December was a hot month compared to years past with temps in the 80s much of the month. The trout have really rebounded well this fall from Melbourne Beach to Sebastian and Vero Beach. We have had many days of catching 50+ trout per trip. The fish on average are pretty small the last few weeks with several keeper fish every day. Fishing docks and spoil islands from Palm Bay south to Sebastian have produced good numbers of Trout, bluefish and jack crevalle as well as a few pompano. To target the trout I like to use the Rapala Flat Rap 8 and Storm Twitch stick hard baits and for soft plastics I like to use DOA CAL paddle tails or 4’ jerk bait rigged on a VMC Boxer jighead and work the drop offs of the spoil islands and the deeper docks for the biggest concentrations of trout.
The Pompano bite has been off so far this year but is getting better as the water cools off with the last few cold fronts. As we get the colder water temps and the water cleans up the Pompano should start to feed on a more consistent basis. There have been fish in Sebastian Inlet as well as along the Melbourne and Eau Gallie Causeways and the Wabasso Causeway relief bridges with Doc’s Goofy jig or DOA Shrimp.
The flounder bite has been ok in the inlet so far but when the cold fronts hit, the fish should move in there pretty good. Fish with live finger mullet on a short 15-20lb leader and a sliding sinker just heavy enough to keep the bait on the bottom. Fish near the channel edges or on the edges of the rocks along the shoreline on the north and south sides of the inlet. Anglers wanting to jig for flounder can use a 1/2oz to 3/4oz bucktail or DOA CAL paddle tail with a strip of mullet or pinfish. Jig the sandy bottom in the inlet to pick up good numbers of flounder in January.
The trout should also move into the creeks during the colder weather and as the salinity rises due to the decrease in rain. I like to fish all of the creeks from north Melbourne to Sebastian for good action on Jacks, Trout and Ladyfish and some snook with Storm Twitch Stick or Rapala XRaps or DOA Shrimp and Terror Eyez. The ladyfish will eat anything you throw their way.
Sebastian Inlet has been pretty good this month with the warm weather with plenty of Snook and Redfish as well as Jack Crevalle.