Where they're biting in the Daytona Beach Area Nov.23, 2007

[BigEarl]

Surf & Piers
Huge mats of seaweed floated to shore, blanketing the beach, and anglers are catching more of that than fish. And the state sampled red tide concentrations in Volusia County and found high levels at Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach.

Still, between the Daytona Beach Pier and Flagler Beach, anglers are landing blues, pompano, spots, sheepshead, drum, Spanish mackerel and one angler lost a 40-pound cobia after a long fight at the Flagler Pier.

Ponce Inlet area

Spawning-size sheepshead to 10 pounds are moving into the inlet and are biting near the jetties, said Capt. Wayne Summer. Tarpon around 20 pounds are feeding on glass minnows at the North Causeway bridge, he said.

Matanzas Inlet area

Lucas Smith at the Devil's Elbow Fish Camp said the word is drum, reds, sheesphead, trout and a few pompano.

Tomoka Basin area

Cool temperatures have cleared the water and baitfish are a little scarce, said Capt. Kent Gibbens. The bite is slow because fish are feeding at night by the full moon, he said.

Sheepshead are being caught at the Granada pier, said Andy Leary at Granada Bait & Tackle.

Mosquito Lagoon

Despite a 40-foot yacht stuck on a sandbar, fishing is great, said Capt. John Tarr at the Fly Fisherman. He said the water is clear, reds are tailing and lots of trout are hitting crabs and shrimp. The bite is best once the mid-morning wind puts a little chop on the water, he said.

Indian River Lagoon

The reds are in a full winter feeding pattern, said Rich Guinn at Skeeters, and if you find a cruiser it'll hit a jerkbait.

Halifax River
Drum and quite a few reds are hitting shrimp all over the river, said Bill Allen at Howard's Bait & Tackle. Sand fleas or crabs are the best bait now, he said.

Offshore

Dan Maynard at the Fishin' Shack said gray grouper, scamp grouper, red snapper to 20 pounds, sea bass and triggerfish are all in the 90- to 130-foot range. He said he found dolphin in 130 feet and Allen said some boats reported cobia at 100 feet.

St. Johns River

Gene Zoll of Daytona Beach caught 13 bass up to 7 pounds in Lake Woodruff, said Capt. James Hillman at Highland Park Fish Camp.He said specks are biting everywhere in the south end of Woodruff and trolling is working best. Lots of anglers are getting limits and it will only get better, he said. The best speck action isn't expected until after Christmas.