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Central Florida Fishing Report
Tampa Bay To Sarasota Hello from Anna Maria.
It’s been a slow consistent warm-up in these parts but the water temperature is down for this time of year. I have been having some great fishing action. Redfish don’t mind the cool water temp one bit, they range as far north has Virginia so a water temp of 59 degrees is mild to them. Redfish remain as my primary target as they always do in cooler water temps. They have been very consistent from day to day guaranteeing action on good fish from 16 to 33 inches. We have been getting plenty of slot fish in the 18 to 27 inch class for the box and almost every day Reds over 30 inches. Some of the better days we have been landing as many as 25 per trip, some are smaller but it’s those big bull Redfish that make the trip. Nothing like a 32 inch Redfish on 10 pound test, it’s a great fight and a lot of fun.
The Sheepshead have been in full spawn and really thick. Every place we are catching Reds we are catching nice size Sheepies. A lot of Sheepshead are full grown 4, 5 and even 6 pounders. They are a fun mix with Redfish and as far as I’m concerned one of the best fish you can eat. I had some fish tacos a few days ago made with Sheepshead, it was the best taco I think I have ever had.
Trout are biting too. I haven’t been targeting them too much because I have been spending most of the day chasing Reds, but the Trout we are catching are nice ones with a lot in the 17 to 20 inch class. Trout are another tasty fillet for the box if you want some fish to eat.
Black Drum have also been biting in Tampa Bay. We have not been catching as many as I had been when the water was super cold, but we are still getting a few mixed in.
Flounder have been a little added bonus each and every day as well.
The water is warming everyday and the long range forecast is showing warmer and warmer days up to 75 this week. The days are getting longer and longer as well. So it’s inevitable the water temps will be getting into the 70s and Snook fishing will start. That has been the big question lately, it might be this weekend or it might be the following week, but it will be soon.
Well that’s what I have going on now. Fishing’s good and should only get better. I have a few days open for March. April should be an awesome month. I think the spring will be crazy when it gets here, inshore and offshore. Also if you are thinking about a Tarpon charter remember peek season is May through about the 3rd week of July. I still have a few dates available.
I hope you have enjoyed my report. Good luck fishing.
Captain Matt Ercoli
800-521-2872 or 941-447-9888 cell
www.captainmatt.com
And check out the videos on my new site: www.TampaFishing.me
Hernando County Well I think Old Man Winter is just about over with. Hopefully we got just a few weeks of this nasty cold rainy weather left. And once it is over, the Gulf of Mexico will heat up quickly, both water temperature and the fishing. Trout have been the targeted species now that the season is open again, you can keep 5 Trout per person and the slot size is 15-20 inches. I have been catching the Trout in the creeks and coves with a water depth of 2-6 feet. I had trips Monday and Tuesday and Berkley Gulp jerkbaits have caught the biggest Trout and shrimp will work great for bait. The Redfish are very spooky right now, so a long cast is crucial the bait of choice is shrimp or fresh Mullet when I say fresh, I mean not the frozen stuff. You need to cast net them. I would use a 2/0 circle hook and 15-20 leader the Reds are 21-30 plus inches. Look for jumping Mullet and nervous water for the Reds. As soon as the cold is over and the nighttime temperatures start to get warmer. the fishing is going to be GREAT! The Baitfish will move back in and right behind are the predator fish, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Sharks, and then the BIG BAD TARPON. I cant wait, so give me a call and book your self a great fishing adventure.
Tight Lines and Calm Seas,
Captain Josh Fritz
Chase N' Tails Fishing Charters
www.chasentailsfishingcharters.webs.com
727-856-2326
352-345-9304
Tampa Bay With the recent arrival of warmer weather conditions, Baitfish will soon invade Tampa Bay. The pelagics will be hot on their heels, and the Mac attack will be in full force.
St. Patty's Day usually marks the arrival of King and Spanish Mackerel. Down South, commercial fishermen have experienced an awesome year for Kingfish. Captain Jonnie Brown of Naples fished the Isle of Capri this year and reported filling his 1250lb quota daily hand lining schooly Kings in the 10-20lb range. These fish will be heading our way following schools of Baitfish up the gulf.
