stopping at Nettle's Island for a brief pit stop, we continued fishing heading south to the St. Lucie Inlet to catch the incoming tide. Plenty of rod benders with some large ladyfish over 4 pounds along with jacks and blue runners. We did have a tarpon around 70 pounds roll off our bow but was not interested. All in all a decent trip with plenty of action. We have been fishing the bridges on the Indain River several nights since the mullet run. Snook, trout and ladyfish top the list fishing live mullet and greenies, top water chuggers, DOA shrimp and Cals, and covering the bottom with red tail hawks. The mullet run has been weird this year. One night the baitfish are all over the place and the next night they are hard to find. The new Jensen Bridge is really lit up now. Lights on top of the span, lights on every bridge support about 10 feet above the water and soon both cat walks will have lights. This entire area will sure to become a baitfish haven. Fished a few locals the other day near the power plant on both the east and west sides. The wind was cranking out of the northeast about 15 to 20 but did manage to catch redfish to 5 pounds on the westside and trout along the east bank. I believe St. Lucie Inlet in the months to come will be productive for the incoming tide. Water temps were in the upper 60's the other day so start looking for pompano and mackeral to start showing up. By the end of November, look for the mackeral to invade Peck's Lake. Tight Lines, Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_bellsouth_DoT_net
City/State:	Jensen Beach/Florida
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Date:	Sat Oct 1 11:59:43 2005
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Weather:	Sunny
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Report... We are keeping our fingers crossed as we near the end of the hurricane season. Last year we took a double hit in September with Francis and Jeanne. The Indian River is holding more baitfish and water quality is improving. Last week the mullet were thick from the St. Lucie Inlet north. We ran a few night trips fishing the Jensen Beach Bridge and had some nice action on snook to 9 pounds, trout to 4 pounds and ladyfish. Finger mullet on circle hooks along with DOA Baitbusters and jointed Bomber lures did the trick. When everything is feeding on mullet, we try to match the hatch. I did notice the shadow lines have changed at the Jensen Bridge. They added lights about 10 feet up the bridge supports and really lights up the area now. Fishing lighted docks we switched over to glow shrimp and caught some jacks to 3 pounds along with smaller trout under 15 inches. In the inlet area, fishing was slow till the last couple of hours of incoming tide. Among the catch list were blue runners, jacks, snapper, redfish and did see a few tarpon in the 80 pound class smashing baits but no takers on topwater chuggers. It was quite sporty near the rocks so we wisely elected to stay inside. Water temps were down as low as 77 degrees last week but jumped back up to 83 yesterday. Planning on running a "recon trip" Sunday scouting areas north near the power plant. The baitfish that were so thich between the causeways last week seem to have moved north. Think I will fish the grass flats early morning for trout and redfish and maybe look for a few tripletail after. Won't be long now for the pomps and macks to return. Still refitting the 28' Pacemaker for offshore trips. We are going through everything on the boat getting it ship shape and should be up and running in a few weeks. Just added a new flushing head and livewell and can't wait to get deep sea trips going. Good fishing, Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_bellsouth_DoT_net
City/State:	Jensen Beach, Florida
Home Page:
Date:	Wed Aug 31 22:34:07 2005
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Weather:	Sunny
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Wind direction:	N
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Report... Sorry about no August report but lot’s of bad press on the river’s condition has resulted in a slow August for me and many other captains. I am now back at my home AA marina on Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach. Lately we have been fishing the Inlet area for snook, flounder, redfish, and jacks on incoming tide, live baiting a mile or two outside for kingfish and bonita and fishing the bridges for snook, black drum and snapper. Really have not fished north but once lately catching 3 tripletail to 13 pounds. The quality of the St. Lucie River is a crime and plan on staying away till things clean up. I will be getting back to the trout north of the Jensen Causeway on the Indian River tommorow. With the water releases slowing down, we should slowly see an improvement in water quality in the St. Lucie River but for now it’s not healthy. Good news, starting around September 10th, Catch 22 Fishing Charters will be offering deep sea fishing charters for ¾ and full day trips aboard my friend’s 28’ Pacemaker “Buddy Lee”. Capt. Bud Friedley holds a 100 ton masters and has been fishing offshore for many years. He will also be fishing out of AA Marina. I will be getting back to posting current fishing reports for both inshore and offshore in October. For the past year or so I have been posting a “fishing forecast” which many anglers enjoyed and thanks for the e-mails. They have served it’s purpose and it’s time for a change. Good fishing everyone, Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_bellsouth_DoT_net
