PORT CANAVERAL-COCOA BEACH-ORLANDO ORLANDO AND COCOA BEACH-OFFSHORE-The spring run of dolphin is beginning to get better here as well. Anglers are finding fish in the 10 to 25 pound range in the 160 to 350-foot depths on most days. Tolled ballyhoo or slow trolled live baits near weeds and rips is the place to find them. Amberjack catches remain a solid bet on the wrecks in the 180 to 250-foot depths for anglers using live baitfish or glow colored deep jigs with a baitfish tipped on the hook. Gag grouper catches are getting better in these same depths as well. The gags usually hold below the AJ's, so getting to them can sometime be a problem if you're fishing over wrecks and not natural reef bottom. Closer to the beaches tarpon, jack, and bonito are possible near glass minnow pods in the 20 to 45-foot depths. ORLANDO AND COCOA BEACH-INSHORE-Small tarpon are holding in some of the residential canals in Satellite Beach, Cocoa Beach, and Merritt Island. Small flies that imitate minnows or shrimp can be effective on them, and live fingerling mullet or small pilchards are a good choice as well. Redfish and trout catches are fair in the Banana River at this time. Look for mullet schools and any sort of ground cover on the flats that may give these fish a place to hide and ambush baits from. Jack and ladyfish are following glass minnows in the Indian River near the Melbourne and Grant areas. Schools of tarpon and jack crevalle can be found along the beaches in the 20 to 40-foot depths right now. Live mullet, pilchards, or greenies are your best bait choices for these fish. SOUTH OF ORLANDO AND COCOA BEACH-Trout, jack, redfish, and snook can be found near mangrove covered shorelines and docks in the Vero through Palm Bay areas of the Indian River. Look for places that have ample amounts of baitfish nearby. Live baits are working best but soft plastic jigs and swim baits like the Storm 360 GT are great search baits for locating these fish. Baby tarpon to about 30-pounds are possible in the Sebastian River for anglers using small streamer flies. Until next time....Catch a memory!! Captain Jim Ross
Cocoa Beach redfish
