Playalinda Beach In March

Fishing Playalinda Beach in March can be rewarding when the weather conditions permit.  The problem is that when conditions are stellar for surf fishing, the beaches get crowded, fast.

Saturday afternoon I decided to make a quick run to Playalinda Beach to get a fishing report from the gatekeepers and see how many surf fishermen were taking advantage of the beautiful weather.

I left the house after noon and drove up to the Playalinda Beach entrance shortly after.   

The refuge ranger I spoke with said that the surf fishermen were making good catches of whiting, bluefish and pompano at lots #8 and #10 so I headed to the beach to check it out.

I stopped briefly at Eddy Creek and found that the fishing pier that was damaged during the last hurricane was totally rebuilt and some fishermen were taking advantage of it.  

Lot #10 had several vehicles in the parking area and when I got to the top of the boardwalk, all of them seemed to be sunbathers.  Nobody was fishing the surf so I moved down to lot #8.

Lot #8 had about the same number of people on the beach but again, nobody was fishing so I couldn't get a first hand fishing report.  

I stopped at three other lots on the way out of the Canaveral National Seashore and found many more sunbathers but no fishermen.  

The tide was going out so either the fishermen left the beach after fishing the incoming tide, they departed when the beach became crowded, or the fishing reports were so bad that nobody bothered wetting a line today.  I can't believe the latter.

On the way out of Playalinda Beach, I stopped at a couple of the scenic Vistas to toss a Chug Bug smeared with some Pro-Cure around the clear flats.  

At Vista 6, I spotted several fish busting the surface and although I had a couple of followups, I had no aggressive hits on my bait.

When I finally left the beach, I drove up to Haulover to check out the fishing there.   Bairs Cove boat launch was slammed.  Trailers overflowed to the entrance leaving little room for the bank fishermen to pull over and fish, but they managed.

There were fishermen on the banks of both sides of the canal dunking a variety of baits, mostly shrimp, and a couple of the guys I spoke with said they were catching redfish, black drum, stingrays, and lots of catfish.  

I tossed a gold Johnson Sprite into the canal in a couple of areas but never got a hit, so I took a few pics of the scenery and headed back home to get something to eat.

Probably get out this week to give it a try when not so many people are around.

Till next time,

Tight Lines

Bio Lab Road Is Now Open To Vehicle Traffic

Karen and I took Elmo and Odie for a quick spin around Bio Lab Road this afternoon.

We were looking for a good spot to launch our Kayaks on the Mosquito Lagoon, and as we drove into the launch area at Bio Lab Road, we were pleased to see that the road was now open to vehicle traffic.

Bio Lab road is now ONE WAY ONLY from the entrance at the boat launch to the last road before Playalinda Beach, but even though there were signs posted; we still came upon one idiot who insisted on driving in the other direction..

The last time I spoke with the Refuge Manager, Layne Hamilton, I was told that both Bio Lab road and Peacocks Pocket road could be permanently closed to vehicle traffic due to funding problems, however we both hoped that because of the extensive shoreline access, Bio Lab would open some time in the future.

I'm glad to report that they have done a great job at opening up the shoreline to bank fishing, wading and shallow water boating.  In addition, they have opened up a few spots for parking and easy access to launching a kayak or wading.

The water in the flats this afternoon was crystal clear, and I spotted several nice pods of mullet within easy casting range of the road.

I tossed a Chug Bug to some trout that I spotted busting on the surface, and had one decent hit that I missed because of an early strike.  But, the ride this afternoon was mainly for the "boys", not for fishing.

Karen and I ran the road to Playalinda Beach and saw several fly fishermen tossing flies around the ditches on both sides of the road for snook or sea trout, but I didn't stick around to see if they were catching anything.

We drove all the way past lot #13 to the turn around, and then into Eddy Creek, which is another great spot to launch our kayaks.

The improved access to shoreline fishing and the crystal clear water in the southern Mosquito Lagoon along Bio Lab road will probably attract a gaggle of visitors to the area.

I just hope the public doesn't screw up access to this great area by littering, etc. like they did to Haulover Canal, Shiloh Road, etc.

Only time will tell.

Tight Lines and bent rods to you all.

Christmas Eve On Playalinda Beach

I didn't expect to spend Christmas Eve on Playalinda Beach but that's exactly where I was this afternoon.

Because of some health problems I've had, I have been spending time at home recuperating instead of going fishing at my usual spots and this afternoon I couldn't spend another hour at home, so I decided to hit Playalinda Beach to see how the surf fishermen were doing.

