Sebastian Inlet is known for its abundance of saltwater fish and for the treasures of gold that still remain hidden in the waters from the Spanish treasure fleets. The treasures that I was seeking in the waters off Sebastian Inlet though were big fish, particularly mahi-mahi.
About 100 miles from downtown Orlando, the inlet is on the southern end of Brevard County. It’s an easy drive for a day trip, and there are numerous charter fishing companies that offer their services about the waterway’s notorious fishing grounds. I’m fortunate to have a friend, Captain Reinhold Matay, who has a boat docked nearby, so we embarked on a mahi hunt.
We went straight east about 15-20 miles offshore, and started getting bites and pulling in fish right away. Using frozen Spanish sardines, we were catching Spanish mackerel, red snapper (all of which we released), and bonita.
We wanted the mahi, so we went farther out and scouted some locations. We anchored near where we suspected a ledge was running in about 50 feet of water. We then donned our scuba gear and confirmed the ledge with a reef and teeming with tropical fish. We found a bit deeper hole nearby and started fishing for mahi.
We caught several more fish, but couldn’t get a bite from our target. Finally, several hours into our expedition, I got a bite on my line that Captain Matay described as a “fish with size”. I put on a waist belt holder for the fishing rod, and fought him for 30 minutes before we got the fish close enough to see him leap out of the water.
It was the familiar green and yellow flashings of a mahi! I nearly lost him as he tried to swim under the boat and jumped up again. I kept him on the line and we netted a 35-inch-long prize onto the boat. In total, we caught 19 fish that day. We kept two big Spanish mackerels (about 20 pounds each) and the prized mahi at about 25 pounds.For those wanting other options for fishing at Sebastian Inlet, the Sebastian Inlet State Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Fishing is available from the jetties if you do not want the expense of a boat.
Staying on shore? Admission to the state park is cheap at $8 per vehicle with multiple occupants or just $4 per vehicle with one occupant. But if you are going offshore fishing, there are several charter boat companies to choose from. A good website for comparing options is fishingbooker.com. And can obtain a saltwater fishing license the same day online at the website license.gooutdoorsflorida.com.
Categories:
Budget: Tight, Moderate or Indulgent (choose one)
Demographic: Small Kids Welcome, Teens Won’t Hate, Millennial-Friendly, Child-Free, Just the Guys/Girls, Solo Traveler, Empty Nesters, Retirees
Interests: Outdoors and adventure, Water Fun, Learning a New Skill or Hobby
If you go:
What: Fishing off Sebastian Inlet
Where: 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach
Phone: 321-984-4852
Website: www.floridastateparks.org/parks/sebastian-inlet-state-park
