August Fishing Forecast

Angling on the in-shore lagoons will continue to show improvement if the summer squalls (hurricanes) stay away, with fishing in the predawn and late evening hours being most productive. Look for redfish in the skinny water holding in the vicinity of bait concentration, and target them utilizing smaller top-water plugs or soft plastic swim baits like the DOA Bait Buster and Airhead. Once the sun starts to grow hot, the top-water bite will shut down bait becomes your better option. For larger sea trout, fish live pigfish in close to docks and other structure adjacent to deeper water. In deeper water, look for ladyfish, small trout, and tarpon pushing schools of glass minnows near the surface. These schools are easy to locate by watching for concentrations of birds, (terns and cormorants), joining in on the frenzy, and they are perfect for fly anglers who are interested in the continuous fast and furious action provided by these speedsters. Last but not least, look for schools on black drum and pompano holding in the shadows of the causeway bridges where the water is deeper and cooler. For pompano, fish small jigs tipped with shrimp or sand fleas (mole crabs) along the deeper edges and drop-offs.

July’s Fishing Forecast

July on the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida equates to hot daily temperatures and hot fishing. Although the fishing in July can be hot, two different natural events can play a roll in its quality, and predicting the degree and influence of them is anyone’s guess. In the Atlantic Ocean off of the east coast of Florida during the early part of July a cold-water upwellings known as the Labrador Current move in from the depths of the Atlantic chilling the water column from the bottom up. The influx of the upwelling varies from year to year. The Labrador Current is caused by the Coriolis Effect and the earth’s rotation, and it has been known to chill ocean water temperatures as low as 50 degrees on bad years, and have very little effect of good ones. The second major influence is the impact of tropical weather systems (Summer Squalls) as they brush up against the Florida coast on their way north. Again, we all know how tough it can be to predict hurricanes, but these tropical systems can kick up some serious seas even from a thousand miles away.

Yep, the heat and humidity are rising, and so are fishing prospects along the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida. Hot summer days can be brutal, so the prudent angler and the fish will take advantage of the cooler nights and early morning and late evening hours to feed and stock their prey, and then they snooze in the shade and deeper areas once the heat turns up. So, adjust your routine in June, July, and August, by fishing at night, during the predawn hours, and in the late afternoon after work and reap the rewards of the summertime fishing bonanza.

Even and his father Greg share a Lagoon moment together.

Spring is one of my most cherished seasons to fish in Central Florida notwithstanding the windy weather conditions, and thus far the Spring catching has excellent. Over the past few weeks, the fishing has been outstanding in both the freshwater and saltwater arenas with great catches on both.

Mid-March Orlando Area and Mosquito Lagoon Coastal Fishing Report

March Orlando Area and Mosquito Lagoon Coastal Fishing Outlook

As the days grow longer and the ocean begins its gradual warming phase, (68 to 72-degree range), the spring fishing bonanza on the east central coast of Florida kicks in. Thus far we’ve experienced a warmer then normal winter and as of this correspondence (February 24, 2019) the water temperature at the Canaveral Nearshore Buoy Station 41113 is 68.7 degrees. As usual, weather will serve as the determining factor in establishing the magnitude and progression of the bite and the predator species we love to catch.

St Johns River and Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

My fishing adventures thus far in February have covered a wide spectrum of opportunities from freshwater American shad and crappie fishing to targeting redfish, black drum and sea trout on the Mosquito Lagoon.  As always when fishing in Central Florida in February, weather fronts can make catching challenging with windy and cloudy conditions.

By Captain Tom Van Horn

It’s a cold post-frontal January morning in east Central Florida. While launching my skiff in predawn darkness I can barely see the end my trailer as a heavy fog bank has settled in. Luckily, I know this part of the Saint Johns River like the back of my hand, so finding my intended fishing spot in zero visibility goes according to plan. Heavy fog of this nature is uncommon on the Saint John River basin, requiring a precise mixture of warm river water, cold winter air and dead calm conditions to occur. Idling slowly through the impenetrable fog to position my skiff, and I can hardly bare the anticipation of my first cast and the impending solid pull of an American shad on my 5-weight fly rod. As I lay out my first cast and my fly settles in a shad takes and the battle is on. On the first hard run this hearty fish takes me into my backing, jumps sever times and starts doing laps around my boat. As the battle wains and my excitement peaks, my mind drifts back some 50 years to my very first shad fishing trip with my Uncle Joe.

February’s Fishing Forecast

As winters go here in Central Florida, we certainly can’t complain about the weather we’ve experienced thus far. Other than some rain and extreme winds we experienced this week, gorgeous fishing conditions have prevailed, and we’ve had some first-rate catching as well.