WEEKLY FORECAST
4.28.2026 – 5.4.2026
CENTRAL FLORIDA’S BEST FISHING REPORT
“Location, Location, Location!” This week Knox Robinson rolls the dice on a bargain bin lure… and also becomes a real estate agent..?
Wind will be coming from every which way this week, but the consistent weather patterns of summer are on the horizon! It couldn’t come any sooner at the Inlet where the south Jetty has just been given the green light for public access, and the park’s long-vacant bait shop is officially back in business — shoutout to the the Salty Cowboys that put in all the work to make it happen! In this week’s forecast…
- Knox goes fishing in the bargain bin at Wally World and takes his swing on a steeply discounted lure. He didn’t exactly knock it out of the park in terms of savings, but ultimately, you can’t argue with results!
- The continued upward trend of bait flow is confirmed by Capt. Glyn Austin, among others;
- The man, the legend, Capt. Jim Ross, further extends his exclusive discount to Spacefish readers;
- Word of solid action and production across the whole gamut of Central Florida fisheries (with exception to the waters on the immediate boundary of Sebastian Inlet State Park — what’s up with that, Snookman?!?!)…
WEATHER & CONDITIONS
BITE OPPORTUNITY INDEX
OFFSHORE
INSHORE
SURF
FRESHWATER
Weather Overview
Looks like we will have a breezy week ahead. Tuesday, Wednesday morning and Friday are the days with the lowest projected wind. Rain chances remain low until Sunday. The wind is kind of all over the place. It starts off out of the NE/ENE. Mid-week it switches out of the SE before switching again out of the SW on Saturday and NW on Sunday. High temperatures will reach the 90’s by Saturday then a short cool front comes in Sunday.
Resources
GIVEAWAYS
Latest Reports
Southern Brevard Kayak Fishing Report
This week’s pattern remains consistent with what we’ve been seeing lately. Snook are still holding tight to shallow mangrove shorelines, especially in areas with active bait.
There’s been plenty of life around. Schools of greenbacks and finger mullet are getting pushed, and shrimp have been popping out of the water trying to escape. When you see that kind of activity, it’s a strong indicator snook are nearby and actively feeding.
Artificial lures have been producing, especially smaller paddle tails and shrimp imitations worked naturally through those zones. Matching the size and movement of the bait in the area has been key.
If you prefer fishing live bait, focus on what is already present. Greenbacks, finger mullet, and shrimp are all solid choices right now and will get attention when presented properly.
Do not be afraid to go big either. I put out a large live ladyfish recently and it got crushed by something massive. I did not get the hookup, but it is a good reminder that larger predators are in the mix and willing to commit to bigger meals.
Focus on bait rich mangrove shorelines, stay quiet in the shallows, and match what they are feeding on. The bite is there if you are around the right activity.
“Spacefish Special” Extended to the Flats!
The snook bite at Canaveral and Sebastian continues to amaze me again this week. These fish are everywhere! Next to mangrove roots, under docks, in the flats, near the jetties, and even along the beaches. There has never been a better time to chase snook than right now. Over the past week my anglers have landed so many snook between 22 and 32-inches that I’ve lost count. However, Monday we did struggle with the high winds, passing rain showers and rising barometric pressure. This shut the bite down after the morning frenzy. Live baits are producing the biggest fish in both the lagoons and the inlets. Some of these snook are running into the 40 inch range. Artificial lures are very productive on the smaller fish in the lagoons near docks and mangrove trees. Along the near-coastal waters the best bait has been a medium sized live shrimp on a 1/8 to 1/4-ounce jig head. Artificial shrimp will work in both places but really shine when fished under docks along the west shoreline of the Indian River Lagoon.
I’ve had some good responses to my “Spacefish Special” offer that I put on last week’s report and want to thank those of you who have taken advantage of it. I did have a couple of anglers that contacted me about it but they get sea sick and didn’t want to tempt their fate by booking a near-coastal excursion. So I booked them with the same discount for a flats trip so they could get out and try their luck at catching some snook, trout, jacks, juvenile tarpon and redfish with me. I’m going to extend my offer to those of you who want to go but may not have contacted me to ask about this possibility. So here we are… any afternoon 4-hour flats/lagoon trip or any afternoon 5-hour near-coastal trip that you book to run between today and May 29th will receive a $50 Spacefish discount! You must call me to get the code for your reservation discount at 321-636-3728. Leave a message if I don’t answer because I’m out on the water with clients. I’ll call you back later when I get in from that day’s trip. This offer only applies to trips run before May 30th so get booked for the day you want and let’s go catch you next memory!
Bargain Bin Banger: How a Discontinued $5 Yo-Zuri Delivered a Slam
Bargain Bin Banger
Happy Monday Spacefish!
