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Indian River Lagoon
Capt. Tom Van Horn
October 29, 2004
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, November 2004
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, November 2004
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
It’s hard to fathom the thought of how quickly November has arrived, delivering cooler weather and exceptional fishing to the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida. As I sit here and ponder this forecast, countless memories of November fishing adventures occupy my mind. We are truly blessed to live in a place where angling is a year-round activity, and November prevails as one of the most productive months to fish the IRL Coast.
It’s the season of the mullet, with waves of black and silver mullet working their way south through the lagoon and along the beach. This year the bait run started early, and in some locations finger mullet schools have thinned out, but good reports of heavy bait concentrations to the north indicate that more is yet to come. Along with the seasonal migration of bait come cooler temperatures and an influx of predators seeking warmer waters and an easy meal.
Currently, ocean temperatures are still in the lower 80’s, and once they being to drop, look for an increase in the feeding activity of larger fish. Shorter days, northeast swells, cooler waters, all act as a dinner bell for larger fish preparing for the onset of winter.
As water temperatures cool, look for cobia and tripletail to begin showing up on the Port Canaveral Buoy line and on flotsam, both inshore and offshore. When you find weeds and other debris, look for tripletail to be hanging just below the floating structure. Live shrimp and small jigs tipped with shrimp work well when targeting these brim on steroids. It is also important to keep the sun to your back to improve your range of sight, and to keep a medium heavy rod rigged with a one-ounce chartreuse or white buck tail jig ready to throw to any cruising cobia. Also, look for the fall kingfish run to commence as well as an occasional sailfish or black fin tuna on the near-shore reefs and wrecks like 8A and Pelican Flats.
November is one of the best months to target snook at Sebastian Inlet. In addition, large flounder and oversized redfish should begin to show up on the Port Canaveral buoy line and in the inlets, and their numbers will increase as the flounder begin their seaward migration out of the lagoon. Also, lets not forget the influx of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and black tip sharks shadowing schools of finger mullet and glass minnows along the beach.
On the inside, look for schools of pompano to begin to form up and move off of the lagoon flats thought the inlets, and invade the beach in search of mole crabs (sand fleas) their favorite winter food. Currently, reports of pompano skipping have been coming from anglers working the flats in the north Indian River Lagoon, and the flats on the east shore of the Indian River Lagoon south of Titusville. Also look for large schools of ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and small sea trout to be working the migrating schools of glass minnows as they move south through the lagoon.
Sight fishing for redfish has been tough due to higher water levels and dirty water conditions, but some quality fish are still being taken once clean water is located. Chunking cut bait and live finger mullet should be the most productive in areas of dirty water. Additionally, a good numbers of quality black drum and some gag grouper have been and will continue to occupy the deeper channels of the ICW and areas around bridges and power structures throughout the lagoon.
In closing, I would like to remind everyone to come visit me at Coastal Angler Magazine’s Traveling Lagoon Booth at the New Smyrna Redfish Classic Tournament this weekend.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, or need information,
Please contact me.
Good fishing, and yes we still live in paradise.
Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 office
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
If you would like to be added to Captain Tom’s mailing list, contact him at [email protected].
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