The Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River

The water clarity in many areas of the northern Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon is clear enough for some decent sight fishing opportunities on the flats.  

April, May, and June are considered the best months to fish for gator sea trout in our area.  The fish are now in their spawning mode on the shallower flats and are following the mullet pods during the early morning hours.    Be on the flats anywhere on the Indian River Lagoon from first light till around 9 am where there are schools of mullet and you will find sea trout.   
 
When you locate the schools of mullet, fish Assassin salty snacks or 5" shad Assassins rigged on a 4/0 or 5/0 wide gap weedless worm hook around the bait pods.   

If you like topwater action like I do, toss a Rapala Skitter Walk, Top Dog MirrOLure , Chug Bug, Heddon's Super Spook or Zara Spook, XPS Slim Dog, or anything that resembles a silver mullet.    Smear your plug up with some Pro-Cure Inshore Formula to increase your chances of a hookup.  It makes a huge difference.

Work topwater baits slowly around the outside of the bait pods and vary your retrieve until you get a follow or a hookup.   The best topwater bite is on the shallower flats with slightly stained water and plenty of silver mullet.  The most favorable conditions to pitch topwater baits is during overcast, calm water mornings or evenings.

The shallow flats along the eastern shoreline of the Mosquito Lagoon and the flats north of Titusville above the railroad bridge up past the Scotsmoor boat launch are relatively clean and have been producing some nice size sea trout right now. 

A lot of wade fishermen using 7 wt. and 8 wt. fly rods on the Scotsmoor flats have been picking up some nice sea trout and redfish early in the morning and even throughout the day.    

Bank fishermen in the same area have been scoring a lot of slot and over size redfish using live mullet and cut baits.

Although most of the sea trout are running in the 14 to 23 inch range, females in the 28 inch and over category are not uncommon in this part of the lagoon.

During the the upcoming month as more baitfish continue moving into the flats, expect the fishing to improve, especially the early morning topwater bite.

The black drum bite in the north Indian and Banana River has been off the charts for the past few weeks.    During the morning hours from daybreak to about 9:00 am you can sight cast to the tail wagging schools of drum on the flats with live shrimp or a jig head sweetened with a peeled shrimp, sand flea, or fishbites strips.    Cast ahead of the fish and slowly drag the jig head along the sandy bottom to create little puffs of sand.    

The fish are running from 5 to 40 pounds throughout our area and although most anglers have been using live or dead shrimp as baits of choice; some guys fishing with sections of live blue crab, fiddler crabs, or sand fleas seem to be catching larger fish. 

Spotted sea trout, redfish, and snook have the predatory feeding habits of a sea Osprey and prefer chasing lively shrimp or mullet baits, but the Black Drum in the Indian River Lagoon are basically lazy and do not like to work hard for a meal.  

Black Drum are not fussy eaters, but they love live or dead crustaceans.    Stinky baits (like two or three day old shrimp) are often preferred to live or fresh dead shrimp, and will usually catch more fish.    

May is when kayak and wade fishermen like to target the shallow flats along BioLab Road for a shot at a gator sea trout, redfish, or snook that stage around the potholes in that area, but because of the Covid 19 virus, Bio Lab and Playalinda Beach roads are both closed to vehicle traffic.

The Bairs Cove boat launch at Haulover Canal also remains closed for renovation, but small draft boaters and kayak fishermen can use the Bio Lab and Beacon 42 boat ramps to access the canal and southern flats of the Mosquito Lagoon.    The water is not crystal clear, but clear enough to target the potholes among the sea grasses.

If you plan to wade fish this area, pack a Gold spoon, a couple of top water lures a few DOA shrimp, and a few CAL jerk baits in you vest.  It pays to be prepared.   

There are sea trout up to 10 pounds or more in this area that are always roaming the flats and hanging around the bait pods looking for an easy meal.  Your best bet for hooking one in May is to wade fish or keep a low profile in a kayak early in the morning and late in the afternoon close to dusk.   

If you are in a kayak, take along some live Croakers, pigfish, or finger mullet and fish them under a Cajun Thunder type float.   

The fish on the flats will start moving into deeper water around 9:00 am unless it is overcast or raining. 

Farther south in the canals around Satellite Beach, anglers have been catching some really nice sea trout, redfish, snook, mangrove snapper, tarpon, and sheepshead.  In the lagoon around the Pineda and Eau Gallie causeways, the Spanish Mackerel bite has been literally off the hook.   Small spoons, Lazer Eye plugs, and live baits have been baits of choice.

Some river pompano are still being caught in this area by anglers using sand fleas and small jigs tipped with fishbites.
                                

