Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast
October 2011
By Captain Tom Van Horn
Upcoming Seminars and Events
Saturday October 8th, Free Intro to Fly Fishing Class
10 a.m. - 12 noon, free introduction to Fly Fishing Class instructed by FFF Certified instructor Captain Chris Myers. Class will be held at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave., Apopka, Florida. www.mosquitocreel.com.
Saturday October 22nd, Free Fishing Seminar "Lagoon Fall Fishing Tactics"
10: 00 - 12:00 "Free Seminars" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, "Lagoon Fall Fishing Tactics", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.
Saturday November 12th, Gumbo Cook Off for Give Kids the World and Anglers for Conservation
12 Noon at Fish on Fire Restaurant in Orlando. For more details, visit www.fishingfloridaradio.com
October's Fishing Outlook
The fall bait migration is in full swing on Florida's Space Coast with good concentrations of migrating baitfish can be found excite both gamefish and angler alike. Triggered by shorter days, cooling water temperatures, and approaching cold fronts, pockets of mullet stream down the beach harassed by hungry predators. As the bait works its way south in the troughs of the surf, bluefish, ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, redfish and snook keep them hemmed up close along the surfs edge, with tarpon, blacktip and spinner sharks lurking in the waves eager to fulfill their position at the top of the food chain. As the baitfish feed out the inlets on the falling tide, breeder redfish, tarpon, snook, take advantage of the easy meal, as the fleeing mullet are forced away from the shelter of the shoreline. Additionally, October and November are the best months to target snook at Sebastian Inlet as long as water temperatures stay above 70 degrees.
Once the water temperatures near the 68 degree mark southern and gulf flounder moving through the inlets usually follow the first major cold front. It's difficult to predict the precise moment of the run, but serious flounder pounders know when the moment is right, and they're often rewarded with doormats from 8 to 14 pounds.
In the deeper water, both tripletail and cobia move into the depths of 40 to 60 feet of water shadowing pods of threadfin herring (greenies) and Spanish sardines (cigar minnows) pushing south along the Canaveral shoals, often hanging just below the abundant flotsam carried inshore by the easterly breezes. Once you locate weeds and other debris, look for tripletail to be hanging just below the floating structure. Live shrimp and small jigs tipped with shrimp work well when targeting these brim on steroids. It helps to fish later in the day keeping the afternoon sun to your back to improve your range of sight, and always keep a medium heavy rod rigged with a one ounce chartreuse or white buck tail jig ready to throw to any cruising cobia. Also, look for the fall kingfish run to commence as well as an occasional sailfish or black fin tuna on the near-shore reefs and wrecks like 8A and Pelican Flats.
In the lagoons, breeder schools of redfish are abundant in deeper water through the north IRL. These schools of oversized redfish are m
schools of pompano will begin forming up and moving thought the inlets invading the beach in search of mole crabs (sand fleas) their favorite winter food. Remember, spotted sea trout are out of season in November and December on Florida's east central coast, so if you manage to catch one please handle and release it with extreme care.
For up to date fishing forecast by all Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando captains visit:
http://coastalanglermag.com/orlando/.
As always, if you have any questions or need help, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187 on the water
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tampa Fishing Charters 9-28-2011
Snook...wow what an excellent opportunity to prove your fish catching skills. These fish make even the most accomplished angler frustrated. In the Tampa, area we have numerous places to catch snook.
But, most local anglers are painfully aware of the devastating freeze of 2009. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. In the 1980s the Tampa Bay area experienced a similar freeze, and yet, the fish recovered in just a few years. The good news is that our fishery is recovering. Snook are still being caught by those who know how to catch them.
The snook in this picture was caught during the middle of the summer in the back country. We caught numerous snook this summer in places I did not expect to see them. When I told Bill Miller of the Hooked On Fishing T.V. what was happening, we decided to do a show and document the health of our up and coming snook fishery.
But that was the summer. It is now fall and the days of catching smaller snook in the back country is coming to an end. The bigger snook are moving into the rivers and canals to prepare for their winter survival. The white bait is every where and easy to catch. This time of year is why fisherman live in FL. If you can not tell by now, I am passionate about catching fish, especially snook. The challenge and reward for mastering these line-siders is not easily matched. I guess the only thing left to do is get out there and catch some.
