The past couple of weeks have been kind of rough, with only a few fishable days and a lot of dirty water mixed with weeds along the south Satellite beaches throughout Melbourne. Cape Canaveral and Cocoa beaches have had little to no weeds, but the water there has still been dirty, with very rough conditions. Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a mix of black drum, whiting and a few pompano. Bonnethead sharks, along with lemon sharks, have been all over the beaches too. It’s actually been pretty strange seeing so many lemon sharks – haha!

This week looks like it will calm down a bit with the cold front moving through. The swell is expected to drop to a manageable 1-3 feet, and most days are forecasted to have northwest winds that won’t be blowing too hard. Like I mentioned earlier, there have been some signs of pompano, so hopefully cleaner water moves in with the north winds, and the pompano show up in greater numbers! Sand fleas, shrimp pieces and clams have been the go-to bait, rigged on a standard pompano rig.

When it comes to weights, it’s smart to bring some sputniks with you. Even though the wave forecast looks good, there’s a good chance the north winds will bring a strong current along with them. Tight lines – see you at the shop!

Get ready for the roller coaster! Here we go gang-January is here. The weather during our winter months on the Space Coast is like a ride at your favorite amusement park. On one day the sun is out and the breezes are warm, then a cold front moves through and the winds turn cold and the temperature drops 25-degrees. Here is your survival guide to fishing during these topsy-turvy conditions that we’ll have this month.

First — plan to fish on the second or third day AFTER a frontal passage. The fish usually don’t eat very much for the first 36 to 48-hours after one blows through.

Second — look for the warmest water you can find. Sunlit shorelines with a southern exposure will usually hold way more fish than a northern exposure will.

Third — downsize your lures and live baits. The fish’s metabolic rate will slow to a crawl and they won’t want to fill their belly with a big meal. In fact, if they eat something that is too large it will start to sour in their stomachs and they will usually regurgitate it before it makes them sick.

Fourth — slow your presentation down. The fish’s metabolic rate will keep them from being aggressive. They would rather pick something up rather than have to chase something down. When you think you’re moving your lures slow enough-slow down even more. You will see an increase in bites. When you find the right fish in the right spot you will see some positive results from your casting efforts.

As always, if you want to get out there with a trained professional, please give us a call or go to our website and book a charter with either captain Justin or myself today. We’re easy to find at www.finelinefishingcharters.com or text us at 321-505-8217 and we’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have. It’s a new year and it’s time to start catching more fish! Give us a try today and let’s go catch your next memory!!

Had a great holiday week fishing the lagoon. We caught plenty of trout, snook, pompano, bluefish and jacks on artificials. The spoil islands have been very consistent as well as the inlet and flats around the inlet. The new Rapala 2.5″ shad tails along with DOA baits have been very productive. The new Mooch minnow rigged on a 1/8 ounce jig head has also been a great bait for everything from snook, jacks, trout and pompano. Lighter winds this week should let us get out on the beach and see what’s happening and hopefully we can find some blacktips to eat poppers as well as maybe some tarpon and bigger jacks.

Fog shrouded anglers at Sebastian Inlet’s south jetty on Friday, December 27.

Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fishing junkies. I hope you had a great weekend! Here’s what’s happening at Sebastian Inlet. The fishing remains mostly slow, but steady with what’s been biting. Water quality is an issue: Waves are diminishing visibility, and seaweed on the south side has been a problem for some anglers.

North side

Back here it has been slow, but flounder have been caught on live finger mullet, shrimp and mud minnows. The incoming tide along the rocks by the “steel” has been the spot. Also, boaters drifting the mangroves have been getting a few flounder, along with small snook and spotted sea trout.

South side

Here, the fishing has been better because there are more areas to fish. The north jetty blocks most of the larger waves coming from the NE. The outgoing tide at the tip and beachside have produced big bluefish in the 10 to 12-pound range for those fishing large silver spoons, jigs and cut bait. Also, there are reports of pompano and black drum on shrimp, sand fleas and goofy jigs, when the water is cleaner. The incoming tide has been producing sheepshead and black drum along the shoreline from the jetty back to the t-dock; shrimp and sand fleas are the baits. Find an area you like, pull up a rock, sit and fish. The flounder bite here continues to be alright on the incoming tide on live finger mullet and mud minnows. Live shrimp will work as well, but everything else also eats shrimp, so that’s going to be a tricky one. The best area is from the ranger beach back to the campgrounds.

