Both the weather and the fishing have been spectacular the past two weeks. The redfish continue to tail aggressively throughout the day and have been our main target. Fishing has been about as good as it gets and it has been a sight fisherman's paradise. Some areas are holding schools of up to several hundred fish while other locations have singles and small groups. The best part has been that nearly all the fish have been feeding when we find them. They are still targeting small crabs and shrimp. You can often see the shrimp skipping across the surface as they try to escape.
I have been on the water nearly every day for the past two weeks with clients using both fly and spinning tackle. While there have been an abundance of fish, the catching success has varied. For the fly anglers, they key to success is getting the fly to the fish quickly. Too many false casts, and the fish will spook before your fly hits the water. For the spin tackle anglers wanting to sight fish, casting accuracy will determine how many you will catch.
Last Friday, Kevin has shots at dozens of schools of redfish tailing on the flats at the beginning of the day. He landed one nice redfish and had several come unhooked.
Monday, I was on the water before dawn with Dan, his wife, and son to watch the launch of the space shuttle.
We began fishing shortly after liftoff. Both father and son landed a redfish.
After dropping off my clients, I called Capt. Drew to meet me at the ramp for a couple hours of fun fishing as the weather was perfect. I tried several lures on tailing redfish and found the clear DOA shrimp to be the most effective.
On Tuesday's fly fishing trip, Rich had shots at tailing redfish all day long but never quite got the fly to them and did not hook up.
Wednesday, I fished with Jason, Erin, and six year old Jake. After watching some dolphins and manatees, we hit the flats and were soon surrounded by schools of redfish. They all caught their first Mosquito lagoon redfish.
Yesterday, Rich returned with his son Mike for another attempt at catching a redfish on fly. Again, we encountered school after school of tailing redfish but the fly never quite got to the fish. As the day progressed, the wind began to pick up and both guys opted to switch to spinning gear. After several bites on the clear DOA shrimp, Rich finally landed a redfish.
Next week will start with some high winds but hopefully we will soon return to the perfect conditions we have been experiencing during the past two weeks. Most of the fish have been in extremely shallow water while feeding. Noise on the deck of the boat, trolling motors hitting the bottom, and too many boats in one area will quickly turn them off. Poling, drifting and wading will get you much closer to happy fish. Once you are in range, speed and accuracy are the number one keys to success. The longer you wait, the more time the fish have to sense your approach.
Fly Fishing Seminars
Several people have been inquiring about the next fly fishing seminar at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka. There are two different seminars available. Introduction to Fly Fishing covers what you need to get started, where to fish, types of flies, and how to catch fish. Introduction to Fly Casting is a hands on class covering the fundamentals of fly casting. The fly casting class size is limited and both classes are free. If you are interested in attending a class, contact Rory at Mosquito Creek Outdoors at 407-464-2000. He is compiling a list of interested students and a class will be scheduled when there are enough requests.
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Catching Tailing Redfish
The past couple weeks have brought the best tailing redfish action of the entire year. The fish have been tailing all day long. You will see some fish flipping themselves completely over while others may have just the tip or no part of their tail at all breaking the surface. There is one thing we can be certain of when we see tailing reds - they are definitely eating something. Our challenge is to give them what they want. My go to lure for tailing reds is the DOA shrimp. It never flies off the hook like live shrimp, lasts for multiple fish, and does not need to be kept alive or cooled.
Tailing fish can be less spooky than other fish but still will generally not tolerate a lure or bait dropping on their head. Cast ten feet past the fish and quickly reel your lure across the surface so you can see exactly where it is. If you loose sight of your lure, you will not be certain when it is in front of the fish. Guessing almost always works out in the fish's favor. If you can see both the fish and your lure, you can be certain when you are making a presentation in front of the fish. If you cast misses the mark, reel it in as fast as you can turn the handle and you may get another shot. Once you drop the shrimp in front of the fish, move the tip of your rod with very small twitches. Do not move the bait away from the fish before it has a chance to see it. If everything goes right, you will see the fish eat your lure. On a good day, you can get a bite on five out of ten perfect casts. Not every perfect cast will get a bite. If you get several refusals in a row, try changing the size or color of your bait.
While I often hear people say it, there is no such thing as a tailing fish that will not eat. Tailing fish are definitely eating. The better you cast, the more you will catch. The only way to improve your casting accuracy is to practice.
Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
321-229-2848
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