Mosquito Lagoon March 2011 Forecast

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast
March 2011
By Captain Tom Van Horn


Upcoming Seminars and Events
Saturday March 5th 10 am - 3 pm, Women in the Outdoors Fly Fishing Event

Hosted by Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave, Apopka, Florida. This is a ladies only Introduction to Fly Fishing event. For more details, visit www.wekivaspringsstrutters.com

Saturday March 12th 10:00 - 12 Noon, Free Introduction to Fly Fishing
10: 00 - 12:00  Class instructed by FFF Certified Instructor and veteran Mosquito lagoon Fishing Guide Captain Chris Myers. Located in the Outback section of Mosquito Creek Outdoor, 170 South Washington Ave. Apopka Florida www.mosquitocreek.com

Saturday, March 19th Cobia and Dolphin
10: 00 - 12:00 Cobia and Dolphin "Free Seminars" instructed by Rapala Pro Staffer Rodney Sahr, "Spring Tactics for Cobia and Dolphin", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.

March Fishing Outlook
Spring is just around the corner, and fishing opportunities on the Indian River Lagoon coast have begun to heat up. Spring in Florida is not defined by any specific dates, but more so by temperature and weather patterns. I have also learned over the years to watch for subtle changes in the local flora which signal spring's arrival. These changes can be slight or quite dramatic, they're easy to recognize, and they correspond with the activities and migration patterns of fish. As an example, I always watch for the bloom of my lavender Formosa azaleas as a signal of the beginning of the spring cobia run along the beaches and near-shore waters of the Space Coast. Another example is the fragrance of orange blossoms drifting across the Lagoon, which hint to the formation of redfish schools on the flats and beginning of the spring bait migration northward.


Cobia

By the way, my azaleas are loaded buds, and good catches of cobia have been reported offshore of Stuart and Sebastian. It won't be long before these fish arrive in the Port Canaveral area as long as the warmer weather pattern holds. Also look for tripletail hanging on flotsam, weeds, and around buoys, and for heavy weight jacks, oversized redfish, tarpon, and sharks shadowing bait pods near the beaches and inlets close to the end of the month.


Mark Blyths Cobia

As the days grow longer and the ocean begins its gradual warming phase, 67 to 68 degrees, the spring fishing bonanza on the Indian River Lagoon coast commences. Increasing water temperatures facilitate the progression of bait pods (menhaden and mullet) from the deeper waters into the near-shore waters bringing predators we love so much with them. Additionally, warmer waters will draw manta rays near-shore with cobia shadowing them. As always, weather, water clarity, and sea conditions will determine the number of fishable days we will experience in March. This is especially true for those of us who target deep-water species in skinny water boats.

Moving out into deeper water, the spring kingfish run is just around the corner, and it should hold solid for the next six months. Look for the kingfish to begin showing up on the near-shore reefs and wrecks around the middle of the month, and then move in close to shore following bait pods. Most anglers, including myself, prefer slow trolling live pogies, but spoons and frozen Spanish sardines dressed with king buster skirts will also work if live bait is hard to find.



Art's Respectable No-Motor Zone Redfish

Inshore, the water levels should be on the rise, and schools of slot size redfish have formed up ahead of schedule on the shallow flats, with schools of larger redfish holding along the deeper edges of bars. Also look for the larger sea trout to be holding in sand pockets on the skinny flats.


Becky Gattis caught this 15 inch Shad near Lake Harney.jpg

Last but not least, now is the time to target American shad in the upper waters of the St Johns River. Good reports of shad have been coming from the area south of the Highway 46 Bridge near Geneva and areas south of Hatbill Park. The Second Annual American shad and Crappie Derby ends on Monday February 28th at sunset after two fun filled months of fishing, so stay tuned for my next report and the winners of this years event.


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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187 on the water
http://www.irl-fishing.com


For all of your outdoor shopping needs, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, Florida.  For more details, visit http://www.mosquitocreek.

FWC Wants Increased Redfish Bag Limit

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has proposed raising the red drum recreational daily bag limit from one fish to two per person in northern Florida. In addition, the FWC wants to create three regional management areas for red drum and establish a statewide eight-fish red drum daily vessel limit. The Commission also intends to develop ways to modify the red drum off-the-water possession limit.
"We've come a long way since the early 1990s, when red drum stocks were largely depleted, but the management of red drum in Florida is turning out to be a success story," said Commissioner Kathy Barco. "The fishery is holding its own in southern Florida, and numbers of red drum in northern parts of the state are now at a point where it's safe to give back some fish to anglers."
The FWC is proposing establishment of three management areas for redfish. These would be the same as the current management areas for spotted seatrout.
This report is courtesy of Underwater-Lights USA, Underwater LED Boat Lights

Seatrout Season Reopens In North Florida

Spotted seatrout season reopens to recreational harvest March 1st, 2011. At that time, all Florida waters will be open to the sport harvest of spotted seatrout. The maximum daily bag limit for spotted seatrout in the northern harvest area is 5 fish per person. In waters south of these boundaries, the daily limit is 4 fish per person. The slot limit for spotted seatrout is 15-20 inches total length, but anglers may keep one spotted seatrout larger than 20 inches.Seatrout may not be caught using any multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait, and snagging or snatch-hooking spotted seatrout is illegal. Anglers may take spotted seatrout with hook-and-line gear or cast nets and must bring the fish to land in a whole condition.
This story is courtesy of Underwater-Lights USA. Underwater LED Boat Lights.

Key West Tarpon 2011

Key West Tarpon Fishing Report February 8th 2011
by DrCatcher


Let the games begin……
Key West Tarpon

Tarpon Fishing Key West
I am announcing that starting this week it is tarpon season. Yep, the tarpon are here in Key West, Florida.

The past few days have been incredible weather wise. warm winds from the south brought our water temps up about 4 – 6 degrees. Bait is everywhere and the tarpon were chewing.

We had an exceptional sunset session the other night trying out the new Go Pro video camera and some seriously light tackle. Big fun to be had with the flat calm conditions and many, many, many fish in the backcountry.