Fish the edges of large pods of Sardines, Glass Minnows, Ballyhoo. Black-outs on your fish-finder will help you to locate fish at deeper depths. Trolling a wire rig or floating balloons will produce good results. A light drag and a lot of line is what you will need to land these smokers.
So, get out there and Get-R-Done or give me call and I'll show you how. "Fishing Like a Pro" with EUPRO! Till next time, have a safe and quality day on the water.
Captain Sean Hagen
Shamrock Charters
www.fishingwithshamrock.com
Lake Holden (again) Well, there I was working on the bosses boat and couldn't help but notice the activity of the bass. The water is definitely warming up as that activity I mentioned sucked the boat off-land and I found that the lake is running between 60 degrees and 64 degrees in waters 3-6 feet. The biggest temp change seemed to be beyond the six feet mark where the temperature dropped to a definite 58-61 degrees. I believe our fish activity will see a much greater increase of the bass chasing my fish candy than they did yesterday. I will keep you posted.
p.s. We got a couple of small 1 pounders, but I didn't really want to talk about that. The big guys'll be back soon... I hope.
Lake Toho Bass Fishing The first week of March has some good Bass fishing on Lake Toho. With our trips being of mixed nature, some with live wild Shiners and some with artificial baits, this body of water has not let us down. Lake Toho has been fishing great this year. Many may think when a cold front hits, you need to switch to wild Shiners in order to catch Bass, but we have done very good using artificial baits to consistently catch the Bass out here. Beds have popped up all over the place out here, in waters from under a foot deep to 5 foot deep. For the most part, the Bass we have spotted around them have been cruising around. Gobblets Cove, Friars Cove and Whaley’s Landing area have been some good hot spots for us. Baits of choice have been 7 and 10 inch worms, steel shads and one ounce spinner baits. Water temperatures have been running from mid to upper 50’s, but with the warming trend we are looking at for the second week of March the waters should be hitting mid 60’s easily. This will trigger some great Bass fishing action and make for yet another very productive week out here.
Capt. Tim Fey
321-303-9207
Laketohoguides.com
Butler Chain Bass Fishing The first week of March has some good Bass fishing on Butler Chain. This great body of water fishes very good when the waters are cold like they are. Water temperatures have been starting the day out in the mid 50’s and warming to almost 60’s degrees by days end. The main lakes we have been working out here have been lakes Butler, Pocket and Tibet and with some great success. Bass beds have popped up all over the place out here, and a key to catching Bass for us has been to toss out baits in those general areas. Although we have not seen the females or the bucks on these beds, they have been in the general area, and have taken our baits, with some very nice Bass being caught.
We are currently looking at a very nice warming trend for the second week of March, with air temperatures reaching into the upper 70’s, something we have not seen since early January! Definitely one of the coldest winters on record for Florida, but the Bass have continued to play well for us. Be sure to check out my web site, as I am now selling Deep South Fishing Rods. My clients have been using these rods and love them.
Capt. Tim Fey
321-303-9207
Bassfishingfl.com
Daytona/Orlando/MosquitoLagoon We have been catching Redfish, Seatrout, and Sheepshead on many charters the last few weeks. Water and air temperatures have remained colder than normal for February. On the flats of Mosquito Lagoon the Redfish are in their winter schools and have gotten used to the cold water temps of upper 40’s to low 50’s F’. We are catching Reds and Seatrout on select size shrimp, live mud minnows and finger Mullet. Backcountry trips are targeting Sheepshead in the deeper holes and drop-offs, our mixed bag fishing with many more species of saltwater game fish will return soon as the water will be warming with the arrival of spring in East Central Florida. Pictured are clients Fernando with his Redfish and Gene with a Seatrout.
Capt. Michael Savedow
Edgewater River Guide, Inc.
386-689-3781
EdgewaterRiverGuide@cfl.rr.com
www.EdgewaterRiverGuide.com
I offer Mosquito Lagoon Flats Fishing trips for Redfish and Seatrout, for the novice or experienced angler alike. I also offer Indian River Backcountry Fishing trips, that is mixed bag fishing for Seatrout, Redfish, Black Drum, Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish, and more. On the average Backcountry trip we catch between 10 and 15 (or more) different species of saltwater fish. This type of trip can be extremely entertaining for beginners or experienced anglers. My boat accommodates from 1 to 4 anglers. Located close to DAYTONA BEACH, NEW SMYRNA BEACH and ORLANDO. Feel free to contact me at any time with questions you may have about my fishing charters.
