Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, August 24, 2007
Complements of Mosquito Coast Outdoors, Apopka Florida
As Labor Day weekend approaches, it's safe to say summer is losing it's grip on us, which was evident this past week when a high pressure system pushed in from the Atlantic replacing our normal summer doldrums with some steady easterly breezes. These breezes kicked up the seas a bit and made sight fishing on the flats a bit challenging, but the fishing was good nonetheless.
Out in the big blue, the wave height reached as high as 5 feet, but as the high-pressure system shifted towards the Gulf of Mexico, the winds settled down and the wave interval spread out. Soon, these easterly breezes will become more consistent, and the mullet run will commence.
My adventures outside last week consisted of some exceptional days of catching, but finding live bait is still a challenge. They started on Saturday, when Larry Carter, JT Thompson and his son Jason joined me with the simple challenge of just finding something to pull drag. As we exited Port Canaveral we turned left (north) in search of bait, and soon found ourselves casting jigs and top water plugs in the surf north of the bight of the Cape. For those of you who haven't heard, NASA and the Air Force have lifted the closure of the restricted zone off of the Space Center, reopening some of the best fishing grounds on Florida's east coast. As we worked the edge, we found ourselves in the mists of a feeding frenzy consisting of jack cravelle, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and ladyfish, with some tarpon and big blacktip sharks showing themselves occasionally.
Our choice in lures was Rapala Skitter Walks, Rip Roller by High Roller, D.O.A. Bait Busters, and RipTide 4-inch Mullet on and 1/4 ounce Screw Jig. When you find yourself in a situation involving so many toothy critters, it's important to retrieve your lures very fast to avoid cut offs. If the presentation is fast, the fish are forced to chase the lure down and strike below the leader. As we progress into the mullet run, this beach fishing will only heat up, and snook in the surf will become more prevalent.
After playing with the beach fish a while, we decided to resume our search for live bait, and we left them chewing. We followed the beach north past the Shuttle Pads and I have to say it's a great feeling cruising just off of the shoreline in a place where I never thought I would be able to fish again. We stuck close to the beach hoping to locate a stray school of pogies, but none were found, so I turned east for deeper water, and we finally located a school of threadfin (greenies) in about 50 feet of water. After we acquired about two dozen live baits, we did some trolling in the area of Pitman Rock managing one a few bonito and sharks.
Soon the east wing started to build, so I decided it was time to make the run back south towards the Port, and during the run home, we ran by a nice sailfish in 40 feet of water.
When we arrived at the buoy line, I dropped in two live baits on stinger rigs, and before we could get settled, we had kingfish smoking line off of both reels. Again the bite was hot and heavy, and we ended up catching five kingfish, several bonito, barracuda, and blacktip sharks before running out of bait and calling it a day.
Also, the Mac Attack Kingfish Tournament is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday out of Port Canaveral, so be prepared for a busy weekend at the Port.
Tip of the Week:
In the past decade, Florida's fisheries have experienced a significant increased in the number of anglers. This increased pressure has had a direct impact on fish populations, and if we are to continue to enjoy our sport, conservation of our fishery is critical. Therefore, I encourage all anglers to acquire and utilize a catch and release tool. 80 percent of the fish we catch we release, and with a dehooker tool we can release them without touching them. To learn more about dehookers, visit ARC Dehooker's website at http://www.dehooker4arc.com or visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida to purchase one.
Ladies, don't forget to register for the Mosquito Creek Outdoor Ladies Social Angler Seminar and Wine Tasting scheduled for September 29th from 10am to 3pm, positions are limited. This free event is designed to teach the ladies the basic fundaments needed to enjoy fishing with their family and friends. Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Woman in The Outdoors, and Coastal Angler Magazine sponsor the event and it features speakers like Robin (Fish Girl) Folsom and Captain Rodney Smith of Coastal Angler Magazine, Captain Chris Myers D.O.A. Pro Staff, Captain Keith Kalbfleisch, and Captain Tom Van Horn RipTide Pro Staff. For more details contact me or go to www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com.
As always, if you have questions or need information, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
captain@irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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