Cocoa Beach Fishing Charters

Cocoa Beach Fishing Charters

Even for the Sunshine State, Cocoa Beach fishing is unique. The Indian River Lagoon and the Banana River Lagoon right next to each other along with the Mosquito Lagoon just to the north are world-famous redfish destinations. The barrier islands and inflow of freshwater from the Everglades makes the estuaries some of the most fertile fishing waters you can find. Shallow waters, plenty of grass and oyster bars make for a redfish heaven. Your chances of connecting with a giant red here are excellent thanks to Florida's South Zone slot limit. The slot means the biggest reds have to be released, which means they are ready to hit your hook. Cocoa Beach Fishing Charters can put you on the schools of big reds looking for a meal. Get the regs and latest updates on all Florida's saltwater fishing from the Fish & Wildlife Commission.

Cocoa Beach Inshore Fishing

Aside from the reds, the Cocoa Beach waters are full of speckled trout, black drum, snook and several snapper species for the sport fisherman looking for supper as well. Snook, pronounced like hook, are a particular favorite as they love to hammer topwater baits. All these fish eagerly take a variety of lures with grubs and shallow-running crankbaits topping the list. Live bait, shrimp, squid and pinfish, are also excellent choices. With a cast net, you can easily get all the live bait you will need in a few casts. Cocoa Beach Fishing charter captains often catch the live bait on the way out to fish. Locals also know a fish that few visitors ever catch, except by accident. Whiting, also known as croaker and weakfish (they are not weak), live along the beaches. These fish are common. They snatch up bits of shrimp and squid on small hooks. Best of all with a bag limit of 100 pounds per person and no size requirement, you can take home plenty of fillets to share with the folks back home. Although not the sportiest fish, they can be fun on light tackle. Their readiness to eat makes for a great target species to introduce kids to fishing as well.

The Inshore Beasts of Cocoa Beach

A lot of people think you have to go offshore to catch giants. You do not. Cocoa Beach has two inshore monsters that will test your determination. Both fisheries are strictly catch-and-release. The Silver Kings, tarpon, can be bigger than 100 pounds. These big-mouth fish explode out of the water when hooked, providing not only a major wrestling match, but a great air show at the same time. Tarpon hit artificials, live bait, cut bait and flies. For many anglers, a tarpon on a fly is second only to catching a bonefish on a fly. If that's not enough, then book a trip to try for the real monster in these waters, the goliath grouper. Once called the jewfish and fished nearly out of existence, these groupers have made a major comeback. Imagine bringing a 300-pound fish alongside the boat! You do have to match your setup to the fish. That means big reels, stout rods, heavy lines and big baits. Goliaths love to hang out around piles, points and structure. Though their tackle busting reputation and strict harvest regulations make them less frequently targeted, the fight, photos, and story make this beast a must-catch at some point in an angler’s lifetime.

Cocoa Beach Offshore Fishing

The Cocoa Beach area is home to several International Game Fish Association world record tripletails. The tripletail is so named because of the three fins on the very end of the fish. Chasing these fish is a matter of sight fishing, usually done while you are trolling for something else. Tripletails like to hover on their side at the surface. Your best bet for connecting with one is a live shrimp under a cork. Cast away from the fish and gently bring the bait closer. You are trying to attach their attention, not spook them. Big king mackerel, wahoo and barracuda are also common in these waters. Schooling baitfish at the top are a sure indicator that something big under the surface is pushing the prey up. Silver lures, imitating the silver-sided baitfish, are a guaranteed hookup with whatever is there. Your captain will often troll dusters tipped with a cigar minnow or ballyhoo and big crankbaits behind the boat to find the fish. Go deep for grouper and amberjack. These hard fighters prefer live baits with the groupers being less finicky than amberjack. Both can also be caught trolling lures with a downrigger. The Gulf Stream is just a few miles offshore and that brings all kinds of billfish like marlin, tuna and big sharks to the area. Expect to spend plenty of time holding a rod and reel after the hookup to fight one of these fish to the boat. A chum line is a good way to draw them in. Billfish are most easily caught pulling giant dusters or squid rigs.

