Sanchez Park, Ormond Beach Fishing

Sanchez Park, Ormond Beach gives anglers a long, shady dock on the lower Tomoka River, a darker-water alternative to the open Halifax a mile or two east.

• A large fishing dock along the riverbank, listed by the city
• Redfish, black drum, sheepshead and seatrout, plus the occasional snook
• Shade trees, picnic tables, grills, a playground and restrooms
• A boat ramp beside the dock

The park is at 329 Sanchez Avenue, Ormond Beach, at the west end of Sanchez Avenue where it meets the Tomoka River.

• Hours: sunrise to sunset
• Admission: free
• Parking: ample spaces, according to Sports Volusia
• The dock runs along the riverbank on the north side of the ramp, reached on foot from the parking area
• The parking area is unpaved sand, which can be soft after heavy rain

The Tomoka is a brackish, blackwater river, and its fish shift with the seasons more than with the tide.

• Spring (Mar-May): black drum and sheepshead taper off as redfish and trout get going
• Summer (Jun-Aug): redfish, small mangrove snapper, jacks and ladyfish; tarpon sometimes roll in the river
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and flounder feed hard as bait moves out of the creeks
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum, sheepshead and trout in the deeper river water, and snook may hold in the warmer, darker water of the river

Medium-light spinning tackle with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 to 30 lb fluorocarbon leader suits the dock and the river's structure.

• Shrimp, crab or cut mullet on a sliding sinker rig along the bottom for redfish and black drum
• Fiddler crabs on a small strong hook tight to the dock pilings for sheepshead
• A dark or gold soft plastic on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jighead, worked slowly, for trout and redfish in the tannin-stained water
• A mud minnow on a Carolina rig for flounder in the fall
• A heavier leader and a live finger mullet or shrimp near structure if you are after a snook; handle it with care
• Bring a long-handled net for landing fish from the dock

NOAA's Halifax River station at Ormond Beach predicts only a few inches to under a foot of tide, and the Tomoka is fed from that same slow water, so wind and rain set the current here.

• A steady breeze or an outflow after rain gets the water moving and the fish feeding
• Heavy rain darkens the river further; slow down and fish closer to the bottom
• On cold winter days, the warmest part of the afternoon fishes best
• Calm, early summer mornings are the best time for trout and redfish
• Watch the weather: summer storms build quickly over the river

It is a shaded, family-friendly park, and the dock gives a solid platform along the water.

• Summer lightning: leave the dock when storms approach
• The boat ramp can be busy at weekends; keep clear of launching boats and trailers
• The dark river water hides the bottom; keep children back from the edge of the dock
• Mosquitoes can be thick under the trees early and late in the day
• Manatees use the river; watch for them and never cast at them

The city and Sports Volusia list good basic amenities for a neighborhood park, all inside its 8.4 shady acres.

• A large fishing dock and a boat ramp
• Restrooms
• Picnic tables, grills and a gazebo or pavilion
• A playground and a walking path
• Parking
• No bait shop or food is listed at the park, so bring bait, ice and drinks with you

• Fish move along the bank, so try several stretches of the dock before settling
• In the dark Tomoka water, lures with a gold or dark profile and scented plastics outfish pale ones
• A winter cold snap is the time to try for drum and sheepshead along the dock pilings
• If you paddle, the park's boat ramp puts a kayak on the Tomoka to reach water the dock cannot
• Tomoka State Park, a few miles downstream, is the place for more river fishing and camping

Sanchez Park is a City of Ormond Beach park.

• Open sunrise to sunset; admission is free
• Follow posted park rules at the dock and ramp
• City code allows fishing in park waters by any legal method unless the city closes an area, and bans spear guns there
• City code also bans swimming and wading in waters next to city land except where the city allows it, so fish from the dock
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you qualify for an exemption
• Snook and tarpon have their own FWC rules; check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything