Indian River Fishing Report For Week of Nov 19, 2011

The water levels in the marsh areas in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge are still above normal.

Redfish, sea trout and ladyfish are feeding on small baitfish and crustacean that are finding cover in the submerged grass.

This past week the fish have been most active later on in the day and as temperature get colder, expect them to be most active in the shallows as the sun warms the water later on in the afternoons.

Live finger mullet freelined in or close to the weeds, weedless rigged jerk baits fished in the weeds or weedless spoons all work well.

My wife and I fished the marsh areas later yesterday afternoon until dusk with mixed results.

The water was dead calm and the fish were spooky.  The ones  we spotted in the weeds were skittish but we still managed to hook some fish.

Karen used jumbo dead shrimp under a Cajun Thunder popper and I was using a gold Bagley spoon, DOA CAL jerk baits rigged weedless on a weighted hook and close to dusk, a top water Zara Spook Jr.

Karen never got a strike but I managed to hook and release two redfish, an out of season sea trout and three ladyfish in about two hours of fishing.

The trick to fishing the marsh areas is to be methodical and cover anywhere you see or think fish will hide out.






Moving grass was a dead giveaway yesterday but most of the fish I hooked were just off the edges of the submerged grass.  The fish were ambushing small bait fish that made the fatal mistake of leaving their cover.

On the Indian River side of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge drives and on both sides of the Max Brewer Causeway, fishermen were for the most part using live finger mullet or dead shrimp with mixed results.

I for one don't care to wait for fish to bite.

I much rather prefer "stalking" the fish and sight casting to them from land or boat.

Regardless of how you like to fish, they are biting in the Indian River if you know how to catch them.

Till next time, Tight Lines and good fishing.