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Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, July  2008

Snookin’ in Stuart  

I had a great opportunity to take my eleven year old grandson on a fishing getaway this past week. We packed our bags and headed south for the River Palms Cottages and Fish Camp in Jensen Beach. Only a little more than a two hour drive from Merritt Island, this quaint destination is a fisherman’s paradise. There are nearby boat ramps at the causeways and a dock on the Indian River to come home to each day.  

The weather did not cooperate too well, as each morning the winds were blowing at about 10 miles per hour or more, from the southeast. The catching was slow, but the fishing and the experience with by grandson was the best.  

Trying to ignore the winds, we fished a few rolling tarpon, lock-jawed trout and few willing snook. On one day a friend and fellow guide, Captain Duber Winters hopped aboard the “Finding Equilibrium” for a couple of hours of snook fishing. We headed south towards the inlet and a couple of Duber’s favorite fishing holes. He suggested we start early and work the early morning bite. The strategy paid off when I hooked the first snook as day was barely breaking.  

We were rigged with D. O. A. Holographic Shrimp on a 40 pound leader. As we cast up current the shrimp would drift toward the waiting fish. A fast action heavy rod is a good selection for this type of fishing. You definitely need some backbone to keep the fish from running back into the rocks, or the docks that you are fishing.  

It didn’t take too much longer before grandson Robert was pulling on another nice snook that also fell for the D.O.A. Shrimp. If you would like to do some of this snook fishing with Capt. Duber you can contact him at Green Water Charters, 772-631-1023. 

This snook was definitely the fish that made the trip worthwhile. It is the kind of thing that makes kids into anglers. In fact, it is fish like this that keep most of us coming back for more.

On another day Robert and I had the pleasure of fishing with Capt. Mark Nichols, originator of the D.O.A. line of fishing lures. Needless to say, we had a great selection of lures to choose from on this trip. From TerrorEyz and C.A.L.  series shad tail and jerk baits to the ever popular and productive D.O.A. Shrimp.  You can visit the website at http://www.doalures.com/  and view all the different lures they make.  

It was another windy day and the fishing conditions were not that favorable, but Capt. Mark’s unending enthusiasm and persistence resulted in a nice variety of fish. First came a mutton snapper, then a mangrove snapper and several trout. We also spotted some rolling tarpon, but they just didn’t want to play.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, June  2008

Banana River Producing a Variety of Fish  

It’s been nice to have a few mornings without the wind blowing so hard. All spring has been characterized by high winds that tend to make the fishing tough. Well, this week was much better and made for enjoyable days on the water.  

Rip Tide plastic baits have produce well this week on a variety of fish. Trout, jacks, and bluefish all ate them well. My overall favorite remains the 3 inch Rip Tide Mullet, but the Flats Chub and the Curtailer have also produced fish.

One thing I like about these three lures is the fact that you can rig them all on the same ¼ ounce Rip Tide Pro Jig Head. This allows you to change your bait profile by simply switching tails.

Of course, if you don’t want or need the weight you can rig them all on a Daiichi Fat Gap Offset or on a Daiichi Copper Head. Rigged in this manner, these baits will skip under the mangroves or docks very well and also make a great presentation in shallow water.

The most productive colors this week were Gold’n Glow in the Rip Tide Flats Chub and Silver Mullet for the 3 inch Rip Tide Mullet. For the Curtailer, both the Black Shad and the Green Back/Silver Belly were good producers.  

Special Note: Summer time always brings the big jacks and tarpon nearshore off Cocoa Beach. The jacks have been crusin’ in big packs and can be taken on both artificial and live baits. The 34 inch jack pictured below hit a 6 inch live pogie on Wednesday this week. One thing for sure, if you go targeting these big ocean jacks you better step up your tackle a notch because they will tear you up if you catch them on too light an outfit.

 That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Capt. Ron Presley

www.inshorefishingadventures.com

presleyr@bellsouth.net

Kids Are More Than Happy With Sharks  

Last week I had a chance for a little family getaway to the Florida Keys. The trip included my grandson Robert and his visiting friend Jessie from Georgia. On these types of outings it is important that the kids catch fish - any fish. They just need to bend their poles to keep their interest high.  

I had to give up some of my own fishing desires in favor of making it a memorable trip for the kids but it was well worth it. Sometimes adults press to hard on their style of fishing at the expense of a good day for the kids. Once in awhile, we need to just focus on the kids and let them have their day. As it turned out on this trip, sharks were the key to our success. If you can keep their rods bent over a lot of the time, they may just become your best fishing buddy as the years go by. However, as I said above, it is very important that they catch something.  

To keep the activity level high we kept them supplied with plenty of shrimp and instructed them on how to use the 2500 Shimanos we brought for them to fish with. It was up to them to bait the hooks and take off what seemed like hundreds of snappers, grunts, and pinfish. In the meantime we set out two larger rods and baited up with frozen mullet.  

When fishing for sharks it is a good practice to add a piece of wire leader to the terminal connection if you want to fight the fish all the way into the boat. Add a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook, depending on the size of the sharks you expect to catch. Personally, I always use circle hooks when fishing with cut bait to reduce or eliminate gut hooked fish. Either pin on a whole mullet or if they are large you can cut them into chunks to entice the sharks.  

Place the rod in a rod holder, leaving the bail open so the shark can run off with the bait. Once the line starts coming off the spool, count to 10 to let it eat and then start reeling. Remember, no hook set when using circle hooks. If the circle hook does its job the fish will be hooked in the corner of the mouth, making for an easy hook removal with a de-hooker.  

It didn’t take long until the line started leaving the spool. The boys had already determined who would get the first fish on the “big pole” so Robert started the fight. It turned out to be a big nurse shark with plenty of pull. The boys actually traded off fighting the fish. When one got tired the other took over.

The boys also enjoyed catching the bonnet head sharks which were smaller but more plentiful. You never know what will bite so you have to be prepared for anything. There is something mysterious and scary about the sharks and most kids will have a blast catching and releasing them.  

Be sure you take along your de-hooker and make every effort to remove the hook without harming the fish. If a fish happens to get gut hooked, scientists tell us that it is probably better to cut the line as close to the hook as possible, instead of trying to remove it. The fish will have a better chance of surviving.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Hot Trout Bite Keeps Anglers Busy  

The trout bite on the Banana River continues to be the game of choice. Bigger trout are available early on topwater baits and the schoolies up to 14 7/8 can be caught in double digit numbers.  

Two excellent anglers from the Orlando area spent one day on the “Finding Equilibrium” with trout catches up to 17 inches. Ted put the biggest trout in the boat in the early morning using a topwater chugger. Later Ted and his son Brian started catching one trout after another. By the time the bite subsided they had caught and released about 80 of the hungry trout.  

The majority of the trout came on Rip Tide 3 Inch Mullet in the Nite Glow color. Rigged on a ¼ ounce Rip Tide Pro jig head, the mullet were cast out far from the boat and retrieved in a lifting and then falling routine. The trout would often take the mullet on the fall. Other colors worked too, but Brian and Ted continued to prefer the Nite Glow. Once you develop confidence in a color it makes sense to stay with it. A couple of ladyfish were mixed in with the trout.  

Later we moved to a mangrove lined shoreline where Ted and Brian peppered the shadows with the same Rip Tide Mullet. Both anglers were excellent casters and it finally paid off. Brian hooked and boated a nice 24 inch, Banana River Snook, to end the day. All in all, it was a day full of action, but still no real bragging rights. The trip was a birthday gift from Brian to his dad.  

Redfish are still a favorite target on the river. They will also jump on a well placed Rip Tide Mullet. The one pictured below measured in at 23 inches. This fish came right off the bottom in front of the mangroves in about 9 feet of water.

Mullet are all over the flats right now and should continue to attract predator fish. It will only get warmer (I should say hotter) from here on out, so start early and take advantage of the early morning temps. The winds also seem to be improving are likely to be calmer early in the day.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, May  2008

Get Out Your Plastics for Spring Trout  

Three days on the water and three windy days. The wind has continued to blow like it was still March; nevertheless there were some trout to be caught.  

All week long the Rip Tide Mullet, Rip Tide Curtailer, and Rip Tide Flats Chub have worked well on Banana River Sea Trout. All were fished on ¼ ounce jig heads. Brothers Greg and Tom are shown in the picture below holding trout caught on the Rip Tide Curtailer. Andy in the background had just lost a trout which would have made a triple catch for the visiting brothers had it not gotten off at the boat.  

The most productive colors were the Fire Tiger for the Curtailer, Electric Chicken and Silver Mullet for the 3 inch mullet, and Gold ’n Glow for the Flats Chub.  

