Summary
The bait has returned. Every year the bait pushes south, back into the channels and into deeper holes when the water cools in the winter. As the water temperature rises and stabilizes huge schools of bait start working their way back onto the flats to feed. Even though most of the predators continue to work the shallows they spend most of their time eating shrimp, crabs and other baitfish. Now that the mullet and glass minnows have returned most of these predators switch over to eating them.
This week that has been the case. It was a beautiful site this week watching a school of reds busting schools of mullet. They would chase them up and down the flat. It was like watching a school of jacks or blues working. This means one thing to us light tackle fisherman. TOP WATER.
Over the years I has told countless people that they haven't caught a redfish until they have done it on the surface. It is one of the most exciting things to watch when you make a cast at a school of fish and get to see a red come out of the school like a torpedo chasing its target. Just before they are close enough to take the bait they lift their heads out of the water. You can see a hole form in the water and the fishes eyes as he busts your lure.
We have also been having some pretty good trout days over the past few weeks. Most have been around 4 to 6 pounds but they have been happy to take a top water plug as well. We are also catching some nice snook around the mangroves and docks and a few tarpon as well. Needles to say, it is a pretty good time to get a line wet.
Redfish
We have a few schools of reds starting to work the flats here in Cocoa Beach. I wish I could tell you where they were hanging out but it has been different from day to day. One day the are working the skinny water in less than a foot and the next they are working the deeper edges of the flats in up to 4 feet. The trick has been to find the smaller schools of bait that are all over the flats. None of the reds we have caught have been near the larger schools of mullet.
Our best catches have come on the 3.25 FS Rip Roller and the 4.25 FS Original High Roller. Now that the water has become a little more stable we have sped up our retrieve and started try to make our bait look like something running. This works great with the larger fish as long as you keep it in front of them and make it look like something trying to get away.
Rattle Mullet has been the fly of choice around these fish. It has also been great on days when the puffers are all over the flats. It hasn't been rocket science. Stick it in front of them and strip fast. Trust me, they can catch up.
Trout
Our best trout bite has been in the early morning or in mid afternoon. All have been in the sandy pockets in areas where there is a lot of larger mullet. Our best luck has come on the 4.25 FS High Roller on calm days and the 4.25 Rip Roller on the windier days. When you are looking to catch big trout remember it is all about the long cast. I also try to always put the sun in my face so that the fish don't see us as well. Our best catches have come in 2 feet or less. The trick has been to pole in the deeper water and work the shallows.
On fly the ticket has been Bubble Heads. This is one of the most unique top water flies to hit the market in a while. It spits and sprays driving the trout crazy. When working any top water fly for trout make sure you make the fly make some noise. Most poppers imitate the sound of something striking the surface. With that in mind you want to make sure any trout within 4 or 5 feet feels she is missing out and needs to get get it before someone else does.
Tarpon and Snook
The snook have been working the docks of Cocoa Beach pretty good over the past few weeks. Our best catches have come in areas where the water is at least 3 feet or deeper under the dock. As the water warms up even more we will start to see more of them in shallower water. All of our fish have been in areas where there have been a lot of glass minnows or smaller mullet. We have caught a few on top water but most are being caught on small grubs or twitch baits.
The tarpon are tarpon. As normal they do what they want when they want. We may see a lot of them in one place then not again for a week. I think since the water is warming up they are starting to move around more in search of bait. Last year when they did this they all started moving out to the deeper edge of the flats near sandbars not to far from their winter holes.
Other stuff
Many of you have asked me over the years about the Fishing Lanyard I wear. I have started making them for the Fly Fisherman and they now have them in both stores. These make a great gift for the fisherman that has everything else. I now also have them on my website at this link Fishing Lanyards.
until next time.....
Get out there and catch a memory.
Capt. Doug Blanton
www.SightFishing.com
To book a trip with Capt Doug click here or call 321-432-9470
Cocoa Beach Fishing Guide
