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

August 2, 2013

Rolling right into August which means hot summer days and the beginnings of an annual fall bait run. To say the fishing hasn’t been epic for the last 6 weeks would be an understatement...and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. We continue to average 7-15 redfish and 15-20 speckled trout per day fishing with live bait and some lures. Big bull redfish in the 20-40lb range are schooling in areas near Ponce Inlet and in the Indian River Lagoon near Titusville. There are a bunch of tarpon around Ponce Inlet and throughout the ICW down into Mosquito Lagoon. Water clarity has consistently improved each week and we’ve been doing a bunch of sight casting on open grass flats in the Lagoons and shorelines and around oyster beds in tidal creeks around Edgewater, New Smyrna, and Port Orange. Also in those tidal areas we’re finding trout, jacks, as well as some snook and flounder around docks. The inshore fishing is about as good as it gets right now, so give me a call to reserve a spot for yourself.

The Redfish has been fantastic over the past month. They are piled up in and around bait pods, tailing over shallow grass flats, or cruising shorelines and bars in tidal creeks. These fish all range from 4-12lbs. Bigger bull redfish are schooling in the ICW around Ponce Inlet and in the deeper basins in the Indian River Lagoon. Many of them run in the 15-30lb range, with the occasional giant redfish over 35lbs. The annual summer algae bloom has been dramatically reduced and water clarity has really cleared up allowing for sight casting with spoons, lures and flies. The bite has been best, however, on live pigfish, pinfish and croakers. I rig my summer live baits on Lazer Sharp 3/0 and 4/0 Kahle hooks (L142F). We’ve averaged 7-15 redfish a day over the past 6 weeks and it’s not slowing down.

The Speckled Trout bite continues to be fantastic with cleaner water and the return of lots of finger mullet. We’ve been crushing them on pigfish and live mullet to the tune of at least 15-20 trout a day along drop offs and ledges, many in the 3-4’ depths. We’d catch even more if we brought more live bait or spent more time fishing for them. During the past month we caught a lot of big gator trout too..., a bunch of 3-5lb’s, close to ten 6-7lb’rs, a couple 8’s and one 9lb’r. If we throw lures, topwater plugs and shallow crank baits have worked around bait pods if it’s not too grassy. Otherwise weedless jigs and soft plastic swimbaits have produced. I rig my weedless soft plastics on a Lazer Sharp 4/0 weighted EWG worm hooks (L092G-8).

Tarpon are thick once again around Ponce Inlet and throughout the ICW from New Smyrna down into Mosquito Lagoon. Cooler ocean water has kept many of them in the backwaters instead of out on the beaches. Many of them are bigger fish in the 50-100lb range. Only downside lately is the water clarity in the river has made it tough for them to see jigs and swimbaits we’ve been throwing. Live mullet and pinfish work well free-lined or suspended under corks. Tarpon will be around for the next two months shadowing bait pods before the first cold fronts of the year push through around the 1st week of October.

First part of August is booked solid but have dates open during the last 2 weeks. Dates are quickly filling for September. If you want to take advantage of red hot summer fishing don’t wait till the last minute to set something up. Short notice trips are available if I have the date open. Call or email to secure a reservation. Read my fishing charter page to view the top reasons why you should book your trip with me today. Read my fishing report archive to review write-ups from the past several years. I look forward to fishing with you soon…386-212-4931.

Some client catches from the past month...

oak hill gator trout oak hill speckled trout mosquito lagoon gator trout lagoon speckled trout

mosquito lagoon bull redfish oak hill redfish lagoon redfish mosquito lagoon redfish

oak hill red drum new smyrna beach redfish north lagoon redfish edgewater redfish fly

redfish mosquito lagoon redfish new smyrna edgewater speckled trout redfish mosquito lagoon
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