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Fishing Report for Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island & Port Canaveral
Capt. Ron Presley
September 24, 2006
Cocoa Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
The Mullet Are Here
The mullet run is on and the fishing should only get better. I spent a couple of hours on the river this week and came up with two nice slot sized redfish. The mullet are everywhere, so they don’t always have fish associated with them. However, if you find some fish you should be able to catch a few. On my morning excursion I started off with top water lures but after having no action on top water I switched to a 3 inch Rip Tide Mullet in the glow color. It wasn’t long until I hooked up with a nice slot red. You can see the red headed jig and the Rip Tide glow mullet in the photo. Red and white has always been a favorite combination of mine. I sprayed the mullet with the Blast Attractant to add a little flavor to the bait.
When rigging a plastic bait, take time to rig it right so it swims and looks like a natural bait. In the case of Rip Tide mullet, the job is made easier for you by the little fin they place on the body. That little fin gives you a target for where to bring the hook out of the plastic for a natural look and swimming affect. Just lay the jig head on the body and note where the hook comes out in relation to the fin. Then, place the point of the hook just above center and feed the plastic down the hook bringing it out in the position you noted before. On a Rip Tide ¼ inch jig head the hook will come out right in the fin and the bait will run true and straight. The vibrations and wiggle of the paddle tail are just too much for the fish to resist. Don’t forget, add some scent if you like – that’s what I did today, and even on a slow day I caught a couple of nice reds.
I fished about another hour and picked up another slot sized red on the same Rip Tide mullet. It was only 9:00 but I had to head in, to take care of some honey doos. It had been a while since I was on the water and was glad to get out, even if was only a couple of hours. I will be in Tampa this weekend (September 30, October 1) for the Florida Sportsman Fishing Show. Come by the Florida Guides Association booth and see some of the new Rip Tide products available for the fall fishing.
New Gander Mountain Store
Another visit I made this week was to the new Gander Mountain Store in Lake Mary. It isn’t open yet but manager Dan Engen invited me over for a tour. For those of you in the area, you are going to love Gander Mountain. There slogan is, “We Love Outdoors,” and boy does it show. This store has everything for the outdoor enthusiast. Gander Mountain is a leading specialty retailer with a focus on hunting, fishing, camping and outdoor recreation. From camping and hiking, boating, outdoor clothing, an onsite gunsmith, if it’s for outdoor recreation, they probably have it.
Of course my favorite department was the fishing department. You don’t have to be there long to see the multitude of fishing products available. I looked for and found a great assortment of the Rip Tide lures you hear me talk about so often. And, can you believe a bait shop! That’s right, a bait shop will open every morning at 6:00 to provide you with bait for you day’s trip. And, if you found the battery dead on your trolling motor that morning, or seemed to have lost the paddle for your canoe - no problem. The attendant at the bait shop can simply call back into the store and a battery or paddle will be delivered, pronto! This is a great concept, where the bait store is located with an easy access entrance for your convenience and even though the main store is not open, you will have access though the attendant at the shop. Neat idea.
They have a great grand opening celebration planned for October 6th so get on over there if you can and take a look at all they have to offer in this fully-stocked 80,000 sq. ft. facility. Another neat idea is the seminar room they have included in the store. It is called Gander Lodge and is fully equipped to handle hunting, boating, and fishing seminars of any type. I plan to be over there soon with my PowerPoint presentations with tips for saltwater fishing. Stay tuned, I will let you know the dates.
The new Gander Mountain store is located at the intersection of I4 and Lake Mary Blvd. It is in the Southeast quadrant of the intersection. This is the newest store in the Gander Mountain chain, but not likely the last in Florida. Stop by and check them out.
Fishing Show Schedule
Speaking of dates, the fall months are full of fishing shows and I already mentioned Tampa above. Other shows that may be closer to you include:
Miami, Florida Sportsman Fishing Show-October 7-8. (FGA Booth)
Orlando, Central Florida Boat Show – October 13-14-15 (Boaters Exchange Booth)
St. Pete, Sun Coast Expo-October 27-28-29. (FGA Booth)
Orlando, Florida Sportsman Fishing Show-November 11-12. (FGA Booth)
Come by and visit me at one of the shows and let me show you how I fish the Rip Tide lures.
As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com to view pictures of the fish we catch. That’s what it’s all about. Good fishin’.
Capt. Ron Presley
Phone 321-454-7285
[email protected]
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