WEEKLY FORECAST
5.31.2022 – 6.6.2022
A CENTRAL FLORIDA FISHING FORECAST EVERY TUESDAY
If you are looking to get out on the ocean for a great day of fishing with an awesome team, book your spot now for a day on the Ocean Obsession(OO) out of Port Canaveral. They have had their customers on some great tasting fish!
There’s a lot going on this first week of June. As of the first, snook season in the Atlantic is over and the county-wide fertilizer ban takes effect. We’ve also got two big giveaway winners to announce next week (there’s still time to enter for a chance to win!), in addition the FSFA’s 53rd Annual Offshore Slam, which is this Friday and Saturday!
IN THIS WEEK’S FORECAST…
SPACE B.O.I. FORECAST
OFFSHORE
INSHORE
BEACH
WEATHER OVERVIEW: It appears we are transitioning into our summer weather pattern. We will start to notice increased chances for afternoon thunderstorms which is normal for our hot Florida summers. This week looks pretty good overall. The wind should stay predominately out of the E/ENE throughout the week. Our higher winds should come at the beginning of the week on Tuesday & Wednesday. Thursday through Sunday looks pretty good with lighter winds which will work out well for those wanting to fish the FSFA Offshore Slam this Saturday.
Click here to check out the marine forecast from the National Weather Service.
GIVEAWAY CONTESTS
Fishing Reports
In every week’s Spacefish fishing forecast, we turn to both fishing pros and average joe’s for input on what’s happening in and around Brevard County’s many fisheries. Here’s what people are saying about the bite in the Space Coast this week. And don’t forget — anyone — including YOU, can contribute a report to the list below!
Near-coastal Bite Picking Up
This week’s near-coastal bite picked back up considerably compared to last weeks for captain Justin and I here at Fineline Fishing Charters. Flounder were the main edible species that we started catching inside of the pier and near structures outside of the Ports basins. Live shrimp rigged on a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce Assassin jig head worked really well for our charter clients. Bluefish, whiting, snook, redfish, and tripletail were other species we landed using this simple rigging method.
In the lagoons, redfish and trout action was really good during the first hour or two of the morning. Rapala Skitterwalk topwater plugs in the bluegill and pinfish color patterns are working best for us right now. Saltwater Assassin 4-5 inch Sea Shad and straight tailed Shad baits picked up the slack when the top waters slowed down. It’s going to be another great week for us this week with the Solunar major periods lining up in the mornings. This should allow us to get out, catch fish, and get back to the dock before the afternoon rains hit.
If you’d like to book a charter with us you can go to our Fineline Fishing Charters website and click on the reservations page tab at the top right hand side to see our available dates or contact us directly at 321-505-8217. Let’s go catch your next memory!!
Kayak Fishing East Lake Toho
Lake Toho kayak fishing
Happy Monday Spacefish!
I hope all is well, is it just me, or is fall in the air? The air is getting crisper, the sun is setting earlier, it’s cooling off just a bit. I apologize for not being as consistent with my fishing reports, but football season is in full swing, and that has really gobbled up a lot of my time, but our regular season is already halfway through and it is really flying by! With that being said, today we’re going to talk about that other lake in Kissimmee, East Lake Toho. So let’s dive in!
Where I launched
There are a couple of different places you can launch from if you are interested in kayaking East Lake Toho, and over time I will certainly go back and explore other parts of the lake. But for this trip I launched from Lakefront Park located at 1104 Lakeshore Blvd, St Cloud, FL 34769. I unloaded in the parking lot, and dragged my kayak down the lakefront beach and was off to the races. I stayed on the south side of the lake during the entire trip, working my way westward for about 4 hours of continuous fishing, and by the time I got done it took me about an hour to paddle back in and get loaded up. Word of caution about choosing this spot, this park gets slammed as the day goes on. With the lakefront beach, and splash pad, it was a madhouse getting off the beach and loading up during the middle of a weekend afternoon.