Light tackle and live bait is the game right now for tarpon. With the exception of the occasional North winds and some lingering cold front we should be in pretty solid for some great tarpon action from here till at least July.

Book your tarpon fishing now with us here at Dream Catcher Charters. Get in with the best group of fishing guides in Key West and see what kind of fun Key West fishing is..

Call our offices at 1-888-362-3474 Speak To Island Gen about your needs.

Tarpon Season Is Early…….

Capt Steven Lamp
5555 College Road
Key West, FL 33040
http://www.fishingkeywest.com
www.dreamcatchercharters.com
captstevenlamp@bellsouth.net
888-362-3474

Fort Pierce Fishing Report 2-2011

Fishing Report
Fort Pierce - Port St Lucie - Vero Beach - Jensen Beach
February 20, 2011

Inshore Fishing Report:
Warm spring weather has made for enjoyable outings all around the Treasure Coast.  While the air was warm, the water temperatures continue to struggle towards warmer conditions.  The bite slowed somewhat later in the week, but you could still catch sheephead around the docks.  Our redfish bite slowed a little, but we were still able to catch a few in spite of cold water.



We had some fun out there with sheephead, redfish and a variety of other fish to keep us busy.  Duncan Haley was in the area and we spent some time remembering high school days and catching up on the years.  Only one redfish that day, but it was nice to see him again.  Brad's son was out with him and his grandfather, Gary and caught two redfish on his first two casts.  Tom and Becky caught a variety of fish on their trip around the Indian River.  To finish off the week, I spent a couple days in Sebastian with my buddy, Pat Wells and son, Dalton, on a camping trip on the islands.  The water is very cold up that direction, so we ventured into the Sebastian River to find more ladyfish and jacks than Dalton could handle.  On a windy day, we stayed out of it and enjoyed some fun fishing that day.

Trout should begin to bite very soon.  We are just waiting on the temps to rise a few more degrees and the river should become alive with fish.  CAL jerk baits always work well when trout fishing.  Most of the action has been around bridges and docks with sheephead, bluefish and a good variety of others.  Our redfish has been mostly around the dropoffs of some of  the flats.  Live baits and CAL jerk baits have worked best.  It's still a transition period on the river and as temperatures continue to improve, so will the bite.  Spring is almost here!

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Thanks and Good Fishing!

Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

(Captain Charlie Conner has been fishing the Indian River Lagoon for over twenty-five years.  Specializing in light tackle fishing in Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, Stuart and Port St Lucie, Florida.  His weekly South Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report gives you the latest inshore fishing information for the Treasure Coast area on the Indian River Lagoon.}

Amelia Island Fishing Report 2-22-2011

Let's Make it 20!

Dave McCartney was visiting Amelia Island with his wife this week and staying at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge;  the weather has been beautiful so Dave decided to take in a backcountry, light tackle fishing trip on The Anglers Mark.  We left the City marina at 1pm with sunny skies and brisk SW wind and headed up Lanceford Creek to use the land mass as a wind block.  At our first stop we anchored just south of a dock system and Dave began to pitch his mudminnow/jig combo up to the pilings, making expert casts.  It wasn't long before he hooked up and FISH ON!  He played the fish like a pro and we soon landed a feisty 17" Redfish.



  We also tried some dead shrimp on the jig, but the mudminnows seemed to be their favorite because Dave caught fish after fish.  He figured out that sometimes a little patience was needed and you could watch as Dave waited for a good solid "bump" before he set the hook, bringing in another (6) Reds with one making the Slot.  As the bite slowed, we cranked The Anglers Mark and headed further up Lanceford Creek to another dock.  It took us a while to figure out where to locate the boat to stay out of the wind and have good casting position but once we got it right Dave was on fish again, catching Redfish after Redfish.  One hookup produced a stronger pull and the fish seemed to hunker down, bending the light tackle rod, but Dave played it perfectly and we soon netted a nice 20"+ Redfish, in the slot!  We had been keeping count and were nearing 20 fish when Dave had another hookup, this time the fish kept making short runs but when we finally netted him we had a nice 14" Black Drum. 



At 20 fish we called it a day and headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on the water!
Posted by Cpt. Lawrence Piper at 9:00 PM

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Sarasota Fishing Report 2-20-2011

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report for 2/20/2011

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel on jigs and flies during the past week. Action was good early in the week as water temperatures rose to the mid 60’s and then slowed a little towards the end of the week as we approached a full moon.

One of the best trips of the week was last Sunday evening when Sarasota winter resident, Mike Perez, fished with me. We fished the ICW at night near Venice and snook went on a binge! He caught and released more than 40 snook to 29”, including several in the 24”-27” class on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Fish were deep in the water column due to water that is still cool, but they fed aggressively. Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished the west side of Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. We spent most of our time on shallow flats. Action wasn’t fast but he caught and released 6 or 8 trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly including an over slot trout that was about 3-pounds.

Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, both from IL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Wednesday. They caught and released trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Action picked up in Sarasota Bay on Thursday when Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished with me. He caught numerous trout, several Spanish mackerel, blues and a 3-pound pompano on CAL jigs with a gold grub from Stephens Point to Long Bar. Bob Harness, from St. Louis, MO, fished Little Sarasota Bay and Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We found the action slow in Little Sarasota Bay so we headed north to near Big Pass where he caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on my Grassett Deep Flats bunny fly.

I was the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, Capt. Ed Hurst or I will be the instructors for another CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Mar. 5, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.

Action with Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on deep grass flats and reds and snook in skinny water should continue to improve as days get longer and water continues to warm. Tides will be better early next week, although two tide days towards the end of next week are still strong.


Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett 
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com



Sarasota winter resident, Mike Perez, caught and released this 29" snook on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW at night near Venice, FL with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Apalachicola Redfishin 2-2011

On Feb 2nd the Apalachicola groundhog, (aka Capt. Tommy Robinson) poked his head outside and failing to see his shadow declared an early spring and promptly headed down to the Keys to start fishing for Permit. For those of us left behind here in Apalach, we have been blessed for the past two weeks with a good dose of spring conditions. Clear skies, zero percent chance of rain, warmish days 60-70 degrees with mild winds and cool evenings 40-50 degrees. Note: Tommy has 1 or 2 weekend trips still open in the Keys.