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Playalinda and Area Beaches

Playalinda Beach is still closed to visitors due to the Covid 19 virus, however, the beaches around Melbourne and Satellite Beach South of us are open for surf fishermen provided "social distancing" is adhered to.

South Melbourne beaches, during the early morning and late evening hours have been producing limits of pompano, Palometas, and bull whiting.  The best bite has been during the early stages of an incoming tide with flat, dingy colored water conditions.   Baits of choice are sand fleas, peeled shrimp, and fishbites on standard surf rigs. 

Surf fishermen around Satellite Beach south of Partrick AFB have been catching a lot of Black Margate and bull whiting in the surf on sand fleas and shrimp. 
 
When the wind conditions are favorable, pompano, black drum, and sheepshead are also being caught along with the Margate and whiting.

Snook have also started to show up in the surf along the beaches at Patrick AFB and the Satellite Beach area.

The baitfish offshore are running thick and attracting bluefish, spanish mackerel, snook, and big Jacks closer to the beach.   

Krocodile Spoons, small square lipped diving plugs, and live or cut finger mullet on short #2 wire leaders are baits of choice when the baitfish schools are in the surf close to the sand.

Hopefully, Playalinda Beach will be reopened soon in our area.

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Port  Canaveral Offshore and Nearshore

Offshore:

As a general rule April and May are when the largest bull dolphin are taken out of Port Canaveral on Florida's Space Coast.

Anglers fishing the blue water edge of the Gulf Stream trolling skirted Islander ballyhoo combos and naked chin weighted ballyhoo at 4 to 6 knots have been catching a lot of dolphin, wahoo, and a few sails along the temperature breaks, color changes, weed lines, and floating debris.
 
Anglers dragging naked ballyhoo or small Islander ballyhoo combos in the 120 foot depths around the rips, temperature breaks, and weed lines are picking up dolphin, sailfish, wahoo, and a few blackfin tuna. 

Larger King Mackerel are being caught in the 35 to 55 foot depths right now throughout our region.  Slow trolling live pinfish, Greenies, sardines, pilchards, or cigar minnows on stinger rigs is the preferred method for catching them but, pulling a King Getter or large spoon also works for the guys who don't like fooling with live baits.

Pilchards and herring have been thick in the 15 to 35 foot depths making live baits easy to come by.

Farther out over the 70 to 90 foot wrecks and reefs, the kingfish have been running a bit smaller; in the 10 to 20 pound range.

The bottom bite our of Port Canaveral has been producing AJ's, some cobia, and shark on the 90 foot ledge.  

Some nice catches of black sea bass, mangrove, mutton, and lane snapper are also being reported over the deeper wrecks and reefs. 

The head boat fleet out of Port Canaveral has been closed due to the Covid 19 situation but is opening up again on May 1st. along with grouper season.  A lot of private boaters who have been enjoying some good fishing for the past few weeks over the wrecks and reefs will start seeing some competition.

Hopefully, everything else will start opening up this month.
 

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Haulover Canal

As of last Sunday, the COVID-19 virus still has bank fishing access at Haulover Canal to a minimum.   

The northwest access road leading to where the Kayak tours are normally launched, the Bairs Cove boat launch, and the Manatee viewing deck remains closed to vehicle traffic until further notice.
Reports from anglers that are parking along the southeast bank of the canal and walking to fishing spots under and around the banks from the bridge last weekend were sketchy. 

The few fishermen I spoke with last week said the bite was slow for redfish, but the black drum were hitting shrimp and sections of blue crab.

A couple of guys reported catching some slot and oversize black drum, and another fellow said he caught an oversize red that he had to let go.

All the anglers said they were using dead shrimp, cut mullet, or pieces of blue crab for bait.

The construction and renovation that is going on at Bairs Cove still has the boat ramp closed to vehicle traffic.   

Boaters are being directed to the Bio Lab and Beacon 42 ramps to launch their vessels and access the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon.  
  
The deep holes located at both mouths to the canal hold some large black drum and bull redfish, especially when the water warms up in the lagoons.

Most anglers anchor out from the holes and drop a whole blue crab or a lively bait down to the bottom.  Stout rods with Power Pro or other braid tied to a short length of fluorocarbon leader and a 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook is necessary for the really big fish.

Last Sunday several boaters were anchored at the mouth of Haulover on the Mosquito Lagoon side dunking a variety of baits and apparently catching fish.

Hopefully, more access will be made available as the Covid 19 situation improves in Florida.   A May 1st. opening would be great.  
Until Next Time,
Stay Safe, Tight Lines, and Bent Rods!