Three Unforgettable Fishing Trips

Nov. 28, 2007 – Three Unforgettable Fishing Trips
Our motto at Native Sons Fishing Charters is to provide "A Fishing Trip you’ll never forget." This past week our crede became our experience for three charters as the balmy, unseasnable temperatures of our Indian Summer set the stage for some of the most memorable fishing drama of the year.


The lead story for the week starred a guide from the west coast, Capt. "Red" Ed Brennan and Cynthia, his close friend and favorite fishing partner. Their directive to Capt. Rocky was simply "we want to battle big redfish." The next few paragraphs are descriptive narratives of the trip from Capt. Red Ed’s report to his own clients, family and friends. While visiting family on the East coast for the holiday, Cynthia and I decided to fish the infamous Mosquito Lagoon for MONSTER Redfish with Captain Rocky Van Hoose, and we had an EPIC adventure! After securing enough Redfish candy, live Finger Mullet for bait, we were on the hunt. Conditions were anything but perfect as not only was it windy but it was also mostly cloudy which, as you know, only makes site fishing that more difficult. Of course, that wasn't going to stop us! After catching more Catfish then we could count, we finally had a bite that could have only been what we were hunting for, Cynthia hooked and boated the nice 30 inch Redfish pictured below.

Now most folks would be happy to CATCH a Redfish that size but we were there for the real MONSTERS. Shortly after re-baiting we weren't disappointed as the rod I was holding was slammed by what felt like a Volkswagen and the fight was on! After an awesome twenty minute fight we put the 42 inch Redfish, in the boat for a few pictures before we released him for someone else to enjoy!! If you haven't fought one of these MONSTERS it will test all your angling skills and definitely tire you out, especially on light tackle. Again after re-baiting, it was Cynthia's turn to fight a MONSTER! If my fish hit like a Volkswagen, the fish that hit Cynthia's rod was like a Freight Train! She did a masterful job fighting the fish but eventually it wore her out and she had to hand the rod to me for a short rest. In all my years of CATCHING Redfish, I have never seen or felt a fish fight like this! Every time we would get him close to the boat he would just scream line off the reel and it was like starting the fight all over again! This fish was well over 50 inches! It was EPIC!!! The sun was starting to set and we were beginning to wonder and joke if we would get this MONSTER in the boat for a few pictures before it got dark. Cynthia did take the rod back and fought the fish like a professional but after at least an hour and twenty minutes the MONSTER came unbuttoned and swam away. We had just lost a potential state record Redfish, but it was an experience that the three of us will never forget!!!

The second memory making trip occurred aboard Capt. Roland’s boat, the "Lip Rip" in Sebastian Inlet. Dr. Cronin of Melbourne Beach and his neighbor Jerry ventured into the inlet in search of breeder redfish and monster snook. They battled several large fish including the redfish held by Dr. Cronin in the picture below. This was actually the second Sebastian drift charter for the good doctor during the holiday week as he and Charlie, his son-in-law, chartered Capt. Roland several evenings before when they caught other large redfish and snook.

The final unforgettable trip in this report was also guided by Capt. Roland. Two anglers from San Antonia, Mike and Chuck, along with their sons, fished the Grant area and were entertained by the usual cast of characters; redfish, snook and trout. The thing that made this trip so memorable though was a cameo appearance of a fourth species – GROUPER. Grouper is a rare find in the Indian River but recently Roland has been able to locate several pods of this highly sought-after species. Pictured below are Mike and his son posing with one to the four large grouper fought on the day.

Native Sons Fishing Guides
Captain Rocky Van Hoose
321-986-9588
rvanhoose@cfl.rr.com
Captain Brad Jones
321-626-5072
jonesmelb7@bellsouth.net
Posted by Rocky Van Hoose on December 01, 2007 at 12:28:12 PM

