Early June Culvert Fishing On The Indian River

Early spring is the time to load up on Gator trout, as well as slot sized dinner fare.
These were caught using D.O.A. watermelon jerk baits, and D.O.A. jig heads, with 4" Gulp "Nuclear Chicken" jerk baits.

This slot sized trout fell for a black and silver Rapala floating diver.
You can jump fish these trout around likely looking culverts, that are used to control the water levels in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge area.

The drives that boarder the Indian River, in the Wildlife Refuge, offer the opportunity for some fine wading ,or bank fishing when they are open for traffic.
High water levels, that cause flooding of the drives, and the launching of a space shuttle, cause closures of the drives for safety and security reasons.

There are times, when the powers that be, close the drives for no apparent reason except to piss off the local anglers.

I also enjoy taking pictures of the breathtaking scenery in and around the Wildlife Refuge. Some of the sunsets are here for your enjoyment.

The photograph below was taken north of Haulover Canal at a "secret" fishing spot my wife and I frequent.

The photo below was taken last week, around the Indian River, in an area where I occasionally pick up Snook or two.

Both pictures were taken using my Nikon Cool Pix 8700, 8X optical zoom that I picked up for a steal on an Ebay auction. The pics were taken without the need for a tripod at dusk.

There are times when life is just plain enjoyable; and being on the Indian River fishing, or taking pics. with my wife and wonder dog Elmo, makes all the rest of the BS that is going on in our country irrelevant.

The shuttle that was going up this morning didn't make it because of fueling problems, so I imagine that the Refuge area will be closed. When I get a report, it will be posted today or tomorrow at the latest.
Good Fishing And Tight Lines To You All!