Reds On The Mud Flats

I finally got a chance to take Odie for a ride around Gator Creek Road and was surprised to find reds on the mud flats along the west side of the unimproved road. We left the house around 4:00 pm and found several people setting up their cameras with telescopic lenses on the bridge apparently waiting for the Space X launch that was later scrubbed.  

A large plane that was apparently affiliated with the launch was circling the space center several times before leaving the area.

I have not been in the area for about a month so I stopped to talk to a couple of anglers to see if they were fishing or actually catching.

The first guy I had a conversation with had three rods out of the back of his pickup and was sitting on the tailgate waiting for a bite.

He was fishing the shallow mud flats which were now flooded using shrimp for bait.

He said he hadn't caught anything yet but did catch three slot redfish the prior day.

We shot the bull awhile and I left when Odie started to get anxious about getting out.

We drove along the road and spotted three other parties with lines out on both sides of the road but nobody seemed to be catching anything.

The air temp was in the low 60s and a good breeze was making it seem colder.  I had on shorts like a fool and only stopped a couple of times to toss a Chug Bug and a Cream Spoiler Shad around.  Nothing was interested and neither was I.  

Next time I take a ride with Odie, I'll dress for the weather.

After circling Catfish Creek Loop and exiting via East Gator Creek, I decided that the fishing would have been much better using live baits on the mud flats.

Till next time,

Tight Lines.

The cold fronts that will hit is this month will make water temperatures in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River drop substantially and bring schools of bull redfish and speckled sea trout onto the grass flats.

The singles, pairs, and small groups of smaller reds that we like to chase during the summer months seem to disappear this month and make way for schools of 50 to 100 or more redfish in the 30 inch plus category that cruise the flats in water that is often less than a foot deep.

The larger over slot sea trout that have been holding in deeper water most of the summer months begin their spawning activities in late fall that continues well into the early spring.  These gator size sea trout will start showing up over patches of hard bottoms on the flats in much better numbers this month.

The dark hard bottoms in particular are magnets for big sea trout, snook, and redfish this month.  Pods of 15 to 25 or more trout can frequently be found sunning themselves over darker patches of hard bottom and will usually eagerly grab most presentations.

The best part about the cooler waters temperatures on the flats this month is that the reds and sea trout feed all day long.  You don't have to get on the water before the break of dawn to catch a mess of fish.

Unfortunately, I've been tied up in North Carolina working and am unable to access the great fishing opportunities available here however, you can still avail yourself. Till next time, Tight Lines.

Port Canaveral Fishing

On my way back from the Doctors office today, I decided to stop by the Port to see if any anglers were dunking baits along the sea walls. 

I parked my truck, pulled out a rod with a Creme swimbait and started checking out the fishing around the area. 

 The first couple of guys I spoke with had some pinfish in their bucket and were not doing so great.    

Another oriental guy was netting up baitfish and fishing with live finger mullet around the sea walls and boat docks. He said he was after snook that were hiding around the pilings. 

 I wished him well and started casting my swimbait around the bridge abutments but after several unfruitful casts realized that the lure didn't come even close to "matching the hatch" of the migrating baitfish.

I saw several pods of Atlantic Menhaden under the drawbridge and around the rocks heading away from the locks and a couple of what looked like Spanish mackerel chasing them but they weren't interested in my small lure.

I started walking back to my truck when I heard the oriental guy yelling like crazy.  He hooked and apparently lost a nice size snook that he was targeting underneath the boat dock.

I didn't say a word, just packed my rod up and headed back to Titusviille.

On the way out I drove past the head boats which were both docked.  I was surprised that they weren't out catching fish but what do I know.....

Anyway, I took a few pics of the area, including the large cruise ship that was berthed  at the terminal before heading home.

I made a mental note to come back and fish the area with some baits during the evening, but when I left the house later in the evening, the rain storms prompted me to turn back home.

Till next time,

Tight Lines. 

Pocket Road Mini Slam

Finally got out this afternoon to wet a line in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge around Peacock Pocket Road.

