January turned out to be a warm month with water temps warmer than normal and the action off the beach has been good, while the inlet bite has been hit or miss for redfish and snook. However, the flounder bite has been better this year than in the past few years.
Doc’s Goofy jigs will normally work well in the inlet and along the beaches and flats of the lagoon from Sebastian to Melbourne for pompano, and bycatch will be a mix of jacks, bluefish, trout and Spanish mackerel as well as a few big gafftopsail cats. We have also caught a few pompano lately on the Rapala Twitchin’ Minnow, as well as fishing the bait pods we can find for trout and snook. If you are fishing Sebastian Inlet and the pompano action is slow, you can try jigging the shallow parts of the inlet for flounder using a ½ ounce jighead with a D.O.A. Paddletail or Curly Tail with Pro-Cure.
If the weather stays warms up, the snook and redfish bite in the inlet should get better. Live bait is the key in the daytime, and at night artificials perform. Bucktail Jigs work well and the Rapala X-Rap 14 and the Long Cast 14 are great plugs to fish from the jetties and the rocks along the west side of the bridge. The tarpon will continue to feed on outgoing tides through February during the strong cold fronts and the above lures will work, as well as Hogy Eels and Paddletails and D.O.A. Baitbusters.
If you can get out on the beach, you can jig for pompano, mackerel, jacks and bluefish. Following those species in February and March are blacktip sharks. You can have some great action fishing live bait or even topwater baits for blacktips that are mixed in and feeding on the mackerel and blues. Keep an eye out for manta rays and if you find them, the cobia should be tagging along. Most live baits and bucktails work well for the cobia.
The big jacks, sail cats and a few tarpon are up in the Sebastian River as well as Turkey Creek in Palm Bay and Crane Creek in Melbourne. Snook are around the docks and tarpon are far back in the creeks. Live bait is best, but the fish will eat soft plastics and some topwater on warmer days. Bundle up and stay warm as there should be plenty of action throughout the month of February for anglers looking to get out of the house on the nice days.
Capt. Glyn Austin
Going Coastal Charters
www.goingcoastalcharters.com
321-863-8085