PORT CANAVERAL OFFSHORE FORECAST

March Madness is here so bring on the cobia! This is the historic time frame here in the central east coast that the migration of cobia swims by us. Free-swimming cobia are the most fun to target in my opinion and, although we catch them all year long, this is usually the best time. The water is warming back up to the 70-degree mark, which is great, but a few things must come together though. One being sunny skies; you must be able to see into the water a little bit. And, two, try to get as high as possible.

A hungry cobia is not a picky fish, nor are they the smartest. My bait of choice is a buck tail with a whole squid hooked on it. This gives a natural look and smell. There are many different types of baits and lures people use. They also like to eat the steel at some points.

I also like live bait. Bunker and pinfish work great too. It’s fun to watch a cobia go nuts trying to eat a livey. Sometimes there are days that you will see 30 fish and maybe only two actually eat or get “Fired Up” on a jig. I haven’t had many cobes turn down a live fish. Some say they will never turn down a live choice shrimp or their magic swim bait etc. Fishing is just what it says, fishing. Some days they’re on fire, others they swim away from whatever you throw at ’em.

My gear of choice is a 7-foot medium action rod with a light tip to jig the lure and enough backbone to stick the hook. Line is 40 lb. braid and a 50 lb. leader. If I’m using live bait, I use an 8/0 circle hook and I hook the live fish through the back of the head and cast forward and past the fish.

PORT CANAVERAL: Anglers will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of their favorite springtime fish: the cobia. These fish make great visual targets as they swim along the surface of the ocean basking in the springtime sunshine on calm days. They often look like sharks, but to the trained eye cobia are some of the best-looking brown spots they’ve ever seen. Large brightly colored “cobia” jigs are what most anglers use to target the cobia. These work well when tipped with a plastic or natural bait trailer. l like to use these popular jigs as well, but find that after the fish have seen one or two of them cast in their direction they will get a little selective about what they are willing to eat. I really like the 5-inch Saltwater Assassin Artimis Shad rigged on a ¾ ounce jig head. These come in a variety of colors but I like the natural colors that imitate pilchards and pogies best. Other great lures to cast at these fish include the Storm 5-6 inch swim shad, and Rapala’s X-Rap lipped diving plug in the size 12 or 14 in natural colors as well. Other options that I like to use especially when these fish are shadowing manta rays are the Williamson Surface Pro popper, and the new Rapala X-Plode chugger plug. These generate excellent commotion that can lure the cobia away from the rays where they become much easier to catch. These tasty fish can get fussy once in a while, so I would advise keeping some form of live bait onboard. Live baitfish, shrimp or crab can be the difference maker in some cases. Tripletail are often seen floating near weeds and debris while searching for cobia, so small jigs or medium sized live shrimp can be useful if you encounter one of these fish.

Black drum should be found in schools ranging from 20 to 100 fish each on many of the deeper flats of this lagoon. Look for pushes or tailing activity on slick calm days. On days when there is some texture on the water you can often find these schools by the muds they create. These can be seen when the drum are actively feeding in the 4- to 6-foot depths in the open basins of this body of water. Live shrimp or cut crab cast to these fish on a ¼ ounce Saltwater Assassin Boodah-style jig head. Most of these fish are scaling from 15 to 30 pounds, but a few are pushing the scales into the 40 pound range.

Slot sized redfish, trout and snook will be found near baitfish schools along the mangrove covered shorelines, and on some of the Caulerpa-covered flats around the Thousand Islands and Sykes Creek areas. Top water plugs like the Rapala Skitter Walk or Storm Chug Bug should start to work on these fish as the water temperatures warm into the lower 70’s degree range.

Sheepshead and mangrove snapper are possible for anglers fishing near bridge pilings and docks in residential canals. Small pieces of shrimp or small crabs rigged on a small-butstout hook are usually the best way to get these tasty fish away from the pilings and into the boat.

Until next time...Catch a Memory!

Whiting, pompano, and black drum should be hitting cut shrimp, clam, and fresh sand fleas in the surf zones between Melbourne Beach and the tip of the false cape too. There is no shortage of fish species to chase this month, you just need to get out there with us and catch some.

The month of March has traditionally held phenomenal surf fishing along the Space Coast. Ideal conditions of calm seas and clean water culminated in big catches of pompano, whiting and black drum during the months of January and February, so as long as water temperatures stay in the ideal range we should be in for a fantastic beach fishing month. The bluefish bonanza along Brevard County beaches should persist well into March and April.

With that being said, the big catches of pompano will continue to be the talk of the town. Guided beach fishing excursions provided clients with delicious catches of pompano and whiting in February and I look forward to continue that momentum into March. Southern beaches provided the best bite for pompano during the flurry of fish that came through, albeit most anglers “followed the bite” as word spread at bait shops, forums and by word of mouth.

Knowing this you could easily find the crowd and past bite, but not necessarily an indication of staying with the fish. As the fish moved around, those who could stay on the bite proved to have more consistent fortunes. Pompano rigs with floats were the ticket and, per usual, Fishbites in the crab and clam flavor tipped with shrimp, sand fleas and clam performed well.

Finally the whiting showed up in decent numbers which hasn’t been the case up to this point in the season. A welcomed sigh of relief for any experienced or inexperienced surf fishing angler. Whiting are a fairly easy species to target and catch and generally aren’t far from shore. So for those that aren’t equipped with long casting rods, whiting provide a great opportunity for table-fare fish. I personally love eating whiting and every one I catch symbolizes a fresh fish taco.

Guided shark fishing charters will be another big hit item into the spring months of March and April. This is when we see a migration of blacktip and spinner sharks that make for a memorable catch with their fierce ability to pull hard and jump erratically. As a reminder, make sure to know all surf fishing rules and regulations and practice safe handling and release techniques on these apex predators.

Enjoy the spring fever and hit the sand as surf fishing opportunities abound. And you can always contact us to acquire recommendations on surf fishing gear and tactics. We love to support our local surf fishing community.

CAPT. LUKAS BRICKWEG

Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters cocoabeachsurffishingcharters.com

(321) 205-4672

Confessions of a Fishaholic, by Thatch Maguire, is a hilarious and irreverent look at one man’s quest to catch fish in spite of life’s annoying interferences. You’ll travel with this awkward adventurer as he risks home and health to pursue his passion for fishing...regardless of the consequences. Anglers of all expertise levels will immediately identify with why his addiction is incurable. This book defines the blurred line between passion and obsession.