What can we expect to find for July? Good question. If it continues like it has been the last few weeks it’s going be tough. But hopefully it does turn around. Bait should start to show up in better numbers as the water warms up. It’s been extremely tough getting on the pogie pods lately. One bait that has overwhelmed the shore has been horn bellies. You can catch them on sabikis. I know what your thinking….they don’t work. Well, we caught our limits of jacks and grouper on them for a few weeks now and slow trolled them on the beach and got 2 kings. I have also seen the tarpon smacking them on the beach. So, to the myth that they don’t work, they do. Only thing I noticed is that they have to be very big for them to swim correctly.
Bottom fishing offshore had has been ok. Chicken rigging for triggers and other smaller fish has been decent. Find your drop offs and wrecks. Our chicken rig is tied with 40lb leader, two dropper loops, with an 8oz weight or whatever works to get your line to stay down, if your using mono, a heavier weight, braid, a lighter weight. On one hook put a squid, other a sardine. While one person is chicken rigging the other can drop a live bait down of your choice, pin, croaker, pogie and go for that AJ or grouper. For those rigs use heavy mono in the 100lb class to a 3 way swivel, make sure you’re using circle hooks. I see many charters trying to set the hook in 150-200 feet of water. NO, lol! Start reeling as fast as you can! That’s
the trick.
As soon as the bait shows up we should start seeing the kings again. July is the time that the beach usually comes alive. As a charter captain, I can’t wait for that to happen. Keeping the rods bent and having a great time with families on the beach with bonita, kings, tarpon, jacks, cuda and sharks is awesome. Watching the youngsters fight a screaming bonita is priceless. (That’s what its all about). I can’t tell you how many times they turn and say that’s bigger than a trout. Lol
And I guess ya’ll heard by now, Red snapper season is closed. There endangered don’t forget?!?! HAHA
This report has been brought to you by Captain Chris Cameron of Fired Up Fishing Charters, your premier fishing guide charter of shark fishing Cocoa Beach, offshore fishing Port Canaveral, Nearshore fishing Cape Canaveral, Orlando charter fishing