Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, July 2008
Compliments of Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka Florida
Summertime has officially arrived on the space coast, as the mid summer doldrums are currently among us. It's also the time of year when tropical weather systems and offshore water temperatures are as predictable as Wall Street. Just when you think you've got things figured out, a summer squall will blow in and kick up the seas, or the cold water Labrador Current will move in and shut down the seaward bite. Setting all these possibilities aside, many opportunities for angling adventures exist for us both inside and outside on the Lagoon Coast in July.
Near-shore, kingfish will be the staple on the reefs and wrecks in 70 to 90 feet of water, with a mixed bag of three, wahoo, dolphin, and an occasional sailfish, thrown in. My preferred method for targeting these species is slow trolling live bait (pogies) on steel stinger rigs dresses with King Duster skirts.
On the Port Canaveral buoy line and along the beaches, an assorted beach bag is available with smoker kings (large king mackerel), silver kings (tarpon), cobia, sharks, and colossal jacks all available at any given time. To target these species, focus your attention in areas of bait concentrations. This past week, pods of large tarpon and sharks were located between Patrick AFB and Satellite Beach. As the month progresses, these fish should begin moving north along the beach to their favorite summertime haunt in the forbidden zone off the bight of the Cape.
In the Port and inlets, Spanish mackerel, summer flounder and mangrove snapper number should remain steady. To target the flounder and snapper, try using Rip Tide's new realistic shrimp on a ¼ to ½ ounce jig head in the areas of structure and along sandy drop-offs. Cast the jig as close to the structure as possible without getting snagged, and let it sink to the bottom. Once it's reached the bottom, slowly drag it back letting it rest every foot or so.
Inshore, July is the best time of the year to catch redfish in shallow water. Large schools have already started forming up, and the sight of 200 feeding redfish is mind-boggling. Once you've finished drooling over redfish, look for snook, and top water snapper along mangrove edges, and juvenile tarpon in the creeks, canals and backwaters. In deeper water, look for ladyfish and small trout to be shadowing schools of bay anchovies (glass minnows) under clouds of feeding terns.
As always, if you have any questions or need information, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
captain@irl-fishing.com
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
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