Central Florida Fishing Report

St. John's River

thecrankincracker — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:33:53 -0800

Had a killer day on the St. John's river Sunday 1-4-08. We put in at Salt Springs run along with about 100 other boats. We didn't feel like fighting the boats to look for beds so we headed out to the river. We fished rattle trap's and buzzbaits most of the morning, only 2 dinks. Then we headed up near the Ocklawaha river. At this point we were really trying everything in our boxes. Couldn't find any beds, trickworms, rattletraps, spinnerbaits weren't producing. I recently became a prostaff for elgrande lures and was sent a few samples of their mexican rattler, which is like a trick worm on crack. lol. I decided to try it out. I tied it on a carolina rig and fished it around a shell bed my partner had marked. Second cast I caught a 3lber. This worm is so big I thought I would have to really wait until they ate the whole thing. Well this fish just inhaled the whole thing! Another 30 min went by and another one, 5lb's, on the same worm. I was sceptical about the size of this worm but it might be my next confidence bait!!! If anyone want's to check them out shoot me an email at: Barry@elgrandelures.com

Fishing Forecast For The Sanibel, Ft. Myers & Pine Island Sound

Captain Greg Hood — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:49:09 -0800

Predictable cold fronts for the next few weeks is the normal weather pattern.

Bait will be hard to find in most cases.

This is that time of year to head into the local tackle shop and pick up artificial bait. I choose 3 different kinds, one on top of the water, one in the middle of the water, and one on the bottom.

My top water choice is no secret. Zara spook jr. I prefer 2 colors, bone, and white with a red head. Most tackle shops also sell an item called tournament trailer. This is a treble hook with feathers tied to it.

Take some type of cement and paint the threads around the base were the feathers are tied on, and it will last longer. I also try to make sure and purchase a quality hook.

The next choice is a Mirrolure 27MR any color. This is a suspending twitch bait. This bait works great for potholes and higher water with no weeds.

The last choice is weedless soft plastic or jig. I like chartreuse for the weedless soft plastic. The last 2 years I changed my jig choice to a Strike King 3/8 oz white head, and the same body color, called Strike King redfish magic.

The trick to fishing this time of year, is tide movement, water temperature, and wind speed. I prefer going out on the low tide. January and February can produce the lowest tides of the year. The sand bars and oyster bars are all exposed. The water is clear and cooler making it difficult to sneak up on any fish. I usually will power to the area I’ve chosen to fish, turn off my engine, and use my trolling motor with the wind at my back to get closer to the target. I will also make sure no live wells are running and then turn off the trolling motor and use my push pole the rest of the way, make sure your hatches don’t squeak! Sand paper on the edges of the lid will take care of that. With the wind at your back, make long casts, using 15# line and light leader. If your fishing before the front, more than likely there will be a chop on the water. This is a good time to work the middle of the water column. After the front passes I normally wait 2 days for things to calm down and the fish to get acclimated to the new temperature. Then I bring out the top water plug and go to work. There is nothing like those big hits on top water! Snook, Redfish, and big Sea Trout will all be moving up onto a grass flat to find some food. Working 2 to 3 feet of water is great, but if your tide is low enough look for the Redfish tailing. The Redfish are normally spooky so its always a good idea to get out and walk. This is when that weedless soft plastic comes in. I walk quietly when the fishes head is down, and then cast past the fish and bring the bait to its face.

One last thing to remember! The mouth of a Redfish is low and under its face. Many times the fish will produce a push of water as it raises its head to eat the bait. At this point sometimes the fish will miss as it struggles to eat the bait. I have found if you reel the bait away quickly just a couple feet and then stop and twitch it, the Redfish will chase it and forward momentum helps the Redfish get its mouth up for a better bite.

O.K. one more thing to remember the water is cold and the fish are lethargic. Try not to work the bait so fast “It’s all about the feather”

See ya on the water.
Captain Greg Hood
www.tarpoons.com
239-822-5698

Space Coast Lagoons

John Kumiski — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:29:50 -0800

Fishing Report from Spotted Tail

A new year is upon us. My resolutions are to lose ten pounds and ride my bike more, as well as learning to use Lightroom in an expert fashion. That ought to be enough for a few months, anyway!

On Monday long time friend Rick DePaiva and his friend (my new friend!) David McCleaf joined me for a day’s paddling on the Banana River Lagoon. We launched our boats in the fog and began our paddle.

The first fish I saw, I at first thought was a dolphin. The fog was playing tricks with my depth perception. It turned out to be a large Black Drum, tailing and happy. Ricky rudely interrupted his happiness by dropping a black streamer near him. When he ate, Ricky stuck him, and happy time was over.

The beast was at least 30 pounds, a heck of a way to start the day. The event was duly recorded with pixels, and Mr. Drum was released to go on about his business.

There was a long dry spell. Ricky cast a DOA shad tail while I poled, and he got a couple of more-or-less 15 inch Trout, which he released. Then we found a school of Black Drum. These were smaller fish, five to ten pounds. Each of us got one, all on black streamers (mine was a bunny booger). The commotion moved the fish and we couldn’t find them again, so Rick and I went looking for crawlers.

We found one fairly quickly. Ricky, still using his black fly, had it take his second cast. The Redfish turned out to be about 28 inches long. The event was duly recorded with pixels, and Mr. Red was released to go on about his business. That fish completed a lagoon slam for Ricky.

Ricky then poled me to one, which I got on the black bunny. The fish was released without any photos. It was again about 28 inches.

Now working south again the sun was in our faces. We saw the tailing fish here and there, and Rick got one more Red.

We ended the day with dinner at El Leoncito. It was a good day.

