Kayak Fishing Report: Labor Day Weekend – Crane Creek and Goat Creek
I hope everyone had a fantastic Labor Day Holiday weekend! I was able to get out and fish twice, and we enjoyed a great family meal - I prepared all of it except the Mac and Cheese my wife has a guarded homemade recipe she got from her mama, but I smoked ribs, cooked my special jambalaya, baked beans, grilled corn and garlic toast on the grill (which is a fantastic choice to sop up a plate of bbq and all the sides we had).
Mullet Right on Time
We’ve officially entered our fall Snook season and the mullet are right on time with it. There are bait pods all over the central coast of Florida with lots of big predators following them. Seaweed has been thick in the Melbourne area, you will need lots of patience to keep clearing your lines of the thick red algae.
Outstanding Tarpon Bite
Our near-coastal tarpon bite continues to be outstanding right now. There are all sizes of fish from 30 to 150 pounds feeding on the glass minnow, finger mullet, and pogie pods that are running along the surf. We are catching these fish on live menhaden and croakers rigged on a 7/0 VMC 7385 circle hook.
Perfect Week Offshore
An absolutely amazing week of perfect weather and perfect fishing. After seeing the storm pic you may not agree, lol. Cobia have been popping up regularly on the reef and a few of the local wrecks. Make sure you have some live bait and some chum.
Good Snook Opener
Snook opener was pretty good for the anglers fishing Sebastian Inlet. Anglers using live pigfish, shrimp and croakers have been doing pretty well on outgoing and incoming tide from the jetty and outgoing by boat. Drifting live baits at night on the fenders has been productive, as well.
Come on, October!
This week I had some good fish on Mike Bucca Bull wake baits (Gizzard Shad) and had an absolute giant try and eat the 9” Bullshad but I missed her short strike at the boat. Also, the 9” Bull Glide in Bone worked super slow caught them up too.
Strong Tarpon Bite Continues
The tarpon bite continues to stay strong with best catching being on the beachside using mullet. On the reefs the mangrove, lane and triggers have been chewing and should continue for the next couple weeks. Redfish have been cruising the shallow flats in the back bays and a well placed fly or shrimp will get it done. Don’t forget redfish are catch and release only in the Indian River now as of September 1st.
Golden Smack Down!
Chris Pashos fishing with son Dean and friend John put an absolute smack down on the golden tilefish! The two biggest weighed in at 24 and 21.5 pounds respectively. Way to go, captain!
FWC Redfish Rule Changes
A reminder that the FWC's new rules regarding redfish are now in effect (as of Sept 1). Most notably, the Indian River Lagoon is now catch-and-release only. The rules also include the following provisions:
Inshore Flats on Fly in the Heat of Summer…
Summertime on the inshore flats of East Central Florida can offer some of the best angling on fly to be found if you take the correct approach. Usually, this entails beginning your day very early to key in on what is usually the best time of day to find fish feeding.
Amazing Week Offshore
Ground hog week... A repeat of an amazing week of fishing topped off with beautiful Lake Atlantic weather. All species are active and chewing. Bait balls of bunker every day, and mullet are running the beach, as well.
Crystal Water Makes for Tougher Bite
Had a decent week on the beach and in the inlet. Redfish and snook bite in the inlet has been pretty good and the Sharks are thick out on the beach and shallow reefs outside the inlet. Clear water has made the Tarpon bite a little tougher but there are still some around Sebastian and Melbourne beach.
