Another Windy Saturday Afternoon Fishing

It was another windy Saturday afternoon which almost prevented me from going fishing.

However, after replacing a screen in our pool area, I was more than eager to leave the house and wet a line despite the windy conditions.

Since Elmo was jonesing to ride with me to the swamp, Karen decided to come along at the last moment.  Like most fishermen, she hates fishing on windy days.

We packed our rods and headed for the same spots in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge where I hooked up to some reds yesterday.

Our first couple of stops weren't memorable enough to comment on but at our third stop things started picking up.

The wind was blowing from the northeast for the most part and the weather was 79 to 80 degrees.

Most of the areas we fished had a moderate chop on the water and casting was challenging to say the least.

Karen insisted on using a jumbo dead shrimp under a pencil float to try for a redfish.

I started out using a  Johnson Sprite Spoon - 3 4 oz but quickly changed to this
Tsunami Holographic Swim Shad Softbait - 3'' - 3 8 oz. -  Lure that produced yesterday evening.

I had a few encouraging taps that I could feel but no fish until a reader of this site drove up and asked me if I was John.

Alan Forehand (pardon the spelling) and his family were down from Carolina and asked about the fishing.

He said he was visiting for the week, read my blog every Monday morning and wanted to catch some sea trout.

I suggested some lures, gave Alan a few tips and recommended wading the flats in the area or just fishing from the bank with live finger mullet.

Just as Alan and his family drove off, I landed this 16" sea trout on the same bait that I recommended to him.

I hooked another clone to the first fish in the same area and released both fish before moving on to an area that was easier for my wife to cast.

At the next spot I spotted several small pods of mullet in very shallow water. Occasionally the fish would scatter as a red or sea trout would charge in for the kill.

Karen fished the marsh side and I started fishing the Tsunami soft bait on the Indian River side of the road.

On the second cast around one of the mullet pods I hooked up to another under size sea trout (below) which I promptly released.

Karen and I both saw lots of fish but casting to them was definitely a problem.

As the sun began to set, we both had enough of the wind and decided to head towards the house.

On the way out of the refuge, I spotted two huge wakes traveling down the marsh canal.

I decided to give Karen one last chance to hook a redfish so I drove well ahead of the wakes, pulled over to the side of the road and tossed out her shrimp bait.

We waited for the redfish to show but it either moved into a pond or stopped to feed elsewhere.

When the mosquitoes got to Karen, we packed it in.

Maybe tomorrow the wind will be more cooperative.

Till next time, Tight Lines!

P.S.

Alan, Right now the sea trout are still going crazy in both the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River flats.

Wade fishing early in the morning or on overcast days is your best bet for a Gator Sea Trout.

Use top water plugs around schooling mullet pods, especially when you see the fish being chased.  When no pods are present, fish the sandy "potholes" (lighter areas) you can see as you wade.

Sea trout lie just off these spots to ambush baitfish as they swim by.

On windy days, use a 5/0 worm hook and a floating jerk bait (D.O.A.CAL, Strike King, etc.) on a long fluorocarbon leader when using Power Pro or other type braid.

Try going down Bio Lab road towards the shallow water boat launch.

 Drive to the right and fish the potholes in the Mosquito Lagoon flats on the left side of the road.

 DO NOT try wading across the ditches. There are big gators in these areas and I don't mean gator trout!

You can also try wade fishing around the Scottsmoor boat launch with free lined finger mullet, live croaker, mullet under a float, or lures. This area is noted for large sea trout and bull redfish.

Good luck and Tight Lines!