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Surf Fishing is on Fire

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Surf fishing is on fire this past week with big catches hitting the beach! As predicted, the clean water accompanied with ideal water temps brought enormous bounty for surf fishing anglers on the Space Coast. Astonishing numbers of whiting, keeper pompano, and sharks headlined the week’s catches. Bluefish and mackerel made a resurgence from the prior week and that was a welcome sight for light tackle beach casting anglers.

Spring weather cooperated favorably with friendly skies, calm winds and clean water tipping the scales in local surf fisherman’s favor as all the stars aligned and the bite turned positive for the entirety of Brevard County beaches. Cocoa Beach to Sebastian Inlet produced astonishing catches of bull whiting, limits of pompano, bluefish and sharks. While particular beaches had a hot bite one day and slim bite the next, the swarms of whiting and pompano are on the move. Setting up miles in one direction or the other could mean staying in the meat or striking a blank on the previous day’s success. The focus on food concentrations of crustaceans and baitfish will determine the banner days versus the “should have been here yesterday” moments.

Shoreline shark fishing continues to reign as a consistent and exciting fishery over the past weeks. Blacktip migration patterns are in full effect with line of sight views from the beach seeing multiple airborne sharks clearing the surface outside the breakers. With that being said. they’re also cruising closer in on the first and second trough, snatching up whiting and blue runners at every opportunity. Savage power and ferociousness are the words that come to mind when these supercharged species bend the rod. But blacktips aren’t the only species we catch regularly. Other superstars include lemon sharks, Atlantic sharp nose, and sandbar sharks. Shore-based shark fishing trips are producing anywhere from 3 to 7 sharks caught within a four-hour span, and, of course, and all released immediately. As mentioned previously, if you have ever had interest in trying your hand at shark fishing, be sure to study the FWC guidelines and follow that information for a successful catch and release.

Pompano fishing continues its upswing as these fish are charging back north with correlating water temperatures. I see this trend continuing for the next few weeks and into May as well. The schools are scattered currently with separate groups of fish spread from South Florida waters north into Volusia County. Regarding this matter, we’re seeing steady to stellar days this last week fishing pompano in the surf. Sand fleas remain the top bait of choice tipped with white clam Fishbites and the electric chicken crab scent. Tidal swings have commanded the numbers of fish being caught with varying days producing results on the outgoing or last of incoming. Another trend that remains consistent is the afternoon to evening bite, whether the sun is high overhead or setting, firing off for big pompano ranging from 2 to 4 pounds. With the variety of life in the surf, make sure to set days aside for your opportunity to reap the rewards. I’m anticipating the next few weeks to be particularly bountiful.

April 14, 2021
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Spring Time Surf Fishing

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Spring time surf fishing patterns are in full effect with the lineup of species acting accordingly. Pompano fishing remains a staple this time of year, and we’re seeing a major push beginning to happen on our Space Coast Beaches. Fishing near Sebastian Inlet and Melbourne Beach have seen consistency with the larger pompano and bull whiting. Surf fishing catches in Cocoa Beach brought in whiting, bluefish, black drum and single-digit pompano. Regardless of the beach location, guided shark fishing trips have produced big numbers of blacktip sharks, sandbar sharks and lemon sharks.

This time of year continues to be red hot for shark fishing the beach. If you ever wanted the excitement of a drag screaming acrobatic blacktip shark, then now is your opportunity. While the smaller 3-4 ft. sandbar sharks will keep your rod bent with shorter runs and violent head shakes, it’s the incredible blacktip shark that will steal the show. Commonly mistaken for a spinner shark, the blacktip is notorious for breaking the surface displaying power and agility in its head-shaking leaps and wild twisting contortions. With that being said, be prepared for a battle and use heavy drag to land the shark fast. Our surf fishing equipment for catching sharks has 100 lb. braided line with a casting shark rig on 12/0 circle hook with wire leader. Be sure to land these sharks quickly and expeditiously, dehook and get them back into the water and ensure a safe release.

Warming water temperatures caused the Spanish mackerel bite to thin out between locations, but the bluefish continue to be present and numerous at times. Casting cut bait like chunked mullet or ladyfish will ensure your chance at a load of bluefish. Casting spoons and gotcha plugs with long cast makes smaller spinning tackle fun and exciting to differentiate from traditional surf equipment. Recently some fish have been holding on the inside trough, but higher numbers are being caught on the midrange distance considering the tide.

