Your December 2017 Mosquito Lagoon & Indian River Fishing Report

Published: Fri, 12/01/17

Newsletter Issue # 100                                                                                                                 Fishing Forecast December 1, 2017

Mosquito Lagoon & Indian River Fishing   
 
 
 

 
The Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River 

The winter months on the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River flats are always good for sight fishing and as the water temperatures drop into the low 50s or 60s, and the fishing pressure eases up on our lagoon systems, we should expect some great fishing before and after the cold fronts for redfish and big sea trout.

The topwater bite on the Mosquito Lagoon flats in the central part of the lagoon system between Preachers Island and Cabbage Island has been pretty good during Thanksgiving week, from first light until about 8:00 in the morning.  

Fish the mullet pods with Rapala Skitter Walks, Heddon's Tiny Torpedo, Chug Bugs, or any topwater bait that resembles a fingerling mullet.    After 7:30 am or 8:00 am, when the topwater bite drops off, switch to cut baits for redfish or a live shrimp dangled under a Cajun Thunder type float or free lined for sea trout.

The deeper areas in the central region of the Indian River and Banana River lagoons have been holding schools of small silver and spotted sea trout.    Live shrimp, small jigs, and assassin type soft plastic baits all work well when a school is located.   Most of the fish are small but they are great fun, especially for the kids.

Farther South in the thousand Island area, the flats`have been producing some smaller spotted sea trout, and silver trout in the residential canals. 
 

 
Although the flats in that area haven't had a lot of big trout showing up lately, in the Banana River flats, the black drum have started to show up in better numbers and are moving around quite a bit. Most of the drum are in the slot, but quite a few fish in the 15 to 20 pound category have also been caught.  

On the calmer days, look for the bigger pushes and cast either a shrimp, a clam, or a crab in front of the fish to get hooked up.   Fresh shrimp, sand fleas, clams, and fiddler crabs are all great baits for black drum and sheepshead, which are also beginning to show up. 

When mullet are present on the flats, try dunking a chunk of fresh mullet or ladyfish for a possible redfish.

The north Indian River has been producing some nice redfish along the causeway east of Parrish Park, around the A. Max Brewer Causeway bridge, the area north of the railroad bridge, and around the shorelines of Catfish Creek Loop and Peacocks Pocket Road.  Most of the guys have been using shrimp and cut baits with good success on the reds, and live or fresh dead shrimp on the black drum that have been running close to the shorlines at dusk.

The seasonal barriers to vehicle traffic are still up on the dyke roads in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, but if you park your car and walk the roads, you can find some great fishing opportunities this time of the year for sea trout and oversize redfish in the marsh canals and the mudflats along the Indian River.

Early in the morning and later on towards dusk, the fish move through the canal traveling from pond to pond.  During these times look for big sea trout and redfish busting on baitfish along the banks, and for fish pushing wakes in the ponds and marsh canals.   A well placed gold Johnson's spoon,  D.O.A. Shrimp, or a soft plastic jerkbait will often trigger a strike.
 
 
Port Canaveral and Offshore Fishing:

When the seas are not in the 4 to 7 foot range, the anglers that are getting offshore have been picking up some king mackerel out on the 80 to 130 foot reefs.  Slow trolling pogies, live or frozen sardines, or mullet, are your best baits right now.

Some dolphin, sailfish, and black fin tuna are also being caught along the edge of the clean blue water at the 35 mile mark by anglers slow trolling live and skirted baits.   Skirted ballyhoo and flying fish seem to be working best this past month, and as long as the water is clean, weeds and any other floating debris should be holding fish.

Most of the anglers targeting dolphin and sails are also working the 180 and 250 foot reefs with small, dark colored skirts rigged over the ballyhoo.   Most bites have been during the middle of the day and early afternoon. 

Along the reefs and wrecks in the 70 to 90 foot depths, some scattered cobia are also being caught on jigs.

Flounder:

After the first decent cold front passes us by, and the winter Flounder start to come into our area in better numbers, the sea walls at Port's End Park along the west end of the Port, the rocky jetties at the west end of Jetty Park, and the pier at Jetty Park all become populated with flounder fishermen.

The majority of fishermen targeting flounder will be using live fingerling mullet, mud minnows, live shrimp, or jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp.    Techniques vary, but slowly bouncing the bait on or very close to the bottom, and keeping the bait moving to cover as much ground as possible, is essential to filling up your cooler with fish.   

Depending on the tide, the current at Port Canaveral can vary greatly, but a 1/4 oz. to 3/4 oz. weight is usually sufficient to hold your bait where it belongs.
 

Surf Fishing:

Playalinda Beach in East Central Florida will be a major pompano "hotspot" for the next few months.

Playalinda Beach lies just north of the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and is the southernmost portion of the Canaveral National Seashore. 

