Fall is for Fishing in Florida's Space Coast

With the change of seasons now upon us, Brevard County anglers can expect plenty of Fall fishing opportunities to take advantage not only of the comfortable weather, but the schools of fish migrating our coast.  

Take a break from the couch, record that football game to watch later, and get out for Florida fishing adventures in the Space Coast.  Early morning is often the best time, so you will have time to relax later, but get out over the water to take advantage of the day. 

Be sure to read our article on Fishing Sebastian Inlet for not only our top pick of the week, but great information for other fishing tips for this top destination in Brevard County as well.  King Mackerel is our week's highlight here, but certainly not the only top performer of the area during the Fall and early Winter months along the Space Coast shoreline.

Space Coast Fish of the Week-King Mackerel

KIng Mackerel Features:

• Color of back iridescent bluish green, sides silvery.
• Streamlined body with tapered head.
• No black pigment on front of the first dorsal fin.
• Lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin.
• Young fish often have yellowish spots like those of Spanish mackerel.

Size: Common to 20 pounds and a popular catch of Florida's Sebastian  Inlet along with the entire Space Coast area.

Habitat: Nearshore and offshore; occasionally taken from piers running into deep water.

Notes: Schooling fish that migrates from South Florida waters in winter to more northerly waters in spring.  Gulf population thought to be separate   from Atlantic population, with considerable mixing in the winter months from Cape Canaveral in the North to past Key West.  The King Mackerel Spawns in mid-summer offshore. 

Kings feed on small fish and squid and take both natural and artificial baits. Live baits include pogies, herring, Spanish sardine, ballyhoo, and mullet. Lures should be flashy sub-surface lures or large fish-like plugs. Use 20-pound line and tackle, or heavier for larger kings, with a wire or mono leader.

The following Fall fishing article is provided by Gone Coastal from the FWC and is being posted here on Space Coast Florida for those interested in fishing Florida's Space Coast area.  There are some great recommendations included for anglers throughout Florida, so be sure to check it out.

Article from Gone Coastal

Finally, the hot and humid days of summer are behind us and, for the first time in a while, you can get out on the water in perfect comfort. For me, fall brings to mind big smoker kings, grouper on the shallow reefs and reds that are way, way over the slot limit. I also think about the smell of smoked mullet and the taste of that first Florida stone crab claw of the season, which opens on Oct. 15 each year.
Now, if you’re one of those who have to winterize the boat because college football dominates every weekend or you’re at home changing baby diapers like fellow FWC staffer Dan Ellinor (Congrats, Dan!), I totally understand – but you will be missing some of the hottest fishing action of the year.
As the water temperatures drop, gag grouper move back to the shallow water ledges and reefs. When this happens, they are generally hungry, and nothing tugs better than a grouper on a short string. With the reality that gag season will be closing in the Gulf on Nov. 1, for many of us, this will be the last opportunity to see a fresh one hit the plate for quite a while.
Cooling water also signals the kings to head back south for the winter. The first ones to come through are generally the big smokers, and nothing tops off a grouper trip like a 40-pound king on a spinning rod. If you’re out there, free-line live bait, cigar minnow or menhaden down-current and let him soak while you’re bottom fishing. If a king doesn’t see it first, you also stand a great chance of hooking into a cobia or an oversized red drum. Red drum travel offshore in large groups this time of year, and they aren’t picky about what’s for dinner.
On several occasions, I have seen four or five rods bend over almost simultaneously when they pass by. That will create some chaos in the boat, especially when everyone has their hands full and one red drum hits the free line too!
On grass flats, trout fishing can also be phenomenal this time of year. If you prefer to fish artificial baits, trout can be caught on a fly, jig, spoon, top-water plug and just about any shallow-diving plug in your box. Live shrimp under a popping cork can also produce steady action, if the pinfish and grunts aren’t stealing every shrimp you put out there.
For the patient fisherman who would rather sit back and watch a cork, a live pinfish or grunt is probably the best way to land a “gator” trout (spotted seatrout) of 5 pounds or better. Just remember: one fish over the 15-20 inch slot is the limit, and it’s never a bad idea to put a big one back for next time.
October and November are also the best months of the year to catch a net full of mullet as they form massive schools and head out of rivers and creeks to spawn. Florida’s recreational bag limit of 50 per person means you can smoke up a huge batch for the next tailgating opportunity. Just prior to spawning, mullet are also loaded with fat, which makes them perfect for smoking.
Throwing a cast net that is big enough and heavy enough to effectively catch mullet requires practice. I recommend starting with a lighter bait net and learning from a dock where elevation is on your side. Throwing a heavy cast net is a lot like hitting a golf ball. There are a lot more “wrong” ways to do it than there are “right” ways to do it. And, when you get it wrong, “bananas” will happen (when the net doesn’t open up all the way), and that can be frustrating! If you have ever played golf or thrown a cast net, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
So catch the big game on the radio while you’re catching big fish, and don’t forget to help us gather data by recording your catch at snookfoundation.org or by using the iAngler phone app. We’d also love your photos! Email them to Alan.Peirce@MyFWC.com.