Cocoa Beach Fishing Calendar

January

The offshore fishing year begins here with a great selection of fish to catch and eat. While the weather in some areas is cold and dreary, the average high and low temperatures here is 70 and 57. That means it is a great time to catch snapper, snook, wahoo, bonito or even dolphin (mahi-mahi). You don’t have to take a long boat ride to do it either.

February

Again, the weather is a drawing card for fishermen in this area. The variety of fish that can be caught may not be as broad as some fisheries, but the trip on the water is certainly worth it. Wahoo, mahi-mahi, cobia, snook and snapper are among the most popular catches. The fishing for amberjack is also heating up and barracuda is always a good option as are mackerel and shark. Snook are a good early season fish as well.

March

Mackerel, amberjack and redfish catches are good this month. Catches of yellowfin tuna, wahoo, marlin and grouper are starting to show up. Bonito and snapper are also in peak season as are snook. It’s a good time to stat catching some good messes of bluefish as well, especially inshore. Grouper fishing is also picking up and the shark fishing is good this time of the year.

April

Inshore fishing continues to be good for big bull redfish and the near-shore waters are great for bluefish as well. It’s a peak time to catch big mahi-mahi and snapper fishing is just starting to pick up. Mackerel, wahoo and amberjack are top targets and the yellowfin tuna season is getting into full swing.

May

It’s snook time around this area and some of the best fishing for redfish and speckled trout moves offshore. The yellowfin tuna bite is on for the summer as is the best season for wahoo. Mahi-mahi is one of the most popular species because of the fight and the table fare it provides once cleaned and prepared for dinner.

June

Bluefish schools are starting to move offshore for the summer and they join wahoo as a top target. It’s also time to chase a big marlin or a big shark offshore and while some of the trips go far away from land, that’s where the big ones are usually caught. Barracuda, amberjack, bonita and cobia can also add to the action. Grouper and snapper action is hot as well. This is a prime time for fishing here, so make your plans early and talk with your captain about all the options.

July

It’s more of the same this month with big grouper and snapper offering fast action and the prized big fish like marlin and sharks continue to bite. Wahoo, grouper, mackerel, tuna and barracuda provide fast action. The all-day trips offer the most variety and the best size for catches. Half-day trips are good for amberjack, barracuda, mahi-mahi and are often more family friendly, but if you can make the journey, far offshore trips are worth the effort and the price.

August

Big marlin are a top target this month. It’s a tough trip for inexperienced anglers, but you’ll be in for the fight — and memories — of your life. Big sharks also bite as well as yellowfin tuna and wahoo. Grouper fishing, amberjack, bonito, cobia, mahi-mahi, snapper and wahoo also add to the action. Speckled trout and redfish also provide lots of action as do black drum.

September

Some of the best fishing starts to show back up near shore this month. Mackerel, snapper, wahoo, mahi-mahi and cobia can be caught. Don’t overlook bluefish. Bluefish schools are on the move, but when you find them you are in for lots of action. There is also plenty of action for yellowfin tuna and shark. Barracuda also stay active and provide good action as well.

October

King and Spanish mackerel provide a bite that is worth taking a fishing trip for. Snapper and wahoo are still also active as are barracuda. Bluefish continue to roam in schools and move back to shallower water as the water cools. Cobia and grouper provide some good action as well.

November

Mahi-mahi is a good headliner for a trip this month, or you can still go big and try to hook up with a marlin or big shark. Yellowfin tuna also bite well this month. The variety of the spring months starts to show a bit here as well, with snapper, amberjack, barracuda, bonito and cobia showing up in the livewells.

December

A repeat of last month, there is a lot of variety from amberjack to bonito and cobia to big wahoo and mackerel. The fishing isn’t as crowded, but there’s plenty of action. Several varieties of snapper also contribute to the catch.

Book a Cocoa Beach Fishing Charter

Cocoa Beach Fishing charters can put you on the fish. The question is, are you tough enough to get one to the boat? Check out all of our Cocoa Beach area captains here.