Stars are beginning to align for the surf fishing areas encompassing the Space Coast. While the mullet run slowly fades away, the recent cooler temps have stimulated pompano to trickle into area waters. It’s not with immense consistency just yet, but it’s right on the bubble. We still need the water temperatures to come down for that full out pompano run to ignite.
Pompano catches have begun a steady uptick with the majority of anglers finding healthy keeper pompano while having to pick through the shorts. With that being said, the ones that do measure are reaching the 1.5 to 2.5 lb. mark. These are the silver and gold species most have been waiting for to hit the shores. While the bluefish, ladyfish and jack crevalle may have you guessing what’s on the line, the pompano alway stand out with a parallel run to shore and a sharp blitz inward throughout the fight. Make sure to keep steady pressure and be ready to take up the slack when they charge the beach.
Shark fishing from the shores of the Space Coast continues its red hot run with all the food sources a shark could ask for being present. Ladyfish, bluefish, jack crevalle and Spanish mackerel feeding on glass minnows, hornbellies and mullet make it advantageous for sharks to have their choice. Crashing through the surf, blacktips are often seen voraciously terrorizing the offerings on hand. Fresh chunked bait continues to work magic for catching these sharks from the surf, but live bait has also worked well.
Looking forward to the next few weeks, I’m expecting the Spanish mackerel and bluefish bite to remain strong. Also anticipating the pompano numbers becoming more consistent as the water temperature drops and larger schools infiltrate our Brevard County waters. Compounding the anticipation for pompano, I expect to see the larger bull whiting show up. They are absolutely one of my favorite table fare fish from the surf. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a great month of fishing.
Good luck, tight lines and Happy Holidays!
Capt. Lukas Brickweg
Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters
cocoabeachsurffishingcharters@gmail.com
www.cocoabeachsurffishingcharters.com
(321) 205-4672