First, summer has almost arrived, and the doldrums have begun to settle in bringing flat calm conditions, and yes, we are finally starting to see some rain. These calm conditions and the influx of massive amounts of baitfish have set the stage for some awesome catches of redfish and sea trout on the lagoon.
Besides the weather, May and June are filled with fishing
tournaments and fishing and boating shows, and let be the first to
tell you, the first annual Coastal Angler Magazine Fishing and
Boating Expo was a tremendous success. The show opened its gates to
anglers and boaters on Friday, offering free admission, and before
it was all said and done, over 3000 visitors took advantage of the
opportunity. The highlight of the three-day event was the seminars
featuring some of Florida’s top professional anglers, which included
Captain Rodney Smith, Rick Murphy, Mike Holiday, Mark Nickels, and
other prominent lagoon guides including myself. It was a great
learning experience for all who attended, and I’m already looking
forward to CAM’s next event.
My focus this week on water was the excellent top-water sea trout
bite and the schools of the larger breeder redfish, and by looking
at the expression on Don Christopher’s face, I’m not the only one
who’s excited.
The traditional schools of breeder reds are formed up, and a
well-presented bait will likely result in a quality fish. The larger
redfish have been picky eaters this week, but chunks of fresh blue
crab, live jumbo shrimp, and live pinfish have resulted in some
respectable fish.
Like mentioned earlier in my report, the hot bite this week has been
the top-water sea trout and ladyfish bite. Massive schools of finger
mullet and glass minnows have moved into the lagoon, and working
top-water plugs in their vicinity has resulted in a good number of
quality fish. Plugs of choice this week have been the 4†Johnny
Rattler (red and white), Storm Chug Bug (silver and black), and the
Dalton Special. We have been starting our day at first light on the
edges of the flats, and then moving out into three to four feet of
water by 10am. Today, I fished with Larry Carter, and he reached his
limit of trout in a span of 20 minutes, and the top-water action
continued all day.
With overcast skies predicted for the next few days, the all day sea
trout bite should persist, so if you enjoy the excitement of a
top-water strike, I would suggest you adjust your agenda to include
stretching some line.
If you need information or have any questions, please
contact Captain Tom Van Horn
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 office
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free
