Hot Summer Redfish
Capt. Tom Van Horn
May 30, 2010
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, June 2010
First and foremost, let me start this editorial with a quote for those who gave their lives for our freedom:
"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
June Forecast:
As the heat and humidity of June rise along the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida, so do the many angling opportunities found along the east Florida coast on all fronts, inshore, near-shore, and offshore. Although the heat is rising, the winds of early June typically lay down producing smooth seas, leading us into the summer doldrums.
These smooth conditions allow those of us with smaller boats to venture out offshore to fish the near-shore reefs and wrecks and to run the beach in search of gamefish. These same smooth conditions greatly improve one's ability to locate schooling redfish and other species common to the flats by allowing anglers to spot fish movement on the shallow flats from a long distance.
Along the beach, pogie pods will attract both silver kings (tarpon) and smoker kingfish, drawing them into shallow water. These same bait pods will be frequented by large sharks, jack crevalle and bonito.
In our offshore waters, look for the dolphin bite to slow as the schools begin to spread out and the kingfish will remain good along the inshore reefs and wrecks of 8A Reef and Pelican Flats, so slow trolling with live pogies will produce the best action. Additionally, bottom fishing will remain good for snapper and grouper until the first summer squall (hurricane) blows in and muddies up the water. As the summer doldrums set in, the seas flatten out and the ocean cleans up, and near-shore opportunities are typically the best you'll see all year along the reefs and wrecks and the beach. June is also the time of year when the kingfish move in close along the beach shadowing schools of Atlantic menhaden (pogies), as well as along the Port Canaveral buoy line.
In the early morning on the flats look for trout and redfish up in the skinny water around concentration of bait, and toss them your favorite top water plugs like the Rapala Skitterwalk of the Storm Chug Bug. Focus your efforts between 5am and 9am, and in the late afternoon after the thunderstorms dissipate. Also look for schools of bay anchovies (glass minnows) in deeper waters. These schools can be located by watching for small terns and other sea birds working, and they usually are shadowed by concentrations of small trout and ladyfish. These fast moving schools produce fast and furious action for fly anglers casting small top-water popping bugs.
As the days heat up, remember that long battles will kill your fish, so if you plan on targeting large fish, you may want to step up your tackle to shorten the battle. Also, warm water holds less dissolved oxygen, so leave your catch in the water as much as possible, and revive them completely before releasing them.
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
www.irl-fishing.com
(407) 416-1187 on the water
(407) 366-8085 landline
For all you outdoor shopping needs, visit Mosquito Creek outdoors at www.mosquitocreek.com.
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