Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Reports 2010-11-12 "Reports Only"

[claim5]

Thanks, we used the steak for several days, actually. Everything from bluegills to bass to cichlids to turtles to porgy's to mangroves to puffers to sharks, they all loved that steak. It was great to catch baitfish with as well, using a small piece of grizzle on a small hook the small fish were unable to resist it. They also found it impossible to strip the hook. Almost as good as dolphin belly and much better smelling, the steak was our bait of choice this trip. We did use shrimp and squid the first couple of days, but steak was the winner. Medium well.

[phishingstein]

I went to the inlet last night (Friday) around 8 and stayed unitl around 10:30. I got a few grunts and one very small yellow tail on siversides. I was on the peir/dock, had one line out about 50 feet or so toward the middile of the inlet and one dropeed right off the dock. I didn't even get a nibble on the line out in the middle.
I didn't see anyone catch anything other than some small grunts. Most people I asked where using some type of cut bait. One guy had a line out with a live grunt, he told me he had a snook on his line earlier but lost it.
The weather was great and it was a good time.
I took some grunts home and will eat them for lunch. They are cleaned and waiting in the fridge for my wife to work her magic on.

[juniork732]

puffer fish get that big???

[Lomax aka ZEBCO]

puffer fish get that big???

Caught them 10 lbs dude. Regular puffers and the spinies. Annoying because they close my hooks, but still a cool fish in general.

[Lomax aka ZEBCO]

Fish got to eat just like us. An annoying puffer can be the lifetime catch for a little child.

[claim5]

Yep, all the fish I pictured here were caught on leftover steak, even the Puffer. Twas the biggest one I've ever seen, and the guy holding it is 350lbs (me) so it's a bit bigger than the normal camera fish photo would look. Of course my daughter had a plan when she ordered that huge steak and only ate about 1/3 of it.

[fishaddict0916]

Twas the biggest one I've ever seen.

Duhhhh, What do you expect....you and who knows how many other people have been feeding him steak!!

[hellion090]

went down to the inlet to hang out with friends tonight. wandered over to see what was biting and watched a guy reel in his 2nd Pompano. definitely a keeper. he said he was using silversides.

[ejfisher]

Been at the inlet park last few days and nothing special. Small snapper & blue runners are being hooked, then being tossed back as larger bait. Few nice hits from a cuda with no set and a nice tarpon was hitting last night, again no set. I'll probably go back there again today because it's so close to me. For bait, live shrimp has been the most successful, followed by live pilcher. Frozen squid is doing nothing.

6500 Baitrunner and 7' Ocean master Rod. 20lb. test. 3oz Punching bag with 1/0-3/0 owner hook on 30lb test flouro-carbon leader. Can anyone tell me if this set up is ok for this area? Too Big? Too small?

[skee]

Tried out Hillsboro for the first time last night. Stayed about 3 hours from 7pm to 10pm. The current was ripping so didn't expect to much.

Anyhow, the score for my son and I is now...Fish-8, Us-0. Although, I did catch the bottom 3 times!

[skee]

Anything being caught? Any bait around? Was thinking about going this afternoon.....

[skee]

Oops.....meant that question to be for Deerfield. Sorry.

[jedd]

From 5am - 9am today, four of us friends caught nothin except moonfish. No baits seem to be biting sabikis. And the pier cannot sell live baits because their tank is busted so fyi bring your own.

[chris21]

when using live shrimp for tarpon and snook at hillsboro, how do you fish them? what setup? freelining, bottom rig, under a bobber?

[Surge101]

Fished the hillsboro pier tonight, was horrible. Bait was coming back untouched, I used squid, live shrimp, frozen mullet, and some small fish I caught on the sibiki I think were finger mullet.

[phantomreefer]

Well i hit the inlet about 8:30pm and stayed till 2am, with live shrimp for bait i caught 3 little snapper, and 2 sand perch. No moon was out. and current was moving real fast. Still had more fun than at the pier.

[feesh sumbeesh]

Hi folks, new to the forum. Went fishing from 2-6. Caught a hand full of small mangroves, one small mutton using shrimp and squid. Caught a blue runner, cut him up, and casted out it head. A minute later, squeeeeeellll went the baitrunner, and before I could even attempt a reel turn, a 3ft Cuda goes airborne, and snap goes my fluorocarbon leader. Out of store bought bait I casted around the bridge with a pink and white bucktail with no bites. Might go tomorrow and fish the inlet or down the road on Anglin pier. Until then, great website, and best of luck to everyone.

[Nay12XIX]

hey everyone, im new to the forum and when it says Hillsborough inlet does that mean everyone is fishing from or near that park right by the bridge? because ive been there a few times but haven't caught anything but bait lol

[chris21]

yes the park by the drawbridge, fishing that area is lots of fun as I can fish and thrown my cast net as well, put your time into that area and eventually youll hook up to something nice

[Nay12XIX]

Went over there on Thursday on the full moon high tide at night around 9-12 pm

Absolutely no action


I have heard this spot is good, I tried all the spots the little pier there and under the bridge...no luck

Fished live pilcherd, dead, shrimp, live shrimp....NOTHINg bit...
Prob will try sat night

[og954]

I might be heading out there tonight with my brothers. We went last week and the current was really strong. I would cast towards the drawbridge and the line would swing past me in about 15 seconds. Is this normal, do you guys have any advice in those situations?

[Nay12XIX]

Same here I went last week as well current was very very strong coming

Gunna head out there tonight all hopefully we will have some tight lines

[BEOWULF]

Other than at slack tide, the current's always super-strong there.

[og954]

I was fishing at the public fishing area right after the drawbridge if you are coming into the inlet from the ocean. Is this the best area or is there for fishing before the bridge, closer to the inlet?

So far I have been there twice this month and both times the current was too strong to fish in, except for a brief slack time (where I managed to catch a couple small snappers). I wish I knew how to fish during the current because it seems like 80% of the time there is a significant one.

Still haven't been able to land the snook and tarpon I have seen in this thread.

[BEOWULF]

Stopped by for a look Sun night, assisted some lady in landing and releasing a HOG of a stargazer. This thing had a belly like a bowling ball. Ugly mofo too! Other than that nada.

[BoatlessFisherman]

Under the Tee Dock this time of year is a lot of Mangroves, as for fishing snook and Tarpon try a troll right that is a plain jig head with a live shrimp and stand under the bridge and work it with the current from out to in or in to out which ever way the current is moving, I prefer incoming. so that means cast up current and work it back towards you, remember these fish like shadow lines so you want to be working it through shadow lines of the bridge.

North side of bridge is best for this type of fishing.

another thing is live line a bait out and around the bumbers and hold on.

If you fish the channel you to will need a lot of weight but there is fish that swim through that channel.

Fresh bait is the ticket and practice getting use to the current and what area produces more bites.

[BEOWULF]

FYI, it is illegal to fish the North side of the bridge. The cops ran me off and entered my name into their computer, said next time I will be fined and/or cited for trespassing.

[Nay12XIX]

FYI, it is illegal to fish the North side of the bridge. The cops ran me off and entered my name into their computer, said next time I will be fined and/or cited for trespassing.

What?!?! Is that inside the marina?

[BEOWULF]

FYI, it is illegal to fish the North side of the bridge. The cops ran me off and entered my name into their computer, said next time I will be fined and/or cited for trespassing.

What?!?! Is that inside the marina?

No man, marina's the South side.