Whiting, in my opinion, are one of the most under-appreciated species we target, having been on fire on certain days catching whiting in the hundreds on multiple days last week before the front. These bites don’t last forever and are quite a site to see. Using solely Fishbites in the white crab and electric chicken shrimp flavor provided all that was needed to be reeling in doubles each cast. Be sure to vary distance and be disciplined in not overcasting the larger pockets of fish. The majority of successful days came on a mid-tide with fish holding closer to shore feeding in crustaceans. I love me some whiting and the big ones have held a large percentage of total catch with multiple fish weighing in around 2 lbs.!

In summary, the fishing hasn’t been incredible with consistency so fish as much as possible to find the best opportunities. Specifically when the water is dirty, you can expect to see the bonnetheads and catfish in force with the more treasured pompano and whiting showing themselves sparingly. Take note and dedicate more time to the cleaner water conditions, calm seas and light wind days. Those conditional factors alone will dictate the number and types of species to be on hand for the day. Looks like a beautiful week ahead so get out there and catch ‘em up!

April 6, 2021
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Surf Fishing Continues to Excite Beachgoers

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Surf fishing continues to excite beachgoers interested in catching pompano, sharks, whiting and bluefish galore. We’re seeing similar trends in the last two weeks with the infiltration of small Spanish mackerel and bluefish by the swarms. This in turn has led to an unreal shark fishing bite that continues to be red hot. Shore-based shark fishing trips produced consistent action on blacktip sharks, lemon sharks, sandbar sharks and bonnetheads. Whether it’s the mackerel and bluefish you’re after or an epic battle with a blacktip shark, now is definitely the time to get in on the action.

Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing for Sharks

Surf Fishing for Sharks

While shark fishing has provided clients rod bending, drag screaming action all week, it’s the pompano bite that has added an extra pep to my step. I’ve been mentioning each week how the water temps will eventually push higher numbers of fish to our Brevard County shorelines. Speaking of this, the transition is currently underway and our surf fishing clients saw a huge uptick in big pompano hitting the sand. As you know from my reports, pompano fishing can be a fickle beast to intertwine oneself with the ups and downs of their movements and patterns.

Pompano Surf Fishing

That’s why seeing these bigger pompanos showing back up brings an extra emphasis on each rig float, cast and presentation. With that being said, the most proactive fishermen have a distinct advantage over the passive surf anglers. With tons of bait-stealing croakers and mini Jack crevalles quick to nibble off your bait, I stress emphatically to check often and routinely. The chair-riding anglers don’t stand a chance next to an adversary nearby that continues to fire out fresh baits systematically and routinely. This all holds true under the current conditions with the need to pick through croakers, small whiting and bluefish to be rewarded with that slam down of a 3-plus pound pompano crushing your pompano rig. We’ve definitely dialed in on which patterns of float colors and color combos have been annihilating them, but I’m curious if anybody else has developed what’s working best. Comment below to compare what kind of results you’re seeing from different combinations.

Plan your surf fishing trip today!

In summary, this continues to be one of my favorite times of year with the abundance of life teeming off our Space Coast beaches from Cocoa Beach to Sebastian Inlet. It’s like a buffet of all your favorite foods and you get to pick and choose what species you want that day! In essence, our surf fishing trips have delivered a smattering of diversity reaching double digit species catches. The prominent target species of pompano and whiting saw an uptick this week with fatty pomps and a reemergence of those stud whiting tipping the scale over 1.5 lbs. While these species provided a buzz for the guide, it was unquestionably the shark fishing trips that astounded clients daily. There’s just no comparison to seeing the rod triple over in the pole spike while the drag is squealing off the reel and the vicious head shakes shutter the rod with each swinging motion. Take advantage of what’s happening currently in our beach fishing arena and hit the shores in search of your thrill. Good luck and catch ‘em up!

