Near-Shore Madness of June

If you are a local Central Florida resident and an avid saltwater fisherman, than many of you are looking forward to the month of June and the true beginning of our summer months of the year. Growing up in Melbourne along the east coast and some of Florida’s best in-shore and near-shore fishing, I remember the month of June as the start of summer time, just out of school and great fishing. I still have lots of memories of the days I spent fishing in my youth and as a young adult. Notice I said fishing not catching, great memories are about the experience and adventure, catching fish was always a plus.

For those of us who are lucky enough to be a part time or annual resident of Central Florida, the time for catching an in-shore or near-shore trophy or memory is here! As the months of May, June, and July arrives along with more stable weather and fishable breezes, so do the species of game fish that our local near shore fishery is famous for; Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Kingfish, huge Jacks and Sharks, just to name a few. Whether you are on the East Coast, West Coast or in the Florida Keys the month of May starts our summer fishing season! As our coastal waters warm and these game fish migrate closer to the inlets or passes from the rivers, creeks, back-waters or deep water of our oceans, one thing for sure is they will be there. Not only will these hard fighting game fish be in our areas in most cases at some time during the day and with the right tide they are happy to eat several types of live, cut or artificial baits if properly presented.

Reports of a mix bags of Tarpon, kingfish, Sharks, Jacks, Bonita and Snook have been coming in from the East Coast from Ponce Inlet past Port Canaveral and south to Melbourne Beach and Sebastine Inlet.

We start our day heading south out of Port Canaveral after launching at the Port’s launch and ramp near Jetty Park. This newer launch point is just inside the mouth of the Port’s idle zone and within a very short boat ride you are able to jump your boat on plane in lieu of a 10 minute idle from the old ramp next to Grill’s restaurant that has been taken over by cruise ships. Look for bait pods as you head south towards the Cocoa Beach Pier or south toward Patrick Air Force Base in close or just behind the shore break. Last season the water was cooler than normal and keep they bait out and deeper. Once you find a school of poggies by sight or on your graph, one or two throws of the cast net and you will have plenty for days fishing. Look for the birds diving or start near the bait schools for active fish. Hook your live bait through the bottom lip then out through the nose with a 7/0 to 9/0 circle hook with at least 50lb to 80lb. leader and just slow troll them keeping your eyes open for rolling Tarpon or schools of fish feeding in or near the bait pods. Tarpon, Bonita, Kingfish, sharks, large Jacks and other species will all be in the mix as well. Large bull redfish, black drum and Snook will be near the inlets and jetties..

The Tarpon are beginning to showing up by now and the local captains mentioned that the bait has just move in from the deeper water to the shallows and soon the many species that feed on them are soon to follow. Tarpon in the 100 to 140 pound class are the norm with fish up to 200 ponds not uncommon. Captain Jim Ross and a client fought a fish exceeding the 200 pound mark a few seasons’ ago that pulled them up and down the coast last summer for over several hours pulling his 24ft. bay boat over 5 miles. Jim mentioned it wasn’t the largest Tarpon he or a client has hooked but was definitely an epic battle he or the angler will not soon forget. Not only will the tarpon be the target species for most anglers there is a huge school of redfish that curse around near-shore in the summer months outside of Port Canaveral, known as School-X. These fish in the 30 to 40 pound class will eat just about any offering you put in front of them once you can locate them. On several trips over the last few years we were lucky enough to find this massive school ourselves, thousands of huge redfish that covered any area close to 75 yards square and all were willing to eat just about anything you would cast to them. Joining the school were sharks, huge jacks in the 20 plus pound class and several Tarpon. Each time we found this school they were just north of Port Canaveral and within less than 2 miles off-shore or less. Just having the chance to witness seeing this tremendous school of fish and the sea of cooper color is something I will never forget. Each time we ran into them we caught several each past with many double hook-ups of fish over 35lbs. each, getting a photo and releasing them all to fight another day!

So if you are looking to catch a one of the many species that are roaming our near-shore waters along our Space Coast, the month of June and the beginning of our summer days offer many opportunities for catching a great memory of your own. You can’t catch them unless you go out there and give it a try. As always remember be safe, watch out for the late afternoon storms that approach rapidly and always wear an approved life vest while off-shore with your large outboard motor under power. Take a kid fishing with you over the summer and create a memory for them as well! Good luck and Tight-Lines.

August can be considered a tough time to fish in East Central Florida for several reasons, but that does not mean you can’t find plenty of opportunities to bend the rod and do battle with some awesome fish. The most notable factor that effects our lagoon fishing is the sweltering summer heat and how it plays into the day for most of our desired gamefish targets. There is only one way to beat the heat and stay catching regardless of how hot it gets. Fishing in the cooler times of the day is a sure way to keep yourself a bit more comfortable and achieve your goal of some solid catches. Hitting the water very early or late in the afternoon and even exploring your local night fishing is a spectacular work around keeping you off the water in those times of high sun and maximum heat.

