WEEKLY FORECAST
10.8.2024 – 10.14.2024
CENTRAL FLORIDA’S BEST FISHING REPORT
EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO MELTON Space Coast local Joey Antonelli is Youtube famous and taking the show to the FSFA's October 8 Meeting in Melbourne!
You don’t need Spacefish to tell you that we’re on Hurricane Watch as Category 5 storm, Melton, continues its course towards the Gulf Coast of our state. Needless to say, it’s going to create more than just tough fishing conditions this week. Let’s hope for the best and do what we can to prepare and stay safe… Meanwhile, in this week’s forecast, find out if you’re the winner of the Daiwa BG Spinning Combo!
WEATHER & CONDITIONS
BITE OPPORTUNITY INDEX
OFFSHORE
INSHORE
SURF
FRESHWATER
Weather Overview
This week we will be all consuming dealing with Hurricane Milton as it makes its way across the state. As I write this, the projected path leads damn near right over Central Florida. I am hoping we will see some kind of shift but I’m not holding my breath. Saturday and Sunday is when the rain should move out. Friday is still showing about a 50% chance of showers. As we move through the weekend and into the first part of next week, winds will be out of the NE/ENE. If you are wanting to get offshore after the storm passes it looks like Monday and Tuesday should be the days to do it. Please stay safe and take all the necessary precautions for this Hurricane and be sure to help your neighbors and your community if you can.
Resources
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, Richard Mayer
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
Pre storm Bass
3 forks is up and flowing alot
Areas of concentration of moving water is holding alot of fish
Worms fukes and jerkbaits are good starts Juneau or black
Headwaters is being drawn down as is Stickmarsh. Water is good clarity and fish are in the normal spots.
Headwaters top water bite was good to us so get out and get them
Post hurricane should be good but alot of stuff will be moved around be on alert for floating mass
There’s a Storm Brewing!
Storm Brewing
Happy Monday Spacefish!
I hope everyone is doing well on this 7th day of October in the year 2024. We have a big storm bearing down on us, and the weather yesterday was unpleasant to say the least; I had to chaperone our MCC homecoming dance Saturday, and with the weather bing cruddy I was not able to get out this weekend, but I was able to squeeze in a brief solo trip last Sunday. I wanted to do a solo follow up to Long Point, after writing about my father-son trip there.
It wasn’t a great trip for me personally, I’ll go into the details below. But don’t let that dissuade you from going – the area I fished was loaded with bait, I hooked up with two large Snooks and lost; and was under a time constraint due to having an open house at the school that afternoon.
As good as the summer is to me when it comes to fishing; the fall is brutal on me – getting back into the swing of the school year as a member of the faculty combined with football season and I am on the back foot when it comes to fishing sometimes – but hey that is life, and for all of us that aren’t full time professionals; that is the way it is.
For what it’s worth, football is going really well for yours truly at the moment – your MCC Hustlers are currently 5-1, we’re on a 3 game winning streak that has seen us score 131 points over the past 3 games (I guess I get to keep my job for the time being haha), and we’re currently ranked #6 in the state in our classification, and my QB, Brogan McNab leads the state in total TD’s with 20 combined passing, and rushing TD’s in 6 games. He’s also a pretty bad @$$ angler too; once the season is over I’ll go fishing with him and turn it into a report, and who knows, maybe Kayaks By Bo will get him signed on to an NIL deal now that it’s become legal in HS sports.
That’s enough football talk for this week, let’s dive into the report!
Solo Fishing at Long Point
So on this trip, I launched from the same spot I mentioned last week when I was fishing with my boys. I launched from the boat ramp at Long Point Park and immediately went north towards the area listed on google maps as the “mud hole” – which I have to admit, is not the most flattering of names for a fishing spot.
Long Point Action Spots
Pictured above are two areas that provided good action for me – unfortunately I lost two very quality Snook on this trip. The first of the morning I hooked up on topwater on the point just south of the island I circled. On the way back in, I lost what would have been a top 5 all time Snook for me. I was fishing a Vudu Shrimp in “natural” with a chartreuse tail. I was using a 30 pound leader, I thought I had her, but she went on a run back in the mangrove roots and I got tangled up and broke off.
I was able to manage a few smaller Snook throwing the Salt Strong Mulligan in the Lebronze color. I haven’t thrown this bait in a while; but with a bunch of Mullet in the area I was looking for a bigger profile soft plastic swimbait, that I could rig weedless and this was the biggest I had. It’s a great bait when you are looking to bomb something weedless across a flat, and it also skips really well under mangroves. It brings a lot of versatility to the table and is a fantastic bait for this time of year.
Long Point Snook Release
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Hurricane Milton
As I conclude this week’s report, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the potential harm that is heading our way in Hurricane Milton. I ask that you join me in extending our thoughts and prayers to all that live within the path of this storm, especially our friends on Florida’s Gulf Coast in the greater Tampa area.
After the damaging effects that Hurricane Helene had on the Big Bend and North Florida, as well as Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolina’s I think we’re all ready for this season of tropical storms and hurricanes to be over. While we are not taking the direct hit over here on the Space Coast, I hope that everyone reading this will be kept safe from harms way. Hopefully we do not get much damage from the winds, and heavy rain.