Capt. David Heinke has reported large schools of bull redfish that have assembled along the beaches of our barrier islands, with daily catches of reds in the 15-30lbs class. "The fish are on top in fairly shallow water, so we are able to sight cast to the fish. The reds are readily taking flies and of course any jig thrown their way. As long as this pattern holds--and the long range forecast says it will--these fish should be around and catchable for awhile".

And if you don't care about the fishing, but still would like to see our area by water, we offer sight-seeing & shelling trips, sunset cruises and river tours based out of Apalachicola.

Stop by & see us if you come to Apalachicola during your spring break!

Kathy & Valerie

Serving St. George Island, Carrabelle, Apalachicola, Mexico Beach, Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe and the rest of the Forgotten Coast...

Robinson Brothers Guide Service
118 Commerce St.
Apalachicola, Florida
877-6Redfish or 850-653-8896
www.FloridaRedfish.com

Shad & Crappie Derby 2011 Update

This Weeks Mosquito Creek Outdoors Fishing Report
By Captain Tom Van Horn


If you haven't heard, the Shad Rally held at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp on Saturday was a tremendous success. The weather was a bit on the breezy and chilly side so we moved the event inside the protected patio at the Jolly Gator. By 11 am a significant crowed of shad derby sponsors and fishing enthusiast gathered for the shad fishing seminars instructed by Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn. The seminars were carried out on the water using a Mosquito Bay Skiff as the stage, and they covered both conventional and fly fishing techniques for shad. After the seminars, a fund raising raffle supporting the Hook Kids on Fishing was held, and thanks to our generous sponsors, anglers were rewarded with armloads of tackle and prizes.



Captain Chris Myers Fly Fishing Seminar



Captain Tom Van Horn's Shad Seminar

After the rally, many anglers hit the water for the remainder of the day, and aboard Three Quarter Time, 15 American shad were caught trolling shad rigs between the Jolly Gator Fish Camp and the southern mouth of Lake Harney.



It's Raffle Time

Besides being great fun, the Shad and Crappie Derby has generated significant interest in the fishery, adding value to protecting the resource for generations to come. At last count, around 250 anglers signed up, and over 3000 views were received on our Shad and Crappie derby website photo gallery at www.cfshadderby.com. Moreover, less than two weeks remain in the derby, so it's time to hit the water and secure your position as top angler of the 2011 season

In closing, I would like to encourage everyone to join me in fishing the Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby. The derby is free for anglers and we have some great prizes, so visit www.cfshadderby.com to view the current leaders and locate the nearest sign-up location.

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


Good luck and good fishing,


Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187 on the water
http://www.irl-fishing.com


For all of your shopping needs, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, Florida. For more details, visit http://www.mosquitocreek.

Tarpon Springs Fishing Report 2-2011

Spotted Sea Trout Time
2/6/2011

Hello Everyone. I hope you are having a good winter. I've been getting a lot calls from you all up north digging out and finding a way to contact me for a fishing trip. I'd get outta there too! We've had some great days between the fronts moving through so here is the latest...

As most of you know, our main target this time of year is the Spotted Sea Trout. They began to move in a few weeks ago and have been eating live shrimp very well. They like jerkworms also, but I've mostly been using the larger shrimp, freelined on the bottom around our spoil islands for the best results. It takes some patience at times and a higher tide, but when they go off, it is great! A recent trip proved this point. After fishing a couple of spots with a little success, we moved to an island where the tide was moving well. Every bait got a fish. It was chaos for 45 minutes. The weather was warm, the sun was breaking through the clouds and the winds were light. All the right conditions helped.



Redfishing has been steady with the right tide. Most of the catches have been undersized fish, but there are some larger fish in the mix. Again, I have used live shrimp laid on the bottom under docks and oyster bars at high tides. Sometimes I'll pinch off the tail to get some scent in the water. That really helps get the bite going! Often, we will get Sheepshead on the line. They are an excellent fish for the table, and no not the same as the freshwater species, despised by many!
That is what's going on out here. The next few weeks will have some ups and downs for weather, hopefully ups! Soon we'll be turning the corner and heading towards some springlike days! Let's get your trip booked soon so you can have a relaxing day on the water and forget about the real world for a bit. Call or e-mail now, 727-365-7560. See ya soon...

Capt. Brian

Capt. Brian Caudill
727-365-7560
braincandle2@yahoo.com
http://www.captbrian.com/

Florida Keys Fishing 2-15-2011

Holiday Isle Captain's Fishing Reports



Robert Richardson jr. enjoying a day of offshore fishing onboard the" Yabba Dabba Doo" before driving the #37 car in the Daytona 500 this weekend. Robert jr and Robert sr. also caught some nice Mutton Snappers, Groupers and King Mackerals. Great action on this beautiful day!
***" GO ROBERT " ! ***



Last Sunday Capt. Steve Leopold on the Yabba Dabba Doo and anglers Paul & Steve put up a fight with a double header of Sailfish.The jumbo's, a pair of 80 pounders were released after a two hour fight on 12lb test. The fish were hooked while kite fishing 5 miles from Holiday Isle Marina.



On Sunday Capt. Bruce Anderson and angler Darryl down with some buddies working up in Ft. Lauderdale got up close with this BIG 31lb. Black fin Tuna.

Nikki Holiday Isle Offshore 800-327-7070 Etc 642

Holiday Isle Resort and Marina
84001 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2321 ext. 642
Direct: 305-433-9942
www.holidayisle.com
kharper@holidayisle.com      

Sarasota Fishing Report 2-14-2011

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 2/12/2011


Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout during the past week. In addition, we also caught and released flounder, redfish and large ladyfish.

Carter Fox and his guest Gary, both from VA, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. They caught more than a dozen trout, including several in the slot up to 18”, a flounder and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails near Spanish Point. Fly angler Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished the same area with me that afternoon. He had good action catching and releasing large ladyfish on my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly.

