Tuesday, I fished with Mike, a fly angler from Ohio. We got an early start hoping for some calm winds but had no such luck. The stiff breeze made finding and staying with the fish tough and made casting nearly impossible. We encountered plenty of redfish during our half day outing but caught none. Mike did manage to land a few seatrout using a clouser minnow.
Wednesday, I fished the Indian River due to logistical reasons. I met up with fly angler Robbie, and his wife Melissa. We hoped our first stop would produce a few ladyfish and maybe a small tarpon. We caught only one ladyfish and never saw a poon. We poled the shoreline looking for reds and trout. We saw some large trout and had shots at some reds but did not hook up. We moved a bit deeper and Robbie caught a few trout and some blowfish using a clouser minnow. Melissa landed a few trout as well. The only redfish of the day came at the end of the trip when Melissa landed one around 30 inches.
Thursday, it was back to the Mosquito Lagoon with Mike, the same angler from Tuesday. For the first couple hours, the winds stayed calm and the fishing was as good as it gets. Our first spot held a nice school of large redfish finning near the surface. Unfortunately, the fish saw the fly line in the air and spooked. Spot two was holding at least a dozen schools of both redfish and black drum, all happily tailing. Most of the fish would move off when we got around 50 feet from them so long casts were necessary to reach them. After a bit of buck fever, Mike managed to land a black drum with a black crab fly.
Throughout the day, we had consistent shots at tailing and cruising redfish. The winds quickly increased, however, making it less than ideal fly casting conditions. Mike stuck with the fly rod, however, and used the day as a learning experience. Although Mike understood casting mechanics, having to make the very quick casts required when shallow water sight fishing was a totally new experience as it is to many fresh water anglers who try out the salt.
During the month of June, look for the redfish to be tailing early in the morning. Approach the fish quietly and let your baits land well away from the fish. As the sun gets higher, pay attention to sandy areas surrounded by grass which can hold both redfish and trout.
Tip of the Week - Choosing a lure color
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is, "what is the best color lure for redfish?" You can ask ten different people and get ten different answers. My answer is simple. Use the one that looks the best to you and you believe will work. Having confidence in your baits is important. You will spend more time using them and working them properly. I have used a multitude of colors to catch redfish and they all work well. I find that presentation is far more important than color, in most situations. If you look in my tackle box, you will find a variety of colors. I use shades of green most often with Arkansas Glow, Melonback, Greeneback, and Watermelon Seed topping the list. Morning Glory, Stark Naked, and Gold Glitter are also among my favorites. If I find the fish are refusing my bait, I usually change style or size before worrying about color.
Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study
Summer is here and that means the tarpon will be arriving. FWC is continuing their study of the prized game fish and you can participate. All you need is a free DNA sampling kit. When you have collected the samples, you can drop them off at many locations throughout the state. Visit their website for more information on the program - Tarpon DNA Research Program
As I stated above, I will be doing some fishing around the state the beginning of this month and may not get a fishing report out for several weeks. This week, I will be tarpon fishing in Charlotte Harbor with frind Capt. John Kumiski. The following week, I will be in Staurt for some fun fishing as well as the DOA Outdoor Writers Conference. I have only a couple charter dates left open for the month.
Thanks.
Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com
321-229-2848
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