City/State:	Jensen Beach/ Florida
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Date:	Mon Aug 15 13:02:49 2005
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Weather:	Sunny
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Wind direction:	N
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Water clarity:	Clear
Report... Getting ready to add offshore trips with a 28' Pacemaker. Will start posting fishing reports in a few weeks. Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_aol_DoT_com
City/State:	Jensen Beach/ Florida
Home Page:
Date:	Fri Apr 1 08:36:17 2005
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Weather:	Sunny
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Wind direction:	N
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Water clarity:	Clear
Report... April is a transition month with winter pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on their way out, bringing an increase of baitfish inshore with tarpon and snook hot on their tails. Water temperatures both inshore and offshore will continue to rise – “summer’s not far behind”. Offshore, look for cobia still hanging around inside 100 feet deep around wrecks and beneath giant manta rays. With more east winds around, weed lines begin to form making the area prime for you dolphin fans. Ricky Who ???. Look for a strong dolphin run in late April or early May with fish migrating north from the Keys. You cannot go wrong with trolled ballyhoo, allowing coverage of more ground than drifting live baits. The kingfish bite should be good in the 40-60 ft. range using greenies, sardines or dragging dead baits. There’s still a need a watch the weather in April due to traditionally strong east winds from time to time. Bottom fishing is always good in April (someone once told me never say “never” and don’t ever say “always”, but year after year it’s proven to be so. In the surf, the biggest bluefish of the year will be terrorizing everything that moves. Look for fish over 12 lbs. both in the surf and inshore. Spoons, plugs, poppers and cut bait on the bottom seem to attract the most attention. Blues are excellent sport fish providing screaming runs on light tackles. There are still a few pompano around (mostly far away from the bluefish). Sand fleas still rule in the surf. Snook and tarpon will be cruising in the first trough, mainly in the dark hours near sunrise and sunset. Live baits, soft rubber or lipped lures work great! Windcheaters work extremely well when its blowing out of the east. Inside, look for a definite increase in baitfish. Small greenies can be found right off the Stuart Causeway boat ramps with bunker under the quarter bridge at night fleeing from large tarpon just outside the shadow lines. Mullet will be cruising in the shallow grass flats. From the bridges , snook are still banging flair hawks along the bottom along with shrimp and mullet. Get those baits deep!!! The trout bite is good in April with many fish under 18” around. Look towards the east side of the river near Herman’s Bay if the wind picks up. Otherwise, the west side should be hot with trout, snook and reds. This area along Indian River Drive should produce a fair number of inshore slams. Tripletail season swings into full gear with most of them within 30 feet of channel markers and bridges. Live shrimp on a trollrite or DOA CAL and shrimp are my favorites and seem to be the tripletail’s favorites too. This morning’s trip proved very “hot” with the largest at 14 lbs. I encourage releasing any fish that’s not dinner for the night, but especially the ones over l5 lbs., insuring a population for the future. The minimum is 15” with 2 per angler. Tarpon mania will soon be underway, with fish at the normal spots (just outside the channel south of the quarter bridge to marker 239, IRP channel, Club Med and outside Big and Little Mud Creeks). Don’t overlook the grass flats. There will be tarpon well over 60 lbs. tracking bait schools. Drifting live baits or sight casting with DOA silver and black baitbusters or rootbeer terrorize will hook you up!! I’m looking forward to a great month of April fishing here on the Treasure Coast. The days are getting longer, so get out there and fish!!! Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Bryan Okeechobee Outfitters
E-Mail:	bassmastecull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven FL
Home Page:	www.lakeokeechobeeoutfitters.com
Date:	Wed Mar 30 21:00:28 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	3/25/05
Weather:	Partly Sunny
Temperature:	80
Barometer:
Wind direction:	W
Wind speed:	5-10
Water temp:	70
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Fishing has been spectacular the last two weeks. Last week, on a half day crappie trip, we had 79 specks by 11 am. About two weeks ago, I took out a preacher from Clewiston, FL., and he hauled in a behemouth 10-6 along with about 50 other fish between two people. Two days ago, we had a 9, and a 7-1, yesterday, two 8's, one 8 1/2, a 7 and lost another one over 7, along with 50-60 fish total. We have been catching our fish in the monkeybox area and fisheating bay on shiners and sencos. The crappie's on 1/16 and 1/8 oz. black and chartreuse jigs set 3-3 1/2 ft. The lake is finally starting to clear up, I saw my first beds today in the monkeybox, and I havent seen the bottom all year until now. A huge wave of spawners came in on this last full moon, and the topwater action is starting to turn on. For info on your Florida fishing trip call Okeechobee Outfitters at (937)728-1344.