When you catch a snook, seatrout, and redfish all within a single day, that’s what we call an inshore slam, and as spring slides toward summer here on the Space Coast, sunrise might just be the best shot you’ve got at pulling one off within a 90 minute window.
This time of year is one of my absolute favorites. Water temps are climbing, fish are feeding early, and topwater season starts delivering some of the most exciting strikes in inshore fishing. With a little skill, a little luck, and the right launch, you can check off all three boxes before most people finish breakfast.
Recently, I found myself making a late-night Wal-Mart run for one simple reason: I needed cash back so my son could pay his Lego Club dues at school. Now, I could’ve just grabbed a soda at the front register; but seeing as I’m currently in a physical shape that I prefer to call “festively plump,” I decided to take the scenic route to get some extra steps in.
Unfortunately… the scenic route led straight through the fishing section. That’s where I found it: a dusty, bottom-rack, bargain-bin Yo-Zuri lure for $4.96. The 90F Pencil SW. A lure so discontinued it might as well’ve had a retirement plaque hanging next to it. At 3½ inches and ½ ounce, this metallic silver, blue-backed relic looked like something forgotten by time, but for less than five bucks, in this economy, it felt about as reckless as buying a soda anyway. So naturally, I bought it.
A few days later I got a chance to go fishing. I launched at sunrise from Long Point on the eastern side of the Indian River Lagoon with one mission: give this now defunct, discount-bin topwater exactly one hour to prove itself. Like Brett Favre coming out of retirement, except hopefully with fewer scandals and more topwater blowups.
At the time I picked up the Wally Marshall Special Edition Yo-Zuri, I honestly thought Wal-Mart was just clearing out mediocre inventory. I had no clue this lure was discontinued and apparently selling online for triple what I paid. Still, even at full price, I’d probably grab a Rapala Skitter Walk or Heddon Super Spook Jr. first.
But here’s the crazy thing, within 90 minutes, this forgotten bargain bait produced a full inshore slam…. Snook. Trout. Redfish. And while this lure absolutely got crushed, I’ll still stand by a truth I’ve said before and will say again: Where you throw is way more important than what you throw.
Yo-Zuri 90F Pencil SW: Pros & Cons
Specs at a Glance:
- Length: 3.5 inches (90mm)
- Weight: 1/2 oz
- Type: Floating Topwater
- Sound: 3-ball high-pitch internal rattle
Pros
One of this bait’s biggest strengths is how it moves in the water. Instead of running flat, the rear sinks slightly, giving it a tail-down posture that makes it especially appealing to redfish and other inshore predators that naturally feed upward. I have caught a decent number of Redfish on topwater before, but I seem to catch more on the Yo-Zuri. I used a similar Yo-Zuri pencil on a few trips a few years ago and remember an increased number of Redfish catches compared to using other plugs.
With three internal brass balls, this plug throws off a sharp, high-pitch rattle that can call fish in from a distance, especially during low-light topwater bites. This bait doesn’t require a ton of effort to get moving. With a light twitch and steady cadence, it can produce solid walk-the-dog action without wearing your arm out.
Redfish on the Bargain Bin Yo Zuri
Cons
Compared to more aerodynamic topwaters like a Heddon Super Spook Jr. or Rapala Skitter Walk, the 90F can be a little less forgiving in windy conditions. It doesn’t always bomb long, laser-straight casts.
While it walks well, this lure performs best when worked quickly. Slower retrieves can make it feel less responsive than other topwaters that glide more naturally at multiple speeds. When paused, the bait tends to sit almost vertically with the tail down instead of resting flat. This can be a plus for redfish, but it also means it’s not always ideal if you prefer a more traditional pause-and-glide presentation.
The factory treble hooks get the job done, but serious anglers may want to swap them out for stronger trebles or inline singles for better durability and fish handling. I had two really quality fish, a 30ish inch red, and a good solid seatrout that I reckon to be about 20-22 inches. The redfish bulldogged down in some grass and the bait got snagged and the fish was able to pull way. The seatrout was hooked on the back treble and shook it out when it came up and gave a head shake near the kayak.
Final Verdict – The Yo-Zuri 90F Pencil SW may not outshine a Super Spook or Skitter Walk in every category, but for the right price, especially bargain-bin pricing, it’s a fish-catching sleeper with solid durability, loud presence, and a posture that can absolutely get crushed in the right conditions.
Snook on the Yo Zuri 90F Pencil
Picking Off the Runner
I made my first cast at 6:37 a.m. By 6:51, the Yo-Zuri had already produced its first seatrout. At 7:11, a redfish joined the party. The snook made me work a little harder.
I had pushed deep into a shaded little cove as the morning sun started creeping higher, targeting the kind of mangrove shadow line that just screams ambush point. At precisely 8:07 a.m., that snook hit, and just like that, the inshore slam was complete in exactly 90 minutes.