Fly angler Tom Newman, from VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday morning. He caught and released numerous trout along the east side of Sarasota Bay on the same fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Mike Plaia, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me that afternoon. With the wind down a little, we fished both sides of the bay where they caught and released numerous trout, including several in the slot, and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith caught and released a 25”, 5-lb trout, one of the larger trout that we’ve caught lately, on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.

If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Feb. 19, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.

Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate trout and reds in potholes and deep areas. There should be good action on deep grass flats with trout, ladyfish and more. Look for reds and big trout in skinny water on sunny afternoons.

 Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

 

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this 5-pound trout on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters 2-2011

It has been an up and down month of fishing. The weather has been fairly good with little rain and fair winds but some days the fishing has been slow. We have been fishing for sailfish mostly but have been catching some other fish as well. There has been some spotty kingfish action with a few good days for them mixed in. There were a few days of good mahi-mahi fishing, a couple of wahoo, and some blackfin and skipjack tuna too. The sharks are starting to show up fairly consistently. The past week has seen a few mako from some of the other boats and also some hammerhead and sandbar/bull shark. Some of the wrecks have had a few almaco/amberjack and some barracuda. It is looking like everything is coming together for a really good March/April fishing season so call soon and book your trip with us. That's all for now, hope to see you soon.

Reel Work Sport Fishing
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Crappie Masters Tournament 2011

This Weeks Mosquito Creek Outdoors Fishing Report
By Captain Tom Van Horn

This Week's Fishing Report
This past week I had the honor of fishing the media event in the Bass Pro Shops Crappie Masters Tournament on Lake Monroe in Sanford Florida.  On the media day, members of the press and event sponsors are teamed up with Crappie Master pro teams for a short four hour tournament.  For this year's media tournament I had the privilege of fishing with the veteran husband and wife team, Barbra and Jim Reedy from Charleston Missouri.  Sponsored by Vicious Line, B&M Rods, Bass Pro, and Road Runner, the Reedy's have fished the Crappie Masters for over 20 years, winning the Lake Monroe event in 2007, and the 2009 Angler Team of the Year.

We left the ramp in the fog at 7am, and although we didn't win the event, we did make the weigh in with a nice 1.25 pound crappie.  The Reedy's tactic for the day was longline trolling Road Runners tipped with minnows, and we caught a wide assortment of crappie, largemouth bass strippers and catfish.  The event winner was Greg Feninco, Promotions Manager for Bass Pro Shops Orlando with a 2.25 crappie.




Jim and Barbra Reedy Vicious Fishing Team



Greg Feninco with a Fish On!

In closing, I would like to encourage everyone to join me in fishing the Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby.  The derby is free for anglers and we have some great prizes, so visit www.cfshadderby.com to view the current leaders and locate the nearest sign-up location.


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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187 on the water
http://www.irl-fishing.com

Sebastian Inlet Fishing Report 2-2011

Whiteys Fishing Report

February 2011
    

Sebastian Inlet, Beaches & Offshore

    Surf fishing has finally started to show some signs of a turn around.  Pompano are back on the catch list along with the arrival of some much missed sand fleas.   The fleas are spotty and not showing in huge numbers but there are a few there.   This has brought the pompano, whiting and blues through the surf and many anglers are finally starting to catch a few fish.

    Some of the pompano are small, so keep a ruler handy.  The legal size is 11” to the fork, keep measuring them and soon you will notice a little silvery shine in your bucket, as a few measure out to be legal size.  There is not a daily limit on the whiting, but the bluefish are 10 per person.  So grab a cup of coffee hit the beach with your surf gear and watch a beautiful sunrise.  Hopefully, you will be taking home some fresh fish for lunch!

    One big surprise at the Sebastian Inlet right now is how good the trout fishing is.  It has been several years since the trout have really moved into the inlet.  Many, many years ago it was a regular cycle, but over time the trout have just have not shown up in any good numbers.  It has just been a hand full fish here and there for just a few days.

    The best way to fish for the trout in the cooler water is to slowly work shallow diving plugs along the rocks and close to the piers.  They are cold and sluggish due to the cold water. If you work the lure too fast they do not have the energy for an attack.  Live bait is also easy to use in the currents with a lightweight rod, just like snook fishing.  Oh no, I said the “S” word.  Well do not even think it!  Snook season will not open on Feb.1.

    The FWC is still keeping the spring season shut due to extreme cold weather last year and stock loss by cold-water temperatures.   I think I am going to step on my soap box for a minute and vent on all the strict fishing regulations that are being placed on the Florida anglers.  The real solution to all the over fishing that they say is going on, is to get some federal grant money and start setting up some fish hatcheries for the depleting stocks of species like snook and snapper.  Most of the other good fishing states do this for salmon, reds, trout and their native species.  Florida has taken the sit back and lets hammer the anglers with the burden of making the populations come back around.  All the work is being placed on us to abide by the rules, release the banned fish in a healthy condition and still buy fishing licenses to support the state.  Florida needs to step up and get out of their chair and start building some hatcheries, put some of the biologist to work that are just sitting around with nothing to do but impose stricter regulations.  Enough said, my blood pressure is rising and this is supposed to be a fishing report to get you excited about going fishing, not depressed about the rules.  So on a much more positive note read on….

    The Rays and Cobia are here and offshore Sebastian Inlet.  Look for the rays up on the surface after 9am or whenever the sun breaks high from the clouds, this will warm up the surface water and pull the rays up to feed.  High sun also helps to give you good spotting light to see the ripples causes by the feeding action on the surface.  If the rays are not showing, head out to the offshore reefs, do some bottom fishing or live baiting and keep an eye out for a free swimming cobia to come off the reef and take a look at your boat.  There have been good numbers of cobia caught both on rays and on the 60ft and 90ft reefs.

    Another key element to finding some cobia offshore is to fish the bait pods that are on the surface.  Huge schools of pogies have been offshore about 8-10 miles out.  The cobia and manta rays have also been mixed in with the schools of bait.  The only recent down fall to all the huge bait pods on the surface, is that the cobia have not been interested in taking a bait, jig, plug or anything you throw at them.  There are stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving with pogies in their bellies.  The best way to get a hook up is to get several fish interested in your bait and let the element of competition work for you.

