Surf Fishing - Cape Canaveral, FL area

Question
Dear Mr. Arnov,
     I am a fairly experienced fisherman, with surf fishing my first love.  I am coming to visit a friend in Cape Canaveral, FL from Apr 27-May 3.  I wondered if it would be worth sending some of my surf rods down ahead of me if there is any surf fishing action there at that time of year.  Should I bring my light weight (3/8 oz-2 1/2 oz lure) 9' plugging rod (30lb Power-Pro line), my regular bait fishing 9'6" (2-4oz rigs)rod (also 30 lb Power Pro) and/or my heavier conventional 10'2" (4-8oz rigs)conventional "heaver", which I usually use for heavy duty bait fishing in the surf (they all breakdown so can be shipped), or all three?  What sort of fish might I be targeting?  What sort of lures or bait would I most likely use?
Is that likely to be a good time of year to fish in the surf?  Are there other areas relatively near "the Cape" that might offer better surf fishing?  ANY advice at all which you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Kevin

Answer
Dear Dr. Harris,
I, too, consider surf fishing as my favorite kind.  And you will not be disappointed in the Cape area as there are pompano, redfish, bluefish, and others to be caught throughout the winter.  I would bring/send your plugging rod and lighter bait fishing rod.  Along that part of the coast the deep slough running parallel to the shore is close in, and you can easily reach it with even a fly rod.  In this slough you will find redfish up to 20 pounds or more; fish them with cut mullet, shrimp live or dead, and, if you like, deep-running lures colored on the gold side, moved slowly.  Pompano will be on the sandbar just outside of the slough and you should be able to reach them easily with the bait rod.  Use cut clams, shrimp alive or dead, and, best of all, sand fleas you can either catch with the appropriate trap or buy.As you probably know, bluefish go for a flashy spoon or jig and some are around all winter.  Pomps can also be caught with your plugging rod and a short skirt bullet-head jig with maybe a bit of shrimp on the hook tipand the whole thing bounced on the bottom from the bar towards the shore.  Farther south in the Jupiter area there is around the inlet excellent fishing.  And I would try plugging with a top water, black back and white belly  lure in the early AM along the shore--get in the water and try to work the plug as parallel to the shore as possible rather than from the bar into shore.  Finally, for pompano go to a local tackle shop and get some rigs for these fish as multiple hooks are a must. And while there brain-pick them for more info.  Be lucky.  Oh yes, fish pomps when the water is very clean. Boris