Stuart Deep Sea Fishing Report and Forecast: Dec 2013

Catlynn Ortiz with a pretty Mutton Snapper, caught aboard the Safari 1. PHOTO CREDIT: Safari I
Catlynn Ortiz with a pretty Mutton Snapper, caught aboard the Safari 1. PHOTO CREDIT: Safari I
2.Cody Broxmeyer, displays a sweet Mutton, he caught on the Safari. PHOTO CREDIT: Safari 1.
Cody Broxmeyer, displays a sweet Mutton, he caught on the Safari. PHOTO CREDIT: Safari 1.

“Shopping for fish” is a fisherman`s answer to the daily, universal, December question. Color in the fish box will be the offshore angler`s best present for the holidays this month as lane, mangrove, and mutton snapper will make the “dream list” as anglers head out to the offshore grounds of the St. Lucie Inlet, to shop. The reefs will be decorated with several species of snapper that are still in season. This, coupled with longer weather windows, will allow our fisherman to focus their strategies on the reefs and submerged structures in our local zone. Better water temperatures and constantly changing (weather) pressure systems “launch fish into feeding” which translates into a good bite, and good fishing in general. December begins the true Winter Season of offshore fishing no matter what species one might be after. The tumultuous fall season with weeks of changeable weather blends into the winter and influences all species of saltwater fish and excites the sensibilities of the offshore enthusiast as “visions of salty fish and sugar plums dance in their heads”! Reef fishing will be the key component to most fishing this month as pelagic species hunt for bait that is naturally attracted to structure. One must know where the wrecks and reefs are to capitalize on this well-known secret, which is that the common thread for all fishing strategies, revolves around some sort of bottom structure. In December, find the structure, and the fish will come.