Sebastian Inlet Fishing Report – Jan 26, 2026 (Marvelous Weekend & Mixed Bag)
Hello there all my Sebastian Inlet friends and family! I hope everyone enjoyed the wonderful weekend we had — it was marvelous. And the fishing wasn’t too awful bad either. A bit slow, but there were some decent fish being caught throughout the inlet. So off we go!
North Jetty
Most of the action was on the high incoming tide at the tip over the rock pile and further down the jetty towards the bridge. Live and dead shrimp has been the bait of choice.
While I was down I saw some really nice black drum being caught — most were in the 24–28 inch range, which you can only keep one of in your bag limit of 5 per person per day. Some were in the smaller range (15–20 inches), but there weren’t a lot being caught, so it made it hard to get a bag limit.
I also did see that several nice sheepshead were being caught as well using sand fleas and fiddler crabs around the rocks and the pilings on the inside of the jetty.
Early morning, end of the outgoing tide at the tip, there were some nice snook being caught on live shrimp and thumper jigs — not a lot, but enough to keep you interested.
Another species I like to target this time of year are the spotted seatrout on live shrimp. They are fun to catch if and when you can locate them. They will bite on either tide, incoming or outgoing, if you locate them.
I fished last Friday and Tuesday and was able to catch 12 of them in the 2 days ranging from 17–22 inches. You can only keep 2 fish per person per day, minimum 15 inches, and maximum 19 inches — and one of those 2 can be over the 19-inch maximum.
The first day I did catch 10, but they were ALL over the 19-inch max, so I could only keep one. Lol. The second day I caught 2, both in slot, and they went home. Along with those trout I did manage to catch 5 small snook as well.
Along the seawall between the bait shop and the bridge, anglers were catching catch-and-release redfish on live shrimp on the incoming tide. The reds were in the 28–32 inch range — fun size. Some sheepshead were also being caught on fiddler crabs, dead shrimp, and fleas.
South Jetty
Over here again, most of the action was on the incoming tide with some pretty big black drum and decent sheepshead being caught on dead shrimp and sand fleas. Sheepshead were present as well at the tip and along the rock wall.
I did see also a couple of nice pompano in the buckets as well.
For those snook guys, the incoming tide floating live shrimp has been producing some barely slot fish and a couple slots mixed in.
Not too much on the flounder out here as the surf has been a little dirty, and just a few guys fishing for them.
T-Dock Area
Back here fishing has been limited because the dock was closed over the weekend, and now that they are pulling and setting up pipes to pump to the south beach, they told me that the dock WILL BE CLOSED when they start pumping.
Fishing back here has been pretty slow, but last Friday when I was down I chatted with a couple of anglers that had caught 2 BIG flounder on live finger mullet. One was 8 pounds, and one was 10 pounds. I didn’t see them, but my friend at Whities confirmed that story.
Saturday when I was down one of my friends showed me a nice 17-inch to the fork pompano he did catch around the cleaning table on sand fleas. Nice fat one too!!
Also, if you put in some time around the area from shore, there are sheepshead to be caught, as they come into the intercoastal to spawn.
Surf – North & South
Not much to say about the south side because the water was rough and dirty from the waves — nobody was fishing the area.
North side a bit different as the water is deeper and a bit cleaner. Pompano and nice whiting were being caught during the morning high tide phase, and a few black drum too. Live and dead shrimp and sand fleas were the baits of choice.
Well friends, that’s all I have for this week. Sunday night we have another cold front coming through and the temps are going to drop down again, and get windy — but from the westerly directions, so that shouldn’t mess up the clean water we are having right now.
Plus it has warmed up from the 62 degrees it was, to a decent 67 as of this writing — that’s why the fish turned on a bit. Have a great week guys and gals! Stay well, and be safe!!
– Snookman Wayne
Plan your trip: Tide Report & Moon Phase
Back to the archive: Sebastian Inlet Fishing Report Hub
Bait tip: Swing by Saltwater Cowboy Bait & Tackle for live shrimp, seasonal baitfish, and frozen options before you hit the rocks.