Kaying and Wading the Flats – Summer Inshore Special

Happy Monday, Spacefish!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! This week, my report is going to be about something a little different — I’m calling it a summer-time special. As many of you know, inshore fishing in the Indian River Lagoon has become tougher over the past 10 or so years due to water quality issues. Much of the lagoon system, from Titusville down to Palm Bay, looks like chocolate milk for most of the year. This runoff-fueled nitrogen pollution has led to algal blooms and a severe decline in seagrass. While there’s been some recovery in the Mosquito Lagoon, the best quality water in our area is still found around Sebastian Inlet.

The reason I’m calling this a “summer inshore special” is that the Atlantic tidal influence around the inlet serves two important purposes. First, the water is cleaner and clearer, which allows seagrass to grow. Second — and especially important in summer — the tides create real water movement and bring in cooler water. Water levels actually fluctuate here, which is pretty much nonexistent throughout most of the rest of the lagoon. As we head into the peak heat of July, that cooler, moving water can be a big deal.

Last Tuesday, with low tide set for 7:22 AM, my wife and I launched our kayaks from the canoe/kayak launch at Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area, within Sebastian Inlet State Park. We got on the water around 6:15–6:30, right around sunrise. It was beautiful watching the sun come up over the inlet — one of those moments that makes you grateful to be out there.

A Tough Start in the Inlet

We started off fishing topwater plugs within the inlet, but it wasn’t working. The last hour of falling tide created a strong current, and between that and the boat traffic, it was tough to hold position from a kayak. Not saying it can’t be done, and you might have better odds at a bigger fish that way, but for us, it just wasn’t enjoyable. Experience and enjoyment matter more than forcing a bite, so we made the call to move.

It took us a bit to work our way across and out of the inlet due to the conditions, but we eventually made it to the mangrove islands north of the inlet. We got just north of Little Grace Island right at dead low tide. As the tide turned, we moved with the incoming water out onto the grass flats. The water was still shallow, so we decided to ditch the yaks and start wading.

The Benefits of Wading

Lately, I’ve been wading more — and even getting my kids into it. It’s a great way to stretch your legs, but more importantly, it gives you the stealth you need in shallow, clear water. We towed our kayaks behind us like floating bait stations and worked the flat.

As the sun climbed higher, visibility improved — and I started spotting yellow fins cruising the flat. Sure enough, a school of Snook had moved in. There had to be over a hundred of them. I wasn’t getting any interest on topwater, and I think I was spooking them in the shallow water. So I switched to the NLBN 4-inch K-Tail in Krome Ave — a light silver color that presents very naturally in clean saltwater. I also dropped my leader down to 20 lb fluorocarbon. When Snook are schooled up on open grass flats, you don’t have to worry as much about structure, so lightening up your terminal tackle can make the difference. I just kept my drag loose to protect against breakoffs once the leader started to chafe.

I was using my 7-foot Ugly Stik Inshore Select, 10 lb braid — the same setup I used in my Shingle Creek report last week.

I worked that school for over an hour, slowly and quietly stalking the edges to avoid blowing them out. I ended up landing several Snook, all nearly identical in size — around 27 to 28 inches. A while back, when I did that nerdy report on Snook migration, I learned they often school up by size during the spawn. So I wasn’t surprised to see them grouped that way. I’m no flats expert, but on this trip, I think the key to success was using something soft, subtle, and natural. A weightless, weedless soft plastic that doesn’t make a lot of noise or vibration seemed to be the ticket.

To Fool or to Feed?

On the way in, we stopped at Whitey’s and picked up two dozen live shrimp. As you all know from reading my stuff each week, I’m usually a plastics guy — but my wife doesn’t fish nearly as much as I do, and she wants bites. So outside of topwater in low light or Speed Worms for bass, she prefers to fish live shrimp when we’re inshore.

She was using a 7-foot Ugly Stik Inshore Carbon, paired with a Penn 3000 series reel and 10 lb braid tied to 50 lb mono with an FG knot. That connected to a popping cork, which I rigged with a short stiff mono section above it to keep the braid from tangling around the cork. Since the water was shallow, I used only a foot of 25 lb fluorocarbon below the cork and a size 1 Mutu Light circle hook. I reminded her to go easy on the popping — in that skinny, clear water, fish are spooky. But the cork added weight and helped her bomb long casts across the flat.

She ended up having a fantastic morning! She landed a stud Sheepshead, a bunch of small Mangrove Snapper, and a small Redfish to top it off. If you’re interested in giving this style of fishing a try, I highly recommend picking up some live shrimp from Whitey’s before you go. It really can turn fishing into catching — and let’s be honest, there’s just something magical about watching a cork go under. We all turn into kids again when that happens.

Conclusion: Beat the Heat

We didn’t fish that long — we called it around 9:30–10:00 AM. The bite had slowed, the water was rising up to our thighs, and that Florida heat machine had kicked into high gear. But for just three hours of morning fishing, it was a blast.

This is the time of year when inshore fishing is best wrapped up between 6–10 AM. I plan on getting back out in this area soon and spending more time learning the inlet, but I’ll also try to explore new spots to keep the reports fresh. As much as I’d love to wade those flats every week, I know variety helps all of us stay on the bite.

That said, the area around Sebastian Inlet should remain a productive zone for kayak anglers through the next month or so. As the non-tidal waters of the lagoon system continue to heat up into September, targeting areas influenced by tides can be a huge advantage for anglers looking for fun, multi-species outings.

If you’re in the market for a new kayak or paddleboard to fish like this, make sure to check out Kayaks By Bo — the only place in Brevard where you can try before you buy! Run by a family of paddle sports enthusiasts, you’ll get honest advice and expert help throughout the buying process.

Have a great week, everyone — stay safe, stay hydrated, and go rip some lips!