Captain Rick Reddick
http://www.captainrickreddick.com/
813-787-0249
Tampa Fishing Charters | Tampa Fishing Guides
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Ft Lauderdale Fishing Report 9-27-11
Fort Lauderdale Offshore Fishing Report
King mackerel, (kingfish) and bonita have been the most consistent fish caught while troling aboard the Reel Work over the past week. Bottom fishing the local reefs and wrecks has produced snapper and a shark.
Saturday of last week we had a good day fishing. We caught some snappers and there were a lot of bonito. We also heard of a few kings and a shark around. The next day we had good fishing catching lots of bonito and some kingfish. We also heard of a few sailfish mahis and wahoo being caught.
On Monday we caught more kingfish than bonito and some barracudas. On Wednesday we went looking for mahis but no luck. Went to the reef put out live baits caught a couple bonito. Heard kings and bonito caught. This weekend we got some kingfish and bonito trolling and some bottom fish. Heard kingfish bonito skipjack and more bottom fish.
Reel Work Sport Fishing
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
King mackerel, (kingfish) and bonita have been the most consistent fish caught while troling aboard the Reel Work over the past week. Bottom fishing the local reefs and wrecks has produced snapper and a shark.
Saturday of last week we had a good day fishing. We caught some snappers and there were a lot of bonito. We also heard of a few kings and a shark around. The next day we had good fishing catching lots of bonito and some kingfish. We also heard of a few sailfish mahis and wahoo being caught.
On Monday we caught more kingfish than bonito and some barracudas. On Wednesday we went looking for mahis but no luck. Went to the reef put out live baits caught a couple bonito. Heard kings and bonito caught. This weekend we got some kingfish and bonito trolling and some bottom fish. Heard kingfish bonito skipjack and more bottom fish.
Reel Work Sport Fishing
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 9-26-2011
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 9/24/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf during the past week. Spin anglers scored on reds, snook, trout, flounder, blues and Spanish mackerel. Fly anglers had great action with little tunny (false albacore).
Tom and Mary Howard, from Bradenton, Fl, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We focused on skinny water and the action wasn’t fast, but they caught and released a slam including a red, a couple of snook and several trout and flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and I scouted the coastal gulf off Siesta and Casey Keys and had great action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Tuesday. Little tunny were “surfing”, eating tiny baits with their heads and backs out of the water, which made for some exciting top water strikes! We landed 7 or 8 little tunny to 10-lbs and about 6 Spanish mackerel to 2 ½-lbs on my Grassett Snook Minnow, Clouser and Bubblehead fly poppers.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He also had a slam including 3 reds, a snook and several trout on a Zara Spook, Jr. and CAL jigs with shad tails. Greg and Patty Pratt, from Cincinnati, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had good action with trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Next week’s tides are good as we approach a new moon on Sept. 27th. Bay water is still warm enough that mornings are fishing better. Snook are moving onto shallow flats and staging around sand bars in Sarasota Bay. Coastal gulf action should only get better as water cools and bait becomes more plentiful in the coastal gulf.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, caught and released this little tunny in the coastal gulf off Sarasota on a fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mary Howard, from Bradenton, FL, caught this nice flounder out of a Sarasota Bay pothole on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf during the past week. Spin anglers scored on reds, snook, trout, flounder, blues and Spanish mackerel. Fly anglers had great action with little tunny (false albacore).
