Correction of Your December 2013 Mosquito Lagoon & Indian River Fishing Forecast Header
Published: Mon, 12/09/13
| Newsletter Issue # 52 Fishing Forecast |
December 1, 2013 | |||||||
Mosquito Lagoon & Indian River Fishing | ||||||||
osquito Lagoon Unless we have an early winter, December should be a productive month for Mosquito Lagoon anglers.
Colder water temperatures and less sunlight are both contributing factors to declining algae blooms. Water clarity is most areas of the Mosquito Lagoon has improved enough to sight fish the sea trout and redfish prowling the flats however, until the winter water temperatures drop low enough to stop any further algae blooms, don't expect the gin clear sight fishing water that our area is famous for.
Although you can still catch them on the remaining mullet that are lingering in the lagoon; redfish, black drum and sea trout have been actively feeding on shrimp and crabs on the shallow flats.  When you see their tails waving above the surface of the water, it's a good bet that the fish are rooting around the bottom for crabs, clams, marine worms and most likely shrimp. A good tactic starting this month is to freeline live shrimp on light lines, small 1/0 hooks and just enough split shot to add some weight for a long cast.
If you like fishing artificial baits, try using a DOA, Exude or Gulp shrimp. I've also been using hollow tube baits, the Exude Fan Tail shrimp and Cajun Crab loaded up with Pro-Cure Inshore formula with some success. When fished slowly, they are all supposed to imitate a crab or shrimp meandering along the bottom through the weeds. When the northwest cold fronts start blowing and
the water temperatures hit the 50 degree mark, it's time to start
fishing some of the many canal systems in East Central Florida.
Muddy bottoms and the deeper 8 to 10 foot cuts are warmer than surrounding waters and will be holding black drum, sea trout, snook and an occasional redfish. Winter time black drum in the canal systems have been getting more plentiful and progressive  ly larger over the
years, and fish up to 10 pounds or more are a common catch. Anglers who target the edges of the canals at first light stand an excellent chance of hooking one of those female gator trout that cruise the edges of the canals, however most winter sea trout will be in the 15 to 18 inch category. Snook, mostly juveniles, will also be in the warmer waters closer to the deep water dropoffs along the mangrove banks. A live freelined jumbo shrimp or finger mullet will usually get you a hookup. When the water temperatures reach the 50 degree mark, fish will start concentrating in the warmer canals where they become easier to target. When the water temperatures get back into the 60s or higher, they move back into the river system. Light spinning gear with either 6# braid or 10# mono line and about three feet of 15 or 20 pound fluorocarbon is the ticket for this type fishing. A live shrimp impaled on a number 1 or 1/0 short shank hook, with a small splitshot about 15" or 16" above the bait tossed to a deepwater dock piling or close to mangrove roots is deadly sea trout and drum. For bigger sea trout, use a cork to keep the live shrimp swimming about a foot above the bottom. There are plenty of canals to fish along the Halifax, Indian and Banana Rivers as well as the Sykes Creek area of Merritt Island.  When we take the boat out, my wife and I like launching at the SR 520 boat ramp and hitting the deepwater docks in Cocoa, Fl.
Now is also the time of year to target tailing black drum in the Banana River Lagoon No Motor Zone. _______________________ Indian River
Late November and December is when people start thinking about Pompano in the surf and in the river systems.  Although surf fishermen at Playalinda Beach enjoy this fishery most of the year, starting this month Indian River fishermen will also have a good shot at catching these tasty fish.Pompano congregate around the deeper water bridge pilings where they can be caught by boaters using small jigs. Fishermen on the bridges using almost any type of 1/4 to 3/8 oz. yellow or orange colored jig also land their share of pompano.
Tandem rigs are also extremely effective on light tackle. The SR 406 bridge at Titusville, the Port Orange bridge, The two Melbourne Causeway bridges (US 192 and SR 518), the Wabasso Causeway Bridge (SR 510), the new SR 406 bridge at Titusville, and some other areas in the Indian River are all potential hot spots for river pompano this month. _______________________
Near Offshore And Offshore The Kingfish run normally starts around Thanksgiving in the Port Canaveral area but with the heavy winds we've had this past month, it could be a tough month for fishing.
Pick your days when the seas are favorable and fish the inshore reefs and wrecks in 60 to 100 feet of water.
The North end of Pelican Flats and the 8A reef out of Port Canaveral are good areas to target and as long as the water temperatures stay above 74 degrees, the bite should be steady.
If the temperatures hold at the 70 degree mark and the weather permits, start looking for cobia and late tripletail along the Canaveral buoy line and shallower waters off the bight of the Cape.
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Port Canaveral
When the ocean conditions are a bit too
rough and the water temperature hits the 60 degree mark, start looking for flounder and weakfish in and around Port Canaveral.
Flounder will begin to school in good numbers along the sandy dropoffs throughout the Port
 basins. For flounder, a sliding sinker rig with at least 20# test for your
main line and a very short 12 inch leader of at least 20# test will
keep your finger mullet, mud minnow or live shrimp on the bottom in the strike zone.
Some guys use plain jig heads tipped with a live bait to get on the bottom.
Jigs tipped with a Strike King or Trigger X plastic bait will also entice them when dragged along the bottom.
Weakfish should also start showing up this month in the Port along the main shipping channel. Weakfish usually suspended anywhere from 3 to 10 feet above the bottom.
Spot them on a fish finder and drift the spot with jigs or a live shrimp in the strike zone.
You may also hook up with some pompano, sheepshead, black drum or whiting if you fish around the Port this month.
Fish right on or close to the bottom using shrimp, sand fleas, fiddler crabs or cut clams on small wire hooks. Use just enough weight to hold the bottom.
 Haulover Canal fishing in December is usually good for breeder redfish and black drum.As cooler weather approaches and the larger shrimp start running, the local shrimpers will start setting up along the banks of the canal at night dipping shrimp.
Shrimp in Haulover Canal generally run much larger than their Oak Hill cousins, but are not as plentiful.
The cold snap we had this past week should trigger some action along the banks of Haulover Canal as well as the Max Brewer Causeway in Titusville.
Last year during this time frame, many locals were netting jumbo shrimp in their 5 gallon buckets.
This year I haven't yet spent enough time with the local shrimpers however, that will be remedied. I hope to be passing along some reliable sport shrimping information to
subscribers within the next couple of weeks if the weather continues to
cool down.
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Until then, Tight Lines To All! | ||||||||
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