How to fish Sebastian Inlet The best catches of Sebastian Inlet. Numbers refer to locations on the map. 1. Snook: A favorite for its fight and table fare. A gamefish caught throughout the inlet on live baits, including croaker, pinfish, pigfish, mojarra and mullet, or artificials, such as flair jigs, bucktail jigs, Bombers, Windcheaters, Mirrolures and Mavericks. king Par 2. Redfish: A gamefish usually taken from the two jetties and by boaters around the mouth of the inlet, with a fall run sometimes coordinating with the fall mullet run around the north jetty. Will hit live baits, including shrimp, on sliding-sinker bottom rigs and bucktail jigs. Boardwalks g kin Par From catwalks 6 10 ▲ N MELBOURNE BEACH MELBOURNE SHORES PALM BAY 95 GRANTVALKARIA 6. Flounder: Best numbers usually are taken in December and January throughout the inlet, but mostly west of the State Road A1A bridge by shoreline fishermen and boaters. Live finger mullet is the choice bait, but they’ll also take live shrimp and other small baitfish. sinker bottom rigs should be used. Slack tide usually brings the better catches. Boat ramp Sebastian Inlet 10 BREVARD CO. INDIAN RIVER CO. SEBASTIAN 7 Par kin Restrooms 1 1 A1A Coconut Point Atlantic Ocean A1A 11 feet deep Campground 4 ▲ N 6 6 The Sand Trap 200 FEET g in rk a P Museum and restrooms 1 the 7 11 From L dock 8 6 1 For limits and regulations visit www.myfwc.com 8 10 1 1 g Lake Washington 1 1 8 g 5 6 5 6 1 7 INDIALANTI 1 6 es ov gr an M 2 All species can be caught from the north jetty fishing pier kin Par 6 1 1 14 feet deep10 7 11 under the bridge 4. Bluefish: Always attracts a crowd of casters, usually on the north and south jetties, during the early winter months. Will hit silver spoons best, but also can be taken on bottom rigs with cut bait. 192 1 1 10 1 15 feet deep 1 MELBOURNE Concessions Campbell’s Cove 6 3. Spanish mackerel: Another late fall or early winter migrant usually caught from the north and south jetties. They’ll hit small spoons, like the Diamond Jig, or small live baits fished under floats. 5 5. Mangrove snapper: Sometimes taken in large numbers around the pilings and rocks of the north jetty on light tackle by those using pilchards or live shrimp on a small hook. Showers and restrooms 7. Sheepshead: Usually taken around the tips of the two jetties by those using fiddler crabs or shrimp. 8. Tarpon: This game fish is sometimes hooked, but seldom landed, by anglers in boats around the mouth of the inlet or by casters on the south jetty. Most of the inlet tarpon are “jumped” at night by anglers casting artificials. Those in boats sometimes target the fish outside the surf south of the inlet during the day, when the fish are drawn in by schools of baitfish. The best numbers appear in spring and fall, in conjunction with migrations of baitfish. As a special gamefish, a $50 permit from the state is required to keep a tarpon. A1A 95 60 91 9. Sharks: Special, heavy-duty tackle required. Usually sought by a small band of nighttime anglers around the tip of the north jetty. Spinner and blacktip Graphic and research by FLORIDA TODAY staff 1 sharks are favorites. Chunks of bleeding fish, such as bonito and jack crevalle, used for bait. 10. Seatrout: Once caught in great numbers in the inlet, only a few now are taken year-round, mostly in the west side over sandbars, usually during high-tide periods. Will hit live shrimp and most artificials. During the winter months, some ocean-going trout from 8 to 10 pounds move inside the inlet and they’re caught on live bait and artificials. 11. Black drum: Sometimes taken in large numbers around the north jetty on bottom rigs with crushed blue crab. Also will hit cut clams and pieces of baitfish.