By Captain Tom Van Horn
Be sure to check out the new Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando in print and online for free at www.coastalanglermagazine.com .
There's no doubt summer has arrived on the Indian River Lagoon coast of Florida. With temperatures and humidity levels rising, it's prudent to concentrate your angling efforts during cool hours of early morning, late afternoon and at night. Fishing in June, July, and August requires some adjustments in your fishing routine, but it doesn't mean the fish aren't biting. June will provide some of the best opportunities for shallow water anglers to tackle major species of fish along the Lagoon coast.
On the flats, focus your efforts between 5am and 9am, and in the late afternoon after the thunderstorms dissipate. Night fishing will also produce descent catches of redfish and trout both on the open flats and around dock lights. In the early morning look for trout and redfish up in the skinny water around concentration of bait, and toss them your favorite top water plug. Also look for schools of bay anchovies (glass minnows) in deeper waters. These schools can be located by watching for small terns and other sea birds working above bait schools, and they usually are shadowed by concentrations of small trout and ladyfish. If you can only fish during the heat of the day, target docks with deepwater access and skip your baits well under the dock where the water is cooler. It is also best to upgrade you tackle size and leader to mussel fish out from under the structure.
Near-shore, fishing is the best you will see all year for skinny water boats along the beach. June is the time of year when the kingfish move in close shadowing schools of Atlantic menhaden (pogies) along the beach and in the Port Canaveral buoy line. When the summer doldrums set in, the waters clear, and the seas flatten out and the window of opportunity opens for flat bottom boats. Also along the beach, look for the tarpon and shark number to increase, and let's not forget the schools of big jack carvalle and the tripletail fishery will also be turning on. Remember, snook season closes this week, so let's give them a chance to relax and get jiggie.
Offshore, look for the dolphin bite to slow as the schools begin to spread out. The kingfish concentration will remain good along the inshore reefs and wrecks of 8A Reef and Pelican Flats slow trolling with live pogies producing the most action. Bottom fishing will remain good for snapper and grouper until the first summer squall blows in and muddies up the water or the cold water moves in.
Remember as the day's heat up, long battles will kill the larger fish, so if you plan on targeting them, please step up your tackle to shorten the battle. Also leave them in the water as much as possible, and revive them completely before releasing them.
Last but not least, if you are interested in learning more about fishing the saltwater flats, mark your calendar for the free flats fishing class 3 of 8 class series, "Soft Plastic Applications", Saturday, June 13th, 10am - 12pm at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida.
As always, if you have any questions or need help, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
(407) 416-1187 on the water
(407) 366-8085 landline
Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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