With the windy, rainy and cold weather we’ve had this winter, let’s hope the winds lay down in March so the cobia anglers can get off the beach and look for the migrating rays which should be holding cobia on them. When targeting cobia, use Rapala X-Rap 14, Hogy Pro Tail eels and live threadfins. However, if we get some more cold fronts through the month, the nearshore water will be too cold, rough and dirty for small boat anglers to get out and search for them, so we will have to pick our days.
With the rough seas and rain we had in January and February, we haven’t been able to spend a lot of time off the beach, but the action has been good when we’ve been able to get out. Topwater action on blacktip and spinner sharks has been good, as well as kingfish, and there are some jumbo bluefish and Spanish mackerel around. But as the warmer weather comes it will push the threadfin herring and other schools of bait inside along the beaches, and the tarpon and big jack crevalle will be right with them as well as the sharks and kingfish. Fish big topwater plugs for the jacks and sharks and scale down the plugs for the bluefish. For tarpon and big jacks, fish the Rapala X-Rap 14, Hogy Eels or the D.O.A. Bait Buster for good success. Live threadfin will work for all of the species. The spinner sharks and blacktips will eat the live bait, but are a lot of fun on the X-Rap Magnum Xplode poppers. Just remember to change out the treble hooks to a single hook on the rear of the popper so you don’t have to perform surgery to get your lure back.
If the winds stay down and the weather warms up, the snook and redfish bite in the inlet will be very good. Live bait is the key in the daytime, with shrimp and threadfins being the bait of choice, however pinfish, pigfish and croakers will also work. At night, most artificials will work well. Most anglers throw the bucktail jigs, and the Rapala X-Rap 14 are great plugs to fish from the jetties as well as from the rocks along the west side of the bridge.
Inshore fishing has been good this winter with trout and pompano, as well as a few juvenile permit and bonefish, but the snook and redfish bite should pick up as our spring mullet run heats up. When the schools of mullet fill inside the lagoon and the creeks from Sebastian to Palm Bay and Melbourne, snook, redfish, jacks and trout will be hot on their heels. I like to fish a Rapala Skitterwalk V early in the morning around the bait pods and go deeper with the D.O.A. Paddle Tails and jerk baits as the sun comes up. Live bait will also work well fishing the bait pods as the predatory fish are normally below the bait pods.
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.