It was around 3:00 pm when I pulled up to the barrier at the lower end of Peacocks Pocket and the air temperature was a cool 90 degrees.

I originally planned to fish Bio Lab Road at the southern end near Pelican Island but when I drove into Gator Creek Road, I decided to walk Pocket Road instead.

There is a lot of vegetation around the banks of the road making casting and landing a fish pretty tough.  Here are a few pics of the area to let you know how difficult the fishing can be.

I was using soft Creme paddletail baits, a Tsunami shrimp, and a small Chug Bug to cover the entire water column.

After tossing lures in several spots prior to parking at the barrier without any action, a walk up the road seemed like a good idea.   I figured I would get my walking in for the day and maybe catch a few decent fish.

My first cast around the culverts hooked me up with a dink rat redfish like the one below.  

The little fish hit the paddletail bait at the bank near the culvert and put up a short fight before I released it to grow up.  

There are a lot of oversize reds that cruise the shoreline along the road, but they are not usually active until dusk or at daybreak.  During the heat of the day I didn't expect to catch any lunkers.

I continued fishing up the road in several spots where I could cast the soft bait and managed to hook into a couple of dink sea trout like the one below.

I lost three more trout around the brush at the bank before hooking into this snook.

The fish hit the lure at the bank and put up a decent fight before I could land and release it.  The snook was in the 20 inch plus category which is unusual for this area.

As I walked down the road tossing baits into areas where I could without getting hung up, I managed to get several more hookups but the fish kept getting off in the heavy brush along the bank.

When I got a relatively clean area near a small pond where I used to catch some nice redfish before the road was closed, I hooked into another snook that I managed to land and release.  The fish wrapped around some submerged brush twice, but each time I gave it slack and it pulled off without breaking off.

This fish was a bit smaller but good sport to catch and release.  

I continued casting the area and lost another sea trout before hooking into a ladyfish that jumped all over the place before I could land and release it.

As the bite stopped I moved up the road to another secluded spot and hooked into another trout that broke off my lure in the brush.  This was my last paddletail bait so I decided to head back to the truck and head home.

With the heat and skinning up and down the bank to get a good casting spot to fish, I was pretty beat.  I had walked about two miles down Peacocks Pocket road and had not brought any water along to rehydrate, so heading back seemed a prudent option.

When I got back to the culvert at the barrier, I was soaked with sweat and light headed.

The air conditioner in the truck was definitely a live saver today.

All in all I had a productive day on the water.  I managed an inshore "mini slam" of redfish, sea trout, snook, and ladyfish, if you count them.

Not Bad....

Till next time,

Tight Lines.

Bass In Gator Creeki

I almost forgot that there were freshwater bass in Gator Creek but I was quickly reminded this afternoon when I fished the area.

I planned to do some fishing around Bio Lab Road but by the time I decided to make a run at it, it was late afternoon.   Not a really great time to do any serious fishing.

I drove into Bio Lab and saw several people crabbing and a couple of dudes pissing off an alligator at the pump station.  They were feeding the gator large mullet on a stick while wading right next to the bank.  How stupid can you get???

Anyway, I didn't wait around to see if the gator was interested in eating a human so I drove slowly along the road looking for some sign of fish.

I stopped at a couple of likely looking spots but only got a half hearted hit from a seatrout on a topwater Chug Bug.  

I rolled down to the culverts near Pelican Island to see if any tarpon were in the area and came up on a heard of sea manatees that were having a blast around the open culvert.

I fished the opposite side with a Tsunami paddle tail bait and missed a fish that obviously was not a tarpon so I decided to head out to the Vistas.

I took this short video of all the manatees around the culvert before leaving.

I was heading out to Playalinda Beach Road when a lady stopped to tell me that the gate was closed early.  They normally close the gate at 7:00 pm but for some reason it was already closed an hour early.  I thanked her and turned around to head back to the entrance of Bio Lab and drive over to Gator Creek.

