Another Memorial Day has passed and there can be no doubt that summer has arrived in East Central Florida.  

During the past month, the redfish and sea trout bite in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River has been awesome and improving daily. 

Several of our local guides have reported multiple days of double digit catches of redfish up to the 25 pound range, and numerous sea trout in the 1 to 10 pound category.   Schools of black drum eating shrimp and crabs can be found along the edges of the sand bars.

Although the Pole and Troll zone on the eastern shore near Tiger shoals has been one of the most productive areas during the past few weeks, the redfish schools during the summer months can be found cruising the entire lagoon system. 

Throughout the month of June, the temperatures and humidity levels will continue to rise, and savvy anglers fishing the flats will be concentrating their fishing efforts to the cooler early morning hours, the late afternoons before and after the thunderstorms, and at night. 

The early morning bite on the flats generally shuts down by around 9:30am. but as the water heats up, you can follow the fish into 3 to 6 feet of water adjacent to the flats to continue the action.   Use DOA Deadly Combos to locate the fish and then change over to TerrorEyz, DOA Shrimp, DOA CAL baits or live baits for sea trout and slot reds.

Although larger 15 to 40 pound redfish school up during the mid August to mid November spawning ritual, slot sized redfish are more abundant during the months of April, May, June, August, September, and October.

During the hot months of June, July, and August; some adjustments need to be made in fishing routines to catch fish consistently.  It does not mean that the fish are not eating.

Night fishing in our area is mostly overlooked, but can produce some decent catches of big sea trout and redfish along the flats. 

Fishing noisy, dark colored, top water baits very slowly for gator sea trout and snook is most productive during the calmer evenings.    Chug Bugs, Rapala Skitter Walks, the MirrOlure Top Dog, and Heddon's Super Spook or Zara Spook in darker colors are all good producers.    Fish the larger sizes first and then down size if the bite is slow, but try to "match the hatch" whenever you can.

DOA glow in the dark Nite Glow Shrimp will also produce some nice sea trout and redfish at night when fished super slow.   A glow in the dark shrimp skipped underneath a dock is a killer bait for sea trout, reds, and in particular Snook.   But, remember that snook season closes June 1 in our area and reopens August 31st.

If you don't like fishing at night or can only fish during the day, try targeting the docks and bridge pilings with deep water access.   DOA Shrimp, DOA CAL soft plastic baits, Baitbusters, and jigs all work well.

Spotted sea trout and redfish will usually be in skinny water during the early morning hours targeting the schools of mullet.  This is when tossing top water plugs in the neighborhood of the baitfish schools can produce some unbelievable top water strikes from bigger fish.

Closer to the end of June, start looking for the schools of glass minnows (bay anchovies) that usually invade the lagoon systems.   Speckled sea trout, ladyfish, and tarpon are almost always shadowing the schools. 

To locate the schools, watch for diving terns, gulls, and other sea birds feeding over deeper water.  Fly fishermen using patterns that mimic a glass minnow can have a ball during these scenarios.  Clouser Minnows, Lefty's Deceives, and Puglisi Peanut Butter Flies are all good choices.
 

Juvenile Tarpon (above) in the 2 to 40 pound range can be found in our lagoons and backwater creeks almost all year round, but when the water temperatures get to 80 degrees, the schools of 70 to 130 pound fish will start showing up in the lagoon system and just off shore following schools of baitfish.

June, July, and August are usually the best months to target these larger specimens and they are beginning to show up in Haulover Canal and along the ICW.
 

Target juvenile tarpon with small jigs, jerk baits, and flies that imitate a glass minnow or a small pilchard.   A spinning rod spooled with with 8 to 12-pound mono or Power Pro, or a 6 to 8 wt fly rod is the preferred tackle for these smaller fish.

For larger tarpon that can easily pull your boat or kayak around, upscale your tackle to at least 30 or 60 pound line. 

Once you locate a school, most anglers will drift or slow troll large baitfish like mullet, menhaden, or pinfish in the 6 to 12 inch range through the school.
 

Offshore and Near Offshore Fishing


Port Canaveral

June is also the best month of the year for shallow water boaters to get their vessels out along the beach to sample our near shore fishing opportunities.

The seas flatten out and the waters clear up as the summer doldrums set in allowing skinny water flats boaters a window of opportunity to fish for king mackerel, occasional dolphin, tripletail, cobia, tarpon, schools of big jack crevalle, and a variety of sharks.

Coincidentally, June is also when the kingfish in our area move in close to shore to shadow the schools of pogies (Atlantic menhaden) along the beaches and around the buoy line at Port Canaveral.

During the past few weeks, good numbers of dolphin have been caught beginning at the 90-120 foot depths, all the way out to 300 feet.  Look for color changes, temperature breaks, currents, and weed lines.

Smaller Islander lures with small ballyhoo or strip baits have been filling up coolers.

As the schools of Dolphin begin to spread out, we can expect the dolphin bite slow down a bit however, the concentrations of King Mackerel should remain constant along the inshore reefs and wrecks of Pelican Flats and 8A. 

Slow trolling live pogies on stinger rigs has been producing the most action.

Shark fishing has also been on fire for the past month and should continue through the summer months.   A lot of guys don't want to mess with them, but they are great fun on light tackle and black tips in particular are great eating.   

The bottom fishing for snapper and grouper has been good and should continue to remain so until the first of the summer's tropical systems blow in and begin to muddy up the water. 
   
Click on this link for the current grouper REGULATIONS.

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Shrimping

2017 will likely go down in history as the most atypical and bizarre winter shrimping season on record for our area.

In October, the glancing blow we received from Hurricane Matthew apparently caused swarms of large, jumbo white shrimp to flood the waters of Brevard County. 

In Titusville, all the way back to December, sport shrimping enthusiasts who were cast netting during the day and at night, and dip netting under the lights at night, have been reporting full pulls of shrimp.  

The majority of large jumbo shrimp where the white species, with blue/green tails and long 12 to 15 inch antennae.   

Normally, we do not see a high volume of the jumbo white shrimp during the winter months.  

They are considered our "summer shrimp" species, but it looks like they are likely to stay in the river from Oak Hill and Edgewater to Melbourne for a while.
 

At the Titusville pier, Haulover Canal, and the railroad bridge, "full pulls" are still a hit or a miss proposition. 

The regulars are the ones that usually persevere to make full pulls. 

However, it is not unusual for shrimpers at Haulover and the Railroad bridge to limit out with a majority of jumbos during May and June.

Looks like it could be another good month for us who enjoy shrimp scampi!

 

Till Next Month, Good Fishing & Tight Lines To You All!