Central Florida Fishing Report

Mosquito Lagoon

Capt Chris M — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:57:32 -0800

The fishing in Mosquito Lagoon was excellent the past week. Redfish, Trout, and Black Drum are all acclimated to the cooler water and are willing to eat well presented baits.

Monday, Lance and his father Zeke had their first experience sight fishing the Mosquito Lagoon. They each caught a couple Redfish up to 37 inches and had some Black Drum that threw the hook.

Shots at tailing and cruising fish were consistent throughout the day.

Wednesday, I fished Mosquito Lagoon with my friend Scott. We found plenty of Black Drum and Redfish.

I used the DOA shrimp in the new FiGi Chix color to fool a few Redfish while Scott had better luck with a 3 inch CAL in Watermelon Seed.

Friday was a sight fisherman's dream on Mosquito Lagoon. Clear skies, light winds, and hundreds of tailing Redfish and drum. At times, we could see 8-10 pods of tailing and finning fish at once. My anglers found their casting skills a bit rusty at first. Once they got them dialed in, however, the fish were willing to eat the DOA shrimp.

Despite some very heavy boat traffic, we found schooling and tailing Redfish at each spot we visited and had a great day on the water.

December can offer some of the best opportunities to cast to tailing Redfish in Mosquito Lagoon. Tailing fish are feeding fish and, for anglers, those are the best kind. The challenge is that tailing fish have a very small field of view while their nose is buried in the grass. Very accurate casts are required to get your lure within inches of the fish. Adding a small rattle to your bait can help get their attention. In addition to the reds and drum, we are seeing increasing numbers of large sea trout on the flats. These masters of camouflage are difficult to spot as they lie still waiting to ambush passing baitfish. A stealthy approach, clear skies, and a good pair of polarized glasses are necessary to spot them.

Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
www.floridafishinglessons.com

Mosquito Lagoon

Captain DREW — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:16:31 -0800

The fishing over the past couple of weeks has turned out to be great. I am seeing quite a few fish all over the Mosquito Lagoon… No particular places, just shallow waters mostly. The fish are cruising banks as the sun comes up to warm themselves and I have been throwing shrimp and cut mullet at them. As always use stealth and a mixture of patience is required.

Trout, and I mean big trout are seen roaming the flats. I was able to have a client the other day sight fish a nice 30+ inch trout 10 feet from the boat with a shrimp in an open sand hole. The trout are very spooky so use extreme stealth with these fish. Do not get upset if you sneak up on one and are not able to land it before they see you...Theu did not get that old by being caught.

Captain Drew Cavanaugh
Light Tackle Fishing Guide
Florida Inshore Fishing Charters
PO BOX 881 • Edgewater, FL 32132
Cell: 352-223-7897
drcfishmaster@cfl.rr.com
www.floridainshorefishingcharters.com

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Outlook

MosquitoCoast — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:31:03 -0800

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, December 2008

By Captain Tom Van Horn

Waking up in my Lazy Boy from my turkey induced Thanksgiving coma, my mind is clouded with thoughts of the holiday season and spending time on the water with family and friends. It’s hard to believe December has already arrived, and the New Year is just around the corner. As I awaken I begin to realize how fortunate we are to live in Central Florida where fishing is a year round sport.

Like the rest of the year, December is a great month to fish along the IRL Coast with excellent opportunities from fishing offshore blue water fishing to slow trolling for shad and speckled perch on the St Johns River. As always, weather fronts will play a significant roll in selecting your time on the water and your desired style of fishing, so it’s often best to ready your boat and equipment keeping an eye on the long range forecast and then taking a day off work and drop everything to go fishing on the gorgeous days.

When the weather is nice and the seas are fishable, solid concentrations of kingfish will be holding on the inshore reefs and wrecks in 60 to 100 feet of water. Several prime locations to target December kingfish are the north end of Pelican Flats and 8A reef out of Port Canaveral. The kingfish bite should remain steady as long as water temperatures stay above 74 degrees. When near-shore waters approach the 70-degree mark, start looking for cobia and tripletail along Port Canaveral buoy line and the shallow waters just off the bight of the Cape. These two species normally hold around floating structure, but they also have a tendency to free swim once the water temperatures warms up in the afternoon.

