at the time of the interview and who indicated 

 willingness to furnish end-of-day information 

 on the hours fished and fish caught. During 

 March-October, 4,643 cards were handed out 

 and 1,268 or about 28 percent were returned. 

 Data on the returned cards were added to the 

 information obtained at the time of the inter- 

 view, on the respective field interview sheets. 



In an attempt to establish the ratio of rental 

 boats fishing to all boats fishing (which we 

 might use to project the catch of the private 

 boat fishery from our sampling of rental boat 

 fishery), flights were made on 1 weekend day 

 and 1 weekday in February, April, July, and 

 October, during which observers counted the 

 number of boats fishing in the entire Cape 

 Canaveral Area. Concurrently, ground ob- 

 servers made counts of rental boats out of 

 fishing camps. It was impossible to sannple 

 the private boat fishery with the time and 

 personnel available because of the hundred of 

 docks and other private launch sites. Esti- 

 mates based on aerial-ground survey ratios 

 and our sample of the fish camp rental boats 

 are believed to be representative of the catches 

 by private boat fishermen. 



Table 64 lists scientific and common names 

 of all species of fish referenced in this report. 



DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHERN SECTION 

 AND ITS FISHERY 



The Southern Section, located in Brevard 

 County, extends from Cape Canaveral south 

 to Melbourne (fig. 11). The distance from 

 Cape Canaveral to Melbourne is approximately 

 26 air miles. Included in this section are: 

 The causeways and bridges between Melbourne 

 and Indialantic, between Eau Gallie and Canova 

 Beach, and between Cocoa and Cocoa Beach, 

 and Mathers Bridge; Canaveral and Patrick 

 Air Force Base ocean piers; Port Canaveral, 

 marina at Patrick Air Force Base; and Barge 

 Canal, Cocoa Beach, and Mathers Bridge 

 fish camps. 



Fishing is pursued in the Indian and Banana 

 Rivers, Sykes Creek, Newfound Harbor, Barge 

 Canal, Port Canaveral Harbor, and the ocean 

 (piers, surf, and boats). The causeways and 

 Mathers Bridge are used both day and night, 

 whereas fishing in the other areas is generally 

 limited to the daylight hours. There are 

 several public boat launching sites available, 

 but those most frequently used are on the 

 causeways, at Port Canaveral Harbor, and at 

 Barge Canal Fish Camp. About 40 boats are 

 available for rent from fish cannps. Table 22 

 and figure 11 show locations of these facilities. 



Three distinct types of fishing are available 

 at Port Canaveral Harbor: Bank fishing, private 

 boats, and party boats. The bank fishermen 

 have three areas available: (1) Surf, the south 

 jetty and the main ship channel, (2) boat dock- 

 ing areas on the south side of Port Canaveral, 



and (3) the turning basin. A launch site for 

 private boats is available at the southwestern 

 end of the main ship channel. Weather per- 

 mitting, this facility is used heavily. Private 

 boat fishing from the launch site at Port 

 Canaveral is divided into two units: (1 ) Inside-- 

 the turning basin, main ship channel, north 

 side of the channel, and off the north jetty and 

 (2) ocean waters. Four party boats operate 

 out of Port Canaveral. Weather and number of 

 passengers determine the amount of time these 

 boats are out. Usually boats leave the dock at 

 8 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. Each boat can 

 accommodate about 50 people. The fishing area 

 covered by the party boats in the Atlantic Ocean 

 extends from north of Cape Canaveral south to 

 about Indialantic. The preferred areas, as re- 

 ported by boat operators, are about 25 miles 

 east of Port Canaveral and 20 miles east of the 

 Eau Gallie- Melbourne area. 



Ocean fishing is done from Canaveral and 

 Patrick Air Force Base ocean piers, from party 

 and private boats out of Port Canaveral, and 

 in the surf. Pier fishing is primarily for 

 bottomfish, and party and private boat fishing 

 is for either bottom or pelagic forms. There is 

 little surf fishing in the Southern Section. 

 Shrimp (live and dead), cut mullet, artificial 

 lures, and squid are the baits most commonly 

 used. 



The majority of the inside fishing is done 

 from causeways: Melbourne -Indialantic, Eau 

 Gallie-Canova Beach, and Cocoa-Cocoa Beach, 

 and from Mathers Bridge. There are numerous 

 small private piers on the eastern and western 

 shores of the Banana River in the proximity of 

 Mathers Bridge. These private piers are used 

 mainly in the warmer months. Some fishing is 

 done by wading in the shallow river flats. In 

 warm weather a great amount of fishing occurs 

 on the causeways and Mathers Bridge at night. 

 There is little or no night fishing at Port 

 Canaveral Harbor, and the two ocean piers are 

 closed by about 11 p.m. Most people fishing 

 from boats in the rivers finish by dark, but 

 on several warm, calm nights some boat fish- 

 ing was observed. 



The nnajor species sought by the oceanfish- 

 ernnen are bluefish, mackerel, and red snapper. 

 Black sea bass, dolphin, grouper, bonito, cabio, 

 other snappers, triggerfish, black drum, 

 sheepshead, porgies, grunt, croaker, whiting, 

 sea catfish, and black margate are also caught. 



The major species sought by the river and 

 Port Canaveral Harbor fishermen are spotted 

 sea trout, red and black drum, bluefish, and 

 sheepshead. Sea catfish, puffers, yellowtail, 

 pigfish, croaker, whiting, pinfish, mangrove 

 snapper, spadefish, and flounder are also 

 caught. 



Skin and scuba divers have been observed 

 spear fishing around the jetties at Port 

 Canaveral, the channel buoys, and the old 

 Canaveral Pier. 



35 