The tide was out when I hit the entrance and when I asked the attendant if she had any fishing reports, she told me that this past week the surf fishermen were catching Whiting and Pompano.

She suggested fishing lots #3 and #10 so I thanked her for the information and headed to the beach.

I passed an energetic gopher tortoise tripping down the road and a gator at the first curve to the beach but no humans.

When I stopped at lot #3 to see if there were any fishermen on the beach, I only saw a couple of family groups making the best of an overcast day.    The surf was up and I was surprised that no surfers were in the area.

I decided not to fish the spot and headed toward lot # 10.  As I passed Eddy Creek I was surprised to see no cars in the lot so I parked and pulled out my tackle.

I set up a couple of sand spikes along a trough and baited up with fresh dead shrimp on one rod and finger mullet on the second.

 

The waves were strong this afternoon and there was a good rip current just past the first trough that required a 6 oz. sinker to hold bottom.

I started out fishing my Okuma bait runner rod with a finger mullet and a 4 oz. sinker.  That didn't last more than one cast.  Added an ounce per cast until I finally got the bait to hold on the bottom just past the first trough.

I had mono on the other surf rod I brought along so I tied up a two drop leader with a couple of small circle hooks and started fishing with a 4 oz. pyramid sinker.

I baited the second rod with small pieces of peeled shrimp and tossed the rig out just past the breakers.

The fishing was slow but the company was great.  Some gulls, terns, sandpipers and a snipe were all interested in my shrimp.

 

I kept getting hits on the finger mullet but whatever was biting kept chopping off the baits up to the head.  It could have  been bluefish or mackerel but I never landed a fish on that rig today.

I did manage to hook and release a few small whiting on the peeled shrimp.  They were all about the size of the fish below.

 

All the whiting I caught this afternoon were literally by accident.  I never felt a bite on any of the fish I landed but the small circle hooks did their job.

Fishing the surf during windy conditions is tough enough but when a strong rip current is included in the scenario, feeling a bite is next to impossible.

I didn't get to the beach until around 4:00 pm this afternoon and even though the tide was coming in, I decided to head for home at around 5:30 pm.  I probably could have caught some more whiting but I got tired of fighting the current.

I took the long drive home via Bio Lab Road and saw several people wade fishing the flats.

Next time I'll bring along a "river rod", just in case I decide to fish the lagoon.

Till next time, Tight Lines to your all and have a Merry Christmas.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Is Closed Again

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is closed again for whatever reason.

I finally got a chance to get out of the house and do some fishing this afternoon and when I got to Gator Creek road was faced with a barrier.

East Gator Creek Road and Peacocks Pocket road were also closed so I continued to the Canaveral

National Seashore to see if it was open for visitors.

When I drove up to the guard shack and inquired about the closure, the ranger on duty said they had a burn in the area which is why he thought the area was barriered off.

I asked him if he had any fishing reports on beach fishing and was told that lots #10 and #11 were "hot" and the surf fishermen were catching nice size whiting and pompano on sand fleas and peeled shrimp.

As luck would have it, I didn't have a surf rod with me.

I packed three spinning rods and my 9 weight fly rod with some gotchas and poppers.

I asked him if Bio Lab road was open and he said he had taken down the barrier earlier in the morning.

I decided to drive down to the beach and check out the lots and then drive through Bio Lab road to fish the Mosquito Lagoon around the Whale Tail flats.

I stopped at lot #2 where there some vehicles and took a few pics of the deserted beach. 

A lone fisherman was dunking shrimp and wasn't catching anything so I moved on.


The lots were all virtually empty this afternoon.  It could have been because of the bad weather or just lack of interest.

Anyway, except for a couple of guys at the Eddy Creek fishing pier and some folks at lot #9, the area was empty.

I entered Bio Lab road from the beach road and stopped at the closed flats where I could wade out and fish the potholes.

I fished with a gold spoon and a jerk bait and only had one light hit on the plastic.

The wind started whipping up when I was out about a hundred yards or so and the waves started getting higher, so I made my way back to the truck and tried to warm up a bit.

A couple of other guys were fishing the area with no luck, and there was a lot of vehicle traffic on the road checking out the scenery.  I thought this was unusual for Bio Lab, anyway the wind got stronger so I made a quick run around the Boy Scout camping area and headed for home.

When I got close to Titusville, I decided to make one last stop in an area where I sometimes jump small Tarpon.

I pulled up and took a spinning rod with a gold Johnson's Sprite spoon and slowly waded out into the shallows.