When I finally got to the entrance to East Gator Creek, I noticed a lot of vehicle traffic but no fishermen in the area.  

I started fishing a topwater Chug Bug and after the second or third cast got a great hookup with a strong fish.  The fish took line and headed up the road along the bank and finally cut off my Chug Bug.

The fish was not a tarpon but it could have been a red or a snook.  Regardless, I never got a chance to look at it.

I tied on a new Chug Bug and started blind casting around the shallow flats hoping for another good fish.

After several more casts, I hooked into a large garfish that I shook off at the bank.  The fish put up a sluggish fight which definitely was not how the first fish took off.

I continued casting the area and after two missed strikes, finally hooked up and landed this black bass that hit the Chug Bug right at the bank.  The fish put up a decent fight before I landed it and took these pics.

Last year at about this time I remember catching several black bass in Gator Creek along with some Mayan Cichlids.

I released the fish and planned on heading home but when I saw all the people looking into the sky, I remembered that there was going to be a launch this afternoon.  

As luck would have it, I asked one of the guys when it was scheduled and he told me I was a dollar short and a day late.  It had already taken off.

I can't believe I was so wrapped up in catching fish that I totally missed the shot.

Anyway, after a lot of mental flagellation, I headed out of East Gator Creek and headed home.

Till next time,

Tight Lines.

Scouting Trip Along Bio Lab Road

After returning from a long drive from the Moffitt Cancer Institute in Tampa today, I decided to make a scouting trip along Bio Lab Road to check out the potential.

I left the house around 5:00 pm and headed directly towards Bio Lab.

The water in the Mosquito Lagoon was surprisingly clear making sight fishing a definite possibility in most areas.  The mullet along the road were thick and holding close to the bank to avoid being eaten by predators.

I took some pics and talked to a couple people who were crabbing along the bank.  Nobody was fishing.

The air temperature was 93 degrees and dropping, and there was a slight chop on the water in the lagoon.  Not a great time to wet a line.

I took several pics of the mullet in the area as I headed down the road towards Pelican Island.

I was looking for tarpon but there were none in any of the areas I scouted out, including the Vistas along Playalinda Beach road.

I did find a heard of manatees along an open culvert and a large school of redfish tailing in another area right next to the road that a friendly fly fisherman turned me on to.

He said he was wading around the school but hadn't gotten any hookups.

When I located the fish, I tried casting several baits at the reds without any hookups.

With all the mosquitoes swarming in my face and legs, it didn't take long for me to leave the area and head home.

Till next time,

Tight Lines.

Fishing Peacocks Pocket road this afternoon seemed like a good idea, so after a brief scouting trip at Playalinda Beach, I headed to the southern entrance of Pocket Road to try my luck along the road.

I parked off the wire rope barrier at the road and took a light rod spooled with 6 pound line and a small size Creme paddletail bait from my truck to fish with.

They have been working on Peacocks Pocket road for a couple of years and were expected to have it finished up by March of this year, but even though the road has had some massive improvements, it is still not open to vehicle traffic.

However, if you don't mind a tangle in the brush once in a while, you can usually pick up some sea trout, black drum, and redfish along the ditches; especially around the shallow ponds.

As I walked along the road this afternoon, the water in the ditches was like glass in most areas which made delicate casts a necessity.  

I walked a few yards up the road casting into the deeper pools and started catching sea trout on my white Creme bait.   The problem was that except for one fish, all the fish caught were dink trout like the one below.

During the time I was fishing the ditches, I landed and released at least a dozen sea trout in the 10 to 13 inch category and lost my one and only bait on a good size fish that broke off in the vegetation that is still left in the water along the bank by the work crews.   

As they worked on the road, they cut down most of the bushes that were growing along the bank.  Although this makes casting much easer, landing a good fish is damn tough; and there are some big fish in the ditches.

The above pic shows what I'm talking about.

As the insects started to eat me alive, I decided to give up on the fishing and head home for some grub.

Till next time,

Tight Lines

Lost Elmo Today

Karen and I lost Elmo today.   