CHILDREN ALWAYS WELCOME – FAIR PRICES
South Indian River Fishing Report This ol' boy is sure tired of all the cold and windy weather this winter. I would love to enjoy a few days in the 80's! We have managed a few days out on the water this week. The rest of the week has been blown out and cold. Mother Nature just doesn't want to let Spring arrive on the Treasure Coast. Fishing has been great in spite of all these conditions.
Dennis McNeer and son, Garth, were out with me on a very windy day. The guys caught loads of Sheepshead and Jacks from under the docks. It was just too windy to try anywhere else that day. Paul Hannum and 7 year old son, Jack, were out with me on one of the few beautiful days lately. Jack enjoyed his birthday present and caught more fish than he could keep count of. After lots of Jacks and Sheepshead, we headed up on the flats to look for a few Redfish. We were rewarded with a school of about 25 - 30 Redfish. Jacks first cast ended up with his very first Redfish....a fat 28" beauty. He caught three more in short order while dad caught one as well. It was a great week of fishing!
Trout are still hitting DOA CAL jerk baits and shad tails. You can also get them to his slow sinking hard baits. Redfish are a little nervous in the shallows, but if you keep a stealthy mode and keep your distance you can find some great action in a couple feet of water. DOA shrimp and CAL grub tails work great this time of year. Live shrimp around the docks can keep the Jacks and Sheepshead hitting for hours. The river is still loaded with them right now.
Bridges have been steady with Sheepshead and a few Black Drum. The Bluefish are all over the river, especially in the inlet areas. Shiny lures can get them hungry. Tackle shops are selling out of silver spoons this time of year. Mackerel are around the jetties and along the beach. Pompano are scattered in the river and along the surf. It a fantastic time of year in the river as long as the winds allow you to get to some of the hot spots. Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island have all been good along with the many docks around the river. We should have a nice weekend to get out fishing.
Tip of the Week:
Don't forget to use plenty of sunscreen this time of year. Not only can the sun give you a good burn, but the winds can add to the problem. It takes just a minute or two to protect yourself from the suns rays. Lots and lots of brands out there, but get one that is waterproof and a good SPF rating. A little TLC can save yourself from skin problems down the road. Keep safe out there!
Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!
Good Fishing & Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852
Mosquito Lagoon - New Smyrna Beach, Florida The fishing on the Mosquito Lagoon these last few weeks has been good. If you get out between these winter time cold fronts, the Redfish have been cooperating quite nicely. Florida’s weather has continued to be some of the strangest I can remember, but large schools of Redfish have been found all over the Indian River system this month. Black Drum also continue to make their presence known tailing happily most days.
My last week of trips have been spent in the Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach backcountry. Driving North winds have not allowed for much fishing the vast open flats of the middle lagoon, whereas these areas in the North end offer some protection behind the expanse of mangroves islands and oyster bars. Schools of Redfish will congregate in these areas throughout the winter seeking refuge from the cold.
Chuck from Garmin GPS in Missouri joined me for a few days of Redfishing and caught several nice ones fishing with soft plastics such as GULP Alive crabs and the live shrimp. If you choose to fish plastics or any artificial for that matter this week, be sure to slow down your presentations in colder weather. Mark and Larry from Ocala also did well using these same tactics with schools of large Redfish on Monday.
The fly fishing has been good also these past few weeks. Accurate presentations and smaller patterns will still be the most productive. The most productive fly of this week the Kwan and Dupree Spoon. Lionel from CT caught his first Redfish on fly this week! Congrats and nice job. All fish caught were photographed and released to fight again!
Captain Mike Bales
352-255-8175
mikeluvs2guide@yahoo.com
www.hotfishcharters.com
Mosquito Lagoon The weather here in central Florida has been mostly cold and unpredictable but the flats fishing has been consistently good. Redfish and Black Drum have been abundant with most of the fish being found in schools of 25-200 fish. They have been willing to eat a variety of well placed small soft plastics and flies. Both the Reds and Drum have been feeding in very shallow water and have been extremely spooky. The fish must be approached slowly and quietly with your casts landing at least ten feet away from them.