Pray for Florida
Now would be a good time to pray for Florida, and the rest of the southeastern United States that have already been going through it. The prayer pictured above is what I will have my classes at Melbourne Central Catholic saying these next two days of school. Stay safe friends! Do not panic, but be prepared, and pray for others that may be getting it worse than us!
I hate to end on such a somber note, but that’s just the way life is sometimes. Stay safe, be happy, may your power stay on, and your homes be protected from storm damage. Until next time!
Tarpon Bite Remains Good
This past week the tarpon bite and the snook bite have been on fire! There have been lots of reds caught too. Post tropical storm/hurricane, after things settle down, can be some incredible fishing. With the high water look for fishing places that are normally too shallow to get into or possibly even dry and use artificial plastics, mullett and live shrimp and you should crush it. I have days open this month so feel free to reach out after the storm and book a charter with me. You call call 386-295-5991 go to my website.
Big Bonito & More Mix in on The Beach
Mix of inshore and nearshore fishing with Craig and Vanessa.
It’s a bit windier this week with more choppy waters, more rain and a new moon. Nearshore bite was a bit slow but there were plenty of glass minnows on the beach and big bonito, jacks, sharks and mackerel mixed in. The inshore bite slowed a bit with more freshwater brought into the lagoon, however we still caught plenty of snook, trout and a few reds and some jacks. Live bait was still king but the DOA paddle tails and Rapala skitter walks were productive as well.
The weekend involves hurricane prep as we tucked the boats away safe and sound and got the house and generator ready for Milton. The influx of more rain and high winds will most likely slow the bite a bit more inshore but if the winds are out of the west the beaches will be calm and we should be able to find some action if the water stays fairly clean and the bait is around again.
East Lake Toho
Went out of Lakefront Park towards Chisholm Park and fished along the reeds with pepper grass and got 4out of the grass on a Strike King Ocho worm in Babybass color, pound and a half to pound and 3/4. Moved over to the canal leading to AJ Lake and fished the bridge tied up to the dock on the left and got another 3, the biggest a 2.05lbs. Water was flowing very fast so I had to tie up to the dock. Then went into AJ Lake and threw a frog along the grass and lily pads. Hooked 2 and had both get off in the pads on the way to the boat. Was off the water before 10am.
Lake Fairview Sept. 28th
Went out with friends in his boat and we drifted across the lake fishing the submerged grass, Texas rig Strike King KVD Ocho worm 5inch Babybass color. I got a total of 11, 2 over 3lbs, 3 over 2lbs and 2 over a pound and the others were dinks. After a couple hours we moved back into the small cove across from the tiny houses along the concrete wall where they practice archery and got a few from around/under the dock on a Yum Thumpin Dinger in watermelon pearl.
Weekend Radio 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.
Plenty of Scattered Bait
The bite continues to be strong through out the waters of New Smyrna Beach and Mosquito Lagoon. We still have great numbers of bait fish scattered near shore and inshore providing a food source for all the game fish. Look for schools of bait holding on and around the shell beds to the north and grass flats to the south. Targeting the bait schools will produce the bites from red fish and trout to snook and jacks. They have been chewing well in live bait like pin fish and finger mullet but the artificial has also been creating bite as well. It looks as though we have a low pressure moving in later this week into the weekend so that should be really good just before it arrives.
Father – Son Kayak Fishing: Long Point
Father-Son Long Point Fishing
Happy Monday Spacefish!
I hope all is well as we march on through the year; this week will usher in the month of October, the days are getting shorter, and the weather is gradually cooling off. This is the period of the year where fishing can get exciting, and is also a great time for family fishing outings; so today my report is going to be about a father, son kayak fishing trip.
Where We Launched
So as my boys grow up, our father-son fishing is slowly evolving. We now really want to catch fish, but at the same time they are 3, and 4 respectively so I also still have to make it a fun, and adventurous outing to keep them engaged and wanting to go back. They have really been interested in getting out on the water in the kayaks, but they are not quite ready to actually fish from the kayak, so I have been looking for spots and opportunities to kayak out to islands, and fish from shore/wade fish in the shallows. I found a really good spot in close proximity to Long Point Park, which is located just north of Sebastian Inlet. I plan on going back and doing a solo report myself, as this has been an area that I have enjoyed fishing in the past, but it’s been a while since I have been solo.
Long Point Dock
Where We Fished
We paddled out and made camp on the north end of Scout Island. This is a great spot to fish from shore, as it is significantly less pressured than the areas around public parks due to it being accessible only by vessel.
North End - Scout Island
As you can see from the picture of our spot, there are several sandy beaches that you can set up on, and there is a nice drop off and depth change; when you combine that with the face that water is usually being pushed around the point of the island, it makes for a great spot to fish when you are needing to landlock yourself.
What We Caught
We got a couple dozen live shrimp from Long Point Bait and Tackle and fished them under popping corks with a few feet of 20 pound fluro leader, tied to a 1/0 circle hook. We were able to catch a handful of small Jacks and Trout. The boys had a ball! They were both able to reel in several fish themselves, and by fishing under the corks I was able to let them play in the sand and the water and they could help me keep an eye out and come rushing to grab the rod after the cork went down.
