bluefish

Surf fishing charters following hurricane Nicole were surprisingly bountiful. The beaches were overcome with massive beach erosion not seen in my time here in 30 plus years, but the water clarity rebounded in rapid fashion. With that being said there was plenty of debris awash in the surf including pieces of boardwalks, dune vegetation tree limbs along the coast.

pompano

Shortly after Nicole we saw continued catches of jack crevalle, bluefish and pompano. Much to our surprise the water clarity at specific beaches gleamed with colors symbolic of good conditions. Although the debris drifting through the surf was a factor at some local Space Coast beaches, if you searched enough opportunities were available. For this reason one of the topics we cover in our monthly fishing seminars is how to read the beach and the waters, which in turn leads to night and day results compared to other surf anglers.

catfish

We had to work through some bycatch including catfish and ladyfish but were able to find pompano and whiting roaming the surf. Most of the pompano were undersize but a few keepers were landed on the last of the outgoing tides. This pattern persisted for the majority of the weekend into the early part of the week. Tidal influence will dictate how area specific beaches concentrate food and will in turn instigate a bite or diminish it. Remember to take detailed notes to understand what’s taking place at certain times throughout the tide.

Headliner species such a as pompano and whiting weren’t the only species to make an appearance. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel were also abundant at times and make for a fun fight and good eating when treated properly. Casting traditional pompano rigs with fresh cut bait worked well for the bluefish. While casting and retrieving spoons for the Spanish mackerel led to better results for this aggressive species. Regardless of which species you land if your goal is to harvest them then make sure to effectively bleed and ice your fish prior to processing. If treated properly the meat quality of either is good for the table fare.