Mosquito Lagoon Fly Fishing

This week brought some unseasonably warm weather to central Florida. During the middle of the week, the winds were calm, the water temperatures were in the mid seventies, and the redfish were happy and tailing. If you were unable to get out on the water this week, you missed out on some near perfect conditions. Friday, that all began to change. By the middle of next week, we will be experiencing overnight lows in the 40's.Monday, I fished the Mosquito Lagoon alone hoping to catch some redfish on fly. I found some finning and tailing fish but had no luck with the fly. The fish were spooking at the sound of the fly line landing on the water. I switched over to a DOA shrimp and caught a red on the first cast. By late morning, the wind cranked up and the clouds moved in making sight fishing much tougher. I landed four more redfish on a DOA crab and four trout on a 4 inch CAL tail.Tuesday, I fished Mosquito Lagoon with my friend Paul. He had steady shots at fish throughout the day but they were not very aggressive. He tried various size and color jerkbaits but most of the fish just turned away. I caught the first fish on a DOA crab and Paul followed up with a redfish of his own on a chartreuse jerk worm. Just as we located a school of black drum, clouds moved in and made them impossible to see. We did not break any fish catching records but we were happy to be fishing in shorts in late November. Thursday, Capt. John Kumiski and I went fly fishing in Mosquito Lagoon. We saw no less than twenty schools of redfish that held between 10 and 50 fish. After having multiple fish spook off of or refuse his first crab pattern. Capt. John switched to an unweighted bendback style fly in chartreuse and white. This fly made a much softer presentation and was soon hooked in the jaw of a redfish.We took turns poling and fishing throughout the day. My turns at fishing were not as successful. I spooked a few and had some good casts refused. John caught another redfish on a crab pattern for the only two fish of the day. We spent the last hours sight casting the fly to some large trout in shallow sand holes. There were a few follows and a few half-hearted swipes at the fly but no takers. We saw a lot of fish throughout the day but did not find many that were very hungry.On Friday, I would have been happy seeing half as many fish as we had the day before. The weather, though, took a 180 degree turn and it was windy with solid cloud cover. Sight fishing was hopeless so we fished some areas I had seen fish the day before. Regular clients Dan and Greg cast 5 inch DOA cals in greene back. We ended up catching 5 redfish and 5 trout.Next week's cold spell will cause a significant drop in water temperature. As the temperatures begin to moderate a day or two after the front, look for the fish to be sunning themselves in the shallow sand holes. Use smaller baits and slow down your retrieve if you are not having success.

Captain Chris Myers

321-229-2848

http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/

cmyers@floridafishinglessons.com

North Skyway Fishing Pier Dec.'07

I checked the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers message board today, www.skywaypiers.com/discus/ , to see how the fishing is at the piers. Spanish mackerel are thick at both piers and will hit Got-Cha Plugs, small silver spoons, and Kandlefish Lures. A few king mackerel are being caught. Drift a large greenback, blue runner, or hardtail away from the bridge to catch the kings. Use about 6" of wire leader and a stinger rig tied to 6' of 40lb mono leader to improve your chances of landing a king. Grouper and lane snapper are being caught around the rock piles. Pinfish and greenbacks are good baits for the grouper. Sheepshead have moved in around the pylons. Sand flees, fiddler crabs, live shrimp, bloodworm's, and green mussels are the best baits. Use 6' of 25lb - 30lb fluorocarbon leader and size 1, J hooks to increase your odds of catching some of these striped bandits. Also, drop your bait to the bottom, or at least underneath the fish you see. Sheepshead up in the water column usually will not bite. Wait untill you feel a light tap on your line, and set the hook hard on the second tap.