Topwater
I started the day fishing topwater, and it was productive in terms of bites. I followed some sunrise baitfish activity in the open parts of the lake, fishing a Rapala Skitter Walk (SW-07) in Holographic Silver and caught 3 small Bass on this bait, I switched over to a black hollow body frog as I approached the vegetation that lines the perimeter soup bowl shape of the lake. I caught another small Bass on the frog, and lost 2 more that came up and hit the frog. They were probably small too, I can’t complain about catching fish, and lack of action on this trip but everything that I got to bite was on the “small” scale. East Lake Toho has a lot of emergent vegetation lining the lake, just west of the public fishing pier, I was able to fish the frog on a field of scattered floating vegetation. I went back through before getting off the water and took a picture of the field. I just slowly worked the frog through the field and all 3 of the Frog blowups were Bass coming up and ambushing it from under the floating grass. I fished both baits on a 7 foot medium heavy bait caster set up with 50 pound braid. With the walking plug I used a 20 pound mono leader, and with the frog I cut the leader off and went straight braid to the frog, this enabled me to get a better hook set and give me a chance to pull the fish out of the vegetation as quickly as possible.
Mid-Column Bait
I got 6 topwater hits in the first hour of fishing, after 30 minutes of no bites, I went with a swimbait. I fished the Gambler EZ Swimmer in the Gold Rush color. I had this bait rigged on the same rod and reel I used for the topwater. I used a 5/0 Gamakatsu Screwlock hook. I was throwing this bait right up into the grass and retrieving it as slowly as possible. Most of the fish were hanging out in the grasses and were probably looking to ambush a small baitfish without having to work too hard for it, a few hits came as I had gotten the bait out of the grass. This presentation was effective catching 6 small Bass and getting several more bites without hook ups. Honestly if I was a little sharper on my hook set game I probably would have landed 25 fish on the day, but I caught 6 on the swimbait and I fished it for about an hour or so, so 2 and ½ hours of fishing I had landed 10 small Bass, and should have landed 15, at the very least, these are the type of numbers that can keep a weekend warrior coming out to fish!
Low and Slow
As the sun climbed higher, visibility got brighter, it got hotter. Once the morning mist has been burned away by the sun, that means one thing to a Florida bass angler. It’s time to do the worm. My worm of choice was the Zoom UV Speed Worm, but I still kept it low, and fished it slow. I took the same approach as I did with the swimbait, throwing it as hard, and as far as I could up into the grass and working it out painfully slowly. I tried to bbq fish this bait the best I could, meaning that I kept it low, and fished it slow. I would creep and drag it along the bottom when I could, let it drop and give it a pop or twitch. The slower the better is how it worked on this day.
I was using a 6’10 Medium bait caster with 30 pound braid, and 15 pound fluoro leader. I probably shouldn’t have used the leader, but I thought that with little cloud cover and a bright sun, why not try and be as subtle as possible. I had it Texas rigged on a ¼ oz tungsten, pegged just above the hook. The hook I have really grown to like when fishing into thick grasses and vegetation is the Gamakatsu G-Lock Worm hook, I like how well it bites into the bait when you texpose it, it eliminates a lot of hook pop outs and snags on grass, but you do have to set the hook a bit harder when you feel the bite.
Once again I never caught any “bigguns” but I caught 5 with several more bites in the last hour and some change I got after it before starting the long paddle back in.
Conclusion
East Lake Toho does not get the same recognition and notoriety as it’s big cousin, Big Lake Toho – but I enjoyed it! I didn’t catch anything brag worthy, but that is ok with me, it was my first time, I caught fish, I enjoyed my time on the water and I plan on returning again to launch out of different spots and keep working this lake.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week, cooler weather and hot fishing are coming down the pipe. I hope everyone has a chance to wet a line and feel their rod bend this week ahead. Health, happiness and good fishing to all! Until next time!
Sebastian Inlet Report
This is Leon, and he is an inlet regular. The snook was about 44 or 45 inches and estimated to be about 25 to 27 pounds. The big girl was netted, dehooked, pic snapped and returned to the water very quickly unharmed. She was caught on a big live mullet on the beachside.
