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  #8  
Old 10-29-2009
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default East Central Florida Fishing Outlook, November 2009

Mosquito Creek Outdoor's Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, November 2009

By Captain Tom Van Horn

First and foremost, on November 28th, Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando presents the CAM Orlando Fishing, Boating and Outdoor Fall Festival to be held at the Barn in Sanford. The event features food, music, retail booths, seminars by leading local fishing experts, games, boat displays and much more, and the event is a fund raiser for our Hook Kids On Fishing Program. So far, over 40 venders have signed up, including Pure Fishing, Pen Reels, Dealers Choice Boats, and BMC Boats.

As water temperatures drop into the seventies along the beach and offshore, falling water temperatures will increase the feeding activity of larger species. Shorter days, northeast swells, cooler waters, all serve as a dinner bell for larger fish preparing for the onset of winter.

As water temperatures cool, look for cobia and tripletail to begin showing up on the Port Canaveral Buoy line and on flotsam, both near-shore and offshore. When you find weeds and other debris, look for tripletail to be hanging just below the floating structure. DOA shrimp and small jigs tipped with shrimp work well when targeting these brim on steroids. It is also important to keep the sun to your back to improve your range of sight, and to keep a medium heavy rod rigged with a one-ounce chartreuse or white buck tail jig ready to throw to any cruising cobia. Also, look for the fall kingfish run to commence as well and an occasional sailfish or black fin tuna on the near-shore reefs and wrecks like 8A and Pelican Flats.

November is one of the best months to target snook at Sebastian Inlet. In addition, large southern flounder and oversized redfish have begun to show up on the Port Canaveral buoy line and in the inlets of Ponce De Leon and Sebastian, and their numbers will increase as the flounder begin their seaward migration out of the lagoon. Also, let's not forget the influx of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and black tip sharks shadowing schools of finger mullet and glass minnows along the beach.

On the inside, look for pompano to begin to form up and move off of the lagoon flats thought the inlets, and invade the beach in search of mole crabs (sand fleas) their favorite winter food. Currently, reports of pompano skipping have been coming from anglers working the flats in various locations within the Lagoon. Also look for large schools of ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and sea trout to be feeding on the migrating schools of glass minnows as they move south through the Lagoon.

Sight fishing this past month for redfish has was tough due to higher water levels and tons of finger mullet, but water levels have begun to drop and the arrival of cold air and cooling water will redfish schooling up again, and the large sea trout showing up on the skinny flats. Additionally, a good numbers of quality black drum and some gag grouper will begin to occupy the deeper channels of the ICW and areas around bridges and power structures throughout the lagoon.

Last but not least, the tailing black drum and redfish have shown up early on the flats of the Banana River No-Motor Zone. If you have never experienced black drum tailing in a foot of water, it is worth the long paddle. When targeting black drum in the zone, concentrate your efforts on the deeper side on the sandbars that parallel the west shore and the submerged sand bars in the center of the Zone. When you locate tailing black drum and redfish, try throwing crab or shrimp imitation artificial baits like the DOA Shrimp or a black Clouser fly, and chunks of blue crab or live shrimp work well for natural baits.

Be sure to check out the new Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando on line at www.coastalanglermagazine.com.

On November 7th there's another free seminar Introduction to Saltwater Flats Fishing Series, Class 7 of 8, "Paddle Fishing Tactics" 10 am - 12 noon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S Washington Avenue in Apopka. Instructors are Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn. For more details or directions, contact Mosquito Creek Outdoors at (407) 464- 2000 or visit their website www.mosquitocreek.com/fishing.

Also, be sure to check out the new Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando in print and online for free at www.coastalanglermagazine.com.

As always, if you have any questions or need help, please contact me.

Good luck an

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
(407) 416-1187 on the water
(407) 366-8085 landline

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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  #7  
Old 06-04-2009
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default East Central Florida Fishing Outlook

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, June 2009

Compliments of Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, Florida

Calm conditions across the water will allow for those with smaller boats to venture further out into the deep blue in search for ocean predators, and facilitate a smoother and faster ride for those with larger vessels.