If the ocean conditions are a bit too rough, good concentrations of breeder redfish will be holding in the inlet passes of Ponce De Leon and Sebastian. Try drifting the passes during the falling tide bouncing live pinfish off the bottom. In the Port Canaveral shipping channel, work the edges of the channel using the same technique. Remember these are oversize redfish, so please step up the size of your tackle to lessen the stress of the fight, and release them with extreme care to be caught again on another day.

Snook fishing will also remain steady around Sebastian Inlet as long as the water temperatures stay warm. It is best to target inlet Snook during periods of slack tide fishing live pigfish, pinfish, or croakers at night in the channel under the A1A Bridge. Snook season ends December 15th, so if you enjoy a Snook dinner once in a while, don’t hesitate. Another notable species worth mentioning when speaking of inlet fishing is flounder. Depending on surf and lagoon temperatures, the flounder migration can stretch into December, with stragglers filtering through the passes all month.

If the winds are westerly, concentrate your efforts along the beach, and look for pompano to begin moving off the inshore flats to the deeper troughs along the beach. Also look for schools of bluefish and Spanish mackerel shadowing pods of glass minnows and other bait is the surf. To target both blues and Spanish, watch for birds working bait pods, and through small jigs like the D.O.A C.A.L. and spoons with a fast retrieval to avoid cutoffs.

Inshore, both redfish and sea trout will remain in the skinny water as long as the water temperatures stay warm. Inshore fishing is best once the sun warms the water a bit, so sleep in and enjoy a good cup of coffee before heading to the ramp. Fish in protected areas and sunny spots, and look for fish to be holding in sand pockets until the sun gets overhead. Also, now is also the time of year to target tailing black drum in the Banana River Lagoon No Motor Zone.

On the upper Saint Johns River look for the American and hickory shad runs to commence near the end of the month, and intensifying in January and February. Shad fishing is one of the most overlooked fisheries in Florida, and a fun fish to catch on both fly and light tackle gear.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who fished and worked with me in 2008 for your business and friendship, and I am looking forward to spending more time on the water with you in 2009. Also, now is the time to purchase your 2009 gift certificates at and receive 50.00 dollars off of the standard rate by either replying to this news letter or calling me, so purchase a charter in advance for yourself or that certain angler close to your heart, and go fishing with them.

As always, if you have any questions or just need information, please contact me.

Happy Holidays, and good luck and good fishing, and God bless,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 office

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report

seaweed — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:10:03 -0800

We had a good day last Friday. The wind was calm and the temperature was just perfect. We anchored up on the first artificial reef just south of New Pass. It was dead low tide and we had non stop fish on for about four hours. We were using live hand picked shrimp, (the larger shrimp of the day) and fished the bottom with a small split-shot. Most of what we caught was bluefish, but we did get a variety of fish. We also caught lots of short grouper, some Spanish Mackerel, Black Sea Bass and two nice Redfish, 26.5” and 24.5”. We had reports of some nice grouper, snapper and king mackerel being caught in deeper offshore water.

After about four hours, we moved into the bay to fish the grass-flats on the east side of the bay. We used DOA shrimp for more fun and to stay away from the pesky pinfish. We caught some large Spanish Mackerel, sea trout and had a number of cut-offs. Then we hooked a fish we could not stop. We chased it for about 500 feet before it through the hook. We got the DOA back, but never saw the fish.

There seemed to be plenty of baitfish by the last marker out of New Pass plus I saw carpets of baitfish on “Lost” reef just east of the Lynn Silvertooth reef. I call it Lost because it is not on the charts.

Enjoy & Protect
Capt. Bob Smith
My Website: www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com

Hernando Beach, Grouper Country

Gulf Grouper — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:43:24 -0800

Charter Boat Gulf Grouper Fishing Report

Hernando Beach
The water temperature dropped so fast that the easy in close Grouper fishing slowed down. Moving off- shore a little to warmer fishing locations made catching Grouper consistent. Little more time running paid off with big Groupers in the box. Larger Northern Mackerel baits made the difference this week. Larger baits stay together longer while the Grunts and other reef fish attack it. Grouper sometimes move slower this time of the year; the larger bait holds up long enough for the Grouper to find and eat it. Small adjustments in bait and depth of water will ensure more consistent catches during sudden changes in water temperature.
Best baits are still Northern Mackerel, Grunt heads, and chunks of Mullet.

