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Spanish mackerelRetention openBay · 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 jack76
- Atlantic tarpon73
- Common snook73
- Summer flounder72
- Atlantic croaker70
- Gray snapper69
- King mackerel68
- Spot68
- Red drum67
- Southern flounder67
- Little tunny61
- Weakfish61
- Spanish mackerel60
- Spotted seatrout57
- Black sea bass56
- Cobia56
- Greater amberjack54
- Black drum53
- Gray triggerfish53
- Red grouper52
- Red snapper52
- Sheepshead50
- Florida pompano48
- Wahoo48
- Mahi-mahi43
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 5 PM · Spanish mackerel
- Now
- 6011 AM EDT
- Best window
- 3-7 PMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing0.5 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 · 11 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
95Tide: EbbingCurrent: 1.3 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
86Wind: 1 kt SPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
79Water temp: 86°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Major periodSeas: 1.0 ftSeason & habitat · Spanish mackerel
Species seasonality
47Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Spanish mackerel
Retention open- Daily limit
- 15 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 12 in, fork length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, or spear. Open year-round.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Spanish Mackerel, 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 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)
- 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 Spanish mackerel is best here
Shoulder season for Spanish mackerel · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Shortys Slough
- Depth
- 3-5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonSpanish mackerel
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 tarpon and common snook. It is peak season now for crevalle jack, Atlantic tarpon, common snook and summer flounder, and shoulder season for little tunny, weakfish, Spanish mackerel and black sea bass. Crevalle jack peak from July through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Spanish mackerel
- Spanish mackerel school along beaches and around inlets, jetties, piers and bridge-tunnel structures, and along tide rips in 5 to 40 feet of water once the water climbs above about 68 degrees F. Troll small spoons or cast metal jigs and retrieve fast, or look for birds diving on bait and cast into the school. FWC calls for a 30 to 60 pound monofilament leader because their teeth cut light line.
- 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 tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Fort Pierce Cut81
Channel · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 81
- Common snook 78
- Crevalle jack 76
1 kt SL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ft
- Boot Toe Point74
Cape · 0.3 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 74
- Atlantic tarpon 70
- Crevalle jack 68
1 kt SL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ft
- Tucker Cove74
Bay · 0.3 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 74
- Crevalle jack 74
- Atlantic tarpon 70
1 kt SL 12:31 PM · 0.2 ftH 7:13 PM · 2.2 ft
- Dynamite Point74
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 74
- Atlantic tarpon 70
- Crevalle jack 68
1 kt SL 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.