Offshore, look for the dolphin bite to slow as the schools begin to spread out and the kingfish concentration will remain good along the inshore reefs and wrecks of 8A Reef and Pelican Flats, so slow trolling with live pogies will produce the best action. Additionally, bottom fishing will remain good for snapper and grouper until the first summer squall (hurricane) blows in and muddies up the water. As the summer doldrums set in, the seas flatten out and the ocean cleans up, and near-shore opportunities are typically the best you’ll see all year along the reefs and wrecks and the beach. June is also the time of year when the kingfish move in close along the beach shadowing schools of Atlantic menhaden (pogies), as well as along the Port Canaveral buoy line.

In the early morning on the Lagoon flats look for trout and redfish up in the skinny water around concentration of bait, and toss them your favorite top water plug. Focus your efforts between 5am and 9am, and in the late afternoon after the thunderstorms dissipate. Also look for schools of bay anchovies (glass minnows) in deeper waters. These schools can be located by watching for small terns and other sea birds working, and they usually are shadowed by concentrations of small trout and ladyfish. These fast moving schools produce fast and furious action for fly anglers casting small top-water popping bugs.

Night fishing especially during period of intense moon will also produce decent catches of redfish, snook, and trout. When fishing the flats at night, I prefer fishing real slow with glow in the dark shrimp imitation baits like the DOA Shrimp with a Woodie’s Rattle Capsule inserted or simply use the Woodie’s Rattle hook. If you can only fish during the heat of the day, target the docks with deepwater access.

Remember as the days heat up, long battles will kill the fish, so if you plan on targeting large fish, you may want to step up your tackle to shorten the battle. Also, dissolved oxygen levels are low, so leave them in the water as much as possible, and revive them completely before releasing them. Also, snook season is closed on Florida’s east central coast in June, July, and August, so if you catch one, please be respectfull and handle and release it with extreme care.

As always, if you need more information or have questions, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 landline
886-790-8081 toll free

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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  #6  
Old 04-29-2009
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default East Central Florida Fishing Outlook, May 2009

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, May 2009

By Captain Tom Van Horn

As the breezes of April give way to the summer doldrums, warmer and calmer ocean waters set the stage for some of the best near-shore fishing experienced all year, especially for the folks running smaller boats. The baitfish have already arrived in good numbers and the strong easterly fetch which set up during the end of April will push in clean water, flotsam and fish inshore.

The bait pods, Atlantic menhaden (pogies), have shown up along the beach, and now is the best time to target the ocean predator shadowing these schools. Drag screaming kingfish and large jack crevalle are my favorite targets, but it’s not uncommon to catch large redfish, blacktip sharks, cobia, and tarpon from within these pods of bait as well. To locate bait pods, simply look for feeding birds, flipping and jumping bait, muddy water along the beach, and busting fish.

Offshore, dolphin fishing will be the focus of blue water anglers this month. April and May are the time of year when the larger bulls are taken off the Florida Space Coast. The early season dolphin bite has already yielded fish in excess of 60 pounds. Also, as a bonus, the potential of taking a blue marlin or sailfish are good. Near-shore, the kingfish bite has heated up on the near-shore reefs and wrecks and some cobia are still around. As the seas settle down and the bait schools move in close to the beach, look for the kingfish action to move in also.

Additionally, Spanish mackerel, snook, large redfish, bluefish, flounder, sheepshead and black drum are just some of the species available in the Lagoon inlets and beaches this month. As the baitfish migration moves north, this type of fishing will only improve.

On the Lagoon flats, redfish and spotted sea trout will provide the majority of action for light tackle and fly anglers. The water has warmed up to the point where jack crevalle, ladyfish, snook, and tarpon are showing up in good numbers. I like to target redfish and sea trout at first light or at dusk, with top water plugs like the Rapala Skitterwalk or Storm Chug Bug. As the day heats up, change your focus to the deeper edges of the flats (2 to 3 feet deep) jigging with a DOA CAL tail or the DOA Deadly Combo.

Last but not least, if you are interested in learning more about fishing the saltwater flats, mark your calendar for the free flats fishing class 2 of 8 class series, “Lines Leaders and Practical Knots, Saturday May 16th, at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka Florida.

As always, if you have any questions or need more information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn

Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
http://www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water

Book a charter, and let’s go fishing.