The past 15 years I have spent as a fishing guide in both boats and kayaks have been full of all kinds of ups and downs. The thrill of an awesome catch can immediately be replaced by the agony of losing an equally amazing fish. The hours can be long and the sun unrelenting, but the balance of introducing people to the joys of nature and watching their accomplishments achieved make that burnt face and sore hands well worth it. Unlike many small businesses, fishing captains and guide service owners sell an experience, not so much a product of any sort. That seems to lend itself to long-term captains not only having a career, but fully embracing the lifestyle of someone devoted to the water and its ways. I will just say this, you don’t see plumbers stoked about a vacation to a far-off land with great prospects of some once in a lifetime plumbing chances. Replace plumbing with fishing and you’ll catch my drift. This is truly a commitment to a lifestyle as much as it is a job. Without a doubt, questions are a common thing throughout a day of fishing. Here are two of the most common questions I get as a fishing guide from the kayak side of my business.

With little tidal current until you get to the Ponce Inlet area in the north or Sebastian Inlet to the south, we do not have the relief of cooler ocean water flooding the shallows multiple times a day regardless of where the sun is. In those nontidal areas, the water temperatures climb as the sun does and by midday it is uncomfortably hot. Just like ourselves the fish also react to the oppressive heat and look to find some refuge. For us some cold drinks and a little shade with some breeze is exactly what we look for to cool down and relax, maybe a little time in the AC even. Typically, the last thing we look for is a giant meal. Fish do the same and look to find cooler deeper water or some shade to ride out the heat. Much like colder weather the heat also causes fish to become lethargic and many time unwilling to feed or do anything but sulk. If you do find yourself looking to catch in the heat, baits like live shrimp are a good choice as they fit the bill of a lite snack and not a full meal. In the cooler times like early morning, late evening, and even nighttime you can look to utilize more substantial offerings and the topwater plug excels at this. With the summer waters heavy bait presence those topwater plugs will get a look and can even be fished at night with great success. Also, live baits like mullet will get plenty of looks and are a great choice in the dark. Don’t let the dog days of summer get your fishing in a slump! Beat the heat and keep catching.

What is your favorite fish to catch? For most this might be a challenging one to answer and especially when you take into consideration someone like me who chases fish from the shallow lagoon waters all the way out to the deep blue water offshore, but it’s actually a no-brainer. Tarpon! Big, small, here, there, ocean, lagoon, heavy, light, even fly tackle - me catching, client catching, it doesn’t matter. Tarpon are tops of a large list containing some awesome fish. This love most likely stems from growing up on Pine Island Rd. (North Merritt Island) and our constant pursuit of this top tier gamefish. Every interaction with them is special and quite challenging.

What is the best fishing kayak to buy and what features are necessary for a “good” fishing kayak? There is no across the board best kayak to buy, period. Everyone’s needs, wants, and comfort considerations are different. The single biggest factor in buying a kayak for fishing is the seat in my opinion. You can’t expect to indulge in the ease of pedals, all those cool rigging options and rod holders, or shallow water capability if you can’t sit in the seat for more than 30 minutes without discomfort. Buy it for the seat and the rest will fall in place. All kayak dealers worth their weight will have demo options before you buy - utilize this even if you end up purchasing from a personal sale on a used kayak. Do not rig your kayak until you’ve fished it. I’ve seen countless anglers spend good money getting their kayak fully rigged out from the dealer. Only to find they must move items or even delete them due to working against you as you fish. Just a few trips will have you understanding where certain items like extra rod holders, depth/fish finders, and the other myriad of stuff you can put on your kayak should be installed so it does not get in your way.

June heats up in temperature – welcome to summer already here in Florida. Freshwater fishing on the Kissimmee Chain will give anglers plenty of opportunity during early mornings and late evening trips. Feeding slows down during the heat of the day, but a well-placed bait will get bit for sure.

August fishing can be a challenge sometimes, but it’s always a fun time. The cold-water upwelling is still around and causing issues for bottom fishing and finding bait. By cold water, I’m talking about the yearly thermocline. Just because you can’t get a bottom bite going doesn’t mean the bottom fish don’t come up in the water column a little. Get on the wrecks and chum. You will find the cold pushes the fish up. They try to get to the warm water level. It’s not uncommon at all to see amberjack, snapper, cobia, mangroves, and many other species not far from the surface. Picking out the biggest fish can be fun especially for your charters.