Hernando Beach Fishing Forecast: Grouper season is at its peak. There is great fishing now!

Sea ya on the water
Capt Rick Rodriguez
727-992-9494

Trout and snook will be targets throughout the winter. Although trout season will remain closed through December and snook season closes December 15th, lots of anglers will still play catch and release with them. Fishing around bridges, docks and inlets can bring great action with snook hanging around the deeper waters of the river. Using live bait, red tail hawks and bomber lures can help you catch one worth a photo opportunity. Trout will tend to hang around the deeper cuts of the river. Move off to three to six feet of water for trout. Live shrimp on popping corks will work the best for them. I love to work DOA CAL jerk baits this time of year on the flats. You can also find snook and redfish hanging around those areas, too.

Pompano will begin to show up in the river and beaches this month. Spanish Mackerel will continue to hang out in their favorite haunts of the river. Jack Crevalle will be traveling around in packs chasing bait all over the river. Flounder should continue to hit in the inlets and sandy areas of the river. Ladyfish is a great way to spend a few hours with the kids on the water. The bridges will be holding sheepshead, croakers and sand perch for those anglers. Live or dead shrimp is always the best bet from the catwalks.

Redfish were hanging around the flats all last winter and I don't see any reason why you won't find them there this year. The past two years, the redfish population has explodedin our area! Schools of reds have given many anglers a fantastic fishing experience on our saltwater flats. Look for them as the sun warms up the water. You will find small groups at times tailing along the flats. Gold spoons, twitch baits and live bait can entice one into striking. Work your baits slow and remain stealthy to keep from sending them to depths unknown.....

Snook season closes December 15th so you just have a short time to catch that slot fish.

Winter fishing is already here. Change your tactics with the weather and follow the water temperatures more closely to make your fishing more productive. The fishing on our Treasure Coast continues to improve each years. If we all do our share to protect our rivers, we can insure the future generations will enjoy the same experiences we have been blessed with.

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing!

Captain Charlie Conner

While catching a smorgasboard of fish this week, Rich fooled this sheephead with a DOA CAL grub tail.

Lake Monroe

Mikey — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:42:32 -0800

Monday, November 24 The fishing was great. We caught 50 specs in just a few hours trolling with 2" triple threat grubs. The lemon color did the best, but they all did good.

West Lake Toho

Capt Randy DuMars — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:40:00 -0800

Happy Turkey Day.

Bass fishing on Lake Toho has been good the last couple of days. Most fish have been caught in open water hydrilla edges. Schooling Males feeding on shad. Its just a matter of time before they go to the the grass edges.

Crappie, Everyday I run into crappie fisherman, Most are still in open water catching Big Crappie. Most anglers are not catching big limits, but they are good quality fish. 1lbs plus.

Hold"em Hooked!
Capt. Randy DuMars

Sebastian Inlet

Capt Randy DuMars — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:31:14 -0800

If you Like Sheepshead now is the time. Good size fish are showing up all over the intercoastal waterway. The flounder bite has been good at the inlet. Using livebait on the bottom. On the beaches pompano, Bluefish, are the main staple.

The snook bite at the inlet has been awsome to say the least. I am surprized that the cold fronts haven't had an effect on them.

Hold'em Hooked!
Capt. Randy DuMars.

Conway Chain Of Lakes

Capt Dean Puller — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:24:20 -0800

Fishing on the Conway chain is hot hot hot even with the weather being cold. This week my clients are averaging around 50 fish on a half day trip. The fish are schooling in 7 foot of water over large grass patches. Most of the fish we are catching are in the 2lbs range with the 5 pounder showing up here and there. Jigs and spoons are working the best on 10lbs light line. On one trip we caught over 70 fish on a half day trip. They were so easy to catch we had three fish on multiple times.

