Ponce Inlet – Fishtona

Sailfish & Wahoo Are Biting!

January 13, 2020January 13, 2020 by Cody Moore

The sails and wahoo are biting offshore out of Ponce Inlet, we just need the weather to cooperate so we can take full advantage! The few days in the last several weeks that the boats were able to get out, they’ve been catching some fish. Anywhere from three, all the way up to eight or nine wahoo a day per boat. High speed trolling has been more productive lately than the slow troll. Being able to cover more ground is key. The guys that are sail-fishing are also catching some wahoo on the slow troll. The sail-fishing has been good from 130-200ft and seems to be better on the offshore side (cleaner water), lately the water has been around 73 degrees. Bottom fishing has also been great. Although grouper are closed, the big triggerfish, red-eyes, and porgies have been biting on the double rig with squid or cut bait.

If you’re going out fishing, come see us at New Smyrna Outfitters and we’ll get you all geared up with everything you need!

Ponce Offshore: Sails, Wahoo, Blackfin!

December 10, 2019 by Cody Moore

Offshore out of Ponce Inlet, the bait has showed up and the start of the good sail-fishing is really firing off! Guys are starting to see 6, 8, even 10 fish a day with some jumpers and even a few cutters here in the last week. The wahoo fishing has also started to pick up. Several boats this past week caught 4 or 5. With that, the blackfin tuna and mahi are mixed in as well to make for a good variety. Most of the sail-fishing has still been back inshore 90-110 foot. There’s been a faded green to blue change there, look for the temp break and the bait. The wahoo fishing has been better a little deeper in the blue water, they’ve been spread out between 130-200 foot. The bottom fishing is also getting even better! Grouper are biting on live bait along with triggers, red-eyes, porgies, etc. on the double rigs. The guys have also been catching some nice mutton’s and mangroves as well.

If you’re going out fishing, come see us at New Smyrna Outfitters and we’ll get you all geared up with everything you need!

Ponce Offshore Report

November 26, 2019November 26, 2019 by Cody Moore

We’ve finally got a break in the weather and everyone’s been able to start getting back out in the ocean out of Ponce Inlet. We are seeing some flying fish and other bait showing up in 90-140 foot, with that brings sails, and a few tunas and wahoo as well. Look for a color change/temp break or edge going from blue to green. Fishing a couple deep planer rigs with a skirted ballyhoo along with a few medium ballyhoos on the surface is generally a pretty good spread. If you are able to pull a teaser or two will also produce some bites for you, squidchains are a fairly easy teaser and can be very productive. Bottom fishing is also starting to get fired up, starting to catch some groupers, big triggers, redeyes and porgies. The groupers are starting to move back inshore into the 100-130ft bottom. Using live bait for the groupers and chicken rigs with squid for the smaller fish (triggers, redeyes, etc).

Cleaner Water, Great Bite!

November 18, 2019 by Capt. Mike Mann

Well, as predicted, the water has cleaned up and the bite has been on fire! Large numbers of trout are being caught on top-water plugs. Tarpon and redfish have still been good in Ponce Inlet, but will start to slow down as the water temperature cools. Cobia should start making an appearance on the beach; be on the lookout for tripletail on the channel markers, too.

Active Bull Reds

November 5, 2019October 21, 2019 by Capt. Mike Mann

In Ponce Inlet/New Smyrna Beach, the bull redfish bite continues to be strong, so this is the time to get that fish of a lifetime! Snook, tarpon, and some nice-sized mangrove snapper are all also great targets in the inlet right now. With the cooling weather, it’s also a great time to fish for trouts and reds in the lagoon.

Bulls Stacking In Inlet

November 5, 2019October 14, 2019 by Capt. Mike Mann

It’s that time of the year when the bull reds stack up inside of Ponce Inlet. These fish have some shoulders so beef up your tackle so you can land them quickly and get them back in the water as soon as possible for a safe release. Don’t be surprised while targeting these big reds if you lock horns with a nice snook or tarpon as well. They always make for some added fun! Inside the Mosquito Lagoon, the trout fishing has also been very good. We’ve been having a lot of success first thing in the morning in throwing Zman paddle-tails and Rapala Skitterwalks.

Over-sized and Upper Slot Redfish

November 5, 2019September 23, 2019 by Capt. Mike Mann

The fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon has been good this week with lots of over-sized and upper slot redfish as well as some really nice sea trout. The Reds have been coming on either live finger mullet or cut mullet, and the trout have come on live finger mullet or a bone colored Skitterwalk. Ponce Inlet should be calm for a while and has been loaded with tarpon, as well as bull redfish and snook. If you want to get a 40 inch redfish or a tarpon off your bucket list, now through mid to late November is the time to do it!

SIGNS OF THE FALL MULLET RUN…

November 5, 2019September 9, 2019 by Capt. Mike Mann

Fishing has been great post Dorian and the storm’s passing may have just officially kicked off the mullet run. Tarpon are feeding on large to medium mullet and snook have been hitting the finger to medium-sized mullet. Look for schools of jacks and blues to be showing up to feed on the pods of mullet — it’s always exciting to watch as they fiercely explode on the bait fish!

PONCE — NOW’S THE TIME FOR A BULL RED!

November 5, 2019August 5, 2019 by Capt. Mike Mann

The early morning topwater bite has been strong. I’ve had a lot of success throwing Rapala Skitterwalks in the bone color while targeting pods of bait. If you want to catch a bull redfish, then now is the time to do it! Over the next month or two, the breeders will be stacking in Ponce Inlet. The tripletail bite should be starting to turn on, too — if the seas calm down. Tarpon are also still around and should be for at least another month or two. No doubt, Fall is a great time to get out do some fishing!