March weather was hit or miss, but the fishing was pretty good in the lagoon and along the beach when we were able to get out there. The warmer temps and spring rains in April get the bait moving into the lagoon for the summer.
The the inshore fishing will be great for big trout snook and some redfish. Snook, tarpon and bull sharks should be plentiful in the Sebastian River, Turkey Creek in Palm Bay and Crane Creek and Ballard Park in Melbourne. Fish Rapala’s subsurface baits as well as soft plastics from Rapala and D.O.A.; live shrimp and mullet are always great live baits to use too.
Fish the rolling tarpon in both forks of the river early in the morning, and pick apart the shorelines and docks for snook. The sharks will eat live and dead baits in the lower river between the railroad and U.S. 1 bridges and around the powerlines.
Fish the spoil islands in the Lagoon as well as the deeper mangrove shorelines from Palm Bay to Sebastian for snook, trout, redfish, jacks and flounder. I like to fish the Rapala Skitter Walk early mornings for the topwater bite, then move to soft plastic baits as the sun comes up. If the live bait is easy to get, then I will use the live baits on a circle hook in the same areas.
The big jack crevalle will be in the inlet’s swift current looking for a meal to float by. Live pigfish or pinfish are the best baits most days, but greenies and pilchards will also work well. I also have consistent success with big Rapala and D.O.A. paddletail baits rigged on heavy jigheads.
Nightime is when the snook and redfish are more active on artificial baits such as bucktails, jigs, soft plastics and diving plugs for anglers fishing from the rocks or jetties. The north jetty will be closed the entire month, so jetty angles will have to fish from the south jetty or the shoreline on the south side.
Tarpon, jacks, bonito, sharks, Spanish mackerel and cobia can be along the beaches from Sebastian to Melbourne in April and can be caught from a boat and from the beach as well. Rapala hard baits and soft baits from Hogy and D.O.A. all are very productive. Live mullet, greenies and pogies will also work well.
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.