Written By: Captain Tom Van Horn
On Date: 8/3/2010
Hook Kids on Fishing Volunteers Needed Volunteers are needed to assist with the Hook Kids on Fishing event to be held in conjunction with the Mosquito Creek Outdoors Family Outdoor Day and the Apopka Foliage Festival held on April 24th and 25th in Apopka. The HKOF event will be on Saturday, April 24th, from 10 am to noon and is free to all kids. After completing the five learning stations, each child will receive a free rod, reel and tackle box. We are anticipating over 100 kids and their parents to attend, so you assistance would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to sign up, please contact me, Captain Tom Van Horn at (407) 416-1187 or send me a message at mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com. Mosquito Creek Outdoor's Indian River Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, March 5, 2010 By Captain Tom Van Horn Up Coming Events March 7th, Paddle Fishing the Banana River Lagoon No-Motor Zone, Central Florida Boat Show, 2 pm at the Orange County Convention Center. March 27th, Free Cobia and Tripletail seminar from 10 am to noon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida, 170 South Washington Avenue. For more details visit www.mosquitocreek.com/fishing. April 24th, Free Hook Kids on Fishing seminar from 10 am to noon at the Apopka Foliage Festival. After completing the five learning stations, each child will receive a free fishing rod, reel and tackle box. To preregister your children, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida at 170 South Washington Avenue or contact them at (407) 464-2000. April 25th, Come visit the Mosquito Creek Outdoors tent at the Apopka Foliage Festival and leard about enjoying the outdoors and conservation from the Coastal Angler Magazine Pro Staff and other outdoor conservation groups. For more details on the event visit or call Mosquito Creek Outdoors at 170 South Washington Avenue in Apopka, (407)464-2000. This Weeks Report For sake of not sounding like a broken record, I'm not going to tell you that it was cold again and the wind was blowing hard again this past week here in Central Florida. Instead, the sun has been shining bright most of the week, which is good for sight fishing on the shallow flats of the Mosquito and Indian River lagoons and the mornings have been a bit nippy. On the shallow flats both schools of redfish and black drum have been prevalent in groups ranging from 15 to 50 fish, but the fish have been very shallow and very spooky. When casting to spooky fish, they must be lead by at least two rod lengths, and hopefully they will swim close enough to your offering to see your bait before hightailing it. Although not as sporting as casting to tailing fish, I find staking out the boat up wind from a school and letting them come to you offers more success this time of year.
My preferred bait for this situation is live shrimp, and as you see the school approach, quietly cast the shrimp well ahead of the lead fish, and let them swim into your bait spread. This technique can be very productive, especially in areas where heavy angler pleasure has the schools moving. Although we've been complaining about the unusually cold and windy weather this winter, we've had it good compared to our angling friends outside of Florida. This past week I fished an American shad charter with Bill Massey from West Virginal, who has experienced nothing but repeated snow storms every few days all winter. Cabin fever finally got the best of him, and our day on shad alley yielded us 16 fat and sassy shad. All fish were taken on spinning tackle casting tandem 1/16 ounce crappie jigs with pink and white curly tails fished very slowly on the bottom. The shad run hasn't been the best this season, but we are still catching fish and I feel we may still have a few weeks left before they begin to thin out. Also, be sure to check out the March addition of Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando in print and online for free at www.coastalanglermagazine.com.
As always, if you need information or have any questions, please contact me. Good luck and good fishing, Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com
407-366-8085 office
407-416-1187 on the water For all you outdoor shopping needs, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors at www.mosquitocreek.com. Indian Lagoon Coast Fishing Outlook, March 2010 Reflecting back on my past years here on the Space Coast, I can't remember a colder winter and as I sit here composing the forecast another cold front is passing through Central Florida. Although it's been a challenging winter for anglers, March is around the corner and with warmer weather comes improved fishing on all fronts along the Lagoon Coast. As the days grow longer and the ocean begins its continuing warming phase, 68 to 72 degree range, the spring fishing bonanza on the Indian Lagoon Coast kicks in. As usual, weather will serve as the determining factor in establishing the magnitude and progression of the bite and the predator species we love to catch. Water temperature increases will facilitate the progression of bait pods (menhaden or pogies) from the deeper water into the near-shore waters bringing the predators with them. Sea conditions will determine the number of fishable days we'll experience in March. This is especially true for those of us who target deep-water species in shallow water boats.Good reports of cobia are starting to come in from offshore of Stuart. These fish should be moving into our area shortly, and both the bait pods and cobia will be showing up soon on the near-shore wrecks and reefs outside Port Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet. Other near-shore options in March consist of tripletail hanging on floating structure and weeds and large redfish and sharks shadowing bait pods along the beaches and inlets around mid month. When site fishing for cobia and tripletail, consider fishing in the latter part of the day when the sun is high as the water is warmer and visibility is better. Also, always keep a chartreuse colored buck tail in the ready position to cast at any brown clowns that wonder into range. As the water warms up and the silver mullet returns to the inshore lagoon flats, look for redfish schools to continue to form up in the skinny water. For the slot redfish, 18 to 27 inches, focus on areas of flipping and jumping baitfish (mullet) in water depths of 12 to 18 inches. For the larger redfish, concentrate your efforts along deeper edges of the flats and sandbars in 2 to 3 feet of water. Also, sea trout will continue to hold in the skinny water potholes, and the top-water sea trout bite will improve as the warmer water draws finger mullet back onto the central IRL flats. Additionally, schools of black drum will continue to inhabit the shallow water flats of the Mosquito Lagoon, North IRL, and particularly the sandbars in the Banana River No-Motor-Zone. Last but not least, the American shad run is developing on the upper St John's River between the areas of Lake Harney and the SR 50 Bridge, but this years run has been slow thus far. Also, March is the month to start targeting schooling large mouth bass in the deeper bends of the river at first light feeding on schools of baitfish (menhaden). The indicator I use to locate these schooling bass is to look for large numbers of white pelicans, herons, and egrets working the banks. Once you've located the schooling fish, try throwing a rattle-trap or other small subsurface swim bait. Water levels are higher this spring on the St. Johns River, so please be careful when navigating the river and creeks as the water is above the banks in some areas. Spring is one of the best times to fish the Indian River Lagoon coast of Florida. So if you are planning to visit the area, make sure you book your hotel and fishing guide early. Also, when the bite is on, the ramps fill up quickly, so arrive early, be polite and considerate with other anglers, because we are all on the water for the same reasons, to have fun. As always, if you need information or have any questions, please contact me. Good luck and good fishing, Captain Tom Van Horn www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 office 407-416-1187 on the water Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com/fishing for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins! Tight Lines and Let's Go Fishing, Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
407-416-1187
http://www.irl-fishing.com Special Charter Rates if you mention this ad: Full day (8 hours) inshore two anglers: 425.00 Half Day (5 hours) inshore two anglers 350.00 50.00 for each additional angler Contact Captain Tom Van Horn at mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com or call (407) 416 1187 for more information or to purchase a charter for that hard to buy for angler on your list. Lets go Fishing,
Captain Tom Van Horn Report Supplied By:
Captain Tom Van Horn
http://www.irl-fishing.com
captain@irl-fishing.com
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters Florida