March 31, 2021
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Spring Break Surf Fishing Report

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters
sebastian inlet surf fishing charters

Surf Fishing Sebastian Inlet

Spring break surf fishing report! Party Central has descended upon surf fishing anglers along the Space Coast. Spring break, pent up travel demand and relaxed restrictions for Covid have made Florida and Brevard County beaches a hot spot for tourists and locals alike. While parking, litter and traffic has suffered for us locals, it’s absolutely a welcome sight for business owners. People are hitting the beaches in droves, and we’ve been delivering exceptional experiences for families looking for a fun day fishing the beach while soaking up the sun rays. Shark fishing trips captivated children and adults with their endless drag screaming runs, acrobatic jumps and ferocious head shakes. Shark fishing continues to be red hot with our guided trips producing multiple sharks per day, black tip sharks predominately with sandbar sharks and lemon sharks mixed in.

Pompano Surf Fishing Tips

In consideration of the current shark situation off our local area beaches, I’m keen to tighten the drag a bit in order to rescue any treasured pompano and whiting before being “sharked up”. Undersized pompano, croakers and bonnethead sharks round out the list of lesser desirable species prevalent at times especially towards the latter part of the week as the water clarity deteriorated. With that being said, we’ve been catching 1-to-5 lb keeper pompano per trip mixed in the bunch.

The inconsistency of this season makes it extra exciting pulling up beautiful chrome slabs of legal pompano. Chartreuse crab fish bites and white clam have worked especially well as of late. I also want to bring to attention the blanched sand fleas have outperformed live sand fleas on multiple bites this week. Be prepared to encounter this if you want to really dial in on feeding behavior to develop a pattern. Fresh dead shrimp continue to catch healthy-sized whiting that are slightly smaller than the giant bull whiting reported in weeks past. The whiting catches this week have ranged more in the half pound to one pound range with a few getting over the 1.5 lb mark.

Surf Fishing the Space Coast

Pompano and whiting ultimately hold the majority of my focus this time of year, but the opportunity for double digit species catches continue to persist. Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jack crevalle aren’t uncommon while targeting the above-mentioned species. Most of these species can be caught with pompano rigs and live fleas, shrimp or clams, but more importantly they like bright colored floats that bring attention and stand out in varying water clarity conditions. Oftentimes they will strike these vivid colored floats blazing their way in on the retrieval to shore. Summarizing the week’s catches and simultaneously looking forward to the week ahead, I see bright fortunes coming. Just in the last few days we’ve been catching large blue back pompanos measuring 16-18 inches tipping the scales well over 3 pounds and up to 5 pounds. Coinciding with this spring pompano run that’s currently under way, the shark fishing will continue to fire on all cylinders.

In conclusion, there’s no better time than now to hit the beach with family and friends. Diversify your setup to acquire your intended species as this report directs. Big or small, you can have it all, contemplating that knockout drag screaming action of big blacktip sharks or the other side of the coin catching a big pompano for a delicious seafood cookout! Book your spring break surf fishing charter today! Fish the beach and make it happen!

March 24, 2021
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March Surf Fishing Report

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

March surf fishing report! Exciting opportunities await for surf fishing anglers during the month of March. Last week we saw a major uptick in keeper pompano being landed along with the bull whiting, Spanish mackerel and sharks. Traditionally the  spring pompano run has coincided during these warming months and this  year looks no different. Pompano fishing looks to continue its rein on the  top of the target species list, but don’t overlook the diversity of other fish  to target. Spanish mackerel, whiting, flounder, black drum and sharks will  be on tap for our Space Coast beaches. This transitional time represents a  smorgasbord of species for shore based anglers fishing the surf.

As mentioned above pompano fishing will hold steady as the fever for the  spring run won’t be diminished for surf fishing anglers. Finding optimal  water clarity remains the single most important factor for targeting  pompano in the surf. Southeast trade winds take hold this month and can  thwart any surf anglers hopes with multiple days of southeasterly blows.  This week in particular has an easterly flow making the waters more  difficult to fish but we’ve been having tremendous luck using heavier  tackle to offset the wind, waves and current. Look for shades of blue and  green water as you research the surf fishing conditions from Cocoa Beach  south to Sebastian Inlet.

Space Coast Pompano Fishing

Space Coast Pompano Fishing

The cleanest water should be sought out even if it means driving and  checking multiple locations. Once you find the clear blues or green  shades, setup on those waters where outflows, eddies, troughs and holes  are present. Pompano rigs with chartreuse, white, and orange floats will be  better for the greener water, while white, pink and purple will perform  better in blue water. Tip your pompano rigs with Fish Bites in white crab,  pink shrimp, chartreuse clam and sandfleas flavors, in combination with  live sand fleas or fresh dead shrimp. This combination will produce the  best results for pompano, whiting, and black drum.

