November 2018 Port Canaveral Florida Fishing Report

October got everything back on track for us to have a stellar ending to 2018. We did battle sea conditions but the big red drum, sharks and snook made near shore fishing a blast. When we were able to get offshore we had a very good variety. Lots of nice cobia, mahi, king mackerel and black fin tuna were caught along with some decent bottom fishing action.

I am very thankful for November and that is not just a Thanksgiving pun. We had a little scare with red tide but the cool weather came just in time to save us from major disaster. We will see great catches of black drum, pompano and whiting along the surf, jetties and basins. The snook fishing will remain very good on the tide changes. The big red drum and smaller to medium size sharks will also be game on. Live shrimp on a sliding sinker rig or a high low rig will be the bait of choice in the surf to give you a shot at everything. Sand fleas will also be a extremely effective bait. The most fun you can have in November is to anchor your boat so you can make a long cast just outside of the surf for pompano and black drum on one side of the boat and throw big chunk baits to the East for big red drum and sharks. You get the best of both worlds.

What is it going to be? Cold fronts every few days that makes getting out next to impossible or  tranquil cool & calm days that give way to a fishing bonanza? November can be one of the best months for variety offshore of Cape Canaveral. Live bait trolling the main ledges and big wrecks can produce a mixed bag of king mackerel, cobia, mahi, black fin tuna, sail fish and wahoo. Bottom fishing for amberjack, grouper, snapper and stringer fish can be fantastic also.  can almost always put a good day together this time of year if the sea conditions allow us to move. This doesn’t mean everyday will be easy it just means we are not limited by one style of fishing. The key is clean water. Find clean water then adjust to do the best fishing for that depth. Ideally we will have calm seas and clean water starting at about 70 ft. When that happens is usually means easy pickings. One thing to be aware of is not to always expect the water clarity to be cleaner the further offshore you go. Do not pass up fishing opportunities because you think going further will be better. 9 out of 10 times you will find yourself back peddling. I honestly think we will see some really fantastic fishing this November and I look forward to the cooler temperatures combined with red hot 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.