I’d have to honestly say I cannot remember the last time I have fished the famed “Mosquito Lagoon.” Looking for a little change from the mostly grassless flats and the low visibility that summer brings to the Indian River, my good friend and I decided to hit Mosquito to try our hand at some high pressured and sometimes very picky Redfish.
We launched at first light and after dodging what seemed to be a mine field of Manatees we made it to our first shoreline destination. The water was not as clear as I remembered in past years, but the shorelines were definitely sight-fishable. I quickly remembered why the Mosquito Lagoon is one of the most desired angling locations in the state of Florida. The beauty of the Mangrove-lined shorelines and diversity of wildlife is still abundant as it is beautiful.
Anyway, back to the fishing report. As we poled the shallow shorelines we pretty quickly were on some belly crawling and tailing redfish. We started out using crab patterns but the redfish either showed no interest or in some cases, even were spooked by the presentation. We switched up to a smaller profile shrimp pattern and that did the trick. We took turns at fish for a majority of the morning with both of us being fairly successful. My good friend and fellow Florida Fly Co. Charters Guide Capt. Noah Miller, as usual, put on a casting clinic and got some great eats I was privileged to watch from the casting platform. I scored a few great fish myself, however, with probably one of the coolest eats of the day coming from a redfish crawling across an exposed grass flat similar to a Salmon fighting to swim upstream. On about the third cast the fly landed in the grass within inches of the fishes nose and he crushed it. Nothing better!
Even with the sweltering heat of summer, the fishing can still be productive all day for those willing to change tactics and actually “hunt” for the fish. With the right presentation and patience the fish will usually cooperate. Just remember to stay hydrated and keep an eye on the skies for the typical summer storms.
Just a reminder, that I will be at the Rockledge Boaters Exchange on US Highway 1 on Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00pm for a “Summer Time on the Flats Tactics” fishing seminar. I’ll be discussing locating and getting fish to cooperate in the heat of Summer with spinning gear and fly. Hope to see some familiar faces and meet some new folks as well!
And as always, if you’re looking to experience sight fishing the shallows on fly and light tackle, contact us at Florida Fly Co. Charters to book a guided trip!