It has been over two weeks since the last fishing report. Consequently, our note book is bursting with tall tales of great charters and our photo album is jammed with the evidence to prove it! Let’s get started, this time organizing our journey geographically by beginning in the New Smyrna Beach area of Volusia County and winding our way south to Sebastian Inlet at the end of Brevard County.
The Oak Hill area, just south of New Smyrna Beach and only 40 miles east of Orlando, sits on the northern rim of the famous Mosquito Lagoon. It is one of the most picturesque venues along the east coast of Florida and a special treat for Native Sons guides. Capt. Peter hosted Steve and Kim Stepp of Orlando for a relaxing day of fishing on this pristine body of water. Highlights of the charter included a dandy 28 inch gator trout (held by Kim in the picture below) and the spectacular Florida wildlife; rosette spoonbills, ospreys, manatees, dolphins and schools of cruising redfish.
Moving twenty miles south of Oak Hill we find Titusville and the headwaters of the Indian River Lagoon system. This area boasts of being the ‘redfish capital of the world’. It would be hard to argue with this mantra based upon our three most recent charters to Titusville. The first trip was guided by Capt Peter and included Nigel Malloch of West Palm Beach and Garrett Wegerif of Merritt Island. The two had a blast landing over 10 redfish, most weighing between 15 and 20 pounds, and huge gator trout. In fact the fishing was so good, most of the crew lost their shirts in the process - pictured in order below are Peter, Nigel, Garrett and finally Nigel and Garrett with an outstanding double.
Returning to Titusville the next day, Capt. Peter guided Jack Vitek from the Orlando area and Kyle Gold of Gainesville, Florida. In Peter’s words, “We sight-fished schools of redfish in less than 18 inches of clear water for the majority of the day and there were soo many fish around the boat, that there was almost always a redfish that you could see within casting distance. Once everyone's arms were sore from pulling on the bronze beauties, we cracked open some ice cold sodas, and called it a day.” The final tally was 8 redfish including the one held by Jack in the following picture:
The final trip to the Titusville area was a half day charter with two Native Sons guides, Capt. Rocky and Capt. Peter. The crew from South Carolina was a father and son team, Greg and Gregory Howard. Gregory is pictured below, first bending a rod on one of the hard charging redfish and then posing with a 14 pounder caught later in the morning.
With the action so hot in Titusville, it was hard to change locations on the Howards the next day. However, we took a gamble and traveled 25 miles south to the Banana River between Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island. This time, Greg and Gregory would be joined on the half day charter by Carmen, a good friend of the family. The final count was 10 redfish and 7 monster ladyfish. Pictured in order below are Carman with a 7 pound ladyfish, Gregory with a 19 spot redfish, Carman with his first redfish, a 17 pound beauty, and finally Greg with yet another big brute:
Traveling south again, our next report is yet another charter guided by Capt. Peter, this time in the Melbourne Beach area. Peter’s crew consisted of Aimee Shea and Kenny Vitek of Orlando along with Monica Pena of Naples, Florida. Using several different techniques including fishing docks, chumming deep potholes and wade-fishing free-lining live finger mullet, the group caught a number of different species - redfish, snook, trout, jacks and snapper. Pictured below are Peter and Monica with a redfish and Kenny and Aimee with a jack:
Our final stop is near Sebastian Inlet, 80 miles south of New Smyrna Beach where we started this journey. Good friends Kenny Vitek of Orlando and Capt. Peter had one of those special days on the waters hooking numerous Spanish mackerel, redfish, bull sharks, and many other hard fighting fish. One unusual experience during the charter will not soon be forgotten – finding a herd of sea turtles, at least an acre in size, foraging in the deep grass flats of the river. Even more unusual was the school of bull sharks, some exceeding eight feet in length, swimming among the giant orange and green colored turtles. An incredible sight!
(Kenny and one of the redfish caught near Sebastian Inlet).
Posted by Rocky Van Hoose on August 08, 2008 at 04:49:51 PM
Native Sons Fishing Guides
www.nativesonsfishing.com
Captain Rocky Van Hoose
321-986-9588
rvanhoose@cfl.rr.com
Captain Brad Jones
321-626-5072
jonesmelb7@bellsouth.net
Captain Peter Deeks, Jr.
intelligentfishing@gmail.com
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