A slow retrieve while lifting the rod tip and then letting it fall was used to tempt the many trout bites of the week. The trout would almost always strike on the fall.  

The mullet have not yet showed up in large numbers, when they do the fishing should get even better.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.
Capt. Ron Presley

Trout Bite Heats Up As Temperature Heats Up 

The wind continues to be an adversary on the water. Most days lately have included high winds that make fishing a little harder. The good news is the water level in the rivers has increased making more places available to everyone.  

Recent trips have included a variety of fish but the most common catch has been Spotted Sea Trout. Rip Tide plastics have led the way in putting fish in the boat. My favorite three inch mullet in glow, electric chicken, and silver mullet have been the most productive.  

Omaha resident Keith and his wife Rita joined me one day on the Banana River with high hopes for some redfish action. Unfortunately that didn’t happen but the trout bite did light up later in the day. The couple was joined by their daughter Audrey and her friend Mike for the days outing.  

Water temperatures in the low 70’s in the morning were replaced by the high 70’s after about 11:00 and it seemed to trigger a much improved bite by the trout. Up to that point we had only a couple of trout but the last two hours of the trip resulted in numerous trout for all the anglers.   

Although the majority of the trout came on the three inch Rip Tide Mullet and some came on the flats chub in golden glow, the larger trout came on the new Rip Tide Curtailer in the glow color. Rigged on a Rip Tide Pro Jig Head the Curtailer, with its ultra kick tail just seemed to get the attention of the larger trout and for some reason was not as susceptible to the puffers. After Keith caught a couple of trout in the 15 inch range everyone else wanted one too.  

Keith and Mike had both indicated they enjoyed live bait fishing but with not much happening they both willingly switched to artificials. Then, for several hours they contently and successfully tossed plastics to bring a good number of fish to the boat. The days catch included numerous trout, lady fish, and the biggest fish of the day, a six pound Gaff Top Sail Cat that Mike caught on a Rip Tide Mullet.  

Don’t forget the ladies. They were doing their share of the catching along the way as well. Both Rita and Audrey put their share of fish in the boat. When the time came to end the trip and head for the ramp Audrey said she had to make one more cast. The result, pictured below, was the largest trout of the day. A Banana River beauty going about 17 inches. The fish came on a Rip Tide 3 inch Silver Mullet. You never know what that last cast will bring. Nice job Audrey, I love those anglers who never really want to quit! 

Just before time to call it a day, Rita reached into the cooler and brought out a banana. I had to explain to her that our fishing would have most likely been more productive if she had left the bananas at home. Always do everything you can to make your day more productive, and that includes leaving the bananas at home. Oh well, in this case it looked to good and I had one too!

Safety Note 

The world we live in today requires we take certain safety precautions to protect our property. This week a boat trailer was stolen a ramp I frequently use. It was a vivid reminder of the need to protect our property. If you don’t have a lock for your trailer, get one - then use it regularly so you do not become a victim of a similar crime. This theft took place in broad daylight after a fellow guide had hit the water with his clients. He came back to the dock to find he had no trailer to tow the boat home. It could be you next, so take the necessary precautions.  

Peacock Bass 

If you want to do something different consider this trip in search of Peacock Bass.  This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Red, White, and Blue Day on Banana River near Cocoa Beach 

Spring has sprung, a few mullet are showing up and the fish are beginning to bite. This past week was a red (redfish), white (snook) and blue (bluefish) day for one angler and the trout are picking up too.  

Dennis, an angler from Canada, and his son Lawrence really did have a red, white, and blue day on the Banana River. I counted the snook in the white category although it could have been trout as well. Dennis actually completed and East Coast Slam by boating Redfish, Snook, and Trout in the same outing.  

All fish were taken on Rip Tide plastics. The majority of the fish came on the Rip Tide 3 inch mullet. Favorite colors of the day were nite glow, silver mullet, and electric chicken. These versatile plastics caught trout, snook, and jacks although the day. The big redfish couldn’t refuse a Rip Tide nite glow Flats Chub rigged on a Pro Jig Head. The space guppy color was also effective during the day for other species.  

Both Dennis and Lawrence were accomplished anglers and willing to toss artificials until their arms wore off. Their commitment paid off with numerous fish coming to the boat. As proven by these two anglers, casting is the most important skill you need in angling. They made good casts and caught lots of fish. If you don’t get to fish every week you can at least take some time to practice casting in the backyard before you go fishing.  The extra time will pay dividends when you do get on the water.  

Safety Note 

The world we live in today requires we take certain safety precautions to protect our property. This week a boat trailer was stolen a ramp I frequently use. It was a vivid reminder of the need to protect our property. If you don’t have a lock for your trailer, get one - then use it regularly so you do not become a victim of a similar crime. This theft took place in broad daylight after a fellow guide had hit the water with his clients. He came back to the dock to find he had no trailer to tow the boat home. It could be you next, so take the necessary precautions.

Peacock Bass 

If you want to do something different consider this trip in search of Peacock Bass.  This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

Kids Fishing Clinic 

Coastal Angler Magazine, supported by the Florida Guides Association and numerous volunteers and supporters offer kids fishing clinics in various areas of the state. The next clinic will be held at the Melbourne Auditorium Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 8:45-11am. The Melbourne Auditorium is located at 625 Hibiscus Blvd. You can find Hibiscus Blvd. by going a 1/2 mile north of Hwy. 192 on Highway U.S. 1. Go west 1/2 mile to reach the auditorium. This event is part of the CAM Fishing and Boating Expo that runs all weekend, starting on Friday and ending on Sunday.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, March 2008

Nearshore Cobia 

It’s that time of year when cobia fever possesses many central east coast anglers. Unfortunately it has been a less than banner year for the brown bombers. High winds and high seas have made it difficult for the small boater to get out much this season. The one day the seas were calm enough for me to get out last week the water was murky and high clouds made the sightfishing very difficult. No cobes were caught or even sighted.   

With each passing day the chances for cobia nearshore diminish. If you still want to target them get out as soon as you can because as water temperatures warm they will be gone. Pictured below is a nice cobia from last year.   

Secondary Target 

The trip was not a complete wipe out as blue fish and Spanish mackerel were plentiful. Both varieties were eager to bite on RipTide 4 inch mullet rigged on a 3/8 oz. Pro Jig Head. Some anglers think plastic baits are not the best for these toothy critters, but I also threw a silver spoon at the same fish and the bite was much stronger on the realistic looking mullet. I am willing to trade off some plastic for more consistent action. These fish can be found by looking for diving birds and bait schools, but if they are not visible simply put out your line and troll as a method of finding the fish. Once you find them, backtrack and drift the area. Long casts and a fast retrieve seemed to be the secret on this day.  

Spring Forecast  

As April approaches these March winds should die down and big trout should be showing themselves on area flats. The mullet are already a little more plentiful but still scarce. If you are lucky enough to find some bait you will likely find some trout.  

The redfish seem to have a mind of their own lately and have not held true to normal patterns. They are right where you expect them one day and gone the next. When you find this kind of pattern they are moving a lot and this means you have to cover more territory too. The real key, as with the trout, is to find some bait fish is you also want to find the reds.  

The jacks have been a day saver more than once lately. Good numbers are cruising the Banana River and it won’t be long until the big boys show up on the beach. In my last report I referred to them as an underrated fish, and I really believe that. If you want a really good fight on light tackle don’t pass up an opportunity to hook up a jack crevalle. Usually if you find one you will find more and it can be non-stop action if you’re lucky. 

Peacock Bass 

If you want to do something different consider this trip in search of Peacock Bass.  This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

Kids Fishing Clinic

Coastal Angler Magazine, supported by the Florida Guides Association and numerous volunteers and supporters offer kids fishing clinics in various areas of the state. The next clinic will be in Palm Bay. The Palm Bay Hook Kids on Fishing program will be held at the Marine Resources Council’s Lagoon House, Saturday, March 29, 2008 from 8:45-11am. The MRC Lagoon House is located about 1.5 miles south of US 192 off Highway U.S. 1. Go to University Ave. take a left and first right on Riverview, 3275 Dixie Hwy. NE / Highway U.S. 1. The first 100 kids receive a free rod and reel. Safety, Conservation, Rigging and Tackle, Knot Tying, and Casting will all be covered and the last hour will be spent fishing.  

