By Captain Tom Van Horn
First and foremost, on November 28th, Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando presents the CAM Orlando Fishing, Boating and Outdoor Fall Festival to be held at the Barn in Sanford. The event features food, music, retail booths, seminars by leading local fishing experts, games, boat displays and much more, and the event is a fund raiser for our Hook Kids On Fishing Program. So far, over 40 venders have signed up, including Pure Fishing, Pen Reels, Dealers Choice Boats, and BMC Boats.
As water temperatures drop into the seventies along the beach and offshore, falling water temperatures will increase the feeding activity of larger species. Shorter days, northeast swells, cooler waters, all serve 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 near-shore and offshore. When you find weeds and other debris, look for Tripletail to be hanging just below the floating structure. DOA 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 and an occasional Sailfish or Blackfin 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 Southern Flounder and oversized Redfish have begun to show up on the Port Canaveral buoy line and in the inlets of Ponce De Leon and Sebastian, and their numbers will increase as the Flounder begin their seaward migration out of the lagoon. Also, let's not forget the influx of Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, and Blacktip Sharks shadowing schools of finger Mullet and Glass Minnows along the beach.
On the inside, look for 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 various locations within the Lagoon. Also look for large schools of Ladyfish, Jacks, Spanish Mackerel, and Seatrout to be feeding on the migrating schools of Glass Minnows as they move south through the Lagoon.
Sight fishing this past month for Redfish has was tough due to higher water levels and tons of finger Mullet, but water levels have begun to drop and the arrival of cold air and cooling water will Redfish schooling up again, and the large Seatrout showing up on the skinny flats. Additionally, a good numbers of quality Black Drum and some Gag Grouper will begin to occupy the deeper channels of the ICW and areas around bridges and power structures throughout the lagoon.
Last but not least, the tailing Black Drum and Redfish have shown up early on the flats of the Banana River No-Motor Zone. If you have never experienced Black Drum tailing in a foot of water, it is worth the long paddle. When targeting Black Drum in the zone, concentrate your efforts on the deeper side on the sandbars that parallel the west shore and the submerged sand bars in the center of the Zone. When you locate tailing Black Drum and Redfish, try throwing crab or shrimp imitation artificial baits like the DOA Shrimp or a black Clouser fly, and chunks of blue crab or live shrimp work well for natural baits.
On November 7th there's another free seminar Introduction to Saltwater Flats Fishing Series, Class 7 of 8, "Paddle Fishing Tactics" 10 am - 12 noon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S Washington Avenue in Apopka. Instructors are Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn. For more details or directions, contact Mosquito Creek Outdoors at (407) 464- 2000 or visit their website www.mosquitocreek.com/fishing.
Also, be sure to check out the new Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando in print and online for free at www.coastalanglermagazine.com.
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
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