Friday, September 21, 2007

The Lagoon for the past months have been producing an excellent amount of fishing. The area has been alive with activity. The month of August proved to be hot as always, not just weather wise but bite wise too! So the best bet is the early morning bite or the evening/night fall fish. For those of you wanting to use live bait, the best bet for this time of year are pig fish. Very common throughout the drop offs and plentyful at your local bait stores, these baits will produce large trout. Buy enough to last for the first hours of that golden time, for they do not last very long and require lots of water circulation/air. Large shrimp under popping corks is a good bet too. The piggies will be too big soon so try alternates. For those of you on the water on a day to day basis, place traps out there and bait them with crabs. Place your trap in 4-5 feet of water just off the bars. Be sure to label your trap with your name and other info so they do not wind up in the wrong hands. Also so you know you are getting your traps and not the person who is next to yours, they start to look alike.

I like to take a piggie and place him just below a small bobber, just enough to keep him off the bottom. They struggle to get into the grass and start grunting which will attract the predators! Place yourself just off the bar or an edge in about 3-4 feet of water where plenty of topwater action is being seen(baitfish activity). It is amazing on how a trout will seek these fish out, sometimes I have witnessed trout the size of a pig fish, brave little ones....And monsters....This month alone has produced 6 or more fish over 30 inches. That is a great fight!   

My favorite - in the early morning hours or late evening, water conditions allowing - are topwater. I like to use here a Rapala Skitter Walk/Mullet pattern with a slow retrieve. You want to stop/start this to show the fish that it is wounded or hurt. You will get a lot of strikes that just don't quite hook up...These fish are trying to stun the bait. Stop it and wait a few seconds, make it look wounded. This tactic will produce. I promise, just practice it...   

After the morning sun's risen, I have been switching to a Gulp, mostly white, just my choice, they all will produce. I like to use a 4/0 Flutter Hook. This will help give you the distance you need. The redfish are very spooky and focused on their food source. I have been catching large numbers of them around the 9-10 o'clock hours, working banks and cuts. Focus on the shoreline....these fish love to hug a bank. Casting using a slow retrieve and letting the fish find this.The North end of the Mosquito Lagoon around Orange Island is a great place to work this. I found myself here for several weeks with the water coming up exploring new areas. It turns out the fish like to explore too, hitting areas they had no access to before. Remember reds are like cows, they roam. Trout are your stalk and hunt predators, like lions.

With September comes the fall rain. This puts a stop in a lot of afternoon trips, so hit the water early. Last week (9/12/07) my clients and I started out a little earlier than normal. We placed ourself on a bar in the southern portion of the Lagoon, by marker 29. Power-Poled down and waited. The key here was to use 3 inch long, live mullet. I like to use the same tactics as with the pig fish. Just enough slack to keep them off the bottom of the grass. By the end of the morning we had landed several large reds and several nice trout, all of which were released.

September starts the fall mullet run and redfish, in my mind, now thru October is a great time to catch! Patience is the key. Too many people quit after ten to twenty minutes of fishing after receiving no strikes. Remember, reds are nomadic.....They move slowly. If you see a school tailing along a bar, figure out which way they are moving and place your mullet in front of them. Wait, take time to enjoy the area and take in the sites, but wait patiently. Be very careful not to spook the school. Do not throw on top of them. Let them come to you. Some days we landed 12-15 slot size fish with a couple over 30 inches. A mixed bag on one day with several nice jacks in there and a ladyfish.

When I free line a mullet I like to use PowerPro, topped with about three feet of leader. Then tie on a 4/0-5/0 circle hook. For those of you with kids, the popping cork has been very productive and the kids love the action and it keeps them moving and occupied. Remember also please, when you are running your boat in an area you DO NOT know take it easy. The sea bed grass is very important to you and me. We need this for our future fishing trips. So when in doubt, stop and pole yourself in and out. It will for one produce much more strikes and you will be doing yourself a favor in the long run. Also, if you do not plan on keeping your catch, try to keep them in the water at all times. Avoid shaking them violently with pliers to get them off the hook. Remember this is your future! I like to practice catch and release, or CPR-Catch, Photograph and Release. Good Luck!

See you on the water and be safe!

Capt. Drew

Florida Inshore Fishing Charters - New Smyrna Beach Flats Fishing Guide