June begins the summer season for near-coastal offshore kayak fishing. Here along the east central coast of Florida, nearshore fishing is a great draw to the more adventurous kayak anglers. Missing out on the deep water within striking distance from a beach launched kayak? The Space Coast has its disadvantages but that doesn’t mean the fishing isn’t spectacular for those ocean-going kayak anglers in Brevard County. The lack of deep blue water species like mahi-mahi, wahoo, and sailfish found farther offshore is overcome by the opportunity to battle massive tarpon, smoker kingfish, and even the occasional cobia or tripletail. Our coast is shallow and sandy, with a relatively featureless bottom which does not offer much for specific targets like reef fish. Your focus should be fishing near bait fish schools and the areas they tend to frequent. Kayaks seem to excel in these situations by slow trolling or drifting with live baits.
Rigging techniques for catching our two main targets the kingfish and massive tarpon differ from one another but the same 20-40lb class spinning or conventional rod and reel combos will tackle both with ease. For the kingfish its best to use a shot of wire tied in what’s classically referred to as a live bait stinger rig with a hook in front to pin the bait’s nose and a second hook to place towards its tail. Being a fish with some serious teeth and a habit of cutting baits in half this is a great rig to use for a solid hookup. Any of your baits caught nearshore will be adequate and result in a hookup when trolled in the areas where those baits are present. Large mullet in the 10 to 12-inch range also work exceptionally well and can sometimes be found in the lagoon on your way to the beach. Schools of bait or bait rich areas, color changes, rips, and even Port Canaveral’s buoy line can be a great place to start looking for these fish in the summer months. In case you did not know, several tournaments have been won with massive kings caught inside the port itself. This fish is great to eat fresh so be sure to have a fish bag and ice on hand if you’re looking to take some home. Though kingfish don’t have the spectacular jumps and never-ending power of a massive tarpon it’s challenging and worthy targets for kayak anglers on the space coast. As a guide I look to these warm summer months to book near coastal kayak trips for the calmed seas and increasing abundance of bait with favorable water temperatures for some exciting predators. Give me a call and we’ll go nearshore kayak catching!
