The first significant cold front of the season arrived this week dropping water temperatures in the Mosquito Lagoon into the lower 60's. The change has signaled the redfish to begin schooling and sent the big trout into the shallows.
This week began with a nearshore trip with Capt. Ron Presley on board his Pathfinder 22 as we searched along the beached south of Port Canaveral hoping to find a tarpon feeding frenzy. We covered over 20 miles of beach and saw little to no activity. We spotted a few rolling tarpon near Satellite Beach and tossed out a few baits. Capt. Ron hooked a tarpon in excess of one hundred pounds that quickly came off. A few minutes later he landed a large spanish mackerel which would be our only catch of the day.
The cold front arrived Monday and high winds forced me to reschedule my Tuesday charter. By Wednesday, the winds had calmed and the skies were clear. Paul Huffman and I took a trip to the Mosquito Lagoon. We saw schooling reds, tailing reds, and big trout throughout the day. Again, the gold DOA Baitbuster accounted for eight redfish and one big seatrout.
Thursday, I returned to Mosquito Lagoon with the intention of fly fishing. Just as I arrived, the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. I caught one red on a green and white bendback before going back to the spinning rod. I landed four more reds to 35" and another nice trout using the Baitbuster, a Capt. Joe's Shredder, and a DOA Crab.
If you are looking for east central Florida's ultimate sight fishing challenge, trophy seatrout will provide multiple opportunities throughout the winter months. Although they are often caught making long blind casts, sight fishing for big trout requires stealth, good eyes, and a quick accurate cast. These masters of camouflage are ambush feeders and lie motionless waiting for a passing meal. When you spot them, you often have only a few seconds to make your cast before they discover your presence. I encourage you to practice catch and release with these big fish as they are the breeding stock that keep out fishery healthy.
Capt. Chris Myers
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com