On trips during the latter part of February, clients had shots at hundreds of Redfish and drum per day. The catching usually depended on the number of accurate casts that were made.
Minnesota residents Jamie and Mike fished Mosquito Lagoon on a cold but sunny day last week. They had shots at schools of Redfish throughout the day from 5-30 pounds. A three inch DOA CAL in golden bream color on a 1/8 ounce jighead was the most effective bait and was responsible for at least one double hookup.
![]("http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/sitebuilder/images/feb2610redfish-465x307.jpg")
The following day, the weather took a turn for the worse due to an approaching cold front. Tim and his son Alex decided to give it a try anyway, hoping to beat the worst of the weather. With solid cloud cover, spotting the fish was the biggest challenge and we ran over many of them before we saw them. Eleven year old Alex did catch his first Redfish before we elected to get out of the cold and rain.
![]("http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/sitebuilder/images/feb2710red-465x307.jpg")
Monday was the only day of good weather this week. The Redfish were still plentiful and the three inch CAL was eaten on the first cast of the day. I got to try several new crab flies I had tied and found the Reds happy to eat them as well.
![]("http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/sitebuilder/images/march0110redfish-465x307.jpg")
If the forecast holds true, next week will bring temperatures above 70 every day. If the winds cooperate as well, it should be an excellent week of sight fishing the flats. Small baits like the DOA shrimp and CAL along with crab and shrimp flies will continue to work well.
Capt. Chris Myers
Orlando Fishing Guide
Hernando Beach Gulf Grouper Deep Sea Fishing Plenty of Sea Bass and Grunts are being caught on a regular basis. It's fun to catch Grunts and release big Grouper. Constant action all-day on nearby reef that are teaming with Grunt and Black Sea Bass. Any bait will work, it is the easiest form of fishing in the gulf of Mexico.
Forecast:
We are really looking forward to more of the same through the month of March. We will continue to catch and release Gag and Red Grouper until 1 April 2010. Amberjacks are way off shore and the season is open for these fun fish. One Amberjack per angler.
Sea You on the water
Captain Rick Rodriguez
Full-time Captain and Grouper Fishing Specialist!
727-992-9494
Charter Boat Gulf Grouper
www.gulfgrouper.com
Lake Toho And Butler Chain My guided bass fishing trips during February had me mixing up the trips between both the Butler Chain of Lakes and Lake Toho. We have experienced unseasonably colder days than normal here in the past month.
Both fisheries are good for numbers and size, with the Butler Chain tending to be more consistent on the colder days. Most productive technique for my customers here has been trolling medium to large wild shiners over deeper vegetation. Each day has produced anywhere from 8-20 bass ranging in size from 2-6 pounds.
Lake Toho has produced best on warmer days. In the past week my customers have begun to catch more fish eight pounds or better and I am anticipating that to continue as the weather warms in March.
Captain Randy Yager
www.guidedbasstrips.com
Tampa Bay Ft. Desoto Monday’s trip was ushered in by slick calm conditions. What a pleasure to see the Tampa Bay area look more like Florida than the frozen tundra it’s been this winter. The run to Ft. Desoto to pick up my clients Walter and Megan was smooth and mild.
With the water still chilly at 57 degrees I headed to deeper waters that scored big time on Sunday. Fishing live shrimp in 10’ off a grass flat I was confident my anglers would be on the trout quickly. One hit after 15 minutes was not an auspicious start. Plan B run to the canal that was loaded with trout last week. Walter took one trout in 20 minutes. About this time Captain Steven can best be described as stinking up the place!
The water was murky with wind swept sediment from yesterday’s brisk North winds so I changed gears and ran to cleaner water. Trout are notorious for seeking clean water, a good tip when searching for trout.
Finally we got the party started with trout to 16” and many Ladyfish. Megan was the Ladyfish slayer catching numerous large fish several even pulled drag. About this time a pelican came out of nowhere trying to eat Megan’s Ladyfish. It was all we could do to keep this pelican away! He would not leave us alone, the pelican even road on the stern to our next stop!
One of the best part of being a charter Captain is the great people I meet. Walter and Megan were truly a pleasure, I was enjoying the company so much I ran past the 4 hours we had planned.
