Sea Trout Were Biting

The sea trout were biting late this afternoon in the mosquito control canals in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Even though it was late when I got home from work, my wife and I decided to take Elmo for a little fishing trip.

We didn't even get out until about 6:00 p.m. and then lucked out netting bait.  My first cast picked up several nice fat finger mullet and four ladyfish that were about 7" long.

The thermometer registered 89 degrees and there was a moderate wind blowing in from the west pushing the water in the lagoon to the eastern shore.

There was a stench of rotting vegetation that took a while to get used to which is probably why we only saw one other soul in the preserve.

Karen baited up her rod with a fat 7" finger mullet and I did the same with a ladyfish on one of my other rods.

I pulled out a casting rod and started flipping a 3" - Rootbeer/Gold D.O.A.® TerrorEyz around the opposite bank to see what was causing all the swirls.

There was a lot of activity on the river this evening, despite the balmy conditions. 

On the second cast I missed a sea trout so I flipped the TerrorEye back to the same spot and promptly hooked up with a nice 18" fish pictured below.

I missed several other fish on the same bait before deciding to change tactics.

There were a lot of sea trout hitting the surface, so I tied on one of my favorite Bagley top water baits and started flipping it towards likely looking spots.

I missed at least six fish before finally hooking a small sea trout that slurped up the bait.

The fish wasn't much larger than the top water lure.

Meanwhile, Karen yelled to me for help with a fish she hooked with her big finger mullet but before I could run up to where she was fishing with the boga grip, she lost the fish.

It was one of those big gator seatrout that she said was about 30" or so.  Because of the size of the bait she was using, I don't doubt it.

In our haste to go fishing, I didn't bring along an aerator and the mullet were all laying dead on the bottom of the bucket.

I chunked up a ladyfish and skewered it on to Karen's hook so she could try for one of the redfish that were cruising down the canal while I continued fishing with my top water bait.

I moved down past a culvert that was barely flowing into the marsh and started pitching my bait to an area where a large pond emptied into the canal.

It only took a couple of casts before I missed a large redfish.

The fish was swimming in from the pond as I cast the top water bait into it's path.

The fish gave the bait a half hearted tap with its nose and took off like a shot to where Karen was fishing.

I yelled to her that a nice redfish was coming her way but the fish never took her bait.

I caught a couple more small trout before we decided to call it an evening.

As usual, the mosquitoes were out in force but I bought a couple of those mosquito repellants that you hook on your belt and apparently they work quite well.

Karen wasn't bothered by the flying vampires and I left the other one in the truck so Elmo wouldn't go crazy.

Might have to buy another one for myself!

Till next time,

Tight Lines.