Mosquito Lagoon and North Indian River Lagoon

August 21st, 2008

Tropical storm Fay is currently sitting on top of the Mosquito Lagoon as it moves ever so slowly northward. The storm has kept me off the water for the past two days and things are not looking good for the rest of the week. As of right now, the water level in the Lagoon has risen nearly a foot in the past couple days.

The fishing outlook for the coming weeks is anyone's guess. I took my own fishing vacation at the beginning of the month to Stuart, Florida. My wife and I caught a variety of fish including tarpon, snook, snapper, and flounder. The DOA Baitbuster, holographic shrimp, and TerrorEyz were the most productive lures.

If the water levels remain high, the redfish will certainly push well into the back country. Finding them may require a bit of searching. Finding shallow clean water will be the key. Locate areas of fresh water runoff and you will likely find a variety of fish waiting to eat the bait that is being flushed out. Small tarpon and snook will be there along with ladyfish, jacks, redfish, and trout. Throw a holographic DOA shrimp up current and slowly work it back for best results.

Week - Keep a Tight Line
Most of the artificial lures we use require the angler to impart some sort of life into them. This is commonly done by twitching the lure one or more times with the rod tip and the allowing the lure to fall. It is often while the lure is falling that the fish strike. Failure to have a tight line at all times is one of the most common reasons for missing strikes. After a short lift or twitch of the rod tip, keep the rod in that position and drop it slowly as you reel up the slack. When done properly, the line from the rod tip to the lure will remain taught. This will ensure that you will feel the bite and are able to set the hook immediately. The most common mistake is to drop the rod tip immediately after lifting it and then picking up the slack. This will lead to missed hook sets and is a main cause of knots forming in braided line.