Waterlands

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SheepsheadRetention open

Bend · Florida

Devils Elbow

29.74°N · 81.25°W · Bend · Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM

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Best score today · 4 PM · Sheepshead

75/100Great
Now
627 AM EST
Best window
2-8 PMEbb tide
Tide now
Ebbing1.9 ft ▼

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions

Saturday, Nov 14 · 4 AM

Time4A
Score57Good
Tide1.7 ft ▼Ebbing
Wind9 kn ESEgusts 19 · steady
Air temp74°Warm
WeatherOvercast97% cloud
Water75°FPersisted

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Sheepshead

Retention open
Daily limit
8 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 12 in, total length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Other
State rules extend into federal waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Open year-round. A 50-fish vessel limit applies in March and April.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Sheepshead, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
  • Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
  • Bluefish Retention open (3 per day)
  • Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
  • Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
  • Crevalle jack Retention open
  • Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
  • Gag grouper Closed (No retention)
  • Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
  • Gray triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
  • Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
  • King mackerel Retention open (2 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
  • Permit Retention open (2 per day)
  • Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
  • Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
  • Red snapper Check regulations
  • Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
  • Snook Retention open (1 per day)
  • Southern flounder Closed (No retention)
  • Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
  • Spot Retention open (50 per day)
  • Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
  • Summer flounder Closed (No retention)
  • Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
  • Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)

Source: FWC · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Sheepshead is best here

Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 12 more weeks at shoulder

Sheepshead season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Sheepshead · 12 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Sheepshead in Florida →

Spot profile

Devils Elbow

Depth
1-10 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Channel · Outer · ExposedChannel · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonSheepshead

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Devils Elbow

Devils Elbow is a bend in Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 1-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are black sea bass, little tunny and bluefish. It is peak season now for black sea bass, little tunny, bluefish and Florida pompano, and shoulder season for king mackerel, sheepshead, crevalle jack and red snapper. Black sea bass peak from March through April and from October through November. Little tunny peak from October through November. Bluefish peak from March through April and from November through December.

Tackle & technique

Sheepshead
Sheepshead graze barnacles and crabs off pilings, jetty rocks, bridge supports, oyster bars and nearshore reefs, from a few feet deep out to about 50 feet. Drop a fiddler crab, sand flea or piece of shrimp on a small, strong hook straight down next to the structure with just enough weight to hold bottom. The bite is a light tap, so keep the line tight and set the hook fast.
Black sea bass
Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
Little tunny
Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Murat Point

    Cape · 2.5 mi

    74
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 74
    • Black sea bass 69
    • Bluefish 69

    8 kt EL 9:20 AM · 0.9 ftH 3:28 PM · 5.1 ft

  • Saint Augustine Inlet

    Channel · 12 mi

    74
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 74
    • Black sea bass 73
    • Weakfish 72

    6 kt ENEL 8:17 AM · 0.8 ftH 2:40 PM · 5.2 ft

  • French Cape

    Cape · 12 mi

    73
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 73
    • Black sea bass 68
    • Bluefish 68

    6 kt ENEL 8:17 AM · 0.8 ftH 2:40 PM · 5.2 ft

  • Matanzas Inlet

    Channel · 2.8 mi

    71
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 71
    • Black sea bass 70
    • Bluefish 68

    8 kt EL 8:14 AM · 0.7 ftH 2:28 PM · 4.5 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.