Following this event the Melbourne Hook Kids on Fishing program will be held at the Melbourne Auditorium Saturday, April 19 , 2008 from 8:45-11am. The Melbourne Auditorium is located at 625 Hibiscus Blvd. You can find Hibiscus Blvd. by going a 1/2 mile north of Hwy. 192 on Highway U.S. 1. Go west 1/2 mile to reach the auditorium. This event is part of the CAM Fishing and Boating Expo that runs all weekend, starting on Friday and ending on Sunday.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Capt. Ron Presley

www.inshorefishingadventures.ocm

presleyr@bellsouth.net

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, February 2008

An Underrated Fish 

This wind is beginning to bother me. The last two outings have been plagued by 15 to 20 mph winds and difficult fishing conditions. Each of these two days was made bearable by what most consider to be an unworthy target. The jack crevalle is considered by many to just be a junk fish, but pound for pound they are one of the toughest fighters around.  

Both of my last two fishing trips included kids, and they don’t care so much about what kind of fish they catch as they do about how hard they pull. Just look at Robert in the picture below. Does he look like he’s having fun - sure he does, and that’s a jack on the other end of the line.  

He caught 10 or 12 that day and made what could have been a horrible wind blow day turn in to an exciting day for this young fisherman. Better yet, the jacks give an excellent opportunity to coach kids in how to land a fish on light tackle. The practice alone made it all worthwhile.  

My next trip was also greeted by high winds, starting early and getting worse as the day went on. The first hour was unproductive as we tried some various spots that were hidden from the wind. My anglers were from New York. Tom was the dad and his two sons were Nick and Will. They were 11 and 12 years old. Then, we found some jacks again, just like the day before. We proceeded to catch a few and then move on to look for some more glamorous fish.  

After a couple more hours of not finding a redfish or even a trout, the boys were ask if they wanted to go back where we caught the jacks. It was a unanimous YES! We did return to the previous location and the boys caught many more fish, doubling up on several occasions. On both days the jacks were eager to hit either a Rip Tide Mullet or a Rip Tide Flats Chub (see picture) rigged on a red Pro Jig Head. The favorite colors included glow and gold apricot.  

Just having fun fishing was a lot more important for these kids and catching a lowly jack did not detract from their excitement and enjoyment of the fishing trip. As a matter of fact, it didn’t detract from mine either.  I had a blast watching those kids pull on those hard fighting jacks.  

Peacock Bass 

Talking about this cold weather may make you dream of a tropical climate like Brazil to do some fishing.  This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

If you have kids and live in the Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island area you can take them out for a great day of fun and fishing this coming Saturday, Feb. 23 at Kiwanis Park on Merritt Island. The event is part of the Brevard Parks and Recreation’s Sykes Creek Adventures. Coastal Angler Magazine, supported by the Florida Guides Association and numerous volunteers and supporters, are offering a kids fishing clinic.  Hook Kids on Fishing will be held from 10:30 to 1:00 with the first 100 kids receiving a free rod and reel. Safety, Conservation, Rigging and Tackle, Knot Tying, and Casting will all be covered and the last hour will be spent fishing.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Capt. Ron Presley

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, January 2008

Another Cold Front is Approaching Florida

Here we go again, after a week or so of decent weather another cold front is likely to slow down the fishing. With low temperatures predicted in the low 40’s the water temp is going to fall too. With that in mind, this report is going to touch on some cold water fishing tactics you can use.

First of all, think s-l-o-w. Fish are cold blooded animals and their body temperature takes on the water temperature around them. When the water temperatures are falling the fish are seeking areas where they can be comfortable. For this reason cold weather often moves the fish to deep water holes, canals, or to areas characterized by warm water discharges such as occur at power plants. 

You will have to take a big dose of patience with you when the water temps fall. The fish become very lethargic and limit their movement considerably. They are not likely to chase a bait at hot-rod speeds through the water column. If you do catch a fish in an area work it thoroughly because they do tend to concentrate in areas that provide them comfort.  

I have two favorite lures for working deep water during cold weather periods. The first is my old standby the Rip Tide Mullet. Rigged on a ¼ ounce jig head the mullet can be worked slowly along the bottom using a reeling retrieve. In other words, just cast the jig out and reel very slowly to drag the lure across the bottom stirring it up as it goes. I like to use a contrasting body and tail such as the chartreuse with red tail.  

What I am talking about here is water temperatures that have fallen into the 50’s with a passing cold front. You must make presentations that will be easy for them to eat. You almost can’t go to slow, but you have to make lots of casts and cover lots of territory.  

Remember, the fish’s metabolism has slowed and they eat very little anyway so you have to get the bait in front of their nose. Deep water canals or dredge holes where the bottom is soft and mucky are good places to start your fishing day. Fish like to settle down in the mucky bottoms for warmth. Later in the day after the sun has warmed the water you can change your tactics and visit other areas starting on east facing shorelines which are first to catch the sun’s warming rays.  

My second favorite bait for this type of fishing is the Rip Tide Mud Minnow. This versatile bait closely imitates a live mud minnow in shape and color.  I like the darker colored green or Killifish versions. Work them the same way as described above with a presentation that stirs up the bottom. Don’t forget to keep it slow. If the reeling retrieve does not produce, try imparting a little jump to the presentation by lifting the rod tip gently. Just a couple of inches are usually enough. Visualize the mud minnow coming up off the bottom and landing right in front of a lethargic fish. This just might be the action required to trigger the strike.  

Peacock Bass 

Talking about this cold weather may make you dream of a tropical climate like Brazil to do some fishing.  This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, DECEMBER  2007

Lookdown and See the Reds 

Put your thinking caps on to make the connection between the title and the report. I had the pleasure of fishing this past week with my grandson Robert and also with Chris Kwek, a soldier on leave from a 15 month tour in Iraq.  It was indeed an honor to take Chris and his dad Dean out for a little fishing.  

The first trip I to report on was with my grandson Robert on the Banana River. It was a nice but windy day with the water temp at about 72. We were fishing Rip Tide 3 inch mullet and did some prospecting around docks and flats that had been successful in past winters. The only takers at first were small trout. The morning low was in the 50’s so we didn’t go too early but still the action was slow. Finally, after we had taken a lunch break we got into some jacks and got to bend the rods for a while until they finally disappeared or quit biting.  Jacks are a great fish to catch. Pound for pound they give about as much fight as anything in the river.  

A little later we saw some fish busting bait and went over to check it out. It turns out a bunch of glass minnows had been trapped up against a sea wall. Robert tossed in a Rip Tide Mullet in the dark Shad Flash color. His pole quickly bent over and a short fight ensued before he brought a lookdown to the boat. We don’t catch a lot of these unusual critters around here. They are said to get their name from the way they appear to look down their nose as they swim.  They are a member of the Jack family and give a similar fight except they don’t have the same bulk as a Jack Crevalle. If you have never seen one you will be surprised at how thin they actually are.  

God Bless Our Troops 

The next trip was with Sergeant Kwek and his dad. Mother Nature stepped up to the plate and served us a cold front that almost shut the fishing down. The lows had been in the 40’s for two days in a row and the water temp was 59 when we started out at about 10:00 am.  Wind conditions were forecast at 10 to 15 and it felt like it had already been achieved.  

Both Chris and Dean were excellent anglers and made cast after cast without much success. Dean was the first to score with a small trout. That one trout was the only fish that came to the boat during the first couple of hours. Dean caught the trout on a Rip Tide 3 inch mullet in the chartreuse with red tail color. Chris added another trout later on the same bait in new penny.  

Later in the day the water temp warmed up to about 62, the wind continued to blow. It was one of those tough fishing days. We moved to a different part of the river and changed over to live shrimp on a popping cork. We rigged the corks by first tying about 12 inches of 20 pound mono on the 10 pound braid. I like to tie the mono directly to the popping cork instead of the braid.  Tie on a 15 to 20 inch mono or fluorocarbon leader, depending on the water depth, and add a circle hook.  Don’t forget, with the circle hook you don’t need to set the hook, just start reeling.  

Well, it wasn’t long until Chris did just that but missed the first strike. Baited up again and sure enough hooked the first redfish of the day. The circle hook had done its job and hooked the red directly in the corner of the mouth. We released it and baited up again. The next thing we knew we had a double. Chris and Dean were each hooked up to a red fish. Dean’s was the largest fish of the day, a nice 22 inch red. Just when we thought it was really going to happen it slowed down again. Chris added 2 more reds and Dean added a Jack and that was to be it for the day. Chris is in the foreground of the photo of the double hookup.  

Chris told me a little of what it was like to patrol the streets in Iraq, “looking for the bad guys,” as he described it. Chris's  is  an E-7 which is a Sergeant First Class . He is currently stationed at Ft Bragg, NC in the 82nd Airborne Div. in an Airborne Infantry unit.  He was lucky enough to be on a Christmas leave from a 15 month Iraq deployment.

