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wademan

Fly Fishing the Surf in Central Florida

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Looking for info on beach access and locations. Hope for Blues, Bonitio.(sp). Any Help would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

wademan

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Which coast (that'll really make a difference...) and when?

 

If you were down south I'd say get on the water before dawn (or maybe an hour before dark...) then work small (and not so small) baitfish flies at a 45 degree angle to the sand - as far ahead of you as possible.. for snook, jacks, blue runners and other species... Unlike up north where albies come in close to shore - our "bonita" (actually little tunny...) stay mostly out of reach unless they're really hot on a big school of bait and end up driving them all the way up onto the sand.. Bluefish for us down in south Florida are strictly a winter time phenomena -and with rare exception are on the small side...

 

Now if you considered fishing any of the many, many drainage canals from central Florida all the way south you can always find action of some kind (and it will be a mix of fresh and salt species as well) - and occasionally some real surprises... that will just take you to school.

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If you're going to be anywhere on the Gulf side ... don't bother right now. Red Tide is decimating the fishing over there.

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If your going to be on the east coast in central Florida along the Space Coast or Treasure Coast, beach access is plentiful and easy to come by, particularly between Melbourne and Ft Pierce. Also, the beaches there are not crowded compared to other parts of Florida and tend not have to many people at all, so hitting the beach at dawn isnt necessary for a crowd point of view (but certainly helps with fishing). Blues wont be around in big numbers until late fall and bonito tend to be out in blue water. You will find snook, tarpon, ladyfish, jack, among other species. White baitfish flies like deceivers work well. Look for signs of life like baitfish boiling or birds diving. The real experts can read the currents and know where the cuts between the bars are. Those guys will catch fish on the beach when no one else does. Talk to local tackle shops for the best info, they tend to be very friendly and generous with tips on fishing the area.

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Thank-you everyone.

 

As of now am thinking East Coast, down to Fort Pierce. Thinking 9wt, 10wtsink tip fly line

.wademan

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I use an 8wt rod and a 10wt full sinking line for the surf. I cut the line down to a 30ft. (that makes it a 9wt line,) head section and run 40# mono as a shooting line. It stays down and shoots well. Don't forget to bring a stripping basket.

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