Tuesday I had a donated charter. This trip was donated to www.helpholly.org. Holly Patterson has syringomyelia and by the age of 13 had already had 15 major surgeries. Her father ties flies and all proceeds go to this organization. His website is at www.pattersonsaltwaterflies.com. If you can help with either a donation or a purchase, please do so.

Anyhow, I digress. Jon and Tim, 20 something year old brothers from North Carolina, were the recipients of this particular trip. The water in the lagoons is very low now, and there were no fish at our first stop. It hurt, because it had been reliable for weeks. The search was on!

At the second spot we got one nice Redfish and three trout, these on a four inch DOA jerk bait. One of these trout was the smallest I’ve ever seen take a lure other than a fly. It was maybe five inches long. Beautiful, but tiny. But a fish!

We went and looked on the flat inside of Tiger Shoal and again it looked like the boat show out there. We avoided the cluster of boats. While we saw some fish there we failed to get any.

Time was winding down so we tried one last spot. There was a small school of 20 or so Redfish there and Jon and Tim doubled up, which was a very nice way to end the day.

Why I Hate Gulp!

Jon and Tim each kept a redfish. When I fillet a Redfish, I always check the stomachs to see what they have been eating. In both of these fish were small fish. One of them also had a Gulp! In it’s stomach.

This was the fourth Redfish that I’ve cleaned that was in gastric possession of a Gulp! The manufacturer claims that this product is “biodegradable,” but is it digestible? Or is it plugging up the fish and causing death by gastric disturbance?

This product is finding its way into our waterways. Fish are eating it. If you’re going to use bait, use natural bait! Don’t use synthetic baits like Gulp! Yum! and other similar products. I don’t think they are in the best interests of the fish we seek.Don’t Use Gulp!

Wednesday I fished Colin Jaye. Colin is 15, the brother of one of son Maxx’s best friends. Colin had been fishing once before, with me, about three years ago. The plan was simply to catch Colin some fish.

The fish had other plans. The wind was cold and fairly strong, probably 15, out of the northwest. While I poled Colin cast a four inch DOA jerk bait and a three inch DOA Shrimp, alternating depending on the spot. We didn’t get a fish on either all day.

We would stop and fish in holes periodically, using cut mullet, a natural food fish can actually digest. We had two beautiful hardhead cats and a very exciting little stingray under our belts when a 27 inch Redfish made the mistake of thinking our mullet chunk was safe to eat. The event was duly recorded with pixels, and Mr. Red was released to go on about his business.

Finally, with time winding down, I spooked a few fish out of a hole. The boat was staked out and mullet baited lines deployed. We got nine reds to 28 inches and a Trout out of that hole. Colin kept a 21 inch red that was gut hooked and all others were released. Mission accomplished!

Life is short- GO FISHING!!!

Life is great and I love my work!

If you have any questions or comments, or if you'd like to go fishing, please feel free to email me at spottedtail@spottedtail.com, or call at 407 977 5207.

John Kumiski
member, Indian River Guides Association,
Florida Outdoor Writers Association

Mosquito Lagoon

Captain DREW — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:35:10 -0800

The start of the new year has turned out to be really great. The weather is working out well and tagging right along with it is some really awesome fishing. The past several weeks have actually been really, really good. Almost everyday I was on the water with a client and pretty much an overall success was accomplished. Even a few days fished for myself just to keep in touch with these beauties of the back waters. I am always following the feeding patterns and habits of these beautiful creatures of the flats we like to call game fish.

The past days and weeks have produced(and continue to produce) exceptionally great catches of Redfish, Trout, Black Drum and even a few mixed bag fish. Let's start of with the Redfish bite. Reds have been roaming the flats early and throughout the morning/day. I have been getting most of them in the upper and a bit over the slot size by throwing a live shrimp at them or a Gulp in the white color. Nothing like sight fishing one of these bull dogs of the flats. Making your light tackle scream like the devil. A few Reds were landed the other day with an imitation shrimp on fly with a client from South Dakota. Approach these fish slowly and you should be able to get close to them. As always with Redfish...You know what I am going to say-Stealth and Distance and let's throw in a dash of Patience. This is the KEY to success for these troopers of the flats.

Now moving on to some Trout. I do not mean just any Trout, I mean TROUT. Very nice Trout have been seen and caught using top water and live shrimp. Even a couple have been caught using the free-lined live Mullet tactic. If you are able to get within sight of these smart fish with the right light conditions you can see and land a few of them by sight fishing them. Most the Trout are between the 3-7 lb class with a few over 8lbs or so on the skinny water side of things. They are seen roaming grass flats and lurking among the sand holes in search of an ambushed bait. A good Skitter Walk in a Mullet pattern will work well too.

Black Drum have been thick throughout the entire Mosquito Lagoon. The fish are getting a lot of pressure and are becoming very skittish when approached. I find that a small shrimp will work on a 3/0 or so circle hook. Gulps work very well too for these fish and tend to stay on a good amount of time as well. Look for these fish roaming the flats VERY early then moving off to deeper edges for protection and food.

As long as things continue weather wise the fishing should continue to improve along with it. Call today to book your trip of a lifetime and get out there and see the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River like you have never seen before.

Happy New Year and Tight Lines!