He says he is proud to help the people of Iraq but will be glad to be home for good. He plans to put in 20 years serving our country and he has eight years left. It was certainly my pleasure to be a small part of this family's Christmas celebration.  

Peacock Bass 

Don’t get excited, I am not going to talk about catching any peacock bass while I was in the Banana River but I do know where you can catch some. This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Gags, Black Drum and Peacock Bass 

Well, I am still laid up with what the doctors call Plantar Fasciitis. It is like a toothache in your heel. Although the ailment has kept me from piloting my own boat, a couple of friends have made it possible to get a couple of fishing trips in. One was to Homosassa with Captain Rick Burns and another was to Mosquito Lagoon with Captain Chris Myers. They both dutifully put up with my handicap and put me on some fish. I might just have to keep the boot (cast) on and play sick. That way I can just ride around and fish.  

With respect to the gag grouper, Capt. Rick ( www.reelburns.com ) ask me over to Homosassa to do some shallow water grouper fishing with him and his friend Captain Bill Lotz ( 352-860-2310 ). We took Bill’s boat which is rigged with a tower for easy spotting of the rock piles we would fish. Rick manned the tower and ran the trolling motor with a remote from high above the water. Another friend of Rick’s came along to help in the catching. Jeff and I were doing the fishing while Captain Rick and Captain Bill treated us like royalty, catering to our every need.    

The strategy was for Rick to use the visibility provided by the tower to move Jeff and I along the rock piles just within casting distance. We use 5500 reels loaded with 50 pound braid and finished off with diving crank baits on a 60 pound leader. These heavy rigs are needed in case you hook up with the big guys. We didn’t that day, but we did get 14 gags, a couple of trout and several real nice Spanish mackerel.  

This is an interesting fishery where you can cast plugs in 6 to 7 feet of water toward underwater rock piles and catch these hard hitting grouper. If you have never done it you need to give it a try.  

Mosquito Lagoon  

My second trip was with Captain Chris Myers ( www.floridafishinglessons.com ). Captain Chris specializes in poling the flats of legendary Mosquito Lagoon. On our way out Captain Chris told me of some black drum, redfish, and redfish he had been seeing in the “goon” so hopes were high.  

Not long after approaching our first location we started spotting redfish but they were a little spooky and showed no interest in our offerings. We poled through one area that held a bunch of large trout but they too were showing no interest in being caught. As we continued along the same flat we started seeing wider ranging ripples that turned out to be 100’s of black drum.  

I managed a hook-up on a Rip Tide Realistic Crab, sprayed with Rip Tide Blast Shrimp Scent. I had pinned the crab on a ¼ inch jig head by hooking it sideways across the bottom of the lure and then rotating the jig head 180 degrees to make the crab settle upright on the bottom with the hook up. I sprayed on a little scent and pulled the crab very slowly through the huge school of black drum.  One finally showed some interest and I caught my only fish of the day.  

We continued to work the school and Captain Chris pulled 3 more out of the bunch before we called it a day.

Captain Chris is a master on the flats using artificial baits. He likes to say that if you are not comfortable and confident in using plastic baits you need to go out with no natural bait so your only opportunity at catching a fish will be on the artificials. This will force you to use them and your confidence will rise. Another point about sightfishing that became abundantly clear to me was the need for accurate casting. I feel like I would have caught more fish if I had made better casts. Don’t wait until you are fishing to cast, practice in your backyard on days you are not fishing. It will pay dividends when you get on the water.  

Peacock Bass 

Don’t get excited, I am not going to talk about catching any peacock bass while I was in Mosquito Lagoon but I do know where you can catch some. This is one of those trips of a lifetime deals. It’s not inexpensive but what a trip. It’s a 10 day trip that includes at least 6 days of fishing. A trip like this is a bargain at $3,550 plus airfare and tips. If you would like more information send me an email at presleyr@bellsouth.net. The trip is to the Amazon for some of the best Peacock Bass fishing in the world.  

I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.
 

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, November 2007

High Winds, Cool Temps, and Big Smiles   

High winds cool temperatures and 2 fishing shows have kept my fishing to a minimum. The cool front that came through made fishing tough and the high north and northeast winds only compounded the issue. On three different days I fished the Indian river with limited success. We found plenty of lady fish willing to bite on Rip Tide 3 inch mullet and on one day found plenty of small seat trout willing to do the same.   

The best day out of the three turned out to be the one when my eleven year old grandson accompanied me on the river. I really believe God just smiles down on kids when they are fishing. Robert warmed up on lady fish and then later hooked into a 30 inch redfish while fishing just south of Titusville.  

He was using a small red and white curly tail jig and I was using my usual Rip Tide Mullet. I had tried several colors that morning without a lot of success. At this particular time I had pinned a silver mullet on a ¼ ounce Rip Tide Pro jig head. Robert turned to me and said he wanted to trade rigs. Being a dutiful grandpa I agreed and he took my rig while I took his.  

You guessed it, first cast and the rod bent down. It was obvious he had on a good fish so I went into the front hatch to pull out the dip net while he skillfully fought the oversized red. He has caught plenty of redfish, but this was to be his biggest. After a few minutes he brought it alongside the boat and guided it into the landing net. A quick high five with lots of smiles, a speedy photo session and the big red was back in the water swimming off to fight again some day.  

 We kept fishing a while before the wind drove us to the ramp. He added a huge gaff top sail cat to the days catch before we left. It was big smiles and high fives all the way back to the dock.  

This week the wind has subsided a lot and fishing conditions are much better. Problem is I am laid up with what the doctors call Plantar Fasciitis. To me it just feels like I have the mother of all tooth aches in my heel. At any rate it is keeping me off the water and I am getting cabin fever big time.

 I hope to talk to you real soon with great fishing reports from Florida’s Space Coast.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Capt. Ron Presley   www.inshorefishingadventures.com   presleyr@bellsouth.net

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, October 2007

On the Road Again,  

Yes, on the road again. This road trip ended up in the Everglades for a little snook fishing. With the Miami Florida Sportsman Fishing show on October 13 and 14 I decided to join a couple of friends for some everglades fishing. Snook was the targeted fish but sharks, reds and big sharks were also on the menu. The plan on this trip was to live bait fish for snook. One of the first things you have to do is catch bait and both my pals were up to the task. This is hard work, but work that pays off in the end. My friend Pat is pictured  throwing to a gulf marker to pick up some threadfins.  Other parts of the day were aimed at getting big 12 inch mullet.

The next step in the strategy is to find some moving water and get the baits back into the cover where the fish are likely to be. Time on the water is the teacher and lots of time on the water gives you the knowledge you need to be at the right place at the right time. Deep holes with overhanging mangroves and small creek mounts are prime locations. The “glades” are so huge it takes lots of running to fish the various locations at the proper time in the tides. In three days of fishing we put 285 miles on Kevin’s 18 ft. Egret.

One particular spot was so small we fished it one angler at a time. The strategy was to hookup while standing on the back deck, get the snook away from the brush and cover and work him around the back of the boat and up the opposite side so another angler could step up and fish. That angler tried to repeat the process. There were 4 or five bites in a row from that tiny area. We managed to get a couple of the snook to the boat while others were missed or broke off on the cover. This is intense fishing!

We caught sharks every day and jumped several tarpon in areas where we saw them crashing mullet. On the last day I had the surprise of catching my first goliath grouper. These things pull like a freight train. The two I got to the boat weighed only 19 and 30 pounds, small in relation to how big they get, but I was amazed at the fight they put on. I simply wasn’t ready for the first one that hit. He whipped my butt and broke me off almost before I knew what happened. I was ready after that though and brought a couple to  the boat. Everyone boated at least one Goliath out of an area no bigger than 10 by 10.  

If you ever get the chance, fish the Everglades. But, don’t try to do it alone the first few times you do it. Get a guide, it will pay big dividends. This place is huge, and when you get in the back country it all starts looking alike.  

The next Florida Sportsman Fishing Show is in Orlando on November 10 and 11 at the Fair Grounds. Stop by the Florida Guides Association Booth and say hi if you get a chance.

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, SEPTEMBER 2007

Road Trip II 

This is the second report on a recent road trip to Homosassa for the Florida Outdoor Writers Annual Convention. It was a great chance to get away from home and experience some great fishing in another part of the state. Homosassa provides the perfect spot to fish, sightsee, and just relax. The meeting was based out of the Riverside Resort which sets right on the Homosassa River. The resort offers great rooms, some with a river view and a great restaurant and bar area.