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:	fishcatch22_AT_aol_DoT_com
City/State:	Jensen Beach/Florida
Home Page:
Date:	Tue Mar 1 09:04:19 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Stuart
Date of fishing trip:	03/01/05
Weather:	Sunny
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Wind direction:	N
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Water clarity:	Clear
Report... March is here, bringing warmer weather to the Treasure Coast. Slowly our water temperatures will rise from the chilly 57 degrees that we experienced early in the year. Look for inshore fishing to improve dramatically, especially for snook that have been struggling to just stay alive. Pay attention this month to wind direction, which will dictate your fishing strategy. If it blows from the east, surf fishing and offshore can get “sporty” to say the least. Fishing inshore offers plenty of protected areas. As the water warms up, you will also notice an increase in baitfish inshore. Early morning flats fishing will resume so get those topwater lures ready! Let’s start with inshore and work our way out. If history repeats itself, March could be an east shore bit zone with strong winds at times out of the southeast. Shallow water early in the morning will pick up, throwing topwater lures for trout and snook. Try to get up close to docks on the west side or mangroves on the east side of the Indian River. By 9:00 a.m., drop to 3-4 feet with soft rubber baits in the flats. I mainly use DOA shrimp and CAL lures. Throwing both light and dark colors will produce a feeding pattern. Water clarity can dictate choice in colors. If the water is dark, throw rootbeer shrimp. In clean water I prefer a lighter color such as a glow shrimp. Live shrimp on a popping cork is another great option. The main thing is slowing down your bait presentation. Plenty of species also roaming in the flats include pompano, flounder, jacks, bluefish, redfish, baitfish and many others. Area bridges will be holding plenty of mangrove snapper, sheephead, black drum, pompano and everyone’s favorite – snook. The snook will be an early morning or night bit along the bottom. Gulfstream’s flair hawks or red-tail hawks, dragging slowly along the bottom seems to produce the best result. If you can find mullet or pinfish, weigh them down with a 2 oz. egg sinker with 4 feet of leader. Its amazing, but a crushed mullet head planted on the bottom is very attractive to big snook. In the St. Lucie north fork, look for deep holes around river bends. Bounce a 3/8 oz DOA rootbeer terrorize along the bottom and hold on. Some of these holes are quite deep, so work that bottom machine. Each year the St. Lucie produces some monster black drum. A few weeks ago a 60+ pounder was caught at Sandsprit Park off the bulkhead! Black drum regs are 14” minimum, one over 24”, with 5 fish maximum. The largest pompano will be in the River, responding well to Gulfstream redfish and shrimp jigs in the grass flats of Sailfish Point and deeper in Hell’s Gate area. From the quarter bridge on the Stuart Causeway, look for the pompano brigade on the southwest section of the bridge, throwing bullethead nylure jigs. When targeting pompano you can expect to find ladyfish, jacks and blue runners as well. Look for a strong trout bite with the early morning bite coming alive. Also look in deeper channels in the Indian River like the Dolphin Grill and Anchors Aweigh channels. Sheephead will be thick in the St. Lucie Inlet. Get your bait to the bottom in a rocky area near slack tide (after high tide is best) using a ¼ oz. trollrite and a small piece of shrimp. Before clearing the detached jetty just south of the channel is an excellent bet. This area was not disturbed during previous dredging. The water on the north side near Sailfish Point is now much deeper than before and less rocky. Also just outside the north jetty you will find plenty of sheephead, snapper, spots and margates. Remember sheephead must be 12” to the fork with a 15 per angler maximum. On Catch 22 we don’t keep anything under 14” and only what can be eaten in one sitting. Of course some people have a larger capacity than others in one sitting. If you’ve ever cleaned a sheephead you know that a 12” fish is not worth the effort. Tarpon should begin to show up just south of the Stuart Causeway to the inlet as well as further north around Nettle’s Island and outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. Live bait on circle hooks or sightcasting topwater poppers, DOA baitbusters and terrorize will get their attention. As we progress into the summer, the tarpon will get better and better. Last week tarpon were rolling near Club Med in the North Fork. Most of the redfish have been concentrated north of the powerlines in shallow water. Reds are easily