Beach Cart

Today is not a good surf fishing day in Indialantic. The good conditions of the last couple of day are gone thanks to a strong northeast wind. I talked with a fisherman this morning on his way back from the beach who made the beach fishing cart pictured above. He told me that he was throwing 8 ounces of lead and he still could not effectively hold bottom. Needless to say, he caught nothing for the table.

He did, however, say that the cart works great. The over sized plastic wheels and the long handle bars make it easy to move the cart up or down the sandy beach. There are tubes to hold 4 surf rods in addition to a holder for a sand flea rake. Also, notice the ability to carry 4 big sand spikes plus space for a cooler in which to hold your day’s catch. The basket provides space for any extra clothing or gear that you might want to take. Finally, the weight is minimal because of the types of plastic used in the construction.

I have seen other beach fishing carts, but this one designed and built by the owner is the best one I have seen. It is definitely for the dedicated surf fisherman!

What a Catch!

Today was another absolutely beautiful day on Indialantic's beach. The water was clean, the beach wide and clean, the sun was shining, and the wind was light. It was not swimming weather, but it was great for beach walking and fishing.

There were quite a few fishermen trying their luck. Some were not catching anything, but one man I passed was having a spectacular time. He had in his bucket a 19 inch black drum, a sheepshead and a nice pompano in addition to what he caught next.

When I was approaching him, he was fighting an obviously big fish. In the course of the struggle, the surf rod snapped! That didn't deter him, however, and he finally landed the whopper of a black drum pictured above. Laying on the beach you can see the broken surf rod. I don't know the length and weight of the fish, but it was a catch I'm sure that he will always remember.

Fishable, but . . . !

It was a simply gorgeous afternoon on Indialantic's beach. After so many cruddy days in October, today was a beautiful exception. The wind was calm and the ocean clean as the picture hopefully shows. Unlike many days this month, you did not need to trudge through a lot of seaweed to walk. Those who ventured to the beach today certainly had something to enjoy.

There were several men fishing. Although the water was clean, there was a bit too much seaweed in the water to make conditions good. One man I talked to had hooked a lady fish and whiting on the same line, but the line became fouled in seaweed as he attempted to reel in the fish. He ended up quitting because it just wasn't worth it with seaweed in the water. Perhaps tomorrow will bring better conditions.

It's Calm Today

After a couple of wild and windy days, the ocean has calmed today. Gone are the raging waves and frothy surf. In their place are big rolling waves with fairly long intervals between them. The surfers like such waves and quite a few surfers today are riding the waves.

The picture above was taken yesterday afternoon during the strong winds. At the time, the wind was blowing sand and the sand was covering the seaweed. It reminded me of how snow up north starts to cover the leaves. Previous pictures I've included have shown the seaweed lining the beach. Now when your are on the beach, much of the seaweed is buried beneath sand.

Not Much Has Changed

Windy conditions continue on the beach. Although the water is fairly clean, there are traces of fresh seaweed.

In the early evening, few people were walking the beach and I didn't see any surfers or fishermen. I did see a couple of ladies picking through the seaweed looking for sea beans. I'll have to find a few sea beans and post a picture of them so you can see what sea beans look like if you don't already know.

Almost Deserted!

I snapped this picture about 6 PM this evening in front of the Indialantic boardwalk area. As you can see, the public beach area is virtually deserted. If you don’t like crowds, the late afternoon is a good time to come to the beach.

In walking approximately 2 miles this afternoon, I did not encounter any fishermen. Fishermen know that a strong northeasterly winds make for a wicked current. The water, however, looked clean. A northeast wind seems to clean up the water whereas a southeast wind usually makes the water dirty. I don’t know the reason for this. Perhaps someone reading this can shed some light on the subject.

Despite the wind, it was an enjoyable walk. If you haven't walked lately, you should come and enjoy the beach.

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Today is not a good beach day. The cold front brought pleasant temperatures and low humidity, but it also make the ocean rough and dirty. I snapped this picture at high tide this afternoon while looking north. Notice the high waves and the whitecaps out further. To use a fishing term, the surf is “blown out” today.

By contrast, yesterday evening the beach was beautiful at low tide. There was practically no wind and the water was clean. I do not remember a nicer evening at the beach all of October.

Beach Litter!

There is lots of litter on the beach these days. The accompanying picture is an example of what I am seeing. Probably the rough seas during recent weeks brought the trash to shore. Last night I even saw a tube of toothpaste manufactured in Havana, Cuba!

Conditions for fishing are much improved over Thursday. The ocean is cleaner and calmer. I saw several people fishing. One man with whom I talked had caught several whiting using fresh clams.

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Tough Conditions Today

Conditions for fishing in the surf are very unfavorable today. The water is dirty and there is a lot of sargassum (seaweed) in the water and on the beach. Plus, the briskwinds have made the ocean rough.

Today I have been to the beach early in the morning and in the mid afternoon. On neither occasion did I see anyone surf fishing. If you have ever tried to fish in rough water and when seaweed abounded, you know it is difficult to say the least.

I have seen very few people fishing in the surf this whole month. I did hear, however, that someone caught 5 pompano a few days ago south of the boardwalk area.

The accompanying picture shows the seaweed that has washed ashore. It is also abounding in the water. I can only guess when conditions will improve.

My Indialantic Beach . . . first step

A friend suggested to me that I should start a blog about the Indialantic beach. That suggestion took root and it has now borne fruit. This is my first post in my blog about what I see happening along the Indialantic Beach.

Nearly every day my wife and I walk the beach in the Indialantic area. It is an enjoyable, healthy and interesting exercise. Sometimes we meet new people or talk to old friends. No two walks are ever the same. Perhaps there are those who would appreciate knowing what is happening, at least from someone’s perspective.

As I have mentioned, my objective is to put in writing and pictures what I see happening on the beach. It will attempt to answer the question, “What’s up on the Indialantic beach?” My goal in this blog is to post at least 3 times a week. Of course, as the weeks pass, I may find myself posting new reports more or less frequently.

Since I love to fish in the surf, many of my posts will contain remarks and observations about fishing. I will answer questions like the following: What are the conditions like? Is the water clean? What kinds of fish are being caught? What bait or lure is bringing the most hits? What methods are most productive? Are sand fleas present?

I see a lot of things on the beach that puzzle me. If I include pictures of such items, perhaps a reader can shed light on the matter. For this reason, I plan to carry a camera when I am walking.

It is my desire that there will be readers who will find this blog helpful and informational. I hope for me that it will be fun.