Best Near-Shore Fishing Is Now!

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, October 2008

Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka Florida

Gazing out across the field behind the home, it is easy to tell fall is in the air. The whitetail bucks that frequent my back yard in the afternoon have rubbed their antlers clean of velvet, and the goldenrods have completed their late summer flush of golden-haired flowers. Another sure sign of fall is the waves of baitfish working their way south through the lagoon and along the beach as the fall bait run commences. Both black and silver mullet, along with Atlantic menhaden (pogies), thread fin herring (greenies), and bay anchovies (glass minnows) have begun their southerly migration in search of warmer waters. This migration creates a smorgasbord of yummy baitfish, which in turn are shadowed by a large array of hungry predators looking to fatten up for the winter.


Weather permitting, near-shore opportunities are the best you will see all year. Target areas along the beaches where you find concentrated bait schools for a mixed bag of snook, tarpon, kingfish, cobia, jack crevalle, oversized redfish, and sharks. Additionally, snook fishing in the surf will improve as the baitfish move south along the beach. And let's not overlook the schools of glass minnows showing up bringing larger Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and tarpon with them.

In and around the inlets of Ponce, Port Canaveral, and Sebastian look for flounder, snook, jack crevalle, and oversized redfish feeding on migrating baitfish along the jetties and just outside the inlets. When fishing in the inlets, heavy easterly swells, falling tides, and aggressive anglers can make for dangerous angling conditions, so please pay attention, be patient and work together, and enjoy the rewards.

In the north Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons, higher water levels will allow anglers to venture into areas normally inaccessible during the spring and summer months. Look for slot redfish in close to the grassy edges along the shoreline shadowing pods of finger mullet, and for the larger redfish staged in deeper water ambush sites where migrating mullet are forced to venture out from the safety of the shallow flats. In deeper water areas, look for ladyfish, spotted sea trout, jacks, and tarpon feeding on schools of glass minnows. These schools of fish are located by watching for bird and fish activity. Once located, these schools will produce explosive action on small top water plugs, or popping bug flies. Also, if you locate a school of the larger black mullet, try fishing spoons or soft plastic D.O.A. Shrimp slowly under the school. Even though, mullet are vegetarians, redfish and sea trout will often mingle in feeding on shrimp and crabs kicked up from the bottom by feeding mullet.

Good luck and good Fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 land line