Hiles Boulevard Beach Park Fishing

Hiles Boulevard Beach Park is a large county lot at the southern end of New Smyrna Beach, with a restroom building and a signalized crossing to a beach where no vehicles are allowed.

• Plenty of parking for an early start, with seven accessible spaces
• Whiting, pompano, bluefish and redfish in the surf
• A no-driving stretch of Volusia's beach
• Restrooms and outdoor showers
• Daily parking fee for visitors; free for registered county residents

The lot is at 4516 South Atlantic Avenue in New Smyrna Beach, on the west side of A1A about 1.5 miles south of the 27th Avenue beach ramp; Hiles Boulevard meets A1A beside it.

• Parking: 226 regular and 7 handicapped spaces in a county-owned lot
• Fees: $20 a day for visitors; registered Volusia County residents park free, and nonresidents can buy a $100 annual off-beach pass
• Crossing: a signalized pedestrian crosswalk leads to the Hiles Boulevard beach ramp
• Hours: no parking from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.; the restrooms keep roughly daylight hours
• On the sand: vehicles are not allowed on this section, so carry your cart down the ramp

A long, open beach south of Ponce Inlet, where the fishing follows the seasons and the passing bait.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting at their best, bluefish moving up the coast and blacktip sharks in close
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting and croaker early and late, Spanish mackerel under diving terns, a few flounder in the cuts
• Fall (Sep-Nov): mullet schools draw bluefish, jacks, redfish and the odd tarpon along the bar; flounder move toward the inlet
• Winter (Dec-Feb): pompano and whiting when the water clears, black drum and redfish on the deeper troughs

The lot is close enough to bring a cart, so a small spread works well here.

• Two surf rods of 10 to 12 ft in sand spikes, each with a double-drop rig, #1 to 2/0 hooks and a 3 to 5 oz pyramid or sputnik sinker
• Baits: sand fleas and clam for pompano, fresh or frozen shrimp for whiting and croaker, cut mullet for reds and blues
• Fish the near trough first; move out to the second only when the near water is empty
• Keep a light spinning rod rigged with a 1/2 oz spoon or a small darting plug for Spanish mackerel and blues
• In fall, a fish-finder rig and a chunk of mullet for redfish

Like the rest of this coast, the beach gets two high and two low tides a day. NOAA has no prediction station on this beach: the nearest on the open ocean is at the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores, about 12 miles north, where the range runs about 2 to 5 feet from neaps to springs, so expect something similar here.

• Rising water that fills the trough is the best time for whiting and pompano
• Walk the beach at low tide to find cuts and holes for later
• A northeast blow brings big surf and weed; wait a day or two for it to settle
• Clear, calm water suits pompano and mackerel; a little color suits whiting
• Summer: fish at first light and again toward sunset

The hazards are the usual Atlantic surf ones, plus other beach users.

• Rip currents: fish from the beach rather than wading deep, and heed posted warning flags
• Lightning: summer storms build fast in the afternoon; leave the beach when you hear thunder
• County code makes this stretch a permitted surfing area in summer, so keep lines away from surfers
• Stingrays lie in the shallows: shuffle your feet
• Access: paved lot, accessible spaces and a crosswalk, but deep, soft sand on the beach itself

The county's list for this lot is short and practical.

• A public restroom building
• Outdoor showers to rinse off sand and bait
• 233 parking spaces, 7 of them handicapped
• A signalized crosswalk to the beach ramp
• No bait, tackle or food at the park; stock up in town before you come
• Nothing is provided for night anglers, so bring a shielded light and keep it off the dunes during turtle nesting season

• Register with ParkVolusia if you live in the county and the daily fee goes away
• The lot shuts to cars from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., so plan a night session to end before then
• On the fall run, watch for bait flipping close in and fish just ahead of it
• Dig sand fleas at the edge of the swash as the tide drops
• Stay out of the water near surfers; cast up or down the beach from them
• A lifeguard's or deputy's warning to stop fishing must be obeyed under county code

Volusia County runs the lot, and the county Beach Code governs fishing on the sand.

• You must stop fishing in the ocean when the Beach Patrol or a law officer warns that swimmers are in danger
• No chumming or blood baiting on the beach or within 600 feet of the water's edge
• No alcohol or glass on the beach; pets only where dogs are allowed
• Cars may not stay in the lot between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• This beach is in the FWC's Indian River Lagoon region, which has release rules for redfish; check FWC before you fish
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is needed unless an exemption applies; shore-based shark anglers also need the FWC's no-cost permit
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything