WEEKLY FORECAST
3.18.2025 – 3.24.2025
CENTRAL FLORIDA’S BEST FISHING REPORT
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This week, we’ve got a winner of the FSU themed cornhole set announced, and a new awesome giveaway courtesy of Mount This Fish Company! Plus, don’t miss Knox Robinson’s “after school special” on targeting snook in local creeks!
WEATHER & CONDITIONS
BITE OPPORTUNITY INDEX
OFFSHORE
INSHORE
SURF
FRESHWATER
Weather Overview
It looks like we are going to have a mix of windy days and a few nice days with lower wind. Tuesday (N) the wind will be a little higher. Wednesday (NE) it drops off but only for a day before it picks back up again Thursday (SW) and Friday (NW). Saturday (SSE) and Sunday (SE) look like the days with the lowest wind this week. If you are wanting to get offshore Sunday appears to be the best day but Saturday will work too. Pretty much all week is projected to have sunny skies and low rain chances. Friday will bring another short-lived cool front as the wind switches out of the NW. The high temp is projected to be in the upper 60’s. The rest of the week the high temperatures will fluctuate between low 70’s and low 80’s. Overall it looks like a nice week ahead.
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GIVEAWAYS
Weekly Strike-Zone Giveaway
Each week, we’ll randomly draw a name from our email subscriber list to award a $20 Strike-Zone Fishing Gift Card. To enter, all you need to do is subscribe to our weekly forecast email (once subscribed, you’re eligible to win EVERY week).
Congrats to this week's winner, Seth Finn, Merritt Island
NOTICE: If you are announced as a winner, you must EMAIL US within 5 days to claim your prize (please include your phone number and mailing address), or your prize will be forfeited and added back into the giveaway pool for future winners.
LATEST Reports
This Week’s Fishing Report
Despite the relentless winds keeping many anglers off the water, fishing has been exceptional when conditions allow. On my recent outings, I’ve found the usual suspects – snook, trout, and redfish – feeding actively around schools of bait.
Water Levels and Habitat
With water levels at historic lows, many areas are seeing fish pushed out of the mangroves and onto the flats. This has created exciting opportunities to target species like snook and redfish in shallower waters.
Sightings and Catches
I’ve been spotting schools of large snook and redfish cruising the flats, accompanied by decent-sized trout. A 4-inch paddle tail has been the go-to lure for both snook and reds, with a slightly faster retrieve proving effective for snook.
Trout on Topwater
Although I haven’t been specifically targeting trout, I’ve caught several nice ones early morning while working a topwater lure across the flat.
Stay Safe and Tight Lines!
Remember to exercise caution when navigating the shallow waters and to always prioritize your safety.
Headwaters Bass Report
My good friend Scott Smith caught his personal best (9lb 6oz) with me this past Friday. He caught this big girl on the Bass Puzzle Grass Piece Flex 5/8oz the color was Sweet Gold. #basspuzzle
The water temp was 66 degrees when we started this morning and 68 when we finished up. The west ramp was blocked when I left at noon today.
Top baits this week for me were Jackhammer chatterbaits, Bass Assassin RSB worms, Bass Puzzle Grass Piece and the Mike Bucca Bull Shad 6” Trick Shad in Gizzard Shad color.
I’m fishing the Bret’s Bluegill Jackhammers on flats with scattered hydrilla in 5′ or less. I only use a 1/2oz with a Green Pumpkin Zako trailer. Most of my good fish are coming in stained water with 2′ or less visibility. My line of choice is Ande black braid (50lb) and the rod I prefer is a Dobyns Champion 736CB Glass #dobynsrods
The 6″ Mike Bucca Trick Shad in Gizzard Shad color is my go to swimbait this week. I’m fishing these along grass edges near deep sharp drops or cuts near main canals. I caught some good fish on the flats where the hydrilla was more scattered. It is a fish catcher and it will work all over Headwaters. Swim these just under the surface for best results. Get on the Bullshad email mailing list so you can get the bait drop info. The Dobyns Champion XP 736C FH (frog rod) is the best rod I’ve found to throw the 6” trick shad.
I’m fishing the Bass Assassin RSB worms (Gooseberry and Redbug) with a 1/8oz weight (3/8oz when it’s windy). The fish are in the hydrilla near spawning flats and up tight to bulrush lined ditches. I’m using a 5/0 VMC Redline EWG hook with an Ande Fluro leader in 20lb test. This week dragging the worm along the bottom worked best for me.
Call or text me at 304-610-6066 to book a trip of a lifetime. I only have a few days open in April and May. I have some outstanding guides that work for me that have availability as well if I’m booked.
Tight lines!
After School Special – Snook in the Creeks
After School Special
Happy Monday Spacefish!
I am back this week after not having a report for last week. The week before, I was unable to get out and fish due to having to go coach in a 7v7 for my football team and taking my family to the Grant Seafood Festival. I planned to hit it hard last weekend, but life threw me a curveball, and I was out of commission with the flu. I dipped and dodged it all fall AND winter, and just when I thought I was in the clear, it hit me! I started feeling better on Monday, and after two weeks of no fishing, I was itching to get back in the saddle.
With the whole time springing forward thing happening last weekend, I can now squeeze in an afternoon trip on days I don’t have any after school stuff (doesn’t happen as much as I’d like), but I was able to squeeze in two after school trips this past week.
I would imagine that quite a few people reading this are like me. You have a full-time job that doesn’t involve fishing, you have a spouse, children, and other life things that can come in between you and time on the water. One of the best things about having a kayak is that you can load it in the back of a truck or on top of a bigger car/SUV, and you can hit the water pretty quickly. So, I am going to talk today about my recent after-school trips and hopefully provide you with ideas for after-work mini-trips.
Last week the wind machine was turned on full blast, so I decided to hit the Creeks, and look for areas that blocked the wind. One of the trips was on my beloved Eau Gallie River. Ballard Park is a very slight detour on my way home from work, and after I load back up is 5ish minutes from my house, and the other place I went, was Horse Creek, which is about 10 minutes or so away from my house.
Horse Creek offers a great wind protection option when the wind is blowing from the north or south, and Elbow Creek on the Eau Gallie River offers a good alternative for when the wind is blowing from the east or west.
When fishing Elbow Creek, I launched from Ballard Park – located at 924 Thomas Barbour Dr, Melbourne, FL 32935. When fishing Horse Creek I launched from The Horse Creek Kayak/Canoe Launch – located at 1555 Riverside Drive, Melbourne, FL 32935.
Elbow Creek Trip
After School Snook on Elbow Creek
On this mini-trip, I was trying to escape a strong west wind, so I immediately went to fish the backside of the docks of the Waterline Marina. All I caught there were Ladyfish, and since I was pressed for time, I decided to keep it moving. I was able to catch 2 small Snook under docks on the west side of Elbow Creek, from under docks. I kept moving south. Once I got past the last house, the shoreline opened up, and the wind started hitting me and moving me around,so I kept it moving down close to the bridge. I fished the areas around and under the bridge for the bulk of my trip. I could’t find any rolling Tarpon. I’m sure they were there, but it’s tough to spot them when the water is choppy. Even when they do roll, it is much harder to spot unless you’re looking at the exact spot. My peripheral vision has its limitations.
Anyway, I did some blind casting with a small swimbait, to no avail. I went back to targeting structure for Snook with a fish-or-die paddletail and ended up with a nice one under the bridge. I was seeing smallish mullet around, so I thought the 3-inch bait was a good option. The Swampfox color from FoD has always been a staple. Silver with gold flakes works pretty well no matter the water clarity.
I spent my last 45 minutes or so in this area throwing topwater but didn’t get any bites. All in all I fished for roughly 3 hours with 3 Snook and 2 Ladyfish. Not the best outing ever, but not bad for a 3 hour after-work trip.
Horse Creek Trip
Horse Creek Snook
For my next trip, I did an afternoon session on Horse Creek. I had a much more productive outing here. Nothing too large, but I was able to catch roughly 15 or so Snook in a 4 hour trip. I only caught one in the first hour and a half I was there. I spent too much time near the mouth of Horse Creek, but once I started pushing back, I started to catch them in good numbers. Right now, this creek is super-duper shallow. So it’s inaccessible to a boat, which is probably why I caught so many fish. Also, if you have two kayaks, and one of them doesn’t have a pedal drive, I’d bring that one. This would also be a great place for a Stand Up Paddleboard angler. It was very tight and winding, and you push back, but I felt like every shade pocket and laydown I cast to might result in a bite. I didn’t catch anything but Snook, but I wouldn’t be surprised to catch Largemouth Bass, Mayan Cichlids, and Bluegill in here, too. There aren’t any mangroves west of the launch, it’s purely freshwater vegetation. So, even though I was targeting Snook, I was making casts like I was Bass fishing.
My secret weapon on this trip was my Pflueger 6-foot combo I use for Panfish, Shad, and Smaller Bass. I was using my sons’ tackle bag and all of their Crappie Jigs. But this downsized presentation on ultra-lite tackle was the ticket. I have this rod rigged up with 6 6-pound braid and a 14-pound fluorocrabon leader. I would have gotten smoked by anything slot-sized or above, but for these creek Snook, it was a perfect combo that made for sporty fun.
On this super lite tackle and 2-inch curly tail bait, I was able to hook a small (really small) Juvie Tarpon that spit the hook on one of the biggest aerial explosions I have ever seen. Those teeny-tiny Tarpon can get air time!
I did throw some bigger baits around just to see, but after several minutes of not getting bit, I went back to the micro stuff.
If you live or work close enough to Horse Creek to squeeze it in, I would definitely recommend fishing there one afternoon. It may not hold bigger Snook right now due to low water levels and small fry bait, but it was definitely a lot of fun, and the challenge of fishing in a small body of water added to it. The positive side of the small body of water is that you don’t have to cover as much water here, which makes it a fun after-work option.
Horse Creek Snook II
Conclusion
It felt great to get back out on the water this week! Even though the wind was howling, the warmer air temps felt nice. I know temperatures are supposed to dip back down again after today’s rains, but I can feel spring just around the corner! It’s time to start dreaming of morning topwater and Tarpon fishing again!
If you noticed at the top of this report, I was using the kayak paddle to hold the Snook up to not put too much pressure on its jaws. When you catch Snook beyond 15 or so inches, it’s a great idea to hold them sideways so that they have a better chance of surviving after the release. Snook, much like Bass, feed by inhaling their prey, which is why they have that distinctive “thump.” When you stretch out their jaws by lip gripping them, you hurt their chances of feeding, which in turn, hurts their chances of survival upon release.
But the other thing I wanted to mention about that picture is that I am using a paddle. I mentioned above about how shallow Horse Creek is right now, so I had to use my paddle pretty extensively on this trip. I am using a Bending Branches paddle, which you can get at Kayaks By Bo. It is extra long and is a great tool for standing up in the kayak and continuing to paddle. It is also long enough to serve as a de facto push pole. Which helps when trying to silently maneuver around in the backwater creeks. This paddle is super tough and durable and serves me well in a variety of ways. If you need a paddle or any other accessory for your kayak fishing experience, make sure to check out Kayaks By Bo in Cocoa!
Thanks for taking the time to read this report. Stay safe, be happy, and may the luck of the Irish be with you! Until next time!
Steady Surf Fishing in March
Hey there, East Side Family!
We’ve been seeing some steady fishing through the last week or two. The whiting bite has been really picking up but it seems like those banner days of pompano fishing are slowly coming to a close. As we near the spring bloom we’ve been seeing more of the usual suspects like croakers, bluefish and occasionally a mackerel. I have high hopes that this season will finish off strong as the south school of pompano begins moving back into the area, but we’ll see how this week goes after this swell event.
I hope everyone has a good chance to get out there and do some fishing because it’s been good. Most of the fish we’ve been catching have been caught on live sand fleas and frozen shrimp tipped with FishGum. This is a proven combination that’s sure to get the fish nice and hungry.
Tight lines everyone!
Inconsistent Weather, Tough Fishing!
Big Black drum for Sean, his brother and friends
Another week of inconsistent weather with heavy winds a couple days. Typical spring where the bite changes daily with the weather and the full moon didn’t help the bite much either. We were able to get out on the beach and catch plenty of bait and plenty of Trout, weakfish, macs, blues jacks and even found a few ribbonfish. Bonus catch was about a 6′ hammerhead shark that was most likely in feeding on the mackerel, bluefish and jacks.
Jack got a snook over 40″
The inshore bite was hit or miss with plenty of jacks and some trout with a few snook mixed in. The big black drum have been very picky lately as well.