Captain Drew Cavanaugh
Florida Inshore Fishing Charters
PO BOX 881
Edgewater, FL 32132
Cell/352-223-7897
drcfishmaster@cfl.rr.com
Light Tackle Fishing Guide On The Mosquito Lagoon
Specializing In Fly Or Spin
www.floridainshorefishingcharters.com

South Indian River January Forecast

fishtales — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:07:03 -0800

INSHORE:
January will be full of sunny days and windy conditions for most of the month. We can expect a few days a week to enjoy and the rest can be a challenge to get out on the water. Offshore is usually choppy to rough seas, but will hold some great Sailfishing for those who can get out on the ocean. We will be playing cat and mouse with the wind, but there is always somewhere on the river to enjoy a day of fishing.

Trout season re-opens and many anglers will be out with their popping corks on the grass flats. Pompano will also be cruising around the river & surf and you never know where or when you can pick up some of these great tasting fish. The Grouper bite along the channel will still be good as will be the dock fishing for them. Jetties will hold lots of Bluefish, Mackerel and Jacks, while the catwalks provide Sheepshead, Black Drum and Croakers for eager anglers.

January is a great month to fish the Indian River along the Treasure Coast if you watch the weather and plan your trips around the weekly cold fronts that will invade the area. Have fun this year and have a fantastic 2009!

Tip of the Week:
As winter settles in on the Treasure Coast, windy conditions will be the norm on most days for the next several months. Small boats that cruise the river in search of a good fishing spot can be especially vulnerable to water blown around in the boat from choppy waves and blustery winds. Make sure cell phones, keys, cameras or any things that could be damaged by salt water are stowed secure and dry from the conditions. Dry boxes or zip lock bags can save a cell phone or car keys from sure disaster from the effects of saltwater. Keep them safe and dry before you leave the dock!

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner

www.fishtalescharter.com
email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Mosquito Lagoon, New Smyrna Beach, And Ponce Inlet Backcountry

captnate — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:33:54 -0800

Happy New Year to everyone and best wishes for a great 2009! When I reported last month I commented how fantastic the fishing was...well it hasn’t slowed down, in fact it only got better. It was a great way to close a busy year as I fished with charter clients from many states across the country and they weren’t disappointed with summer like conditions of 80 degrees and glass calm days throughout the month. Our catch numbers have held steady with a 10-20 fish average on most trips for light tackle spin fisherman. My fly fisherman have really done well with too many chances to count each day at Redfish, Trout, Snook, and even some Tarpon; and on most days got at least 5-10 eats. All of the fish are now firmly into their winter patterns and favorite holding spots. It’s my favorite time of the year to sightfish and I’m looking forward to the coming year.

There are thousands of Redfish schooled up throughout Mosquito Lagoon and the North IRL, with most schools now averaging 100-200 fish. But don’t be surprised to see schools of 400-500 Redfish like we found during the last week of December. The water temperatures warmed quite a bit from all of the recent 80 degree weather and we’ve seen quite a bit of tailing behavior on the edges of flats and sloughs throughout the entire day. For my light tackle anglers we’ve been throwing lots of soft plastic shrimp, as well as a few of my more favorite small fluke patterns and twitchbaits. To catch the most amount of fish, live shrimp and blue crab have been too much for Redfish to pass on. For my fly anglers, a well placed slider, spoon fly, or my hand tied crab puff have gotten great reaction strikes. (Call me before scheduling your charter and I will give you a better rundown of other patterns, fly sizes, and color choices if you want to bring some with you) All of the recent warm weather really got the GIANT Redfish up and moving, there are at least 7 or 8 schools now showing up in various areas in Mosquito Lagoon or the North Indian River Lagoon in the 10-30lb range. We caught a few on light tackle from 15-20lbs and a couple more on fly around 10-15lbs.

Snook are schooled up and the fishing has still been pretty great. It's a great option to close out (or even start) those full day charters after Redfish and Trout. Depending on the tide, where we fish, (and when we fish them) 5, 10, 15, or 20 Snook has been the standard . All of the the fish we’ve landed are ranging from 1-10lbs. Snook season is now closed until February, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fish for them...we just can’t keep them. Most of our caught Snook lately have come on plugs and plastic. A couple of my favorite winter Snook holes are now loading up on big 8-15lb Snook as the ride out the winter. There are Snook in a few places in Mosquito Lagoon, and lots more around New Smyrna Beach, Ponce Inlet, and Port Orange. A well-timed night fishing trip around tides/moon will yield jaw dropping results.

It’s been epic Spotted Sea Trout sight fishing in Mosquito Lagoon, this is the time of the year to sight cast the biggest fish you will ever see. I’ve guaranteed everyone who booked with me a shot at, at least a 10lb+ Trout and everyone got their wish. Now catching one in 6-12 inches of water on artificial or fly is a different story...they are certifiably the spookiest fish you could ever target in shallow water. Nevertheless, I stuck one 10 pounder two weeks ago on plastic and on my last day off got another one in the 8-10lb range. A few clients caught several in the 4-6lb range and we lost another that was in the 6-8lb range. We’ve been finding schools of gator Trout laid up in the grass and sand spots. Two weeks ago I hosted two great photographers and came away with some amazing shots of tailing 6-10lb Trout (up so close you could count the spots on their tail and dorsal fins).

After spotting a lone 10lb fish rolling in a creek, I had to go play with some Tarpon. We jumped 7 Tarpon in December (all of them around +/- 5-10lbs). I caught one on fly and one of my clients caught 3 to complete his Tarpon, Snook, Redfish grand slam on the worst weather day of December (go figure). I found a few recently in the 10-20lb range, but their younger brothers/sisters are much more active and willing. Bluefish are everywhere around New Smyrna and the Ponce Inlet backcountry, some nice fish in the 4-7lb range in a few areas I like to fish. I love bluefish, but when they move into my spots and start biting, the Snook shut it down for a few hours. The remainder of this month and next will usher in the best blues of the year...some upwards of 15lbs. I’ll catch them any day.

