January 2019 Port Canaveral Florida Fishing Report

2018 might have started slow but December did not disappoint. The near shore action was fantastic with red drum, pompano, sheepshead, triple tail and sharks. The offshore fishing was stellar! Holy pelagic’s, king mackerel, black fin tuna, wahoo, sail fish, and cobia. We were only missing the mahi. Bottom fishing was just blah but that is bottom fishing standard anymore unfortunately. Unless you are just looking to catch. If that is the case the red snapper didn’t disappoint and the trigger fish, lane snapper and vermilion snapper provided great table fare.

Triple tail and big black drum will be the top targets this month. The triple tail are already here in full force and with the numbers of fish we are already seeing it will only get better. This is a small boat game so by no means charter us to go beat on triple tail. You need to get hooked up with Captain Alex Hughey of All Water Adventures. If targeting the triple tail in your own boat make sure you get to the ramp in the dark, pick a buoy any buoy and drop down hand pick shrimp on a sturdy jig head. You won’t have to wait long. The big black drum will be no secret, just ride south until you find the black mass over a acre big and throw anything. Heck for giggles try and throw a hot dog or green bean on the hook and see what happens. Pompano, sheep head and whiting will remain strong. The big bull red drum are still here since it looks like our pogy pods decided to show up for the new year and the big spinner sharks are with them along with the occasional cobia.

Let’s go catch a sail fish! This is what everyone should want to do in January. Here is how you do it. Buy 3 dozen small ballyhoo, 2 big teasers, islander skirts and fancy gloves. Load up on your boat and then throw all that crap into the garbage. Cast net a couple dozen pogies if you have a small well or stuff them if you have a large well. The most important thing is that they are lively. Have a $20 box of cigar minnows and a few c&h king busters “whatever color you like” just in case you can’t find the pogies. Go to Pelican Flats or 8a reef or anywhere that looks fishy and give it a try. Don’t be afraid to try fishing color changes just offshore the Canaveral shoal or a few miles inside Pelican Flats. Use a wire stinger rig with J or Treble hooks or a combination and start slow trolling with your pogies or your frozen cigar minnow skirt combination. Wha La! King fish, cobia, black fin tuna, wahoo and sail fish will all be right their readily available for your fish catching pleasure. If you choose to suck all the fun out of it then pull all that stuff out of the trash. Mono rig your ballyhoo, set up your teasers, pull a 5 rod spread with your islanders on the windy side and increase your odds at a sail fish. Both methods work great the choice is yours. If bottom fishing is your thing then honestly your best bet is to leave your boat parked at the house, don’t private charter, just go have some good ol fashion party boat fishing fun aboard the Ocean Obsession. You need a lot of bait in the water to fire up the mangrove snapper, trigger fish, lane snappers and mutton snappers. Put your heavy bottom gear away until May. Happy New Year everyone. 2019 will show us some epic fishing.

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.