The upcoming week looks to have similar weather with some cold and windy days followed by some calm winds and warm air temps which will warm the water up a bit and hopefully improve the bite in the lagoon and off the beaches.
Good Mix at the South Jetty
Arden, poses with a clean 27-inch catch-and-release snook caught Sunday with live shrimp on the south jetty.
Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fanatics, I hope everyone had a great weekend! The weather was decent again, but the fishing suffered due to the big SSE winds, 15 to 25 mph, along with the three to five-foot surf making things a bit dirty and challenging. But there were some fish caught. The good thing about it is that the water has remained at 71 degrees and didn’t drop any. We have a couple of breezy and big surf days ahead, but the winds should calm down by Wednesday. To that end, here is what I saw over the weekend from Friday through Sunday.
North side under the bridge, legal side of the fence, west side
On the incoming tide, there are still some nice sheepshead being caught on live sandfleas and cut shrimp fishing behind the pilings, and close to the rock shoreline. In the back, west of the tidal pool, the incoming tide has been producing sheepshead and a few black drum on live sandfleas, and cut or live shrimp for the drum. I heard that a few guys caught smaller snook back there as well on live shrimp floating the current. Not much else back here.
South Jetty
All weekend on the south jetty the bite has been hit-or-miss, incoming tide early has been producing quite a few of the undersized snook on live shrimp along the jetty rocks, small thumper jigs have been getting a few as well. I only saw one slot fish caught over the weekend; the rest were too small. Black drum and sheepshead continue to make a showing once in a while, too: use live shrimp and sandfleas. The outgoing tide at the tip always gets crowded, but they have been catching black margates, sheepshead, blue runners, small jack crevalle and a drum or two. Since the water has gotten so dirty, the pesky catfish are around as well. Another species I saw make a showing Friday and Saturday were the big bluefish again. They were a bit farther out than normal, but a big silver spoon or jig did the trick. Also, I saw several smaller, normal size bluefish caught. That is pretty much it for over here.
T-Dock area
Remember, folks, the T-Dock is closed for the duration of the dredging project, and the adjacent parking area, but the shoreline area around it is open for fishing. Back here I didn’t see anything caught. However, chatting with a couple of my friends, they caught some undersized snook and redfish on the incoming, and very beginning of the outgoing tide on live shrimp and thumper jigs. One of my friends did catch some black drum and a pompano on Friday before it got all messed up. So that’s pretty much all for back here.
Surf Area, both sides
As you may have guessed, it has been all blown out, rough and dirty.
That’s all I have for this week. We really need the weather to calm down and remain that way. As the water continues to warm up, fishing will pick up. Cheers, everyone!
Tough Getting Offshore
With the increased winds this past week preventing us from consistently getting offshore we switched gears for our customers and did a pile of shark trips. They were all very successful and our clients had a blast playing tug-o-war with some of these beasts!
We did get offshore one day but it was not good or worth even talking about. No kingfish around yet, just a bunch of smaller bottom fish. I would recommend staying nearshore and catching some of these bigger fish. They are a lot of fun!
Slow Fishing at 3 Forks
Finally made it out on the water from what seems like forever for me. This trip was out on 3 Forks. The day started out a little rough due to the main canal was blocked with a big clog of vegetation that blew in from all the strong winds lately. We turned around and headed west to an area that used to be a good bite for us but the last three years seems to be void of any fish whatsoever. We left that area and found our way around the clog instead of trying to go through it.
All in all, the bite was slow for us. There were several other boats in the area, one in the spot we wanted to fish but left it to them instead of going there. Still it was nice to finally get out on a boat. Water temperatures are still in the mid 60’s but after this week I believe the warm up is on its way finally. Now only if the winds start to subside fishing should get better.
Good Schools of Drum
We continue to have good schools of both redfish and black drum readily eating shrimp tipped jig heads. The trout have been more consistent eating soft plastics. We are targeting these fish in the 3 to 4 foot water range with grass bottoms. The water has warmed up and we’re expecting to start seeing a cobia migration coming up the East Coast. Also we should start seeing some tarpon feeding on schools of bait moving through the Indian River and along the beaches in the next few weeks.
I have days available in April and May. Please give me a call at 386-295-5991 or book directly from my website.
Fishing Report for the Week of March 10th
This past week presented some challenging conditions with several windy days, but when I was able to get on the water, the fishing was excellent for the most part.