Good morning all you fishing aficionado’s, hope you all had a great weekend! The weather was good for a change, except for the ENE winds which at times were pretty breezy. This week is supposed to be a pretty nice week except for the possibility of some afternoon thunderstorms. The fishing for the most part in the entire inlet has been just “OK.” There are some more schools of mullet moving around in the inlet, and that is attracting the predator fish. Nowhere in the inlet has been a “hot spot” that I saw over the weekend, but the better bite I was seeing was coming on the incoming tide, middle of it and the first 2 hours of the outgoing tide where the water was cleaner. The incoming tide for both sides has been much cleaner than it has been, so that makes a huge difference in how the bite is going to be. I did see several different species of fish being caught all around the inlet. All you needed to do is get to your favorite spot and just wait them out, the south side had the upper hand over the weekend! The water temps have finally cooled down a tad, from 85 it was last week to 83 it showed this morning, and that should get things going for the better. So anyway, here we go with your action breakdown.
North Jetty
Over here the action has been mostly on the very early morning high tide, and the late evening high tide. Snook, redfish and big jack crevalle have been taking live baits of any type. Live pigfish and pinfish and mullet have been the baits of choice. Most of the snook being caught were all over sized, but I did see a few nice upper slot fish caught last week. Pigfish were the dominate bait. Redfish were being caught as well of all sizes, live bait and cut bait did the trick for them. Remember, they are CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY!! Other species I saw being caught over the weekend were the spanish mackerel on live greenies, if you could find some as they are getting harder to find. The mangrove snapper are still around and biting on live shrimp and live or dead greenies all along the rock shoreline and the jetty pilings. The outgoing tide has been producing some snook, redfish, jack crevalles, bluefish, yes I said bluefish! Saw a couple of them caught Saturday morning. Also the guys are still hooking up with some of the big cubera snappers, but not being able to land them. Also on this outgoing tide the spanish mackerel bite was still happening on the beach side. live greenies. Another speices I saw being caught were some nice sheepshead around the rocks and pilings. It’s a bit early for them as they like the cooler water temperatures, but non the less, some are here. Cut shrimp is the bait for them.
South Jetty
On this side the bite has been all on the incoming tide, about an hour or so into it when the cleaner ocean water gets moving in. All along the rocky shoreline it has been all about the snook! Lots of fish are being caught, but most of them have been undersized, but quite a few nice slots are being caught! It’s not been “hot” by any means, just good enough to produce some great action. Live baits of pins or pigs are doing the trick. Saturday while I was watching the guys and gals fishing it looked like what we “old timers” referred to as COMBAT FISHING!! lol. They were slinging baits everywhere and hooking fish all over the place, tangles and breakoffs were the norm, but lot of small fish being caught. Along with them they were catching some redfish and jack crevalle, and hooking some small tarpon. Outgoing tide at the tip was all about the black margates, blue runners, mangroves and a couple of nice sheepshead. Live and dead shrimp for them.
T-Dock Area
Back here it has been a bit slower, the outgoing tide has been pretty stained with the brackish water coming out of the river. Lots of puffers being caught around the dock pilings, and just a few small mangrove snappers, all on cut baits. The incoming tide when the clean water finally gets back to the area is producing some nice snook and redfish, jack crevalle and some spanish mackerel. For the snook and reds live pins and pigs are the go-to baits, the mackerel are hitting small jigs and silver spoons. The nighttime guys are catching snook on the 3-5 inch swim baits, and the artificial shrimp jigs. Incoming tide, and the beginning of the outgoing tide have been the better times.
Surf Area, Both Sides
The north side of the inlet from the pocket up to the north parking lot in the park has been producing some nice snook and redfish when there are mullet present. Also, I have been told that there has been some big tarpon around as well as the sharks, mainly bulls and blacktips. Live baits, large swim baits wil attract a bite from them. Early morning and late evening is the best time to fish. On the south side, same thing, when the water is clean up a bit and there are some mullet around, the snook, reds, sharks and tarpon have been playing. From the south jetty all the way down to the day use parking lot just south of the inlet. Again, live baits and large swim baits of any kind should bring some action.
Well my fishing friends, that’s it in a nutshell for this week. It is supposed to be kind of rainy all week, but that doesn’t stop the fish from biting, they are already wet!! So like I have said before, this is fall time, water starts to cool a bit, mullet should start moving better again, and hopefully the fishing pick up some more. This IS the best time of the year to fish as far as I’m concerned. So grab your gear, drinks, bait, and get out and to your favorite spot and catch some dinner, or a catch of a life time!! Snookman.