For those wanting to pursue and target species on light tackle I  recommend throwing swim baits, diving plugs and spoons in the first and  second trough for spanish mackerel, flounder, bluefish and snook.  Depending on the food sources identified at your area beach match the  hatch with similar size lures. If you’re identifying lots of ladyfish, mackerel  and blues most likely they’re feeding on glass minnows and a spoon or  gotcha plug works best. For flounder, snook and redfish cast swim baits or  diving plugs forty-five degrees from the shoreline and retrieve steadily.

Surf Fishing Cocoa Beach

Surf Fishing Cocoa Beach

Shore based shark fishing will continue to be red hot this time of year as  the waters warm. Black tip sharks will remain as the top species to target  and put on quite the acrobatic display. Family fun for the entire group  when shark fishing trips this time of year have a chance at multiple  catches per trip. Surf fishing equipment with 80lb braided line and short  cable leaders to a large 10/0 circle hooks prove the most reliable for the  task. While Blacktip sharks will be the most commonly caught species on  these shore based trips expect Lemon sharks, Sandbar sharks and Nurse  sharks to frequent the same waters. This month looks to provide all the  thrills any beach fishing angler could ask for, so get out there, have fun and catch them up!

Sebastian Inlet Shark Fishing

Sebastian Inlet Shark Fishing

March 11, 2021
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Brevard County Surf Fishing Report

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Brevard County surf fishing report by Capt. Lukas Our surf fishing charters last week saw a great amount of big bull whiting, a few large pompano, bluefish and mackerel. Water clarity and conditions were inconsistent on a day-to-day basis, which made it hard to set up a pattern on the fish. Fishing around Sebastian Inlet provided catches of large pompano midway through the week that had surf fishing anglers fighting for position. There weren’t any extremely high numbers of pompano coming through, but the ones that were caught ranged from 15-18 inches and weighed over 3 lbs. This is a good sign the fish that are staged currently in Vero Beach south to Fort Pierce and Stuart are charging back for the spring run.

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Charters

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Charters

Indian Riverkeeper Surf Fishing Tournament

The Indian RiverKeeper surf fishing tournament that took place over the weekend near Hutchinson Island and Fort Pierce had great catches of pompano hitting the leaderboard. The winning pompano was over 5 lbs and plenty had weighed-in fish that were 2-3 lbs, but were reluctantly knocked from the placing category. Seeing these larger numbers of pompano and larger pompano south had me excited for the weeks to come. Surf fishing charters in Brevard County have recently provided mainly small undersized pompano with a few large ones to celebrate the day. Once the fish down in the southern beaches continue to push up into our waters, be ready to hit the beach, because this transition is already underway.

Space Coast Pompano Surf Fishing

Space Coast Pompano Surf Fishing

Pompano Surf Fishing Tips

Pompano always holds that namesake and reputation for intrigue, but if you’re missing out on the absolutely stellar whiting bite, you need to change the game plan. These bull whiting continue to average over 15 inches and 1.5 lbs, while ranging up to 18 inches were all caught this week in high numbers. Family fun trips had clients of all ages enjoying this red hot whiting bite. Pompano rigs with live sand fleas, Fish Bites and fresh dead shrimp were the key. The fresh dead shrimp out-fished live sand fleas multiple days this week so keep an assortment of bait to find success. With that being said, the big pompano were all caught on live fleas tipped with shrimp or crab Fish Bites. Be prepared to release heaps of undersized pompano in your surf fishing endeavors, and do so quickly to ensure a healthy survival rate. Pompano in the 7-9 inch range are abundant and don’t need to be measured as it wastes time and increases mortality rates. Become proficient with what a legal size fish looks like to save time.

With the reputable food fare species covered for the weekly catch, let’s discuss the reliable bluefish and Spanish mackerel that continue to persist in local waters. Oftentimes on charter, while not directly targeting these bluefish and mackerel, we have been catching them on the retrieve to the shore. These ferocious predators love movement and action to entice their bite. If specifically targeting these fish, use cut bait on a pompano rig or use the silver spoon or gotcha plug in chartreuse color. I have many clients who love eating fresh bluefish and mackerel, especially if you plan on smoking them or making jerky. It’s delicious. Target the second trough to the sandbar as the fish have pushed off the beach in most areas.