The Canaveral National Seashore is in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge which is 12 miles east of Titusville, Fl.   Thirteen parking lots provide easy access to the beach, which is the longest undeveloped beach on Florida's East Coast.   Six of the parking lots are equipped with handicapped access ramps and most have restrooms.

There are no tackle shops or concession stands anywhere near the beach, so bring your bait, rigs, and snacks along with you if you plan on going pompano fishing.

During the winter months, especially during the weekdays, the beaches are often barren.   I've often been surf fishing on the beach many times during the winter months with absolutely no one else in sight.

Playalinda Beach is narrow and drops off sharply in many areas forming deep troughs which are in easy casting distance from the beach.  During high tides, the troughs gather crabs, sand fleas, small shrimp and baitfish that are pulled in with the backwash from the shore breaks and swells that cross the offshore sandbars, just past the troughs.

At high tide, schools of pompano move in closer to the beach to feed on the crustaceans and baitfish caught in the troughs.    During low tides, the schools move out into deeper water just past the sandbars where longer casts are needed to catch them.
This past Thanksgiving week, a few Pompano and Whiting were being caught at the lower numbered lots, but the blues were also hitting pretty good.

The basic Playalinda Beach surf fishing rig is an  8' to 12'  surf rod, a spinning reel loaded with 10 to 20 lb monofilament or braided line, and a 1 or 2 hook dropper rig with a 1 to 4 ounce pyramid sinker.   

Live sand fleas, small pieces of fresh cut clam, small pieces of shrimp, or Fishbites are all baits of choice for pompano. 

A $5 per vehicle entry fee is charged to fish Playalinda Beach, or you can purchase an annual pass for $35 at the guard station.  If you are 62 or older, you can buy a Senior Pass for $10.00.

A signed Refuge Sport Fishing permit must be carried on your person while fishing in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.   You can pick one up at the guard shack, any of the kiosks, or you can download it HERE.

The self-issuing permit assures that you have read and understand Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's fishing rules and regulations.
 

Sebastian Inlet:

The fall Flounder run at Sebastian Inlet starts around Thanksgiving Day and by the middle of December, anglers will be making regular catches of 8 to 12 pound "doormats".     The bigger flounder will continue to remain in the Inlet well into January. 

Although live finger mullet account for the majority of the larger flounder caught, live mud minnows, shrimp, and hair jigs also take a good share of doormats.

Most anglers use a sliding sinker rig or knocker rig to keep the bait right on the bottom.   Use very short fluorocarbon leaders (about 12 inches or so) and enough lead to keep the bait in the strike zone and occasionally hop it off the bottom to cover more area.

The majority of doormats at Sebastian are caught by boaters, but bank fishermen on the rocks or on the catwalk at the State Road A1A bridge also take their share of fish.  Anchoring in the marked channel west of the bridge is still prohibited.
 
 
Haulover Canal:

Many of the bank fishermen I spoke with at Haulover Canal this past Thanksgiving week were making some decent catches of oversize Redfish, Black Drum, and Mangrove Snapper.  

The bigger redfish were caught on sectioned blue crab and cut ladyfish, but most of the guys I spoke with who were catching black drum were using either fresh dead shrimp, live shrimp, or clams. 

Most of the fish caught during the past couple of weeks were either just in the slot or well over the slot, and reports of 10 and more fish being caught per outing were not uncommon.

A few of the bank fishermen I talked with were targeting Mangrove Snapper but most of the fish were under the slot.

During late November, December, and into January, the larger bull redfish and black drum move through the deeper waters of the canal from the Mosquito Lagoon to the northern Indian River. 

Most of the black drum caught last month were in the 10 to 12 pound class, but during the winter months, redfish in the 30 pound plus category are not uncommon.

Although most fishermen targeting bull redfish along the banks of Haulover Canal swear that half of a fresh live blue crab is by far the best bait for larger blacnlet drum and redfish; many anglers use live pinfish, mullet, and large select shrimp with equal success.

Whatever bait you select, if you're bank fishing, it's a good idea to use Power Pro or any other brand of fine diameter braid as your main line, and a heavy fluorocarbon leader snelled onto a 5/0 or 6/0 VMC circle hook as terminal tackle. 

Unlike fishing from an anchored vessel, braid is highly recommended to minimize cutoffs from the Coquina outcroppings that line the banks in the canal.

No bank fishing is permitted in Haulover Canal at night, but boaters night fishing almost any time of the year have an opportunity of catching big black drum, bull redfish, snook, sea trout, Gag Grouper, Mangrove Snapper, and even tarpon in season.

As the weather becomes colder, sport shrimping in Central Florida generally gets better. 

Unfortunately,  because of damage done by the hurricane, both of the fishing piers at the A. Max Brewer bridge which are prime spots for dip net shrimping in this area are now closed to the public until further notice. 

Unless they are re-opened, we can expect to see lots of boaters at the railroad bridge, the A. Max Brewer bridge, and along the banks of Haulover Canal throughout the winter months dipping shrimp through the wee hours of the morning.   

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