Get ready for another action packed week of fishing on Florida’s Space Coast. January marks a period of high catch rates of pompano, whiting, black drum and bluefish. Although the number one targeted species will continue to be the Florida pompano, don’t sleep on the other species available. For example, We see giant schools of black drum cruising local area beaches between Cape Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet. Of these schools of black drum it isn’t uncommon to see fish in excess of 80 pounds in weight. Roughly translated this equates to trophy fishing from the beach!

Diversity will continue to be the best approach to surf fishing in the winter months. For instance, target pompano, whiting and black drum with standard pompano rigs on a double dropper rig. Using a variety of multi-colored floats will ensure you’re attracting nearby fish. Furthermore, the top choices for bait remain to be Fishbites, sand fleas, shrimp and clams.

In order to compliment the standard setup noted above, I encourage surf fishing enthusiast to cast lures as well. This includes casting lures like spoons, gotcha plugs and small jigs. Expect to catch bluefish, Spanish mackerel and pompano implementing this method. Recommended equipment is a 7-9 foot medium light spinning rod with 20 pound braided line.

Now if it’s a trophy you’re after then let’s review what’s involved in landing a huge black drum. For one thing, massive black drum frequent the area in the winter months because of the water temperature and availability of food. Black drum primarily feed on crustaceans including crabs, shrimp, sand fleas and clams. Keeping this in mind, it’s important to match the hatch and use similar baits for the best success. Be sure to land large fish safely and have an extremely quick release to ensure there survival.

The best gear to use for catching giant drum from the beach includes beefed up surf fishing gear from the line down to the rigs. By this I mean to make sure your dropper loop rigs are a minimum of 40 pound braided line. Secondly, your hook sizes need to appropriately match the strength of these fish without bending out. In addition, your rod and reel combo should be a 12ft rod and 6000-8000 series reels. Braided line isn’t mandatory, however, it’s suggested. You can catch massive fish with lighter tackle, but this also increases the probability of break offs. The black drum pictured in this article weighed over 60 pounds and was caught on 12 pound test and a standard pompano rig.

Lastly, shark fishing from the surf will highlight these acrobatic species in a showcasing way. Expect black tip sharks, lemon sharks and sandbar sharks when fishing the beaches in February. The top tactics include fresh cut bait, steel leader and a non offset, non stainless circle hook. Cast shark fishing rigs in the first and second troughs for the best success. Make sure to have 80 pound branded line and a reel size ranging from 8000-12,000 series. This will ensure you have the pulling power to safely catch and release these iconic species.

Book your surf fishing excursion to learn the expert tactics and techniques. We make it easy teaching you the best proven methods in an easy to understand format. Additionally, we can assist you in purchasing the proper surf fishing equipment for the highest level of success.

Call 321-205-4672 to book a trip or visit our website: cocoabeachsurffishingcharters.com.