SPACEFISH REPORT
1.30.2018 – 2.5.2018
A NEW AWESOME REPORT EVERY TUESDAY
Win a YETI Rambler, get some Sunshine, and more!
Weekly Fishing Report: Overview
Team Spacefish was busy this week! On Tuesday, the crew hit up the surf in Melbourne Beach, seeing some good action on a hot bite. We were catching pompano, bluefish, whiting, with a good number of sandbar sharks thrown in the mix. Then on Saturday the team teed off at Mathers Bridge in Indian Harbour Beach where the bite was smokin’ hot all day, catching a ton of trout and making many new friends along the way. Apparently we were the lucky ones because it seems it was tough sledding this week for a lot of folks, both recreational anglers and professional fishing guides alike.
Check out the highlight reel from our Mathers Bridge outing:
‘Tis the Season
Snook season opens this Thursday, February 1st, and let me tell you, I am ready to go! If you want the opportunity to bag one of these prized fish and enjoy some of the finest eating there is, you better be ready, too. Be sure to grab a snook permit online or at your local Walmart.
- Daily Bag Limit:
1 per harvester per day - Size Limit:
28″ to 32″ - Open Season:
Feb. 1 – May 31
So, About that Weather…
Man, oh man. 2018 has not been kind to the offshore crowd to start the year. In what is now already Spacefish’s fourth weekly report, we’re batting O-4 for serviceable offshore conditions. There’s been fleeting opportunities to get out there, but the windows have been tight, and now the wind looks to continue to blow again this week. Keep your eye on Thursday and Friday, as they should present the best possible opportunity to head offshore. If you do give it a go, please, as always, exercise caution and be safe out there!
Giveaway Contest
This week, we’re giving away another killer beverage accessory — this time, it’s the 20oz YETI Rambler. Let’s be real, here. These are much more than just insulated cups; these are true life-changers. If you don’t already own one, you don’t know what you’re missing. If you do already own one, I’d guarantee, you probably want another. So that’s what what’s up for grabs this week. A winner will be randomly drawn and announced in next week’s report. To unlock your contest entry, either like us or share this report on Facebook using the buttons below.
BONUS CONSOLATION PRIZE: All contest entrants win UNLIMITED loving from Sunshine, the official Spacefish mascot. Sunshine is a french bulldog / Boston terrier mix and has A LOT of love to give!
[sociallocker id=”5410″]
CONTEST ENTRY FORM
To gain entry into the contest, fill out the below form. This information will not be shared with any third parties and will be used solely to contact you in the event that you are the winner.
Sorry, this promotion has ended.
[/sociallocker]Moon Voodoo
TUESDAY
1.30.2018
99% WAXING GIBBOUS
| MAJOR PERIODS |
|---|
| 11:45 AM – 1:45 PM |
| MINOR PERIODS |
|---|
| 6:13 AM – 7:13 AM |
| 5:18 PM – 6:18 PM |
WEDNESDAY
1.31.2018
100% FULL MOON
**PEAK ACTIVITY**
| MAJOR PERIODS |
|---|
| 12:16 AM – 2:16 AM |
| 12:46 PM – 2:46 PM |
| MINOR PERIODS |
|---|
| 7:09 AM – 8:09 AM |
| 6:25 PM – 7:25 PM |
THURSDAY
2.1.2018
98% WANING GIBBOUS
| MAJOR PERIODS |
|---|
| 1:16 AM – 3:16 AM |
| 1:45 PM – 3:45 PM |
| MINOR PERIODS |
|---|
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM |
| 7:32 PM – 8:32 PM |
Word on the Bite
In every week’s fishing report, we look to both fishing pros and average joe’s for input on what’s happening in Space Coast fisheries. This information provides the crucial intel that fuels our report and keeps it fresh and up-to-date throughout the duration of the week.
Featured Contributors
To put it plainly, our featured contributors know WHAT’S UP. These individuals are local captains and other insiders that spend near everyday on the water, and have experience fishing the Space Coast for many, many years. Each week, they’ll explain what’s hot, what’s not, and offer tips that might help give you a leg up on your next fishing excursion. Here’s what they had to say this week:
Fish live shrimp and cast near the docks and mangrove roots in the canals of Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island for redfish, drum, sheepshead, and trout. If you’re fishing the flats of the Mosquito Lagoon for reds and trout, try throwing a Saltwater Assassin sea shad on a 1/8 ounce jig head, or the 4″ Assassin shrimp cocktail rigged on a weedless worm hook. For best results this week, use the colors of houdini and mud bug for the aforementioned lures.
The winds simply have not cooperated this week. Consequently, we’ve remained shore-bound, but are hopeful for more favorable conditions sooner than later.