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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  #5  
Old 04-02-2009
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default East Central Florida Fishing Outlook, April 2009

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Fishing Forecast, April 2009

By Captain Tom Van Horn

Reflecting back on my forecast for April, I can’t help but get excited about the many different angling prospects spring delivers to the Indian River Coast of Florida. I’m grateful for the opportunity to live, breath, and fish on these waters, and if March has been a prelude to what we can expect in April, look out!

Some of highlights of fishing on Florida’s east central coast during the spring is the weather is still cool and enjoyable, and as the waters warm up, the fish begin to shift into their prespawning feeding mood. Some examples of this behavior are the cobia moving north up the coast, and the spotted sea trout moving into their traditional spawning areas on the inshore flats. Like many saltwater species, the cobia and sea trout spawn in aggregations or groups, not on beds. In the case of the cobia, traditional spawning areas are off of the central east coast of the US, and in the northern Gulf of Mexico. As the fish migrate north, they burn energy and feed heavily along the way, hence the cobia run we are currently experiencing. On the flats, the smaller male sea trout move up into the shallow flats first, and then call the females in to spawn by drumming loudly just after dusk when the conditions are right, usually around the beginning on the first new moon or full moon in April, and then again on the new and full moons throughout the summer.

Offshore, April marks the beginning of the fishing season for most blue water anglers. It represents the start of the April/May northern migration of dolphin in deeper water, 120 feet and beyond and usually brings in some of the largest bulls taken all year. April also marks the beginning of the Easter kingfish run on the near-shore reef outside Port Canaveral. It’s the time of year when most of the larger kings, 30 to 50 pounds, are taken off 8A Reef, and Pelican Flats.

As we move in near-shore, tripletail should become more dependable, and look for late season cobia as well. The cobia run thus far has been so so; with bait pods (Atlantic menhaden or pogies) arriving late this year. As the bait pod move in, look for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, redfish, giant jack crevalle, sharks, and smoker kings. Concentrate your efforts in areas of bait pods. When you see areas of bait balled up and pushed to the surface, there is a high probability that feeding gamefish are pressuring the bait from underneath.

In the inlets, look for good numbers of flounder, sheepshead and black drum around structure such as jetties and docks, and Spanish mackerel, blues, and large jacks in open water. Also look for the nighttime snook and tarpon action to heat up in the Sebastian Inlet.

On the lagoon flats, fish the early morning and late evening with your favorite top water plugs for extreme trout and redfish action, and soft plastics and jigs in deeper water, 2 to 3 feet after the midday sun settles in. April is one of the months when trout are egg laden for the spawn, so it’s very important to handle and release the larger females with great care. If you are looking for snook and tarpon action inside, the Sebastian River will be the place to go.

Last but not least, freshwater largemouth and striped bass action has will heat up on the St Johns River. Look for schooling bass at first light feeding on pilchards from the Osteen Bridge to Lake Harney. My favorite locations are in the river bends near the power lines at Lemmon Bluff and at the south end of Lake Harney were the River dumps in. A good way to locate these schooling fish is to look for white pelicans and other wading birds congregating along the shore. When in the feeding mode, these fish will take most swim plugs, and small live shiners. Also, last year we caught southern flounder in Lake Harney fishing pilchards on the bottom under the schooling bass.

As always, if you have any questions or need information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
captain@irl-fishing.com
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water
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  #4  
Old 03-10-2009
merijo_attong merijo_attong is offline
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Default Captain Jim Hale- A Near Hellsbay Bonanza March 2009

A Near Hellsbay Bonanza March 4 2009

Good early March….yes it’s still blowing and kinda chilly, hell down right cold some mornings! On the flats “out front” of Flamingo there have been some hungry Snook when the water warms up enough for them to eat. Yesterday the water was 59 in the afternoon and the wind was blowing a good 15knts “so much for NOAAs 5-10” so you can imagine there where not many happy fish that are willing to eat. The theory is that fish are cold blooded and their digestive enzymes do not work as fast when the water is cold so they eat far less when they are cold. As for warm blooded animals their digestion is more consistent because bodies are always warm. Fish in the summer may eat 2 or 3 times a day when they are hot and digestion in rapid.



