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Florida Central East Coast

Summer Surf Fishing Report

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Summer surf fishing report by Capt. Lukas. Tropical storm Elsa didn’t put too much of a damper on the surf fishing conditions during the prior week, besides a couple of days that were too stormy to fish. Clients who had the opportunity to get out and enjoy surf fishing charters when weather permitted were rewarded with diverse catches of whiting, pompano, snook, sharks and croakers. While the croaker bit continues its red hot action we enjoy repurposing some of these catches for live bait rigs enticing the bigger snook patrolling the first trough. As these live bait rods soak our shark rigs have continued their dominance with Blacktip sharks galore and a smattering of other sharks alike.

Surf Fishing for Snook

With that being said it’s been extremely difficult to find any consistency on a day-to-day basis. Each particular day has held completely random conditions and species catches. About the only element that’s held stability is the croaker bite. Knowing you’re going to have your fair share of croakers be prepared for shorter soak times between catching and checking baits. For these reasons, we make it a point to diversify the options for fish and shark and use a multitude of setups to do so.

Space Coast Surf Fishing Charters

These alternatives to the traditional pompano rig with sandfleas and  Fishbites can provide the thrills needed to keep things exciting. When deploying live bait rigs with croakers or mullet one can expect to land trophy snook, tarpon, and sharks. Fresh chunked bait can also be used to achieve the same goals.

If one’s targeting the snook and tarpon I recommend using a fish finder rig with 40-80lb fluorocarbon leader 1-3ft in length and a one to two once sinker, as many of these fish aren’t extremely leader shy this time of year. If they’re feeding this will give you enough backbone to be prepared for a  fish of a lifetime. These same rigs can also be used without any weight-free lined letting the bait move unrestricted out past the first trough.

Shark Fishing Melbourne Beach Florida

Noting the inconsistency that’s played a part make sure to try different area beaches on opposing tides as well. Recently our surf fishing trips have been using this method to follow the fish and make it a point to not stick with a location that’s not producing. When doing so we continue to find large residential pompano, whiting, croakers, snook and sharks. Be flexible, be persistent and good things will come. Get out there, have fun and find some fish! Book your trip today.

 

July 12, 2021
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Summer Surf Fishing on the Space Coast

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Summer surf fishing in full swing on the beaches of the Space Coast.  Warmer waters have led to a full-blown changing of the guards on local area beaches with catches of pompano, bluefish and mackerel retreating to cooler water temperatures to the north. While residential pompano will still be cruising the shorelines it’s time to accept you will rarely reach a  daily limit on these species. The pompano that are around are larger size and will inhale the surf fishing rigs tipped with Fishbites and sandfleas but understand you’re going to have to weed through heaps of croakers, catfish,  and whiting.

The past week brought in dirtier water which has continued to persist while blue waters are just out of surf casting reach. With that being said at certain area beaches it’s relentless onslaughts of croakers, catfish, and whiting. Mainly croakers would be the species to single out in terms of soaking time on each pompano rig. As soon as it hits the water no quicker will you have a double croaker bite leaving little time for other species to discover the baits. If that isn’t enough keep in mind multiple rigs will be lost to sharks attacking your squirming catch in the trough and beyond.  Needless to say, it’s been a battle to attain a consistent dinner satisfying catch with the current state of affairs.

When the standard methods aren’t providing the thrills one may be in pursuit of its time to switch gears. That’s exactly what our guided shark fishing charters did this week tapping into a healthy amount of sharks in the surf. Blacktip sharks, sandbar sharks and nurse sharks were had by thrilled clients with rod bending drag screaming action. Nothing quite like hooking into a spiraling Blacktip with each acrobatic contortion peeling drag-like music to the ears. Clients celebrated each catch as a trophy in the experience that encompasses shark fishing from shore.

Recommended gear for the current climate of surf fishing has two different approaches in my opinion. Firstly using the dead stick method I suggest setting up a multitude of surf fishing equipment. Vary the setup between standard pompano rigs with the above-mentioned baits, while using heavier setups for live baits or chunked baits for shark, tarpon and snook.  Secondly, skip the setup and cast swim baits, diving plugs, and jigs to work the shorelines for snook, tarpon, and the occasional flounder. One method keeps you mobile with the advantage of covering ground and skipping the heavy hauling of a total gear setup. The other encourages a prolonged time period on the beach fishing to acquire the variety of specimens that each rig has the potential to attain. Either way, it’s a welcomed time to get out early or late and get a line wet. Have fun and get ’em on!

