I f you frequent the beach this time of year, perhaps you’ve seen the amazing sights of free-jumping tarpon, wildly spinning sharks, skyrocketing “smoker” king mackerel and barracudas within a stone’s throw of the shore. Looking back, this happens most often during the calmest months of summer. It’s a time when schools of bait fish like menhaden, silver mullet, pilchards, threadfin herring or a combination of any of these fishes migrate into the Atlantic’s inshore waters.
In recent weeks, I’ve heard stories of incredible light-tackle catches of tarpon, shark, bonito and king mackerel caught along the Space Coast portion of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) coast. Keep an eye on the Atlantic Ocean to get in on this action, since this type of fishing is world class.
July’s Fishing Tip: Summer success comes to anglers who heed the heat. With water temperatures reaching annual highs in the IRL and Atlantic, more fish are caught before sunup, after sundown, in the shade, near moving water or on cloudy days.
The Space Coast International Surf Fishing Tournament will return to the IRL coast in October. This premier event will include informative workshops focusing on surf and paddle fishing, with thousands of dollars in money and prizes for the winners, and a tournament award party that you will surely gauge other parties by in the future.
Best Days to Fish July
3-5, 8-9, 12-17, 19-27, 30-31
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