New Smyrna Beach Area, Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

January 18, 2016

Happy New Year! Looking forward to a great 2016. Last year was another remarkable year in my 11th year of full-time guiding. I hosted just over 400 people aboard my boat from 38 different states and 3 foreign countries. During the course of that year we caught nearly 1,500 redfish: of which included nearly 300 that weighed over 20 pounds (including 5 that were over 50 inches long). We caught over 200 snook, over 100 trout that weighed over 4 pounds, and put a couple dozen tarpon in the air. Wow…It was truly a fantastic year lots pictures with big smiles and trophy fish. Looking forward to making new memories with everyone this year.

As we have gotten into January, we’re finally getting into some typical winter weather. Water temps have dropped considerably and it has gotten much cleaner with schools of fish starting to form. Large speckled trout are laid up in the shallow water and snook are schooling in deep holes. Pods of redfish are grouping up in sand sloughs and potholes on the grass flats in Mosquito Lagoon. Still have high water hanging around, continued cold front north winds should drop it more throughout the next couple months.

Fishing for Redfish in Mosquito Lagoon and the North Indian River have both been good lately. Although there is cleaner water in the Mosquito Lagoon side. Higher water has the fish still scattered but they are all sticking to sand holes and sloughs in the grass flats. Most of the fish are ranging from 4-10 pounds. Live mullet, shrimp and cut crabs have yielded the most catching. Spoons and soft plastic Gulp jerk baits have been good when blind casting on drifts. Continued colder fronts over the next two months will drop water levels considerably and clean things up making for huge schools and unreal catching.

It’s really starting to turn on for big Speckled Trout in Mosquito Lagoon and the North Indian River Lagoon. Cooler water has the big girls laying up in the sand spots most of the day now. We are free lining mullet in sandy areas and catching good trout in the 4-6 pound range. Soft plastic jerk baits and swim baits will also catch a few when throwing lures. Now through May is the best time to catch a big trout over 10 pounds before the spawn.

Fishing for snook in Central Florida really takes off in the winter.  Most only target them when it's warm and they are scattered.  When it's cold, however, the are piled up in big schools in deeper holes and this is when you can catch 20 plus per day.  Now that we've had a good dose of prolonged cold weather they have all moved out of the shallows to their winter holes.  There are some big ones mixed in the 10-20 pound range, although most we catch will be in the 3-6 pound range.  Live shrimp really does the best catching, but we can get some too on soft plastics.

Big trophy black drum have been schooled up in deep water this year since it was so warm instead of grouping up on the flats. Some of these fish are in the 20-30 pound range. Smaller schools of 5-10 pound drum are forming in creeks and sloughs in the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon. Usually I don’t spend a lot of time fishing for them unless everything else is really slow. But shrimp and cut crabs pretty much guarantee lots of easy catching for these kind of fish.

Have scattered openings throughout January and good fishing to go with it. February and March dates are filling unbelievably fast for this early in the year. Less than 15 dates left open in each. I take last second scheduling if I have open days. Call me at 386-212-4931 or email to secure a date. Read my fishing charter page to view the top reasons why you should book your trip with me today. I look forward to fishing with you soon…

Check out some of our best catches from 2015 below.