A s June settles into the Space Coast, it should bring calm winds and the humidity-laden days that lead to afternoon thunderstorms. Late seasonal fronts will have stopped, and eyes are starting to look for the first signs of tropical weather. June is also one of the last months that lagoon waters are cool enough for redfish and sea trout to feed all day. Bait pods are within striking distance from all of Brevard’s beach launches. Many cobia, tarpon, kingfish, and large jacks have recently been caught just outside the surf line. The bait and amount of predators will only increase as the beach waters warm with summer. Some snook have started showing on the beaches and jetty’s around Port Canaveral or Sebastian Inlet. Numbers of these pre-spawn fish will only increase too! A summer high tide bite also occurs on the worm rock reefs off South Brevard’s beaches. Cast large top-water plugs for vicious strikes from heavy snook laying in the cracks and crevices. All east coast inlets will hold insane numbers of snook; many over 15lbs. and some even topping 25lbs. can be caught. Get adventurous in the calmer waters of Port Canaveral; just mind the security and shipping traffic. Or step up your game around Sebastian Inlet, as the faster “free flowing inlets” are much better for larger fish due to more bait. Large lipped plugs, large top-water plugs, and large live baits like mullet, pinfish, or croakers in the 8-10in. range will have you hooked into a trophy snook. The beaches and flats that surround both the Port and Inlet will also hold the fish at various times. Next month we will hit on fishing giant tarpon from the beach.
Topwater seatrout action is getting hot as we come into the lagoon summer. My top choice for low light conditions is a large, noisy top-water plug that can be worked in a walk-the-dog retrieve imitating a wounded baitfish. The conditions and fish will dictate which plug will produce bites, and use the rule of quite lures in calm and noisy in chop. Bright colors like chartreuse, white, bone, orange, and white with red heads can work at times, but nothing beats a sea trout pattern on your top-water plug (they are the ultimate cannibal). I like the Rapala Skitter Walk, Mir-O-Lure Top Dog, and classic Zara Spook for my walk –the –dog plugs. When fishing top-waters many people make the mistake of setting the hook when you see the strike and not only loose that hit but also pull the plug out of sight, and eliminating any chance of a fallow-up strike. Instead, wait until you can feel the weight of the fish that hit.
I tend to keep working the plug eliciting hit after hit then set up only when feel he has it. Set your drags light and don’t rush a true gator trout! For Brevard kayakers that might enjoy a bit of fresh fish and a tough fight Mangrove snapper, Black drum, or sheepshead should top your short list of targets. With an average size of 1 – 7 pounds, they won’t fill a freezer, but you should have no issue scoring a dinner or two. Many methods are available to target these species. If the “sheeps” are what you’re after; then pick up some fiddler crabs and head to the pilings. To increase your verity grab some live shrimp and look to deeper mangrove shorelines. A short 30lb. leader with a 1/0 live bait style j-hook is all you need. Add a splitshot weight and fish in/close to the structure. Be sure to also check out the KARS Park Redfish tourney this month (June 21st): great fun and amazing prizes. Contact Kristina (321.867.7967) at KARS Park for registration and details. Tight lines and wet paddles!