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Week of March 6:  It's still about the snook, but water temps and fish varieties are picking up

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Snookman Wayne Landry sent us this photo for Angler of the Week. She's known as Erica the Snook Queen, a local legend in these waters.

If you'd like to be featured as the Angler of the Week, please send your photos to www.sitd.us/contact-us. We love details! Please include your name, hometown, species of fish and (if you want to share) the bait or lure that worked for you!

Today’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, a high of 79 degrees, NE winds at 8-10 mph, and one-foot seas. Tuesday and Wednesday will be mostly sunny; Thursday through the weekend will be partly cloudy with ENE and NNE winds ranging from 13 to 17 mph.

This week’s fishing report, brought to you by “Snookman” Wayne Landry:

“Good morning, inlet fishing fanatics. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Here we go with this week’s report. First, the good news: The ENTIRE jetty is now open and fully accessible to the tip! Thanks to our Sebastian Inlet State Park management team and our volunteers who made it happen. Fishing around the entire inlet has picked up quite a bit with the winds being mostly offshore, the seas calming down, and baitfish beginning to arrive with the warmer water. Many different species starting to bite. 

North jetty: It's all about the snook, still. Quite a few fish have been caught last week and throughout the weekend at the tip of the jetty, and along the inside on both tides, incoming being the best as the water is higher. With the full moon being on March 7, it has the outgoing tide pretty low and the fish have moved out further and the boaters are slamming them! Had to reach them from the jetty. Big females are starting to bite now as the water has warmed up to where they like it. Spawning season for them is just around the corner and they are chewing. Live baits of choice have been croakers and pigfish; they have laid off the shrimp some, but are eating them. Other species being caught on the same baits are the redfish, some small and most are bigger bull reds. Remember, they are still catch-and-release. For those fishing shrimp and sandfleas there have been pompano and black drum still around with the cleaner water. Bluefish and jack crevalles are also present on the outgoing tide for those fishing silver spoons and gotcha lures. Along the rock shoreline between the jetty and catwalk on the incoming tide, and first of the outgoing there are some nice sheepshead still being caught on cut shrimp, also some smaller snook on live shrimp. 

South jetty:  Here is pretty much the same scenario: Snook and redfish on the incoming tide along the jetty and rock shoreline on all live baits. Most of the snook are smaller but there is a good mix of slot snook to be had. On the beachside of the jetty there have been pompano and black drum caught on shrimp and sandfleas when the water is clean. Also, goofy jigs are producing some pompano. Outgoing tide at the tip is all about the black margates, sheepshead and jack crevalle. Cut bait is doing the trick for them. 

Catwalk, south side: Incoming tide is still producing nice sheepshead around the pilings for those fishing cut shrimp and live fiddler crabs. Black margates are also in the mix of things. Not much else over here. 

T-Dock area: Here, things have picked up. Anglers are catching small snapper of different varieties on cut baits around the dock pilings. Incoming tide and the first of the outgoing are producing nice snook on all live baits. Boaters have been doing well, but also the shore anglers are catching their share as well. Spanish mackerel and jack crevalles are around for those folks fishing small jigs and silver spoons on both tides. 

Surf area, both side: If you can find clean water during high tide, pompano, whiting and lack drum are being caught on both sides of the inlet. The south side is the better bet due to deeper water. Sand fleas and fresh cut shrimp are doing the trick on these species. Just for fun, small bonnet head sharks are being caught in the area south of the inlet. 

That's it for this week folks. Things are changing, spring is coming, and the fish know it. Grab bait, get out to your favorite spot and possibly catch some nice fish.” —  Snookman