BOARD

Garrett Boykin Caught this 37-inch redfish in the north end of Mosquito Lagoon using an artificial shrimp.

SHARK!!! That’s what the crowd yelled as Capt. Lukas Brickweg landed this blacktip while surf fishing in Brevard.

Cassie Nolette got this 40-inch mahi 30 miles off Sebastian Inlet.

Joseph Creviston from Cincinnati, Ohio caught this massive 40inch February snook at Sebastian Inlet with a Penn Spinfisher 3500 on a 7’6” Ugly Stik Inshore Select rod aboard Whatever Turns U On Fishing Charters with Capt. Shane Trottier.

Sebastian Inlet To Eau Gallie Causeway Forecast

April should bring more consistent weather patterns and a little less wind. Some spring rains should bring more bait to the lagoon and along the beaches and spread the gamefish out a bit. High winds and bigger waves has brought in some milky water along the beaches and into the lagoon around the inlet. Clean water and more bait will bring in the spring run of tarpon, jumbo jack crevalle, blacktip sharks and our bonito, aka “false albacore,” which are a blast to sight fish on light tackle. All of the species will eat artificial baits and can be very aggressive when they are on the feed. However, live mullet, greenies and pogies will work well, but there’s nothing like a big jack or a blacktip shark exploding on a topwater or subsurface bait along the beach. Rapala X-Rap 14 with the inline single hooks are great baits to throw this time of year. The fish will be easy to find as they will be up on the surface getting the sun and the sharks will be feeding on the bait pods as well as the mackerel, jacks and bluefish that school up along the beaches from Sebastian to Melbourne.

In the lagoon from Palm Bay to Sebastian anglers can focus on the deeper mangrove shorelines and docks as well as the spoil islands for snook, trout, redfish, jacks and flounder. I like to fish the Rapala Skitter Walk early mornings for the topwater bite, then move to Rapala subsurface baits and D.O.A. soft plastics as the sun comes up. If you want more consistent action, then live bait can be the key, but be patient and keep moving ‘til you find the bite. Fish the edges of the bait pods along the mangrove shorelines for the same species.

The inlet bite can be great as it has been most of the winter/spring. The snook will station on the north jetty on outgoing, and the big jack crevalle will station themselves in the inlet’s swift current looking for a meal to float by. Live pigfish or pinfish are the best bait most days. I also have consistent success with D.O.A. Paddle Tail baits rigged on heavy jigheads. Nightime is when the snook and redfish are more active on artificial baits such as bucktails, jigs, soft plastics and diving plugs for anglers fishing from the rocks or jetties.