Florida family fun charters experienced exceptional weather during the last couple of weeks. With this exceptional weather came great fishing for families and kids on the beaches of the Space Coast. Catching pompano, whiting, bluefish and sharks! Spring break means kids are out of school but the fish are definitely schooling with large migrations of fish and shark species feeding off the beaches in Central Florida. Take a look at the full report below to see what we’ve been catching and how to get in on the action!
Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Report
Shore fishing the beaches of Cocoa Beach, Florida brought with it healthy competition from spring break beachgoers. Not to worry as the fish didn’t seem to mind. Pompano catches were enjoyed throughout the week with most fish being caught on the first and second trough near the shore. This is due in part to the concentration of bait including glass minnows and sand fleas being present in these waters. Whiting, black drum and bluefish also made their appearances regularly. Fishing a standard pompano rig tipped with Fishbites and fresh sand fleas or shrimp worked the best for targeting the above mentioned species.
Black drum in the Central Florida surf
Family Fun Fishing Excursions In Cocoa Beach
This is where surf fishing from the shore really shines the brightest! Kids love fishing from the shore of the beach. Firstly, there’s so much to do on the beach that kids are able to stay engaged throughout the fishing trip. Which means kids get to reel in lots of different species of fish and shark. Furthermore they get to learn the biology of each species and get pictures with the coolest species of fish they’ve ever caught in the ocean. But that’s not all. In between bites kids love to play on the beach and build sand castles, frolic in the water and collect shells. Family fishing excursions from the beach are the absolute best way to take kids fishing when visiting Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral.
Shark Fishing Charters – Port Canaveral, Cocoa Beach and Melbourne
Shark fishing charters remain red hot throughout the spring months on the Space Coast! Annual migrations of blacktip sharks along with sandbar sharks, sharpnose sharks, bonnet heads and lemon sharks continue to feast on the abundance of food in local waters. Shark fishing charters continue to produce big catches with blacktip sharks ranging from 4-7 feet in length. In addition, blacktip sharks display aerial acrobatics similar to tarpon and marlin. Leaping from the water effortlessly while contorting their bodies in a series of twists attempting to dislodge the hook. Shark hooks for shark fishing from the beach are regulated and maintain the requirements of meeting the necessary guidelines. Shark hooks must be non-offset steel circle hooks, and have the accompanying heavy tackle needed to land sharks fast in order to maintain a healthy survival rate. Book a shark fishing charter today!
Pompano Fishing Melbourne Beach, Florida
The word gets out fast when discussing pompano catches on the coastline of Florida. To be precise it’s lightning fast with the scores of Facebook forums and social media posts. In light of this, pompano can be relatively tricky to keep tabs on. For these reasons, Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters routinely stays on the pompano bite by fishing daily. Compound this with a network of talented fishermen and this helps keep the odds titled in one’s favor.
The last two weeks we experienced the greatest pompano fishing around the high tide mark. Furthermore, the pompano preferred less floats and beads than they typically require. This may have contributed to the calm water conditions and exceptional water clarity. Make sure to downsize rigs when these conditions persist. Also keep in mind these fish can be targeted 5 yards from the beach, and as far out as 100 yards from the shore. Knowing this it becomes imperative to fish the many different bottom contours to cross check and confirm you’re not overcasting these prime species.
Pompano Fishing in Florida
Recreational limit of Florida pompano
Surf Fishing Charters Port Canaveral
As for the Port Canaveral surf fishing report we experienced a blitz of pompano in the first week of March. Surf fishing for pompano with live sand fleas produced the highest number of catches. Additionally, whiting and black drum were caught intermittently between the pompano catches. Surf fishing at Port Canaveral means you need to have the proper equipment to access the outside sandbar. This simple fact alone is of the utmost importance. This is in part due to the shallow waters in the northern stretches of Brevard County. The beaches in Port Canaveral and Cocoa Beach are shallow for a long way out as compared to the southern beaches. This factor alone highlights why it’s so important to get far casts on multiple rods.
