Scouting Trip In The Refuge

Got back home Friday night but couldn't wet a line until this afternoon when I took the "boys" out for a scouting trip in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

I loaded up Elmo, Odie, and three spinning rods tipped with soft and topwater baits and headed out to north Shiloh Road to see if anything was happening.  

Taking the dogs fishing alone is great for the boys, but not so much for my success at fishing.

I drove down the unimproved gravel road to the barrier with high expectations.  The air temperature was in the 70s, and there was little to no wind over the water.

The weather was beautiful but the fish apparently had lockjaw.

I pitched a couple of topwater baits around the first set of culverts for about 15 minutes without a hit or a follow up before moving up towards the barrier.

The water at the culverts was a dingy brown color which was undoubtedly brown algae.   In every spot we stopped to fish, I never had a hit or even a follow.

There was plenty of wildlife around the area and only one car parked close to the barrier. 

I spotted a coon, a wild pig, and tons of different bird species wading in the shallow ponds so I just had to take a few pics.

I spotted a guy on the other side of the barrier fishing from the bank but I didn't want to intrude, so I packed up Elmo and Odie and left the area.

We headed into the wildlife refuge towards Haulover Canal but on the way I decided to check out Patillo Creek.

Again, only one group of people was fishing the area close to the dead end along the northern part of the road.  The flats were dead calm and although both anglers were reeling in their rods, I didn't see anyone catching any fish.

I pitched around an XPS Slim Dog and a Chug Bug for awhile but never got a hit.

It was getting towards dusk and the sunset on the Indian River was absolutely beautiful.  I took a few pics of the scenery and the "boys" before heading out of the area.

As we crossed the Haulover Canal bridge, I couldn't believe the amount of people fishing the banks of the canal.  Apparently, that is where the fish were.

I drove past several bank fishermen before taking the opportunity to ask one angler who was leaving the area what the bite was all about.

He said everyone was catching black drum and redfish.  The drum bite was apparently on fire in the deeper waters of the canal.

He said shrimp and fresh crab sections were the baits of choice and that the drum were in the 12 pound plus category.

I thanked him for the information before leaving the area and heading for the house.

Till next time,

Tight Lines