Orlando Fishing Report 11/23/08

KPSFISHING — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:14:09 -0800

Fishing continues to be hot despite the much cooler weather in the last two weeks. Most of the fish I have been catching are in shallow water. I have been fishing on a private lake most of the month, and would catch 15+ fish in just a few hours. All of them were in 3-5 ft clear water, around fallen trees and scattered grass. They were caught with a tequila sunrise 6 inch worm, ½ oz blue/black jig, and spinner baits. The few times I was on John’s Lake, schooling fish gave for some good action during the early morning hours, with much success with silver rattle trap. Once that bite slowed down, we would fish the rest of the time with topwater frogs on the matted and scattered grass near the banks catching several 3-4 lbs bass.

Capt Kevin Przybyl
www.orlandotrophybass.com
“Casting Towards a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis”

New Symrna Beach Off The Jetties

Snarf420 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:08:42 -0800

Got there about 10am using Shrimp as bait caught 5 nice fish within an hour. I'll upload some pictures as I'm not sure what type of fish they are but they sure tasted good!

Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report

captjoeward — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:33:33 -0800

NOVEMBER 21, 2008

INSHORE - This has been a tough month for most anglers because of the weather conditions -- NE to NW winds over 15mph. There has not been that many good days to go fishing unless you could find a spot out of the wind or tuff it on the catwalks of the South Bridge. However, some anglers this week managed to make it work. The catch and release trout action remains steady in the deeper cuts when fishing with a live shrimp or a small jig heads. Try places with 5 to 9 feet of water early and then move to 3 to 5 feet after the sun starts to warm things up. Most of the action has been coming from the catwalks of the South Bridge with plenty of sandperch, black drum, a few croakers and plenty of sheepshead being caught on shrimp -- both live and frozen. The snook fishing remains good around the docks in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and a pinfish has been the way to go. Also, around the Inlet there has been a few nice flounder caught on a live shrimp or a finger mullet. Look for the jacks, spanish mackerel and a few bonnet head sharks in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and they have been feeding on just about anything.

OFFSHORE - There is no offshore report due to the weather conditions.

TEEN ANGLERS - The Treasure Coast Chapter of Teen Anglers are supposed to fish tomorrow morning at 6:45am. But, with the weather reports we have seen this morning I don't think it will happen. I will let you know the results next week if we fish. For more info on Teen Anglers or for the 5 to 11 age group just go to the web at www.teenanglers.org

BRAGGING BOARD - I got an e-mail from Capt. Tris Colket on the charter boat LAST MANGO. Last week he had the father and son team of Jeff and Will Tonkel who were visiting Vero Beach from Palm Harbor, Florida. Their good family friend Larry White was also onboard. They headed out the Ft. Pierce Inlet and went southeast. Capt. Colket said that the sailfish bite has been on and off but they were rewarded for their efforts with Will's 1st sailfish. Will -- age 9 is an avid angler but mostly fish's freshwater. His dad -- Jeff rounded out the day with a nice catch of dolphin.

If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770 You can also contact me on the web at www.captjoeward.com

Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters

South Indian River Fishing Report

fishtales — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:53:40 -0800

November 21, 2008

INSHORE:

Ol' Man Winter has left his mark this week along the Treasure Coast. Temperatures dipping into the 40's and windy conditions have awaited anglers all along the river. A few mornings have started with light winds, but by afternoon, it has been blowing most of the time. It has been a week of catching up around the house and building rod racks in my spare time. Water temperatures have dipped into the low sixties and you can bet the fish will be heading for deeper water.

Most of the recent action has been around the bridges for either snook anglers looking for that slot fish or the catwalks holding sand perch, black drum, sheephead, snapper and a few founder. A lot of people have been fishing the bridges this week! Using live or dead shrimp will get you some action. Around the inlet, bluefish, jacks, ladyfish and mackerel have been roaming in packs and chasing anything that moves. Anything shiny should coax them into striking. Pompano have been reported south of Fort Pierce on the drop-offs and deeper flats of the river. Live shrimp, Doc's Goofy jigs or sand fleas are good choices for pompano.

The jetties have held snook, jacks and bluefish lately. Snook fishing has been active mostly on the first part of the outgoing tides. Live baits have been the first choice of snook anglers. This time of year, it is good to fish the deeper cuts around island and mangroves and move up onto the shallower flats as the sun warms up the water. Redfish, especially, will sit on the flats to warm up in the sun. Being quiet and stealthy is essential now as the fish will scare easily and head to deeper water. Shrimp on popping corks is a great way to fish the deeper flats now. Remember that trout season is closed and releasing the fish quickly and safely is important now.

Tip of the Week: Using a de-hooker can help get the fish back into the water quickly and safely. It can eliminate handling of the fish and help it to survive and fight another day. There are many brands, sizes and types out on the market. Choose the one that will best suit your style of fishing. Snook season will close December 15th and that will leave them and sea trout out of season the last half of the month. They work wonderful on those dreaded catfish and puffers!

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com

email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com

772-284-3852

Dress in layers this time of year, when fishing the cool mornings....

Fort Lauderdale

ladypamela2 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:12:08 -0800

Mid-November Fishing Report - Fort Lauderdale Fishing aboard Lady Pamela II

Captain Paul Palucci and I of the LP II headed out of Shallow Harbor in search of Daytime Swordfish looking to eat. On the way out, we crushed the mahi - mahi. The dolphin were ranging anywhere from 10 - 12 lbs. When we hit fertile grounds, we made our first drop and within 15 minutes the rod bent over. We had him on, he took a run, then pulled the hook! After our third drop of the day, the sun started to set. We rearranged for the nighttime bite and on the first drop we fought a 48 incher. Shortly after, we had a double header on. Nice size fish, a 48" and a 48.5" . Things were pretty much going as planned, we were getting bites and we weren't leaving! Paul and I put everything back out and another one ate. After a 30 minute battle, he pulled the hook. Before we knew it, it was 2 AM and to the dock it was.

The next morning we didn't get to sleep in, we had a full day of fishing ahead of us, literally. Fishing started off slow, not even a kingfish around. We ran to a wreck, made a drop and got a bite! An amberjack ate instantly.

November is taking off! With this 60 degree weather passing through Fort Lauderdale, the sailfish bite is on fire - the best I've ever seen. The bite has been consistent, anywhere from 4 - 8 sailfish per trip, leaving anglers extremely happy. On the 11th & 12th of November, I fished the Sailfish Cup out of Miami Beach. We caught a total of 20 fish in two days, coming in second place by 12 minutes. The Sailfish Cup had an impressive two days of fishing with a whopping 388 fish caught surpassing 2007 where the overall fish caught which was 208! That goes to show you fishing has been great.

The Blackfin tuna are offshore ranging anywhere from 10 - 15 lbs and the mahi - mahi weighing in around 20 lbs. Oddly enough, the mahi - mahi bite has been better this month than it was in August when it's generally prime time to catch those delicious dolphin. Hopefully they stick around a little longer.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
Lady Pamela II Sportfishing Charters
954-761-8045

Hernando Beach Florida

captain keith tomlinson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:36:28 -0800

Bulldog Fishin Charters

www.bulldogfishin.com

(352)238-3581

With this recent cold weather the trout bite has slowed down a little but the spanish makerel are still producing good numbers in approx. 5 - 8 feet. Anchoring off and setting out a chum bag works well. free line a live shrimp or a live white bait hooked through the nose in the chum slick and hold on. A silver spoon cast out far and retrieved quickly works good also.

The grouper bit has been great the past month and we are catching keeper grouper in 8 - 10 foot of water on a regular basis and sometimes as shallow as 6 foot!!!! Frozen sardines and live pinfish on heavy tackle has put near or on structure has been best.

Near shore the Redfish have been on fire. North of bayport up as far a s chasshowitzka has been producing what I like to call "FIRETRUCKS" because they are big,red,and HEAVY. these guys are my favorite to catch!!

Good luck and tight lines.
If you want a trip call and lets go get em!!!
Captain Keith Tomlinson

Charter Boat Gulf Grouper Hernando Beach Fishing Report

Gulf Grouper — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:55:50 -0800

15 Nov 2008

This week has been the easy Grouper fishing we have been waiting for. Lots of keeper size GAG Grouper in all depths of water. We prefer the shallow waters closer to home that provide us more fishing time and less fuel expense. Even if you are not a meat hunter you can enjoy the tough fight a big grouper dishes out. In the shallow depths a fight to the surface is expected with line ripping lunges towards the structure on the bottom. Pretty exciting stuff! Most GagZillas continue to break lines and leaders on the rocks below. This line busting experience is what makes most anglers want to go back out and try again.
Best baits are still Threadfin Herring , Grunt heads, and chunks of Boston Mackerel.