One morning of the conference is always devoted to a “just for fun” fishing tournament. This year the Homosassa Guides Association put together about 20 boats for the 40 anglers that would participate in the tournament. Everyone was assigned a fishing partner the night before and told to meet at the boat ramp at 6:30 am. The rules were simple; the winner would be determined by the total length of all fish, measured in inches, rounded off to the nearest half inch. Score cards were provided and it was the duty of the captain to measure and record the catches.   

There were a few other rules to be observed. Rule number 5 stated, Kindly refrain from loudly exclaiming, “Purty Fish” or “It don’t get any better than this.” At the end of the days fishing everyone would meet at Tarpon Key Lodge by 11:15 am for a shore lunch provided by CCA Florida and awarding of the prizes. At the awards presentation all participants agreed to shout in unison to the winner, “You are the greatest angler of all time.”  

So, with the rules in place let the competition begin. My guide for the day was Captain Dan Clymer (Racin’ Mullet Charters -353-418-2160). Recognizing that the tides were not in our favor for redfish around the mangrove islands he chose to head on out into the Gulf of Mexico to target trout and grouper. It turned out to be a great decision as both trout and grouper were plentiful. It was really great being on the other end of the stick, so to speak. I let Captain Dan take care of everything and he was great at doing it all. I highly recommend him if you want to fish the Homosassa area.  

It was about six or seven miles out where we stopped in 6 foot water over grassy flats with numerous rock piles to attract the fish. A gentle wind provided the propulsion to quietly drift over the flats and work plastic baits over the bottom. It was one of those days when the fish hit a variety of baits. I was fishing Rip Tide Flats Chub jerk baits, 3 inch mullet, 3 inch shrimp and 4” mud minnows. 

All these baits were rigged and fished the same way. Power Pro mainline, 20 pound Triple Fish Fluorocarbon leader, and a 1/4 ounce Rip Tide Pro Jig head. All the various plastic baits were pinned to the jig head and fished slowly along and just above the bottom. Making long casts and slow retrieves produced spotted sea trout, grouper, sea bass, snapper, and ladyfish. The key to the bite seemed to be the slow retrieve. I would lift the rod tip and let the lure fall back to the bottom. The strike often occurred on the drop.  

The grouper seem to especially like the Rip Tide mud minnow and I use every one that I had brought along that day. The colors I always keep in my tackle box include the Rootbeer, Golden Glow and the Killifish. The sea trout were also hitting the mud minnow.  

I also used up all my Nite Glow 3 inch mullet while the Silver Mullet produced well too. After drifting the 6 foot water for awhile Capt. Dan decided to move to an area that was about 4 feet deep with beautiful sandy pot holes. The same tactics that worked in the 6 foot water worked here as well. We continued to catch numerous fish until it was time to make the run for the Tarpon Key Lodge and a shore lunch hosted by CCA Florida.

As I sat under a shade tree at the lodge, accessible only by boat, I heard my name called as they began the awards ceremony. Captain Dan had dutifully measured and recorded the mornings catch and turned it in to the score table. I never even knew the total but after the tally it was the highest total inches and I had won the tournament. It turned out to be over 300 inches of fish. The largest fish in the total was probably no longer than 22 inches - there was just a lot of them. Of course the next question is what about the prize. If you know what a Heddon Tiny Torpedo looks like then you can blow it up to be three feet long and that was my trophy for the win. I plan on giving it to my 11 year old grandson – hopefully he will hang it from his ceiling and go to sleep each night thinking about fishing.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

Road Trip 

You can probably tell from the title, this report is not about fishing Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island but about a recent road trip to Homosassa for the Florida Outdoor Writers Annual Convention. If you are like me you like to get away from home once in a while and fish some other areas. Homosassa provides the perfect spot to do so.  

It is a beautiful area for fishing and sightseeing as well. Homosassa is home to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, a wonder in itself. A 1.1 mile trail of paving and boardwalks puts you in touch with Hippo’s, Alligators, Bobcats, Cougar, Manatees, and more. The underwater observatory gives you excellent views of snook, redfish, sheepshead, snappers, and other fishes in their natural environment. With all the educational programs they offer you could spend a day in the park learning about nature and wildlife. You can even dine at the Wildlife Café located in the park.

There are plenty of other things to do in the area but we better get to the fishing. I went a day before the conference so I could do a little extra fishing. I hooked up with Capt. Don Chancey for some redfish action. Don operates Grouper Hunter/ Flats Chance Charters and specializes in Grouper, Trout, Redfish, and Cobia. You can reach him at 352-303-9399. I called him and ask about a morning charter. He said fine, lets start about noon. You guessed it, the tides are all important in that area and since we were going after redfish he wanted to fish the incoming tide and a 12:00 noon departure would give us the needed conditions.  

We ran out towards the Gulf of Mexico in the little Homosassa River. Capt. Don mentioned what many others had told me in the past. When running these waters be very careful to stay in the marked channels. There are lots of rocks and many lower units have been damaged by unsuspecting boaters. It wasn’t long until the characteristics of the river faded and the environment turned into rocky mangrove islands all of which looked fishy to me.  

Capt. Don explained that as the tide comes up over the rocks and fills the voids under the mangroves the redfish follow the rising water to feed. We fished rocky points and edges of mangroves using shrimp and cut mullet. Light tackle spinning rods were rigged with about 18 inches of leader and a 3/0 circle hook. A small split shot was added just above the hook for added casting distance.  

By the end of the day we had wrestled about 8 feisty redfish to the boat, the largest measured in at 26.5 inches. The color of the redfish were something to behold. The last red I caught in the Banana River was nearly silver but these Homosassa reds were a bright beautiful bronze, as if they had been working on their tan all summer.  

Well, I gotta’ go for now but my next report will be about the fishing tournament held at the writers conference. The tournament was scheduled in the morning and the tides would not be the ones the guides wanted. Tune in next time to read about the results.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.

The Fall Mullet Run 

It looks to me like the fall mullet run has been underway for about a week now. When the finger mullet show up in the surf and in the rivers you can be sure the fishing action is about to improve. In my last report I described the fishing like a roller coaster, up one day and down the next. With the mullet showing up we should be up most of the time for a while now. It’s the time of the year anglers wait for because the predators will be following closely behind and the fishing should get great.  

The Port and the Nearshore Ocean should produce some good redfish and snook action along with all the other predators that will be following the mullet. Some reports of tarpon to the north, suggests that these bruisers will be down our way soon. Use your cast net to fill the well with mullet and you are on your way. Rig up with a Diiachi Bleeding Bait circle hook and free line those mullet in the surf along the beach and also around the jetties. Beef up that rod to at least a 20 pound class and use a 40 pound leader. If you get into the tarpon take that leader on up to at least 60 pounds and bigger than that if the fish go over 100. With the 20 pound rods and the appropriate leader you will be able to shorten the fight and improve the chances of a strong live release.  

On my last two trips on the Banana River we were greeted with high winds from the get go. The first trip resulted in only one fish after a lot of looking and casting. The one red we picked up came on a 5 inch Rip Tide Flats Grub in the glow color. The grub was rigged on a 1/4 oz. Pro Jig head from Rip Tide. The nice 23 inch red was lying up close to the mangroves on a small spoil island. Anytime you can find this situation with some deeper water nearby chances are good there are some fish around.  

The next trip was also a windy day. I was joined by John from Chicago for the days fishing. John started the morning casting topwater lures hoping for a snook. After fishing a couple different points without success we changed over to a small subsurface lure in a white color. It wasn’t long until a small juvenile tarpon took the bait. Unfortunately, one jump and he was gone. At least it got us pumped a little because we had fished an hour without success. Soon we had a pole bending jack for a little more action.  

The bite was slow on artificial so we decide to try some live shrimp. The shrimp produced more jacks, some nice mangrove snapper, and several small reds. The largest red was 21 inches. The wind continued to blow hard and by the time we called it a day we ran though large waves and a couple of rain showers getting back to the ramp.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That’s what it’s all about. Good fishin’.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, August  2007

Roller Coaster Fishing! 

I am beginning to feel like I’m on a roller coaster with the fishing. Good one day not the next. The ups and downs are most closely related to finding bait and the weather. The nearshore scene has gone from gobs of tarpon to none and from gobs of Kingfish to none. That’s the way it seems to be going.  

The river bite has also been up and down but almost always with a few fish including one slam of a snook, redfish, and a spotted sea trout.  

About a week ago my good friend Capt. Chris Myers gave me a clinic on tarpon. He jumped 8 and got one to the boat for a photo op. I jumped on but got him to the boat so the only thing I could really brag on was my percentage of 100 %. The bait of the day was the DOA Baitbuster. The photo below is 1 second after I pulled my tarpon from the water for a quick picture and he decide to give one more wiggle and jumped free from my hands.  

