Even and his father Greg share a Lagoon moment together.
Even and his father Greg share a Lagoon moment together.
May’s Fishing Forecast
As the length of daylight and the water temperatures increase, so do the fishing opportunities along the Lagoon Coast of Florida. May is one of the better fishing months on east Florida’s coastal waters, so make sure your lunch is packed, mental health days are scheduled, and I’ll see you on the water.
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.
Spring has arrived here on the Space Coast, and my focus thus far has been targeting trophy size redfish and black drum in deeper water. The flats fishing has been good when the weather is favorable and should improve as the silver mullet continue to migrate back into the lagoon. The nearshore tripletail and black drum have been good as well, but again in late March and early April Mother Nature holds the upper hand in determining where we fish.
Mid-March Orlando Area and Mosquito Lagoon Coastal Fishing Report
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.
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.
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.
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.
The 2019 American Shad Run is Shaping Up
All my fishing opportunities over the last few weeks have led me to the St Johns River in pursuit of American shad and crappie. With this said, this report will reflect on these experiences and hopefully provide information and content to assist you, and get you out on the River.
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