The moderate temperatures and stable weather patterns we see during April and the months following, provide us with some of the best fishing of the year and almost always assures us lots of hungry active sea trout

In addition to the finger mullet that invade the the lagoon systems,  pinfish, mud minnows, grunt and pigfish also become a stable diet for predators.
 
As "April showers" raise the water levels in the lagoon systems; secluded back waters that are normally unfishable will be opened up to wade fishermen and anglers using shallow water flats boats, canoes and kayaks.

Live and fresh dead shrimp usually account for most of the catches during April but when the mullet arrive in the lagoons en mass, it's hard to beat a live finger mullet or pigfish for catching a big Gator Sea Trout.

An appropriately sized circle hook on a short length of fluorocarbon leader with a small split shot a foot or so above the bait is all you need to fish a live shrimp effectively.

Hook the shrimp in the head and avoid hitting the dark spot to keep it alive.

A killer method to use when you can't spot the fish is to dangle a live or artificial shrimp under a Cajun Thunder popper rig just off of a shallow water flat. 

Fish the rig as "noisy" as possible to get the fish interested in checking out your bait.  Steady foot long jerks with a brief pause between jerks will get fish interested in the commotion.  When they see the live shrimp under the float, it usually results in a hookup.

Artificial shrimp like the D.O.A. also work well for those of us who can't stand waiting for the fish to find a live bait. 

There are many choices of plastic baits available and they all produce, especially when smeared up with some Pro-Cure fish scent.  Their Inshore Saltwater formula has pheromones in it that literally make fish bite and hold on to the bait.
 
The cold weather we had during February and March forced the sea trout to lay up in the sandy pot holes of the Mosquito and the North Indian River Lagoons.
 
Literally hundreds of sea trout in the 10lb plus range could be found crammed in and around these shallow sandy spots.  

When the waters begin to warm up and hit the magic 70 degree mark during April, these fish will scatter and start feeding in earnest around the mullet pods. 

As water temperatures continue to rise and more bait pods invade our lagoon systems, the fish become more and more aggressive, especially when their breeding activity commences.

When this happens, start throwing topwater baits, suspending plugs, large silver or gold spoons or soft plastic baitfish imitations to catch big fish. 
 
Usually during mid to late April when the baitfish become more concentrated on the shallow flats, topwater Chug Bugs, Rapala Skitterwalks, MirroLures, Zara Spooks, Skitter Pops or

Bomber Badonk-A-Donks start producing vicious strikes when worked slowly around the bait pods in the early morning hours.

 

Although the chilly weather is still with us, April is when normal springtime weather conditions get the black drum schooling up in the North Indian River Lagoon around Titusville to spawn.

 

Schooling juvenile black drum in the 5 to 10 lbs category are excellent table fare and you can expect to occasionally catch fish upwards of 25lbs.  

 

These larger fish are also great eating earlier in the spring.

 

When fishing for black drum, a live or fresh dead shrimp, a chunk of clam or a cut section of crab will get you a bite fast.   

 

Scented jerk baits also work well and even fly fishermen get in on the act.   Any crab or shrimp pattern will get the job done.   One guy I know uses Pro-Cure Shrimp/Prawn oil on his flies to increase his hookup ratio.

   

• The reflective coating on the back of a shrimp's eyeballs that helps them amplify light in very low light levels is the reason why a shrimp's eyes glow when your light is shined on them.  .
• Shrimp feed on nematodes, algae, polychaetes and vegetable matter.  The phytoplankton move up from the bottom in the water column and the shrimp follow along.  This is why your depth finder looks more cluttered in the evening.
• The eyes of fish and shrimp adjust to light much more slowly than humans.  This is why you often catch fish the first hour after it gets dark.
  
• Like fish, shrimp are structure oriented.   They move along and around any structure in the water like rocks, debris, bottom contour, channel edges, your anchor rope, your lights and even your boat.
• Shrimp come to the surface for a variety of reasons.  Light conditions, high barometric pressures, increased dissolved oxygen levels, turbulent currents, uneven bottoms that create upswells, and predators (like sea trout) that chase them to the surface.
  

At night on the Titusville fishing piers you can often catch some nice keeper sea trout around the shrimp lights.  Unfortunately, most of them are under the slot.

• Moving water has more dissolved oxygen at the surface than still water.  
• Lower barometric pressures decrease dissolved oxygen levels near the surface making it less comfortable for shrimp.  This is why the "old timers" stay home when the barometer drops.

                                                     

Look for better numbers outside of Port Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet.