Hey everybody, it’s been a while since my last report, but I’m here and happy to say the fish are here — but it’s up to us to find them. Over the last few days that I’ve fished there’s a couple things I noticed that I’m going to point out.

1st. We have a sand renourishment and restoration project up and down the coast from South Cocoa Beach down to Sebastian Inlet. This has affected some areas more than others so don’t be afraid to check a couple of beaches for that clean water. We saw an influx of dirty olive brown colored water with the South winds that showed up, which made conditions challenging to fish but, if you didn’t mind weeding through a few Catfish there were lots of fish to be caught.

2nd. What’s in the surf? We’ve been catching Pompano, Bluefish, Whiting, Black Drum, Croaker, Bonnethead Sharks, Jack Crevalle, Crabs, and of course Catfish. All fish are caught on Pompano Rich (pompanorich.net) surfari and Pomp Hunter rigs with peeled shrimp or live sand fleas tipped with Fish Gum. I like to try different offerings on different hooks and rigs, for example one rig will have peeled shrimp on both hooks but only Fish Gum on the bottom hook. Experimenting is your best friend when it comes to fishing in difficult conditions.

3rd. The Fish We’re All After. POMPANO. We’ve seen lots of mixed reports, while some folks get skunked, we’re seeing reports of some anglers crushing it. Take that for what you will. The most important thing to consider when looking for these fish this season is to find clean water. Look for your sandbars, holes and run outs and start planning out your spread.

All in all there’s lots of fun to be had if you get out there, don’t be dismayed if you find yourself on a dead bite. There’s a time and place for everyone. Good luck!