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Indian River Lagoon
Capt. Tom Van Horn
July 29, 2004
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, August 2004
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
Doing an accurate fishing forecast for August requires years of experience, a good network of professional charter captains and quality lagoon anglers, and considerable psychic ability. As a lifetime barefoot lagoon angler and professional fishing guide, I’ve got a good start on the experience issue. I’m also blessed with an outstanding network of experienced fishing charter captains and outstanding lagoon anglers who are willing to share their knowledge (remember these are fisherman I’m referring to) with me, so information isn’t a problem either, but my ability to foresee the influences of nature on our fishery is as limited as the forecast of those silly weather reporters on the tube, and this is especially true in August. The information provided within these forecast is facilitated through my personal archives of logged fishing experiences, and the vast knowledge and experiences of those who share information with me.
For the past two weeks, catching off of the Lagoon coast of Florida has been tough. An earlier and colder than normal Labrador Current has moved in with bottom water temperatures on the near-shore reef out of Port Canaveral reported in the 50 degree range. The cooler water is normal for August, but this year, its influence was felt in the second week of July. I hate to say it, but it will most likely take the tropical fetch of a summer squall to push the cold water out, and then we’ll be faced with stirred up sea conditions.
The cooler than normal water temperatures has pretty much shut down the bottom fishing bite out of Port Canaveral, and with average bottom temperatures in the 60’s, finding warmer water is the key to finding fish. Many of the Port Canaveral party boats have been heading south and working bottom structure outside of Sebastian. Additionally, bait concentration in the Port and along the beach are almost nonexistent. Captain Mully of Mully Charters suggest catching live silver mullet out of the Lagoon before heading to the Port. Also, like last year, the colder than normal water temperatures turned out to be a blessing when we experienced a mid season cobia run, and the largest school of giant redfish I’ve ever seen seeking the warmer waters of the inshore shoals off of the Cape.
Along the beach, look for the silver kings (tarpon), smoker kings, blacktip sharks, jack crevalle, and redfish to be shadowing pods of Atlantic menhaden (pogies), thread fin herring (greenies), Spanish sardines, and bay anchovy (glass minnows) in close to the beach. Also look for snook fishing in the surf to improve, as we get closer to the commencement of the fall bait run. Remember snook are out of season, so if you target them, handle and release them with care. In and around the inlets, look for Spanish mackerel, tarpon, jack cervalle, and bonita to be working schools of glass minnows on the outside, and snook, redfish, mangrove snapper, and flounder in the area of jetties and other structure.
Angling on the in-shore lagoons will continue to show improvement, with fishing in the predawn and late evening hours being most productive. Look for schools of redfish in the skinny water holding in the vicinity of bait concentration, and target them utilizing smaller top-water plugs. A stealth approach and presentation is a must to get these fish to eat. Once the sun starts to grow hot, the top-water bite will shut down, and bait becomes your better option. For larger trout, fish live pigfish in close to docks and other structure adjacent to deeper water. In deeper water, look for large schools of ladyfish, small trout, and tarpon pushing schools of glass minnows near the surface. These schools are easy to locate by watching for concentrations of birds, terns and cormorants, joining in on the frenzy, and they are perfect for fly anglers who are interested in the continuous fast and furious action provided by these speedsters. Last but not least, look for pompano schools holding in the shadows of the causeway bridges. Fish jigs tipped with shrimp or sand fleas (mole crabs) along the deeper edges and drop-offs.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who enjoy angling on Florida’s east central coast for your courteous and respectful treatment of the resource, other anglers, and the sport, and as always, if you need information or have questions, please contact me. Also, do not forget the public meeting regarding the draft permit for effluent discharge by the Florida Power and Light Power Plant will be held at the Brevard Public Library in Titusville at 4pm to 8pm on August 18th.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
[email protected]
407-366-8085
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
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