High Water in Mosquito Lagoon
Capt. Chris Myers
August 31, 2008
Mosquito Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Tropical storm Fay dumped up to 25 inches of rain in parts of east central Florida as it sat on top of us for several days. The water levels in the Mosquito Lagoon rose two feet but have since dropped to over a foot above what they had been. Surprisingly, the water is quite clean in most places. Areas near heavy freshwater runoff can be stained but have been some of the most productive locations. All types of fish are feeding aggressively on the millions of tiny baitfish being flushed into the Lagoon system. Tarpon, snook, ladyfish, redfish, and trout can all be caught in the same location. Small flies, jigs and DOA shrimp have been effective for all the species.
On the flats, the high water means the redfish have plenty of new places to explore. This week, I went into areas I rarely get to venture as they are usually to shallow to access. As I suspected, the fish were spread out and it took a lot of searching t find them.
The storm pushed as lot of mullet into the Lagoon. From huge schools of 8-10 inch mullet to the 3-4 inch variety, they seem to be almost everywhere. We used a 4" DOA CAL in Silver Rush to imitate these small mullet. Reds, trout, and snook all fell for them. The Deadly Combo fished around the mullet schools was also effective on the trout.
A new storm may be headed our way by the end of next week and may add more water to the marshes, creeks, and rivers. Find the areas of running water for your best chances of success.
Target Species:
Redfish, Seatout, Black Drum, Tarpon, Snook
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