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Indian River Lagoon
Capt. Tom Van Horn
December 10, 2002
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Indian Lagoon Coast Fishing Report
Indian Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, December 9, 2002
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
Brain Washed in Chokoloskee
Once again, I must apologize for the tardiness of this report. I usually try to publish the details of my adventures on a more consistent basis. Fortunately, I have a good excuse.
You see, I was incommunicado deep in the Glades, with eight friends and three boats, we camped for four days. Water so clear and sweet to the taste, I’ve never experienced such a magnificent place. With no cell phone, no radio, or satellite dish, my minds focus was only on fish. Lyricist I’m not it’s clear to see, my only worries were mosquito spray, and where’s the T. P.?
Our expedition began early Thursday morning when I met up with Captain Rodney Smith and his two sons, Jake and James in Satellite Beach. Our planned departure time was 2am. After a quick check of our equipment and supply list, we piled into Rodney’s jeep, and we headed southwest. Our destination was Chokoloskee on the northwestern edge of the Florida Everglades. Five hours later we arrived at our rally point, the Gulf Coast Visitors Center. It was there that we joined brothers Tommy and David Williams and their two sons Kelly and Mike. We acquired last minute supplies, necessary permits, and headed for the ramp.
On our next leg of the trip, Tommy Williams, an experienced and knowledgeable Everglades angler, guided us. It was a tedious 35-mile boat rides down the Everglades backcountry Wilderness Waterway, compounded by the new moon low tide. We arrived four hours later at Camp Lonesome without incident. After setting camp, we were on the water in search of our quarry.
The Everglades National Park is as pristine as Florida gets. From its western gateway at Chokoloskee, south through Cape Sable, Flamingo, and into the Florida Bay, you’ll find nothing but wilderness. The shorelines are thick with mangroves, air plants, and gumbo-limbo trees. A combination of hardwood hammock, freshwater, and saltwater habitats create an environment abundant with wildlife, including fish.
Our focus was on catching the elusive snook, which are abundant in these waters. Unfortunately, the snook were in no mood to participate. The first afternoon, we fished the Broad River Bay, managing only to catch numerous ladyfish and jacks. They were great fun, but as darkness set in, we worked our way back to the camp for a evening of great outdoor cooking, brown liquor, and toasty fire side stories.
Early he next morning, we departed camp with three boats heading in different directions in hopes of locating the fish. I teamed up with Rodney and his two sons, and we chose the Broad River Inlet as our destination. Our plan was to work the inlet with artificial baits, and to wade the oyster bars at low tide. When the tide switched, we planed on fishing chunks of ladyfish for snook, redfish, and sharks. All of which Rodney experienced good success with on previous trips. Again we caught tons of ladyfish, jacks, and we had several large fish cut us off, presumably sharks. The highlight of the day was a 25-inch snook caught by Rodney’s son Jake on a chunk of ladyfish. We fished hard all day, and returning to camp for another evening of outdoor living. The most amazing observation of the day was, other than our group, we only encountered one boat the whole day. For whatever reason, the bite was off, and all we could do was fish hard and hope for the best. On our return trip, we did stop and hammer the ladyfish one more time. All you had to do was simply drop your bait over the side, and watch the fish fight over it.
The next morning we returned to the Broad River Inlet, receiving similar results. We experienced several blow-ups from large fish on top water, but they weren’t the explosive strikes you expect from Mr. Lineside. Around 10am, we returned to camp for breakfast, and began to strike camp for our move to the Willy Willy campsite in the area of Lostman’s Bay.
Tommy’s plan originally was to spend the entire trip at Willy Willy, but we were forced to camp in a different location to accommodate a group of paddlers on a float trip through the Glades. It was a lot of work, striking camp and moving, but it was good to see a different site, and it added to the adventure.
The remainder of our trip was spent working the area around Lostman’s River Inlet. We experienced similar results as the previous days, with the exception of one slot size redfish taken on a Cody jig, and cooked for supper along with some large roe mullet. Again the ladyfish and jacks were everywhere, but the snook and redfish bite was non-existent. As a guide, I know fishing is not an exact science, and regardless of their environs, fishing is fishing, catching is catching, and they both are fun.
In closing, I would like to express a word of advice. If you plan on a visit to this region to either camp or fish, do your homework. There are no Circle K’s, no phones, or gas stations. The location is as magnificent as they come, and it’s definitely worth the trouble, but be prepared for adventure. If you would like more information on what the Everglades has to offer, go to www.nps.gov
As always, if you have questions or need information, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
[email protected]
407-366-8085
866-790-8081 toll free
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