 

July 1, 2021
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Shore Fishing Charters on the Space Coast

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Shore fishing charters have been a challenge to say the least, with the onslaught of apocalyptic seaweed combined with high winds and seas resulting in lots of canceled trips the week prior. Eager clients were chomping at the bit to get out and catch fish in the surf so I spent the weekend scouting and scouring our Space Coast beaches in search of an opportunity to wet the lines and get the fishing on. It was a depressing mission viewing each beach access up and down the coast covered up to three feet high in seaweed that stretched out beyond the breaking waves leaving no window for surf fishing success. In my entire life, Florida born and raised in the area, never have I seen such a sight as the prior two week period. Well, the search mission and ambition paid off, and I have great news that the waters are fishable, and they are teeming with life!

The seaweed layers awash were scattered through the surf zone making different tides and swell sizes favorable to attempt a go. While it wasn’t necessarily ideal surf fishing conditions, the show must go on. Starting over the weekend I began taking out trips and finding the cleanest waters to dictate my game plan. We were able to fish ten minute sets before seaweed inundated the fishing lines. The results varied each day of the week in terms of species frequency, but the similarities held true, it’s fishable and we were finally throwing lines out again.

Family fun fishing trips produced amazing results with toddlers, teens, parents and grandparents reeling in pompano, bluefish, whiting, catfish, and sharks. Early morning low light conditions produced double-header catfish at times, but as the sun reached higher in the sky and the tide backed out, it was game on for the pompano bite. Consistently catching pompano on each of our beach fishing trips, I was elated with the results of our efforts. Big pompano were hitting the shores bringing a smile to kids, adults, and the guide alike. Yes, there were challenging times and conditions the last couple of weeks, but it seems to have finally waned and opportunities await. Check out Fishbites!

Numerous times this week double-digit pompano were being landed by those who were dialed in on the patterns. Just goes to show you, they’re not all in north Florida as many forums and opinions have constantly stated over the past few weeks. Take advantage and get in on these big slab pompano while the fun lasts.

Surf Fishing Tips

Species abound during this time of year with shark fishing charters producing blacktip sharks, snook, bluefish and stingrays. Fresh cut bait has been the key. It’s always an interesting time of year to see what picks up the shark rig with the possibility of landing a shark, snook, bluefish, tarpon, stingray or drum. With this being said, I usually prefer to run a diversified surf fishing setup for my clients this time of year. Running a handful of rods set with pompano rigs, a couple rods with live or chunked bait, a shark rod and a light tackle setup for casting to snook, jack and bluefish. Depending on how you approach the conditions, this time of year will dictate what species you may catch but the excitement of never fully knowing what’s going to grab hold makes this a surprisingly wonderful time of year. Go out and get some on one of our shore fishing charters!

June 2, 2021
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Space Coast Surf Fishing Report | Cocoa Beach to Sebastian Inlet

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

Surf fishing delivered mixed results last week as the seaweed and dirty water made its presence known. By midweek it became a cat and mouse game where to find fishable waters. When the opportunities presented themselves, fishing wasn’t too great or too poor but more middle-of-the-road surf fishing in my opinion. Shark Fishing trips haven’t wavered in terms of delivering big catches on Blacktip sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse and lemon sharks. Bluefish, whiting, pompano, ladyfish, snook and flounder rounded out the main species caught here along the Space Coast.

While the shark fishing trajectory remains consistent, snook fishing stole the show with many anglers hooking up with these powerful linesiders intentionally or unintentionally. Targeting snook specifically in the surf holds a special place to those who understand what it’s like to walk along the beach with a lure or live bait hooking into a big snook right at the shore edge. With that being said, multiple snook catches came in as a nice bonus on a multitude of rigs not specifically intended to target them in the surf. This is a result of warming waters, fish getting on the move, and, accompanying that, with an appetite to match.