Brevard County Surf Fishing Charters

Brevard County Surf Fishing Charters

Surf Fishing Forecast

The forecast is calling for southern winds on multiple days which will decrease the water clarity. Make sure to hit the beaches after the northerly winds clean it back up for optimal success. Get out there and have fun!

Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

March 2, 2021
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Guided Surf Fishing Charters

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Guided surf fishing charters caught big bull whiting, pompano, drum and sharks. Last week saw an upswing in not only the number of pompanos, but the larger pompano mixed in with higher numbers than previous weeks. This can be attributed to the increase in water temps from the lows we saw weeks prior. While we still weren’t catching recreational limits of pompano, the ones we did catch were averaging between 13-16” to the fork of the tail. Beautiful 2-3 lb pompanos on the sandy shores of our Space Coast had clients grinning with joy.

Space Coast Surf Fishing

Space Coast Surf Fishing

Surf fishing Brevard County still lacked the consistency one would prefer so it was optimal to fish multiple days to find a bountiful catch. Without a steady number of pompano hitting the shoreline, we continually counted on whiting to save the day. Thankfully that situation played out particularly well for the better part of the week. Large bull whiting over 1.5 lbs weren’t uncommon and that’s a welcomed sight for any surf fisherman.

Pompano Surf Fishing

Pompano Surf Fishing

Surf fishing Cocoa Beach provided good numbers of these whiting schools, while we saw single digit catches of keeper pompano as well. Target the whiting using a standard pompano rig with Pink Shrimp Flavored Fish Bites and live sand fleas or small pieces of shrimp. Generally these whiting can be caught closer to shore, but this week seemed to have them further out in the surf with longer casts producing better results. When fishing multiple rods, I have been dedicating more numerous casts to the outside zones while dropping one or two rods short to medium for a wide pattern, then dialing in as the bite dictates.

Space Coast Pompano Fishing

Space Coast Pompano Fishing

Surf Fishing for Sharks

Shark fishing has been phenomenal off the beach the last couple weeks and that pattern continued to hold true this week. Pictured in this report is Hugh from Ohio who booked a guided shark fishing trip and won the thrill of what it’s like to battle an acrobatic black tip on spinning tackle. This shark put on an absolute show jumping multiple times and screaming drag up and down the beach. As mentioned in previous reports, be sure to beef up the surf fishing equipment for these heavyweight contenders. Heavy braided line in the 80 lb class with a 200-300 lb monofilament shock leader with a foot of wire trace will do the trick. Fresh cut bait has been the ticket with the added scent and hands down outfished the frozen baits.

Surf Fishing for Sharks

Brevard County Shark Surf Fishing

Surf Fishing Forecast for the Space Coast

The week ahead looks like good conditions forecasted up until the weekend with a blow coming. Get out in front of the weather and storms this coming week to have an opportunity for success. There’s plenty of large whiting, roaming pompano and black drum to seek out. Not to mention the sand fleas have been plentiful at area beaches around the lower tide. There’s two large schools of black drum roaming off the coast between Patrick Air Force Base and Melbourne Beach. I spotted these fish three days ago milling around the Indian Harbour Beach area. The schooling black drum ranged between 20-60 lbs! Be sure to loosen your drag up when placing fishing poles in the rod holders. These fish won’t be stopped without a handful of screaming runs, and if the drag isn’t set properly you won’t stand a chance. Hit the beach and have fun!

 

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing

Surf Fishing for Pompano in Cocoa Beach

Surf Fishing for Pompano in Cocoa Beach

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Charters

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Charters

February 18, 2021
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Cocoa Beach and Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Report

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Surf fishing near Cocoa Beach was anything but spectacular last week. Shore-based fishing charters had much more success south beach fishing near Sebastian Inlet. The small pompano brigade was out in full force! Many days our clients were landing undersized pompano in the double digit numbers around 20-30 a day. The bigger fish just weren’t very prevalent at all, but with persistence we managed to bag a couple bigger legal-sized pompano a day. Whiting, bluefish, croakers and black drum rounded out the species list for the majority of catches per day. There’s no shortage of sharks at the moment with each of our shore-based shark fishing trips hooking up multiple sharks and landing numerous black tips per trip.

