Where they're biting in Daytona Beach Area

[BigEarl]

GOOD

Surf & Piers

Chris Teet at the Daytona Beach Pier said on Wednesday anglers caught whiting on almost every cast after just a few minutes of letting baits soak in the surf suds. A few undersized drum were caught, too. That big sheepshead run from last week has petered out, though, he said.

Patty French at the Sunglow Pier said anglers were getting sheepshead, a lone red and plenty of whiting.

Ponce Inlet area

Capt. Luke Pearson said the water temp was 68 at the inlet and 58 in Spruce Creek. The mouths of Spruce and New Smyrna creeks are turning up slot reds, snook, ladyfish and jacks, he said. At the inlet, he said it's a lot of blues and a few flounder.

Capt. Fred Robert said he's put clients onto five stout snook near the jetty rocks and an 11-pound flounder off the channel bottom this week. So the Thanksgiving flounder run is here, 'cause that's a doormat!

Tomoka Basin area

Capt. Kent Gibbens said he saw a fair number of big reds Wednesday, but they wouldn't eat. Tuesday he had a charter and they got four reds to 6 1/2 pounds.

"It ought to be great for sight fishing up the river this winter," he said. "We haven't had any rain, so the tannin is really diluted and that water is going to be gin clear. That brown algae dies at 64 degrees."

Offshore



Jay Wilson at the Fishin' Store said big waves and serious turkey preparations have kept bluewater chatter to a minimum. Last weekend was the last time a bunch of charter boats went out, he said, and they all bottom fished, getting grouper, snapper and amberjacks. The best bite was from 90 to 120 feet, he said. Lots of sharks were on the deeper stuff.

Indian River Lagoon

Rich LeBlond at the Fly Fisherman said that Peacocks Pocket and the west shoreline flats from Mims up into Shilo are good spots to get out of the wind.

Mosquito Lagoon

LeBlond said word is that reds on the bottom of Haulover Canal are a good bite. He said he hasn't heard anything good about the lagoon's wide open south end, but the north end with all those islands for shelter has been productive, or at least the more fished area.

Halifax River

Shirley Faulkner at Granada Pier Bait & Tackle said anglers are hitting deep holes for a hot drum bite. She said bridge structure is giving up lots of sheepies and a few flounder are coming in.

Matanzas Inlet area

Henry Miles at the Devil's Elbow Fish Camp said it looks like it's going to snow any minute! (In other words, nary a soul's been fishing there lately.)

St. Johns River

Capt. Rick Rawlins at Highland Park Fish Camp said bass are going after shiners big time lately. He put a client onto a 10-pound, 4-ouncer and caught a 9-pound, 2-ouncer himself. He said there's so much hydrilla out there you've got to find clean cover, like water hyacinth and penny wort. Specks have improved for jigging and trolling, but that's mostly in the run, he said.