The cold water upwellings on the beach are here very early as they usually don’t get here til mid July. Water temps on the beaches were in the low 70s and even the high 60s in mid June. Let’s hope the upwellings go away and the water warms because July is one of my favorite months of the year to fish the beaches from Melbourne down to Sebastian Inlet.
July is typically a great month to fish snook from the beaches with live bait, artificial and on fly. Anglers can fish from the beach with live baits, as well as their favorite hard and soft baits with good action on snook, tarpon, false albacore and even a king mackerel. Look for schools of baits such as glass minnows, greenies or menhaden, and fish bait pods close to the beach for consistent action.
The islands or mangrove shorelines in the Indian River Lagoon from Palm Bay to Sebastian should be good early morning, as long as we can get more bait in the lagoon. The rains we had in June should help push some of the bait out of the creeks and into the lagoon around the spoil islands and mangrove shorelines to keep the predators happy. Using topwater baits such as Rapala’s Skiiter Walk or Skitter-V as the sun comes up and as it sets should be a sure bet for trout, snook or redfish. If the fish won’t hit topwater, go subsurface with Rapala’s Twitchin’ Mullet, Crush City Paddletal and Mooch Minnow, or D.O.A. paddle tail lures. Look for bait pods in the areas you’re fishing and work the bait pods; cast under the mangroves and along the deeper parts of the spoil islands.
The creeks from Sebastian to Melbourne will hold snook and tarpon this month and, as the rains push water out, fish the mouths of the creeks or way back in the creeks for big tarpon on live mullet, greenies or pilchards, or go with topwaters early and late in the day. Fish the docks back in the creeks for snook as well as big trout, redfish and some jack crevalle.
Whether fishing the beaches or the lagoon, be aware of the clouds forming and make sure to get off the water before you get caught in a lightining storm or hail storm as they come up quick and can be very dangerous.
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.
