An air temperature of 55 degrees is a mild one during the winter in NY/NJ Bight. but in Florida the residents are reluctant to open the front door to such a “deep freeze” Yet, my son-in-law Luis Gonzalez and I drove from Palm Beach Gardens on Saturday to Hutchinson Island to fish with my nephew, Bob Correll, on his new 34-foot Sea Vee center console for the Spanish mackerel which Bruce Hrobak had told us were biting off the mouth of St. Lucie Inlet. Hrobak was the former owner of Jersey Shore Tackle before moving south to run Billy Bones tackle shops in Stuart and Port St. Lucie.

There were boats in the area when we arrived, but nothing was being caught even though the water was still at 68 degrees. Bob ran out to the reef to get some sure action dropping squid to bottom, though that only produced mostly large blue runners before we ran back inside to see some Spanish being caught. It wasn’t every-cast action often experienced with that species. but we chummed with ground bunker and glass minnows while casting small lures on light spinning tackle to catch eight that were all relatively large — up to 24 inches. That was mre than enough for a great fish dinner expertly prepared by Luis. Surprisingly, it still wasn’t hot when we returned near noon

Ric Gross of Point Pleasant had a better report as he fished Friday out of Boynton Beach with his grandson Finn on Phishunt Charters for a good variety of little tunny, king mackerel and snappers on a calm. 78-degree ocean. They mostly drifted baits in 50 to 100 feet.

The forecast is for a modest 10-15 knot northwest wind tomorrow.

Capt. Joe Massa made a final trip of the season from Morgan Marina with his My Three Sons as he and Bobby Glynn fished down the beach for a decent pick of blackfish. Massa said the fall-winter blackfishing has been tougher than usual. and it didn’t help that most of his supply of whitelegger crabs was killed off by heavy rains at the marina.

Bobby Glynn with a 7-pounder to top the catch.

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