Bait Running Thick in Lagoon
The river is ALIVE with our Fall bait run at this time of year. There was so much bait on our first spot this past week we couldn’t get a bite on our artificial lures. Once the large pods moved on we started to get bit. Actually, the later part of our morning was better than at first light. We were fishing in an area with a depth of 15-20 inches throwing my favorite little Wakebait and it didn’t take long for the fish to eat it.
I hooked one of the biggest sheepsheads ever for me on this little crank bait. What a surprise, sorry for no picture as it had only a single hook in its mouth from the small rear treble and when it went crazy at the boat it came unhooked. Within 5 minutes from this another amazing hookup of a 15-20 pound tarpon gave me several great jumps before throwing my little lure.
At about the noon hour I changed over to a Yo Zuri 3DR-X Suspending Jerk bait and worked it alongside a little deeper mangrove area where my 29” snook ate it. All in all a great one day out on the water.
Good Fishing Inshore
Inshore has been the place to be last week with the mullet schools around. The cooler temps this week have helped the bait and gamefish keep active. Water is starting to clean up a little for sight fishing, as well. The trout, snook and redfish have been following the mullet schools as well as plenty of jacks. Nearshore has been too rough to run the beaches but the inlet has been productive both inside and the jetty action of it isn’t too rough to get out there.
Should see more of the same this week both inshore but it should calm down a bit to get off the beach and chase some tarpon.
Cool Enough for Fishing!
This thirty inch backwater snook fell to a Tsunami Tidal Pro walking plug.
It’s been a long while since I ventured forth and onto the waters of my beloved Indian River Lagoon. While I personally do not believe this summer was hotter than “normal”; I will confess that I don’t tolerate temperatures above eighty-five degrees as well as I used to. I simply elected to decline the few charter requests I had and stay out of the heat!
With September’s gradually cooling evenings allowing the once too warm waters to begin dropping into the eighty-five and lower degree ranges my interest in fishing again is restored…
Friday, Kim and I scouted a small backwater area we like for snook and jack activity. Our first stop was a bust, though this sheltered bay did have a good amout of mullet schooling along the mangroves as well as the middle of the bay. Nothing seemed to be preying on the baitfish.
Stop number two had plenty of activity. I caught several jacks on a Tsunami Tidal Pro walking plug and a dandy thirty inch backwater snook! We quit fishing the area immediately after landing the snook as I planned to return the next morning with clients.
Saturday morning we eased our way into my honey-hole and Bill connected with something that spit the plug as it neared the vessel. It was still a bit too dark to see what it was. Likely, it was a jack as Bill connected with a few more as morning glow gave way to dawn and dawn gave way to daylight. No snook activity, though, so we moved out of the backwaters to a favorite spot with good current flow.
Sabrina with her tournament winning Pompano!
Bill and Sabrina caught fish after fish here and the five dozen live shrimp were quickly eaten up by a variety of snappers, jacks, ladyfish and a pompano of nearly four pounds. The pompano earned Sabrina a tournament Champion plaque from the FSFA and a gift certificate from Strike Zone!
Full Moon Approaching…
With the full moon approaching, the tarpon bite is on fire and snook are feeding on the outgoing tide on schools of finger mullet around docks. We’re getting schools of black drum as well as redfish on certain points throughout the lagoon, too. The trout bite had been really good working the 3 to 4 foot depths using paddle tails with jig heads.
A Little Tease from the Fall Weather
It seemed as the Fall weather gave us a little tease here in Central FL this past week with some lows in the 60’s. Unfortunately that was short lived and we are back into high 70’s at night and 90’s in the day. The good news is that this weather has not effected our bite in the area at all. We still continue to have plenty of bait scattered throughout the backwaters and into Mosquito Lagoon. With all the bait comes our game fish like trout, redfish and snook looking for easy meals. Targeting the bait pods with live bait or artificial has been working well and producing an array of different species. The weather looks to be back on the afternoon shower pattern so early morning will probably be best to get a line wet.
