Fishing Report, Indian River Lagoon, Scottsmoor Ramp, 6/11/11

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Indian River Lagoon Sat.  June 11, 2011
Moon - 2 days past first quarter
M.F.=  7:40 am
Temp.: Low 70's at daylight, forecast for low 90's wind: ENE @ <5  mph early, built to 10-12 mid morning (slick flat early)
pressure: 29.94 (falling slightly)

humidity: 80% at 6:00am, 57% at noon   

rain: 0

Partly cloudy

 

I got a good sounding tip from a friend of my brother that put me launching at the Scottsmoor ramp this morning, into the west side of the Indian River Lagoon. This is my first time fishing out of there. It has some pretty nice grass flats that parallel the long straight bank with a little bit of sand bottom interspersed.

 

I launched into the slick calm lagoon at 6:00am and paddler out the channel before heading north. It is pretty skinny for a long way out from the bank since the water is so low. There is visible grass showing for 300+ yds out from the bank.

 

Bait was a little scarce until I got 3/4 of a mile north and there was good bait activity from there on. I could hear bait spook and shower so far away I couldn't even see it this morning. Up wind of course.

 

This morning I fished a Johnson gold spoon and the MirrOdine 17mr for the most part. I did use a gulp shrimp here and there and picked up my first trout of the morning on it, using it as a jerk bait over some deeper sand. (The links are hot if you need some more info. on these)

 

About 30 minutes into the hunt I spotted a fish strike some bait towards the bank a little ways out of casting distance. I made a 90 and closed on the spot. There was no more sign of the fish but I made a cast with my gold spoon and started a slow retrieve. All of the sudden some mullet exploded and I felt a solid thump on the line. I set the hook, felt the fish strain on the line and P O P! By By spoon. I have no idea why it broke off. I checked the leader when I rigged all the rods this morning. Oh well. That was probably the only keeper I had on all day. I'll have to replenish my spoon stock now.

 

I caught a few lady fish on both the spoon and the MirrOdine but I was not seeing any tailing so I headed back south to try to strike on some action.

 

Just before I got back even with the ramp I found a little sand hole and caught a short redfish out of it on the spoon.

 

I found a little bit of trout action on the outside edge of the grass south of the ramp but all were under slot. I probably caught 6 trout total, there just wasn't any size to them. I think I picked up a couple more lady fish down there as well.

 

I'm thinking the falling barometer may have had something to do with the slow action? I probably only jumped 8-10 reds all morning and none loooked of any size. Never saw a fish tail. They just did not seem to be there.

 

I guess to sum it up I'd say there was a lot of angling for big fish today but precious little catching!

 

Larry S.

 

 

Fishing Report 6/5/11 - Mosquito Lagoon-Whales Tail

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Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report - Whales Tail
Sun.  June 5, 2011
Moon - 4 days past new moon
M.F.=  1:55 pm
Temp.: 69 low to 84 in afternoon
wind: NNE @ 0  mph early, built to 10 mph noon (slick flat early)
pressure: steady (high)

humidity:  61 avg. (45-88)  

rain: 0

sunny

I'm still scouting for some big fish at the " goon" so I went to the "Whales Tail" this morning. I put in off the Biolab road and paddled for the flat. The water was like glass this morning and it was a great morning to be on the water. There was already a flats boat on the Tail which gave me a good bearing. By the time I made the 3/4 mile paddle 4 more boats had joined him. I picked off 3 ladyfish in short order on the paddle out.

When I finally got over there I could see no bait to speak of so I made a loop around the flat searching for bait or tailing fish. I found a little school of mullet that were feeding on the southwest end but there was no redfish action in it. One of the flats boats that was anchored off the west side of the flat looked like he was hooked to a fish. As I got closer I could see his rod was doubled over. I don't know how long he had been fighting the fish when I saw him but it took another 30 minutes to get him alongside the boat. I was off a ways from him but I could see he was a horse when he hefted him onto the boat. I'd say he was over 20lb.! Great redfish. I expect he was fishing bait as he was in 3-4' of water.

I tried to pick up a trout in the deeper water with the MirrOdine and fished a gulp shrimp and a piece of cut ladyfish but nothing! I probably should have hung out to see what developed but after 2 hours I decided to hit another spot.

I headed for the small launch south of Haulover at the old guard shack. As it was getting later I paddled out for some deeper water to look for some sand. The bait was scarce but after a pretty good paddle I finally found a mix of mullet and menhaden on top. The first cast produced a Ladyfish as did the second and third. I made another cast with the mirrOdine and it was fish on. This one however, was pulling harder and staying deep.....turned out to be a 16" trout! I was finally on a few fish. Well, by the time I got the trout off, took his picture and put him on my stringer a bunch of dolphins showed up and ruined the whole deal. They busted into the bait and in a few minuted everything was gone!

I paddled back to the bank to have a look at the canals and trough along the shore but the water is so low there was no fish there.

When I got back to the launch there was a small 5' gator hanging out there. Strange to see them in the salt water like that.

