I’m sure by now everyone is tired of the fronts and winds we’ve had from March thru May, and the hot weather should be here to stay. The beach fishing should get as hot as the weather if we get an abundance of bait on the beaches from Melbourne south to Sebastian and Vero. The sharks, kingfish, tarpon, jacks and snook will be feeding on the baits all month and we should have a great summer. It will take some time to find the bait, but once you do, you will find the fish. I like to fish live greenies, pogies or sardines around the bait pods for the species that are following the bait. I’ll also throw Rapala X-Rap Long Cast in size 14 hard baits, with D.O.A. Bait Busters, jerk baits and paddle tails and Hogy Eels for soft baits. Fish the Hogys deep and the X-Raps for the fish staying close to the surface. Snook will be in the trough close to the beaches hanging on the bait pods as well, and the X-Rap 10 will work well from the beach or in the boat.
The bite in the early morning and late evenings along the mangrove shorelines, spoil islands and the flats from Melbourne to Wabasso should be good for big trout, reds and snook, as well as big jacks. Topwater action will be solid as the sun comes up; switch to suspending baits or live baits later in the morning. Live pinfish, pilchards, mullet and pigfish are the baits of choice to entice the fish throughout the day. The tarpon will also move into the Indian River Lagoon from Sebastian to Melbourne and can be found around bait pods in the ICW as well as deeper areas that typically hold bait. Early morning and late evening are the best times to target the tarpon.
The summer rains will turn on the creeks from Melbourne to Sebastian for anglers looking to target snook, tarpon, jacks and sharks this month—as long as the rains aren’t too heavy and the dams open and create a heavy fresh water influx into the creeks. The Sebastian River, Turkey Creek, Crane Creek and the Eau Gallie River will be good early in the mornings for anglers using artificial baits. Rapala Skitter Walks fished early morning and evenings are great topwater baits, and D.O.A. TerrorEyz are great deep water baits. Bait fishermen targeting snook and tarpon can find success using live finger mullet or pilchards rigged on a 5/0 circle hook rigged with 30-50 lb. leader depending on the size of the tarpon.
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.