T-Dock area

Here, big bluefish have been roaming through the inlet on both tides. Fishing the big silver spoons or large jigs might entice a bite from them. Also, around the dock there have been a few black drum and sheepshead on live and dead shrimp fished on the bottom. Incoming tide will be your best bet. Also, on the incoming tide I heard a few anglers fishing goofy jigs were picking up some nice pompano in the cleaner water.

Surf area, both sides

On the south side of the inlet there have been pompano caught in the cleaner water conditions, along with a few black drum, and, of course, the pesky catfish! Live and dead shrimp and sandfleas. The north side is a bit tougher as the waves have been coming from the NE, with nothing to block them as the north jetty does for the south side, making it rough and dirty. Expect west winds over the next couple of days, so it should calm down and improve surf fishing conditions.

That’s it for this week. I hope everyone has a great, safe and Happy New Year!

Recently, the Stillman clan managed a multi-species catch, including sheepshead, snook, jacks, ladyfish, bonnethead shark, pompano, mutton snapper and lots of permit. Way to go, Gang!

Fishing remains good in Fort Pierce, especially near spoil islands with hard structure on them. Old waterlogged trees, rocks and scattered shells are attracting plenty of sheepshead.

Live shrimp have been producing nearly non-stop action once you locate the right structure with the right tidal flow. I have no doubt the convicts will greedily eat sand fleas and fiddler crabs if you can find them.

As one might expect, there have been plenty of small jacks, ladyfish and young mutton snappers coming to boat while targeting the tasty sheepshead. Along with these typical critters we’ve managed a pompano or two as they enjoy the small and medium sized shrimp too. I’d hazard to guess we’d catch a few more pomps at these locations if I could convince a client to toss a Goofy-jig or an old fashion Nylure jig. Alas, it’s sometimes impossible to get even one angler to switch to a lure when the live bait is presenting a “hot bite”.

Don’t forget the snook! The inlet is still holding plenty of them. Though the bite may be sporadic as the water temps are holding into the low to mid-sixties, they still need to eat. Hand-picked live shrimp free lined on a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook will do the trick when drifted along tidelines abutting hard structures.

Capt. Rodney Smith leaves a legacy as one of the Space Coast’s All Time Greats.

We lost a wonderful human being on December 11th. The news of his passing came as a shock and hit deep. Rodney and his lovely wife Karen were the catalyst to my entry into the outdoor publishing world.

I had the privilege to meet them both in 2009 as they were growing Coastal Angler Magazine (CAM) into one of Florida’s premier fishing magazines. This meeting changed my life forever. I was so blessed they picked us to sell the original Brevard County Edition of CAM to. I remember the meeting like it was yesterday. My wife and I drove over to Satellite Beach. We picked up lunch and went to Pelican Park to talk with Rodney and Karen. I could tell they wanted to know who they were considering selling their business to. It was an outstanding meeting.

I learned very quickly that Rodney was a kind and passionate person who truly loved fishing and conservation. There were so many things he was involved in to spread his love of fishing and conservation to others. Coastal Angler Magazine, Anglers for Conservation and Hook Kids on Fishing, to name a few. He had a positive impact on so many people of all ages and backgrounds. He was an author, writing a number of different books and loved to surf. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and most of all, a genuinely fantastic person to his core. He chartered on the waters of the Space Coast for many years and I always loved to hear his stories about his early day’s guiding in this area. He truly had his thumb on the pulse of our lagoons, knowing them so intimately.

Rodney was a great man that touched so many lives and he will be missed dearly. There will be a celebration of life for Rodney on Saturday, January 4th 11am-4pm at Pelican Park in Satellite Beach. For more information, visit the event’s facebook page.

Elevating the standards set by its predecessors, the Falcon 26 Offshore epitomizes excellence in performance and versatility. Built upon the proven foundation of Morrelli and Melvin’s off-set keel configuration, this model ensures an exceptionally smooth ride in any condition. With enhanced resistance to stuffing in following seas and soft landings in rough waters, the Falcon 26 offers an unparalleled level of comfort and stability. Its thoughtfully designed deck layout maximizes usable space, setting a new benchmark for its size and class. From inland waterways to offshore adventures, the Falcon 26 effortlessly transitions between environments with confidence and ease. Custom-built to your specifications, this semi-custom vessel is equipped with features and amenities tailored to your boating lifestyle, whether you’re pursuing your passion for fishing or enjoying leisurely cruises with family and friends.

