Redfish In The Marsh Canals

During January and February, there are plenty of redfish in the marsh canals of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

This afternoon, Karen and I decided to take Elmo and Odie, our two "wonder dogs" out for a ride in the refuge.

At first we weren't going to take any fishing equipment along but at the last moment, I loaded up three spinning rods and a bucket for bait before leaving the house.

When we stopped at the bait store, I wanted to get some mud minnows for bait but they were almost out of everything, so I had the girl pick out a dozen of the nicer looking shrimp and headed out to Peacocks Pocket road.

It was about 4:00 pm when we left the house, so I decided to hit a spot where I picked up some trout the other afternoon.

We stopped at the spot and fished for about 45 minutes or so before moving on to a spot where Karen picked up a nice red the other day.

The water was dead flat today and the air temperature was in the low 70s when we eased up to her spot.

Karen started fishing with a leftover mud minnow while I walked the road tossing a paddle tail DOA bait to several likely looking spots.

I managed to catch a couple small sea trout before losing my bait to a snag.  As I walked back to the road I decided to try fishing with a live shrimp on my other spinning rod.

I tossed the bait in and set the rod down as a couple pulled up to me in their pickup truck and started talking about the fishing.

He introduced himself as Lewis (I think) and his partner as Teresa.  He said they had caught some small redfish, sea trout, catfish and even a stingray, all on shimp.

I told him about this site as he drove away and I continued fishing.

I caught another small sea trout on the shrimp and was going to bait up with another one when Karen said she had a fish on.

I walked over to where she was fishing an took this video of her landing the fish.

The fish put up a decent fight and almost got off when it wrapped itself around a stickup in the canal, but by luck it swam back out and continued fighting.

I cut the video off when I couldn't get the Boca Grip on the fish and took these pics afterwards.

The beautifully colored redfish was a hare over 33 inches and was super fat.

After taking some quick pics, I released the fish and as the mosquitos were buzzing around my head and we decided to head for home.

I've been working in Mobile, Al. and except for the bull reds that are caught during the spawn, the fish I've seen caught there haven't been as large as the redfish in the marsh canals we manage to catch in the refuge.

Regardless of their size, nothing beats catching a big redfish in a small marsh canal.

Till next time, Tight Lines.

January Sea Trout Fishing

Sea trout fishing in January is usually killer in East Central Florida and regardless of how you fish for them, they provide plenty of action on light tackle.

I hit the wildlife refuge this afternoon to see if Peacocks Pocket road was still open and to pick up a few sea trout.

The air temperature was in the low 60s and dropping and there was absolutely no wind on the river or the marsh areas where I planned to concentrate my fishing efforts.

I brought along three spinning rods rigged with a topwater plug, a CAL swimbait and a Carolina style rig with a 4/0 Owner hook, just in case the fish weren't interested in artificial baits.

It was almost 4:00 pm when I drove into the first set of culverts and saw a group of bird watchers in a couple of small trailers loaded with tons of camera gear.  These guys looked like professional photographers, and were at the same spot yesterday when my wife was fishing with me.

I was going to ask them about their activities but because of the time factor, I decided to catch them on the "flip flop" if they were still there.

I started "jump fishing" the banks, casting to likely looking areas with the DOA "New Penny" CAL bait and a life like jig head.  I smeared up the bait with some Pro-Cure and started off with super slow retrieves.

The first two spots didn't produce any hits or follow ups and there was no sign of fish activity, so I continued moving up the road.  The next stop produced a couple of hits right on the bank, but I missed both fish and decided to move on.

The last spot I fished at was a spot where I usually catch reds in the summer time.  It is at the mouth of a small pond where the water drops into the deeper marsh canal.   Because of the brush on the banks and the hidden stickups in the water, it's hard to fish and harder to land a fish but it usually produces and today was no exception.

On the third or fourth cast I hooked into a small sea trout which I promptly released.  Two casts later I hooked and released a clone of the first fish.  I took it's picture, released it and moved a few yards up from the spot, casting as I walked.

There was a telltale sign of a large fish pushing a wake along the bank so I eased up to the spot and tossed the lure at the fish.  Unfortunately, it spooked and took off up the marsh canal.

I spent the rest of the time fishing that general area and missing three more fish before I decided to call it a day.  The air temperature was dropping and the fish had stopped biting.

I turned around to see if the camera crew was still in the area around the culverts but they left so I headed back to the house.

In an hour and a half of fishing, I managed to catch three sea trout and missed at least four more fish on the Pro-Cure smeared shad tail bait.

If the weather holds, I plan to hit the area again tomorrow.

Till next time,
Tight Lines.

January Redfish In The Marsh

Catching Redfish In The Marsh is something I am fortunate enough to enjoy all year round in East Central Florida's fishery and this afternoon proved to be another stellar day for fishing.

The other day when Karen and I took the dogs for a ride, we didn't expect Peacocks Pocket Road to be open and I didn't bother bringing along any rods.  Today we left the dogs at the house and brought along the fishing equipment.

We left the house at around 3:30 pm and headed for Mosquito Lagoon Bait and Tackle to pick up some live baits.

