Port Canaveral & Banana River – February 2025

Wow! It was a chilly January this year, but the benefits to that are becoming clear in the month of February around the near coastal and inshore waters of the Port Canaveral area. Black drum, sheepshead, whiting and pompano are striking sand fleas and fresh cut or small live shrimp on 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jig heads outside the surf break in the Canaveral Bight area. On some days we find the pompano and drum schooling along the outer sandbars and troughs in this area. Small  “goofy “ style jigs in pink, orange and chartreuse will get these fish to strike between cold fronts when a warming trend makes them more aggressive.

Bluefish will be another popular sport fish that anglers can target by casting or trolling Rapala X-Rap lures in the 8- or 10-centimeter sizes.

In the Indian and Banana River Lagoons black drum schools tend to show up around bridges, spoil islands and drop offs next to causeways. When a school of drum is found, anglers can use cut crab, sand fleas or live shrimp to get them to bite. Some of these drum can reach the 50-pound mark, so you may need to use larger tackle than when fishing for these guys on the flats.

Overall, the warming spring temperatures we expect to see should result in very good catches this month. If you’re looking for a fun day out on the water, please give me a call so that we can try to catch your next memory.