Key Highlights
– Snook and redfish were plentiful and cooperative, with several nice catches reported.
– Trout fishing was also productive, with fish hitting topwaters in shallow waters and erratically worked or falling baits in deeper areas.
Effective Lures and Techniques
– 4-inch Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ paddle tails rigged on 1/8 oz jigs proved effective for snook and redfish.
– Topwaters worked well for trout in shallow waters, while erratically worked or falling baits presentations were successful in deeper areas.
Weekend Outlook
– Winds are expected to pick up again this weekend, making it essential to find wind-protected areas to fish.
Tips and Recommendations
– Focus on finding sheltered spots, such as mangrove-lined shores or creeks.
– Be prepared to adapt your fishing techniques and presentations to suit the changing conditions.
Stay safe and tight lines!
Sloppy Week But Fishable Surf
This week looks to be a choppy, sloppy week for surf fishing, but it’s still a fishable condition for everyone with the right tackle. Swells will be rolling in between 2-5 feet all week, accompanied by the dreaded south and southeast winds meeting waves moving in from the northeast. It will be a week to find the calmer washouts on the beach and the cleaner water. Some beaches in Cape Canaveral had crazy clear water on certain days -— a nice change since they’ve been adding sand to widen the shoreline.
The rigs of choice have been chartreuse, pink and orange pompano rigs, paired with a 4 oz pyramid or a 2-3 oz sputnik weight. The choice of weight often comes down to personal preference depending on the conditions. If you know us at the shop, you know which weights work best for our area!
Fresh dead shrimp has been by far the most effective bait, along with live sand fleas. The fresh dead shrimp has been catching significantly more fish than any other bait. Be sure to ask us—or your nearest bait shop—for some fresh deads!
That’s all for this week. I hope everyone catches a bunch, and as always—tight lines!
Inlet Fishing Should be Good in the Coming Days
Greg, owner of Snookside Charters (left) and an inlet regular showing off one of the many black drums caught in the boat at the tip of the north jetty.
Hello, all you Sebastian Inlet fishing fans. I hope everyone enjoyed the awesome weather we had all weekend. With that said, here’s what’s going on and what’s NOT going on at the inlet.
Let’s begin with news about the dredging project: The T-Dock and surrounding parking area is closed for the duration of the project. The dredge, barges and tug have launched in that area, with dredging expected to begin this week. Wooden ramps constructed over the dredge pipes at the south jetty allow access for those with fishing carts, as well as the handicapped folks. With that, here is the report:
North side
Under the bridge, on the LEGAL side of the fence on the incoming tide the sheepshead bite has been pretty good, with many fish in the two to three-pound pound range caught on live sandfleas around the pilings and rocks. There aren’t many places to fish as it can get busy and dangerous on the rocks, so be careful. Small undersized snook are being caught in that area as well on live shrimp. Back in the back there have been a few black drum, sheepshead caught on live sandfleas and shrimp on the incoming tide. Small undersized snook are back here as well, live shrimp for them.
South jetty
In the early morning, during the incoming tide, the snook bite has been decent on live shrimp. Most fish as always for this time of year are undersized, but I did see several mid- slots caught on Saturday and Sunday. They were 29 to 30-inch fish. On Saturday, I was there during the incoming tide and saw a couple of 14 to 16-inch flounder caught. The outgoing tide at the tip on both days was producing small snook, redfish, black drum, black margates, sheepshead and sand perch, live and cut shrimp and sandfleas were the baits of choice.
Back in the back on this side around the cleaning table I did see a couple of really nice black drum caught on live shrimp. The 20 to 24-inch fish were caught on the incoming tide. One of my regulars said that he caught some nice pompano back there on small thumper jigs, one of them he said was 18 inches, nice one! Small snook and some redfish round out the mix for back here, again, incoming tide, and the very beginning of the outgoing.
Surf, both sides
The surf fishing the most part still remains slow, with the water still cleaning up from the blow we had last week. The water quality has cleaned up greatly and as of this report is back up to 72 degrees where it should be.
That’s it for this week. Expect rain and winds on Monday, but it should settle down by Wednesday through the weekend. After Tuesday, it should be sunny and comfy again. So, get out there, grab your gear and go fishing, or just enjoy the beach. Be safe everyone!
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