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Indian River Lagoon
Capt. Tom Van Horn
September 28, 2003
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, October, 2003
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
Shorter days and cooler nights are sure signs fall is in the air on the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida. Another sure sign is the waves of baitfish working their way south through the lagoon and along the beaches. Currently we are in the middle of an extremely heavy fall bait run consisting of hordes of black and silver mullet, greenies, and pogies. These yummy little baitfish create a smorgasbord for a large array of hungry predators looking to fatten up for the winter. October and November are notorious for blustery breezes and nasty weather, but they’re also one of the best time of year for fishing on the Lagoon coast, so pick your days, hit the water, and catch-um-up.
Weather permitting, near-shore opportunities are the best you will see all year. Along the beaches, target areas of concentrated bait schools for a mixed bag of snook, tarpon, smoker kingfish, cobia, jack crevalle, oversized redfish, and sharks. Also look for schools of glass minnows to begin showing up near the latter part of the month bringing larger Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and tarpon with them.
In and around the inlets of Ponce, Port Canaveral, and Sebastian look for flounder, snook, jack crevelle, and oversized redfish feeding on migrating baitfish along the jetties and just outside the inlets. Easterly swells, falling tides, and aggressive anglers can make for a sporty situation when operating in these inlets, so pay attention, be patient, and enjoy the rewards.
In the north Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons, higher water levels will allow anglers to venture into areas that were inaccessible during the summer. Look for slot redfish in close to grassy edges along the shoreline shadowing pods of finger mullet and the larger reds staging in deeper water ambush sites where migrating fingers are forced to venture out away from the safety of the shallow flats. In deeper water, look for ladyfish and trout feeding on schools of glass minnows. These schools are easily located by watching for bird and fish activity. When fishing conditions are favorable, these schools will produce explosive action on top water plugs and popping flies. Another productive method is to target these fish with Rip-tide’s new realistic shrimp on a ¼ to ½ ounce jig with a Woodie’s Rattle in it.
In closing, I would like to inform everyone of Coastal Angler Magazine’s First Annual Indian River Lagoon Fall Classic Catch-Photograph-Release Tournament to be held at Chowder’s Restaurant in Melbourne on the 24th and 25th of October. With an entry fee of only 35.00, this tournament is open to all anglers regardless of where and how you fish, and the angler’s bags presented to the first 150 anglers registered are worth at least that. This will be a fun event intended to promote the use, not the abuse of the IRL, with proceeds donated to the Marine Resource Council, and it features eight different species of fish. To register, pick up a copy of Coastal Angler Magazine or call CAM at 321-777-2773.
As always, if you need information or have any questions, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
[email protected]
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
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