Back up where the water is dark (dark bottom or water is normally warmer) and you can hardly find your way in or out in protected areas there have been good fishing and probably will for a couple more weeks this week we landed 16 Redfish the largest one around 27 inches and 28 Snook a small Bull Shark and 3 Grouper.

The largest Snook was 33 inches most were caught using Rapalas’ Twitch Rap most of the Snook and Reds’ were dinks under 18 inches but it sure was fun for a day that was blowing 20 plus.

Over the weekend we did get a warm day that started out calm so we went looking for Tarpon in the usual places on the backcountry side. Normally this time of year when it warms up Tarpon are easy to find. Well we found some, but the water was 64 and with nasty green tint to it. It wasn’t as good as we hoped then the next day a nasty front moved through again and well …we just keep hoping for this mess to turn around.



In Biscayne Bay there has been good action with Bonefish inside of the bay but the outside flats have been better when the temps have been low. We have been finding a good amount of fish from day to day but where they were yesterday will mean that more than likely they not even be close the next.



Stay warm and keep the sun at your back.

Capt. Jim Hale

786-255-1788

www.floridasportfishingcharters.com
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  #3  
Old 02-28-2009
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default East Central Florida Fishing Outlook, March 2009

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, March 2009

by Captain Tom Van Horn

For those who have followed my fishing reports over the years, you’ve grown to appreciate the same signals I anticipate and look forward to every spring. The sweet fragrance of orange blossoms carried across the lagoon on the shoulders of a west wind, the magnificent bloom of the azaleas and camellias, and the brightly colored pristine buds on the hardwoods and cypress trees all signals springs arrival and the beginning of the fishing season for blue water anglers.

The Indian River Lagoon’s unique diversity has established it as an estuary of national significance. Consisting of three distinct inshore lagoons, five ocean inlets, and 156 miles of inshore, near-shore and offshore reefs all nurtured by warmth and richness of the Gulf Stream distinguishes the IRL as one of the three most diversified biomasses in the world. Transitioning from tropical to temperate climate zones, the IRL system both inshore and offshore supports over 700 species of fish, and some of the best angling in the world.

As the ocean begins its gradual warming phase, 67 to 68 degrees, watch for the progression of baits schools (Atlantic menhaden and silver mullet) from warmer waters into the near-shore waters bringing the cobia and other predators with them. The warmer waters will also draw manta rays into the shallows shadowed by pods of cobia. Other notable species are tripletail around the buoys and under flotsam, heavy weight jack carvalle, large redfish, and sharks shadowing bait schools. Currently, both the cobia and the rays are a bit behind schedule due to a colder than normal spring.

Moving out into deeper water, the spring kingfish run should begin with the smaller kings showing up around the middle of March, followed by the smokers, 30 to 50 pounds, in April on the near-shore reefs and wrecks like Pelican Flats and 8A reef. If the bait moves in close to the beach, look for the larger kingfish to follow them. Also, April marks the beginning of the fishing season for many of the blue water anglers with the start of the April/May northern migration of dolphin in 120 feet of water and beyond, and the early part of the run usually includes some of the largest bulls taken all year. Again, colder water may delay this migration a bit.

In the inlets and along the beaches, whiting, pompano, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel should remain a staple with sheepshead and black drum holding on jetties and rock piles. As we move into the later part of April, watch for the snook and tarpon action to improve in Sebastian Inlet and then move north following the bait progression.

On the lagoon, rising water levels will draw the slot size redfish schools up onto the shallow flats, with the larger breeder schools holding along the deeper edges and sand bars. On the cooler days, focus your attention on sand pockets or potholes, and once the afternoon sun warms the water, look for tailing fish on the shallow flats. Also, April signals the return of silver mullet to the estuary, and the beginning early morning and late evening top water sea trout and redfish action. Remember, April is the month when sea trout become egg laden for the spawn, which happens just before the full and new moons, so it is very important to release the large females with extreme care; fore their survival is essential for the proliferation of the species.

