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

September 6, 2013

It’s September and we’re quickly approaching the fall fishing season in Florida. The annual bait run down the coast has been in full swing lately and within the next few weeks we’ll see the first cold fronts dropping into our area. Catching over the past month continues to be consistent and very good. Higher water levels has smaller 5-10lb redfish pushed way up in the shallow grass flats in Mosquito Lagoon or on top of oyster bars in creeks near the Inlet. GIANT bull redfish over 20lbs are schooled up in spawning groups in the channels, ICW, and Ponce Inlet. Speckled trout are shadowing schools of mullet in the 3-5’ deeper creeks, channels, and sloughs. Loads of tarpon are in the ICW and on the beaches shadowing migrating mullet. Around docks, bridges, and sea walls are loads of jack crevalle, ladyfish and the occasional snook. All of these things will stay the same for the next month until the cold fronts start and the bait run winds down.

The Redfish bite continues to be very good with lots of oversize redfish in the 10-20+lb range. 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. Two weeks ago my son caught his personal best redfish, a beast over 50lbs. Smaller redfish in the Lagoons are tailing way up on the shallow grass flats. In areas close to Ponce Inlet they have been laid up on top of flooded oysters. Topwater plugs, spoons, and soft plastics all are working when sight casting. Live pigfish, mullet, shrimp and cut baits have been catching numerous redfish too. When using cut baits I use a Lazer Sharp 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook (L197-BKU). On slow days we’ve caught a few redfish, but on most trips it’s been about 7-10 redfish per day.

Clean water and a huge influx of finger mullet continues to keep the the Speckled Trout bite on fire. We’ve been crushing them on pigfish and live mullet to the tune of at least 15-20 trout on shell beds and ledges along channels, creeks, and open bays in the 3-5’ depths. Still catching fair numbers of big gator trout with a bunch in the 4-5lb range with a few up to 8lbs. Shallow crank baits and soft plastics on 1/4oz Slayer jigs are producing bites when throwing lures. But the best bite is still using pigfish. We’re free-lining pigfish unweighted on a Lazer Sharp 4/0 kahle hook (L142F).

Tarpon are thick again around Ponce Inlet and down through the ICW into the Edgewater/Oak Hill area. A warm up in ocean temps, however, has them piled up along the beaches shadowing bait pods as they migrate south. Many of them are bigger fish in the 50-100lb range. Tarpon will be here through the end of the month...once the cold fronts start though they will disappear almost instantly for the rest of the year. Live mullet and pinfish work well free-lined or suspended under corks. Otherwise it’s swimbaits and jigs run near the bottom.

Only a handful of dates left open in September. Bunch of good dates open in October. 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...

new smyrna 50lb redfish redfish mosquito lagoon new smyrna beach redfish mosquito lagoon redfish

speckled trout edgewater oak hill speckled trout oak hill gator trout oak hill speckled trout

oak hill redfish oak hill redfish edgewater redfish ponce inlet jack crevalle

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