Late-summer report for North Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon August, ‘09
Hot it has been and fishing early in the day has been necessary for man and fish alike. With water temperatures starting at 80+ degrees at sunrise and reaching 90 degrees by mid-day it’s imperative we start our day in the wee hours of the morning.
Most mornings we are leaving the dock before the rooster crows and before the false dawn has any hope of offing a flicker of morning glow. Many mornings the Bio-luminescence is in full effect and our boat’s trail is alight with a blue-green glow as we slide through the water. Too, any and all marine life making its way through the wet stuff will leave a trail even a bat could see!
Unlike most of the winter, spring and even the early summer seasons of this year, we are now FINALLY into a typical summer pattern which gives us calm, albeit muggy mornings. This is coupled with vast quantities of bait mullet are responsible for great opportunities to fish for redfish, trout and even black drum. All are present on area flats, sometime all at the same time!
Clients have been catching good numbers of redfish and trout on Exude RT Slugs in several colors. However, the best color as of late has been “Old Penny” a new laminated color combining a Golden Bream back to a New Penny belly. This color should be available at dealers now, give a bag a try.
Black drum have been moody to say the least. Live or dead shrimp have been the most effective when offered freelined on the smallest hook usable. On the right day we had outstanding action on Exude shrimp in the Orange Bloodline and Natural Shrimp colors, rigged weedless and fished just over the grass.
If plastic isn’t your thing, cut mullet is hard to beat. Fish the chunk bait in sand spots where the mullet are streaming through in big numbers or sight-fish with it! Redfish and trout of all sizes will often gobble up a fresh chunk of mullet when ignoring everything else.