At that point, I felt like I’d already punched the clock and put in a full day’s work. Mission accomplished. From there on out, the rest of the morning was just about enjoying myself.
I kept working that shrinking shadow line for a while, but after the slam, I started noticing a pattern: fish were still following the topwater, still boiling on it… but not fully committing.
So instead of forcing the issue, I started “picking off the runners.” Any time I’d get a missed strike or lazy swirl behind the plug, I’d immediately fire back in there with a DOA CAL Shad on a ⅛-ounce jighead, basically throwing a soft plastic at fish that had already shown themselves but drifted a little too far off first base. That adjustment paid off with several more trout in the 15 to 20 inch range.
By around 9 a.m., the topwater bite had faded enough for me to retire the bargain-bin hero and convert that setup over to a MirrOdine. My topwater combo was my Lew’s Inshore Speed Stick spooled with 15-pound braid, 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, and a six-inch section of 30-pound mono bite tippet (shoutout to John Page). That little mono extension gave me extra insurance around bigger fish and helped keep a few floating inches near the plug.
Once the topwater rod got reassigned, I clipped off the bite tippet, tied it directly to the fluoro, and got back after it. The MirrOdine and DOA CAL both stayed productive, producing plenty of trout, jacks, ladyfish, more snook, and even another puppy drum. Nothing huge, but steady action.
Picking Off the Runner
Later in the day, I tucked into a wind-protected backwater culvert and got tarpon tapped on the DOA. That’s when I broke out one of my new experiments: a chewed-up MirrOlure Lil John with the tail clipped down into what my boys now call the “Robin Hood Rig.” I salvage the last 1.5ish inches, just enough to put on a jighead, and I cast to rolling Tarpon and slowly glide it across their line of vision.
I’ve been testing it on juvenile tarpon for the past 2 weeks, and this trip finally paid off. After jumping a few 15- to 20-pounders recently, I finally landed a baby tarpon around five pounds right in the kayak. No glamour shot on this one, he launched, thrashed, hit the deck, spit the hook, and bailed before I could play photographer, but the aerial show alone made it worth it. Quick, clean release!
Modified Lil Jon - Juvenile Tarpon Presentation that completed the Grand Slam
Conclusion
To stick with the baseball analogy for a moment, an artificial-only inshore slam feels a whole lot like knocking one out of the park. None of these fish were true wall-hangers, but a slam is still a slam. Even if it’s not a towering, upper-deck bomb, it can absolutely feel like an inside-the-park home run; earned through hustle, smart decisions, and putting yourself in the right position. And honestly, hustling one out still beats striking out every single time. This trip marked just my second-ever artificial grand slam without “cheating” with live bait, so trust me, I’m not taking that lightly.
Moments like this are also a great reminder of just how much confidence the right kayak setup can give you. My Hobie Outback from Kayaks By Bo continues to be an absolute workhorse, helping me cover water efficiently, sneak into productive backwaters, and stay on fish from first light through the late morning bite. Whether I’m chasing shadow lines, slipping into tight coves, or making on the fly lure changes, having a dependable platform underneath me makes all the difference. Because sometimes, the difference between a strikeout and a slam isn’t the lure, it’s having the freedom to get where the fish are.
Stay safe, be happy, and go enjoy this late spring warm up bite, get those topwaters out and go see the sunrise, I promise you won’t regret it. Until next time!
Red Snapper, Kinds, Mahi…
We have some great fishing going on offshore right now. The kingfish have been plentiful and hungry! We are catching some mahi too while targeting the kingfish. The red snapper have been our primary bottom catches. They are fun to catch even though we can’t keep them. It’s a great time to get offshore so give us a call if you want to go catch some of these species.
South Jetty & Bait Shop NOW OPEN!
Good morning all you inlet fans and fanatics, hope you all had a great weekend, weather was awesome, but not so much the fishing. It was pretty slow all weekend with only a smattering of fish being caught, and mostly on the north jetty. The water remains pretty dirty for the most part, but has warmed back up to around 77 degrees, where it should be for this time of the year, beach side was the cleanest, and there were quite a few nice schools of our “springtime” finger mullet starting to show, which will make the beach fishing for snook, reds and tarpon pick up. Also on a positive note, the bait shop IS NOW OPEN! Yeah! Lol. So here we go with some action spots…
North Jetty
Over here most of the action has been in the early morning hours at the end of the high tide, and beginning of the outgoing for snook. Some under sized and over sized fish were caught on live majorra, if you could find any, they’ve been scarce lately, and live shrimp, a few keepers were also caught. Outgoing tide at the tip was still all about the blues, jacks, and ladyfish being caught on just about anything fished. I did see a couple guys get some nice black drum, and a couple nice pompano on dead shrimp and sandfleas. Between the pilings with sandfleas and fiddler crabs some decent sheepshead were caught, beachside on Saturday I saw a couple of big pompano caught on live sandfleas, and a couple of bonnethead sharks too. And like I mentioned, nice schools of finger mullet starting to show up. Along the rocks between the bait shop and bridge has been pretty slow due to it being outgoing tide most of the day, incoming is better, but that will be next week.
