The start of the new year has turned out to be really great. The weather is working out well and tagging right along with it is some really awesome fishing. The past several weeks have actually been really, really good. Almost everyday I was on the water with a client and pretty much an overall success was accomplished. Even a few days fished for myself just to keep in touch with these beauties of the back waters. I am always following the feeding patterns and habits of these beautiful creatures of the flats we like to call game fish.
The past days and weeks have produced(and continue to produce) exceptionally great catches of redfish, trout, black drum and even a few mixed bag fish. Let's start of with the redfish bite. Reds have been roaming the flats early and throughout the morning/day. I have been getting most of them in the upper and a bit over the slot size by throwing a live shrimp at them or a Gulp in the white color. Nothing like sight fishing one of these bull dogs of the flats. Making your light tackle scream like the devil. A few reds were landed the other day with an imitation shrimp on fly with a client from South Dakota. Approach these fish slowly and you should be able to get close to them. As always with redfish...You know what I am going to say-Stealth and Distance and let's throw in a dash of Patience. This is the KEY to success for these troopers of the flats.
Now moving on to some trout. I do not mean just any trout, I mean TROUT. Very nice trout have been seen and caught using top water and live shrimp. Even a couple have been caught using the free-lined live mullet tactic. If you are able to get within sight of these smart fish with the right light conditions you can see and land a few of them by sight fishing them. Most the trout are between the 3-7 lb class with a few over 8lbs or so on the skinny water side of things. They are seen roaming grass flats and lurking among the sand holes in search of an ambushed bait. A good Skitter Walk in a mullet pattern will work well too.
Black drum have been thick throughout the entire Mosquito Lagoon. The fish are getting a lot of pressure and are becoming very skittish when approached. I find that a small shrimp will work on a 3/0 or so circle hook. Gulps work very well too for these fish and tend to stay on a good amount of time as well. Look for these fish roaming the flats VERY early then moving off to deeper edges for protection and food.
As long as things continue weather wise the fishing should continue to improve along with it. Call today to book your trip of a lifetime and get out there and see the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River like you have never seen before.
Happy New Year and Tight Lines!
Captain Drew Cavanaugh
Florida Inshore Fishing Charters
PO BOX 881
Edgewater, FL 32132
Cell/352-223-7897
drcfishmaster@cfl.rr.com
Light Tackle Fishing Guide On The Mosquito Lagoon
Specializing In Fly Or Spin
http://www.floridainshorefishingcharters.com/
