Mosquito Lagoon Tarpon

The Mosquito Lagoon tarpon bite has been pretty hot this week with fish pretty much all over clean water areas.

Didn't bring along a rod when Karen and  I took Odie for a drive this afternoon, but I did manage to get some face time info on the tarpon this week.

These two guys were tossing a variety of hard baits to juvenile tarpon in the area I usually fish.  

Because I forgot my equipment when I decided to take Odie for a ride, I wasn't too upset about not being able to fish "my spot".

While I was standing with them, I spotted three tarpon busting on the surface after mullet that were in the area around the mangroves.

Although neither of the anglers I spoke with landed any fish, they said that they had several takes. 

I would be very surprised if they actually landed any of the tarpon that were in the area today.  The fish were in the 50 pound category and with all the surrounding brush, it would be pure luck to bring one to the bank. 

I was hoping to see some manatees on the other side of the road but none were in the area during my visit.

We left the area and on the way home stopped at Fox Lake to see if anybody was fishing that area.

We came up on these three Sandhill Cranes that are almost always in the area.  They came close to the truck to check us out and wish us well as we left the area.

Hope to not forget my rods next trip.

Tight Lines.

Midget Reds On The Mudflats

There were some midget reds on the mudflats in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge yesterday that I really didn't expect to catch.

The air temps were in the 90s when I finally managed to get out and wet a line so I didn't expect to catch a thing when I took Odie for a jaunt around the refuge.

I brought along a couple of light rods with Cream paddletail baits and one with a Chug Bug just for the hell of it and as we crossed the A. Max Brewer bridge, I noticed that the erosion project along the causeway looked like it was close to completion.

I too a pic as we entered the refuge and decided to toss the paddletail baits around some mullet I spotted milling around the shallows.

On the second cast I picked up a midget red that all but inhaled the bait.

I unhooked the fish and put it back after taking a quick pic on my cell phone.

I made a few more casts and caught a couple more midget reds around the same size before moving up the road.

Unlike a few weeks ago, the mud flats on the north side of the road were covered with water but there was little to no movement.  I knew that the the fish had to be close to the bank in deeper water this time of the day and probably had lockjaw.

I stopped at a couple spots to cast the Creme paddletail baits and at the third spot managed to pick up another really really small rat redfish.

I took another pic and released the fish before moving up the road.

I talked to a couple of fishermen who were dunking live and dead shrimp for black drum and found out that the bite was pretty good around  the Catfish Creek area.  They said that most of the drum were being caught late in the afternoon and early in the morning.   Typical for this time of the year.

After letting Odie out to take a wizzz, we moved to East Gator Creek to check out the area.  A lone Heron was fishing along the shallows and didn't seem to be having any luck.

There were a few swirls along the deeper edges of the mudflats close to the road but even with some Pro-Cure Inshore Formula Gel, I never got another bite in that area.

Before leaving the refuge, I decided to toss the Chug Bug around the far bank on the south side of the road.  I loaded the topwater up with some Pro Cure and after about the 5th or 6th cast hooked and released the ladyfish below.

We left the refuge and I headed to Fox lake to see if the freshwater action was happening.

The water was calm but after casting both plastic and the top water Chug Bug around the lily pads, I never got a hit.

I took this pic of some resident Sandhill Cranes that seem to like like people before leaving the park and heading home.

Till next ;time,

Tight LInes.