As always, if you have any questions or need information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 office
www.irl-fishing.com

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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  #2  
Old 12-28-2008
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default East Central Florida Fishing Outlook, January 2009

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, January 2009

By Captain Tom Van Horn

As we ring in the New Year, it is once again time to reflect back on the events and accomplishments of 2008, and to count our many blessings. We are truly blessed to live in Central Florida where angling and spending time on the water are year round endeavors. I am also thankful for another great year of fishing with my clients and friends on the esteemed waters of the Indian River Lagoon estuary. Thank you all for a year filled with adventure on the water, and many great memories.

In preparation for this forecast, I first reviewed last year fishing photos, and I was taken back by the number of quality fish caught and the enjoyment expressed on the faces of the victorious anglers. My good friend and mentor Captain Rodney Smith always suggest I begin with the end in mind, and the end in this case is conserving and protecting the resource we all love and cherish, the Indian River Lagoon system. This report is not only an expression of my thoughts and experience, but also those of many within my circle of influence, and together we can make the difference in promoting the use, and not the abuse of resources we love and respect.

Before I get started with January’s outlook, I’d like to provide a short recap of last weeks fishing. First, the American shad have arrived with the first shad of the 2008/2009 season caught yesterday aboard Three Quarter Time at the mouth of Deep Creek by Andrew McCullough. The crappie bite was also very good on Lake Monroe this past week with a number of reported limits being taken. And last but not least, calm and clear conditions have rewarded anglers with some nice catches of black drum, redfish and sea trout on the Mosquito and North Indian River Lagoons.


Winter on the east central coast of Florida cannot be defined by any specific dates, but rather by the temperature differences generated by passing cold fronts as they swing south across the state. These variations are subject to change from year to year, and they are impossible to predict. On the average, daytime temperatures usually range from the 50’s in the morning to around the 70’s by afternoon. Likewise, water temperatures average in the upper 60’s, but they can drop as low as the 50’s during extended cold periods. On warm sunny days, water temperatures can increase as much as ten degrees on the shallow flats and sandbars. All of these factors greatly affect the species targeted and the methods used.

Inlet fishing has been good this past month weather permitting, with Sebastian and Ponce De Leon Inlets proving to be the most productive. There are still some reports of flounder moving through the inlets, but the bite has slowed considerably. On the inside at Sebastian Inlet, look for good numbers of pompano, ladyfish, and jacks to be located on the flats both north and south of the inlet cut and in the area of the monument. Also, January is the month when the breeder size redfish move in and feed in the mouth of the inlets during the last part of the falling tide. As the tidal currents slow down, the large redfish push up to the surface chasing baitfish. These monsters are brood stock, so please handle and release them with care.

Along the beaches, pompano will remain the staple for the majority of surf anglers, with a mixed bag of whiting, slot size black drum, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish added in. Try fishing with sand fleas (mole crabs) if you can catch them, cut fresh clams, or freshly peeled live shrimp.

Near-shore, January is the month when the tripletails become consistent on the Port Canaveral buoy line, and their numbers will increase as the month progresses. The other hot item near-shore is king mackerel holding along the 70 to 90 foot reefs of North Pelican and 8A. Also, bottom fishing on deep structure should remain consistent as long as the weather holds. Look for snapper, cobia and sea bass in depths of 80 to 140 feet, and grouper and amberjack along the 22-fathom ridge and deeper.

On the flats during the winter, redfish and sea trout will seek the warmest water they can find. Start out working the deeper edges of the flats in the morning and then move into the warmer wind protected flats around mid-day to late afternoon. An early morning start is not necessary this time of year if the weather is cold. Additionally, both redfish and sea trout love to warm themselves in the shallow water sand pockets “potholes” within the grassy flats. On colder days, focus your attention on the deeper holes using a very slow presentation. When targeting redfish and trout in these deeper holes, I prefer using shrimp imitation baits like DOA Shrimp in the clear or nightglow colors fished extremely slowly. I also like to add the element of sound to the bait by inserting a Woodie’s Rattle into the soft plastic bait. Other species encountered in January are black drum, flounder, sheepshead, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish. Also, January is one of the best months to target tailing black drum on the flats, especially in the Banana River “No-Motor Zone”. Both live shrimp and blue crabs are the preferred bait for black drum, but they will eat both artificial and fly when presented properly.

