Slump in the Surf

Salty Sarge caught a bonnethead in the surf with the help of his little ladies.

The summer was off to an epic start for surf fishing, and it seemed like the blazing hot bite would go on forever. Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. This past couple of weeks, the bite on the beach has been pretty slow…

In theory, the cold-water upwelling should have brought a lot of fish closer in to shore, but that’s not what we’ve seen — at least not within casting distance from the beach. Similarly, even when conditions have appeared to be ideal, the bite has remained pretty dull. For instance, 10 days ago we anticipated a peak of heightened fish activity with the new moon, and that’s pretty much exactly when the bite got quiet, and how it has since remained.

Some of the Spacefish crew hit Satellite Beach on Saturday. The water was glass, sand fleas were abundant, and it looked to be a great day of fishing ahead. But, yet again, the production left much to be desired. Among the fish caught were a few croakers, a bonnethead shark, and a couple catfish.

So what’s up with the sudden cold bite? I have a few theories, but looking at all potential fish-impacting factors over these past several weeks, one singular event comes to mind: the shaving of a local legend’s epic, bite-inducing beard. Yep, everyone’s favorite regular of Mathers Bridge and its nearby beaches has really done it. Why the Salty Sarge made the choice to shave may forever remain a mystery, but what we do know is, ever since he made that ill-conceived decision, the bombing bite on the beach has been reduced to a whimper.

Is it possible that the recent surf fishing slump is directly tied to the shaving of the Salty Sarge’s beard? Some local anglers say the answer is “yes.”

If you’re frustrated with the slow surf bite and are looking for a scapegoat to point your finger at, you’ve now got it. THANKS, SARGE!

The guy doing the fish war dance on the beach now more closely resembles Peewee Herman than a Maori Warrior, but fortunately, there is still hope that the bite will soon turn up again. We’ve got a full moon on Friday, with fish activity expected to peak on Saturday. If you’re longing for the action to get hot on the beach, Friday and Saturday present the best odds of a turn around.