Fishing report: Black drum gathered in spawning schools

Mosquito Lagoon: Windy? Cool? It's OK. Those who brave the conditions may be rewarded with catches of black drum, redfish and speckled trout. Use cut bait and dead bait on light line with fluorocarbon leader. Light line is needed for longer casts since the clear water makes it easier for the fish to be wary of leader and hooks and boats. But the fish are big. Oversized black drum and redfish are being caught. Finding spots where it is possible to fish because of winds and low water is tricky, so have a well-formed game plan before leaving the boat ramp.

Offshore: Capt. Chris Cameron of Fired Up Fishing Charters out of Blue Points Marina at Port Canaveral said last week's sailfish action was crazy good, with two fish per charter each day. From live bunker to dead minnows, the sails were taking everything. The kingfish bite is insane, too, he said. Spots to try included Pelican Reef, the lumps and the wrecks, and the cobia were there, as well. Winds will make it hard to fish for the next five days or so, however. Another report came in from anglers Stefani and Kent Hughes of Jensen Beach, who fished with Capt. Troy Perez last week. They caught huge black drum up to 70 pounds and tripletail while fishing with jigs a couple hundred yards off the beach near Port Canaveral. Stefani Hughes said the 70-pound drum was the second biggest fish she caught behind a whopper cobia.

Surf: Pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel showed up for a couple of days before the full moon, but this week's winds will make it too rough to fish effectively from the beach.

Indian River Lagoon: There are pompano being caught in Port Canaveral around the Trident basin, according to a Facebook post by Jacob Wine on Brevard County Surf Fishing Reports group page. There also has been pretty good action on black drum, red drum, sheepshead, flounder and speckled trout along rocky shorelines, around causeways and bridges, and along channel edges. Fish with shrimp-tipped jigs to catch any of these or loyal rodbenders, such as ladyfish and jacks, or the wayward bluefish. Some snook are being caught, with a rare few in the 28-32 inch slot. Remember, snook season is not open to harvest along the Atlantic coast of Florida until Feb. 1.

Sebastian Inlet: Capt. Glyn Austin of Going Coastal Charters out of Palm Bay said the fishing inside the inlet and lagoon nearby has been productive, so don't let a little wind stop you. His anglers had action from bluefish, pompano, trout and jacks fishing around the spoil islands. It was too rough to fish the inlet or just outside. 

Freshwater: The speckled perch (crappie) bite has been very good in the St. Johns River. Live minnows are working best fished late in the day and after dark. Bass fishing has been very good, too with plenty of quality fish being caught and released along the edges as they come off the spawning beds. Use topwater frogs to get reaction strikes. 

Ed Killer is an outdoors columnist for the USA Today Network based on the Treasure Coast. Friend him on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @tcpalmekiller, email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com or reach him by phone at 772-221-4201.