Mosquito Lagoon & Indian River Fishing 

Another Halloween has come and gone and fall fishing conditions are right around the corner.

The higher November water levels in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon systems are allowing fish to feed in areas that have been
inaccessible to them during the summer months.

Redfish, big gator sea trout and black drum are invading the shallows and back water marsh areas in search of crabs, shrimp and small baitfish that were unavailable to them during the low water summer season.

As of last week in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge marsh areas, there are newly flooded grass beds everywhere.

Many of these areas are loaded with big redfish, black drum and sea trout that most fishermen pass by.

November also brings us water temperatures that redfish and other predatory species prefer.  

As the temperatures drop into the fish's preferred feeding range, their metabolism perks up, the fish feel the need to eat, and they become more active for longer periods of time.

Cooler waters also affect the fish's diet.

During the summer months food is readily available and predatory species enjoy a smorgasbord of various types of baitfish.

Pinfish, mullet, mud minnows, pigfish and juvenile fry of other species were their primary forage. 

If you don't fish with live or fresh dead shrimp this November, keep at least one rod on hand with a DOA artificial shrimp or an Exude Cajun crab to pitch to likely targets.

Both of these artificial baits catch plenty of redfish, black drum, sea trout, and even flounder when fished slowly and dragged through shallow grassy areas.

Right now some breeder redfish are still schooled up on the deeper water flats of the IRL, Mosquito Lagoon and northern Indian River.

The deeper water areas north of Mims, across from the Scotsmoor boat landing, the shallow waters around Black Point Wildlife drive in the Indian River and the waters from Georges Bar to the Wale Tale, in the Mosquito Lagoon are always worth fishing this time of the year.
 
Although the water quality is still murky in many areas because of the summer brown algae bloom, cooler days and lower water temperatures will eventually begin to improve clarity and create better sight fishing opportunities.

As the water levels continue to rise this fall, try fishing the backwaters with smaller profile lures.

Aqua Dream or gold Johnson Sprite spoons, small to medium size "walk the dog" topwater baits, DOA shrimp, Exude Cajun crabs and weedless soft plastic artificial lures will all catch fish when fished at the proper speed (slow).

Cold, clear water tactics apply this month.  Change to lighter lines, longer fluorocarbon leaders, smaller hooks and longer casts and you will catch more fish.  

 
Playalinda Beach surf fishing usually picks up in November for pompano and with over 70 miles of coastline in Brevard County, you can expect to see a lot of surf fishermen on the beaches.

 

The fall baitfish migration has started and there are literally millions of mullet in the surf up and down our beaches. 

 

The fish have moved into their winter feeding patterns and surf fishermen will be targeting bluefish, Spanish mackerel, whiting, sheepshead, pompano and drum during November.

 

Clams and shrimp will catch just about anything in the surf, but for pompano, mole crabs (a.k.a. sand fleas), bits of clam and small pieces of shrimp work best.

 

For bluefish, live or chunked finger mullet on a 5/0 hook crimped to a short length of wire leader or 50# plus mono works wonders.

 

Anglers targeting Spanish Mackerel and small bluefish using small diamond jigs or Gotchas will do well in the surf, especially around the glass minnow pods. 

 

Larger spoons on a short single strand of light leader wire or a piece of 50 pound fluorocarbon is just the ticket to catching the larger bluefish and big jacks.

 

Tides and weather always play an important part in planning a fishing trip.

 

I personally prefer fishing during a raising tide with a light wind, which is why I try to fish as early in the day as possible.

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Offshore, Inlets, and Near Shore

Last month the windy conditions caused rough seas and "muddy" water out to 240 feet which made for lousy fishing.  

 

However, we did see the beginning of an awesome mullet run.

 

Mullet in the millions are swimming up and down the beaches of East Central Florida and should continue to do so throughout the month.

 

Tarpon, sharks, big redfish, jacks, snook and mackerel are following and mixed in with the schools feeding away on the mullet.

 

A mullet hooked through the bottom and top lips with an 8/0 circle hook tied to about 6 feet of fluorocarbon will get you a hookup in relatively short order.

 

If you want to speed up the process, fish a live pogie in a school of mullet.  The different bait seems to attract strikes much faster.

 

Just north of Cape Canaveral towards the false Cape there are now huge schools of jacks, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish gorging on acres of glass minnows.

 

A small bucktail jig or diamond jig tied to a short length of wire leader tossed into the melee will get you a hookup in short order if you reel like crazy.

 

When the water temperature in the surf hits the magic 68 degree mark, flounder fishing will start to noticably improve.

When the 68 degree temperature mark is reached,  flounder are prompted to move into the inlets for their annual spawning migration out into the ocean.

Small 1 to 3 pound gulf flounder will start to appear first, followed by the doormat sized 3 to 12 pound southern flounder.

 

Live finger mullet, mud minnows or a jumbo live shrimp fished on the bottom is the preferred method for catching these tasty fish.

If you prefer to fish artificial baits, drift on the lagoon side of the passes with a DOA CAL bait, 3" paddletail bait or a 1/4 oz. bucktail jig fished right on the bottom.

Pompano will also frequently school on the lagoon side of the passes before moving out to the beaches to feed on sand fleas and other crustaceans when the water temperatures start to cool down.

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Till next time,