After having one of the coldest months in January that I can remember, February warmed up good and the fishing was pretty good inshore as well as nearshore. The water temps were low 50s in January and warmed up to low 70s in early February which got the bait moving and the snook and trout feeding good. The pompano bite slowed a bit as the cold water pushed them farther south. If March weather is on the same path as February with warmer temps, expect excellent fishing in the lagoon, and as long as the winds stay down the beach fishing should be good too.
As our spring bait run heats up, inshore fishing should do the same. When the schools of pilchards, glass minnows and mullet fill inside the lagoon and the creeks from Sebastian to Palm Bay and Melbourne, snook, redfish, jacks and trout will be hot on their heels, as will the sharks and some tarpon. I like to fish a Rapala’s Skitter Walk topwater baits and their Twitchin’ Minnow suspending baits early in the morning around the bait pods, and go deeper with Rapala’s Crush City Mooch Minnow jerk bait or Mayor Paddletail bait, as well as D.O.A. paddletails and jerk baits as the sun comes up. Live bait will also work well fishing the bait pods as the predatory fish are normally below the bait pods.
Warmer weather will also bring the greenies inside along the beaches and in the inlet—and the cobia, sharks, tarpon and big jack crevalle will be right with them. They are always plentiful in March as they are following the bluefish and mackerel on the beaches. If the weather allows you to get out and fish the ocean, you can have an action-packed day. Fish big topwater plugs for the jacks and sharks, and scale down the plugs for the bluefish. For the tarpon, as well as big jacks, fish the Rapala Long Cast 14, D.O.A. Bait Busters and live bait.
The snook and redfish bite in the inlet had been good on artificials at night and live bait during the daytime, and will improve as long as the weather stays warm. Live bait is the key in the daytime, with shrimp and threadfins being the bait of choice. At night, artificials will work well; bucktail jigs and Rapala’s X-Rap 14 and Long Cast 14 are great plugs to fish from the jetties as well as from the rocks along the west side of the bridge.
Capt. Glyn Austin
Going Coastal Charters
www.goingcoastalcharters.com
321-863-8085
Capt. Glyn Austin is a lifelong Brevard County Resident and full time inshore/nearshore fishing guide. Glyn runs a 23’ Shoalwater tunnel boat which is comfortable for up to 4 anglers and will let us get shallower than most flats boats for inshore fishing and offers a smooth dry ride when fishing the Inlet and nearshore waters of Brevard County.