# Cocoa Beach Pier



## Joeseminole18 (Feb 26, 2003)

Home again for a week starting tomorrow, and trying to figure out what to do with myself. Jetty Park has been slow the past few times and I'm not sure if I'm gonna go deep sea fishing or not. So, has anyone tried the Cocoa Beach Pier? How'd you do? Its annoying at Jetty Park there is absolutely no baitfish around....I'm not sure if thats because the pier is in the port or what, but it makes getting bait a pretty difficult thing to do.


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## Stingsilver (Apr 5, 2002)

Dude, i don't know, but i was down in that area the first part of april (had never been to that part of Fla before) and i was really not impressed with Cocoa Beach Pier. I fish va beach, chesapeake bay and the boats and piers on the outer banks of NC, and i've never seen a pier that wouldn't allow overhead casting before i saw the cocoa pier. The guys i fish with would cast into the Tiki Bar and then start casting at tourists, lol, but different strokes, i guess. Honestly, outside of the Keys, the coolest spot i've seen in Fla is the Redington Pier (?) just north of St. Pete--i was there for only an hour in July last summer and saw a snook and 3 or 4 huge tarpon caught in what little time i was there, which was very impressive to me. I didn't have heavy tackle with me at the time, but will never make that mistake again--also, very nice people on the pier that morning.

Also fished jetty park some, cocoa beach surf and melbourne beach pier and wasn't blown away by any of those places until i tried sebastian inlet--now that is one fishy pier! Took me awhile to get used to fishing the rocks (no weight, just live shrimp hooked through the snout), and although i only caught a lookdown (i guess that's what it was)--i saw quite a few jacks, a nice snook, a spanish and what i think was a cero mackerel caught in the hour and one half i had to spend there my last day. I was with my family and never had a full day to spend anywhere actually fishing, so i usually only see bits and pieces of the fishing scene.

I fished the Sunglow Pier in Daytona last July as well, just about every day, and liked the shark action there--i caught a few little ones on my Ambassadeur 7000, but saw 4, 5, 6 and 7 footers caught by the local pros over a couple of days--very cool people there as well.

Still getting the feel for Fla fishing and don't mean to be critical, cuz it's all good to me.

Fish on,

RodgerDodger


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## MarkDido (Jul 6, 2003)

Cocoa Beach Pier, as with anyplace else, blows hot and cold.

I was there today (Thursday) for a couple of hours at about 4pm.

I only saw 1 hardtop and 1 nice sheepshead pulled in. I have seen slot and oversized reds pulled in last summer, so it all depends if the fish are there or not

If you go on a nice day, be prepared for the inevitable game of "20 questions" from the folks vacationing from Duluth. There is also the added distraction of nubile young girls in bikinis, and large neoprene covered bait (surfers)

Also the pier closes at around 10:00 I believe. The Sunglow pier in Daytona is open 24 hours.


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## Av8tor (Nov 9, 2002)

*SunGlow NOT open 24 hours....*

Just to add a correction to the last Stingsilver's post. Sunglow pier in Daytona Beach hasn't been open 24 hours starting last year. Last summer they closed at 11 PM. This year it now closes at 10 PM. 

I was almost going to get a year pass for their until I called and asked for the hours and was told they close at 10PM. Not worth spending $150.00 for a year pass.

Not many places allow you to fish 24 hours here in FL.....

Like you Stingsilver, I use to fish chesapeake bay alot! Loved the peir on the CBT! Use to say in Ocean City MD and fish Assateague everyweekend. All the peirs, all the parks, and all the piers in DE and MD are 24 hours... Until moving to FL I've never heard of a beach closeing at sunset or a peir not open 24 hours, lived here 3 years and still shake my head at that one!

George


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## MarkDido (Jul 6, 2003)

Thanks for the update on Sunglow.

I haven't been there since last summer.

Mark


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## Stingsilver (Apr 5, 2002)

well, fla is becoming a distant memory at the moment, but i always have a blast down there and can't wait to get back soon

yeah, i don't know what the hours are for the Sunglow pier as i only fished there during the day--and that was last summer

we lost most of our good bay cobia piers from Izzy (Grandview and Buckroe in Hampton, Va.) and they lost Harrison's Pier in Ocean View as well as parts of Lynnhaven Pier, some of Virginia Beach Pier and damage to Sandbridge Pier, also in Va Beach--as far as North Carolina (OBX) goes, they lost a couple of piers and heavy damage to others, but my favorite pier, Avalon is still there and i plan to go there this Friday and fish all day, and then go out on a Tuna Boat Saturday

Can't wait to get back to florida, tho and really want to hit Reddington Pier again

Take care


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## Orange (Mar 12, 2003)

As for bait at Jetty Park it seems hit or miss. I never drag my castnet down there as I'm usually carrying enough as it is. When bait is running through pretty good, there are several people catching them. Most of them are nice enough to give you a few if you ask. 

For me, if I want live finger mullet, I hunt around the Banana River just off the 528 as you're heading towards the Port. Lots of times you can find them along there. If the wind is strong or if I don't find any there, I'll head towards the the now-closed area launch of the no-motor zone. It's on the south east side of the river a few hundred yards before you get to the guard gate into the base. It's on the opposite side of the port from Jetty Park. At the very least you can usually get some mud minnows and other types, although not nearly as hardy as finger mullet.


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