Visit my website to see the annual slideshow of some of the best catches from 2008! www.floridasightfishing.com

December was almost fully booked and January dates have been filling quickly. The best sight fishing of the year is now through spring, so don’t miss out on it. I look forward to fishing with you soon… 386-212-4931.

Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report

captjoeward — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:35:12 -0800

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

INSHORE: There has been a lot of fish reported this week starting with the Sheepshead, Sand Perch, Croaker and Black Drum. The Sheepshead bite has been going off any where you can find a little structure. Try using a live shrimp or fiddler crabs. The area bridges are holding a lot of Sand Perch, Croaker, Black Drum and Sheepshead. Try a live shrimp or a piece of frozen shrimp. Starting today Trout season is open again. Look for good Trout action around Bear Point, the Midway Road area and up at Harbor Branch. Try a live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder cork or a soft plastic bait like a D.O.A. shrimp. Still a few Redfish and catch and release Snook around Round Island and Queen's Cove. These fish have been taking small Pinfish. Look for the Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and plenty of Jacks around the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Use a small -- #1 Drone spoon for the best results. Along the area beaches there has been a few Pompano and a good number of Whiting for the surf anglers.

OFFSHORE: Still pretty bumpy for the smaller boats but the bigger boats that went did report scattered Sailfish action both to the north and south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Try trolling a Ballyhoo in 90 to 140 feet of water. Not a lot of Dolphin reported this week but the few fish that did come into the docks were caught in 100 to 180 feet of water and the biggest one was 18 pounds. The Kingfish bite has still been over the Offshore Bar in 70 to 90 feet of water. The best results were for anglers using a live Blue Runner. The bottom fishing for Snapper and Grouper has been good around the Northeast Grounds and both live and cut baits have been working well. There is still plenty of Spanish Mackerel along the local beaches.

JUNIOR TEEN ANGLERS: The Treasure Coast Chapter of Junior Teen Anglers will hold their next from shore fishing tournament on Saturday -- Jan. 10th at Harbour Pointe Park in Ft. Pierce. The Junior's will fish from 9am until 11am and then we will award trophies. Junior Teen Anglers is for the 5 to 11 age group and if you would like more info you can go to the website at www.teenanglers.org or call 772-201-5773. Junior Teen Anglers and Teen Anglers are a not for profit organization and everything is done by donations or volunteers.

BRAGGING BOARD: On Monday, Mr. & Mrs. Paul Tolen went out with me and they caught a limit of Sheepshead. Their biggest fish was 4.5 pounds. All of the fish were caught on live shrimp. On Tuesday Donald & Jeremy Birkholz of Kenosha, Wisconsin went out with me and they also got 15 Sheepshead. Jeremy, age 17, caught most of the fish and they also used live shrimp. On Wednesday I had Capt. Chop Leg'e and his daughter Emily on the boat. They also caught Sheepshead and Capt. Leg'e also caught a nice 23 inch Redfish. Their biggest Sheepshead was 4 pounds. They were also using live shrimp. Most of the fish on these 3 charters were caught to the south in the river by the power lines. I got an e-mail from Robert Kinchen stating that his son Robert Jr. caught 3 nice Sheepshead that were roughly 5 pounds. They were fishing about half way between the Jensen Beach Causeway and the Stuart Bridge. He was using frozen shrimp.

If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com

Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters

Hernando Beach Gulf Grouper Report

Gulf Grouper — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:07:30 -0800

Great Gag Grouper fishing now and through the new year. Plenty of Grouper to be caught. No problems finding fish, no shortage of fish. More fish this year than years previous. Call me for the truth on Grouper fishing. Have fun catching all the Grouper you want even in February or March. Grouper are plentiful and are not endangered, we catch and release over 100 Grouper alive on most trips! If you want nonstop action catching fish come out with me on the Gulf Grouper.

Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Miami

ladypamela2 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:43:45 -0800

Ending The 2008 Fishing Season Offshore Fort Lauderdale - Bring it on 2009!

The Winter season is definitely making it's presence felt here in South Florida with cold fronts pushing through one after another. We do prefer our 80 degree afternoons, but these chilly spurts bring more than just the shivers to us Fort Lauderdale locals, it's the start of our red hot winter fishing season. In November, we had the best Sailfish bite I've seen in years! Kite Fishing is key when it comes to catching a Sailfish. Live Google-Eyes dangling from the kites really seems to turn them on. With moderate winds coming from the North and the East, we were averaging 5 - 15 Sailfish a day. It has slowed down a bit, but not much. Watching those Sailfish jump 5 feet high, 5 times in a row is the ultimate adrenalin rush. They are one of the most sought after game fish in the world and one of my favorite fish to seek. Tournament fishing is now in full swing here in South Florida. November 11 - 12 was the Sailfish Cup, the first leg of the Sailfish Pro Series. My tournament fishing team and I (Advanced Roofing) caught 20 Sailfish in two days, hopefully the bite stays consistent and every boat catches fish throughout the season.

Just a few miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, more and more Kingfish are being caught on the troll. Several days this month you couldn't get away from the Kings. Some Mahi-Mahi remain, but are thinning out and migrating to warmer waters. Fort Lauderdale is known for it's wreck fishing offshore. If you are looking for something to tug on this time of year, drop a live bait on their front door and your chances of catching a Grouper or a nice size Amberjack are likely. The game Sharks have been seen here and there, but not many takers.

As we approach the end of December, the new year brings several different attractions to South Florida. There are so many things to see and do, but nothing compares to deep sea fishing offshore - take advantage of our backyard and bring home a memorable experience. Fort Lauderdale and Miami offer some of the worlds best sportfishing. Head down here a day early or extend your vacation a day late to go deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale and experience the thrill of a lifetime.