Captain Steven
Lake Kissimmee With February weather all month below normal and water temperatures rising and falling between 52-62 degrees so was the fishing. No reel spawn yet so Shiner fishing dominating the big fish bite and artificial bite getting more numbers. Lake Toho was tough but we managed to catch 3 fish over 10 lbs. Lake walk in Water produced the larger fish one over 12 lbs. Kissimmee we got one 11.5lbs. When we could fish Kissimmee in good weather we would catch 25 or so on artificial. Sinkos and shallow running crank baits produced best with Carolina rigs sometime working on the outside when the fish would back off from the beds.
Great Fishing!
Capt Pete Matson
A#1 Bass Guide Service
www.a1bassguideservice.com
800-707-5463
Port Canaveral Offshore With a narrow window of fair offshore, we headed out for a day of bottom fishing at Pelican Flats. Our guest today were Tom, who moved to Florida when he retired, to fish, and his friend Johnny from
Missouri, who was down with his wife on vacation. Johnny had never been on the ocean before, so it was a first. What made it really interesting is that Johnny lost his sight in an industrial accident a couple years ago. Having lived through a life threatening accident, Johnny is now taking another challange. Being on the water without being able to anticipate the wave action is certainly a challange. At the days end, he was glad to be back on solid ground, but also glad he tried something he had never done before.
The fishing. Basically, it was Tom who was doing all the fishing. I helped out in filling his icebox, and playing with the Red Snapper a bit. The day was nice, and 3-4' sea's in the morning continued to calm as the day progressed. By the time we came back to port it was 1-2' sea's, making a nice smooth 45mph ride. The abundance of Triggerfish that we had seen on recent trips was a little down, but we still caught a handful. The Sea Bass were plentiful as always, and on the heftier side. The largest Sea Bass we caught was 17". The Red Snapper were as usual, not depleted, not rare. We caught a half dozen, with the largest measuring 30". All but one was over the 20" size. A single Lane Snapper was caught. We headed in early to clean the catch and boat.
While out, we heard the VHF call to the USCG about an overturned boat in Sebastain. The call was that people were in the water, and one was unaccounted for. All were recovered, but one was under water a while, and ressusitation was taking place as they were recovered and being transported. The day before at Port Canaveral, a cruiser ended up on the rocks, way up on the rocks. Fortunately, there were not reports of injuries in this crash, but that could easily have been different. With the overwhelming majority of boating "accidents", being no accident, but operator error, you have to wonder if people will ever learn that driving a boat has as many risks as driving a car, except that the 'roadway' does not move on you like the water, and getting a "puncture" on a car means pulling over to change a tire, but on a boat may mean 'SINKING'! Horesplay and 'hotdogging it' have no more place on the water than in a car. The results can be tragically similar.
Rough sea's till the weekend, but then a few more nice days to fill the coolers.
Captain Henry
"Wile E. Coyote"
ACME Ventures Fishing
www.ACME-Ventures-Fishing.com
Angry Fish Gods Let's start by saying someone has made the fish gods angry due to the weather we have been handed this winter. But with the start of March hopefully brings better weather. We had the start of the IFA Tournament Trail out of Jacksonville this past Saturday, unfortunately the weather was not the best for the guys but I did receive some reports of 7lb fish being weighed, and that's great. With the water being as low as it is in the lagoon it has forced the Redfish into there winter time schools. The water temp is still in the 50's so no need to be on the water until the sun gets high in the sky to warm the flats a little. This time of year is great for those who love too sleep in. The Trout bite is still holding strong focus on deep edges with a slow retrieve of either soft plastic or diving plug. Small shrimp imitation or live shrimp with a split shot presented slowly will produce the Redfish bite. Remember this time of year if you think you are fishing to slow then slow it down another notch they are not going to be aggressive but they will eat. I need to thank my friend Steve Chapman for the invite on the BooDreaux's BoonDocques Fishing Show. I had a great time talking fishing and promoting my great sponsors.
Thanks
Captain Patrick Rood
spotntailcharters.com
386-566-1394
Large Trout Bite Big Trout made for a special Sunday. Lower Tampa Bay is not known for large gator Trout like the spoil islands North of Clearwater or the Indian River area on Florida’s east coast. So catching numerous Trout over 20” is a good day. My secret Trout hole appears not so secret as 2 boats were anchored and catching nice Trout upon my arrival. Live shrimp on a 1/8oz jig head or soft plastic jigs took numerous Trout in the 16-21” range with 2 larger fish (23-24”) lost boat side.