Pompano Surf Fishing Charters

Pompano Surf Fishing Charters

 

Brevard County Surf Fishing

Brevard County Surf Fishing

Surf fishing Brevard County proved especially trying the past week with water clarity and temps taking a dive. The “extreme” cold snap sent ocean temps plummeting below the ideal temperatures preferred for the prestigious pompano. Matching cold temps with murky water doesn’t bode well for our surf fishing trips. With that being said, the whiting, drum and blue fish kept for a steady bite in-between the elusive pompano catches. As the week wore on the water clarity improved and the weekend provided more consistent numbers.

Surf Fishing for Pompano

Surf Fishing for Pompano

Pompano rigs with chartreuse and bright orange floats seemed to be key. Rigged with white clam flavored Fish Bites or the chartreuse shrimp flavor, the best bites came from the sunrise or sunset bite and the first two hours of outgoing tide. These tidal swings can make all the difference in the world when out surf fishing. I constantly remind clients and fellow surf fishermen that specific tides will trigger fish which will commonly result in more fish being caught during a one to two hour span than will be produced over the course of the other hours cumulatively. Make sure to put in your efforts around the tide changes and identify which time the tide has been productive to focus your efforts and increase probabilities.

Sebastian Inlet Pompano Fishing

Sebastian Inlet Pompano Fishing

 

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Charters

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing Charters

The week ahead looks encouraging for shore-based fishermen to hit the beach and find the fish. Water clarity steadily improved over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday produced better results with keeper pompano and large whiting. Warmer temperatures should raise the water temps, which could stimulate the surf fishing accordingly. The sand fleas have also been making appearances on local beaches around a low tide so be sure to bring the rake with you and keep your eyes peeled. If you are looking for one heck of a battle on spinning gear, target shark fishing from the beach for cheap thrills. Baits deployed during shore-based shark fishing trips didn’t soak 10-20 minutes before being terrorized by local sharks. Be sure to have your shore fishing shark permit and course complete, which can be done on the FWC website. Catch and release to ensure a healthy survival rate following the appropriate protocol listed in the course. Heavy action surf fishing equipment brings in the sharks quicker with a better opportunity for healthy release. Have de-hooking tools on hand to remove the circle hook and thrust these sharks back into the water quickly. Have fun out there and be safe! Book a trip easily online.

Surf Fishing in Sebastian Inlet

Surf Fishing in Sebastian Inlet

 

surf fishing for sharks

Surf Fishing for Sharks

 

 

February 15, 2021
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Guided Beach Fishing Charters

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Guided beach fishing charters produced plenty of action on local beaches this past week. While the beginning of the week had pristine conditions with water clarity and calm seas, the bite didn’t mimic what the appearance depicted. The bite remained slow for target species like pompano, whiting and black drum. With that being said, the immense amount of bluefish, mackerel and small jack crevalle kept surf fishing anglers busy between the more prized species.

space coast surf fishing

Space Coast Surf Fishing

As the week wore on the bite picked up in tune to flurries of pompano at area-specific beaches. While many reported a slow to minimal action on pompano, anglers that were willing to seek out that bite found tremendous success. Limits of pompano were had by many over the weekend on southern Brevard beaches. The majority of these catches came on the incoming tide, which triggered a fast action bite not seen by those not allocating fishing times to coincide with the tide. Flurries of whiting and pompano filled coolers on these hot bites.

pompano surf fishing space coast florida

Surf Fishing for Pompano

Beach nourishment projects impacted the water clarity correlating with a diminished opportunity for surf fishing anglers. Surf fishing anglers did find black drum and whiting near these nourishment projects, but the prized pompano prefers contrasting conditions. Pompano are a sight-feeding fish with extremely large pupils meant to see their food in crustaceans, clams and glass minnows. If you’re not keen on this criteria, you could be setting up with hopes and dreams with little to show for a day of surf fishing efforts.

