---

                                                                                
Surf Fishing

This month we will experience a full "super moon" that will be the closest to our Earth in over 68 years.   The next time it will occur will be in the year 2034. 

This super moon will cause really high tides which could result in some great surf fishing opportunities. 

Although there are still lots of baitfish in the jetties and in the surf along our beaches, for the next few months Pompano will be the name of the game for surf fishermen along our coast.

Every fall as the water temperatures cool down, schools of pompano migrate from the northernmost parts of Florida, all the way south to Miami's beaches.   The Pompano will move south through Jacksonville Beach, Flagler Beach, Daytona Beach, and after a couple of cold fronts pass us by, will eventually show up at Playalinda Beach around November or December. 

Although Playalinda Beach at the Canaveral National Seashore is considered a hop spot for Pompano, during the coldest days of winter good numbers of Pompano can be caught in an around the beaches of Sebastian, Vero, Ft. Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter, all the way down to Miami.

The basic tackle for Playalinda Beach surf fishermen is an 8' or 9'  surf spinning rod, a reel loaded with 12 to 20 lb test monofilament line, and a dropper rig with a 1 to 4 ounce pyramid sinker.  In a calm surf, I use a "river" spinning rod with 8 to 10 pound mono or 20 pound braid with a fluorocarbon leader.  You can use pre-rigged Pompano rigs or save money by tying your own. 

When baitfish are in the surf and the Bluefish or Spanish Mackerel are cutting off your Pompano baits, tie on a long shank hook or a snelled 2/0 hook on a nylon coated wire leader, and switch over to cut baits.

For Pompano and whiting, bait up with live sand fleas, fresh cut clams, Fishbites, or half of a piece of shrimp.   If you're using clams, make sure they are fresh.  Most bait shops sell frozen clams that turn to mush when defrosted and don't stay on your hook. 

When using shrimp for Pompano, pinch off the head and the tail and use only half of the body on the hook.  For whiting, use a peeled piece of shrimp slightly larger than your fingernail.  When the pompano are in close, I use a 1/4 oz. jig head with a small piece of peeled shrimp as a tail tied directly to the main line.

If you are targeting bluefish or Spanish mackerel, use a cut chunk of mullet or use a whole fingerling mullet with the head and tail removed.  Blues seem to always miss the hook when I use a whole mullet.

During the spring and fall baitfish run when the bluefish are running along our beaches in good numbers, you can catch them by casting floating or shallow diving plugs that resemble a mullet or silver Krocodile spoons into the surf.  Use short wire or heavy mono fluorocarbon leaders to prevent cutoffs.

As the water continues to cool down later on in the month, the Pompano bite should continue to improve.
                                                                                              ________________________________________________

Haulover Canal

Haulover Canal fishermen have been making some nice catches of black drum up to 30 pounds, bull redfish up to 40 inches, mangrove snapper, and Snook.  
 
Bull redfish and big black drum move through the deep waters of the canal from the Mosquito Lagoon to the northern Indian River throughout the year, making Haulover one of the best places to pick up a trophy fish.   
 
Bank fishermen using half of a fresh blue crab fished right on the bottom have been landing 30 pound plus fish on a regular basis.  Live pinfish, mullet, and large select shrimp on a knocker or sliding sinker rig have also been producing some nice fish. 

Power Pro or any other braid, heavy fluorocarbon leaders, and 4/0 or 6/0 VMC circle hooks are recommended terminal tackle.

Most of the black drum that were caught last month were running about 5 to 15 pounds however, a few in the 20 to 30 pound category were reportedly caught on blue crabs.  The smaller fish were caught on cut clams and shrimp.

The east side of the canal seems to be a better area for redfish, but boaters fish the side that the current is flowing towards. 

Night fishing in the canal is not permitted from the bank but boaters at night have been making nice catches of black drum, redfish, sea trout and snook.
 
Durnig November, Haulover Canal and the deeper waters around our area bridges should be a good bet for black drum.   As the temperatures cool down the shrimping activity should also start to pick up.

                                                                                               ________________________________________________

Till Next Month, Good Fishing & Tight Lines To You All