Last but definitely not least, January marks the beginning of the American Shad run up the St. Johns River. Last year, I started catching shad on January 13th and the run remained steady through February, but as stated earlier in this report, the shad have already started to arrive in the Marina Isle, Lemmon Bluff, and Lake Harney areas. As the month progresses, the shad will continue moving south (up stream) into the Econ Creek and Puzzle Lake areas.

In closing, I wish you a happy, prosperous, and fishfull New Year. As always, if you have questions or need information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 office
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  #1  
Old 11-30-2008
mosquitocoast mosquitocoast is offline
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Default Florida, East Central

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, December 2008

By Captain Tom Van Horn

Waking up in my Lazy Boy from my turkey induced Thanksgiving coma, my mind is clouded with thoughts of the holiday season and spending time on the water with family and friends. It’s hard to believe December has already arrived, and the New Year is just around the corner. As I awaken I begin to realize how fortunate we are to live in Central Florida where fishing is a year round sport.

Like the rest of the year, December is a great month to fish along the IRL Coast with excellent opportunities from fishing offshore blue water fishing to slow trolling for shad and speckled perch on the St Johns River. As always, weather fronts will play a significant roll in selecting your time on the water and your desired style of fishing, so it’s often best to ready your boat and equipment keeping an eye on the long range forecast and then taking a day off work and drop everything to go fishing on the gorgeous days.

When the weather is nice and the seas are fishable, solid concentrations of kingfish will be holding on the inshore reefs and wrecks in 60 to 100 feet of water. Several prime locations to target December kingfish are the north end of Pelican Flats and 8A reef out of Port Canaveral. The kingfish bite should remain steady as long as water temperatures stay above 74 degrees. When near-shore waters approach the 70-degree mark, start looking for cobia and tripletail along Port Canaveral buoy line and the shallow waters just off the bight of the Cape. These two species normally hold around floating structure, but they also have a tendency to free swim once the water temperatures warms up in the afternoon.

If the ocean conditions are a bit too rough, good concentrations of breeder redfish will be holding in the inlet passes of Ponce De Leon and Sebastian. Try drifting the passes during the falling tide bouncing live pinfish off the bottom. In the Port Canaveral shipping channel, work the edges of the channel using the same technique. Remember these are oversize redfish, so please step up the size of your tackle to lessen the stress of the fight, and release them with extreme care to be caught again on another day.

Snook fishing will also remain steady around Sebastian Inlet as long as the water temperatures stay warm. It is best to target inlet snook during periods of slack tide fishing live pigfish, pinfish, or croakers at night in the channel under the A1A Bridge. Snook season ends December 15th, so if you enjoy a snook dinner once in a while, don’t hesitate. Another notable species worth mentioning when speaking of inlet fishing is flounder. Depending on surf and lagoon temperatures, the flounder migration can stretch into December, with stragglers filtering through the passes all month.

If the winds are westerly, concentrate your efforts along the beach, and look for pompano to begin moving off the inshore flats to the deeper troughs along the beach. Also look for schools of bluefish and Spanish mackerel shadowing pods of glass minnows and other bait is the surf. To target both blues and Spanish, watch for birds working bait pods, and through small jigs like the D.O.A C.A.L. and spoons with a fast retrieval to avoid cutoffs.

Inshore, both redfish and sea trout will remain in the skinny water as long as the water temperatures stay warm. Inshore fishing is best once the sun warms the water a bit, so sleep in and enjoy a good cup of coffee before heading to the ramp. Fish in protected areas and sunny spots, and look for fish to be holding in sand pockets until the sun gets overhead. Also, now is also the time of year to target tailing black drum in the Banana River Lagoon No Motor Zone.

On the upper Saint Johns River look for the American and hickory shad runs to commence near the end of the month, and intensifying in January and February. Shad fishing is one of the most overlooked fisheries in Florida, and a fun fish to catch on both fly and light tackle gear.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who fished and worked with me in 2008 for your business and friendship, and I am looking forward to spending more time on the water with you in 2009. Also, now is the time to purchase your 2009 gift certificates at and receive 50.00 dollars off of the standard rate by either replying to this news letter or calling me, so purchase a charter in advance for yourself or that certain angler close to your heart, and go fishing with them.

As always, if you have any questions or just need information, please contact me.

Happy Holidays, and good luck and good fishing, and God bless,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 office

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!
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