Tight Lines & Happy New Year!

Captain David Ide
www.ladypamela2.com
954-761-8045

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast

MosquitoCoast — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:03:39 -0800

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, January 2009

By Captain Tom Van Horn

As we ring in the New Year, it is once again time to reflect back on the events and accomplishments of 2008, and to count our many blessings. We are truly blessed to live in Central Florida where angling and spending time on the water are year round endeavors. I am also thankful for another great year of fishing with my clients and friends on the esteemed waters of the Indian River Lagoon estuary. Thank you all for a year filled with adventure on the water, and many great memories.

In preparation for this forecast, I first reviewed last year fishing photos, and I was taken back by the number of quality fish caught and the enjoyment expressed on the faces of the victorious anglers. My good friend and mentor Captain Rodney Smith always suggest I begin with the end in mind, and the end in this case is conserving and protecting the resource we all love and cherish, the Indian River Lagoon system. This report is not only an expression of my thoughts and experience, but also those of many within my circle of influence, and together we can make the difference in promoting the use, and not the abuse of resources we love and respect.

Before I get started with January’s outlook, I’d like to provide a short recap of last weeks fishing. First, the American shad have arrived with the first shad of the 2008/2009 season caught yesterday aboard Three Quarter Time at the mouth of Deep Creek by Andrew McCullough. The Crappie bite was also very good on Lake Monroe this past week with a number of reported limits being taken. And last but not least, calm and clear conditions have rewarded anglers with some nice catches of Black Drum, Redfish and Sea Trout on the Mosquito and North Indian River Lagoons.

Winter on the east central coast of Florida cannot be defined by any specific dates, but rather by the temperature differences generated by passing cold fronts as they swing south across the state. These variations are subject to change from year to year, and they are impossible to predict. On the average, daytime temperatures usually range from the 50’s in the morning to around the 70’s by afternoon. Likewise, water temperatures average in the upper 60’s, but they can drop as low as the 50’s during extended cold periods. On warm sunny days, water temperatures can increase as much as ten degrees on the shallow flats and sandbars. All of these factors greatly affect the species targeted and the methods used.

Inlet fishing has been good this past month weather permitting, with Sebastian and Ponce De Leon Inlets proving to be the most productive. There are still some reports of flounder moving through the inlets, but the bite has slowed considerably. On the inside at Sebastian Inlet, look for good numbers of pompano, ladyfish, and jacks to be located on the flats both north and south of the inlet cut and in the area of the monument. Also, January is the month when the breeder size redfish move in and feed in the mouth of the inlets during the last part of the falling tide. As the tidal currents slow down, the large redfish push up to the surface chasing baitfish. These monsters are brood stock, so please handle and release them with care.

Along the beaches, pompano will remain the staple for the majority of surf anglers, with a mixed bag of whiting, slot size black drum, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish added in. Try fishing with sand fleas (mole crabs) if you can catch them, cut fresh clams, or freshly peeled live shrimp.

Near-shore, January is the month when the tripletails become consistent on the Port Canaveral buoy line, and their numbers will increase as the month progresses. The other hot item near-shore is king mackerel holding along the 70 to 90 foot reefs of North Pelican and 8A. Also, bottom fishing on deep structure should remain consistent as long as the weather holds. Look for snapper, cobia and sea bass in depths of 80 to 140 feet, and grouper and amberjack along the 22-fathom ridge and deeper.

On the flats during the winter, redfish and sea trout will seek the warmest water they can find. Start out working the deeper edges of the flats in the morning and then move into the warmer wind protected flats around mid-day to late afternoon. An early morning start is not necessary this time of year if the weather is cold. Additionally, both redfish and sea trout love to warm themselves in the shallow water sand pockets “potholes” within the grassy flats. On colder days, focus your attention on the deeper holes using a very slow presentation. When targeting redfish and trout in these deeper holes, I prefer using shrimp imitation baits like DOA Shrimp in the clear or nightglow colors fished extremely slowly. I also like to add the element of sound to the bait by inserting a Woodie’s Rattle into the soft plastic bait. Other species encountered in January are black drum, flounder, sheepshead, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish. Also, January is one of the best months to target tailing black drum on the flats, especially in the Banana River “No-Motor Zone”. Both live shrimp and blue crabs are the preferred bait for black drum, but they will eat both artificial and fly when presented properly.

Last but definitely not least, January marks the beginning of the American Shad run up the St. Johns River. Last year, I started catching shad on January 13th and the run remained steady through February, but as stated earlier in this report, the shad have already started to arrive in the Marina Isle, Lemmon Bluff, and Lake Harney areas. As the month progresses, the shad will continue moving south (up stream) into the Econ Creek and Puzzle Lake areas.

In closing, I wish you a happy, prosperous, and fishfull New Year. As always, if you have questions or need information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 office

Mosquito Lagoon

Captain DREW — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:57:31 -0800
Well, it has come. The end of the 2008 season & year is here. With this said, the past couple of weeks have been epic. The fish are roaming the flats just like a kid in a candy store. However, they have been very nervous, and with good reason.

Redfish and Drum are very plentiful on the flats throughout the Mosquito Lagoon. The fish are getting a lot of pressure from anglers. As always, approach these fish with stealth. Like I have said a few times, this time of year I prefer to go after my fish from say November up until the high waters of summer in June, I use my push pole. It takes a bit more effort but the rewards are ten times greater. The past weeks numerous of fish have been boated and released...I mean a ton of them by very happy clients. It allows you to go real skinny. Believe me the fish are skinny, very skinny. Also with the calm waters in the morning the noise factor alone makes up for it. This is the time of year a canoe is a deadly weapon out there.