Surf fishing near Cocoa Beach continues to produce small to midsize black drum, whiting, croakers and bluefish with the lonesome pompano in the mix. While the majority of our guided surf fishing charters catch pompano in larger numbers accompanied by whiting, mackerel and bluefish near Sebastian Inlet. Larger schools of pompano have been roaming south of Sebastian Inlet with sporadic days producing big catches in a random sequence making it difficult to dial in on their patterns.

Looking forward to the weeks ahead and the changes in water temps. I’m hopeful we’ll get a nice run on our local Space Coast beaches. Pay special attention to the wind to clean up certain areas with southerly winds making it dirty. Currently west winds have had a similar effect with the sand nourishment projects and the combination of this sand getting blown out into the surf zone. With the current front coming later in the week, I expect water clarity to clean up with northerly winds and opportunities to be created at more locations.

sebastian inlet surf fishing

Sebastian Inlet Surf Fishing

Pompano rigs with live or blanched fleas tipped with the chartreuse crab flavored Fish Bites and the white clam flavor have been seeing success. If you want to diversify for bluefish, then switch to fresh cut bait like mullet or croakers. Light tackle action near the first trough throwing a spoon or gotcha plug will also keep you entertained waiting for the surf rods to take a dive. All in all, it’s going to take some searching and fishing multiple tides to find real success as the fish and bite hasn’t been broad and general. Do your homework, put in the time and your probability for finding those gem days will increase exponentially. Good luck and tight lines!!

January 29, 2021
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Guided Surf Fishing Charters

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Guided surf fishing charters had clients reeling in steady numbers of pompano, whiting, bluefish and Spanish mackerel to start the week. The bite remained consistent throughout the majority of Brevard County beaches. Surf fishing Cocoa Beach brought catches of black drum, whiting and pompano while surf fishing near Sebastian Inlet north to Indiatlantic saw higher numbers of pompano and mackerel caught. Water clarity proved key once again with the ideal surf fishing conditions with calm seas and preferable wind patterns. Many beaches held optimal conditions for the duration of the week with these factors in mind.

surf fishing for permit

Surf Fishing for Permit

While pompano fishing held true for a large part of the week, it fell off substantially towards the latter half. It was quite bewildering seeing the bite seemingly stall out with such a distinct drop off. Fishing the entirety of the coast along with an extensive network of skilled surf fishing anglers relaying the same conditions, the bite all but shut off besides a few fish landed here and there. Pompano are still being caught with catches in the southern regions seeing higher numbers currently due to water temps, but still more schools to the north of Brevard County making a push south. I’m optimistic the bite will fire back up this week so continue to put forth due diligence in getting out there and being prepared for an opportunity that’s near.

Surf fishing cocoa beach

Surf Fishing the Space Coast

Surf Fishing for Black Drum

Fishing the beach for black drum this time of year is another one of my favorite fisheries. If you’ve ever dreamed of hooking into a drag peeling heavyweight of a fish species, these larger black drums will deliver a battle worthy of pursuing. Multiple catches were landed during our beach fishing charters and private lessons pushing the 14-18 lb range, while others reported seeing a variety of black drum sizes caught along the coast. Pompano rigs should be the go-to rig with Fish Bites, clam and sand flea for bait. Shrimp works well also but seems more fish have come on the above-mentioned baits recently. Work the inside to mid-range casting distances as it seems one may “overcast” these fish while targeting pompano. We’ve seen the larger percentage caught inside of the sandbar in various troughs and sloughs.

surf fishing for black drum

Surf Fishing for Black Drum

Tips on Spin Casting the Space Coast

Action seeking surf fishing anglers may also choose to take part in the spin casting fishery that’s currently taking place. Space Coast beaches are inundated with Spanish mackerel and bluefish in the first and second trough. Light tackle spinning rods in the 2000-4000 series reels with 7-8 ft. rods. Surf fishing equipment rigged with light braid and fluorocarbon or wire trace leaders will be the ticket for this active fishery. Silver spoons, Gotcha Plugs, or fresh cut bait will keep these toothy predators in pursuit. Work these lures at a 45-degree angle from the shore to maintain presentation in the strike zone longer. Lastly, you never know what’s next to take a bite while surf fishing. Permit are absolutely a trophy species that roam our coastal beaches. Pictured in this report is a beautiful permit caught over the weekend by Dustin on a surf fishing charter on the Space Coast.

Surf Fishing for Pompano

Surf Fishing for Pompano

January 22, 2021
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