St Johns River Shad 2010

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, February 5, 2010


Well folks, after reviewing our January weather, the average wind speeds for the month were 16 knots. Finding a nice day to fish last month was a chore and this past week wasn't any better. To make matters worse, this coming weekend will be blown out offshore with winds gusting up to 20 knots on Saturday and 15 knots on Sunday. Another event closing down the south end of the Mosquito Lagoon and the down range safety zones offshore is the Space Shuttle Launch scheduled for 4 am Sunday morning. On last check the weather was go for launch, so it might be worth getting up and watching the shuttle turn night into day. Additionally, both Monday and Tuesday look like good days to fish weather wise.

Tough weather kept me off of the Lagoon this past week, but I did hear some reports of both redfish and sea trout catches. Everyone I've talked to this week has located a good number of fish, but they still haven't started to eat well since the freeze. Most anglers are catching a few fish, mostly smaller ones, and the DOA Shrimp has been the bait of choice.



John's first American Shad on fly this season.

While I didn't make a saltwater trip last week, I did manage to do some American shad fishing on the St Johns River. The water level on the river increased by 11 inches after last weeks rains, and it is a good 30 inches higher than it was at this time last year. With the higher water the shad haven't been rolling on the surface, so anglers have resorted to blind casting and trolling in the deeper bends and holes in the river with some success. Although the bite hasn't kicked in, we did see improvements over last week, and on one trip I managed three nice Americans on fly. Also, the crappie fishing has been good with a lot of limits being caught. So if the wind is too much for the lagoon this weekend, you might consider the St. Johns as an alternative.



My 18-inch American caught on an orange Crazy Charlie fly.

One last word of warning, it doesn't happen to me very often, but I did stumble across a rather large cotton mouth this week while walking the shoreline of the St. Johns. Luckily I spotted him sunning himself, and made sure to maintain a respectable distance as I passed. When wading and walking along our fresh water wetlands, it's prudent to mind your step and keep a sharp eye out for snakes. If you do encounter one, simple keep your distance, and what ever you do, don't mess with it.

Also, be sure to check out the new February addition of Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando in print and online for free at www.coastalanglermagazine.com.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com
407-366-8085 office
407-416-1187 on the water