Captain Greg's Fishing Report for December 2017
Port Canaveral, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Orlando
Last Month's Action
November was a drastic improvement over October but it was nowhere close to what I was expecting. We were still plagued most of the month with relentless wind and rough seas. The nearshore action was decent but when compared to the last couple years it was poor. The big red drum kept us entertained but the bite was very random. It was all about soaking baits and waiting. The sharks didn’t cooperate at all and the few we caught were very small. The light tackle action was good for those who weren’t after big guys only. Drum, sheepshead and flounder were abundant along with a very good snook bite for those willing to fish late into the night. Offshore action was good on the days the ocean didn’t fight us. The very few calm days we had produced nice catches of king mackerel, mahi and bottom fish but nothing was really consistent because the dirty water never really went away.
December Near Shore Fishing Forecast
I’m still unwilling to give up on the big red drum making a strong appearance. I think if we get more than 2 consecutive days of calm seas we will be able to find them congregated between the False Cape and Patrick. All the good near shore action we have had from flounder, sheep head, small red and black drum, snook, jack crevalle and little mangroves should remain very good with the cooler temperatures and calmer seas. We should also start seeing more pompano in the mix. Live shrimp will be the way to go and don’t worry about paying for hand picks. The small to medium size shrimp give you a much better hook up ratio with the exception of snook. You need hand picks or a big live bait for snook. I suggest using a sliding sinker rig with a #2 kale style hook. I also suggest using leader material about 5 to 10 lb breaking strength less than your main line. This allows you to only loose the hook when you snag up instead of the entire rig. The spanish mackerel are here big time. Trolling or casting small spoons into the schools of fish will provide instant action. The sharks have showed up big time with the spanish, blue fish, threadfins and pogies. I know I said it last month and missed the mark a little but the near shore action for December will be game on. Triple tail will show in full force and they will be on every piece of trash or weed that is bigger than a bucket lid. I am late on getting my report out so this is not a prediction. It is happening right now and is game on.
December Offshore Fishing Forecast
This is truly the month that I have been waiting for since August. Let’s start off with the bread and butter, king mackerel. The king fish are here right now. When we zig zag the reef the mid water column is lighting up and we are catching a few. The water now has no choice but to clean up and in the next day or so when it does the king fish will fire. No need for live bait because school size kings will bite and sometimes prefer something that can be pulled faster such as a cigar minnow or pogie strip. When the water cleans up the live bait will produce larger fish and more variety but is not necessary for a great catch. The mixing of fish will begin as these kings start to feed and frenzy. Sailfish, black fin tuna, wahoo, sharks and cobia will all be right in the mix. Finally easy fishing is here and that is the best Christmas gift ever. Unfortunately amberjacks are closed until January 1st so that really cuts the legs from under those who want to deep water bottom fish. The groupers are here but are very few and far between. The best bet for bottom fishing will be 70 to 120 ft for stringer fish such as trigger fish and lane snapper. You will also find a few muttons and mangroves ready to cooperate at this depth. In all honesty unless you want to try specifically for grouper there is absolutely no reason to go past 100ft in search of a great day of fishing,
About Captain Greg's Reports and Forecast
Captain Greg has been fishing the waters of Port Canaveral and the Atlantic for over 30 years. He has the largest and most highly rated private charter business in Port Canaveral, Sea Leveler Sport Fishing Charters. Greg and his team of full time captains fish well over 200 days each per year. We have kept detailed catch history for every trip ran since 2010. You can access this history at www.sealeveler.com/reports. His engineer wife, Amber, has analyzed the catch history along with other historical data such as water temperature and weather patterns. Greg uses his fishing experience and knowledge along with his wife’s statistical analysis to bring you the best fishing report available for Port Canaveral. Greg will give you the honest truth on how the fishing has been along with his best prediction of what to expect by using all of this information.