The Reds have been feeding aggressively in the morning and actually throughout the whole morning. Use a live shrimp well placed by them. Nice Trout can be seen all over too. Gulps work well too if you want to go the artificial route. Top water has been productive as well for nice Trout along grass edges and banks.

I want to wish every body out there a safe and happy holiday-New Year.

Call today to book the trip of a lifetime.
See you on the water.

Captain Drew Cavanaugh
Florida Inshore Fishing Charters
PO BOX 881
Edgewater, FL 32132
Cell: 352-223-7897
drcfishmaster@cfl.rr.com
Light Tackle Fishing Guide On The Mosquito Lagoon
Specializing In Fly Or Spin
www.floridainshorefishingcharters.com

Sanibel Island Fishing

Captain Greg Hood — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:15:06 -0800
Sanibel Fishing during the holiday week of Christmas and New Years.

Great weather and warmer water have the fish in a feeding pattern.

Schools of Ladyfish, and Bluefish, can be found all over Pine Island Sound.

The schools are easy to locate because there are so many birds and Dolphin feeding on them.
Fishing close to the passes is still producing good numbers of Grouper.

The Snook and Redfish are close to oyster bars.

See ya on the water!
Captain Greg Hood

Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report

captjoeward — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:31:24 -0800
DECEMBER 24, 2008

INSHORE
The weekend weather was great and the fishing was the same. Lots of catch and release Trout & Snook being reported. As there was almost no wind and you could fish just about anywhere. Some of the best places were from Bear Point down to Middle Cove and from the Midway Road area down to the power lines. Soft plastic baits in light colors worked the best. The Sheepshead bite was great and they were being caught around any structure you could throw a shrimp at. Look around the Ft. Pierce Inlet for Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and plenty of Jacks. If it's Redfish you are looking for then try the docks along north Indian River Drive around St. Lucie Village. Live shrimp or pieces of crabs will do the job. The anglers fishing from the catwalks of the South Bridge have been getting Sand Perch, Snapper, Sheepshead, Black Drum and a few Croakers. These fish were caught on a live shrimp or a piece of fresh dead shrimp. The wins started blowing on Tuesday and hasn't quit yet.

OFFSHORE
The same thing offshore and inshore -- a good weekend of fishing. The Sailfish bite has been in 100 feet of water to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet and they have been taking Ballyhoo. Look for a good number of Dolphin in 150 to 300 feet of water. Most of the Dolphin were 15 pounds and under. I got a report from the angers on the boat Dropper that in that same area they got 2 Wahoo to 40 pounds and several small Tuna. The Kingfish have been taking live bait just inside the Offshore Bar in 90 feet of water. The bottom fishing for Snapper, Grouper and a mix of other fish was good over the reefs and wrecks and both live and cut baits were working well. There is still plenty of Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and jacks along the local beaches. Also, a good number of Whiting have been reported but only a handful of Pompano.

TEEN ANGLERS
After almost 3 months the Teen Anglers got to fish inshore on Sunday, December 21, 2008. They caught a variety of fish and did bring back 16 fish for weigh in.

In the Middle School Division

1st place - Shane Surrency - Lincoln Park Academy - 2lb. 9oz. Sheepshead

2nd place - Branson Troska - Lincoln Park Academy - 2lb. 2oz. Sheepshead

3rd place - Helen Kinchen - Stuart Middle School - 1lb. 4oz. Mangrove Snapper

In the High School Division:

1st place - Kalib Guettler - Westwood High - 3lb.8oz. Sheepshead

2nd place - Tyler Moyher - Lincoln Park Academy - 1lb. 1oz. Mangrove Snapper

3rd - no fish weighed

Biggest fish of the tournament trophy went to Kalib Guettler for his Sheepshead. The next inshore tournament for the Teen Anglers will be held on Jan. 25, 2009. If you would like more info on joining Teen Anglers or becoming a volunteer just go to the web at www.teenanglers.org Teen Anglers is a not for profit and everything is done by donations or volunteers.

BRAGGING BOARD - On Saturday Myles Tullis, his brother Bryce and their dad went out with me on a charter that Myles won at a recent Junior Teen Anglers tournament. Bryce caught his 1st Redfish -- a 24 incher and all three caught a good number of Sheepshead. Myles caught the biggest one - 4lb. 3oz. They also caught a mix of other fish. Also, on Saturday I had a 2 boat charter and James Murray caught his 1st redfish. James and his brother Jack also caught a good number of Sheepshead, a few Snapper and the usual Jacks and Ladyfish. They were down from Michigan visiting their grandfather. Capt. Chris Nelson sent an e-mail stating that on Sunday while fishing near the Ft. Pierce Inlet he caught 2 Flounder, Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish. He went by the North Bridge and caught and released 3 Gag Grouper -- all 18 inches and also 2 Sheepshead. On Sunday I had Kalib Guettler on my boat for the Teen Anglers inshore tournament. Kalib caught 2 Sheepshead and a Redfish.

If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-210-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com

Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters

Fort Lauderdale

Fishing Headquarters — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:32:41 -0800
The holiday fishing season is here in Fort Lauderdale once again. The weather has been kind to us this year in South Florida. We had back-to-back-to-back cold fronts this month which has gotten the Sailfish in a feeding frenzy. Sailfishing has been better this year for the Ft. Lauderdale fishing boats than in the last 10. Constant North East and South East winds have made it prime days for kite fishing the 100’-200’ deep zone known as Sailfish Alley. Kite fishing with live Mullet and Google-Eyes is producing an average of 1 Sailfish per trip. Some trips we catch a couple, some trips none. It averages out to about 1 Sailfish per charter. The good fishing has kept us busy in a very slow time of year for charters.

