Tomoka Basin to Sebastian Inlet

Includes Daytona Beach, Titusville, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa and Melbourne

September 7-9

PONCE INLET

OFFSHORE

Bottom fishing has been producing a mixed bag of species over the past few days. Red eyes, mangrove snapper and triggerfish are hitting cut sardines or squid on the structures located in 70 to 140-feet of water. A few gag grouper are also being caught in these depths but anglers are typically using live grunts, croakers, pigfish or pinfish to entice these fish to bite. The farther offshore you get the better the gag bite seems to be. Once you get to the 180 to 250-foot structures you can also count on amberjack to strike these live baits.
We should start to see more dolphin, wahoo, and sailfish in the upcoming weeks, so keep those ballyhoo rigged and ready to drag between bottom spots.

INSHORE

Snook, giant redfish, shark, and tarpon are possible around the inlet and near the north bridge at New Smyrna. The fall mullet run has been going strong for about a week now and these predators are feeding heavily on the mullet as they swim in and out of the inlet. Rapala X-Rap 12 or 14 size plugs and 5-inch Storm swim baits are great artificial lures to use to catch most of these fish. Live pigfish, pinfish, mullet will get the job dome for anglers using live baits.

PORT CANAVERAL

OFFSHORE

King mackerel are still the best bet for anglers looking to catch something on the troll. Love pogies or mullet slow trolled are working very well from the beaches out to the 90-foot reefs. Naked chin weighted ballyhoo will also get these fish to strike. Sailfish, blackfin tuna, and a few small dolphin can be expected when moving out to the 120 to 250-foot depths with these various baits.

INSHORE

Redfish and speckled trout are striking topwater plugs and soft plastic jerk baits at first light in the Mosquito lagoon and northern Indian River this week. Live or cut pigfish and pinfish will also get these fish to strike. Black drum are possible around spoil islands, bridges, and inside the Haulover canal. Schools of tarpon are roaming the Indian River between the Melbourne causeway and Pineda causeway this week. Some of these fish are large, running into the 80 pound range. Large live mullet or pogies drifted through the schools are one of the better ways to get them to eat.

SEBASTIAN INLET

OFFSHORE

King mackerel and cobia are possible on the 65 to 90-foot reefs. Slow troll with live pogies, pilchards, greenies, or mullet on a wire stinger rig. You can also find cobia and mangrove snapper by chumming them to the surface on these structures. Tarpon are busting through bait pods along the near-shore waters. When you come upon this type of feeding activity try casting a large surface plug like the Williamson popper pro or surface pro and work it quickly through the are the fish are striking in. Jacks, shark, and kingfish may also be found feeding near some of the larger pods of baitfish and may also hit these lures.

INSHORE

The mullet run is just starting at the inlet this week and anglers are catching excellent numbers of redfish, jack, and snook when these baitfish are running in and out of the inlet. Live mullet are the obviously choice during the daylight hours but flair hawk jigs, Rapala X-Rap plugs and Storm 360 GT swim baits can be very effective on these fish at night.

Until next week…Catch a memory!!!

Captain Jim Ross / www.FinelineFishingCharters.com / (321) 636-3728 / captjimross@cfl.rr.com