Tom and Mary Howard, from Bradenton, Fl, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We focused on skinny water and the action wasn’t fast, but they caught and released a slam including a red, a couple of snook and several trout and flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and I scouted the coastal gulf off Siesta and Casey Keys and had great action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Tuesday. Little tunny were “surfing”, eating tiny baits with their heads and backs out of the water, which made for some exciting top water strikes! We landed 7 or 8 little tunny to 10-lbs and about 6 Spanish mackerel to 2 ½-lbs on my Grassett Snook Minnow, Clouser and Bubblehead fly poppers.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He also had a slam including 3 reds, a snook and several trout on a Zara Spook, Jr. and CAL jigs with shad tails. Greg and Patty Pratt, from Cincinnati, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had good action with trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Next week’s tides are good as we approach a new moon on Sept. 27th. Bay water is still warm enough that mornings are fishing better. Snook are moving onto shallow flats and staging around sand bars in Sarasota Bay. Coastal gulf action should only get better as water cools and bait becomes more plentiful in the coastal gulf.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, caught and released this little tunny in the coastal gulf off Sarasota on a fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mary Howard, from Bradenton, FL, caught this nice flounder out of a Sarasota Bay pothole on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Amelia Island Fishing Report 9-18-2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Team W
Friends Tim and Wes Parker were in town for the Amelia Island Blues Festival this weekend and we had set up to do some Amelia Island backcountry fishing. Thursday afternoon we met at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina and made a run up to the Lanceford Creek docks to fish the outgoing tide. I thought the timing was almost perfect with the oysters showing. Tim used one of his artificial baits and caught a fiesty Redfish and Wes tossed a live shrimp under float, catching a couple of Trout. Although everything was "right", the fish just seemed slow to bite, so we headed up to the Jolley River for some real backwater fishing! The oyster beds were almost fully exposed and the bite seemed to pick up - we caught a 3-4 Redfish at the first stop and another Trout, then crossed the river to pick up another Red or two. When the tide changed and started back in, we fished Jolley Bank, catching more hard biting Redfish. Then Wes's float went under with a vengeance and his rod bent, drag ripped and FISH ON! I thought for sure it was slot Red. But after Wes worked the fish expertly to the boat, letting it take drag as needed, the fish came to the surface and we all saw that it was a large Seatrout! Tim netted the fish for his son, "Team W"! Wow, what a fish!
We eventually moved around to Tiger Island and wrapped up the evening with two Flounder, one of which would provide some exceptional fillets! The next morning I picked up Wes and his buddy James and we headed to the south end early, launching and motoring up to Broward Island to fish the first of an incoming tide. Again, the tide and conditions were almost perfect and the two anglers were making excellent casts to the bank, working their jig and artificial lures back slowly. On one cast, "Team W" Wes felt a strong "bump" just after his chartreuse Juicy Lucey hit the water and the fish followed it and bit strong, FISH ON! Wes worked the fish up off the bottom and into the net, a nice 19" Flounder! We had few bites along the bank but it just didn't seem to be a fish bite'n day so we move on to the Horsehead area where we picked up a few Trout on some artificial shrimp under float rigs. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be on the water!
Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com
Posted by Cpt. Lawrence Piper at 12:27 PM
Team W
Friends Tim and Wes Parker were in town for the Amelia Island Blues Festival this weekend and we had set up to do some Amelia Island backcountry fishing. Thursday afternoon we met at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina and made a run up to the Lanceford Creek docks to fish the outgoing tide. I thought the timing was almost perfect with the oysters showing. Tim used one of his artificial baits and caught a fiesty Redfish and Wes tossed a live shrimp under float, catching a couple of Trout. Although everything was "right", the fish just seemed slow to bite, so we headed up to the Jolley River for some real backwater fishing! The oyster beds were almost fully exposed and the bite seemed to pick up - we caught a 3-4 Redfish at the first stop and another Trout, then crossed the river to pick up another Red or two. When the tide changed and started back in, we fished Jolley Bank, catching more hard biting Redfish. Then Wes's float went under with a vengeance and his rod bent, drag ripped and FISH ON! I thought for sure it was slot Red. But after Wes worked the fish expertly to the boat, letting it take drag as needed, the fish came to the surface and we all saw that it was a large Seatrout! Tim netted the fish for his son, "Team W"! Wow, what a fish!
We eventually moved around to Tiger Island and wrapped up the evening with two Flounder, one of which would provide some exceptional fillets! The next morning I picked up Wes and his buddy James and we headed to the south end early, launching and motoring up to Broward Island to fish the first of an incoming tide. Again, the tide and conditions were almost perfect and the two anglers were making excellent casts to the bank, working their jig and artificial lures back slowly. On one cast, "Team W" Wes felt a strong "bump" just after his chartreuse Juicy Lucey hit the water and the fish followed it and bit strong, FISH ON! Wes worked the fish up off the bottom and into the net, a nice 19" Flounder! We had few bites along the bank but it just didn't seem to be a fish bite'n day so we move on to the Horsehead area where we picked up a few Trout on some artificial shrimp under float rigs. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be on the water!
Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com
Posted by Cpt. Lawrence Piper at 12:27 PM
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