    A good trick for finicky cobia when all else is fails is to pitch a live blue crab, an eel or just jump in and spear one!  Cobias are the one fish that will tear your boat apart when you bring them aboard.  Make sure when you go to gaff the fish, that you have a clean shot and the other crew members are ready to jump out of the way so you can stuff him in the fish box quickly.  For the smaller fish, say less than 20 lbs, it sure makes things much easier to have a nice size landing net on board to scoop them up.  It makes removing the hook and releasing the fish so much easier.  Also, you can rest assured that the boat will be safer two.

    Whiteys will be hosting its Annual Cobia Tournament starting March 1st.  So stop in some time this month and sign up.  You can also check the website for rules and a daily updated leader board.  Good luck out on the water this month……

Whitey's Bait & Tackle
321-724-14409030 S Highway A1a
Melbourne Beach, FL 32951
captstovall@whiteysonline.comwww.whiteysonline.com/    

Florida Keys Fishing Reports 2-9-2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sailfishing in The Floriday Keys



Check this photo out from The Capt. Easy a beautiful Sailfish caught by Angler DJ, this was his first sailfish he ever caught, great job DJ, stop back in when you want another one;.

Offshore action onboard The Capt. Easy





Action shots from The Capt. Easy offshore of Islamorada, FL.

Nikki Holiday Isle Offshore 800-327-7070 Etc 642

Holiday Isle Resort and Marina
84001 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2321 ext. 642
Direct: 305-433-9942
www.holidayisle.com
kharper@holidayisle.com     

Stuart Florida Fishing Report

Night Time Snook Action
Monday, February 7, 2011



Most consider Snook off limits when out of season and this year that will last until September.  It’s true that you can’t keep them but we sure can play with them.  It’s not only the closed season that turns off anglers, but the cold of winter keeps many away.  There’s no doubt that Snook are less available during the colder months, but they must stay alive and therefore must eat and consequently they continue to be an active source of entertainment.  And cold is relative.  Just ask those in NJ.
We find Snook most available at night and on docklights.  If you’re a fly fisherman this is game not to be missed.  Our trip last week brought nearly a dozen to the boat including a half a dozen Bluefish, a bunch of Ladyfish and a nice Trout.  No time to get bored with that kind of action.  Although it was an unusually damp and foggy night, the weather had no effect on our efforts.  At night, we don’t travel very far and we fish the 50 feet or so between the boat and the dock.  And we can see most of the follows and strikes.  It’s great fun and not tough if you practice your distance casting in advance.  This fishing is uniquely suited to the fly rod as we are presenting small baits near the surface from a reasonable distance.  And don’t worry about having to be extremely accurate.  The bigger fish are not under the bright light anyhow.

Capt. Duber Winters
Capt. Raymond Winters

Green Water Charters

772-631-1023

http://www.greenwatercharters.com/

duber@wintersnet.com

posted by Captain Ray at 6:00 AM

Sarasota Fishing Report 2-7-2011

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 2/5/2011

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, reds and ladyfish during the past week. Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty and his guest, Paul Rotz from Canada, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me to start things off on Monday. They caught and released trout to 17”, a couple of reds to 23” and numerous large ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Fly angler Dave Kremer, from Louisville, KY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. We fished deep and shallow grass where he caught and released a few trout on my Grassett Flats Bunny fly. Despite a good tide and warmer water, fish weren’t that aggressive that day. Longboat Key winter resident, Nick Reding, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday and we found similar action. We waded bars on both sides of the bay and Nick caught and released several trout, including one over the slot, on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Feb. 19, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.

Next week’s four tide days are favorable early in the week. Since we have had some warm, sunny days recently which has warmed bay waters into the mid 60’s, there should be good action with trout, blues, ladyfish and more on deep grass flats. Look for reds and big trout in skinny water on sunny afternoons.


Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com



Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty, caught this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Little Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Indian River Lagoon Report 2-4-2011

Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
February 4, 2011
Capt. Chris Myers

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

The flats fishing lately has been good, provided you find the right spot. With the fish mostly in schools, it can be either feast or famine. Some flats are holding schools of fish numbering in the hundreds while others have no fish at all. As is usual in the winter, weather is the most influential factor. Clouds and wind make spotting fish next to impossible. Sunny days allow you to spot fish from long distances. DOA shrimp and three inch CAL tails along with spinnerbaits have been the most effective lures the past couple weeks. Fly fishing has been very good as well with black redfish worms or brown, black, and olive crabs getting bites.
For those looking to get out of the wind, the northern Lagoon has been producing big numbers of redfish. Areas such as Orange Island, Turtle Mound Creek, Hong Kong, Slippery Creek, and Plantation Island have been very good. While the fish tend to be on the smaller side, the are great for ultralight or light fly outfits.
Last month, Rick and I shared a day of fun fishing for redfish and drum in Mosquito Lagoon. I started the day with a redfish on a green bendback fly. The rest of the day we spent targeting tailing black drum with numerous crab and shrimp flies. We landed quite a few fish, lost several more, and had plenty of opportunities.



A few days later, Rick and I were at it again. The sun was scarce making sight fishing difficult. This time the redfish and seatrout were more plentiful than the drum. We both caught plenty using three inch DOA CAL tails.



Steve and Tony took their first trip to Mosquito Lagoon earlier this week. The cloud cover was heavy but we had smooth water and warm air making for a pleasant day. We encountered several schools of redfish and drum and both guys landed some nice sized fish before the wind picked up.







The following day Jesse and his father-in-law Bruce had another day of good weather and great fishing. They had consistent shots at redfish throughout the day and had some good catch and release action.





Anglers can expect the schools of redfish, drum, and trout to remain for the next couple months. Crystal clear water makes the fish easy to spot and it is not uncommon to see nearly 1,000 fish per day. The catch ratio is directly connected to casting accuracy. The better you cast, the more you will catch. During periods of cooler weather, slow down your presentations and look along the deeper edges of the flats for the fish.