Weekend Fishing Report
Get the latest word on the bite with Damon from Spacefish on the Mark Moses Show. We talk local fishing every Friday on the air at 4pm.
Budget Friendly Starter Kayaks
My First Fishing Kayak - Sun Dolphin Aruba 10
Happy Monday Spacefish!
So maybe you stumble upon my weekly writings because you have already been bitten with the kayak fishing bug and you’re looking to upgrade from your starter kayak to something a little more advanced. Maybe you have stumbled upon these reports because you want to be more involved in fishing, and you want to have a chance to get out from the shorelines, and the beaches and explore the water. But you’re trying to decide just how much of an investment you can make, or maybe you know what your financial limitations are and you’re trying to carefully plan a purchase of a fishing kayak – well if any of this describes you, then this report is for you. This is a review of kayaks that I have personal experience with that I would describe as “budget friendly”. I know times are tough economically for many of us, but one thing I am passionate about expressing is that you CAN HAVE a meaningful fishing experience without breaking the bank, borrowing money or making a life altering investment. I am going to take you on a little journey of my own experience, and how I became immersed in the world of kayak fishing.
My Starter Kayak
So when I first purchased a kayak to start fishing out of, I really wasn’t sure this was going to be my thing, I’d seen people do it, it looked really awesome, but I wasn’t sure I needed to drop a bunch of money. I already had a few rods, reels, tackle, and all the things necessary to catch fish, and I had been catching bridge fish, and fish from the surf off and on, but wouldn’t go as far to say I was truly dedicated to fishing hardcore yet. The pandemic slowed the world down, I was stuck indoors with little to occupy my mind, and I couldn’t get on social media or turn on the tv without thinking the world was going to hell in a handbasket so I went and borrowed a recreational kayak from someone I know. The rest, as they say, is history. I ended up later that year buying my own, a Sun Dolphin Aruba 10, at the time it was $199 dollars but the price has gone up now, I believe it’s closer to $250 now, but that’s still affordable to most people looking to take on a new challenge.
I was able to start figuring out the whole kayak fishing thing on this vessel, I drilled 3 rod holders in a milk crate and used that as a storage device. But I was still limited in this kayak, but for a year and a half I more than got my money’s worth out of a kayak at this price point. For someone who is on the fence and doesn’t feel like they can commit more than $400 dollars up front for a hobby that may not be for them, spending $300 on a kayak, paddle, and maybe a few rods and reels may be worth the chance, and if it doesn’t work you can always sell it on facebook market or something and get some of your money back. The picture at the top of the report shows me with a nice largemouth, but you can see the whole set up I had going on, is it perfect? No. But was it a great way to ease my way into a fantastic recreational activity without feeling guilty for spending too much up front? Absolutely!
Pictured below is my brother on the same model, and while he does not have the same milk crate set up, you can see how he has a cooler and tackle bag in the back compartment. The obvious cons to this kayak is that it is a sit in, and not as easy to get in and out of. It also has limited storage capabilities.
As much as I hate to say it, kayak fishing may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re on the fence a sub-$300 starter kayak may be a great way to give it a shot without breaking the bank. The other perk is the weight of this kayak, at only 36 pounds it is very easy to load and unload and you don’t have to invest in any fancy gadgets like a rolling cart or anything to get it to and from your vehicle.
My Brother Sun Dolphin Aruba 10
My First “Upgrade”
Ok, so after a year or so on the Sun Dolphin I decided it was time to invest in something a little more conducive to fishing, something that would give me more storage space as well as an easier climb in, climb out experience so my next kayak was the Heritage Angler, it was also a 10 foot kayak. Pictured below is my original kayak next to the Heritage on an outing my wife and I took last summer. On the Indian River Lagoon, the Heritage is the tan one.
Angler Heritage 10 Sun Dolphin Aruba 10
So let me first go through the con’s, because this is far from a perfect or ideal fishing kayak. The seat kind of sucks, actually it sucks big time. Very much, not comfortable. It was also a little on the tighter side, it was narrow with not a lot of room as far deck space goes. It also has a “v” shaped bottom, which means no stability to be able to stand up. Outside of that, I really don’t have much to complain about. This is a pretty good kayak for the price point, which was roughly $400 when I bought it. It may have gone up some, but last time I was in Academy, I saw it listed for $449, that was earlier this summer. This would also put it in the category of good starter kayak.
