SURF & PIER Fishing Report

This month, is all about water temperature! Your success on the beach or the pier, is all about the magic numbers of 65 and 60. Below 65, the pompano are gone for warmer waters. After 60 degrees, even the whiting will be gone. My favorite website to look for water temperatures is marine.rutgers.edu/cool/sat_data. The color chart is my go-to. During this month and in February, I almost always hit I-95 south, for warmer waters. I simply find the 70-degree water on the chart, and go to that spot. The fishing I find is the same that we have here in April. I look at it this way, why fish in cold water, just hoping for a wiggle of the rod tip, when I can drive 1.5 to 3 hours for it to be, FISH ON!
Do not forget your sand flea rake. Once you get back to warmer waters, you’ll also find sand fleas again. Most of the bait stores from Cocoa southward, will also sell fleas by the cup. Live or fresh dead shrimp will also produce a lot of different species in the surf. Blue crab chunks often bring upper-slot redfish from these warmer waters.

Somewhere between New Smyrna and Ft Pierce, you will be able to find the right water temp. I have already booked a hotel in Vero Beach during February. Mother Nature may be fickle, but I can count on her thermostat being on 70 degrees near Vero Beach next month. I’m so looking forward to the warm water returning in March. Until then, my fellow anglers, head south!

The picture is from the beach near Sebastian Inlet in February. We caught 23 big redfish in two days. It was well worth the drive.