Upcoming Seminars.
Saturday February 5 - 10-12  Winter Flats Tactics

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Apopka
Saturday February 12 Shad Rally 11am-2pm - CS Lee Park at the St. Johns River. Seminars and demos by myself and Capt. Tom Van Horn along with giveaways and raffles

Saturday February 19 - 10am-12pm  Introduction to Fly Fishing

Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka. Free class by Capt. Chris Myers
call store to register

Saturday March 5 - 10am-12pm - Womens Introduction to Fly Fishing

Class for women only includes casting demos, rod bulders, fly tiers and
a wine tasting. Call store to register

Saturday March 19 - 10am-12pm - Dolphin, Cobia, and Kingfish

Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka
Fly Casting Courses
Beginning in March, I will be offering a 4 hour fly casting course at Mosquto Creek Outdoors. This class will focus on the fundamentals of fly casting and will be limited to 6 students. The cost is $75 which is a significant savings of the normal $50 per hour rate. The intial class is filled but we will be holding additional classes at least every other month. I will hold a class anytime for a miminum of 4 and up to 6 students if you have a group you would like to put together. Call the store at 407-464-2000

Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
321-229-2848

Shad and Crappie Derby, February 3, 2011

Are we having fun yet?  You Bet Ya!  The Second Annual Shad and Crappie Derby has surpassed its half way point, and the concentrations of shad in the St. Johns River have picked up significantly.  We currently have over 200 anglers in the game competing feverishly for the title of top angler with some respectable fish being caught and uploaded to the website at www.cfshadderby.com.

The Shad Rally at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp in Geneva is only 9 days away and will set the stage for for the flury to the finish line less then three weeks away.

With end of the derby within our sights, I thought it would be fitting to post an updated list of our prizes and some photos of the leading anglers and thei fish.

Crappie:

Pro Division - Two 12 foot B' n' M Crappie Combination, Bass Pro Shop.

Conventional - 6' St. Croix Triumph rod with a 180 US Reel, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Fly Division - Mystic 8'6" 5 wt with reel and line, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Ladies - St Croix APS60L Avid Pearl 6' L w/ Daiwa TDTR 1500 Tierra Reel, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Junior - Fisherman's Friend Custom Rod w/ 1500 Daiwa Exceller Reel, Fishing Florida Radio.



Shad:
Pro Division - St Croix TRS 6.5' Triumph Rod w/ Daiwa 1500 Exceller Reel, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Conventional - 6' St. Croix Triumph rod with a 180 US Reel, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Fly Division - Greys X-Flite 8'6" 4 wt with reel and line, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Ladies - St Croix APS60L Avid Pearl 6' L w/ Daiwa TDTR 1500 Tierra Reel, Mosquito Creek Outdoors.

Junior - St Croix TRS60L 6' Triumph Rod w/ Daiwa 1500 Exceller Reel, Mosquito Creek outdoors.

Contingency Prizes:
Boat Tree Marina - token - One Day Boat Rental
Sea Tow - All Anglers - Free 60-day Sea Tow Membership
Bass Pro Shops Orlando - I Fish sticker - 2 ea, 10 foot B'n'M crappie jig poles
Bethel Marine Electronics - business card - portable fish finder
Seminole County - lure - 2 night stay at Homewood Suites Hilton Lake Mary

Huey Magoos - wooden nickel- $75 gift certificate (2 each)

Overall Prizes:
Overall Largest Crappie: Free entry in the Crappie Masters 2012 Lake Monroe Professional Tournament
Overall Largest Crappie: Free one year Sea Tow Membership by Sea Tow Central Florida Lakes
Overall Largest Crappie: Huey Magoo's $75 gift certificate
Overall Largest Shad: Free one year Sea Tow membership by Sea Tow Central Florida Lakes
Overall Largest Shad: Huey Magoo's $75 gift certificate


David Simpson's 18 inch Shad caught near Mullet Lake Park


Stuart Levine 15 inch Speck


Joshua McPherson's 17.5 inch shad caught on a 4 wt TFO

In Closing, there's only about three week left to  stake your clam as a 2011 Shad and Crappie Derby winner, so let's get fishing and I'll see you at the Shad Rally on February 12th.

Tight lines always,

Captain Tom Van Horn

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report 2-4-2011

This Weeks Mosquito Creek Outdoors Fishing Report
By Captain Tom Van Horn

This Week's Fishing Report



Along with the arrival of last week's full moon, the crappie moved up into their shallow shoreline spawning locations.  Once concentrations were located, many anglers limited out in less than an hour with many large females taken.
As always the case this time of year, a passing cold front made fishing challenging bringing plenty of wind, rain and colder conditions.  As the weather settles this week, the larger females will move off of the beds and return to their deeper staging locations as the smaller males will remain shallow guarding the beds.  As the full moon wanes, spawning activity should settle down until the arrival of new moon phase.



As for shad, good concentrations of hickory shad have arrived in the St Johns River sections between Lake Monroe and Puzzle Lake.  Many anglers are reporting excellent catches with Steve Chapman, host of Fishing Florida Radio, reported catching 18 hickory shad on fly on one trip last week.  It was also reported that some larger American Shad are starting to show up with good concentrations being reported in the Lake Woodruff area.

My plans are to spend the next few days on the river pursuing shad on fly, so I'll keep you informed on the progress of the run.

On the Lagoons, water levels are up a little from last week before the front, and sight fishing for redfish will be good, especially when the wind settles down.  Also, good numbers of sea trout are coming from those deeper dark mucky bottom locations adjacent to shallow flats, and anglers I talked to are having their best success on niteglow DOA Shrimp fished extremely slow.

In closing, I would like to encourage everyone to join me in fishing the Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby.  The derby is free for anglers and we have some great prizes, so visit www.cfshadderby.com to view the current leaders and locate the nearest sign-up location.


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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187 on the water
http://www.irl-fishing.com

For all of your shopping needs, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, Florida.  For more details, visit http://www.mosquitocreek.