Bass Fishing Kissimmee Chain: The bass have moved out to open water; mostly due to the Chain of Lakes are at low water levels for the summer hurricane season. Bass are schooling in open water chasing bait. The schooling bass range in size from one to four pounds. The baits of choice are small Rattle Traps and Rapala X-Raps. Plastic baits of choice are flukes and swim baits in shad colors. An-

Kingfish should continue to do

Record catch weights for bass tournaments were shattered in May as the top 20 boats boasted 30 pounds plus! These bass were caught in areas ranging from Clewiston up to the North-end like Dyess Ditch; Horse Island areas; Tin House and 2nd-4th point (Buckhead Ridge) areas. The lures that were used were popping frogs; swim baits; senkos; flipping/ pitching creature-style lures and top water Devil’s Horse and Zara Spook. A lot of big bags this time of year are all about catching that moon phase just right when the bass feed on the bream on the beds or follow the bream into the shallows as they move into spawn.

Some customers who call are asking about catching crappie. Specks can still be caught in the river, canals, and the outside vegetation line near Tin House. The bite can be slow, but specks can still be caught. If you want some well, many fish in the 40/50lb class have been caught recently. Captain Joe of the FireFight had a 48-pound kingfish last week. Stud of a king. Nice work Joey glers are catching multiples on the outside edges of Kissimmee grass using artificial soft plastics. Tip: Don’t get frustrated with heavy vegetation. When your lure’s hook picks up weeds, give it a yank to clear the lure. Many times this is when strikes occur. are there and rolling every day. Bonita and king are an excellent

The Crappie bite has been good on the Kissimmee Chain. On West Lake, fish open water between the two islands. On East Lake, fish open water, the 15 feet range seems to be where most Crappie are being caught. The best method to catching Crappie is trolling with jigs in various colors tipped with a minnow. Vary the depth until you start catching fish. For bluegill and sunfish, look for open water shell beds with live red worms. Fish on the bottom. If you like to fly fish, popping bugs are the best bet. Search out Shingle Creek and fish the outside edge of the vegetation.

Nearshore beach fishing is going to really be picking up. Tarpons are there and rolling every day. You can slow troll them or just drift in the mornings with live bait. We have caught them on everything. Chunk baits, live baits and artificial. There is not much they won’t eat. Beach fishing in 20-30 feet is a blast. You’d be amazed how shallow all these fish come in. Kings, bonito, jack crevalle and many other extreme fighting fish. Look for the schools of bunker. If you find them, you will find the fish. Shark fishing is about as good as it gets right now. If you’re looking for some fun with the kids, anchor up in 20 feet off the beach and hold on. Bonita and king are an excellent faster action, the bream and bass bite are great. The bream action will be catching them on ultra-light spinning gear tipped with a small live red work or crickets. If you want to catch some sharpies (small fingerling catfish) along with some bream, they tend to eat the worms a bit better. Don’t rule out fishing the river along the rock ledges as these breams will move up to the edge to spawn and is great fishing. To book your next fishing trip on the big O call 863-228-7263 or check out Capt. Angie’s website where you’ll find customer catches, fishing reports, hotel recommendations, guide rates and etc. www. southfloridabassfishing.com is the website for all your information to book the trip. Angie is old-fashioned, so if you have any questions just call on the phone. Capt. Angie’s sponsors: Toho Marine (St. Cloud, Fl); Mercury Marine; Real Magic; Tru-Turn hooks; Lews; BnM Poles; Mid-South Tackle; Bullet Weights; G-Loomis; Maui Jim; Gill; Gene Larew and Pradco Brands.

Let’s grow with Florida together.

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.

20 Sacks Weighed Heavier than 30 Pounds at One Tourney

Catch a 30-pound ve- sh sack of bass, and you’re pretty much a lock to win whatever tournament you’re shing, right?

Imagine that glorious moment when you’ve been culling 5-pounders and pull into the docks to unload your livewell. With a grin on your face, you haul that huge bag of sh up to the scales…only to nd out your 30-pound sack barely put you in the top 20! at was the reality at a May 6 Roland Martin Marine Center Bass Series event on Lake Okeechobee. e shing was so good that anglers weighed 20 ve-bass limits that were heavier than 30 pounds. It took 36.82 pounds to win. We’re not sure who keeps track of such things, but that’s more 30-pound sacks in one tournament than we’ve ever heard of.

A father-son team of Preston and 11-year-old Tavyn Heisler won the 177-team tournament and a $6,500 big check.

“It was an amazing day,” Preston told a RMMCBS reporter a er the tournament. “I’m still shaking and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Tavyn said he was the net man early in the tournament, but he caught his own 8-pounder late in the day. His favorite lure was a black and blue charterbait.

To read a full report on the event, visit: rolandmartinmarinecenterseries.com.