UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Black sea bassShoulder seasonBay · Florida
Shortys Slough
27.48°N · 80.31°W · Bay · Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Crevalle jack77
- Atlantic croaker76
- Spot74
- Atlantic tarpon73
- Common snook72
- Summer flounder72
- Gray snapper70
- King mackerel69
- Red drum68
- Southern flounder67
- Weakfish63
- Little tunny62
- Black sea bass61
- Spanish mackerel61
- Black drum58
- Gray triggerfish58
- Red grouper58
- Red snapper58
- Spotted seatrout58
- Cobia55
- Sheepshead55
- Greater amberjack53
- Florida pompano50
- Wahoo50
- Mahi-mahi45
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 4 PM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 619 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-7 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.4 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Shortys Slough scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.4 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
97Wind: 3 kt WSWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
68Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.0 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
No rule for Black sea bass is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with FWC before you keep a fish.
Species rules 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 Catch & release (No retention)
- 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))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (2 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Shortys Slough
- Depth
- 3-5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
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 Shortys Slough
Shortys Slough is a bay in Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 3-5 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and spot. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker, spot and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for weakfish, little tunny, black sea bass and Spanish mackerel. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- 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.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Fort Pierce Cut81
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 81
- Atlantic croaker 80
- Common snook 77
3 kt WSWL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ft
- Tucker Cove80
Bay · 0.3 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 80
- Atlantic croaker 76
- Atlantic tarpon 76
3 kt WSWL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ft
- Boot Toe Point76
Cape · 0.3 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 76
- Crevalle jack 75
- Common snook 74
3 kt WSWL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ft
- Dynamite Point76
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 76
- Crevalle jack 75
- Common snook 74
3 kt WSWL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 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.