It’s all about shallow water redfish right now! Heavy predominantly north winds have dropped the water levels. Sight fishing for slot sized reds is the ticket. Best baits are paddle tail soft plastics and flies. Look for fish to be pushing into shorelines for mud minnows and fiddler crabs. Kayaks work great because the water will be too shallow for most flats boats. If needed, abandon ship and head out on foot. Of course, sheepshead are still at it and will be spawning on this week’s full moon. Ponce, Port Canaveral and Sebastian will be the focal points of the spawn.
You will find trout, jacks and bluefish around the islands in the Indian River Lagoon and in the Sebastian River. Snook and reds have been active at night at Sebastian Inlet. Bucktails and live bait work best. The bite has been slower during the day. Some mackerel, bluefish, whiting, jacks and pompano have been caught off the beach when the weather’s allowed it. It’s been too rough to get our since Wednesday.
Big bull red and snook are biting at Sebastian Inlet. The bite has been a little slower than normal, but some are still being caught. Bucktails and live bait will be the bait of choice. The surf fishing has slowed down a bit with the high winds but the water has been cleanest down south towards Bonsteel Park.
In the Grand Canal you can find reds, trout and snook around the mangroves. If you are looking for a fun day of fishing, Mathers Bridge has reported catches of trout, silver trout, whiting, sheepshead, stingrays, mangrove snapper and catfish.
The pompano bite picked up over the weekend. Live sand fleas and clams seem to be working best. At Sebastian Inlet, anglers are targeting big bull reds using a combination of bucktails, or preferably, live pinfish and pigfish.
The winds have been high and the water has been dirty. The fishing has been slow because of it. There have been a lot of catfish caught this week as well.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t get off the dock this week due to the high winds. The weather will take a turn in our favor, eventually — stay tuned!
Reader Reports
Here’s what everybody else is saying. And don’t forget, we want to hear from you! It doesn’t matter what your level of skill or expertise is. There’s value in your observations, no matter how vague or general, or ninja-like precise. If you’re out fishing, just let us know what you see and catch!
I recently fished on North East side of the 528 high rise bridge. Some of the concrete is still torn up from Hurricane Irma, so if you fish there, be careful, especially around the dips where the concrete is missing. I killed a Brown Recluse spider there a couple of weeks ago and didn’t know that they hang out under the concrete. I had just got over bites and had fishing on my mind when I put my fold up chair down in the sand to be closer to the water. When fishing from any of the bridges, be careful especially after dark and wear tennis shoes, socks & long pants. I just had my tennis shoes and shirts on so I got bit. I did catch some small Pompano a day before that while fishing near a relief bridge on one of the causeways. Fish on.
Team Spacefish Conquers Mathers!
Team Spacefish teed off at Mathers Bridge in Indian Harbour Beach on Saturday. For those who aren’t familiar with this location, it’s a sweet fishing spot just north of where Dragon Point (Merritt Island) splits the Indian River and Banana River Lagoons.
Our expectations for this outing were pretty low. We stopped by Man Overboard Bait & Tackle to load up on live shrimp, and the good folks there didn’t have great news for us. The water in the lagoons was reportedly dirty, and we were told that the fish weren’t biting. Bummer. But boy were we in for a surprise…
Team Spacefish Hits the Surf!
With the word on the street that the pompano are running down south, we decided to go see for ourselves. We started off looking for clean water at Spessard Holland, but the water just wasn’t what we hoped for, so we pushed south to Ponce de Leon, only to find the same situation there.
We finally found cleaner water at Bonsteel Park, but so did everyone else. Starting our day at the crack of noon didn’t play into our favor when staking out a good spot to fish. It was busy to say the least. Twelve and fifteen foot surf rods lined the horizon from both directions. Since I didn’t feel like walking a mile to find a spot to fish, we pushed farther south, just south of the inlet thinking it would be clean there, too, but to my surprise, it wasn’t. The thought was then to go find a piece of beach all to ourselves, which lead us north back to Ponce Deleon…
The snook and big redfish bite at Sebastian Inlet has slowed down at night due to the colder weather. More fish are actually being caught during the day. Smaller live pinfish and pigfish have been working best.
The sheepshead bite has remained solid. Sand fleas have been the ticket all week. If you’re targeting the larger fish, try fiddler crabs, which have also been producing great results.
In the Indian River Lagoon, small reds and trout are being caught on live shrimp. If you’re using artificial baits, white seems to be the color of choice. For best results, try working the bait with a nice and slow retrieval.
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Check out what’s been “caught on camera” in and around Brevard County this week. If you’ve been out fishing lately, we want to see what you’re catching, so please do share your photos with the Spacefish community!
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