On Foot Angler

Sebastian Inlet is tricky, but worth the lost tackle

The anticipation of driving to the inlet is at times too much to bear. The thoughts of snook, redfish, tarpon and a wide variety of possible catches dance through the mind. As you near the bridge and enter the park, the blood starts pumping quickly when you finally see the water. When you hook up on one of the inlet's bruiser redfish, huge snook or maybe a Goliath grouper, you understand just why you made the trip. The inlet is the premier fishing spot in Central Florida. 

"The Sebastian Inlet is compact and shallow," Larry Fowler, a veteran captain, said. "You might have five times as many fish in the Fort Pierce Inlet, but it's so much bigger. Sebastian is narrow and only about 15 to 16 feet deep."

Fowler has worked the inlet for 15-plus years and knows it better than most.

"The catwalk is kind of different. You can get over the water and fish," Fowler said. "The bridge also gives snook an ambush point. Bait gets pushed to them."

There are keys to being successful here. It's not as simple as wetting a line and hooking a fish. You'll need to take plenty of tackle, as you're certain to lose a lot along the rocky bottom, a refuge for hooked fish.

Make sure you have sharp hooks and plenty of weights -- if you're not fishing on the bottom, your success rate won't be very high. Snook fishing is the top draw here, and for good reason, as the inlet is absolutely loaded with them. These fish have adapted to anglers targeting them and have grown picky. On certain days they'll only eat a certain bait, yet on other days, most anything you put in front of them will be inhaled.

"There was a study done quite some time ago and they estimated some 40,000 snook are in the inlet at one time," Fowler said. "That was a while back, who knows how many are there now."

Schools of slot-sized redfish will stack up on the jetties, gorging on any baitfish that gets in their way. The bigger redfish, 30-pound-plus monsters, stage in the channel. Drift with crabs and cut baits or fingerling mullet, and hang on. Once these guys realize they're hooked, they put up quite a tussle.

"Snook and reds are what it [the inlet] is known for," Fowler said. "It's also the first inlet below the freeze line. Snook have moved up to Ponce Inlet, but if we have a hard freeze, they'll die; it never freezes at Sebastian."

Fish at night

From spring to summer, the best time to fish the inlet is during tide changes at night. The current is very strong at the inlet, pushing bait in and out. Predatory fish stack up along the rocks or bridge pilings, in position to ambush anything that comes their way.

During the winter, when the snook become lethargic and either don't eat or move out of the inlet, anglers turn their attention to flounder. These fish are a huge draw and terrific table fare. The best way to target these fish is to bounce jigs off the bottom or use mud minnows.

Goliath grouper can be caught in a hole off the northern jetties. This protected species has become a nuisance for some anglers, as any fish that gets in their way is snapped up, including trophy snook.

Bluefish and Spanish mackerel make appearances in the spring, winter and fall. These toothy critters command respect. Not only are they capable of removing part of your hand, but they also put up a good battle on light tackle. Spoons and small live baits are the way to go. Topwaters and hard jerkbaits will certainly get hit as well.

Too crowded at times

Usually the inlet is tranquil and a good place to meet and chat with others who enjoy fishing.

Problems tend to occur after a person hooks up, as others swarm to that spot and throw their lines in. This creates several problems, the first being a breach of common courtesy. The second, and more damaging, is line tangles. The inlet will already claim plenty of your gear, but when a man-made problem occurs, tempers can flare.

There is a camp ground should you decide to stay a few days.

"That's a nice thing about the inlet," Fowler said. "It's a state park, there are no houses on it. And the inlet sits right on the ocean -- there is no turning basin or anything. Fish can move up into the inlet and be out in the open ocean in a few hundred yards."

THE SKINNY

Given the number and variety of fish available, Sebastian Inlet remains the premier fishing spot in Central Florida.

Located at the northern tip of Indian River County off Route A1A about 45 minutes south of Melbourne, the Inlet is a tricky fishery -- with all its rocks, you'll need to carry plenty of gear. Virtually all the fish there can be found in the runout channel from the Indian River lagoon to the ocean.

The best way to navigate the jetties is to have a cart. Take several rods and vary baits to see what the fish want on that day.

Among the species available: bluefish, Spanish mackerel, snook, redfish and tarpon.

Fish the catwalk at night during tide changes with Bomber lures for snook. Use heavy leader as the inlet does have its share of big fish.

By Mark Blythe