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Indian River Lagoon
Capt. Tom Van Horn
September 14, 2004
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, September 13, 2004
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
Stormy weather placed a damper on fishing along the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida this past month. First, hurricane Charley came to visit us on Friday the 13th of August, followed by Frances who relentlessly hammered the east coast on September 5th, and if these two summer squalls aren’t enough, we’re now faced with the threat of Ivan, who is working his way through the Gulf of Mexico as of this post. These squalls produced considerable damage to the beaches, marinas, tackle shops, docks, and ramps, complicating both life and sports fishing. Additionally, many of the public ramps remain closed, including Port Canaveral, and the lagoon is loaded with floating and submerged debris, so be extra careful when navigating these waters.
On the positive side, the heavy rains have cooled the lagoon waters by about five degrees and it seems to have improved the low dissolved oxygen condition we experienced before the storm. Also, excess water is draining from the mosquito control impoundment into the lagoon, and fishing these discharges has been hot. This past week I had the privilege of fishing with Captain John Kumiski with the intent of working from my canoe, but our plan was detoured when we stopped to check a set of culverts. John worked magic with his is fly rod, managing a fish on almost every cast, as I work a small spinning outfit. Together we caught four different species of fish, and we never put the canoe in the water. Currently, the majority of the dike roads within the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge are closed due to storm damage and washouts, so access from boats or on foot are your best options.
On the beach, steady streams of finger mullet have drawn the snook, redfish and tarpon in close to the beach, and some quality snook were taken between the Cocoa Beach pier and Patrick AFB. Clearly, the mullet run is on, and once the weather settles, the fall fishing season will commence. Now is the time to target predator species ambushing schools of migrating baitfish in the lagoons, inlets, and on the beaches. On the inshore waters, focus on areas were the bait is funneled off of the protected shallow flats into deeper water were the larger fish have easer access. These areas include; points, cannel mouths, edges of dredge holes, and causeway bridge abutments. On the beach, watch for pelicans and terns working nervous mullet schools in close, and toss live fingers into the mix. At the inlets, focus your attention on the jetty points and rocky edges where bait is forced to venture into the deeper water. If you’re interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, don’t hesitate, because before you know it, you will miss some of the best fishing experienced all year.
In closing, Charley destroyed around 40 trees from my homestead in Taintsville, Frances took additional 5, and it appears that Ivan will pass well to the west, so I can hopefully say that I am almost out of the woods now.
As always, if you need more information or have any questions, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
[email protected]
407-366-8085 office
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
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