Hernando Beach Fishing Forecast: Grouper season is almost at its peak. There will be great fishing in the near future for lots of Gag Grouper in close.
Sea ya on the water, book a trip soon!
Capt Rick Rodriguez
727-992-9494
www.gulfgrouper.com

Sarasota, Florida

seaweed — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:37:11 -0800

November 16, 2008

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith

Fishing is still good but the coming cold front may slow it down. A large variety of fish is showing up on the Bay and Gulf. Large bait-fish are hard to find offshore, but trolling spoons and plugs is doing the job for King mackerel and Spanish mackerel. Smaller white bait has been plentiful along the beaches and will work if you can net them.

Some nice grouper and snapper are starting to show at the fifty foot depth offshore. Live bait is best including shrimp for the snapper.

We have been finding redfish, large trout, pompano, mackerel, bluefish and flounder on the bay. The redfish have mainly been in the deeper water, like Zwicks canal and most of the other fish have been on the grass-flats.

Hot Grouper spots! Why a secret?

Like any place else, most of our area anglers are eager to share when, where and how they caught fish, but grouper is the exception! When fishing in saltwater, it is possible to catch a nice grouper any place in the Bay or Gulf.

Don’t expect anglers to give you their hot spots! Hot spots are what we call grouper stacked-up on the bottom. They also could be in, under or around a structure. In other words, it is a lot of keeper size grouper in a very small area.

An experienced grouper digger will take a few nice fish, put the spot, if new, in his GPS and move on to/or find another hot spot. This takes a lot of discipline because it can take a lot of time, work, and luck to find these spots. This way, the spot may be good for a month or much more. If he hammered the fish, it could be over in a day or so. The fish would just move to avoid all the outside activity. Due to the popularity of grouper, if he went public or shared the GPS location, he could expect to find the spot covered with dive boats and/or inexperienced grouper fishermen the next day. That could be the end of that hot spot. Some Grouper diggers will stop fishing or move out of the area if they see another boat coming towards them. Don’t stop and ask. 

Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com

Hernando Beach Fla

Gulf Grouper — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:51:03 -0800

Charter Boat Gulf Grouper Fishing Report
Hernando Beach
15 Nov 2008

This week has been the easy Grouper fishing we have been waiting for. Lots of keeper size GAG Grouper in all depths of water. We prefer the shallow waters closer to home that provide us more fishing time and less fuel expense. Even if you are not a meat hunter you can enjoy the tough fight a big grouper dishes out. In the shallow depths a fight to the surface is expected with line ripping lunges towards the structure on the bottom. Pretty exciting stuff! Most GagZillas continue to break lines and leaders on the rocks below. This line busting experience is what makes most anglers want to go back out and try again.
Best baits are still Threadfin Herring , Grunt heads, and chunks of Boston Mackerel.

Hernando Beach Fishing Forecast: Grouper season is almost at its peak. There will be great fishing in the near future for lots of Gag Grouper in close.
Sea ya on the water, book a trip soon!
Capt Rick Rodriguez
727-992-9494
www.gulfgrouper.com

Mosquito Lagoon

Captain DREW — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:18:04 -0800

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing, this is what central Florida is all about. The Redfish Capital of the World, The Mosquito Lagoon. The fishing on the Mosquito Lagoon has been tremendous, not just this past week but all year so far. Within the past several days I have seen so many fish on the flats moving and feeding it is like being a kid in a candy store. Redfish are moving along the flats in extremely shallow waters and hugging banks and corners. While big trout are lurking just behind them in the ambush spots such as sand holes and deep pockets within the grass.

Fish the reds with stealth and caution and you should have no problem landing a few. If sight fishing use shrimp or Gulps! or even some smaller mullet pieces. The big trout on the other hand are a whole other ball game. Try top water or free line a live mullet. Please do remember here on the east coast of Florida trout are closed and are to be released.

