What’s going on East Side Family! Man oh man am I happy that I got to go fishing. We started off our weekend by doing some gigging in the river, we didn’t spot any flounder but we found us some nice sheepshead that make for delicious table fare. The following morning I hit the beach with the Ninja Tackle 12 foot Dagger and 13’3 Bombers and went to work. That’s sort of what it felt like out there- work. We gave it our best shot and we caught 2 nice keeper Pompano and 3 good Whiting. I fished the following day with the Anglers For Conservation crew and we decided on fishing the north beach at Sebastian Inlet. We caught 2 Pompano that were too short to keep 3 Black Drum, 1 Whiting, & a Catfish believe it or not. We put a fresh bait out for a Shark but there were no takers. Oh well, that’s fishing 😃! This upcoming week looks a little windy, cold and rough- which tells me the fish will be on the move. Get out there and wet a line you never know what you might catch! If you need bait or fishing rigs or tackle here are my shop recommendations.

North Brevard – Cocoa Beach Fishing Center

Middle Brevard – Man Overboard Bait & Tackle

South Brevard – Black Dog Bait & Tackle.

The big shoutout of the week goes to StrikeZone for sponsoring us this season! Thank you guys! They are a full service tackle shop, they carry frozen bait but they specialize in outfitting anglers with everything they need from start to finish from the clothes on your back to the rod and reels in your hands. Check them out and let them know you’re a part of the East Side family 🤙🏽

Be well fam!

We got our on the beach a few days over the last week and we had our ups and downs but the fishing is definitely looking more UP than Down this coming week. Look to target Pompano during the morning and evening rides on the tide switches to optimize your chances of hooking up. We are seeing schools of migratory Black Drum and Pompano with big Whiting mixed in but we do not know for sure how long they will stick around so get it while the getting is good.

If you’re in the Cocoa Beach area stop in at Cocoa Beach Fishing center and see them for the surf fishing report, they will get you pointed in the right direction! Right now we are seeing Shrimp increase our catches but the prized bait still remains as the highly regarded Sand Flea. Your local shops carrying these baits will be Cocoa Beach Fishing Center, Man Overboard Bait and Tackle in Indian Harbour Beach, and Black Dog bait and Tackle in Melbourne beach. All of these shops hold a wealth of knowledge and it pays to ask questions when shopping. Looking ahead we have some windy rainy and cold conditions but that hasn’t thrown off the fish much. Watching the wind switch on Saturday will prove a new weather window and pattern to key into.

Go out there and get them, Tight lines everybody!

Hope everyone has stayed warm this past week because it’s been pretty chilly some mornings. The fish have been feeling it too, as they’ve been biting off and on over the past week. This time of year, it’s always hit or miss. We’ve seen lots of baby sharks, bluefish, and whiting, with the occasional pompano joining the party if they decide to show up.

The surf has been relatively calm with no seaweed in sight. Those north winds have been keeping it at bay. The week ahead looks to warm up a bit, and the winds will stay somewhat calm, with a couple of days of stronger winds. It does look like Wednesday and Thursday will bring bigger waves, but things should calm down for the weekend. The fish are out there for everyone; it’s just been about picking the right location lately—finding the semi-clean waters and the right washouts and troughs. If you’re looking to catch a lot of fish, it’s better to move along the coast, following pressure lines daily and weather patterns. It takes some work to get that great shot showing a limit of pompano and whiting!

To wrap up this week’s report, chartreuse, orange and pink floats have been flying off our shelves lately, along with 3-5 oz pyramid leads and sputniks. Frozen shrimp pieces, fresh sand fleas, and clams are your go-to baits. We have live sand fleas daily, and plenty of frozen shrimp and clams for you. Have a great week, stay warm, and tight lines, as always!

Hey there East Side Family! We had a couple of days last week to chase pompano and we were all over it despite the cold and winds. For those brave enough to fight the frost (LOL!) most were rewarded. We started seeing Bluefish move into the area, Angler Kyle Brainard scored with a nice Bluefish in South Brevard. Anglers report also catching smaller Blues as well but we know what we are all mainly here for… the Pompano. They are traveling through the area as quickly as they can right now fattening up. I was fishing next to a local Celebrity “Joey Antonelli” when I caught this Giant 3.4# 15.5″ Pompano. There are smaller fish mixed into the school but even the smaller 12″ fish are Fat and Round(we thought a 12″ to the fork was short because he was THAT stout!).

Looking ahead for this week we have this big front coming in, we’re not exactly sure how this will affect the fish but my “forecast” will be this. The fish are going to move quickly and feed on certain times and tides so plan your fishing trips accordingly. They love their first light and last light feeding windows so if you can match that with a tidal event you should be in the running so long you find clean water in the 67-72 temperature range.

Tight lines and be well Anglers!

Get ready for another action packed week of fishing on Florida’s Space Coast. January marks a period of high catch rates of pompano, whiting, black drum and bluefish. Although the number one targeted species will continue to be the Florida pompano, don’t sleep on the other species available. For example, We see giant schools of black drum cruising local area beaches between Cape Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet. Of these schools of black drum it isn’t uncommon to see fish in excess of 80 pounds in weight. Roughly translated this equates to trophy fishing from the beach!

Diversity will continue to be the best approach to surf fishing in the winter months. For instance, target pompano, whiting and black drum with standard pompano rigs on a double dropper rig. Using a variety of multi-colored floats will ensure you’re attracting nearby fish. Furthermore, the top choices for bait remain to be Fishbites, sand fleas, shrimp and clams.

