Sons, Sand and Snook

Sons, Sand, and Snook

Happy Monday, Spacefish!

I can sadly report that summer is drawing to a close. Not on the calendar—we technically have until September 21st. Not with the weather—it’s going to stay hot for quite a while. But this week marks the end of my summer because my wife and I go back to pre-planning. It’s always bittersweet. I really like my job, but I also like having lots of time to fish and do fun things with my kids.

This past week, we decided to make the most of it and do some good old-fashioned family fishing. I’ve been working on a Speckled Sea Trout special report for Spacefish, and one of my strategies has been to explore spoil islands and sandbars on foot—wading and looking for concentrations of trout hanging around depth changes. Mission successful! I’ll have a full write-up on that next week.

But this outing also gave me a chance to “bring my kids to work.” This style of fishing—parking the kayak and wading shallow structure—is great for small kids and novice anglers. It provides plenty of action, lots of room to move, and the chance to cool off. Not only did I catch a ton of Trout, we also had an epic day of family fishing to go with it!

Launch Spot & Areas Fished

To take advantage of the spoil islands in the Indian River Lagoon in South Brevard, I believe the best launch spot for kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards is Fisherman’s Landing, located on US Highway 1 in Grant, Florida. We launched just as the sun was peeking over the horizon and made our way across the ICW.

Crossing the ICW as a family convoy can be a little stressful. It felt like a real-life version of that Seinfeld episode where George Costanza plays Frogger. But alas, we made it.

We first beached the kayaks on the north end of Roberts Island and started wading the sandbar. My wife and kids were fishing with live shrimp. I waded out toward the edge of the bar to scout for Trout (again, more on that next week).

The kids freelined their shrimp, while my wife used a popping cork rig. On the north side of the island, the action was steady but not what we were hoping for—Catfish, Jacks, and Ladyfish. That said, if you’ve got 4- and 5-year-olds, this is far from the worst scenario. They just want to reel something in.

They’re fishing-obsessed, always watching fishing shows and talking tackle with me. Of course, they dream about Snook, Trout, Redfish, and Bass. But they’re just as happy to catch what we jokingly call the “Trash Can Slam.”

After about an hour, we decided to make a move. The bite was OK, but the sun was heating up fast and I knew there was a rope swing on the south side of Roberts Island. We paddled around and set up shop on the beach just east of the swing.

We ended up spending the next four hours here. It turned out to be a perfect spot—not just because of the swing, but because of the conditions. There’s a deeper dropoff just off the beach, it was shaded, and a southeast wind was pushing water around the south tip of the island.

The kids swam and played, but this was also the moment our fishing really took off.

First Snook Success

My kids are alike in some ways, but also very different. My 5-year-old, Seven, likes to fish, but prefers to swim and play. He’s into exploring—collecting shells, rocks, oysters, seagrass—you name it. By mid-morning, our bait bucket looked more like a saltwater touch tank than a livewell.

Hendrix, my 4-year-old, is a different story. He’s a die-hard. He’d fish with me for 10 straight hours if I let him. He loves catching Bass, but the fish he’s been dreaming about for over a year now is a Snook.

Well… he got it.

On this trip, Hendrix caught his first Snook—and then went on to catch three more. He also caught a Mangrove Snapper and a little Puppy Drum, all on live shrimp.

I’ve had so many amazing fishing experiences in Brevard County over the past five years, but I can honestly say nothing compares to watching your son catch his first Snook. I was so proud and happy.

Seven saw all the excitement and decided to leave the rope swing to come fish with me. He only fished a few minutes, but we hooked into a nice little Snook and he reeled it in. He doesn’t like holding the fish (yet), but he did boga-grip it just long enough for a photo with his old man.

After that, I agreed to go back in the water and play with him for a while. By this point, it was getting hot, and the cool-down was much appreciated. While I played with Seven on the rope swing, my wife fished with Hendrix.

While they were fishing together, my wife caught a Snook, and Hendrix got to handle and release it for her. It was one of those moments where everything just clicked.

Gear & Tactics

For this trip, we brought four rods/reels. I packed two 7-foot spinning combos rigged for live shrimp fishing—one for freelining with a split shot and one under a popping cork.

For the popping cork setup:

• I tied a 10-inch section of 50 lb mono to the braid
• Then tied that to the cork
• Below the cork, I used 2 feet of 20 lb fluorocarbon, finishing with a size 2 circle hook

On the freelined setup:

• I ran a 3-foot 20 lb fluorocarbon leader with a size 2 circle hook,
• Placing the split shot about 8–10 inches above the hook

The kids started out tossing around Big Bite Baits Crappie Jigs and curly tail grubs, but eventually we put a 1/8 oz yellowtail jig on Hendrix’s rod and tipped it with dead shrimp. That’s what he used to catch the Puppy Drum.

All in all, the gear and tactics were about as simple as it gets—but when fishing with kids, I’ve learned that in the wise words of Kid Cudi, “Those who make it complicated never get congratulated.”

Conclusion

As we soldier through the dog days of summer, fishing can be a grind. This is the perfect time of year to take the kids in your life out on the water. Even if the bite is slow, wading and swimming can make a hot day far more enjoyable.

Focus on areas with drop-offs, moving water, and bring a few dozen live shrimp—you’ll be surprised how many fish you can catch. As the water heats up, the artificial bite often slows down. It’s a great time to support local bait shops like Buck Tail Bait & Tackle in Grant or Riggs Outpost in Downtown Melbourne. Grab some shrimp and go chase whatever’s willing to bite!

Thanks for taking the time to read this report—and thank you to Kayaks By Bo for being our paddle partner on these weekly adventures. Be sure to check out their store in Downtown Cocoa!

It’s hot as hell out there, so make sure you’re packing plenty of water and sports drinks—especially if you’re paddle fishing. Stay safe, be happy, and go rip some lips this week.

Until next time!