Captain Drew Cavanaugh
Florida Inshore Fishing Charters
PO BOX 881
Edgewater, FL 32132
Cell/352-223-7897
drcfishmaster@cfl.rr.com
Light Tackle Fishing Guide
www.floridainshorefishingcharters.com

South Indian River Fishing Report

fishtales — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:17:54 -0800

November 14, 2008

INSHORE:

With winter fast approaching and water temperatures dropping, anglers along the catwalks of Fort Pierce are excitedly reaping the rewards of braving the windy weather of November. Sand perch, snapper, black drum and croakers have filled the area with eager anglers looking to catch up on the feast that awaits them. Live or dead shrimp has put many good meals on the table recently. There have been lots of fish and lots of catching.

On the flats, the much awaited return of the pompano has finally arrived. While the numbers have been increasing, you can find pompano around the river along drop offs and deeper flats. Great table fare and battle on the hook. We found some pomps along the flats in 4 - 5 feet of water and had one take a DOA CAL jerk bait while fishing the flats. Live shrimp or sand fleas are the preferred baits while fishing for pompano. Look for lots of them to be along the surf in the near future.

If a fun day of fishing is all you need, look to the many jacks, mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish around the inlet right now. Tom Hull was down and we had a few hours of furious catch and release of some of the lesser renowned battlers out there. You can find some non-stop fun, especially for the young ones, out there awaiting you. Tom caught one of the biggest ladyfish I have seen on light tackle this week on the flats.

With the full moon, most of the snook fishing has been at night recently. Look around the inlet and bridges for your best opportunities using live bait. Lots of shorter snook have been hanging around the mangroves and provide some fun while ducking out of the windy conditions out there. Redfish reports have been mostly to the north in the Moorings and Round Island area. Live or cut bait has found a few willing to eat. We are still waiting for the flounder to show up in numbers and that shouldn't be too far off.

Tip of the Week:

A reminder that the Fort Pierce channel from the north bridge to south of the southern bridge is due to return to a manatee zone very soon. Watch for the signs and slow down. We continue to see boaters ignoring slow speed zones. Whether you like them or not, they are the law and we must obey them. The fines aren't worth taking the risk of being caught out there. Have fun and be safe.

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com

email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com

772-284-3852

Tom Hull with a few catches this week on the Indian River.....

Hernando Beach Florida/nature Coast

captain keith tomlinson — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:37:41 -0800

Captain: Keith Tomlinson - Bulldog fishin charters

The weather and water are cooler and turkey day is almost here. Inshore out of Hernando beach is hot. Redfish are spread through the entire area. Fillmans bayou,Centipede bay, and Higgenbotham Creek have all produced on the points with a moving tide as long as the mullet are present. We have been finding them in groups of 2 - 3 in 1 - 3 feet of water. Cut mullet,bluefish, or a live pinfish placed near the shore line where the mullet migrate by on a good moving tide is one of my favorite techniques. Try using a GULP crab on a 1/8 - 1/4 ounce jighead. Cast it to the edge of the mullet schools as they come by and let it lay on the bottom which is refered to as "deadstickin". Mullet are key to the area you are fishing! If you don't see them on arrivel to your spot you can still fish the area but keep searching until you locate them.

Big trout have been a little diluted but we are cathing good numbers. I believe these first few fronts are to blame. Live shrimp freelined or placed under a popping cork in 1 -4 feet of water works good. If the wind lays down for you a trip to cutters rock is a must. All The surrounding area of Cutters is producing trout,mackerel,jacks,and those big breeded reds. The grouper have also started to migrate to the shallow water. The entire area is producing keeper grouper in 6 - 20 feet of water!!

Tight lines!! Capt. Keith Tomlinson

Bulldog Fishin Charters

www.bulldogfishin.com

(352)238-3581

Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report

captjoeward — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:37:18 -0800

NOVEMBER 13, 2008

INSHORE - The inshore bite remains steady for anglers fishing from the catwalks of the South Bridge. They have been reporting good catches of sand perch, black drum, snapper, sheepshead and croakers. Most of these fish were caught on live shrimp. The snapper and black drum bite has been good along the channel edges and around just about any structure you can find. You will find a few sheepshead in the mix too. Again, a live shrimp has been the best bait. The snook action has remained steady for anglers fishing around the North Bridge and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Fish the tide changes and use live baits like a pinfish or a mullet. The hour before and the hour after the tide change has been the best time to get a keeper snook. There are a lot of smaller snook just about everywhere you fish. Most of these fish are around 24 inches and must be released as soon as possible. Not much to report about the redfish. There have only been a few small fish reported and they were caught and released up around Round Island. The catch and release trout have been very active on the flats between Harbor Branch and The Moorings. A live shrimp fished under a popping cork has been hard to beat. Just remember that with the colder water temps the fish will be moving a little slower. There have been some spanish mackerel and bluefish in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and they will take just about anything you throw at them.