<img src="http://inshorefishingadventures.com/Canaveral%20Bight%2011rs.jpg" />

 The kingfish depended on the bait. Those who found pogies found kings and many anglers where limiting out. On the day I took my grandson looking for his first kingfish the pogies were not to be found. The previous day they were as easy as pie. With no live bait we trolled frozen Spanish sardines and still managed to catch him his first king. When you are trolling dead bait you can pick up the speed a little and they can be productive too.  

<img src="http://inshorefishingadventures.com/Robert's%20first%20King%203%20fixrs.jpg"/>

 One trip in the river produced a slam of snook, redfish, and sea trout. Carol and Lloyd were visiting the Space Coast from Kansas and took a little time out for a fishing excursion. As sometimes happens with the lucky ladies, Carol caught the slam while Lloyd was left only with a mangrove snapper. The slam came on live shrimp suspended below a popping cork.  

Another trip to the Banana River found Ann and her seventeen year old son Matt on Pathfinder. Matt is an avid fisherman and was already talking about doing some surf fishing as soon as our trip was over. Ann was actually the first to hook up with a jumping ladyfish and then a slot-sized trout. Matt wasn’t too far behind with a 20 inch trout and later he caught the biggest fish of the day in a 5 pound sail cat. By the end of the day the Ann and Matt from New Jersey had boated over 30 fish that include seven different species.  

As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com  to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That’s what it’s all about. Good fishin’.

The Beach is Hot – For Fishing that is! 

You have heard it before, find the bait and you find the fish. The pogies have returned to the beach from where ever they went and the fishing has heated up. Mike and Max joined me this week for a little nearshore action and we got more than a little action. We boated south along the beach until we found some pogies and filled the well with one well placed cast. We turned east toward the sunrise and the adventure was on. Max hooked up first with a nice king.  

We were using a standard stinger rig with Daiichi Octopus Hooks. We used a Bleeding Bait 4/0 for the nose hook and a 6/0 as the trailer. About 12 to 14 inches of 40 lb braided wire made up the stinger and it was fastened to about 5 feet of 60 pound Triple Fish Saltwater Leader using an Albright knot. We had Power Pro 40 lb as the mainline. This set up worked every time but once when we pulled back a stub. The leader had been severed completely by a toothy critter.  

We were in double figures for the day on kings so most of them were given their freedom. Dad, Mike and son Max, put three nice kings on ice for a family fish fry they planned for the evening of their trip. With three in the bag we still had plenty more action Max was tussling with a near twenty pound king when Mike yells, “What’s that?” I replied quickly with, “Cobia, drop a bait in the water.” The big cobe had moseyed up to see what was going on with the kingfish at the side of the boat so Mike made an offering while Max left the king in the water to keep the cobia’s attention. The whole scheme worked perfectly and the fish ate the pogie. Mike gave him an open bail for a while to let him eat it and then set the hook. This big guy just kind of swam around the boat as if nothing had happened.   

I told Mike he was going to have to wear him down a little before we hauled him in. The last thing anyone wants in the boat is a green cobia. Mike started to pressure him and let him know he was hooked up and the big guy finally began to realize everything was not normal. Anyway, a few minutes later after some hard pullin’ and a lot of sweatin’ we pulled a 30 pound cobia aboard and the evening menu had changed. Mike’s guests were going to enjoy some fresh cobia instead of kings.  

That’s what it’s all about. Good fishin’.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, July  2007

Summer Time Fishing 

The hot summer weather has dictated and early start for summer sea trout. They are still hitting both live baits and artificials but the bite is over early. Recent trips on the Banana and Indian River have produced spotted sea trout up to about 22 inches. They have hit live shrimp and Rip Tide 3 inch Mullet. Fishing the live shrimp under a popping cork like the DOA Clacker is always a great tactic to keep your bait above the sea grass beds. With the warmer weather you can find the trout in deeper water, up to five feet in areas with good grass and sandy pot holes.   

<img src="http://inshorefishingadventures.com/Sea%20Trout%20Lana%202rs.jpg" />

With a lot of cloudy days I have had some good success with the Rip Tide Mullet in the Shad Flash color. It is dark enough to give a good silhouette even with cloudy skies. A family of four, Dana, Lana, Troy, and Cara caught a variety of fish on the Banana River. Lana, the mom, won the day with a really nice 22 inch sea trout along with other smaller ones. Everyone caught fish, including sea trout and lady fish. Troy caught the surprise of the day with a nice sheepshead. With an eye to the sky with the summer thunderstorms building we got in our half-day trip without any problem, However, on the way home the clouds opened up and the rain came as it has almost everyday this week. Be careful on these hot summer days and try to be back at the dock before the thunderstorms hit.  

<img src="http://inshorefishingadventures.com/Sheepshead,%20Troy%20rs.jpg" />

The Indian River has also produced some fish this week. A family from California came over for a day of relaxation after hitting the Disney parks earlier in the week. Mom and Dad and the two young boys were ready to relax. The morning started off pretty quick with the boys Zach and Nick both picking up a couple of trout in our first fishing hole. Karen added two really nice trout on live shrimp on a popping cork. Mark added a few trout of his own and a lady fish that would go about 4 pounds. It was one of those lady fish that usually tangle someone else’s line with their speedy runs. Our next spot produced numerous lady fish and Mark scored with the Rip Tide Mullet again. He tossed out a 3 inch Rip Tide Mullet in the Shad Flash color and brought back a nice 28 inch snook. This family was all catch and release so all the fish went back to be caught another day.  

The pogies are still hit and miss on the beach and the king fishing has slowed down. On a recent two boat trip no pogies were found so we had to rely on artificials. The grand total was only 3 fish for both boats – a disappointing day. Hopefully this will change once this stationary weather front moves on off of us.

Kings Love Pogies 

<img src="http://inshorefishingadventures.com/Jim's%20King%201rs.jpg" /> 

Yes, there is no doubt about it. Kingfish love pogies. And Tarpon do too. On a recent trip out of Port Canaveral we made a stop near some other boats cast netting for pogies (Atlantic Menhaden) near the Cocoa Beach Pier. As we pulled in for a cast I saw a fellow angler named Fred drop his net over the side. He motioned to cast in his direction. I made the cast but the net came up empty. By this time Fred pulled his net to the boat loaded with pogies. It was if he had caught every bait in the pod before we got to cast. . He motioned to come on over and he handed us a bucket of pogies and we never had to make another cast.  

We thanked Fred and headed south to do some slow trolling for kingfish. We had three rigs ready with wire stinger rigs. We would run one long, one medium, and one short in the prop wash. By the end of the day we had caught fish at all three distances.  

The first knockdown came on the medium rig and turned out to be a huge tarpon. The fish would easily be over 100 pounds. We were not really surprised because the last two trips to this area had also produced tarpon. The first angler up was Tracie so she strapped on a fighting belt as Jim held the tarpon at bay. Tracie took the rod and placed it in the belt to begin her adventure with the tarpon. After about 15 minutes she actually had the huge fish within about 25 feet of the boat and I praised her for her effort. Then the big tarpon decided that was a little to close and began taking line again. During the fight which lasted about 20 to 25 minutes the fish jumped 5 times to add to the excitement. However, as is often the case the big fish pulled loose and the game was over. Tracie took off the belt and returned to her reading on the front deck. Jim mentioned how hard it was to hand that fish over to Tracie – he wanted one for himself.  

We continued our slow trolling through the next few hours experiencing several knockdowns and landing four nice kings. We release one alive and threw three in the fish bag. As we headed for port the afternoon thunder storms were building and we made it back just before they hit. This time of year you need to keep an eye on the sky, because those storms come up quick and it’s a lot better to have the boat on the trailer when they hit.  

<img src="http://inshorefishingadventures.com/Kingfish,%2021%20lbs%20rs.jpg" /> 

No Pogies, No Fish 

Well, just as things were looking good in the nearshore waters the next trip out was a disappointment. There were no pogies to be found. We trolled frozen mullet and had two knock downs without a hookup. We also tried some artificials without success. One cuda followed the short line for a while but never struck. As we headed for port, one of my guests said, “Well it was a nice day for a boat ride.” Doesn’t that just about say it all?

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, June  2007

Tarpon Time Continues 

Summer is here and the Tarpon are too. We headed out of Cape Canaveral last Saturday with a crew of three young men ranging in age from 10 to 13. A quick stop along the beach for some pogies and then out to 40 feet where the kingfish had been biting. The hope was to get each of the boys on a nice King. Their fishing is usually in the river for smaller prey.  