In order to compliment the standard setup noted above, I encourage surf fishing enthusiast to cast lures as well. This includes casting lures like spoons, gotcha plugs and small jigs. Expect to catch bluefish, Spanish mackerel and pompano implementing this method. Recommended equipment is a 7-9 foot medium light spinning rod with 20 pound braided line.

Now if it’s a trophy you’re after then let’s review what’s involved in landing a huge black drum. For one thing, massive black drum frequent the area in the winter months because of the water temperature and availability of food. Black drum primarily feed on crustaceans including crabs, shrimp, sand fleas and clams. Keeping this in mind, it’s important to match the hatch and use similar baits for the best success. Be sure to land large fish safely and have an extremely quick release to ensure there survival.

The best gear to use for catching giant drum from the beach includes beefed up surf fishing gear from the line down to the rigs. By this I mean to make sure your dropper loop rigs are a minimum of 40 pound braided line. Secondly, your hook sizes need to appropriately match the strength of these fish without bending out. In addition, your rod and reel combo should be a 12ft rod and 6000-8000 series reels. Braided line isn’t mandatory, however, it’s suggested. You can catch massive fish with lighter tackle, but this also increases the probability of break offs. The black drum pictured in this article weighed over 60 pounds and was caught on 12 pound test and a standard pompano rig.

Lastly, shark fishing from the surf will highlight these acrobatic species in a showcasing way. Expect black tip sharks, lemon sharks and sandbar sharks when fishing the beaches in February. The top tactics include fresh cut bait, steel leader and a non offset, non stainless circle hook. Cast shark fishing rigs in the first and second troughs for the best success. Make sure to have 80 pound branded line and a reel size ranging from 8000-12,000 series. This will ensure you have the pulling power to safely catch and release these iconic species.

Book your surf fishing excursion to learn the expert tactics and techniques. We make it easy teaching you the best proven methods in an easy to understand format. Additionally, we can assist you in purchasing the proper surf fishing equipment for the highest level of success.

Call 321-205-4672 to book a trip or visit our website: cocoabeachsurffishingcharters.com.

Norther Palm Beach, Pompano bite can be on fire, water clarity, water temperature, right bait, That New Ghost shrimp was the ticket for Pat, B. Right spot, right time,here Today gone tomorrow, as seen with a two man recreational limit:

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!

Good morning East Side family, not much to report this week besides continued swell and onshore winds that will be switching directions to offshore for about a day then going right back out of the north. We ventured up to Canaveral National Seashore this week to target Pompano and Whiting, the conditions were far from good but we were able to harvest some nice fish for dinner. Here are a few tips that helped us stay active on the bite.

1. Regularly check your bait. When the current is rough and the swell is high it’s hard for the fish to find your bait, so make sure the bait is on the hook and fresh (we like to tip our hooks with a piece of FishGum incase our bait gets taken or is lost on the cast).

2. Utilize Sputnik sinkers for rough surf, we had to fish 5oz Sputnik sinkers to hold bottom. You can purchase them here at pompanorich.net

3. Don’t be afraid to move or cast into a new zone, sometimes the fish can be 10-20 yards down the beach from you, but you won’t know unless you cast a line there.

All in all it was a good time hitting the beach and fishing away from our typical haunts. The fishing should improve as our conditions improve so keep an eye out for a weather window and go fishing!

Our guide Matt with a beautiful Black Drum

What’s up East Side family! We have a little bit of a rough week setting up high winds and surf this coming Wednesday 12/11 until at least Monday 12/16. Best bets to catch a fish will be finding clean water, and manageable surf.

We will have to switch from fishing light pyramid sinkers into fishing Sputnik sinkers to hold bottom. We start with 3oz and move up to 5oz or 6oz if needed. Don’t be afraid of rough surf and high winds, these conditions typically trigger a feeding pattern if you can locate the fish. Another tip to get past the wind is to drop down from a standard Double dropper rig to a single drop. These rigs are more aerodynamic and cast further than your standard pompano rig due to less drag from additional lines, bait and hardware.

Here’s one of our clients from last week Friday with a nice Melbourne Permit

We hope to see some quality fishing during this stir up but we’ll take what we can get with this seasons weather patterns. Tight lines and good fishing!

Fishing has been steady this past week with whiting, small batches of pompano and bluefish showing up in the first and second troughs. The water has been fairly clean, though there’s been a noticeable current pushing rigs around. Waves have been relatively calm compared to previous weeks.

Looking ahead, the week seems promising for wave swells, but stronger winds might discourage some fishermen. Pay attention to wind direction—it shouldn’t affect beach fishing too much until Friday evening, when larger swells are expected to hit for the weekend.

Last week, the most productive tide was the low turn, with a few hours of solid fishing action. A 3-5 oz sputnik weight was essential to keep baits steady for the fish to find. Frozen shrimp pieces, live sand fleas, and clam strips are the go-to baits for this time of year, so be sure to stock up—they’ll be your best bet for the next few months. Remember, fish can be fickle: they might love one bait one day and ignore it the next. Always be prepared! Speaking of preparation, don’t forget to pack plenty of pompano rigs. Bluefish and small sharks are out in force and can tear through your gear in no time. That’s all for this week—tight lines, everyone!