South Jetty
The south jetty is NOW OPEN!
T Dock Area
Back here the fishing has been a hit and miss for snook, one day good, the next few days nothing. Water clarity and lack of the majorra have been the reason for the slow bite. But, the folks fishing dead shrimp and sandfleas have been catching some fish, around the pilings, and the Rocky shoreline, lots of nice spot tail pinfish, which you can eat if they are big enough, and some decent sheepshead are being caught. Some small various snappers are being caught too, they just aren’t big enough to keep. For those tossing silver spoons and small jigs towards the channel area, blues and jacks are there to play.
Surf Area, both sides
The south surf had still been slow due to the continued dirty water, not much going on. The north side on the other hand had been a lot cleaner, and the bite has been decent, with black drum, sheepshead, whiting and some pompano being caught on live sandfleas and cut shrimp. With the schools of finger mullet starting to show, the snook, reds and tarpon won’t be very far behind, so keep your eyes open!
Well folks, that’s all I have for this week’s edition. Supposed to be nice all week weather wise, maybe a bit windy to start, so grab you gear, sunblock, and get out and enjoy the inlet, beaches and the great weather.
Trout & Reds on the Flats
We had a great week catching lots of redfish and some speckled sea trout on the flats of Mosquito Lagoon. With the calmer winds and sunny skies the sight fishing has been amazing! We have a full moon coming up this weekend, which should trigger the tarpon migration north. I have dates available in May but not many in June, July and August. These are great months to catch tarpon. You can book me at 386-295-5991 or you can go right to my website Fatfishguide.com.
Spring, Sprang, Sprung…
Spring has sprung. After this last front, our temps and wind directions are getting where they should be. We are seeing more and more bait every week. The heat should be here for good and keep climbing and the bait will continue to be plentiful. Inshore snook bite is getting better as the bait gets more plentiful. Trout bite is still good and there’s plenty of jacks and bluefish around. Beach bite turned on with the jacks daisy chaining and cruising the beach along with plenty of mackerel and sharks around. Nearshore reef bite is good with Sheepshead, mangrove snapper, margate and some mutton snapper in the mix.
Surf Be Good
Surf fishing got good again quicker than I expected! Great bite over a beautiful weekend on the beach!
Even on Thursday, when it was still a bit weedy and the current was ripping, I had a reasonably productive charter trip at Ponce de Leon, catching a few whiting, a huge sail cat, and a nice lemon (I think) shark.
I went out with Dorian on Saturday, which was an absolutely gorgeous day — and the fish were biting, too! Weeds were few and far between and it was pretty perfect until late afternoon when the current made itself a force. Caught the gamut of species: whiting, black drum, jack, pompano (A KEEPER!).The pompano was a just a hair over 11″ and provided for the most delicious blackened fish sandwiches ever consumed.
The most productive time was early afternoon on the backend of incoming tide. We were using both Fish Gum and Fish Bites paired with live sand fleas. I’ve been a longtime Fish Bites user, but just started dabbling with Fish Gum this past month, and I may officially be a convert. On Saturday, all fish but one whiting were caught on lines baited with Fish Gum.
Spring Time Bite Firing Up
The spring time bite seems to be really firing up here in the New Smyrna Beach and Mosquito Lagoon waters . The shrimp have been making a pretty good run this past week which has been firing up the trout and snook along the shorelines. The redfish and black drum are still milling around on the shallow grass and sand bottoms of Mosquito Lagoon. This little recent cool front has been pleasant with highs The low 80s. The weather continues to look good going into the weekend throughout the Central Florida area.
Inventory Liquidation Event!
What happens when one deal isn’t enough? You DOUBLE IT.
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🚐 Why this is HUGE:
Up to 10% BELOW what we paid
Over 200 RVs to choose from
No hidden fees – one low dealer fee
Lifetime Warranty included on eligible units
Priority RV Network access
VIP Camping Club perks
⏰ This event ends SOON — don’t miss your chance to steal a deal like this.
👉 Visit any of our 3 locations:
Winter Garden
Palm Bay
Ormond Beach
Or shop online NOW and lock in your deal before it’s gone.
💥 Two Larrys said it… so you KNOW it’s real.
CATCH A BIG SMILE WITH JASIN YOUMANS DMD!
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LOCAL EVENTS
SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY!
Don’t forget, if you’ve been fishing, we’d love to hear from you!