The pro’s are price point mainly, it’s tough to find many true fishing kayaks for under 500. Beyond that, it is small, light, very easy to manage, load and transport. It also is very easy to navigate and paddle, it can get in tight places, and it is easy with a good paddle to be able to change directions and turn in a tight space, it is also very quiet which is a huge plus. It had 2 built-in rod holders, but I would always bring aboard a cooler with 2 more rod holders drilled in, and this still left ample storage space behind the seat. There were two dry boxes that offered good storage space on board, in the front deck as well.
I would still be using this kayak today if I hadn’t felt the need to upgrade due to longevity purposes. Having a kayak with standing stability allows me to fish much longer because I can stand up to stretch a bit, but also the seat is more comfortable. Also, when I am on the water for several hours it’s also nice to be able to stand up and take a leak without having to find a shoreline to get off on. Especially when fishing in Alligator infested waters!
Starter Kayak on Steroids
Ok, so I am going to talk about one more kayak that I have experience with that I would put in the “starter” category, but is a clear step up from the Heritage, and that is the Vibe Yellowfin 100. Disclaimer, I have never really used this as my own, it’s actually been a purchase made by a great friend of mine, Coach Ted Kimmey. That he has allowed me to use when I take people out, to give them a better experience than the Heritage. So, thanks Coach! Pictured below is Coach with a Redfish caught on his maiden voyage to the Thousand Islands in Cocoa Beach. For those that may not be able to tell, Coach Kimmey is a big dude, former D1 Offensive Lineman big. 6’3”-6’4” and 250+ (with an absolutely glorious beard if I may say so). So if you’re a big dude too, and you want a vessel that can add comfortability then this may be a good start up kayak for you. I myself am a portly 5’10”, 215-230 (depends on how much cardio I have been doing), but I am able to get away with a smaller set up.
Ted Kimmey Maiden Voyage on Vibe Yellowfin 100
In addition to size and space, this kayak offers a much more comfortable seat, and yes, if you’re wondering, it’s a big deal. Not only does it have a higher vantage point than the Heritage, but the seat will allow you to fish for longer. It also has ample storage with a space in the back for tackle boxes, and coolers. It has two dry boxes in the front deck, and space under the seat that offer great tackle tray storage. It also has 4 rod holders built in, two of which are in front which offer the ability to troll, as well as a convenient place to put a rod while handling a fish, and in case you’re wondering, this is also a big deal. This can be one of those small details that leads to being able to be photographed with a 30+ inch Snook, or catching and awkwardly fumbling and dropping a 30+ inch Snook in the water (oh yes, it happens – it happened more than I would like to admit back in my starter yak days).
The only knock on this kayak would be stability and lack of ability to stand, but when you’re starting out, that is probably not the make or break thing you’re looking for, this is a very solid kayak to begin your foray into the lifestyle. Lastly, pictured below is my cousin Mark, who is a good Bass fisherman, but had never fished from a kayak before, and it took him less than an hour to get comfortable and start whacking them this summer when I took him out.
The price point for this kayak is in the upper 700 range, but depending on your budget, may provide a great place to start.
My Cousin First Ever Fish on Vibe Yellowfin 100
Conclusion
With fall weather, cooler waters and air temps coming around the corner, this is just as good as any time to get into kayak fishing. I hope that if you are on the fence and considering getting into it, and looking for some ideas on where to start, you find this article helpful. With so many choices out there it can be overwhelming sometimes. My advice is this, take your time, find what works for you, and just know a cheap starter kayak is better than no kayak, and anything that floats and gets you where you want to go can be the first step in a journey into self-satisfaction and fulfillment.
I hope everyone reading this is healthy, happy, and planning to have a great week of fishing ahead. Until next time!
Mullet Run Madness in the Surf
September turned in a variety of catches surf fishing the Space Coast. Black drum, pompano, margate, palometas and snook recognize the main cast of characters. While the conditions weren’t always ideal, the time spent understanding the varying scenarios helped improve on the consistency of catching. Cleaner water and cooling temperatures are something that will invigorate the bite to the next level.
