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Indian River Lagoon
Capt. Tom Van Horn
March 17, 2006
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report
Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, March 17, 2006
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
Clearly spring has arrived on the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida. The trees are full of buds, the azaleas and camellias are finishing their blooms, and just this morning I caught a soothing whiff of sweet orange blossoms drifting across the lagoon on the shoulders of a cool west wind. We are still experiencing the blustery breezes March brings, but in spite of the windy conditions, fishing has been good for the most part.
Since my last report, I have been dividing my time on the water stretched between angling opportunities. The cobia and tripletail run off of the beach has begun, and the redfish, black drum and sea trout on the inshore lagoon are warming up and feeding in the shallows. Spring is always an exciting time to fish in Florida, so after you read this report, take some vacation, call in sick, dust off those rods, and hit the water, no excuses.
Out of Port Canaveral, the cobia and tripletail have been easing in off of the deeper wrecks and reefs, following the warm water and the bait in near-shore. Water temperatures have reached the 70-degree mark in as close as 30 feet of water in some locations, and the pogies and greenies pods have arrived. Out of my two-cobia watching trips this week, we have seen a good number of fish, but getting them to eat and into the boat has been challenging to say the least.
On my first trip, I was honored to join my good friend and offshore angling mentor Scott Bradford aboard the Afternoon Delight, accompanied by Captain John Kumiski and his good friend Jim. We spotted eight cobia, hooked three, and landed zilch. It was a frustrating day, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. On my second cobia watching tour, I joined fellow Captains Ron Presley and Chris Myers aboard Ron’s 22 foot Pathfinder, and although we sighted only seven fish, we managed to put three in the boat, two of which were a good 40-pound cobia and a ten pound tripletail caught by Captain Chris, yum!
On the lagoon, the larger sea trout have been plentiful in the skinny water potholes, but a stealth approach and presentation are required to get them to eat. Once the wind picks up and the clouds move in, sight casting opportunities diminish. Additionally, the redfish schools are forming up, with the slot size fish holding on the super shallow flats. Again, the wind has made sight casting difficult, but blind casting with soft plastics, gold spoons, and spinner baits have been productive ways to locate fish during less favorable conditions. I’ve also noticed schools of mullet returning to the lagoon, so it is time to start thinking about the top water plug bite again.
As always, if you need information or have any questions, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 office
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
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