This month is the best time to slide overboard and go wading on the flats along the edges of the sand bars for spotted sea trout throughout the entire Indian River Lagoon system.

May and June are historically the best months to catch big female sea trout that are keying in on the pods of finger mullet in the shallows.  

Some really big gator trout in the 4 to 9 pound category are now roaming the flats and are being caught very early in the morning and at dusk around the mullet pods with top water plugs and live finger mullet.  

Almost any large top water bait worked to imitate an injured mullet will bring strikes.  The large size Rapala Skitter Walk, MirrOlure Top Dog, Zara Spook, Badonka Donk, Chug Bug and XPS Slim Dog Hardbaits are favorite producers, especially when smeared up with some Pro-Cure.
 

Twitch baits like Storm's Twitch Stick, Bomber's Saltwater Grade Mullet, or Offshore Angler's Red Eye Mullet also produce fish when worked around the mullet pods.   

And for live bait fishermen, it's hard to beat a live free lined mullet or a pigfish under a popping cork.

As long as the brown algae doesn't present a problem,  the most productive flats to fish are in the Mosquito Lagoon, however; the northern flats in the Indian River around Mims and the slightly deeper flats along the east side of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to Peacocks Pocket road also produce some very large sea trout.

The areas in the north Mosquito Lagoon from Plantation Island to Slippery Creek, and  from Tiger Shoal north to Three Sisters creek have been producing the largest fish.

The "secret" to successful top water fishing is to get out and be on the water at first light.  The bite usually ends around 9:00 am.  but on overcast and rainy days, the bite can last quite a bit longer.

After the early morning bite has subsided, the fish will usually move into the deeper 4 to 5 foot flats or waters adjacent to the shallower flats.  

This is the time to tie on a gold Johnson Sprite or Aqua Dream spoon,  a soft plastic saltwater assassin, or a hair jig tipped with a Gulp shrimp for redfish, sea trout, ladyfish, or even a bluefish.  

When targeting the potholes on the shallow flats for sea trout or reds, a Z-Man, Saltwater Assassin, or Trigger X soft plastic bait on a light 1/16th or 1/8th ounce worm hook is tough to beat, especially when there is a lot of grass on the surface.

As the number of finger mullet increase in  the lagoon systems, fishing in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will improve considerably.   

As of this date, Peacocks Pocket road and all access roads to the marsh will be closed until May 15th for road repairs. 

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that L. Pond Road and Shiloh Road will be closed to vehicle traffic indefinitely until funds are available for road repairs.   Some of the best fishing spots in the Refuge that were once easily accessed are now only available to hikers, bikers, or anglers using kayaks.

Snook

One of the most overlooked spots for Snook in our region are the deepwater channels at the mouth of the Port Canaveral and the deep water turning basins inside the Port.

Large snook are drawn to deepwater habitats, and the channels in the Port are almost 50 feet deep in spots.  This along with relatively minimal currents, make the deep waters in the Port a  magnet for baitfish and predators alike.

Unlike Sebastian and Ft. Pierce Inlets, Port Canaveral does not have the fast currents that provide an endless supply of baitfish with each tide change.  The locks on the west end of the Port minimize the tidal flow.  In addition, the security zones and limited shoreline access make it less popular to fishermen.  Other than the Pier at Jetty Park, there are few spots for shoreline fishermen to cast.

Boaters are somewhat limited because of the strictly enforced security measures in the Port. 

All boats under power or anchored must stay at least 25 feet from all docks and bulkheads, 100 feet from a berthed ship, and 200 feet from a naval vessel.  The Trident Basin, the eastern most turning basin, and the west turning basin (when cruise ships are present) are closed to boaters.

With all this in mind, the Snook population in the Port is unbelievable and they are huge. 

Although slot size snook are frequently caught, the majority of fish are in the 20 to 30 pound category.   A few years ago a friend of mine took me as a guest to the Space Center where we saw  huge Snook in the Trident Basin stacked up like cord wood.

Most Snook are caught at night in the shaded zones around lighted wharfs, piers, and docks.  Docks, pilings, and sea walls are tough on tackle, so heavy gear is mandatory.  Wherever you find baitfish, the snook will not be far behind.

Most night time anglers use stealth tactics and live mullet or croakers for bait. 

Some regulars prefer using DOA BaitBusters around schools of mullet, and a Mirrorlure 77M21 in a scaled mullet finish in the Big Game Classic Series when fishing around the north jetty at the mouth of the Port where the tide is stronger.

You can launch your boat at Port's End Park or the new Freddie Patrick Park on the south side of the Port, just west of the jetty.

Offshore and Near Offshore Fishing

Bull redfish in the 20 to 35 pound category are being caught near offshore out of Port Canaveral this month by anglers using live goggle eyes or mullet.  Toss a goggle eye hooked through the nose on a 5/0 circle hook on a sliding sinker rig below a bait pod and hang on.  Most of the guys are using long spinning rods with 30 pound braid and 40 pound fluorocarbon leaders on a knocker type rig or short sliding sinker.

For you bottom fishermen farther offshore, the recreational season for black, gag, red, yellowmouth, yellowfin, and tiger grouper along with  scamp, red hind, rock hind, coney, and graysby opens up May 1st. in all Atlantic state waters, including all of Monroe County farther south us.    Use this link for the regulations.

For the rest of us who prefer fishing closer to shore, the word is that the run of dolphin out of Port Canaveral this year is the best anyone has seen in many years. 

The parking lots at Port Canaveral are full of boat trailers and they guys I spoke with said  that the fish are out to about 30 miles.  Skirted or plain ballyhoo are baits of choice trolled at 4 to 6 knots.

Kingfish are another species that is being caught around the wrecks and reefs in 45 to 90 feet of water.  The Pelican Flats and 8A reefs are favorite areas for kings and sailfish.

Slow trolling a live or dead menhaden with a duster in front of it, on a wire stinger rig with a VMC 9626 model hook is the preferred method of catching these fish.

May and June are also prime months for sailfish out of Port Canaveral.  In the next few weeks the sails should start working their way up the coast into our area. 

Naked ballyhoo or skirted ballyhoo/Islander combinations in Dolphin and Pink trolled at 3 to 4 knots in the 120 to 250 foot depths should get you a shot at a hookup if you're targeting sails.

A lot of the Captains also slow troll Pelican Flats and 8A with live baits in the 80 and 90 foot depths with a great deal of success.   

Most of the sailfish caught will be in the 35 to 45 pound range with a few larger ones in the mix.