Anyhow, that was it. It's off to look at some new water next trip, probably Eddy's creek area.

Here's a few pictures from this morning.

Larry.

Fishing Report 5/14/11 - Indian River Lagoon

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Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report-Dummits Cove
Sat.  May 14, 2011
Moon - 3 days to full
M.F.=   7:45  am
Temp.: 79 deg.
wind: SW @ 9-20  mph, 

pressure: 29.76

humidity: 68% avg. (51-83%)  

rain: 0

sunny

I went back to Dummits Cove on the Indian River Side this morning. I just had to fish the big sand flats I had found there using Google Earth that I did not have time to paddle to on the last trip. I have not been fishing the flats here that long but most of the fish I have caught here have all been associated with a sand hole. However, this spot is more of a sand flat than small sand holes that is surrounded by grass flats.

I was up late friday night and up early that morning the fish Pellicer so getting up was tough. I had the alarm set for 3:45AM. I finally made it up an hour late and got out the door at 5:30.

It was good light by the time I got to the end of my 75 mile journey to the launch spot. I grab all my gear and started stroking for the flat. The wind was blowing a little harder than it was supposed to (whats new) and coming across the open lagoon from the SW at 8-10mph. That was a little disappointing. I was really hoping to finally have some light winds to fish.

There were a number of boats moving around looking for fish as I was paddling in. I had a little trouble finding the big sand flat but I spotted a flats boat way out that looked like he was anchored and I knew he had to parked over some sand. After another hundred yds or so I hit it and the bottom turned from dark green to white and I grabbed my plug rod with a suspending twitch bait on the business end, a MirrOdine 17MR. It is an ideal plug for this situation and works 6-12" below the surface depending on how hard you work it. It can get down to maybe 24" if need be.

I hooked up on the second cast and I thought I was probably gona set a new county record before the morning was done. That was where the action ended. By the time I landed the fish and snapped a picture the wind had blown me off the spot and I started looking for another hole which was a little tough in the light chop and low sun. I found a small hole shortly and drew a strike on the first cast but it was a pin fish not a whole lot bigger than the plug.

After fishing a number of holes with both the plug and a flats bucktail jig I rigged my bait rod with a gulp shrimp. I fished a few holes with it but only attracted some hungry pinfish. These things are really tough and those pin fish were actually able to pull off some of the tail. That was a pretty good sign as far as the bait goes. I have not used them much but I know of a guy that I have seen kill the redfish here with them.


I was beginning to believe there were not any reds on the flat to speak of so I started easing slowly north east with the wind. After a ways, all of the sudden this redfish tail pops up not 20 feet from the side of the boat! He had no idea I was there. I shoved my stake pole thru the scupper hole and grabbed the gulp. The gulp is pretty big and heavy so forget about casting it close to a fish. I put it down well beyond him and reeled it up close to him and waited, nothing!  In a minute his tail came back up a few feet to the left. I re positioned the bait and waited, nothing. this went on for about 8 or 10 minutes before he finally disappeared. I felt I should have been able to catch that fish, can't explain that one.

I ended up on some sand bottoms that were kind of brown looking and hooked a lady fish on the first cast. The second cast with the flats jig produced the same result. It was a small one and I decide to keep it for bait. I hooked up with a few more ladyfish that managed to throw the jig but they are fun to fool with.

I decided to start paddling back slowly and try to spot a redfish. After a bit I came up on one that was just barely making a disturbance on the surface and exposed his tail for a second. I pitched a jig to him but ended up bumping him in the back and he turned inside out and shot off  like a rocket.

Paddling up to a white sand hole I staked down on the lee side and made a cast with the jig. I felt a pin fish tapping on it and all of the sudden, wham! A little red. He came streaking by the side of the boat with a bigger red right on his tail, about  a 22 incher. Naturally, I had the littlest one on the hook.

I padded into the wind headed back but it was really noisy. My paddle is a little short and if I tip it in the water deep enough to be quiet it drips water into the boat on the other end. A real pain in the but that I need to remedy soon. Anyhow, I jumped a number of reds on the way back but could not get one right for a cast.

I paddled across the shallow channel to a east west bank to try to get out of the wind for the paddle back. I jumped a number of fish in some grass with some long runners floating on top, just off the bank.

Had I been paying attention to the fish instead of looking at this Blue Herring, I might have spotted a 20" red, 10 feet from the boat, practically on the bank with his back almost out of the water. Had to give myself a damn it Larry for that one.

I jumped a number of fish on this bank and there were quite a few small schools of finger mullet working there. It was time to be getting out of there so I could get to my niece Kristina's wedding at 6:00 pm. and about a 150 mile run.

There are some fish there but it was a little slower that I was looking for. I probably only caught about 7-8 fish and they were all smaller.

The bottom there is pretty firm so wading is a possibility. However, there were sting rays everywhere you looked.

I think I might head back to the spot I had caught all the fish last year over on the ocean side of Mosquito Lagoon and see what is using the flat there.

Good Luck,

Larry S.