Several fish were rolling on the surface so I started casting in front of  them to see if I could scrounge up a bite.

I had a tap from an unknown fish and two casts later a hookup with a two foot ladyfish.  The fish nailed the spoon and put up a dazzling fight jumping all over the place.

I landed and released the nice fish and continued casting.

I missed two more ladyfish before landing another that was over two feet long.

Several casts later got me a brief hookup with one of the rolling Tarpon.  The fish hit the spoon and made one jump that sent the spoon back at me.

I continued casting for another half hour or so and never got another hit so I waded back to the truck and headed for the house.

Hopefully the refuge will open soon.

Till next time, Tight Lines.

Pelican Island In The Mosquito Lagoon

The Whales Tail area of the Mosquito Lagoon is noted for the resident schools of big redfish, sea trout and an occasional tarpon.

However, Pelican Island which is seldom talked about is also a great area to fish and is usually free from competition.

The best way to access both areas is from the Eddy Creek boat ramp off of Playalinda Beach.

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With a Ghenoee, kayak or a shallow draft flats boat, you can access the southernmost reaches of the Mosquito Lagoon where there is relatively little fishing pressure.

From Eddy Creek you can go south west to Pelican Island or due south to a smaller (unnamed) Island and can get in some great fishing for big redfish or sea trout on the flats around both Islands.

There is a deeper area just west of Pelican Island that holds a lot of redfish, slot size and larger sea trout and sometimes tarpon.

To get to Eddy Creek, follow the road through the pay station at the Canaveral National Seashore all the way north on the beach access road past parking lot #7.

The parking area for Eddy Creek is on the left side of the road just after the #7 beach parking area.

At Eddy Creek there is a small fishing dock at the boat launch that is usually occupied however, the shorelines along the southern edge of the cove are great for wade fishing.

Fish live a shrimp under a Cajun Thunder bobber for redfish, sea trout, and a variety of other species such as mangrove snapper, sheepshead, black drum and even an occasional gag grouper.

You never know what's going to hit in this area.

My wife and I have had good luck fishing both in the cove and out on the lagoon from our old 16' canoe. We never tried taking out our Maverick flats boat but I'll probably give it a try when I get it back from the shop.

The last time we went out she picked up several bluefish, a whiting, some sea trout and missed a nice redfish.

Outgunned again!

A friend of mine asked me about fishing in the area which is why I'm devoting time for a reply.

We didn't get a chance to get any fishing in today because of yard work but tomorrow is another day.

Till then.

Tight Lines!

A Nice Day For Redfish

After almost getting skunked yesterday, Karen and I almost didn't bother going fishing today.

However, after I finished up with some chores, we decided to try some other areas we that we haven't fished in a while.

Since I had a lifetime pass to Playalinda Beach and hadn't been to the beach lately, we decided to check out the fishing and possibly catch some whiting if the conditions were right.

The weather was beautiful but the wind was whipping up the waves. A perfect day for surfers but not for fishermen.

We stopped first at lot #6 where I took these pics. There were virtually no fishermen in the area but lots of bathers and surfers.

We drove on to Eddy Creek and saw only a few catfish and small trout being caught so we moved on up to lot #9 where the fishermen usually catch fish.

I took these pics and after talking to some of the guys who were fishing, decided to pass on the surf fishing.

When the tide was coming in some nice bull whiting were being caught, but as the waves became more difficult to fish, almost everyone was "packing it in" for the afternoon.

These guys were the exception and were still catching whiting.

Elmo was getting antsy, so I took some pics of the last space shuttle that will ever launch from this pad and decided to take Bio Lab road along the Mosquito Lagoon out to our next spot.

I stopped to net some finger mullet for bait but couldn't get close enough for a good cast. I foolishly tried one half hearted cast into the wind at a school that wasn't nearly close enough before giving up and moving on up the road.

As we got close to the Bio Lab boat launch, we saw a group of fishermen who were thoroughly enjoying themselves out in the Mosquito Lagoon,lounging on their chairs and fishing with live finger mullet.

I just had to take this pic.

I was about to call it a day but Karen wanted to give one of our spots on the Indian River one last try if it wasn't too windy to cast.

As we came into Catfish Creek Loop I managed to net enough finger mullet for bait at one of the culverts.

We drove on up the road to the spot where she wanted to fish.

Karen stayed with her dead shrimp and bobber combo while I tossed out two live finger mullet baits. One was free lined and the other held on bottom with a 1 oz. sliding sinker rig.

