DESCRIPTION OF NORTHERN SECTION 

 AND ITS FISHERY 



The Northern Section, located in the southern 

 half of Volusia County and the northern half of 

 Brevard County and extending from Titusville 

 north to the north side of Ponce de Leon Inlet, 

 includes: Indian River north of Titusville and 

 west of the Haulover Canal; Indian River Lagoon 

 (Mosquito Lagoon); Indian River North, island 

 section which extends from Indian River Lagoon 

 north to Ponce de Leon Inlet; and Ponce de Leon 

 Inlet and the ocean beach south of the inlet. 

 Figure 12 and table 22 show locations of 

 facilities in the Northern Section. 



Bank Fishery 



The Indian River north of Titusville has 

 many access points for waders and bank 

 fishermen, which nnade san-ipling difficult. The 

 bottom at the sites where bank fishing was 

 sampled was primarily mud or sand and mud. 

 We observed wading fishermen only at Turtle 

 Mound I Fish Camp. Fish camp operators re- 

 ported that fishermen wade along the shoreline 

 of north Indian River in the summer, fishing 

 for snnall school trout, but we never observed 

 this. Bank fishermen use both dead cut mullet 

 and shrinnp while fishing on the bottom and 

 live shrimp and fish when using floats. 



The category "bank fishery" consists of two 

 groups of fishermen: (1) Those fishing at 

 Titusville Causeway, launch, ramp, bridge, 

 and pier (the Titusville Bridge and pier were 

 placed in this category rather than in "bridge 

 fishery" because of species composition of 

 the catch)- -the bridge and pier contributed the 

 majority of fishernnen and most of catch and 

 (2) those fishing at J and J Fish Camp, Bairs 

 Cove Fish Camp, Allenhurst Fish Camp and 

 Haulover Canal, Pirtles Fish Cannp, Beacon 

 42 Fish Camp, Correct Craft Marina Fish 

 Camp, Titusville Basin, Indian Mound Fish 

 Camp, Bisset Bay Fish Camp, Dicks Fish 

 Camp, Turtle Mound I Fish Cannp, Turtle 

 Mound II Fish Camp, Joes Fish Camp, Dicks 

 Fish Cannp to South Causeway Bridge, New 

 Smyrna Beach launch site, Preyers launch 

 site, and New Snnyrna Beach city docks. 



Fishing on Titusville Bridge and pier was 

 pursued less vigorously during the day than 

 at night in the hot sunnnner nnonths. Spotted 

 sea trout, shrinnp, and crabs were generally 

 sought by night fishermen. The catch of shrimp 

 and crabs was nnuch greater than that of fish 

 some nights during the sumnner. No attempt 

 was made to evaluate the catch of these crus- 

 taceans. 



The bank fishery differed from most of the 

 others in that alnnost all sizes and species of 

 fish caught were saved for eating, including 

 snnall pinfish and snnall sea bass. 



Bridge Fishery 



The "bridge fishery," in the Indian River 

 North between Edgewater and Ponce de Leon 

 Inlet, consisted of the people fishing from all 

 bridges and piers and from the Edgewater 

 city fishing and launch site. In New Smyrna 

 Beach, we sannpled at the North Causeway 

 Bridge and pier, bridge on Quay Brenta, bridge 

 at New Smyrna Beach city docks, Callalisa 

 Creek Bridge, and the bridge at 5th Street. 

 The city fishing and launch site at Edgewater 

 was placed in this category rather than in the 

 "bank fishery" because of species composition. 



Bridge fishermen were: (1) Fannily groups, 

 usually tourists; (2) single fishermen or 

 couples, usually natives who fish the entire 

 year regardless of weather; and (3) retired 

 persons residing in area, who fish intensively 

 during the fall, winter, and spring. 



The bridge fishermen usually fish with dead 

 shrinnp or cut mullet bait on the bottonn, but 

 sometimes use floats and live shrimp or fish. 

 This fishery has a specialized, highly skilled 

 group of fishernnen who fish for nothing but 

 sheepshead using fiddler crabs as bait. During 

 the summer, fishing from 6 to 1 p.m. is as 

 intense as during the day. However, the bridge 

 fishery at night in this section is not so great 

 as that in the Southern Section. 



During spring and summer, a snnall dip net 

 fishery for shrinnp occurs at night off the 

 Edgewater city fishing site. South Causeway 

 Bridge, Callalisa Creek Bridge, and North 

 Causeway pier. We were unable to estimate 

 the catch of shrimp. Also, crabs are taken in 

 small quantities during daylight hours in the 

 summer by fishermen using traps or hand- 

 lines at Callalisa Creek Bridge, North Cause- 

 way pier, and South Causeway Bridge. Again, 

 we were unable to gather sufficient informa- 

 tion to estinnate the volume of this fishery. 



Surf Fishery 



Surf fishing is primarily in two areas: From 

 the Coast Guard Station inside Ponce de Leon 

 Inlet to the inlet mouth and from Bethune Beach 

 to a point approximately 4 miles south. Dead 

 shrinnp and cut nnuUet are the nnost connnnon 

 baits. Many fishermen interviewed stated that 

 the best fishing occurs in deep holes in the 

 surf. The fishes generally sought are red 

 drum, black drum, bluefish, and king whiting. 

 During hot summer days fishing is confined 

 to the early morning or late afternoon. 



Boat Fishery 



The boat fishery in the Northern Section is 

 comprised of two segments: (1) Rental boats 

 and (2) private boats. 



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