OFFSHORE - The seas did lay over the weekend and the fish were there. We had several boats come back to the docks with dolphin to 15 pounds, 2 wahoo to 30 pounds and several kings that went to 36 pounds. We did get one report from Christopher King about a marlin that they had come up and slap at his bait but the marlin never took it. The fish was in about 500 feet of water. Most of the dolphin were caught on a naked ballyhoo in 500 to 600 feet of water. The wahoo took a black/purple skirted ballyhoo and was in 300 feet of water. The kings have stayed in 70 to 90 feet of water but did move in to about 50 feet on Sunday. They were taking live baits and we had 2 caught on a ballyhoo. There were several sailfish releases too. They were all from 110 to 130 feet of water and both to the north and south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet.

TEEN ANGLERS - This Sunday -- November 16th will be the regular monthly inshore tournament for the Treasure Coast Chapter of Teen Anglers. Everyone is hoping that the weather will cooperate and we will be able to fish. This is after having to cancel the October tournament twice. The Teen's will meet at Jaycee Park in Ft Pierce at 6:30am and fish until noon. We will have weigh in and then award trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the middle and high school divisions. If you would like more info on joining Teen Anglers or would like to be a boat volunteer and take a Teen fishing once a month you can go to the web at www.teenanglers.org for more info.

If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or you can call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoewar.com

Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters

Mosquito Lagoon

Capt Chris M — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:50:54 -0800

While the weather has been cool and breezy on most days, the fishing in Mosquito Lagoon has been red hot. The early season cold front of several weeks ago caused many of the baitfish to head south. This turned the focus of the redfish to crabs and shrimp. As a result, the reds have been tailing aggressively throughout the day. There have been numerous schools as well as plenty of singles which have been more than willing to eat a well placed fly or artificial.

On the first day of the month, I was joined by local resident Ben and his friend Jamie from Minnesota. We saw many fish throughout the day including redfish, black drum, and some big trout. Both guys caught a trout early and then Ben hooked up with a couple reds. Both the redfish had been tailing about ten feet in front of the boat. They ended the day landing four more reds. A 4" DOA CAL in Stark Naked was most productive.

Tuesday, the forecast was for winds of 10-15. I arrived to find whitecaps and a steady 20 knot breeze. I stuck it out for a couple hours landing 4 redfish on a 5" CAL but quickly grew tired of fighting the wind and went home.

The next day, California resident Tim was on board. When we fished last year, the water was high and dirty making it tough to see the fish. This time, we had clean water and blue skies. We saw tons of redfish, many of them tailing. Tim used a 4" CAL in Arkansas Glow all day. Nearly every fish he got it in front of ate. He landed five reds to 32" and had several more redfish and a big trout come off during an outstanding day of fishing the flats.

Friday, I headed back to the same spot to try and fool a few fish with some flies. The morning was nice with a slight breeze and plenty of tails. I landed a couple reds on my 5wt using an olive and white bendback fly. I then spent some time taking pictures of tailing reds before the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

While I waited for the sun to come back out, I made a short move and tied on a holographic DOA shrimp. I caught five snook to 27' and missed several more. I ended the day with a couple more hours of photography and managed to catch a few more redfish as well.

Sunday, Brad and Allen from Alabama wanted to experience some Mosquito Lagoon sight fishing. Despite having to fight a stiff wind all day, we found plenty of redfish in both schools and singles. The 4" Arkansas Glow was the color of the day and both guys enjoyed some success with redfish to 34".

The chance of finding tailing redfish will remain excellent throughout the rest of the year. The size and numbers of schools will increase as we head in to winter. Small soft plastic jerk baits, shrimp, and crabs will all be effective. Take a close look in the shallow sand spots for both redfish and large trout.

Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com