Rix with Starfish
In addition to reeling in Trout and Jacks, the boys had a great time searching the shallows and catching small crabs, and Starfish with their hands.
Other Fun Things
In addition to catching fish via conventional tackle, and Crabs & Starfish with our hands, we also took some time to enjoy a scenic kayak trip around Scout Island where we spotted birds, and watched Dolphins, Manatees and Sharks swimming by and around us – it was quite an experience for my 3 & 4 year olds, it was like a family trip to Sea World but free!
We also beached the kayak on the west side of Scout Island and hunted for washed up shells, and brought a bucket of the biggest and prettiest shells we could find for my wife/their mommy. We fished for 2 hours, and spent another 2 hours just having father-son fun time kayaking and exploring. All in all, it was an awesome experience, I am not sure who had more fun – the two little boys, or their ole Dad!
Scenic Tour of Scout Island
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That’s all for me this week folks. I hope everyone has a fantastic week! May the fish bite, and your lines be tight! Until next time!
Lots of Bait, Few Predators @ Inlet
Good morning all my Sebastian Inlet peeps! I hope you all had a great weekend despite all the rain and thunderstorms we had with hurricane Helene, and everyone is well! This report is one of those I don’t like doing, but I call it as I see it.
With the park being closed last week on Wednesday and Thursday because of the storm threat, and it opening back up Friday, and there was nobody out fishing, and the fact that the water quality over the weekend was very poor from the winds and huge surf kicked up, the water got pretty dang muddy and tannin stained from the intercoastal runoff. While I was down on Saturday and Sunday there were all kinds of mullet of all different sizes and shapes, tons of greenies and pilchards, but absolutely ZERO predator fish after them! The mullet schools were so relaxed they looked like they were on vacation! Lol.
About the only thing I saw on either day were just a handful of spanish mackerel being caught, and they were kind of small, and a ton of those pesky catfish everywhere, heck even the boaters were catching catfish! Not good. I didn’t see the boaters catch any snook or redfish either. So yeah, it was a bad weekend to say the least. Even a few of my “hard core” jetty pros worked real hard Sunday to catch something, but nothing. It will get better, it always does after a storm rolls through, it just takes a few days for the cleaner ocean water to come back in and rejuvenate the area to an acceptable salinity level the fish are comfortable with. The baitfish can tolerate it, but not the gamefish.
So we will see how this week goes, and hopefully it cleans back up pretty quickly. And that’s all I have my friends. Have a great week! Snook man.
Best Time of Year for Inshore Slams
A beautiful inshore slam for Dominic from Ft Lauderdale!
Had a great week of inshore fishing, despite the winds that we had during the week. Plenty of snook and trout with a few redfish in the mix. Live bait has been best, but we got plenty of fish on DOA paddle tails, jerk baits and several fish on top water, specifically the Rapala Skitterwalk. Fishing the shorelines and islands with bait is your best bet for success inshore. And this month is your best chance for catching a quality inshore slam.
Unfortunately with the hurricanes out there, it was too rough to get out and chase sharks and tarpon. Looks like we will have better weather and wind forecasts to get outside and look for the bait schools.
Headwaters Report – 9/29
The water temp is 82 degrees when we started this morning and 85 when we finished this morning. Water level is up about 12.”
Top baits this week for me were the Bass Assassin RSB worms, Chatterbaits and the Mike Bucca 6” Bull Gill in Bone color.
I’m fishing the Bass Assassin RSB worms with an 1/8oz weight and fishing it along hydrilla edges near deeper water. The only colors I used this week were Gooseberry and JB Blue. I’m using a 5/0 VMC Redline EWG hook. I like letting these sink to the bottom and pull it along the bottom fairly slow. I had to really let it sit the later in the morning before they’d pick it up. I’m fishing these in 6-13’ of water along hydrilla edges for the most part.
I’m fishing my Jackhammers in scattered hydrilla and ripping it out of the thick stuff. Green pumpkin and Blueberry Bass Assassin Whoopa Craws are my trailers that worked best for me this week. The craw trailer allows me to fish the chatterbait a little slower. All my chatterbait fish are in 5’ or less water.
The 6” Mike Bucca Bull Gill in Bone color is my go to swimbait this week. I’m fishing these along thick grass edges near deep sharp drops or cuts near main canals. 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.
I only have a few dates available in October so if you’re planning on getting in on the buzzbait and chatterbait bite book it now!!! Last year was epic the entire month of October. Here is a couple pictures and videos from last October.
Tight lines!
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
CATCH A BIG SMILE WITH JASIN YOUMANS DMD!
LOCAL EVENTS
The FSFA South Chapter meeting is @ Front Street Civic Center, Melbourne (2205 Front Street, in Melbourne, next to the Front Street boat ramps, across from Harry Goode’s). Social time starts at 6:30. Meeting starts at 7:00. Joey Antonelli will be talking about targeting a variety of species on the Space Coast. Food and drink available for a donation.
SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY!
Don’t forget, if you’ve been fishing, we’d love to hear from you!
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