After 30 to 40 minutes of nothing hitting you could see the boys were bored with the routine of trolling. I don’t blame them; it is boring when the fish are not biting.  Enough of this I thought and we headed further south toward Patrick Air Force Base. It turned out to be a really good move.  

We set up our lines with one long, one medium and one short bait only about 40 feet back and started the slow troll again. Another 20 minutes went by and the boys were beginning to lose enthusiasm again. They were not so sure about this kind of fishing. Then, the first knock down brought them all to life, only to be disappointed. The fish was not hooked.  We had asked the boys ahead of time to determine who got the first fish. It was Robert up first, so Micah was next and he put the fighting belt on to be ready.  

It wasn’t long until the next knock down and the sweet sound of a drag screaming bite. Micah picked up the rod and for only a few seconds felt the pull of a hefty fish. Well, we were 0 for 2 as Caleb fastened on a fighting belt for his chance at a fish. These two bites had brought the boys around and their attention was turned to the rods more than before.  

Bam! A huge hit, a spiraling fish and the fight was on. Caleb hung on tight and used every ounce of his weight and the strength of his arms to hold on to a huge Tarpon. I reminded him that when he got tired he could hand off to a buddy and let him fight the fish for a while. “I’m ok,” he said. A few minutes later he said “ok Robert, you take it for a while.” We had two fighting belts on board so we had Robert already suited up and ready to go. He took over for a while before passing it on to Micah. Micah fought for a while and handed it back to his brother Caleb. And on it went … 

<img src="http://cyberangler.com/photos/med/2867.jpg" />  

The boys traded the rod a total of 13 times each before landing the big fish about two hours later. All of a sudden this kind of fishing was not so bad. We got everything shipshape and headed for the ramp with a bunch of boys who got a lesson in fishing as well as a lesson in teamwork. Man, that’s what it’s all about! 

The kingfish bite has been hot outside the Port. Head out the Port and take a right down the beach looking for diving birds. They will show you were to stop and pick up a few pogies. Prepare each rod, starting with a bimini twist to make a double line. Tie the doubled line to a 60 pound mono leader about 4 to 5 feet long and add a stinger rig.  

<img src="http://cyberangler.com/photos/med/2868.jpg" /> 

Capt. Keith Kalbflesich showed me his method for rigging a 4/0 and a 6/0 octopus hook on a short piece of wire cable of about 40 pound test. He uses a wire snell knot to secure the hooks. Visit his website at www.capt-keith.com and look on his articles page to see how it is done.  

The distance between the hooks is determined by the size of the bait you use. I like to make them up ahead of time in several sizes. Pin a pogie through the nose with the forward most hook and pin him in the back with the other. Leave enough slack between the hooks to allow the pogie to swim freely. Lately the bite has been in about 30 to 40 feet of water, so head on out, put down some baits and catch a kingfish.

Back to the Gym! 

Finally, a chance to get on the beach. Low winds, light seas and plenty of bait was the recipe for some beach side action this week. This is the time of the year we expect to see some big tarpon come by for a visit. The rough seas and mighty winds of late have kept the small boats in the river or in the driveway so it was a welcome adventure to go check out the beach.  

Good friends John and Scott joined me on the “Finding Equilibrium” to see what we might hook up. In the back of everyone’s mind was the silver king. We were fortunate to spot some pogies before we left the confines of the Port. John took out his castnet and after a few throws we had plenty of bait for the day.  

As we traveled south we saw bait pods from time to time and stopped to check out one area where the pelicans were diving repeatedly. The water in this area was a little discolored and was a likely spot to find some predators. With no action from this spot we motored a little further south.  

John spotted some fish busting bait on the surface and we moved into the vicinity and Scott started casting a metal lure, the kind often used on Spanish Mackerel. It wasn’t long until he was hooked up with a hard pulling fish. As Scott brought the fish to the boat we could see it was a nice fat bonito. John had cast out a live pogie in the same general area and he too was soon hooked up with another hard fighting bonito. The bite slowed and we moved, again, further south.  

We final found an area where we spotted some rolling tarpon. We set a couple of rigs in the pole holders with live pogies pinned to a stinger rig and slowly trolled through the area. At the same time we had tarpon rigs baited with live pogies in case a rolling tarpon was close enough to cast to.  

We continued to see tarpon but always at a distance, too far to cast to. The slow trolling produced a couple of sharks and a couple of break offs that we did not identify. Then a silver king struck my trolling rig, made a lazy roll and went deep. The drag was screaming and the line was ripping off the spool as the big fish headed for the eastern horizon. It was quickly obvious we would have to chase him to retrieve some line so Scott fired up the engine and started the pursuit. When I had gained enough line to feel comfortable I yelled “ok” and Scott slipped the Yamaha into neutral and we settled into a game of tug-of-war. We repeated this process a couple of times as the drag screamed and the spool emptied.  

John grabbed his camera and climbed up in the tower in hope of some photos. Forty minutes later and the big fish had never made the characteristic jump that we all expected. John reminded me that when they jump it helps wear them down but this big guy just never did jump and never seemed to wear down. Finally, in what looked like a half-hearted attempt to become air born the fish stuck his head out of the water, made more of spiraling motion and went back down. I thought at the time the line seemed to wrap around the fish when it made the spinning move. It disappeared beneath the surface and seconds later the hook pulled loose. It was over, no breakage, just something in the roll must have changed the angle of the hook and out it came.  

After that we hooked up a couple more sharks but no more silver kings. We headed back to port with the knowledge that summer, the tarpon, the bait, the calm summer seas, were finally here. By the way, that’s why I have got to get back to the gym. You need to be in shape when you hook in to a big silver king!

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, May  2007

Spring Trout Fishing Should Only Get Better 

What does a fishing guide do when he has a day or two off? You guessed it, more times than not he goes fishing. Recently, having a few days off allowed me to travel out of my area to do a little fishing. I always enjoy fishing other areas and seeing what they have to offer. I journeyed south to fish the areas near Ft. Pierce and Stuart. I had the great privilege of fishing one day with Mark Nichols, owner operator of D.O.A. Lures. We fished, philosophized, and generally just had fun.  

What a great trip, Mark acted as the guide and I actually got to fish all day with only myself to take care of. Needless to say, I picked up a few pointers on how to fish the various lures Mark is famous for. The main lures we threw during the day were the D.O.A. Shrimp, The D.O.A. C.A.L. series jerk bait (with and without the Chug Head), and the TerrorEyz.  

We headed out around 6:30 for a spot Mark often visits for tarpon. We made a few casts and observed the area before deciding the tarpon were not there on this occasion. We moved to another likely tarpon spot and were greeted by rolling juvenile tarpon. We cast to the rolling fish with several different lures and color combinations, only to be rejected by the silver kings. Mark responded to the situation with one word. “Next!”  

Another short boat ride placed us on a beautiful grass flat full of gorgeous pot holes. This area had produced good trout and snook fishing for Mark in the past. I fished a C.A.L. jerk bait in the rainbow trout color. I had several strikes and a couple of near hookups but missed them all. Mark was fishing a glow shrimp suspended under a Clacker float in the oval style. You can actually buy these already rigged in what they call the Deadly Combo or you can buy the Clackers separately and rig them yourself. Several quick strikes and a slot sized trout had me thinking about changing to the same rig. It was about this time Mark says, “I probably have another Clacker somewhere.”  

That was the only invitation I needed. I accepted the offer and he dug out a cigar shaped Clacker. I rigged up with about 18 inches of 30 pound fluorocarbon between a glow shrimp and the float. If you were just trout fishing 20 pound would be fine but in Mark’s area you have to be ready just in case a snook shows up. If you are spooled with braided line you might want to include a short piece of leader material between the braid and the Clacker before attaching the main leader.  

I began working the new rig as Mark instructed. A quick jerk or two and then let it rest for up to 30 seconds before jerking again. He says you can vary the number of jerks between rests. When you jerk the Clacker makes a noise and a commotion in the water that attracts the fish. The glow shrimp will rise towards the surface on the jerk and then float lazily back to the depth controlled by the length of the leader. I was in the process of a quick deliberate jerk to “work” the rig when a flash comes from right to left as the glow shrimp rose near the waters surface following the jerk. The big trout’s back came out of the water before the fish and the glow shrimp disappeared below the wind rippled surface of the water. A few minutes later we were viewing a seven pound spotted sea trout along side the boat. A quick photo was taken and the big trout was returned to the river to grow some more.  

We fished several more hours on one of the best weather days of the spring season. By days end we each caught more trout on the Deadly Combo. Mark fished the same rainbow trout jerk bait I mentioned earlier, only rigged with the Chug Head, to catch several more trout up to four pounds. I caught a few more trout on the jerk bait rigged on a 1/8 ounce white C.A.L. jighead.  

