Space Coast Surf Fishing Report

Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters have been lighting up the Space Coast beaches with an amazing run of fish and sunny weather. Steady catches of pompano, black drum, whiting, bluefish, sharks and permit along with the consistent weather conditions have aligned for a reliable source of fun and productivity. With the entire Brevard County coastline beaches producing good catches, there’s plenty of opportunity for surf fishing success at any beach access.

Pompano, pompano, and pompano seems to be all anyone wants to discuss. But let’s digress into the other opportunities for shorebound anglers. Whiting, for example, is hands down one of my favorite fish to eat and catch along the surf as they are a delicate meat and their probable numbers can make the difference in a day’s overall catch. Family fun fishing charters have been dialed in on the whiting, and it’s made for nonstop action for the kids and families alike. Finally seeing big numbers in big bull whiting has been a great addition to each day’s surf fishing experience.

In lieu of the whiting and pompano blitzing area beaches there’s been a phenomenal bite for black drum and sheepshead. These crustacean eating species love shrimp, sand fleas and clams which make for a perfect bait to target them on a pompano rig. Fishing near Cocoa Beach Pier has seen the most consistent black drum bite while Patrick Air Force Base south to Melbourne beach continues to see flurries of them as well. Sheepshead are also on the prowl. Fishing near rocky structures tends to produce the best results. These fish will also roam sandy bottoms away from rocks so have baits deployed for those opportunities on hand.

Meanwhile, shark fishing charters continue bringing in Blacktip sharks, lemons and sandbar sharks. Albeit this time of year can be hit or miss, it seems to be extremely steady and consistent this year. Shark rigs with fresh chunked bait will do the trick with beefed up tackle with 80-plus pound braid in order to get these sharks to the beach for a quick release. As always make sure to have your shark fishing from shore permit and abide by the regulations to instill a quick release once landed. In addition, be on the lookout for all the manta rays cruising the surf, whether you hook one accidentally or it swims into your line. It’s been an issue that’s plagued anglers as of late.

With all that’s happening in the surf, it’s a great time to hit the beach with family and friends. Pompano remain the highlight species but as mentioned above there’s plenty of other species on tap currently. Our surf fishing charters have been catching some absolute giant pompano as of late with plenty of fish measuring out between 16-18 inches in length to the fork of the tail. These fish are being landed along with the more average keeper sizes in the 11-14 inch range, with undersize fish sprinkled in. Most of these pompano are being landed on live or blanched sand fleas or clams rigged with crab scented Fishbites on a pompano rig.