February 2026 Fishing Forecast

Ok gang, every year there are certain events that happen that I try to predict in advance for this fishing 4-cast so that you all can get out and catch more fish. However, their are many times that even us so called “professionals” don’t get it exact right. Obviously my crystal ball isn’t 100 percent correct all of the time. Maybe it needs a tune up. Lol!

Things like the giant black drum schooling up, spring Cobia run, June tarpon run, fall mullet run, and winter pompano run aren’t things you can pin down to a certain day of the month, but most of the time we can at least predict the month they will begin in. Hopefully, I can achieve at least a 90 percent efficiency rating for you all after doing this report for the past 25 years.

I was just telling my clients for the day on a trip last week after catching a bunch of small trout and a couple of ladyfish, that the big uglies (giant black drum) were probably going to show up in a few weeks. So if they had a chance to come back out with me then we may have a shot at catching some much larger fish than the ones we had landed that morning. Just 5 minutes after saying this I spotted something unusual about 500 yards up the flat. It was exactly what I had just been talking about- a 300 fish school of 30 to 50-pound black drum.

The fish in this big school were happy! You could see them tailing and waking as they pushed their way down the flat. We eased up to them, cast our shrimp in their direction, and as you figured, the battles were on. All three anglers were hooked up to huge drum that had absolutely no respect for them. Drags screened, rods doubled over, dozens of yards of line dumped off their reels. Grunts and groans were heard between laughter and smiles as they worked to tire these beasts. The boat deck looked like a country bar dance floor as anglers shuffled and two-stepped under and over each other in an effort to keep their lines from crossing and losing their prized catches.

We ended up extending the trip from a 3/4 day to a full day outing because each fish took 15 to 25-minutes to land. The moral of the story? Don’t ever count on fish to be where you think they will be. But, don’t ever think that it’s not quite the right time to possibly catch them either. The bottom line is just go fishing every chance you get. That is the only way that you can be sure to catch your next memory. So the black drum are hear now! These fish are huge and if we find a school you can bet they will try there best to tire your arms and crush your will. If you all didn’t know, I have a frequent angler program. They’ll be more details on this to follow in one of my upcoming email blast. This program allows you to book four or more trips per year and be eligible for a sizeable discount off the price of each trip. So don’t wait for my next report, book your charters today. Even if you don’t know exactly when you would like to go fishing, by leaving a deposit for at least four trips, you get these discounts and we can figure out the dates you want to fish on later. If you have already booked a few trips with me this January or February those past trips count toward the yearly totals. So why wait? Book four or more trips for the year- today! That way we can get out there and go catch your next memory!

Book Your Next Fishing Adventure Today!

Ready to reel in your next big catch? Join Capt. Jim Ross and the team at Fineline Fishing Charters for a thrilling day on the water. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or new to fishing, we’ll help you create lasting memories in the world-class waters of Port Canaveral.