Nothing beats being on the water with a friend, sharing stories, and catching a few fish as a bonus.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, April  2007

Fishing Improves With Warmer Weather and Less Wind 

March certainly lived up to its reputation of being windy and unfortunately it is carrying over into April. Just when the weather warmed and winds seem to be subsiding another cold front entered Florida. After a decent week of fishing last week I am writing this report as the wind howls outside at 15 to 20 and the temperature dropped overnight to 46.  

The good thing about the temp is that it won’t stay there long. It actually warmed into the 80’s on most days last week and if you could hide a little from the wind there were some fish to be caught. I will focus my report on a family from Georgia who fished both Tuesday and Thursday. Their goal was simple enough. “Let’s just catch some fish.” Cyndi and David, the mom and dad, were anxious for the “kids” to have some fun in the Florida Sunshine. Ji Won, an exchange student from Seoul S. Korea was along on the trip with the kids, Ben and Jillian. 

With four fishing rods going at all times, we fished exclusively with live and frozen shrimp. And, as you would expect, we caught several varieties of salt-water fish. Ben hooked up first with a nice Jack Crevalle which got everyone else excited about catching one. David soon hooked up with a jumping ladyfish that threw the hook. Then Ji Won hooked a ladyfish and successfully bought it to the boat. By the time the day was over everyone had caught fish and seemed to have a pretty good time.  

Spotted Sea Trout, Lady Fish, Jack Crevalle, Puffers and Catfish had all been lured by the families’ offerings of shrimp in the Banana River. The most unusual catch of the day was made by David who reeled in a 15 inch Sea Robin. It is pretty unusual to catch one of these Sea Robin’s in the river, but interestingly enough, this is the second one this spring. David’s specimen was about as big as they get. In fact, very few grow to be greater than 12 inches.  

On Thursday we decided to try the Indian River. We were greeted with higher winds and a little cooler temperature as a cold front approached from the North. The plan was basically the same, use live shrimp to entice as many fish to the boat as possible. As we moved from fishing hole to fishing hole we continued to put the same variety of fish in the boat. We did not catch another Sea Robin, but Cyndi did add a black drum to the variety and she also caught several Whiting. In fact, Cyndi seemed to be the lucky one on bigger fish. She hooked but lost two really nice fish before we got them to the boat. Numerous Ladyfish cooperated to keep Ji Won and Ben busy hookin’ and fightin’. Jillian had taken the position of first mate and kept everyone supplied with shrimp, drinks, or what ever else they needed. Not to be outdone, David added mangrove snapper to the list of fish caught – he just seemed to have the knack for hooking them.  

In the last fishing hole of the day Ji Won quickly added a nice 15 inch Sea Trout to the days catch. Then Ben caught a couple of nice Sea Trout as well. As our fishing time ran out and our bait ran low Ben finished the day in style by using the very last shrimp (by the way, it was a frozen one because we had long since use all the live ones) to hook and land a beautiful 20 inch Spotted Sea Trout. We conducted a quick CPR (Catch-Photo-Release) and ended on a high note. In two days of fishing we had caught nine varieties of fish from the Banana and Indian River, and used up several megabits of memory on the family’s digital camera.  

Other Notes of Interest  

If you happen to be looking for a new boat, check this one out. It belongs to a friend of mine who recently got a new one and is placing this one up for sale. He always gets everything on his boats. It is a  2006 Custom 21 Hewes Redfisher with a Yamaha VZ250 on an Aluminum Trailer. And look at these extras. Power pole with remote, 3x Minnkota Trolling Motor, Lowrance GPS with color  mapping and fishfinder, 3 bank charging system. The boat is a one of a kind black custom hull with release wells, pop up cleats, forward and aft seat mounts, jack plate, and a S/S prop. This is a fully equipped, very fast and awesome boat. All other options available are on this boat. Asking $43,500 Or best offer this boat has less than 40 hours and is in perfect condition. Call Tom at 321-453-0205 or 321-453-0590 or email him at towboatz@aol.com with questions.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, March 2007

Spring Fishing is Just Around the Corner 

March has certainly lived up to its reputation of being windy. It seems like everyday lately has seen winds of 15 to 20 and seas at 5 to 7. The seas and winds have kept me off the ocean because my rule of thumb is 2 to 3 foot seas – otherwise I just don’t go out to get beat up.  There are some reports of cobia moving in on the beach. Problem is the little boats are not being able to get out there. Early in the month the cobes were being spotted around the big rays however, recently good catches of cobia have come from the bait pods if you can find them along the beach.  

Baits for the cobia include everything from live pinfish to eels. Typically I use a 3/8 to ½ oz. jig head in chartreuse. The ones with the plastic worm attached work well, or you can tip the jig with shrimp to add the sense of smell. Then cruise the ocean waters looking for rays or pods of bait fish. When you spot a cobia cast a head of the fish where it can see the presentation sinking toward the bottom. If the cobia sees your presentation he will usually follow and eat. When the strike occurs, get ready for the fight of your life. These fish pull down and dirty and give you a battle you will remember.  

The other good thing I like about Spring is the increased number of Snook that tend to show up. Personally I like to throw a Rip Tide Flats Chub at the hungry Snook. There are several rigging options with this jerk bait, depending on where you fish it. If you need casting distance you can simply rig it on a Rip Tide Pro Jig Head, the same kind you use on the Rip Tide Mullet. If you want to skip it back under the docks, rig it Texas Style on a wide gap hook and you can put it back in the back of the docks or for that matter under the mangroves. Everyone seems to have their favorite color, but mine is Nite Glow when I am targeting snook. I have also had good luck on the Electric Chicken. In stained or darker water the Redfish color is a good bet.  

Finally, the spring trout bite should heat up anytime now. If the trout are not receptive to the same Flats Chub I talked about above, I switch to my old reliable Rip Tide 3 inch Mullet. This bait continues to produce more trout than any other bait in my arsenal. My favorite colors are the same I listed for the chub, except that I add the silver mullet color when I am trout fishing. With its vibrating action caused by the paddle tail construction, this bait is super easy to use and extremely effective. Even the kids have good luck with this artificial mullet.  

Well, Spring is near so plan a fishing trip soon and take a kid fishing.  

Other Notes of Interest  

Keep in mind that it’s a new year and a Florida Sportsman Fishing Show will be coming to a location near you. I will be in Jacksonville March 24 and 25 at the Florida Guides Association Booth. Come by and say hi if you are in the area.   

If you happen to be looking for a new boat, check this one out. It belongs to a friend of mine who recently got a new one and is placing this one up for sale. He always gets everything on his boats. It is a  2006 Custom 21 Hewes Redfisher with a Yamaha VZ250 on an Aluminum Trailer. And look at these extras. Power pole with remote, 3x Minnkota Trolling Motor, Lowrance GPS with color  mapping and fishfinder, 3 bank charging system. The boat is a one of a kind black custom hull with release wells, pop up cleats, forward and aft seat mounts, jack plate, and a S/S prop. This is a fully equipped, very fast and awesome boat. All other options available are on this boat. Asking $43,500 Or best offer this boat has less than 40 hours and is in perfect condition. Call Tom at 321-453-0205 or 321-453-0590 or email him at towboatz@aol.com with questions.

Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island Fishing Report, February 2007

Winter Time Tackle

 I am not sure the fish know what season it is. The mercury is on a roller coaster ride and the winds want to persist in blowing to hard, at least too hard to have comfortable fishing. This is the time of year when we start thinking Spring is just around the corner, but in reality we are likely to have some more colder winter weather. I know if you are reading this in Minnesota and I call 40’s and 50’s cold winter weather you just laugh and say I’m crazy. But here in Florida when those air temperatures persist the water temperature follows and the fish definitely respond by seeking different habitats.

 With the likelihood of more of those “winter” temperatures ahead, I want to tell you a little bit about the plastic baits in my tackle box and how I use them in the cooler weather. Two good plastic baits to use in these conditions are the Rip Tide Realistic Shrimp and the Rip Tide 2 inch crab.

 The Realistic Shrimp comes in 15 different color combinations so you should be able to find your own favorite color. My first choice is the Rootbeer color with a Chartreuse colored tail. I always start with my favorite but if it does not produce I will swap out colors until I find what they want.

 These shrimp have a wide body and little legs that stabilize its slow steady fall. The weighted hook that comes in the three-pack is perfect to make the lure fall in a horizontal position, imitating the look of a natural shrimp when swimming. If you are fishing deeper water and want a fast decent to the bottom you ca