Indian River Lagoon Coastal Fishing Forecast, April 2019
Capt. Tom Van Horn
March 28, 2019
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Spring has arrived here on the Space Coast, and my focus thus far has been targeting trophy size redfish and black drum in deeper water. The flats fishing has been good when the weather is favorable and should improve as the silver mullet continue to migrate back into the lagoon. The nearshore tripletail and black drum have been good as well, but again in late March and early April Mother Nature holds the upper hand in determining where we fish.
Some highlights for fishing on Florida's east central coast during the spring are: the weather is still cool and enjoyable, the waters warming up and the fish begin to shift into their pre-spawning feeding mood. Some examples of this behavior are the cobia moving north up the Atlantic coast, and the spotted sea trout transitioning into their traditional spawning areas on the inshore flats. Like many saltwater species, the cobia and sea trout spawn in aggregations or groups, not on beds like freshwater species. In the case of the cobia their traditional spawning areas are off the central east coast of the US, and in the northern Gulf of Mexico. As the fish migrate north, they burn energy and feed heavily along the way, hence the cobia run we experience each spring. As mentioned above, windy conditions have and will limit the fishable days.
On the flats, the smaller male sea trout move up into the shallows first, and then call the females in to spawn by drumming loudly just after dusk when the conditions are right, usually on the first new moon or full moon in April, and then again on the new and full moons throughout the summer.
As we move in near-shore, tripletail should become more dependable, and look for late season cobia as well. The cobia run has been sporadic thus far, with bait pods (Atlantic menhaden or pogies) arriving late this year. As the bait pod move in, look for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, redfish, giant jack crevalle, sharks, and smoker kings. Concentrate your efforts in these areas. When you see bait balled up and pushed to the surface, there is a high probability that feeding gamefish are pressuring the bait from below.
In the inlets, look for good numbers of flounder, sheepshead and black drum around structure such as jetties and docks, and Spanish mackerel, blues, and large jacks in open water. Also look for the nighttime snook and tarpon action to heat up in the Sebastian Inlet.
On the lagoon flats, fish the early morning and late evening with your favorite top water plugs for extreme trout and redfish action, and soft plastics and jigs in deeper water, 2 to 3 feet after the midday sun settles in. Remember, April is one of the months when larger sea trout are egg laden for the spawn, so it's very important to handle and release the larger females with great care. If you are looking for snook and tarpon action inside, the Sebastian River will be the place to go.
As always, if you need information or have any questions, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
407-416-1187
www.irl-fishing.com
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