Sebastian Inlet Fishing Report (Feb 16, 2026) — Clean Water, 67°… Still a Slow Winter Grind
Clean water and slightly warmer temps (around 67°) still didn’t flip the switch at the inlet this week, so this report is going to be short and straight to the point. Conditions looked decent overall, but the fishing stayed slow, and some seaweed slid back in over the weekend.
Water temperature bumped up a little to about 67 degrees as of this writing (up from the 59–62 range we were seeing). That’s a step in the right direction, but winter patterns are still hanging around, and the bite hasn’t really fired yet.
North Jetty
Lots and lots of small bluefish and jacks were being caught on just about everything — live baits, cut baits, silver spoons, and jigs. Either tide worked, but the outgoing tide at the tip was a little better.
There were also some Spanish mackerel caught, but most of them were pretty small and didn’t make the 12-inch minimum to keep. Spoons and jigs were the ticket for those.
Through last week and the weekend I did see a few black drum and some sheepshead being caught — not a lot, but enough to keep folks interested. Most of those were at the tip, mainly on the outgoing, with a couple caught on the incoming too.
On the beachside, I did see some decent whiting being caught, and a few pesky Atlantic sharp-nosed sharks. Live sand fleas and shrimp got those bites.
No snook and no redfish were caught that I saw or even heard about. Water’s still a bit too cool for them to really get comfortable.
South Jetty
Same story over here — lots of bluefish and jacks, but not much else. I did hear about some black drum, sheepshead, and a few nice pompano being caught at the tip earlier in the week. Drum were caught on shrimp, and the pompano/sheepshead were caught on live sand fleas and goofy jigs.
Along the rocks on the incoming tide there were reports of some small undersized snook caught on live pilchards and shrimp, but nothing big enough to keep.
No flounder.
T-Dock Area
Slow back here as well. When the dock is open, about the only action I saw and heard about were bluefish, jacks, and a few Spanish mackerel on small spoons and jigs.
I did see some nice whiting caught over the weekend on cut shrimp on both tides, but not much else worth reporting.
Surf – North & South
There weren’t many folks out fishing the surf from what I saw, but either side has produced some whiting mixed with catfish, stingrays, and some small sharks. The south side earlier in the week produced some decent pompano on live sand fleas.
Well folks, that’s it for this week — not much, but something. I hope everyone has a great week!
– Snookman Wayne
Plan your trip: Tide Report & Moon Phase
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Bait tip: Need bait before you hit the rocks? Swing by Saltwater Cowboy Bait & Tackle for live shrimp, seasonal baitfish, and frozen options.