Tampa Bay Fishing Report 2-3-2011

Tampa Fishing Reports
Written by Stewart Ames
Wednesday, 02 February 2011



January began where December left off...serving up cold and inconsistent weather. As the month progressed however, conditions stabilized and the trout fishing that this area is famous for finally turned on. On some days, cold mornings necessitated fishing backwater areas for smaller redfish and sheepshead. Once the hottest part of the day arrived, usually around 2PM, the warmer water would start to produce trout. Once 70 degree days started showing up in succession, the trout bite was "on" right out of the gate. Interestingly though, several techniques might need to be employed to determine what the trout would respond to. Although a bobbered, large shrimp is supposed to be a sure fire approach, there were days when a green or dark brown colored jig would produce exceptionally well. On other days, using a shrimp without the bobber was the ticket...just letting it drift freely with the current...and on still others, using a small #4 split shot and dragging the shrimp slowly across the bottom triggered a bite. Patience is also a key to this fishing as big seatrout, like many other fish, have very defined feeding periods. These fish may sit in an area for several hours and eat nothing and then turn on for the next hour and eat every bait thrown in their direction. Therefore, if fishing a proven location, post up and work the area thoroughly and know that if a few fish are caught, there may be many more in the neighborhood. As a general rule, these fish feed most heavily when tidal movement is strongest so don't leave the dock without this information.



Big Tampa Winter SeatroutRedfish activity also picked up as temperatures moved back into their normal range. Winter "keeper" redfish tend to be at the low end of the 18 - 27 inch slot limit and finding them will take persistence. Even when a group of fish is located, half a dozen fish might need to to caught to find the one that squeaks past the 18 inch mark. Bigger slot fish still are making an occasional appearance but aren't a sure bet until our average temperatures move up in late February and early March. Dark, backwater areas consistently hold winter fish, especially locations with an abundance of oyster bars. Another good bet is to fish flooded oyster bars, during the warmest part of the day, that have deep water access nearby as redfish will come up on these looking for their favorite winter food...crabs. As crabs aren't readily available to the average angler, the other resident crustacean, the shrimp, would be the bait of choice. Beautiful redfish on winter Tampa Fishing CharterPost up as far away from the intended fishing location as possible, getting just close enough to make a long cast into the area. Let a split shotted shrimp sit near the drop off edge of the oyster bar for five minutes or so. If no bite results, reel in and position the bait off of a different edge of the bar. Once each likely fish holding spot in the area has been covered, move on. Redfish usually bite fairly quickly so there's no point in setting up on any one location for too long. Residential docks are a third choice for winter reds. Soak a weighted shrimp under each dock for five or ten minutes and, again, keep moving as the bite will usually be quick if someone is home.



Hopefully, the coldest part of the winter season has passed and fishing will slowly and steadily improve until it really goes off sometime in March. For the remainder of February, watch the weather and the tides and, with a little bit of luck, you'll experiance one of those magical days when big trout can't get into your boat fast enough. Good luck and good fishing.

Captain Stewart Ames
Gone Fishing Charters
US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
Member Florida Guides Association
sames001@tampabay.rr.com
(727) 421-5291

2011 Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show

The 23rd Annual Yacht and Brokerage Show in Miami Beach will be held February 17 - 21, 2011 off of Collins Avenue. The mile-long strip of Indian Creek Waterway covers more than 1.2 million square feet of space and features more then 500 new and pre-owned vessels valued at over a billion dollars. The show will be home to the most extraordinary and uniquely designed yachts and superyachts from the world's foremost custom boat builders. The in-water display is FREE to the public. The show is open February 17 - 20, 10am - 7pm, and February 21, 10am - 6pm. Underwater Led Boat Lights light up your boating life!

Stuart Florida Near Shore Report

Sunday, January 30, 2011
When a plan comes together

Today’s charter was not so much about the extraordinary, but more about what we expect to find on a nice day on the water in Stuart, Florida.  We chose an early start in order to meet the customer’s schedule and avoid the Sunday madhouse at the ramp.  It was cool until the sun got through the offshore cloud deck but then we could run with general comfort and because seas were down, we headed out the inlet to look for action.  The usual  herd of boats was meandering incessantly looking to catch the few bait available where one one boat picked up two on his Sabiki rig.  We didn’t go there; not a live bait day.
Near shore was the plan and we worked the reef in search of rod benders.  Bluefish, Blue Runners, Jacks and Spanish Mackerel were all there to give us a game as the natural drift pushed us along the reef in clear water.  We saw far more fish than we caught.  Spanish Mackerel were plentiful, but not willing to eat what ever we offered.  The commercial boats seemed to be successful mostly with nets.  The flotilla of boats chasing them wandered constantly, like a hungry pack of wolves, as they searched for willing fish, but we saw no evidence that they were successful.  When they hit the shallow reef, they seamed to finally stop as they began catching Bluefish and Blue Runners.  We had been enjoying the same catch until they overtook our position.  We moved to another part of the reef and consequently found some bigger fish.
So we spent nearly 4 hours fishing successfully, enjoying the day and the scenery and the weather.  We weren’t jumping Sailfish or Tarpon or fighting slot Snook, but we were enjoying what the weather and the water had to offer us on a Sunny Winter Florida day.  And it was good.  I think they’ll be back.

posted by Captain Ray at 2:29 PM

Capt. Duber Winters
Capt. Raymond Winters

Green Water Charters

772-631-1023

http://www.greenwatercharters.com/

duber@wintersnet.com

Intrepid Boats At 2011 Miami Boat Show

Intrepid Powerboats will show off it's new 2011 line-up at this years Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail, February 17 - 21, 2011. This year, Intrepid will have displayes at two locations. The Miami Beach Convention Center, and the 4500 block of Collins Avenue, across from the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel. Models on display at the Convention center will include the 245 Center Console, 350 Walk Around, 370 Cuddy, 400 Cuddy and the 475 Sport Yacht. The Collins Ave location will feature the 245 Center Console, 390 Sport Yacht, 400 Center Console and the 430 Sport Yacht.