spooked, so keep it stealthy. Soft Rubber and gold spoons top the list. Further north into Fort Pierce and Vero north to the Cape have always been the most productive areas for big redfish. I normally begin my assault on tripletail around this time of year. Channel markers and bridges will hold most of them. Soft rubber and live shrimp are the baits of choice. . Last year was a decent season ending with 145. Most of these fish until April will be under 6 pounds, with the summer catch averaging 8-12 lbs. Last year, on Catch 22, my anglers caught 8 fish over 20 lbs. Great rod-pulling action and super table fare. Remember the 15” minimum, and two per angler. I release all tripletail over 15 lbs which allows the big females to reproduce. Let’s head to the surf, with bluefish and Spanish mackerel dominating the scene in close all day long. Cut bait (mackerel, mullet, ribbonfish) on the bottom attract the most attention. Normally 2 oz. will hold, but if the southeast wind picks up, 4 oz. may be necessary. Once you locate these fish, break out a small spinner, casting silver spoons or topwater lures for great fun. Don’t forget the steel leader for these toothy critters. Look for large dark clouds in the water just outside the inlets and along the beaches. This is the time of year to play with monster jacks running 15 to 30 pounds. I ran a trip yesterday with one of my anglers hooking up to a 20 pounder on 12 lb test resulting in a half hour battle. Jigs, spoons and topwater poppers work great but nothing beats a live greenie. I would suggest beefing it up to 20 lb mainline or expect a good half hour battle on 12 lb. Pompano will be out far, so break out the long rods. Double or triple kayle rigs with sandfleas, shrimp and clam strips is the prime choice for bait. When using these triple rigs, if you have a pompano on, let it set 30 seconds. Pompano run in schools, so why not catch 2 or 3 at a time! In the surf, expect a 2 lb. average, with the larger one inshore. There are plenty of sandfleas out there and it’s worth taking the time to get them. Nary a pompano can turn down a sandflea. For custom surf rods or any more information on pompano fishing, feel free to call my friend, Ward Woodruff, who is this area’s pompano guru. He can be reached at (772) 334-1708 and will be glad to answer any questions or build you that special rod. Offshore should be great, with cobia topping the list. Last year’s bite was awesome. Large manta rays make their appearance this time of year and the cobia can be found cruising underneath them. It’s not uncommon to see a dozen cobia under a single ray. Keep your eyes peeled for these rays and have a Gulfstream cobia slayer ready to cast or add a chunk of cut bait or large grub tail to a large bullethead jig. If the cobia come to the top while anchored or drifting, toss them a DOA Baitbuster and hold on. When boating these fish, have a cobia club handy and a cooler open. I’ve seen some incredible damage from a thrashing 40 lb. cobia. Dolphin should be in 120’ to 250’. Last year in March, there were plenty of dolphin in the 8-20 lb. class. There’s no sense in keeping any schoolies. At the rate of growth of these fish, by the end of summer they will be worth catching again and you’ll have yourself a “real” fish. It is really aggravating to see boats coming in with multiple school-sized fish. Down in the Keys (and some a little closer to our area), there are charter boats that pose with as many as forty 3-lb. dolphin. You’d think they would be embarrassed. There needs to be a legitimate limit on dolphin (say 28”) and watch the population skyrocket in one year. Sailfish could be in really close, depending on the bait schools. Plenty of kingfish are still in the area, inside the 6-mile reef. On the bottom, large grouper and mutton snapper with some true red snapper have shown up north of the St. Lucie Inlet. South of the inlet to Pecks Lake, the Spanish mackerel are still in residence, hitting spoons, minnow jigs, tube lures, shrimp tipped jigs. In other words, just about everything! Remember, with all fish limit your take, don’t take your limit !!! Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Name:	Okeechobee Outfitters
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven, FL
Home Page:
Date:	Sat Jan 29 19:39:34 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of fishing trip:	Feb 3-6
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:
Barometer:
Wind direction:	N
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Water clarity:	Clear
Report... Join us at the Tracy Byrd Ultimate Outdoors show at Cincinnati Convention Center Feb. 3-6, it should be a great show!! Stop by your local Toyota dealers for free tickets

Name:	Captain Bryan Okeechobee Outfitters
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven, FL.
