These coastal fish-attractors are open all night long. Underwater lights are popular and usually worth a few casts. Tread lightly to avoid spooking fish—or stirring conflicts with property owners. As the sun drops, throughout the Intracoastal you will find docks lit up like the stars above, some bright, some dim. As humans are attracted to stars for their beauty, gamefish are attracted to these docks, but for a different reason. Food. Knowing how to fish these illuminated structures can guarantee a night full of fun; no downtown or pricey cover charges necessary. Who calls these home? Species vary a bit along the latitudinal line. In the southern part of the state, Miami for example, docklights often hold tarpon, with the occasional snook. Push more north, say Fort Pierce or Sarasota, snook hold in the docklights, with seatrout and redfish mixed in. Once you've reached the north end of the state, up near Jacksonville or Panama City, trout and reds are your target species. There are three different lights you will typically find when running the Intracoastal at night. First is the “light pole” style, typically installed to illuminate the dock. These also shine out into the water, making a shadow line for fish to hold on and ambush prey as they sweep through with the current. Second style is a light, often fluorescent, mounted to the bottom of the dock, shining straight down into the water. Last is the underwater light. Often green, this light is typically submerged under or off to the side of the dock, giving off a large orb of light underwater. Small snook are often associated with dock lights. This one, not small! Photo: Joe Harrison and Lauren Ogden When approaching these lights, I always like to slow down, stay back and just watch for a minute before creeping in to make a cast. Can I see fish hanging in the light? Are they popping baits? If so, are they small baits? How is the current? If you look at fish in a light, majority of the time they are staging into the current, waiting for a shrimp, crab, or small baitfish to be swept with the tide to them. If throwing artificials or flies, you will either want to setup down current of the light, and cast upcurrent, or parallel and “sweep” your lure through the light. The only time I ever like to stage up current of a light is when I am drifting back live baits, typically freelined live shrimp, that look the most natural when drifting with the current. DOWNSIZE Majority of the time, the bait these fish are foraging on are small, very small, such as glass minnows, pilchard fry, small shrimp and crabs adrift in the current, to name a few. If your standard soft-plastic paddletail or lipped plug won't get a bite, downsize it! If the fish are really keyed in on small baits, I will take a white jerkbait, and cut the tail off about an inch and a half up the bait. I will then rig it on a small 1/16- or 1/8-ounce jighead. Reel it through the light quickly, with your rodtip up, giving it small twitches. You want the fish to think a baitfish is fleeing from the light, triggering a reaction bite. Small plugs such as the Yo-Zuri Pins Minnow or MirrOlure MirrOdine Mini also suffice. The key is to keep it moving. Flies excel in these situations, as you can downsize to very small presentations. I prefer throwing something like the Enrico Puglisi Micro Minnow. At 1 ½ inches long and integrated flash, it resembles a fry bait perfect, and can even be trimmed down more, if necessary. Mirroring the conventional retrieve, short, brisk strips will get you the bite. PIER PRESSURE REMEMBER: The lighted dock you're fishing didn't grow there by itself. Someone put it there. And good chance they like to fish, too. If you see someone on the dock, fishing or otherwise enjoying the night, take a pass—or at least ask politely if it's okay to make a few casts. If the dock isn't occupied, make every effort to avoid hitting it with a lure; keep your voices to a minimum, and avoid shining a spotlight into windows on nearby residence. Most coastal waterfront areas are public waters, where boating access is lawful for everyone. But, there are some private harbors and residential marinas. Inquire with local law enforcement, if you're unsure about a sign or something someone tells you. FS Published Florida Sportsman Magazine May 2020

The guys at Rocky Point Boat Worx explain the intricacies of how to properly peform and inspect your motor during an outboard motor oil change.

Enjoy a fancy fish dinner curated by French Canadian pro spearfisher Valentine Thomas.

The crew at Two Rivers Boatworks discuss how they cerakote custom hardware for the Skimmer Skiff and discuss do's and don't of the process to avoid common mistakes.

Dale Kallaway at Two Rivers Boatworks explains how the idea of the custom Hydra-Stepp came to be and outlines what to expect in the design process and execution.

The crew at Wildfire Marine continue working on the 25 Bertram by installing multiple custom fiberglass additions and new seating to transform the layout of the boats interior.

The guys at Rocky Point Boat Worx show how to properly drain and replace lower unit oil and explain how to inspect and install new spark plugs.

The team at Rocky Point Boat Worx performs routine water pump replacement during a 100-Hour Service and offer tips to make the job of servicing your lower unit easier.

Royce Brooker at Two Rivers Boatworks explains how he installs a through-hull high-speed livewell pickup on the custom skiff.

Mike Carney does a walk through of the Jackson Coosa FD Kayak. He takes a look at all the features this boat has to offer.

In this Kayak Fishing Fun TV Special segment, Mike Carney shares the various accessories and gadgets he added to his kayak to make the ultimate Hobie Mirage Outback kayak build.

Mike Sternberg at Wildfire Marine tackles David Taylor's 25 Bertram conversion from inboard-outboard to an outboard transom bracket layout to best utilize the space available. He explains how he preps for this type of conversion by filling in the outdrive openings and explains how to reinforce the fiberglass transom with marine plywood, resin and fiberglass to be able to support an outboard engine bracket.

Dave Singer at Rock Point Boat Worx works on a custom dash panel layout for the Skimmer Skiff. He explains how he builds, measures and trims the panel and the careful steps he takes to perfectly flush mount the electronics.

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

See All Special Interest Magazines

All Florida Sportsman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Offer only for new subscribers.