The air temperature was a bit warmer than the other day but the water temperature was still cold.  I decided to pick up some live shrimp and mud minnows and fish both sides of the road for redfish.

I bought a battery operated bubbler for the bait and we headed towards a place my wife and I named "Bobcat Bay" (for obvious reasons).

On the way we stopped at a point in the river and fished there a short time.  I tossed out a couple of mud minnows and live shrimp on both sides of the road and only picked up a couple of puffer fish so we decided to move on before the sun set.

There was only an hour or so of daylight left when we put out our baits at Bobcat Bay.  Karen wanted to fish the marsh canal, so I decided to fish the Indian River side of the road.

She baited up with a mud minnow and I set out live shrimp, a mud minnow and a dead shrimp.

I settled down to watch the rods and enjoy the beautiful sunset while Karen fished the marsh canal.

After 45 minutes or so, and several dozen photographs, I was getting ansey and chilly.  I'm not a good bait fisherman.   I was ready to go when I asked Karen if she had any bites.  About the time I got the words out of my mouth, she hooked a nice redfish and asked me to help.

I took a short video of her fighting the red and me slipping into the water trying to land the fish.  Fortunately, my embarrassment was minimized when she forgot to continue recording the action.

The leader broke just as I lipped the redfish and it flopped around a bit as I fell into the marsh canal, but I got the fish.

Anyway, here is the video in it's entirety.

Her fish was a little over 30" and she wanted me to hold the red while she took a picture.  She's camera shy, big time!

Anyway, I released the fish unharmed to fight another day.

It was getting chilly when the awesome sunset was over and the mosquitoes were getting really nasty, so we decided to call it a day.

Hopefully, we'll get a chance to get out tomorrow and replicate today's trip.

Till next time,
Tight Lines.

Space Coast Birding

Space Coast birding is apparently why Peacocks Pocket Road was open this Saturday.

My wife and I decided to take Elmo and Odie out for a ride Saturday afternoon and because of the heavy winds and the cold front that was coming into the area, I didn't take along any fishing gear.

We left the house at around 5:00 pm and headed for East Gator Creek Road to see if the birdwatchers were out.

As we entered the area, we weren't disappointed, there were plenty of local and out of state birders in the area.

The amount of Coots we saw was unbelievable.  They were thousands of them huddled together in several groups mostly on the leeward side of the road.

I took a few pics and moved to Catfish Creek Loop road to see if anybody was fishing.

As we neared the entrance, Karen was the first to see that the barrier to Peacocks Pocket Road was down and the sign was covered up with a black plastic bag.

I immediately took the turn and we slowly drove along the road looking for sign of fish or fishermen.

We saw a lot of different types of birds, a few sea trout and a school of either black drum or redfish moving up the marsh canal against the wind.

There were some vehicles parked along the narrow road in several areas watching the waterfowl but only one group of folks fishing, and they were at the culverts near the kayak launch.

I was disappointed that I didn't bring my rods along but it didn't appear that anyone was catching any fish.  With a full moon, dropping temperatures, and a heavy northeast wind blowing, I didn't feel too bad.

We did spot a lot of waterfowl which is probably why the road was open in the first place, anyway, here are some of the pics I took during our outing.

Not quite sure what kind of hawk it is but it acted like it was tame.

Hope to get out and wet a line this week, especially if the road remains open.

Till next time,  Tight Lines.

The Fiddlers Of The Marsh

Except for Sheepshead fishermen, the common fiddler crab is one of the most overlooked and under utilized baits in our area.

Fiddler crabs are a common sight in Central Florida marshes and they are "candy" to redfish, black drum, sheepshead, pompano, permit, and a variety of other inshore species.

Several varieties exist throughout the world but in Florida we have three subspecies that inhabit sandy and muddy areas in the marshes.

Sand fiddler (Uca pugilator)

The Sand fiddler (Uca pugilator) is pinkish purple with a bright patch of purple in the center of its carapace.

Their legs range from brown to orange, and they are prefer sandy substrates. Sand fiddlers are common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to western Florida.

 The Mud fiddler (Uca pugnax) has a brown colored carapace

with the front of the shell and it's eye stalks colored a blue to turquoise.

Their legs are darkly banded and the large claw of the male is a yellowish white to orange in color. Mud fiddlers prefer a muddy marsh habitat free from mangrove or other heavy roots.

The Red jointed fiddler (Uca minax) is larger than the other two species and can be identified by the red color at the joints of the male's large claw.

They prefer low salt and freshwater marshes and usually stay away from tidal zone marsh areas.

All three species spend most of their time on land, breathe oxygen, have gills, and will drown if kept under water. They stay close to water to keep their gills moist and are usually found in colonies where they burrow into the substrate. Their burrows protect them from temperature extremes (below 60 degrees or above 90 degrees), predators, and serve as an underwater refuge during high tide periods.

Although fiddler crabs seldom grow over 1 1/2", they are a tasty snack for raccoon, frogs, toads, wading birds, and any fish that will eat a crab.

They are a great bait, easy to catch, and easier to keep.