Mullet Run Madness
The mullet run has officially kicked off!! Early mornings and evenings are producing the best results for big snook. Look for birds crashing to illustrate the major feeding frenzies. Furthermore, walk the beach with a casting plug or swim bait to target the first and second trough. Remember not to retrieve to quickly when approaching the shore. Often times snook will hit directly at your feet in ankle high waters. Be sure to remain patient and creat action for the entirety of the retrieve.
Tarpon Fishing The Surf
In addition to the snook bite, there’s tarpon and bluefish in the mix as well. Live bait seems to be the key for getting the tarpon too bite. High tide combined with low light conditions will yield the best results. Not to mention there’s plenty of sharks mixed in. Don’t extend the fight longer then needed, as you risk losing your catch to an opportunistic shark.
Black Drum Hitting The Shores
We have been catching black drum in the first trough, along with margate, pompano, palometas. Water has not been very clean in august or the beginning of september. Fresh peeled shrimp continue the be the hot bait for targeting black drum at high tide. Furthermore the sandflea resurgence continues as we’re still seeing them in the surf. are still around.
October Surf Fishing Forecast
What’s with this weather? That can be the deliberation for surf fisherman during the month of October. Based on the winds and sea conditions the patterns began to become inconsistent compared to the summer months. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For one it really fires up the movement of the fall mullet run. Furthermore it depicts a changing of the guard as we see different species pulse in with the changing water temperatures.
So where does that leave the everyday surf fisherman? Flexibility is key for the month of October in terms of surf fishing the Space Coast. One day you could target snook, flounder and tarpon in the first trough. The next day possibly looking for black drum, pompano or bluefish using pompano rigs. Based on the conditions will dictate how each day or week should be approached.
Leading me right into what conditions to look for in terms of how to most effectively spend your time surf fishing. Three variables that are the utmost important factors to consider when surf fishing. Water clarity, water temperature and sea conditions. Observations of these variables listed above, will result in the particular approach leading to the highest probability of success.
For example, high winds and dirty water would lead me to live baiting or casting lures in the trough for snook, tarpon and flounder. As opposed to calm seas and clean water. These conditions would lead me to implementing a multiple rod setup. Consisting of live bait, pompano rigs with Fishbites and sand fleas, in addition a casting rod to work the shoreline. By making use of the diversified setups leads to increased opportunities to catch a large variety in short order.
Pay special attention to the water temperatures! First of all, late October marks the early signs of our Space Coast pompano run. When the water temperatures begin to reach the mid to low 70’s you can bet those fish are already on the way if not already having reached to northern regions of Brevard County. Experienced surf fishing anglers privy to their homework will be ready for the prized pompano inbound. Nonetheless have your tackle ready for the opportunity as we know sometimes they can be short lived when a bite is hot. Fish multiple areas looking for those early signs of the pompano run and you just might strike gold early.
Lastly the shark fishing will continue to be nothing short of phenomenal. Due to an all out assault of baitfish and predators in the water it’s peak season for shark activity. Space Coast Shark fishing charters make for agreat way to make a memory and catch an apex sport fish. With the acrobatic jumps to boot and the speed to thrill it’s a one stop shop for a family fishing highlight. In conclusion, October highlights a changing of the guard and a wide array of species on tap. So grab your surf fishing gear and hit the beaches for fun in the sun.
Inlet Water Conditions Suffer from Lee
Mr. Brodie, shows off a nice catch-and-release redfish he caught while fishing with his brother on the inlet’s north side using live shrimp. The fish was released unharmed.
Good morning all you fishing inlet fishing fanatics, hope everyone had a great weekend! Once again, it’s time for your weekly fishing update for your favorite fishing spot, Sebastian Inlet. This report is going to be one of those “not so good ones” again, mainly due to the water conditions at the inlet curtesy of hurricane Lee who sent us some pretty big ocean swells, 6-8ft. The winds from it were not that bad, but the swell just really dirtied up the Atlantic and our inlet. Over the weekend while I was down the action was pretty slow for the most part, but there were some fish of all differently varieties being caught throughout the inlet. Nowhere was a hot spot. Mid week last week the mullet around the inlet had gone away, as they sometimes do, but Sunday afternoon they had returned in large numbers all around the jetty and surf. It’s still early in the fall run as the “hot” time is usually October and November when the water starts to cool down. It is still unusualy warm for this time of year, 85 along the coast when I checked this morning. Needs to drop to 78-80 for the action to “heat up.” Anyway, like I stated, there are fish around to keep things interesting. So here we go with your action spots.
