# Melbourne Beach Fishing



## OneMoreCast (Oct 23, 2021)

I'll be there at the end of January and am looking to catch any (and as many) species as I can to add to the "life list". Nothing is too small or too odd for me, in salt or fresh. We'll be staying between the Indian River and ocean and have access to both.
I won't have a boat but might rent a kayak.
Any information about types of fish that might be catchable (even micros) and what type of areas and tactics for specific species that anyone would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated. A few fish that I know are local that I haven't caught but would like to are pompano, whiting, redfish.
Some things I wonder are should I focus on river or ocean that time of year? Is the river wadeable in that area? Are there any canals, creeks or ponds that might hold some oddballs (invasives) like down around Miami?
I always respect where I fish - catch and release and try to have minimal impact on the area.
Thanks in advance for any help.


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## TroutNreds12 (Jan 4, 2016)

I live 2 min from the water in melbourne. The area is very tough fishing these days. Not a lot of fish in the river anymore and water is super dirty right now. That being said the beach fishing is what I would do. I dont do it a lot but there are snook, pompano, whiting, redfish and alot of other fish here locally. You can also try to hit the canals early morning and fish the us1 bridges with a big swimbait or yozuri dart type lure for big snook at first light then hit the beach would be my plan. You can also wade the docks just over the causeways and possible catch some trout snook n reds but like I said it’s tough


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## TroutNreds12 (Jan 4, 2016)

May also be some small tarpon rolling in the canals dumping into river that time of year


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

Call Honest John's fish camp/ bait store. They rent kayaks, have bait, and its on the north end of the mullet creek area which is an area with multiple canals/ creeks through the mangroves. Lots of fish back in that area, trout, reds, snook, sheepshead, tarpon etc. 
Whiting will best be caught on the beach...spinning rod with shrimp, clam, or sand flea should nab a few pretty quickly right in the surfline
If you want to wade drive south on A1A over the sebastian inlet bridge about a mile...you can pull off the side of the road where the mangroves open up. Wade back to the Northwind the mangroves or go south and throw around the docks


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## Redtail (May 25, 2021)

You want to fish there in July, there will not be any Pompano at that time of year. Best bet surf fishing is whiting (year-round) snook, tarpon and sharks. As mentioned, the river has issues and the redfish stocks are in decline. Your best all-around bet to catch a variety of fish is Sebastian inlet. The Northwest corner used to offer wading near the mangroves but I have not visited there in several years. Do not attempt to kayak that inlet and don't wade out deep as that inlet is hazardous.


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## JohnnyTsu (Oct 30, 2012)

I would focus on the beach that time of year. While the pompano are not very abundant, whiting and croakers will be, as well as some schools of smaller baitfish. Snook, tarpon, jacks, mackerels, etc. will be feeding on them. Typically I head to the beach with a bucket, a pack of fishbites (of if they return sand fleas), and some small hooked dropper rigs. Catch a few whiting or croakers and freeline them right off the shore. 

But there are some wadeable flats. I catch lots of small snook under the docks along the shoreline in July.


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## OneMoreCast (Oct 23, 2021)

Thanks for all the help so far all. 

I had a typo on the original post that said I'd be there in July. I edited it to say end of January and it seems to have reverted somehow.
Anyway, I corrected it and I'll be there end of January. I know that makes a difference.


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## WeskiB (May 21, 2020)

My personal experience with the area is limited but I will say if you rented a kayak or not afraid to wade a little, try to find some long docks that head out to deep water and fish them using a typical saltwater soft plastic.


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## JohnnyTsu (Oct 30, 2012)

Honest Johns canal system will hold fish in the colder months. If you are lucky you can find pompano around spoil islands. Or cross the river and fish the creeks on the west shore.


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## TurboBonefish (Jun 12, 2021)

OneMoreCast said:


> Thanks for all the help so far all.
> 
> I had a typo on the original post that said I'd be there in July. I edited it to say end of January and it seems to have reverted somehow.
> Anyway, I corrected it and I'll be there end of January. I know that makes a difference.



January may find some pompano. Good advice on Johns for rentals. And after a good day on the water you can relax at Haru, a restaurant 5 miles north of MLB beach on A1A.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

May get some pompano in the surf in January...Whiting also.


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## OneMoreCast (Oct 23, 2021)

Great information, thanks all. Pompano, whiting and croakers on the ocean side sound great. That's three species I've never caught on a fly. What is the wading like in the river? We'll be staying on Ballard Cove. Mud bottom? Firm sand? Hazards or critters in there to look out for in that area? Since this is not really a fishing trip I'll most likely be fishing near where we're staying - in the river and across the small strip of land to the ocean.


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## TroutNreds12 (Jan 4, 2016)

You can wade the docks right there in Ballard cove nothing to worry about hard bottom work south towards pepper cove lots of snook around those docks. Maybe a few trout n reds too


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## OneMoreCast (Oct 23, 2021)

That sounds fantastic. It's bound to be better than the 8 degrees we're dealing with now!


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## TroutNreds12 (Jan 4, 2016)

Well it’s 29 here but it’s going to warm quick


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