Home Page:
Date:	Thu Jan 27 20:37:25 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	1/27/05
Weather:	Partly Sunny
Temperature:	75
Barometer:
Wind direction:	W
Wind speed:	0-5
Water temp:	55-59
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Fished 1/27 with artificials, no guide trip today. We have had back to back cold fronts that have really hurt the fishing. I fished the North Shore for the majority of the day, but the water is still very stained, and caught very few fish. Moved back to the monkeybox area in the afternoon, and caught three right away on a chrome/blue rattletrap, than caught one over 8 flipping hyacinth mats with a black/blue mad man craw worm. Caught about five more on a black wacky worm. To book your trip to southern Florida call Captain Bryan at (937)728-1344 or email at bassmastercull55@hotmail.com

Name:	Glenn Grimes
E-Mail:	Captggrimes_AT_aol_DoT_com
City/State:	Ft.Myers
Home Page:	www.pine-island-fishing.com
Date:	Sun Jan 23 06:04:11 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Pine Island Sound,Matlacha pass
Date of fishing trip:	01/22/05
Weather:	Partly Cloudy
Temperature:	72
Barometer:	na
Wind direction:	SW
Wind speed:	5
Water temp:	68
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Hi,Capt Glenn here to report for 1/22/05.Things were a bit foggy as we left the dock but it soon cleared up and we were on our way.Our first stop netted 2 nice gag grouper from 20" to 22"long from a channel near Mondongo Island.Also a nice sheepshead plus one nice mangrove snapper.The next stop was a tree that the hurricane blew into the Sound.It produced 2 more gag grouper in the 20" range and a nice sheepshead.Nothing fights like grouper on light tackle.All of these fish were caught free lining hand picked live shrimp.Finally last but not least we were able to land 40+ seatrout of which 6 made the 15" limit.That does it for this week.See ya on the water.

Name:	Captain Bryan Okeechobee Outfitters
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven, FL.
Home Page:
Date:	Sat Jan 22 22:01:38 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	1/21/05
Weather:	Partly Cloudy
Temperature:	67
Barometer:
Wind direction:	S
Wind speed:	0-5
Water temp:	50-56
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Took Chuck and Jim out from Atlanta today for a full day trip. The cold front has dropped the water over 15 degrees in four days...not good for southern strain largemouth!!! Last night was not nearly as cold as it has been so things are getting better. We had an early bite, even though they weren't holding onto the bait to well. We were fishing with shiners in the monkeybox area. We caught around ten fish in the morning up to 41/2 lbs., and missed alot of others. We had to go in and get more shiners and we ate a good lunch, and headed back out. Fished the north shore for a while, with only one small fish, before returning to the Monkey box spoil island area. Around 4:00, I had casted Chuck's lively shiner up against a hyacinth mat, and it must have bobbed up againt it for five minutes, I pulled on it and it swam to the next little crevice, and blam, it was gone, sucked under, cattails shaking and all. Chuck set the hook hard and after an intense fight brought a 7-6 to the boat, his trophy of a lifetime. The day was slow and we ended up with about 20 fish, but those two guys kept working hard and finally got what they had been waiting for. To book your artificial or shiner trip in South Florida call Okeechobee Outfitters at (937)728-1344 or email Bryan at bassmastercull55@hotmail.com

Name:	Okeechobee Outfitters Bryan Honnerlaw
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven, FL
Home Page:
Date:	Wed Jan 19 15:04:58 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	01/19/05
Weather:	Partly Sunny
Temperature:	60
Barometer:
Wind direction:	NW
Wind speed:	5-10
Water temp:	51
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Took Guy Wilburn, from Mainville Ohio out this morning. Fishing was slow early but we ended up with about 15, one was 6-5, and one 5-11. We had some others in the 2-3 lb. range. We were shiner fishing in the monkeybox area. Guys in FLW were catching some fish flipping mats. Going back out this afternoon. To book your trip on South Florida water call (937)728-1344.

Name:	Okeechobee Outfitters Captain Bryan
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven, FL.