Surf Fishing Tips

Fishing baits such as cut mullet, dead shrimp, Fishbites, and sand fleas accounted for numbers of snook caught near Cocoa Beach south into Indialantic. “Better to be lucky than good,” remains one of my favorite sayings in fishing. And, boy, does that remain true with surprised anglers reeling in snook on everything from steel leader shark rigs with chunk bait down to the pompano rigs with dead shrimp or just simply Fishbites. Specifically targeting snook near shore at the first trough with a live bait freelined or minimal lead produces best results. Secondarily, I prefer the option of casting swim baits, jigs, and diving plugs with light tackle angled from the shoreline. But who am I to argue if hookups are coming sporadically on non-conventional methods. Fish a variety of live and dead bait for best results. And with the majority of snook hanging near the first or second trough, proper surf fishing equipment isn’t necessarily mandatory.

Pompano fisherman stuck to tried and true methods but the bite diminished from weeks prior. Single-digit large pompanos were landed consistently through the week, but nothing about the pompano bite was worth writing home about. Bluefish, however, came in large numbers using cut bait on pompano rigs with short to medium casts from the beach. Fresh bluefish doesn’t excite many surf fishing anglers, but I believe a properly bled and iced bluefish remains one of the underrated table fare for those in the know. Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised. With the unstable pompano and whiting bite, it’s a great secondary option to go home with fresh fish to eat.

Spring Fishing Opportunities

This time of year delivers an amazing diversity of opportunities to catch fish at the beach. Whether you’re targeting whiting in the first trough or bluefish in between the first and second trough, there’s a probable chance of landing a flounder or snook. Knowing this, be sure to loosen the drag setting on reels when placing them in the holders. Without this step, you’re sure to lose that trophy catch when the line tightens past breaking strength.

Family fishing trips enjoyed this seasonal catch with species galore over the past week, and it looks like this pattern will continue into this week. Be sure to get out and enjoy the spring fishing and weather before the onslaught of summer temps take hold. Contact us today book a Space Coast surf fishing trip!

May 7, 2021
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Central East Coast Surf Fishing Report

By Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters

What a week to recap surf fishing here on the Central East Coast of Florida! Reports ranging from Jupiter to New Smyrna, including Brevard County, all showed similar trends in species that are running the surf – pompano, sharks, whiting, blue runners, ladyfish and mackerel rounded out the most commonly sought after and caught fish that were targeted from shore. The insane shark fishing continues to bend rods and bring smiles. It’s fun times, until it’s not our intended target and then these predatory species become responsible for hijacking your hard-earned pompano or whiting resulting in a broken rig or half a fish!

The water temperature held steady in ideal ranges and the winds cooperated to bring shades of blue and green water throughout area beaches. This resulted in high performance catches throughout the week with the need to shake a few blue runners and jacks in the process of bagging good numbers of pompano and whiting.

Pompano fishing continues its reign as the spring run kicked into high gear last week. Daily limits were had by surf fishing anglers along the Space Coast, who put in the time and effort. Southern Brevard beaches held consistent migratory fish charging back from their wintering in southern Florida waters.

Those who stood ready reaped the rewards as not only were the numbers up, but the size as well. Pompano measuring from 15-18 inches to the fork of the tail were common catches. These brute fish were weighing in over 3-4 pounds and tested the tackle. Pompano rigs with an assortment of beads and floats were used to match the bite preferences per day. Less proved best on most days with a small bead or minimal diameter float doing the job, with a percentage of fish coming on a naked rig with no float or bead as well. Live sand fleas, blanched fleas and cut clams were found to be the best baits of choice as of late. Fishbites in the sand flea flavor, white clam, pink shrimp and chartreuse crab tipped with the above-mentioned baits or stand alone caught increasingly productive numbers.

With each day bringing a deviation in the fish’s preferred scent, it’s important and recommended to start your day with a broad pattern and dial in on what’s getting bit up. From day to day it seemed to deviate from sand flea scent to the clam scent, and then the next day pink shrimp flavored did phenomenally well. So don’t stick to one when beginning your day, try three or four and observe which scents receive the most attention.

Surf Fishing Forecast

The coming week looks like another good one for the local surf fishing community, and I absolutely encourage everyone to hit the beach. When doing so, remember to religiously fish the different zones of the surf. Multiple times last week the fish were concentrating in varying zones from day to day, tide to tide and time of day. It became a constant experiment to find their preference each day. So cast in a staggering pattern for optimal return. Shore fishing charters numerous days found plentiful catches at 20-50 yards only to find them 100 yards out the following day in those varying cycles. It’s an awesome time of year to fish, so get on it! Contact us today to book a Central East Coast surf fishing charter!

April 22, 2021
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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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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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