Sailfish are always the hot news ticket this time of year, but there are a few other notable gamefish in our area right now. Wahoo are migrating through our waters and can be caught for those willing to put in some fishing time looking for them. An hour of high speed trolling lures on the outer edge of the Gulf Stream gives you a good shot at catching one of the most exciting fish in the ocean. These fish are built for speed. When they strike, you will experience the sickest run of any fish you will ever see. I’ve had Wahoo break reels before back in the old days. Wahoo can test your equipment. The Big Game, our sportfishing boat, has been targeting Wahoo this week and catching some nice ones. Most Wahoo are in the 15-20 pound range, but we’ve thrown a couple 30-40 pounders on the dock recently. Any trip where you catch nice Wahoo is a great trip.

The drift boats in Ft. Lauderdale are catching some fish these days too. Kingfish have been biting good for us this year. We haven’t caught many smoker Kings this year, but the average size Kingfish on the head boat has been about 8 pounds. There aren’t many little snake Kings biting. Most all of them have been nice, plump, full-grown Kingfish. The Catch My Drift has been flying a few Sailfish release flags from their half day fishing trips. It’s always cool when the drift boat out-fishes the sportfishing boats on Sailfish. Capt. Dale who runs our night trips has been telling me the Snapper fishing has been good at night. The best bite for yellowtail has been later in the trip, around 10PM. A few muttons here and there, but we’ve mostly been catching yellowtail.

Fishing may slow down for a week or so, but there’s always something out there to catch. This time of year, we have good days, bad days, great days and not so great days. January should have some great days for sailfishing, a few good days of Mahi-Mahi fishing, and maybe a few good days of Wahoo and king fishing. We’ll see.

Merry Christmas everyone, sea ya on the water.

South Indian River Fishing Report

fishtales — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:07:54 -0800
INSHORE:

This year has come and gone so fast and I would like to thank everyone for making 2008 full of great memories and fun adventures on the water. We hope that you and your family has the most wonder of Holiday Seasons and wish you the very best for 2009!

Some great fishing weather awaited anglers this past week on the Indian River. Mild temperatures and very little winds to allow boats to spread throughout the river and ocean in search of their favorite species of fish. It was unusual to have so many great fishing days without another cold front to stir things up again. Even the fish were enjoying the weather and we found them hungry as well.

Big Sheepshead are around the river now. Each day we caught lots of three to five pound Sheepshead around docks and structure along the Indian River. Kevin and Gordon had some non-stop action and the next day Jack, Bill and Steve enjoyed the same fun and even caught some Snook and Grouper as well. Dave and Cody Howard were next to wrestle some of these big Sheepshead from under the docks. Young Cody mastered it well and also found a variety of fish to keep his rod bending. We had lots of fun this week on the water!

Trout have been holding in three to five feet on the grass flats. We had a number of Trout along with all the Jacks and Ladyfish you cared to tangle with. The youngsters were all smiles this week with the quick and seemingly unending action. There were some Redfish caught around some of the docks this week. You can also find some hanging in the shallows under the warmth of the sun. All our fish this week were caught on DOA CAL jerk baits or live shrimp on a DOA jig head. There is some fast furious action awaiting you out there on the river!

Black Drum,Sand Perch and Sheepshead topped the list on the catwalks and bridges this week. Live or dead shrimp works great for these areas. Pompano around the Power Plant and in the surf has been the catch for those anglers. The jetties continue to hold Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and Jacks for those with a silver spoon. It's been a fantastic week on the water!

Tip of the Week: It's almost the end of 2008 and many will soon be thinking of resolutions for the coming year. While my usual ones are always to lose weight and keep healthy, I will set a few as well for the water.....

Protect our grass flats. Idle speed in the shallows and use a trolling motor or push pole the majority of the time. Prop scars can take years to heal if at all.

Pick up some kind of trash from the water on each adventure. There is always something floating around in the river and picking up something can only help in keeping our river cleaner.

Teach as many of our youth the art of fishing. Etiquette, casting skills, safe boating and using artificials are only a few of the many things that we can teach our future anglers.

Practice catch and release. Safe handling and releasing of fish can help insure a population for generations to come.

It's all about having fun! Enjoy your time on the water and make it enjoyable for everyone around you.

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com

email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com

772-284-3852

Cody Howard was busy reeling in fish this week with his dad, Dave. Jack and his sister had big days while fishing with their family, the Murrays.

Grouper Country, Hernando Beach

Gulf Grouper — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:59:16 -0800
Charter Boat Gulf Grouper Fishing Report- -Hernando Beach

Awesome Grouper fishing here in the waters west of Hernando Beach. Plenty of good size Gag Grouper in all depths of water. 10 to 15 keeper size Grouper each trip has been the norm for a few months now. We hope this will continue in the weeks to come. Water temperatures have stabilized around 67 degrees and fishing has been very consistent. Additionally, we have caught plenty of large Grunts, Sea Bass, and Mangrove Snapper along with the Grouper.

Hernando Beach Fishing Forecast: Larger Gag Grouper will continue to hang around with the stable water temperature.

Tip of the week: Fish slower and chum a little to get the Grouper bite going. Look for the Grouper around the larger reef areas.