North Jetty
Out here the action has been about the cubera snappers that have been biting at the tip on the outgoing tide. There have been many hookups on them, but only a few being caught as they love to get back into the rocks, and if you don’t have the heavy tackle to manage them, you will lose them. Also there have been a few caught on the boats, which is easier to land them because you are away from the rocks. One of the anglers I know landed one last week that measured 28 inches! That’s a nice fish! Kudos to you sir. The cuberas have been biting live baits, big mullet, pins and pigs. Another species that was playing well were the large jack crevelle, and they are biting just about anything you toss out, they are not picky eaters. On the incoming tide it has been pretty slow due to the very sandy/muddy water. They are still catching some decent sized mangrove snappers around the pilings, along with some decent sheepshead. The snappers are biting live and dead greenies, which are getting harder to find, the sheepshead on shrimp, live and dead. Also I did see a few nice catch and release redfish caught on the jetty and along the rock shoreline between the catwalk and jetty. The snook bite has been pretty absent except for a few smaller ones who don’t mind the rough and dirty water. Also did see quite a few mutton snappers caught at the tip over the weekend, but none of them made the 18 inch minimum to be kept. One gal I was talking to caught 3-4 of them while we were chatting. Not much else going on over here.
South Jetty
Over here the water has been EXTREMELY dirty from the roughed up Atlantic. Incoming and both the outgoing tides are affected. Catfish, puffers and stingrays are everywhere. Outgoing at the tip I did se a couple black margates caught on Saturday along with some blue runners. One angler did catch a nice redfish on a live finger mullet. Incoming tide has also been slow due to the water conditions, but if you do find some cleaner water, you might catch some snook coming by. Live baits of any kind could produce a bite, also medium sized paddle tail baits will work this time of year when the mullet are around. Redfish are a possibility also on this tide as they don’t mind the dirty water as much as the snook do. Same baits for them as the snook.
T-Dock area
Back here has been a bit better than the jetties due to the fact that it is much calmer, but you still get a lot of dirty/muddy water. The middle of the incoming tide, and the first of the outgoing tide has been the better times to fish because you get some of the cleaner water from the north side tide flow. Small mangroves, and some keepers are being caught around the dock pilings on live and cut dead greenies. Also did see some undersized mutton snappers back here as well. Remember they have to be 18 inches before you can keep them. Snook and redfish are also being caught back here in the early and late high tide phases all along the shoreline. Live baits of pinfish, pigfish, mullet and shrimp doing the trick. Nighttime snookin back here has been pretty good as well. Small to medium swim baits along with live baits are producing fish on the high, and first of the outgoing tide.
Surf area, both sides
For the most part the surf has been “washed out” due to the high surf we had left over from hurricane Lee. The winds were not bad, just the surf making it very dirty and rough, plus the absence of the mullet has made it pretty slow. It has calmed down some, but expect it to pick back up mid week as we again will get wave action from TS Nigel who is out there now. They are calling for seas to build to 6-7ft by Thursday into the weekend. If you find a spot on the high tide with a good trough AND some mullet, you could quite possibly find some predators feeding on them.
Well, that’s all I have for you guys and gals this week! It’s going to be one of those on and off weeks weatherwise, but get your gear, catch some bait and go fishing! With al the different species around now, you never know what you are likely to catch. Everyone have a great week, and catch some fish!
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Check out what’s been caught on camera while fishing in around the Space Coast this week.
LOCAL EVENTS
THANKS FOR READING!
Thanks for reading another weekly fishing report from Spacefish. Don’t forget to listen to Spacefish ON THE RADIO every Friday at 4pm as we talk fishing with Mark Moses on SPORTS RADIO 1560 THE FAN.
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