When I last reported, the water level in the Mosquito Lagoon was low, the weather was perfect, and the fish were plentiful. When I returned to the Lagoon two days later, on September 3rd, that had all changed. I was greeted with a stiff wind out of the northeast and the water level had risen nearly a foot. The schools of redfish had vacated the flats where they had been holding. I left having caught only two fish, a 28 inch trout and a smaller redfish.Tuesday, the wind was still blowing and I ventured into the Indian River to look for some tarpon. I found several placed holding some 5-20 pound poons and caught two on a black and gold Baitbuster. The water in the river was dirty and I never saw a redfish.Thursday, I fished with fireman Ron in the Mosquito Lagoon. Despite the high winds, we each managed to catch a few redfish and some nice trout. Ron threw a black and silver Baitbuster while I used one in all gold and both accounted for some nice topwater strikes.Friday, Capt. Keith Kalbfleisch joined me on another windy day and we scouted several areas in the Mosquito Lagoon we had not fished in quite some time. With the high water, we were able to access most any flat. After a slow morning, we found some hungry fish and caught 5 redfish on various color CAL tails.
We also came upon some rolling tarpon and jumped 6. The DOA holographic shrimp and the Baitbuster proved to be the most effective.By Monday of this week, the weather had returned to normal but the water level remained high. Brothers Jim and Bill, from Oregon, joined me for a five hour charter. After an unsuccessful search for some big redfish, I tied on some DOA Deadly Combos and the brothers caught numerous trout. After having their fill of that, we went to another flat that was holding scattered redfish. They each caught one redfish on 5 inch CAL tails with a Woodies Rattle and missed several more before the trip was over.Tuesday, Capt. John Kumiski and I headed out of Port Canaveral to check out the status of the mullet run. We found plenty of mullet near the jetty as well as a good supply of large ladyfish. After catching a couple, we headed down the beach to look for some larger fish. We saw no more mullet and only a few scattered tarpon. We both caught several spanish mackerel before I saw some large blacktip sharks chasing my topwater plug. Each cast, a shark would attack the plug only to have its wake push the plug away from its mouth. We each tossed out some mullet and were quickly hooked up to a shark. Both were over 50 pounds. A thunderstorm caused us to run back in and we elected to go over to the Indian River to search for tarpon. The river was smooth as glass but the tarpon were nowhere to be found. We did, however, find several schools of large redfish finning on the surface.I hooked up with a fish of about 36 inches on a gold Baitbuster.Capt. John was up next and chose to use the flyrod. He left on the tarpon fly, a brown Cousin It, and was soon connected to a hefty redfish of about 35 pounds.Thursday, I treated my parents Chuck and Lois, to a day on the Mosquito Lagoon. The conditions were perfect with no wind and plenty of baitfish. They each used a Deadly Combo on my new set of Diawa reels and threw them around the schools of mullet, ballyhoo, and glass minnows. They caught far too many fish to count but I am certain it was over 50. Most of them were trout but bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle, and even mangrove snapper were caught and released.We left the feeding frenzy in search of some larger quarry and my mother was soon connected to a nice black drum.
Next were a pair of large redfish, one 36 inches, the second 37.Through the rest of the day, we caught about a dozen more redfish and several nice trout including this double header.Friday, I took my 5 weight flyrod to the Lagoon. After catching several trout on topwater, I switched to a tan Merkin style crab pattern and a 34 inch redfish came to the boat. After several failed attempts at some black drum, I spotted a nice trout sitting in a sand hole and tossed the crab in front of him. He found the crab to his liking and was soon swimming off after a quick photo.Next, I threw a chartreuse EP Minnow and some small tarpon. I had three bites and got one to the boat completing my flyrod slam.The tarpon stopped rolling and I went in search of redfish. I caught seven more reds on various color EP flies and another six on the gold Baitbuster.Barring any strange weather, the fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon and along the beaches should remain excellent. Food is plentiful and the fish are gorging themselves in anticipation of the first cold front.
There are still a few spots left for the Ladies fishing clinic at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, in Apopka, on September 29. There is no cost for this event which includes seminars of basic fishing skills and a wine tasting. Pre-registration is required. Visit http://www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com/ for more information.
We also came upon some rolling tarpon and jumped 6. The DOA holographic shrimp and the Baitbuster proved to be the most effective.By Monday of this week, the weather had returned to normal but the water level remained high. Brothers Jim and Bill, from Oregon, joined me for a five hour charter. After an unsuccessful search for some big redfish, I tied on some DOA Deadly Combos and the brothers caught numerous trout. After having their fill of that, we went to another flat that was holding scattered redfish. They each caught one redfish on 5 inch CAL tails with a Woodies Rattle and missed several more before the trip was over.Tuesday, Capt. John Kumiski and I headed out of Port Canaveral to check out the status of the mullet run. We found plenty of mullet near the jetty as well as a good supply of large ladyfish. After catching a couple, we headed down the beach to look for some larger fish. We saw no more mullet and only a few scattered tarpon. We both caught several spanish mackerel before I saw some large blacktip sharks chasing my topwater plug. Each cast, a shark would attack the plug only to have its wake push the plug away from its mouth. We each tossed out some mullet and were quickly hooked up to a shark. Both were over 50 pounds. A thunderstorm caused us to run back in and we elected to go over to the Indian River to search for tarpon. The river was smooth as glass but the tarpon were nowhere to be found. We did, however, find several schools of large redfish finning on the surface.I hooked up with a fish of about 36 inches on a gold Baitbuster.Capt. John was up next and chose to use the flyrod. He left on the tarpon fly, a brown Cousin It, and was soon connected to a hefty redfish of about 35 pounds.Thursday, I treated my parents Chuck and Lois, to a day on the Mosquito Lagoon. The conditions were perfect with no wind and plenty of baitfish. They each used a Deadly Combo on my new set of Diawa reels and threw them around the schools of mullet, ballyhoo, and glass minnows. They caught far too many fish to count but I am certain it was over 50. Most of them were trout but bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle, and even mangrove snapper were caught and released.We left the feeding frenzy in search of some larger quarry and my mother was soon connected to a nice black drum.Next were a pair of large redfish, one 36 inches, the second 37.Through the rest of the day, we caught about a dozen more redfish and several nice trout including this double header.Friday, I took my 5 weight flyrod to the Lagoon. After catching several trout on topwater, I switched to a tan Merkin style crab pattern and a 34 inch redfish came to the boat. After several failed attempts at some black drum, I spotted a nice trout sitting in a sand hole and tossed the crab in front of him. He found the crab to his liking and was soon swimming off after a quick photo.Next, I threw a chartreuse EP Minnow and some small tarpon. I had three bites and got one to the boat completing my flyrod slam.The tarpon stopped rolling and I went in search of redfish. I caught seven more reds on various color EP flies and another six on the gold Baitbuster.Barring any strange weather, the fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon and along the beaches should remain excellent. Food is plentiful and the fish are gorging themselves in anticipation of the first cold front.There are still a few spots left for the Ladies fishing clinic at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, in Apopka, on September 29. There is no cost for this event which includes seminars of basic fishing skills and a wine tasting. Pre-registration is required. Visit http://www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com/ for more information.Captain Chris Myers
321-229-2848
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
cmyers@floridafishinglessons.com
321-229-2848
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
cmyers@floridafishinglessons.com