Home Page:
Date:	Wed Jan 12 13:10:28 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	01/11/05
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:	78
Barometer:
Wind direction:	SW
Wind speed:	5-10
Water temp:	66-67
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Had a great day on the lake! Took two gentlemen out from Indianapolis area. Took out a father and a son. The father had always wanted to come to Okeechobee, and his son finally provided that chance with this 3-day trip he set up. The first fish was caught on the first cast of the day in a matter of seconds by the son. We were using shiners, and soon after the father caught his first fish- a 7-6 beauty. He was thrilled to death as expected. The father went on to catch a 6-11, a 5-7, and between the two they had about 25 total for the day. We fished the monkey box area of the lake, but the big fish were grouped up in one little area. Call or email Okeechobee Outfitters to set up your special trip to south Florida at (937)728-1344 or bassmastercull55@hotmail.com

Name:	Captain Glenn Grimes
E-Mail:	Captggrimes_AT_aol_DoT_com
City/State:	Cape Coral,Fl.
Home Page:	www.pine-island-fishing.com
Date:	Wed Jan 12 12:15:24 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Pine Island Florida
Date of fishing trip:	1/08/05
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:	78
Barometer:	?
Wind direction:	W
Wind speed:	5
Water temp:	65
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Well the fishing in South west Florida has been pretty good for seatrout and small redfish.Small Snook are hitting in the warm periods between the cold fronts.Conditions have been warm for the last 10 days which has sparked the fish to bite.Seatrout on recent charters have been producing over 100 fish per 6 hr trip.Most of these are sublegal fish of 14".But fish of up to 22" have been caught.Limits of sheepshead have been pretty easy to come by.Small redfish to 22" are being caught in the deep holes near mangrove islands.Charters on the 8th resulted in 10 reds to 18" also 4 seatrout to 18" & 4 small snook to 20".If the weather continues to be mild fishing will improve with each day.Well that it.See ya on the water.

Name:	bryan honnerlaw
E-Mail:	"bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com"
City/State:	Moorehaven, FL
Home Page:
Date:	Mon Jan 10 09:54:35 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	01/09/05
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:	80
Barometer:
Wind direction:	S
Wind speed:	5-10
Water temp:	66
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Fished for specs today and caught my limit (25). Fished around the spoil islands and bird island. Caught all except two on a black/chartreuse squirmin squirt bass pro shops 1.5 tube dipping it in holes in the hydrilla with hyacinth mixed in. Caught a couple on minnows in the morning but they are going to the thickest part of the cover once the sun comes up. Call or email Okeechobee Outfitters to set up your trip to the Big O- (937)728-1344 or email at bassmastercull55@hotmail.com

Name:	Okeechobee Outfitters Captain Bryan
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moorehaven, FL
Home Page:
Date:	Sat Jan 8 19:35:53 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	01/08/05
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:	80
Barometer:
Wind direction:	S
Wind speed:	0-5
Water temp:	66
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Fished for crappie today in the morning. It apparently was not nearly as good as the last couple of days but did talk to a couple of people who had their limits. There are alot of fish behind the spoil islands and some in Harney Pond. Fisheating bay is also still producing some decent fish. Tey minnows set 2 1/2 - 4 ft. deep, and jigs around the hydrilla and hyacinth.

Name:	Okeechobee Outfitters Guide Service
E-Mail:	bassmastercull55_AT_hotmail_DoT_com
City/State:	Moore Haven, Fl
Home Page:
Date:	Fri Jan 7 19:52:06 2005
Location of fishing trip:	Lake Okeechobee
Date of fishing trip:	01/07/05
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:	80
Barometer:
Wind direction:	S
Wind speed:	5-10
Water temp:	64
Water clarity:	Clear to Stained
Report... Alot of big fish in Monkey box area of the lake, but they have had alot of pressure due to the Everstart and upcoming FLW tournaments. The north end is starting to clear up again, so check around Kings bar, Tinhouse cove, and horse island. Many fish are staging getting ready to spawn. There should be a very large wave of fish with the new or full moon. The south end of the lake is clear in certain areas including south bay, Winnie's cove, a portion of Pelican Bay, and Bay Bottom. Try flipping mats, sencos, and spinnerbaits if the wind is blowing. You can reach Okeechobee Outfitters to book your Florida trip at 937 728 1344 or bassmastercull55@hotmail.com. Also ask about our four day fishing school offered twice a year. Hunts and lodging also available.

