With our 4th of July Independence Day celebration just around the corner, we can continue to expect spotted sea trout, redfish, snook, and tarpon to be the primary targets for inshore fishermen in our area.

The algae bloom has made the waters around Titusville and the Space Center pretty much a wreck right now with mostly dirty water conditions,  but the areas north around Ponce Inlet and south of us have cleaned up considerably, with fish moving back into these areas.

Good numbers of speckled sea trout are being caught in the shallow parts of the northern Mosquito Lagoon in the early morning hours by anglers using top water plugs like SkitterWalks, Chug Bugs, Zara Spooks and the smaller 3.5" size Badonk-A-Donks.  Silver mullet colors or anything resembling a mullet color works well.   

The trout have also been hitting the Twitch N Rap in the olive green and hot flash colors.  Fish around the mullet pods from first light to about 8 am for gator trout up to 10 pounds

Later in the day and when the floating grass becomes a problem, change over to a 5" Saltwater Assassin jerk bait rigged weedless and fish underneath the floating grass where the sea trout are hiding.  The sea trout bite in this area has been great early in the morning.

For live bait fishermen, almost nothing can beat a live pigfish either freelined or dangling underneath a Cajun Thunder popping cork.  Live mullet also work well when fished around the bait pods.

Most of the sea trout have been running 1 to 3 pounds, but you can catch them up to 9 pounds on live pigfish almost any time of the day.

In the northern Mosquito Lagoon near Ponce Inlet in the Edgewater, Fl. area, the sea trout and snook action is mainly around the docks during the mid to low tide stages and the mangrove roots, pilings, and rocky areas during the flood tide.

Farther south, the sea trout bite has been best in the Indian River from Cocoa to Melbourne around the docks and drop offs that are adjacent to the grass flats.   The trout have been most prevelant from Palm Bay through the SunTree area, but the Rockledge and Cocoa area have also been really good lately.  Concentrate on the 3 to 4 foot depths around the docks and shorelines.

A lot of ladyfish, jack crevalle, and mangrove snapper are also being caught in this area.  

Around Titusville in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the best bite is very early in the morning along the deeper areas of the marsh canals, and the dropoffs that are adjacent to the grassy ponds. 

There is a lot of vegetation that will mess up a topwater bait, but a Chug Bug smeared with some Pro-Cure and fished very slow will usually get you hits. 

If there is too much grass for a topwater bait, try an Assassin Sea Shad jig tail in a Rootbeer/Red flake, Bone Diamond, or Cajun Croaker color on a 1/4 oz. spring lock jig head.  The bait is virtually weedless and can be fished anywhere without hanging up.

Live finger mullet in the same areas may hook you up with an oversize redfish or gator sea trout almost any time of the day, but fishing early and late is the key to catching fish this time of the year.  Juvenile tarpon and ladyfish can also be found in the shallow ponds in and around the refuge this month. 

The causeways around the bridge in Titusville have also been producing some nice slot size redfish.  Live and cut baits or half of a fresh blue crab on a sliding sinker rig with a 4/0 or 5/0 Owner hook is a good rig to use.  Some drum are also being caught in this area closer to dusk.

Snook season is closed right now but farther south, the flats on the Indian River between Wabasso and Palm Bay are producing some nice catches if you get on the water early between first light and 8:00 am.  

The guys using Rapala Skitterwalk plugs in the Bone White, Bone Chartreuse, or Chrome Chartreuse colors who are working the lures around the mangroves, shorlines, and natural cover that have a lot of mullet around are picking up some very nice Snook.

If you miss the morning topwater bite, you can still get some decent action by switching over to alive 7" to 8" mullet, or live croakers and fish these same areas.  The fish can be caught even in the middle of the day if you have the patience.

The jetties at Ponce Inlet, Canaveral, and Sebastian are also holding Snook in the 26" to 40" range.
 

 

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Near Shore and Offshore Fishing

Fishing off the coast of East Central Florida in July is like playing craps.  It's hurricane season, so storms and widespread cold water upwellings really dictate what can be caught, where, and how deep.  

Assuming that these conditions are minimal, we can expect some great opportunities this month.

The near shore waters are a little dirty right now around Port Canaveral, but there are still some good size king mackerel on the 70 to 90 foot reefs a little farther south, if you look around to find where there is some bait and cleaner water.  

Slow trolling blue runners, pogies, and sardines on stinger rigs is the tried and true method used to catch kingfish.

If you decide to troll in the slightly dirty waters just off the beach, try using a pink or chartreuse colored C&H king buster, or one of the Hookup Lures live bait duster skirts by Blue Water Candy to add some interest to your baits.

When the water clears up, these fish will move back to the beach into the 15 to 25 foot depth range and even into the 40 foot depth range.  Most of the King Mackerel will be running up to the 20 pound range.