I was surprised today to find Trout in shallow water 3-5’. The water temperature was chilly at 57 so I would have thought they would be staged in 8-10’. We also found small Trout 12-14” on 2 stops, working DOA deadly combo over turtle grass scored over and over again. At times the Trout would hit the jig just sitting there! All very positive signs as we move towards spring.
Today’s key was locating clear water; recent winds have numerous flats looking milky and cloudy. Stay away from these areas until the sediment settles.
With very light winds forecasted for Monday I am optimistic I may be able to locate the school of large Black Drum for my clients. The tell tale push of water is easy to spot on calm days.
Captain Steven
On The Mark Charters
727-252-9824
www.onthemarkcharters.com
Mosquito Lagoon - Indian River Lagoon - Cocoa Beach - Orlando Fishing Report Spring is almost in the air and the fishing is heating up on the Space Coast. With water temps on the rise and the spring bait run is about to kick off. Anglers fishing this month can look forward to the return of big schools of "bull" Redfish on the flat's of Mosquito Lagoon. These fish start to school up this month as they make thier way from the deeper water they were they have been laid up in during the colder months. As they roam the shallow water flat's anglers will have the opportunity to sight cast to tailing Redfish in the 20-40 pound range in a foot of water. As the bait becomes thicker inside the Mosquito Lagoon top water plugs work for these giants of the flats. If your lucky enough to hook into one, you'll understand why flats fishing is so addicting. Trophy sized Sea Trout will be mixed in with them as well. Don't be surprised if you cast into a school of Redfish, and hook into a Gator Sea Trout. Both the Redfish and Sea Trout will follow the pods of finger Mullet and Pinfish in search of a meal.
Pompano and Snook are still lurking on the drop offs of the Indian River Lagoon. The heavy winds we encounter during the winter time are passing, and we are starting to see those light south winds that we love so much again. Snook fishing should also fire up this month in the Indian River Lagoon. Snook fishing is still catch and release until later this year. We should see a small wave of small Tarpon later this month also move onto the flats and rivers. These fish should range from 10-30 pounds, and a blast on light tackle. As the temps rise during the day night fishing for big Snook is promising this month. Snook by nature feed at night. For the anglers looking to plug the mangroves in the back water for Snook, Redfish, and Trout, this is your month. Spring and summer months book fast so book your spot today!
Captain Shawn Williams
www.CocoaBeach-Fishing.com
redzonecharters@aol.com
321-474-9692
Tampa Bay Updates Captain Steven sounds more and more like a broken record these days. Good news we did get some decent weather last Saturday through Tuesday. Overall the weather and water temperatures are screaming mid January when March is at our door step.
Spotted Sea Trout have been the fish of choice at On The Mark Charters the last month. For the most part I have worked Lower Tampa Bay, Pinellas Point, Ft. Desoto and Tierra Verde. I have purposely shied away from the eastern shoreline from the Apollo Beach power plant south to the Skyway Bridge. As the winds abate and water temperatures settle into more normal ranges I will include the Little Manatee River, Bishops Harbor, and Little Coachroach back into my trips.
Personally I can’t wait to start throwing the cast net again and hunting Snook. Meantime I continue to score with the feisty Trout. I have been targeting Trout in 6-12’, then as the water warms in the afternoon I move to shallower grass flats 4-6’.
I did get a report from Captain Jim Fesperman of Hook Setting Charters who took Redfish on the flats Wednesday while tossing shrimp. Jim’s clients also scored on sheepshead and Trout on a mixture of shrimp and plastic jigs. The Redfish while not large were a good sign.
I ran a late afternoon trip strictly artificials and took 20+ Trout in several hours. We made only 3 stops all held fish. Same tactics DOA CAL 4” silver glitter jerk baits on 1/8 oz Mission jig heads. Slowly bounce the jig along the bottom it’s that simple. Most hits will occur as the jig falls, a light hook set and you are on you way to fun.
Look deep and slow everything down.