Name:	Capt. Bob Bushholz
E-Mail:
City/State:
Home Page:
Date:	Sun Jan 2 09:43:11 2005
Location of fishing trip:
Date of fishing trip:
Weather:	Sunny
Temperature:
Barometer:
Wind direction:	N
Wind speed:
Water temp:
Water clarity:	Clear
Report... HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! Cooler weather the past few weeks have kept water temperatures in the upper 50’s to lower 60’s inshore. I’ve heard of scattered pompano catches from a few of my commercial fisherman friends that search for pompano in the surf during the winter months, and some other reports from people fishing the bridges and flats, but nothing much to get excited about. One of the best pompano-fisherman I know says sand fleas have been easy to find and are the bait of choice. We have been catching a few pomps here and there but lately most of my trips have been 5 or 6 anglers which forces me to drift with jigs and shrimp rather than anchor up with sandfleas. Speaking of the pompano fisherman, Ward Woodruff from Jensen Beach, is not only one of those commercial pompano guys, but he builds custom surf rods. These rods are beauties, one-piece 14’ lamiglass casting or spinning rods and can include your name, pompano decals or anything else you might want to include on your rod. The price of the rods at $185.00 is well worth the money. He also carries l-lb. spools of 15 or 20 lb. black mono to fill the reels with. Ward says that black line in the surf is a well-kept secret – oops, not so much of a secret anymore. His latest report is that the best fishing lately has been between North Hutchinson Island and Vero Beach. In the past month, his best daily catch was 26 pompano. At $5.00/lb. paid by local restaurants and fish houses, you can see why commercial fishing is not only a life-long dream but profitable too. You can contact Ward at (772) 334-1708 to order surf rods or line (or to just hear a good fish story). He’s got a great workshop and is always proud to show off his workmanship. In the River last week, with trout season still closed, I’ve been running south, fishing different areas near the St. Lucie Inlet. At full high tide or dead low tide, I’ve been anchoring on the south side of the Channel about 200 yards west of the detached jetty. Water depth is around 9 feet with scattered rocks. This is the best time for bottom fishing using minimum weight (1/4 oz. Trollrites with frozen shrimp is the bait of choice). You can expect mangrove snapper, mutton snapper under 16”, sheephead to 4 lbs and an occasional pompano, black margate and lots of spots. Normally an hour in this spot is productive while the current is slack. Once the current starts cranking, it takes lots more weight, so Plan B comes into action (drifting the Inlet). On the drift we hooked some snook, sheephead, mangrove snapper and big jacks. The Crossroads area has been holding a few pompano, ladyfish and jacks, with one of my anglers lucky enough to boat a 10 lb. permit in the same area. A couple of days last week were a real challenge with cold water in the upper 50’s and high winds. Sometimes the cold water leads to lockjaw. The good news is the water temps are back up to lower 70’s in the inlet. During the week, I cruised the Sailfish flats a few times when the water was high. The pompano action was non-existent even though lots of boats were drifting the area. A few ladyfish, jacks and others in the area. Sooner or later the pompano action will pick up. I believe once the winds die down around Wednesday and the water cleans up, we will see a huge increase in pompano inshore. These fish do like the cleaner water. So far this year I have not seen any large crowds on the SW side of the quarter bridge. The pompano brigade took the holidays off but I expect to see them up on the bridge shortly. Looks like you need to park on the east side of the bridge with construction going on. Spanish mackerel will remain thick around Peck’s Lake (2 miles south of St. Lucie Inlet). They should be in the area for about 3 more months, hitting Capt. Joe’s jigging spoons, minnow jigs, tube lures and various other shiny baits. They should be real hungry with no fishing pressure the last few weeks due to the high east winds. Yesterday was a recon day and we played around using the ultra-lights in the grass flats throwing DOA rootbeer and glow shrimp for a few hours getting ready for trout season. For trout, fish early and remember 15” minimum size, 1 over 20”, 4 per angler. Trout season will find me running northward to find the “hot” spots. Many trout and small flounder were released that day. Up near Walton Road in shallow water, trout and redfish running 24” can be found just off the docks but the majority of fish has been up along the east side in calmer water. Snook season re-opens in February, and March through October will be tripletail time. In 2004 we ended up with 140 tripletail with 10 over 20 pounds. Looking forward to a great year of fishing and hope to hear from lots of you anglers soon. The water quality has incredibly improved since the hurricanes. There are still some Planks and 2x4’s floating around so keep your eyes peeled. I have noticed some lately in the St. Lucie between the 10 cent bridge and Sandsprit Park. Again I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, Capt. Bob Bushholz http://www.catch22fish.com (772) 225-6436

Last revised: February 03, 2001.