Gag Grouper, Scamp, and Red Grouper fishing has been really good on structure in the 21 to 27 fathom ridges and the Oculina Bank, also known as "The Cones" or "The Steeples" in about 240 to 250 feet of water. 

There are also some nice Gag Grouper on the 120 to 240 foot wrecks.

This past week, the Amberjack and Gag Grouper bite has been good along the deeper ledges between 160 and 250-feet.

If you are targeting grouper, use large baits on a standard bottom rig.  Live Pinfish, Sardines, Pogies, and Grunts all work but they are normally smaller and get intercepted by the red snapper before you can get your bait to the bottom.  

Try using big, live blue runners, bluefish, or large chunks of Bonita or Barracuda for bait.  These larger baits will keep a lot of the Red Snapper that are under 20 pounds or so from gobbling up your baits.  Grouper have huge mouths and will easily inhale large baits.

If you prefer using vertical jigs for grouper, try using the big 10 oz. to 24 oz. nylon hair jigs with  glow paint or a glow skirts to make them more visible at those depths.  The grouper are averaging 10 to 20 pounds but you can get some in the lower 40 pound range using large baits.

Trolling the Oculina Bank historically yields some of the heaviest Wahoo and Dolphin during July, with an occasional Marlin thrown into the mix.  Wahoo in the 75 to 80 pound range are frequently caught out of Canaveral and Ponce during the summer months. 

The anglers who get the best results deploy a couple of downriggers at varying depths, along with outriggers and flat lines while zig zagging across the coral ridge.

The runs into the deeper 220 to 300 foot depths usually produce larger "bull" dolphin in the 40 to 60 pound category where they can be found around the rips and buildups of sargasso. 
 
The month of July is also a good month for shark fishing in our area.  Spinner sharks, black tips, golden duskies and sharpnose shark are just a few of the species you will catch if you are slow trolling or drifting in the 15 to 50 foot depths, or closer inshore.
Wire leaders are a must if you target sharks, but many anglers prefer using 100 pound or stronger fluorocarbon leaders tied to a single hook as their terminal tackle.  Large chunks of barracuda, bonito, mackerel or other oily fish are the preferred baits.
 
The majority of sharks caught in our area are in the 20 to 50 pound category but fish over 100 pounds are not uncommon.

Finally, with the reduction of gas prices, the run to the "other side" of the Gulf Stream out of Canaveral, Ponce, and Sebastian Inlet should become more affordable for fishermen targeting Yellowfin Tuna. 

       

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Surf Fishing

Space Coast beaches can be divided into several different types of topography. 

Along the Northern part of our coast, the Canaveral National Seashore that stretches from New Smyrna Beach south to Port Canaveral, has a sandy bottom.  

It is accessed at Titusville at  Playalinda Beach, and from the north end at New Smyrna Beach.   South of Playalinda Beach to Port Canaveral, the beaches are off limits unless you work at NASA or are in the
Air Force.

Along this particular section of the beach, a deep trough generally forms just offshore of the shore break, followed by a sandbar and then deeper water.   The best fishing along this stretch of beach is usually inside the near trough.  

During July when the whiting start getting thick along these beaches and in most other areas of Central Florida, surf fishermen using short river rods with small hooks on a sliding sinker rig can catch a mess of fish. 

Small pieces of peeled shrimp and sand fleas are the baits of choice for whiting. 

The best bite usually occurs in the early morning hours preferably during the middle to the end of an incoming tide. 

Most inexperienced surf fishermen using long surf rods with pyramid sinkers and two or three hook dropper hooks tend to overcast the fish that are running up and down the troughs.

South of Port Canaveral around the towns of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, the bottom is still sandy but the trough is not as pronounced.  

From the beaches around Patrick Air Force Base south to the Town of Indialantic, there are coquina ridges and Sabellariid Worm Reefs in the surf.

During July, this particular area is a magnet for snook as well as black drum, redfish, Margate, Lookdowns, whiting, mackerel, bluefish and a variety of sharks.

The Snook fishing in the surf can be excellent this time of the year along the five mile stretch of submerged worm rock, and during the summer months, Snook in the 30 pound category are often caught on that stretch of beach.
Use an 8" to 12" live mullet or pogie for bait on a sliding sinker rig with a length of 30 pound fluorocarbon leader and cast out past the worm rocks.  The challenge is landing the fish without it breaking off in the rocks.
The best bite is usually at first light and again at dusk until a couple of hours after dark,  preferably during a high tide when there is more water over the reef.  

The surf between Melbourne Beach to Vero Beach is also a good area for Tarpon in the surf.  Although most of the fish caught will be under 100 pounds,  tarpon in the 150 pound category are always a possibility.

Farther offshore in the 20 to 40 foot depths, tarpon in the 150 pound category are being targeted this past week  by several Captains using live pogies, herring, and pilchards.

 

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