As a car came by, Karen called me to make sure that Elmo was in the car.

I went to the car but he wasn't anywhere. I quickly realized that Elmo was still sitting where I netted the finger mullet for bait.

Karen was frantic and threw her rod into the truck as I backed down the road.

About 20 yards down the road I saw Elmo looking to find us. I opened the door and he flew into the truck with an incredulous look on his face that we would actually leave him like that.

After scolding him for not staying in the truck we moved back to our spot where my rods were still out.

Despite the wind, it was only about 10 minutes before a nice fat redfish picked up the freelined mullet bait and headed upstream.

After a really decent fight, I Boca Gripped the fish to the bank, took some pics and returned the fish to fight another day.

The fish measured in just over the slot at 29".

As I put on another mullet I heard Karen yell that she had a good redfish on.

I pulled out my trusty Nikon camera and took these videos of her landing a 31" redfish. As they say; "A picture is worth a thousand words".


These two fish made up for the lousy fishing we had on Friday.

After I put her fish back, I walked back to where my other rod was and lost another redfish.

Since I hadn't bothered to bring any aireation along, the mullet I netted were all dead. So, I hooked up a 7" mullet and punched some holes in its guts to get the juices flowing and pitched it into another area where I saw a fish swirl.

After about 5 minutes or so I hooked onto another nice fat redfish that put up a good fight. This fish was just at the slot and almost made it to the dinner table tonight.

Instead I opted to put the fish back to fight another day.

Karen and I were getting eaten up by the mosquitoes and it was getting late, so we decided to head on up the road and call it a day.

The full moon over the Space Center will probably keep the reds eating throughout the night.

Anyway, it was A Nice Day For Redfish and today's fishing excursion definitely made up for yesterday's less than stellar trip.

I'm not sure I can get out tomorrow so until next time, Tight Lines to you all.

Playalinda Beach Fishing Report

Playalinda Beach is perhaps one of the most pristine beaches on the East Central coast of Florida.

The surf fishing in this area is better than average because of the deeper sloughs in several of the areas and the Eddy Creek boat launch offers shallow water boaters the opportunity to hit some of the better know fishing spots in the Mosquito Lagoon.

Whales Tail and Cucumber Island are easily accessible and normally hold good numbers of slot sized and over redfish and sea trout.

In addition, there are several "holes" that harbor gag grouper if you know where to fish for them.

On the way to pick up some groceries, I called a friend of mine in Georgia and we discussed among other things, surf fishing. He loves to surf fish when he gets a chance to visit both Playalinda Beach and Patric AFB below Coco Beach.

The talk about surf fishing got me to change plans, so I headed for the beach to purchase a Federal Park pass.

Expecting to pay the $35.00 annual rate, I was surprised to find out that I qualified for a Senior Pass that is lifetime and only costs $10.00. I also discovered that the pass allows entry to any Federal National Park. However, you need to be 62 in order to qualify for it.

The ranger at the park said that the surf fishing was good for pompano and whiting, so I decided to make a run to Eddy Creek and check out some of my old spots.

Stopping first at Eddy Creek, I talked to a fisherman who was just coming in from a morning's trip to see how he fared.

He reported that he caught 8 redfish around the slot and one redfish near Cucumber Island that measured about 38"; all by sight fishing. All were caught on a light colored DOA CAL jerk bait.

He said the fish were skittish because of all the guides bait fishing for them, but that they were catchable if you practiced a "stealthy" approach.

Some people on the wooden dock were just having fun catching croaker and pinfish while a kayaker was doing the same in the shallows of the creek.

I moved to three different parking lots to see how the surf fishing was doing and at #8 found everyone ready to head home.

Lots #8, #9, and #10 are usually better for fishing because of the beach contour and the fact that less swimmers frequent this area.

The tide was almost full and the surf was rough. The guys I talked to said they needed 6oz. in order to hold bottom and they still missed fish. Despite the rough surf, there was one guy out about 300 yards in a kayak having a ball fishing!

Contrary to the information I got from the ranger at the entrance; everyone I spoke with said that the pompano had not been biting well for the past 3 weeks however, the whiting and croaker were "hot".

Everyone I spoke with caught whiting, "sailors choice", and some croaker. One guy had an undersized redfish that he returned to the surf.

After taking some pics that you can see here, I decided to get on with my grocery shopping so I could get out and do some fishing in the afternoon.

Hope the info helps some of you surf fishing addicts out!

Till next time, Tight Lines!