Summer is here and space coast fishing is hot. We have come into the summer bait season with the lagoons bursting at their seams with all types of food for predators. The same holds true for our near coastal waters… Mullet, pogies, pinfish, and many others make a daily attempt at not being eaten. Because of this heavy bait buffet kayak anglers on the space coast must look to match the hatch. Though the lagoon waters have heated considerably; fish can still be fed throughout the day. Don’t be afraid to check those docks and deeper mangrove shorelines if your flat is eerily devoid of gamefish. That pattern will pay late in the month and into the next couple. Just as we enjoy some shade on a hot day. So do our finned targets.
Area Lagoons: the seatrout have all but finished their yearly spawn. A huge thank you for all “gators” that were released healthy by anglers, and please inform those that don’t know. Big trout are breeders and certainly don’t need to be dinner for a night during their spawn. Both redfish and seatrout are looking to eat this month so break out the lures and get to work. A topwater plug worked early in the morning will elicit explosive hits. Mullet will be a primary prey item and the topwater (walk-the-dog) style lure imitates them well. Best colors are bone, red head/white body, chartreuse, and blk back/silver side(mullet). As the sun climbs and the flats warm. Slide out to 3-5ft flats and work deep with a Slayer Inc. SST paddle tail shad. Rig this on a keeper type hook for best action and less snagging of grass along the bottom. If you are seeing your targets but not getting strikes then some natural bait may be in order. Live and cut mullet will work great for this throughout the entire day. Tail hook and freeline your live finger mullet (5- 8inch) to allow them some range. Chucks should be cut from large Black(striped) mullet, and need to be large. That will cut down on the time spent dealing with catfish. Lady fish also work great in this situation. Utilize your baits buy placing them along drop offs or grass to sand edges. Fish will use these as they move from different shallow feeding areas.
Near-coastal: It is pogie time on the space coast, and the predators are ready. Kingfish, large jacks, giant tarpon, sharks, and many others will gorge on the oil filled menhaden. These schools are located by diving pelicans and a distinct flip they make on the surface. They can also be found by the muds they produce when on the bottom or even looking like a dark cloud in the water. The pogie is a filter feeder and cannot be caught by sabiki rig. You must net or snatch hook, and they need a fair amount of water to stay alive long. I use a five gallon bucket rigged to pull ocean water in, and overflow back out. The good thing is most fish will be found in or near the bait pods, so re-baiting is easy. A simple leader of 60lbs attached to a 5-7/0 circle hook will get the job done. I like to add a small stinger hook with wire so I don’t miss a short striking king. Be safe a lot of boats take part in this exciting fishing. Also be sure to catch my upcoming seminar at Mosquito Creek Outdoors July 10th at 6pm. I will be covering mangrove snapper tips and tactics on the space coast. Should be a great one! You can find great kayak fishing info every Monday night with the Redfish Chuck show on Kayak Fishing Radio.