Come get the first look — and demo — of the F26 Offshore at the Stuart Boat Show January 10-12. Falcon Boats can be found at dock site AL03.

The inconsistent weather continues here in Central Florida with cool temperatures and wind to clouds and rain. But even with some crazy weather lately the bite still continues to be good. We have been boating several species on each trip like trout, redfish and snook just to mention a few. The water clarity is great and when weather allows is making for some great sight fishing from New Smyrna Beach south throughout Mosquito Lagoon. It looks as though we are going to get a little warmer weather heading our way into next week and then another possible cool down afterwards.

Augustine Chan and a beefy bluefish he caught while fishing at the tip of the south jetty Friday morning.

Good morning all my Sebastian Inlet fishing junkies! I hope everyone had a good weekend! Here we go with another installment of “what’s happening at the inlet”! Fishing for the most part has been a little slow, but steady no less.

For this time of the year and what’s biting with the cooler water temperatures there are fish to be caught, you just need to go and put in some time at your favorite spot. North side has been hit or miss since there isn’t a lot of area to cover except for west of the tide pool along the rocks and mangrove shorelines. Incoming tide is the best time to fish this area, unless you wade out back in the water along the shoreline, then you can fish the outgoing tide as there will be more area to cover.

The talk at the inlet has been all about the flounder fishing. Seems like this year they want to play a lot better than they did last year! The boaters drifting and anchoring along the shoreline back here are catching some nice fish up to 3-4 pounds on live finger mullet. Also being caught back here with the folks fishing sandfleas and goofy jigs are catching some nice pompano that are running the shoreline coming into the river, along with some black drum.

South side the jetty, when you can fish it and it’s not too wet is producing some black drum, sheepshead and a few pompano on shrimp, live or dead, and sandfleas, and some of the pompano are being caught on the goofy jigs when the water is cleaner and not so rough. Outgoing tide is the better option. Incoming tide along the shoreline is producing some black drum and sheepshead for those using live and dead shrimp, or sandfleas. The entire shoreline all the way back to the campground is also producing fish as well, with the main focus being on the flounder! I have heard, and seen pictures of the fish being caught back here on live finger mullet and mud minnows, most of the fish are in the 3-4 pound range, with a few pushing the 5-6 pound range!! A far cry better than what we saw last year, where most of the fish were small barely keepers, and maybe some 2 pounders. So I’m hoping that the bite continues to stay good!

On the t-dock there has been a few spanish mackerel being caught on small jigs, and some nice pompano too on the goofy jigs fished out towards the channel. Incoming tide has been the better tide for those bites. Flounder are possible here as well on live finger mullet fished close to the rocks and dock pilings. Remember folks, you do not have to throw your mullet out very far to catch flounder, most of them will be right at your feet! So fish tight to the shoreline.

Well folks, that’s it for this week. The weather is supposed to calm down a bit for the week, but the seas are going to pick back up again by the weekend. Also want to wish you ALL a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy Holiday Season!! Get out there and catch some fish!! Snookman

I finally made it out to fish this week. It’s been an expensive December for me and it wasn’t the gifts that were bought but a new motor for my 2019 truck. Modern technology isn’t that great when the things they put into these expensive vehicles just don’t work as well as it should. Ok my rant is over now to the fishing.

The road to Headwaters and Stick Marsh is finally completed so the dust issue is in our past. To my surprise after the cold days we have had in the mornings the water temperatures were in the mid 70’s. Although I feel the first area we fished we had dirty water. We fished in a heavy fog bank for nearly 3 hours and not one bite so off to find better water we went. Once we did the bite was very slow and the bass weren’t eating anything we threw at them. They just didn’t want anything to do with a moving kind of lure. My friend John who I tag along with on our weekly outing finally broke the spell. Downsizing to a 4” stick bait lightly weighted was the winning ticket for bites. Once I made the switch we both started catching fish. I was also surprised that the parking lot wasn’t full either in the morning but once the holidays are in the past that will change and more northern friends will show up. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. Looking forward to 2025!