Find a marsh flat where they congregate, dig a hold large enough to bury a 5 gallon bucket flush with the ground, and get a couple of 2X4s. Form the 2X4s into a "V" so the fiddler crabs can be funneled into the bucket and just herd the crabs into the bucket.

Some guys just cut the top out of a plastic laundry basket and just drop it over a group of fiddlers and pick them out into a container for bait. Both methods work well but if you're in a hurry, most bait shops keep a supply of them during the season.

When fishing them, you can keep them alive by using a small #1 or #1/0 hook and hooking them through their underside just inside of the middle two legs and bringing the point out of the upper shell. The point should barley exit the top of the shell to keep the crab on the hook.

When fishing for sheepshead, remove the large claw from male fiddlers. The sheepshead usually grab that claw off of the crab first resulting in a missed fish.

You can also hook them on stand up jig heads when trying to locate reds or black drum in the the marsh. For tailing redfish or drum, use a short shank #1 bait hook with a small split shot a couple of inches above the hook. In deeper water, some guys use a small crappie float above the bait and cast over or ahead of the fish to bring the bait to the fish.

 The best way to fish for tailing reds with fiddler crabs is to use light enough line to cast to the fish without any weight.

You can keep the fiddlers you don't use for future fishing trips by filling a wash tup or other suitable container with about 7 or 8 inches of beach sand and sprinkling enough water on the sand to keep it slightly moist. Too much water will make the sand "soupy" and kill the fiddlers.

Put the container in a shady area away from extremely hot or cold temperatures and sprinkle a handful of dry bread crumbs over the sand to feed them. The fiddler crabs will stay healthy and happy for a couple of months or so, as long as the sand is kept moist.

I decided to write about fiddler crabs when I was fishing with them in Mobile, Al. along a bridge going to Dauphin Island. A couple of fishermen were using them and nailing the sheepshead and black drum while everyone else was just dunking their baits.

I have used them in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on occasion when the water levels in the marsh are high and the redfish, drum, and sea trout invade the shallows to forage for shrimp, crabs, and small baitfish. Unfortunately, I get stuck on using artificials instead of live baits.

After watching the guys in Mobile tear up the fish using fiddler crabs, I plan to start using them more often in the "swamp".

Till next time,
Tight Lines.

Saturday Redfish Report

Some friends of mine who fished the Indian River this past Saturday did quite well on the Redfish.

Craig and Mary and made a morning trip to Titusville this past Saturday with their canoe and managed a couple of nice slot redfish for their efforts.

They were fishing live shrimp under corks and paddle tail baits.

He told me that they put their canoe in at the Praxair launch in Mims and paddled around the area looking for sign of fish. Other than some mullet, they didn't spot any fish but in the afternoon they both did better than most of the bank fishermen I talk to.

Mary caught her 26" redfish on a Kitech Swim Bait and Craig picked up a sea trout and a red on a live shrimp under a popping cork.

With the wind coming out of the Northwest all day, I'm surprised they did as well as they did.

Craig said they spotted some boats fishing cut baits but he didn't report any catching, just fishing.

I used to fish that area on a somewhat regular basis a couple of years ago with a good bit of success and I may start fishing it again when I get back into town.

Regardless, with the colder weather right around the corner, the fishing should improve quite a bit.

Till next time,
Tight Lines.

the 2nd. We stopped at the tackle shop to get a couple dozen shrimp and local knowledge from the owner.

New Years Fishing In The Wildlife Refuge

Fishing in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge new years day was lackluster to say the least, but considering the weather change, I really didn't expect much.

My wife and I decided to take Elmo and Odie out to the "swamp" for a ride and to do a little fishing.  We started out at around 3:00 pm loaded up with a few rods and some shrimp for bait.

We were originally going to try fishing in Haulover Canal, but because it was late in the day and I didn't want to waste time driving so far, we decided to fish the Catfish Creek area in the refuge instead.

Because "Pocket Road" is closed to vehicle traffic for the waterfowl hunting season, I expected the area to be covered up with bank fishermen but as we drove around the "loop" I was surprised to see only a few guys on the river.

We picked a spot where the dogs couldn't get into too much trouble and staked out several rods with fresh dead frozen shrimp and began to fish.

We didn't have to wait long before both Karen and I got bites.  I'm not normally a bait fishermen and I managed to miss the first three bites before finally hooking up with a nice hard head catfish.

Karen kept missing fish and finally landed a spotted sea trout that was just legal.

She released her fish and continued fishing.

As it started getting towards dusk, several fishermen started coming into the area to stake out their fishing spots.

I briefly hooked and lost a heavy fish that was probably a drum and Karen had several more bites before hooking an releasing another catfish.

As the light over the river waned, I hooked into a "rat redfish" that put up a brief tussle before being unhooked and released.

That turned out to be the last bite of the afternoon, so after the gnats started to gnaw away at my legs, we decided to call it a day and head home.

Elmo and Odie had a ball, Karen and I both caught some fish, and we all enjoyed New Years fishing in the wildlife refuge on a beautiful afternoon.

Till next time, Tight Lines.