Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, December 23, 2011
Capt. Tom Van Horn
December 23, 2011
Indian River Lagoon - Saltwater Fishing Report
Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, December 23, 2011
By Captain Tom Van Horn
Upcoming Seminars and Events
Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby Dates
Saturday January 14th, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Crappie Rally and Seminar at Boat Tree Marina at the Port of Sanford.
Thursday January 26th 6:30 - 9:00 PM, Free Shad and Crappie Fly Tying Event at Orlando Outfitters, 2814 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL 32808, phone (407) 896-8220. Visit: www.orlandooutfitters.com. Fly tying instruction and seminar by Capt. Beau Osborne. Learn what you need to catch shad and crappie on fly in the Orlando area and see how easy it is to tie effective fly patterns for both species. These tying techniques can also be used to create your own shad and crappie jigs.
Saturday February 25th, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Shad Rally and Seminar at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp on the St. Johns River and HWY 46 east of Geneva.
Saturday March 17th, Shad and Crappie Derby ends at dusk.
February 11th and 12th, Old Florida Outdoor Festival in Apopka, Florida.
This Weeks Fishing Report
The holiday season and winter have arrived, and more than ever families and friends are gathering to celebrate life and living. It's time to count our many blessings and remember to thank those who sacrifice their time and lives to defend our freedom. It is also time to relax and enjoy life with those within our close circle and there is no better place than the outdoors to do this very thing. The weather has been very warm so far and this weekend shows improvement with winds settling down and temperatures in the 80's, so plan some time on the water and enjoys your time with family and friends.
Currently, the sea state offshore is expected to settle to 3 to 4 feet, so I don't think many folks will be venturing out until the seas settle around the middle of the week. Once conditions improve, look for snapper, grouper, and amberjack to be concentrated on the deeper reefs and wrecks from 120 to 240-feet. Also look for cobia holding on the near-shore wrecks from 90 to 160 feet of water. If trolling is your preference, there are still some dolphin and wahoo possible outside the 120-foot mark with an occasional sailfish mixed in, and plenty of kingfish on near-shore structure.
Along the beaches as the seas settle down, look for pompano, whiting, sheepshead, bluefish and Spanish mackerel off the beach, ocean piers, and in the inlets, with sand fleas, cut clams, and fresh shrimp serving as choice baits. The water temperatures on the flats is warm, so look for slot redfish and sea trout up in the shallows, and small dark colored soft plastics and cut mullet and ladyfish should produce best for them. Also, remember sea trout season is closed until January 1st, so please handle and release them with extreme care.
This past week, I ventured out on the freshwater side, and spent some time on the St. John's River, and although I didn't catch any, I heard of several hickory and American shad being caught. Also, as the new moon settles in look for speckle perch to move in close to structure and shorelines, and schooling bass to be feeding on small surface minnows in the confluences of small sloughs and creeks flowing off of the pastures.
Remember, fishing and boating activity will be at an elevated level this week, so please be kind and courteous to each other and the environment.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity thank all of you who fished and worked with me in 2011, you are all truly a blessing, and I'm looking forward to a glorious 2012.
As always, if you have any questions or need more information, please contact me.
Good luck, good fishing, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year,
Captain Tom Van Horn
[email protected]
http://www.irl-fishing.com
(407) 416-1187
For all of your outdoor needs, visit www.mosquitocreek.com, it's where your adventure begins.
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