Space Coast Fishing Report For October 2019 Covering Port Canaveral, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Orlando

Last Month’s Action
Goodbye September & don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Two positive notes about September 2019. #1 It is over! #2 the near shore fishing saved the day and by near shore I mean well inside the port because the waves & wind wouldn’t hardly let anyone get anywhere. Red drum, flounder and snook cooperated and put some smiles on faces.

October Near Shore Fishing Forecast
Snook fishing can be incredible along the jetties, docks and sea walls. The trick is the tide changes and putting in time to have live bait. The bait can be harder to catch than the snook so having large bomber lures or X-raps as a backup is always a good idea. Sheepshead, black drum, flounder and slot size redfish will also be abundant in the surf and around the jetties and locks. Fishing live shrimp is the best way for nonstop action and is the perfect style of fishing to do with the family. #3 kahle hook with a short stretch of 15# test fluorocarbon leader to sliding sinker rig with the smallest egg sinker you can get away with to cast tight to the structure.

Toward the latter part of the month the big bull reds will show up like clockwork providing us with world class red fish by the 1000’s. This great fishery is everything anyone could ask for. It is easy, you can fish anytime of the day and it is consistent. With any luck we will find these fish in massive schools and simply throw anything that resembles food into them and it is game on. Normally you find these fish by the mud they are kicking up. It will look like someone dumped a giant pot of coffee into the water. If water clarity makes it difficult to spot them or rough sea’s make it hard to move around you can always sit and wait them out. Pick a spot between 8ft and 20ft of water and toss out anything big and smelly like cut lady fish, mullet or pogy and wait. You can use a sliding sinker rig or knocker rig with a 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook. It really doesn’t get any easier. Increase your odds by fishing close to structure or areas that show signs of bait. Sharks will be in the mix also so add a stretch of #5 – #7 wire if you want to catch them, it wont effect the redfish bite at all.

Spanish mackerel typically show up in full force by the end of the month. Early in the morning take a ride down the beach and look for these fish jumping out of the water and cast silver spoons or diamond jigs for fast action and great eating. Where these mackerel are congregated is also a very good area to sit and wait for big reds and sharks.

October Offshore Fishing Forecast
I feel every year when I start to write the October offshore forecast I need to prepare everyone for tough fishing. Then I look back through the statistics and line it up with previous years weather patterns and it quickly turns my attitude around. I have to shake off September and get pumped for October. Historically this month provides some really good mahi fishing. It requires a commitment but make the run to the stream and if you have a nice edge you will catch some quality mahi & black fin tuna. We don’t ever have really good wahoo fishing but October is our best month and around the full moon is our best chance. High speed troll 27 fathoms or the cones early in the morning or a few hours before dusk for the best results.

Bottom fishing can also be very good when the waters calm and clarity slightly improves. Over the past month or so conditions for bottom species to naturally forage have not been good and they have had pretty much no fishing pressure for a month. This combination will make for some killer bottom fishing opportunities out in the deep water for groupers and vermillion snapper or in on the main reef for mutton, mangrove and lane snapper.

Very rarely will you find king mackerel last on my list but if by some miracle we get a solid week of calm seas we will have it made again and it all starts with that beautiful, wonderful, sensational king mackerel. The reason I say this is because if the water gets right enough for the kings to bite then this time of year that means everything will bite. Live bait trolling will produce great catches of kings, black-fin tuna, cobia, mahi, wahoo and sail fish. Love it or hate it but when the king is happy, everything is happy!

The Suzuki Repower Fishing Report is sponsored by Mastry Suzuki Repower and Suzuki Repower Center at Marine Pro of Central Florida serving Florida’s Space Coast.

Captain Greg Rapp
Sealeveler Sport Fishing Charters
Phone: (321) 794-3474
Capt. Greg on the web: https://www.sealeveler.com/
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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.

Check out previous fishing reports by Capt. Rapp. Captain Greg’s Space Coast Fishing Report for May 2019 – Capt Gregg’s Port Canaveral March Fishing Forecast