Elmo was my beloved fishing partner for over 17 years and had a good pampered life with Karen caring for him in his old age during his many illnesses.

Waiting for a Treat

Elmo Ready to Fish

Elmo checking out fish in the culvert

Elmo and Odie Chilling

Although Elmo was suffering with "doggie" dementia, blind from his cataracts, deaf from old age, and had arthritis in his hip, he still was loved by Karen and I till his death this morning.

He will be missed dearly.

Manatees On The Culverts

Went out to Bio Lab road to check out the fishing opportunities and saw a bunch of manatees on the culverts in the southern portion south of Pelican Island.

I took Elmo and Odie along with me to scout the areas and had a great time checking out the wildlife.  The little fishing I had an opportunity to try produced only one hit by what I believe was a small snook.

The fish hit a small Creme paddletail bait that I was tossing around the culverts as I was trying to "match the hatch" to the small glass minnows milling around the outlets.

We spotted several fishermen along Bio Lab wading the flats and dunking baits along the bank, but except for an Osprey that picked up a small redfish, nobody seemed to be catching anything except a bit of sunburn.

As we got closer to Playalinda Beach road, I had to stop for a couple of snakes in the road apparently trying to mate.  I took a short vid of one of them before moving on to the culverts I aimed to fish.

When we got to the culvert, the first thing I noticed were the manatees.  The second thing that caught my attention was a couple of very large alligators that were in the area.  

One was almost on the bank at the culvert checking out a snowy egret that was catching his meal of glass minnows.  I took a video of the scene along with the manatees.

There were 7 or 8 that I spotted in the area with several coming right up to the culvert.  

I tossed a few lures around but since I had the dogs with me, I didn't spend much time fishing.  They had to stay in the truck in the A/C because of the gators.

After a while, I decided to hit the beach to see if anyone was fishing. 

I stopped at a couple of lots and although there were a lot of beach goers getting tans, nobody was fishing.  The tide was out and you could see lots of seaweed edging the high tide margins, which could have been the explanation.

After taking a few pics at both lots, I decided to head home with the boys.

On the way out I spotted a huge soft shelled turtle along the road that apparently didn't like his pic taken. 

 I did it anyway.

Till next time,

Tight Lines.

Another Space X Flight

Got out to wet a line late this afternoon and saw another Space X Flight from the culvert I was fishing.

Although I only got one small kink sea trout from the culvert on a small Creme paddle tail bait, the launch was much more entertaining.

The launch was delayed due to windy conditions but lifted off at 8:26 pm.  Love these night launches...

Check it out from my view from Gator Creek below.

Till I get a chance to fish again, Tight Lines.

Sunset On The Mud Flats

It was almost sunset on the mud flats before I was able to get into the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and wet a line.

A "cold front" was expected to hit our area so I thought that it would be a good time to get out and catch up on my fishing.

Catfish Creek Road was the closest location and since I've been catching fish around some of the culverts in that area; I targeted the same locations.

My first casts around the mud flats picked up a hit and a miss, so I moved to the culvert I fished the other day and started getting solid hits.

I was using a Creme paddletail bait that is one of my "go to" lures for this area and casting tight to the grassy bank.

After several misses, I finally hooked, landed, and released a slot sea trout that nailed the bait in the culvert flow.

When things cooled down a bit, I picked up this rat redfish that inhaled the lure.

Several casts later, I hooked into a solid red that might have been his mother that hit the mangrove roots along the bank and broke off my favorite lure.

I tied on a Tsunami paddletail bait and started fan casting the area again.  

The sun was getting low and after getting some pics of the area, I landed and released a dink sea trout that nailed the lure.

There must have been a school in the area because I picked up two more fish before the bite died off.

I was about to leave the area and head home when I spotted some action around the grass, so I shot a couple casts to the area and picked up another rat redfish.

The sun was dipping to the horizon and after a few more fruitless casts, I decided to head home for some dinner.

On the way out I took these pics of the area.

Till next time, Tight Lines.