Tickets for the Miami Boat Show are $75.00 for a 5 Day Pass (Good all 5 days of the show) Thursday, February 17th–Monday, February 21st, $30.00 for Premier Day (February 17th), $30.00 for a 2 Day Pass and $16.00 for a one day ticket Adults — (16 and older) Friday–Monday (February 18th–21st)Children 15 and under are FREE (must be accompanied by an adult)

Show Hours

Premier Day
Thursday, February 17, 10:00am–6:00pm

Friday, February 18, 10:00am–8:00pm
Saturday, February 19, 10:00am–8:00pm
Sunday, February 20, 10:00am–8:00pm
Monday, February 21, 10:00am–6:00pm

The Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center and Strictly Sail Miami at Miamarina at Bayside locations are open from 10:00am–6:00pm daily.

Underwater LED Dock Lights save energy while they attract fish to your dock.

Transportation Day Amelia Island 2011

It's the little things we do that makes a difference in children's lives. Thank you Captain Piper for taking a few hours out of your day  to make a difference!

Sunday, January 30, 2011
Kids have fun on the boat!



I participated in the Peck Head Start's annual Transportation Day Friday and had a great time.  The Staff at Head Start had arranged for fire trucks, ambulance's, police cars and a utility lift truck to be there, along with my boat, The Anglers Mark.  I take one spinning rod with a topwater lure, minus the hooks, along with a couple of youth life jackets and when the kids chaperone brings them around we put 2-3 up on the boat at a time.  Most want to try on the life jackets then we cast the lure out into the grass and let each one of them reel it in. 



You would think that they had a 24" Redfish on by the way they crank it in!  This year we let the kids waiting there turn to run the net and that kept them busy, too.  I asked a few of the kids and they said it was the first time they had ever been on a boat.  Even though it wasn't in the water, we had a great time, another great day to be....in the boat!

Posted by Cpt. Lawrence Piper at 11:16 PM

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com 

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report 2-1-2011

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, February 2011
By Captain Tom Van Horn

 Upcoming Seminars and Events
Shad and Crappie Derby registration materials are available at all sign-up locations, so visit http:www.cfshadderby.com for details on the nearest sign-up location to you. Also, be sure to sign up for the free 2 months of Sea Tow, courtesy of Sea Tow Central Florida Lakes.

Saturday, February 5th, "Free Seminars" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, "Winter Tactics for Redfish, Black Drum and Sea Trout", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida.

February 12th, 2011 Shad Rally 11:00 - 2 PM at the Jolly Gatot Fish Camp next to CS Lee Park,

 "Free Seminar" Fishing with the Pros instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers and Charlie McCullough, Basic fishing open forum, followed by "Fishing the Shad Run ". Event also features sponsor displays, giveaways, boat displays and demos, and a raffle to support the Hook Kids on Fishing Program.

 February Fishing Outlook
Like most of the country, Central Florida has seen it share of cold weather this season, but we certainly can't complain about the cards dealt to us thus far.  With the exception of a few really cold days, I mean really cold, gorgeous fishing conditions have prevailed and we experienced some excellent fishing as well.

February is a great time to check out those freshwater fishing holes on the St Johns River.  Currently good catches of American shad, speckled perch, warmouth perch, and largemouth bass are being reported. The shad run has been good this year with more fish then we have seen in years.  This past week, good reports of shad came from the Marina Isles to Mullet Lake section of the St. Johns River, as well as a good number shad being taken south of Lake Harney.  As the run progresses the shad should be moving into the shallows flats south of Hwy 46, so fly anglers don't hast. We are currently half way through the Second Annual Coastal Angler Magazine Shad and Crappie Derby, and over 200 anglers have signed up to compete for the top angler of the season.  The free derby last through the end of February, so if you haven't sighed up yet, visit www.cfshadderby.com for your nearest sign up location.



On the flats of the Mosquito, Banana and Indian River Lagoons, lower water levels have forced the redfish, black drum, and sea trout into the deeper pockets on the flats where they become concentrated.  These concentrations make for a good number of tight schools, but shallow conditions also make access both difficult and dangerous for those not failure to the area. Also on colder days, falling water temperatures force most fish to seek deeper locations in search the warmest water they can find and they become very sluggish.  As the sun warms the water, all it takes is a degree or two of change, and the fish will begin to move and feed in the shallows. On the sunny mornings, it is not uncommon to find redfish and trout holding in the sand pockets or potholes within the shallow flats where water temperatures raise faster.  Additionally, warming water temperatures combined with sunny spring days and crystal clear water make February one of the best months to sight fish for redfish, large sea trout, and black drum on the lagoon flats.  Also, now is the time to target tailing black drum in the Banana River Lagoon "No Motor Zone". For larger sea trout, fish at first light, sunset, or at night with natural baits, and target areas where mangrove edges, docks, and other structure are adjacent to deep water dredge holes, sloughs, or canals.



Offshore, kingfish are still present along the inshore reefs and wrecks, and they will remain there as long as the water temperature stays above 68 degrees.  When targeting kingfish this month focus your efforts on the areas of 8A Reef, Pelican Flats, and Bethel Shoals to the south for best results. Look for cobia to be present on the inshore wrecks like the Carol Lee, Dutch, and Sub Wreck out of Port Canaveral. Additionally, live bait is tough to find this time of year, so always carry a box of frozen Spanish sardines with you as backup.

Near-shore, look for tripletail concentrations to improve greatly along the Port Canaveral buoy line and under floating weeds and structures, and for cobia to move in shadowing manta rays if the surface water temperatures reach the upper sixties.  Now is also the time for shore fisherman to target pompano, bluefish, weakfish, small black drum, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and whiting in the surf and larger redfish and flounder around the inlets and jetties.

Remember when planning a fishing trip in February, keep a close eye on the weather, and fish whenever you have a chance.

Also, be sure to check out t Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando in print and online for free at www.coastalanglermagazine.com.

In closing, I would like to encourage everyone to join me in fishing the Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby.  The derby is free for anglers and we have some great prizes, so visit www.cfshadderby.com to view the current leaders and locate the nearest sign-up location.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187 on the water
http://www.irl-fishing.com

For all of your outdoor shopping needs, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, Florida.  For more details, visit http://www.mosquitocreek.