Sea ya on the water,
Capt Rick Rodriguez
727-992-9494
www.gulfgrouper.com

Conway Chain

Capt Dean Puller — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:30:35 -0800
Wow fished some clients on Tuesday of this week and we spanked em. I told the clients if the bait was still in the same spot we should be able to catch them. I pulled up in one area of the lake and yes the bait was there. With three lines in the water we had a fish on every 15 seconds or so. yes I said every 15 seconds. After about 3 hours the fishing started to slow and to the best we could keep track we caught close to 90 Bass. The fish are following the large pods of bait in the lake and if you know where they are the action can be fast and furious. Now for two days later we went back to the same spot and there was no bait anywhere. The bait and fish had moved probably to open water. Now we had to hunt. We moved to many different spots and caught 3 or 4 fish in each spot probably caught around 15 fish total. Boy this day seamed so slow from two days prior but my client said he had a blast. As the weather warms the fish will start to scatter so I will probably start fishing on West lake until the weather cools again.

South Indian River Fishing Report

fishtales — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:24:21 -0800
December 18, 2008

INSHORE:

Finally! After a couple weeks of battling the flu, I was able to get back on the water and do some scouting around the river. It turned out to be a wonderful weather day with light winds to make it a warm welcome back to the river. It looks like the weekend will be a fantastic opportunity to get out fishing. The fish are out there, so plan a trip out soon!

If you have children, it's one of the best times of year to take them fishing. The Ladyfish and Jacks are thick on the edges of the flats and you can treat them to an experience that they will remember for a long time. Tom Hull came down from Melbourne and we play with them for a while to get back into the fishing mode again. Try to get some kids out there soon and show them a good time!

There are still large Trout, Snook and Redfish hanging just on the flat edges once the sun warms up the morning. We found some nice size Trout to hit and did manage one Redfish before the day ended. It sure was nice to get back on the water again. If you are out, try soft plastics like DOA CAL jerk baits or grub tails for the Trout, Snook and Redfish. We caught Trout on the jerk baits and the Redfish on a grub tail. Suspending lures will also work along with top water in the early mornings. Harbor Branch, Round Island and Bear Point have all been good areas to fish.

The Sand Perch bite slowed down a little this week, but you can still find some along with Black Drum, Snapper and Sheepshead. I have seen some big Sheepshead around the river on the flats as well. There are still Mackerel, Bluefish and Jacks around the inlet and jetties to catch. The Pompano bite has been mostly around the power plant area. The surf has found Whiting and Pompano for anglers along the beach.

Tip of the Week:

Most of the big fish we have caught or seen on the flats have been hanging in the sand holes. I love to fish any sandy areas on the grass flats. Most sand holes that you happen on will usually be a bit deeper than the grass around them. Big fish are typically lazy and will hang in these holes to wait for bait fish to drift over with the tides. I cast just beyond a sandy area and fish slowly along it. Once the sun comes up, it easy to spot these areas on the flats and might just help you be a little more successful.

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com

email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com

772-284-3852

A couple trout from this weeks fishing....

Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report

captjoeward — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:23:21 -0800
DECEMBER 19, 2008

INSHORE - The inshore fishing this week has improved along with the weather. There has been a lot of catch and release Trout being caught from the Midway Road area down to the power lines. Top water baits have been working early in the morning and then switch to a soft plastic bait or a live shrimp as it gets later in the morning. Remember that Snook season is closed until February 1st -- but there has been good catch and release action being reported in the Ft. Pierce Inlet for anglers using live baits. I did have reports of a nice school of Redfish just to the south of Bear Point on Tuesday morning. The only thing was that they were really feeding that much. The Reds that were caught were feeding a pieces of cut up Ladyfish. The action on the catwalks of the bridge has been good with Sand Perch, Spanish Mackerel, Sheepshead and Black Drum in fairly good numbers and a few Croaker and Bluefish are in the mix. All of these fish were taking a live shrimp or a small greenie.

OFFSHORE - This is the time of year to catch that Sailfish you have been waiting on. There has been a lot of action to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet and starting in 95 feet of water. Most of the Sails this week have been caught on Ballyhoo. There are still plenty of Dolphin being caught but, the action has been scattered from 65 to 300 feet of water. The Dolphin have also been taking Ballyhoo. The Kingfish bite has been steady around the Offshore Bar for anglers trolling spoons or fishing a live bait. Most of the fish this week have been 15 to 25 pounds. The bottom fishing has also been good this week with Snapper to 12 pounds being reported. Also, a few nice grouper to 25 pounds coming from the Bethel Shoals area. Along the beaches you can have all the fun you want playing with the Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Jacks and Pompano. Nothing is better than using light tackle for these fish.

TEEN ANGLERS - Once again after having to reschedule the inshore tournament for the Treasure Coast Teen Anglers we will try for this Sunday morning -- December 21st. The Teen's will meet at Jaycee Park in Ft. Pierce at 6;30am. Hopefully they will fish until noon and then have a weigh in. Look for the results next week. For more info on joining Teen Anglers or becoming a boat volunteer just go to the web at www.teenanglers.org. Teen Anglers is a not for profit organization and everything is done by donation or by volunteers.

If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com

Happy Holidays!
Capt. Joe Ward
Cap. Joe's River Charters

Sanibel Fishing

Captain Greg Hood — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:22:41 -0800
Fishing Sanibel and Pine Island Sound this week is great with rising water temperatures.

Snook, Redfish, and Seatrout, are all feeding near the passes and on the grass flats.

This is a great time of year to get that inshore slam on artificial.

The Seatrout are getting bigger every year!

Bob and Jordi Nemeth caught a nice 5 lb. Seatrout yesterday, and Jordi caught an inshore slam!

See ya on the water!
Captain Greg Hood