I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a safe New Year. The last few weeks have been great near shore and should continue until the weather gets colder and lowers water temps.
Cobia and triple tail have been hanging close to the beach in 50 foot or less. For triple tail I like to use a small bucktail tipped with a piece of squid or a live shrimp with just a small shot of weight on it. Tease them with it a little and most of the time they will eat it. Triple tail is a delicacy – some of the best eating around. You will find them free swimming and holding to pieces of weeds and anything else you find floating. Cobia have been hanging out in the same areas as the triples, have the bucktail with squid ready. There are many things you can use for them. Cobia seldom refuse live bait.
Pushing a little farther out, Pelican and 8A have had some decent kings on them. I have been using many different baits since live bait is a little hard to find this time of year so have your frozen minnows handy. If you can’t find any bunker, try to sabiki some off the buoys or wrecks on the way out some blue runners or threadfins. Live bait will definitely work better. Even farther offshore the mahi-mahi, blackfin tuna and sailfish have been doing much better. Although there are specific tactics and ways to target each individually, I use smaller Islander lures with small ballyhoo. All three species can be expected this time of year. Wahoo can be targeted with a little more speed in your troll. This is the time of year they are around in greater numbers.
This report has been brought to you by Captain Chris Cameron of Fired Up Fishing Charters, your premier fishing guide for shark fishing Cocoa Beach, offshore fishing Port Canaveral, nearshore fishing Cape Canaveral, and Orlando charter fishing.
