Monday, November 17, 2008

Full Moon/Fall Weather Affect Fishing


Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, November 14, 2008
By Captain Tom van Horn

Just when I think my natural balance has recovered from the time warp brought on by daylight savings time, it's once again disrupted by influence the full moon. For reasons unknown to me, the influence of the full moon makes my mind wonder like the elevated tides flushing in and out of the lagoon, and an uneasy mind makes for a restless night. In these days of urban sprawl and diminishing natural resources, the value of nature's influences are often lost, forgotten, or misunderstood. The next time you on the water take a moment to reflect on what attracted you to this serene place, and how nature's influences enhance our daily lives.

This past week I fished in two completely different locations with mixed results, and the cosmological effects of the full moon, and the fall weather patterns again affected fishing. For several weeks now, stalled cold fronts have wavered back and forth across Florida kicking up the seas making near and offshore fishing unthinkable. Also, the weather has remained warmer than normal, which has slowed the progression of the bait migration, and disrupted usual fish patterns a little.

Around the middle of the week, weather conditions and lunar stage, four days before the full moon, were perfect for an early morning bite. Over a cup of coffee, I reviewed our strategies and options with a friend, and together we commented about how good the area around Edgewater was in the fall. The next day Randy calls, and he tells me about the phenomenal fishing experience he had catching thirteen trout, three reds, one snook, and a twenty inch flounder all on a DOA Shrimp during the first two hours of daylight. The next day, I ventured into the same area around Brown's Bay, and I experienced similar results using top water plugs and D.O.A Carbonated Shrimp. One important note to mention was the finger mullet and other bait were still there, which means the mullet run is still on.

My next trip took me to Port Canaveral in search of predators working bait in and around the inlet. With good weather conditions, I hit the water around 8am, and found the inlet loaded with finger mullet, glass minnows, and greenies, but the only thigh eating were the pelicans. The only thing I can attribute the lack of feeding fish to was the full moon, and the only fish I managed were two nice flounder caught off of the buoys using finger mullet on the bottom.

Again, the marine forecast is calling for strong winds and heavy seas through the weekend as a stalled front finally pusses through, but as the full moon wanes, the inlets and backwaters should still be fishable.

Today, the Shuttle sits on Pad A poised to launch on its mission to the ISS, so many areas around the Space Center are closed, plus the weather for tomorrow, Saturday, dose not look promising, so your next best option is the Florida Sportsman Fishing show in Orlando which is on my agenda. Additionally, next week is my annual pilgrimage to Sebastian where my focus will be on the annual migration of flat fish (flounder) from the lagoon to the sea, so I hoping this front pusses through quickly and conditions improve for my week on the water.

In closing, it's the time of year to think about purchasing a gift certificate from Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters, which are now available for the 2009 fishing season at a reduced rate. These certificates make the perfect holiday gift for the enjoyment of both family and friends.

As always, if you have any questions or need information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 Office 407-416-1187 on the water

Book a charter, and let's go fishing.

Visit http://www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for all of your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!

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