We usually start getting tropical storms in August and it can be a great time to fish the IRL as well as the beaches from Melbourne down to Sebastian Inlet as long as the ocean is calm and the tropical storms aren’t wreaking havoc on us. If I can’t fish the beaches, I like to focus on the flats, spoil islands or mangrove shorelines that should be loaded with bait in the Indian River Lagoon from Palm Bay to Sebastian. Try to get out early and use topwater baits such as Rapala’s Skitter Walk for trout, snook and redfish. The bite will stay solid if you switch to live bait as the sun comes up and the water warms. If the fish won’t hit topwater early, go subsurface with the Rapala Twitchin’ Mullet and Twitchin’ Minnow, or D.O.A. Shrimp or Paddletail baits if soft baits are your preference.
The snook and redfish should be very active in the inlet, with nighttime being a great time to fish with Rapala X-Rap 14 or bucktails. You could rig a D.O.A. jerk bait or paddletail on a heavy jighead and fish it like a bucktail with great success as well. If you have live bait, fish the trough along the beaches for snook and redfish as well as the occasional tarpon looking for a meal. I like to target the bait pods along the beaches from Melbourne down to Sebastian for tarpon, cobia, snook, kingfish, bonito and sharks. Live bait is my preferred method, rigged on VMC circle hooks.
The creeks from Melbourne down to Sebastian will hold plenty of snook, tarpon, sharks and big jacks. After the heavy rains, fish the spillways with live baits or fish the Storm or D.O.A. paddletail baits, or use TerrorEyz in the deeper waters. For a hard bait, use the Rapala Twitchin’ Mullet and Minnow for good success on snook and juvenile tarpon.
Anglers can also target the shorelines, docks and oyster bars for snook and may even find a few flounder too.
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.