Holiday Anglers Embark On Adventures

November 30, 2007
INSHORE:
Another beautiful week of fishing weather allowed holiday anglers to embark on adventures along the Treasure Coast. The seas calmed down enough for boats to venture out on the ocean in search of fishing action. It looks like we can expect good fishing weather throughout the week. December brings the close of snook season on the 15th and trout season will continue to be closed during the month. There are lots of other species out there to keep you occupied. Plan a trip on the water soon!
Snook fishing on the flats has produced shorts mostly, but some larger fish are patrolling also. The inlets have continued to hold bigger fish around the bridges, docks and seawalls. Mostly night anglers have been seeking those fish with live bait or feather jigs. We found snook on the flats early in the day and some hanging under the docks in the shade during the middle of the day. There is still a couple weeks to try and get that slot fish. Randy Jagielo caught his first snook this week, even though it was short of the slot.
We found a few redfish on the flats, but spooked them as we were poling across the area. I have found them hanging near the drop offs and around the mangroves. We did have one hooked up for a while until it tossed the hook on us. Live bait, gold spoons or soft plastics, like DOA jerk baits fished slowly can give you a chance at a hookup. There have been several reports of reds being caught around the jetties this week.
Trout action has been spotty, but we haven't been targeting them since the season has been closed. We did manage to skip some pompano in the river to the south of Fort Pierce. The pompano bite has picked up the week and should continue to improve. Randy boated a nice pomp this week for dinner. He also battled a nice size tripletail next to the boat before losing the fight as the fish got off. There are still some tripletail around the river down towards the power plant and Jensen Beach. Some reports of flounder around the mouth of the inlet and I expect to hear of a better bite soon.
Jacks, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel have been all over the inlet. We found schools of them harassing bait and hooked up numerous times with fish. It's great action and plan on losing some lures while you fish. Great fun for the kids to keep the smiles on their faces! Bridges have held some snapper, sheephead, black drum and sand perch. Live or dead shrimp is the favorite table fare for these fish.
SURF:
The pompano bite has been improving for those using shrimp or sand fleas. Whiting are still hanging along the beach. A silver spoon could net you jacks, bluefish or Spanish mackerel. Sand fleas have been spotty to find so you might have to take some with you as a backup. Lighter winds have made it much more enjoyable to fish the surf.
Tip of the Week: With a number of different species available both in the river and on the ocean. Most anglers keep rods rigged to be ready for encounters with these fish. Many fish require using specialized rigs or lures if you want a chance at a hookup. With a chance at pompano, flounder, redfish, etc....etc....it's important to be ready for any opportunity. If you happen to skip some pompano while heading to your fishing spot, will you have a rig ready to cast at them and fish the school? Most offshore boats keep a rod handy for cobia should they happen to run across one. Sometimes you only have seconds to make that cast to a fish. It pays to be prepared!
As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com
email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852
(Captain Charlie Conner has been fishing the Indian River Lagoon for over twenty-five years. Specializing in light tackle fishing in Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Jensen Beach and Port St Lucie, Florida. His weekly South Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report gives you the latest inshore fishing information for the Treasure Coast area on the Indian River Lagoon.}

Captain Andy's Fishing Mate

Back in the early days, when I was first learning to fish on my own in the Ten Thousand Islands, I would venture out in my boat and visit the spots that my father had taken me to as a child. Dad had learned the area by chartering with the local guides in the early sixties. I couldn’t afford a guide so I just went on guts and faith; it didn’t take long to become apparent that it would take me forever to learn this vast area, I needed an edge and it came in the form of a book called The Fishing Mate by Capt. Andy McLean. Capt. Andy produced this book on an annual basis and it contained maps and tide charts much like the tide charts produced by Capt. Mike that you see for sale around the area today.

First let me tell you that I never met Capt. Andy but I feel I know him. How can I say that? Well, because I read his book and studied his maps so many times. After four decades of fishing this area I can finally say that I understand the depth of Capt. Andy’s knowledge. He kept detailed records on the weather conditions, moon phases, tides and even hurricanes – it is all there in his book. He has maps with arrows showing his favorite spots to fish and he gives you advice on what tides to fish them. He even tells you what kind of fish you can expect to catch on a month by month basis. He offers you sage words of advice on which wind directions produce the best catches and what lures work best, together with little tricks to catch fish when they just are not biting. One of my favorite quotes is “if the birds are in the trees the fish aren’t biting” and you know it’s true; well at least it’s true some of the time.
Last week I was cleaning up around my cabin when I noticed an old copy of The Fishing Mate up on the book shelf. I cracked open the pages and started flipping through this time capsule of fishing advice. It had been over eighteen years since I bought this edition of The Fishing Mate, so when I started studying the maps I was amazed to see that most of my favorite spots were marked on Capt. Andy’s charts. Over the next few days I went exploring the back country bays and I fished several of his spots. Guess what - they still produce fish today. He had marked “Tarpon” in one bay. I swear I wasn’t there ten minutes and a Tarpon showed up. Some of his techniques are a little out date and the lures he utilized are either out of production or better alternatives exist. However, by and large most of what he recommends is accurate to this day even with hurricanes and global warming.
Capt. Andy has been gone for some time now but his knowledge and expertise live on in The Fishing Mate. If you can lay your hands on a copy consider yourself one of the lucky few, I know I am.

Everglades Pro Fishing Charters
Captain Jim Stoner
Captain Doug Stoner
954-444-9995
http://www.evergladespro.com/
snook4341@yahoo.com