Captain Steven
On The Mark Charters
727-252-9824
www.onthemarkcharters.com
East Central Florida Fishing Outlook March Fishing Outlook
Reflecting back on my past years here on the Space Coast, I can't remember a colder winter and as I sit here composing the forecast another cold front is passing through Central Florida. Although it's been a challenging winter for anglers, March is around the corner and with warmer weather comes improved fishing on all fronts along the Lagoon Coast.
As the days grow longer and the ocean begins its continuing warming phase, 68 to 72 degree range, the spring fishing bonanza on the Indian Lagoon Coast kicks in. As usual, weather will serve as the determining factor in establishing the magnitude and progression of the bite and the predator species we love to catch.
Water temperature increases will facilitate the progression of bait pods (Menhaden or Pogies) from the deeper water into the near-shore waters bringing the predators with them. Sea conditions will determine the number of fishable days we'll experience in March. This is especially true for those of us who target deep-water species in shallow water boats. Good reports of Cobia are starting to come in from offshore of Stuart. These fish should be moving into our area shortly, and both the bait pods and Cobia will be showing up soon on the near-shore wrecks and reefs outside Port Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet.
Other near-shore options in March consist of Tripletail hanging on floating structure and weeds and large Redfish and Sharks shadowing bait pods along the beaches and inlets around mid month. When site fishing for Cobia and Tripletail, consider fishing in the latter part of the day when the sun is high as the water is warmer and visibility is better. Also, always keep a chartreuse colored buck tail in the ready position to cast at any brown clowns that wonder into range.
As the water warms up and the Silver Mullet returns to the inshore lagoon flats, look for Redfish schools to continue to form up in the skinny water. For the slot Redfish, 18 to 27 inches, focus on areas of flipping and jumping baitfish (Mullet) in water depths of 12 to 18 inches. For the larger Redfish, concentrate your efforts along deeper edges of the flats and sandbars in 2 to 3 feet of water. Also, Sea Trout will continue to hold in the skinny water potholes, and the top-water Sea Trout bite will improve as the warmer water draws finger Mullet back onto the central IRL flats. Additionally, schools of Black Drum will continue to inhabit the shallow water flats of the Mosquito Lagoon, North IRL, and particularly the sandbars in the Banana River No-Motor-Zone.
Last but not least, the American Shad run is developing on the upper St John's River between the areas of Lake Harney and the SR 50 Bridge, but this years run has been slow thus far. Also, March is the month to start targeting schooling Largemouth Bass in the deeper bends of the river at first light feeding on schools of baitfish (Menhaden). The indicator I use to locate these schooling Bass is to look for large numbers of white pelicans, herons, and egrets working the banks. Once you've located the schooling fish, try throwing a rattle-trap or other small subsurface swim bait. Water levels are higher this spring on the St. Johns River, so please be careful when navigating the river and creeks as the water is above the banks in some areas.
Spring is one of the best times to fish the Indian River Lagoon coast of Florida. So if you are planning to visit the area, make sure you book your hotel and fishing guide early. Also, when the bite is on, the ramps fill up quickly, so arrive early, and are polite and considerate with other anglers, because we are all on the water for the same reasons, to have fun.
Up Coming Events
March 7th, Paddle Fishing the Banana River Lagoon No-Motor Zone, Central Florida Boat Show, 2 pm at the Orange County Convention Center.
March 27th, Free Cobia and Tripletail Seminar from 10 am to noon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida, 170 South Washington Avenue. For more details visit www.mosquitocreek.com/fishing.
April 24th, Free Hook Kids on Fishing Seminar from 10 am to noon at the Apopka Foliage Festival. After completing the five learning stations, each child will receive a free fishing rod, reel and tackle box. To register your children, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida at 170 South Washington Avenue or contact them at (407) 464-2000.
April 25th, Free Certified Conservation Angler Seminar from 10 am to noon at the Apopka Foliage Festival. Learn from the Coastal Angler Magazine Pro Tour and Anglers for Conservation how to lighten your footprint while enjoying the sport of fishing. Take the pledge to but the resource first. To register visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida at 170 South Washington Avenue or contact them at (407) 464-2000.
As always, if you have any questions or need help, please contact me.
Good luck and good fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
captain@irl-fishing.com
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water
Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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