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Another warm winter week has passed, hinting at the possibility of a continued mild winter for Florida. Winters are a little different during El Niño years. We have had more cloudy and rainy days than usual but it’s also warmer than usual. This has made the weather very pleasant for fishing!
Winter fishing is generally focused on the species that are cold tolerant, namely redfish and black drum. In Mosquito Lagoon, located just to the south of Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach, flats fishing should continue to be good through winter. Migratory black drum are down from as far away as Chesapeake bay with the largest drum we. Some of these fish can be as big as 70lbs! Mosquito Lagoon is mostly clear with good visibility for sight fishing redfish, trout and black drum on fly or light spin tackle. Good grass coverage in many areas has enhanced the fishing this winter and we have been seeing more schools of redfish than in the last couple years. This has made for some great days on the water and combined with the warmer temperatures we have gotten for most of winter, it’s made this season a lot of fun so far.
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We are very lucky to have a year round fishery with multiple options to keep us on good fishing in every month of the year. Winter time fishing in Florida is some of the best fishing and is a great way to beat the dreary winter many experience in other parts of the country. While we do have occasional cool days, at least a few days each week generally approach 70 degrees, but even on the cooler days the bite is usually pretty good.
During this time of the year we are focused on fishing the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon system. The water is nice and clear and the sight fishing is about as good as it gets in this area. Both spin and fly anglers have good opportunities for sight fishing on most days. We usually have shots at redfish, sea trout and occasionally black drum during the winter months. The inlet area near Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach is more fun to fish during the warmer months and the lagoon has the better winter time bite so we just don’t focus much on the tidal water during the winter season. The reason I have 3 different boats is so I can pursue the best fishing available during any month of the year with my clients whether it’s flats fishing in the winter using the skiffs or nearshore fishing for tarpon in the summer. The winter season is here in the New Smyrna Beach area but the last week or so has been unseasonably warm. That should change soon as we push further into December and get stronger cold fronts. We have a year round fishery here with a good bite almost always happening somewhere between our flats fishing and inshore/nearshore options depending on the time of year.
As we enter winter, our focus shifts to flats fishing in the Mosquito and Indian River Lagoons. This expansive flats fishing estuary lies just on the south side of New Smyrna Beach. Winter brings clear water and good sight fishing opportunities for redfish, black drum and sea trout. These species remain active during the coldest period of the year here in Florida which isn’t too cold comparatively to the rest of the US but still changes our fishing patterns in positive ways. Our fishery offers great opportunities for both fly and spin fishing anglers. Inshore and nearshore fishing around New Smyrna Beach isn’t something we focus on much as we head into winter. We have caught some nice fish recently but after the beginning of December we generally transition to lagoon fishing to take advantage of the winter opportunities. We will be back to fishing these areas in just a few months when our winter season ends and our warm water species once again arrive. As we approach the edge of the winter months in the New Smyrna Beach area of central Florida, it’s time to get excited for the new opportunities we will be presented with our changing seasons. Clear water and new species of fish are the theme of the coming 3 months.
Around New Smyrna Beach and the inlet, big redfish and giant black drum will fall into their winter patterns and some of the larger fish we catch all year will be landed. Tarpon and snook will be either in overwintering areas or migrating to avoid winter temperatures but they will be back next spring. It’s tough to get off the beach this time of year for nearshore fishing off New Smyrna Beach due to the seas and wind on most days as well as most of our nearshore species having left the area for the winter but that’s ok because some of the best inshore fishing happens during the winter. Inshore flats fishing in Mosquito Lagoon which is on the south side of New Smyrna Beach will enter its peak season with clear water and good sight fishing shots at reds, black drum and sea trout on fly and light spin tackle. The lagoon looks good this year with good sea grass coverage and active fish doing what we want them to. It’s always fun to spend time in the back country of the lagoon chasing shallow water fish. As the winds shift from westerly to northerly and the air feels noticeably cooler and less humid, the fall seasons has quickly arrived in New Smyrna Beach. The comfortable break from the hot and humid summer days brings with it one of my favorite seasons of fishing. Fall fishing can be some of the most productive of the year for resident species like redfish and snook.
Around the Ponce Inlet area on the north end of New Smyrna Beach, the fish will gather in certain spots over the next couple months. This area will be very productive for redfish, snook and the occasional tarpon as we push into the mullet run season. This type of fishing can be very exciting with all types of action and feeding happening. With summer ending, we shift our focus from nearshore off of New Smyrna Beach to inshore fishing as most of our nearshore species will be following the mullet migration or they have left the area for the winter such as our false albacore tuna. Inshore flats fishing in Mosquito Lagoon on the south end of New Smyrna Beach has remained an option throughout this summer and we have seen some great improvements in the grass flat habitat. The fishing tends to be productive enough around the inlet area that we don’t focus as much on the flats fishing during the fall but we will still do some trips in this area. Mid summer has brought some of the best warm weather fishing we have seen this year with good catches of redfish, snook, albies, jacks and tarpon. The fish have been very active and the tarpon have especially been a lot of fun. The fishing should remain fun through the rest of summer and into fall.
Around the Ponce Inlet area which borders the north end of New Smyrna Beach, the fishing has been good with slightly cooler water than inshore which keeps the fish a little more active during the hottest parts of the day. We have been getting some nice reds and snook on the majority of days we are targeting them. The inlet area will remain strong through the summer and fall season. Nearshore fishing off New Smyrna Beach has been a lot of fun with migratory tarpon pushing through along with schools of jacks and albies. Targeting the big tarpon with light tackle is one of my favorite types of fishing that we do each year. The rest of August should give us some great tarpon days each week. Inshore fishing is still a good option on the rare summer days where the winds aren’t letting us spend as much time fishing nearshore. Redfish and snook have both been around in many of the areas we fish. Hot water temps limits some of their activity so we tend to target them when the tide and conditions are appropriate. Mosquito Lagoon has still been fishable but we are spending most of our time in the bay boat this time of year as the fishing is just so much better in the places we fish the bay boat. As we make our way through summer, we are enjoying some great days on the water catching a variety of fish both inshore and nearshore. The ocean is at its calmest of the year and the weather is beautiful almost every morning this time of year followed by our daily afternoon thunderstorms that happen after we get off the water. We have been taking full advantage of that pattern to target all the fish species the summer season has to offer.
Nearshore fishing off of New Smyrna Beach has been a daily focus with shots at drag screaming false albacore tuna that we sight fish out of blitzing schools with light tackle 10lb spinning gear. We also look every day for groups of migratory tarpon that are moving up the east coast of Florida through the summer. We have been catching some great fish into the 100lb class and hopefully the best of the tarpon fishing is yet to come as we go through August. Inshore fishing around the Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach area has been fun with some nice redfish and snook being caught after we get back inshore from fishing the beaches in the morning. We have still been catching a few bull reds as well on some days and that fishing will also get even better as we head into the next few months. Down in Mosquito Lagoon on the south side of New Smyrna Beach, the fishing has still been good for trout and redfish but we have been spending more time around the inlet and nearshore areas because that seasonal fishing is at its peak. The hot days of summer have finally arrived in New Smyrna Beach but the temperatures aren’t the only things that can be hit with great fishing occurring over the summer season. Calm morning conditions can provide us with nearly perfect weather on most mornings and flat sea conditions to allow the enjoyment of our nearshore fishing.
In Mosquito Lagoon which lies at the south end of New Smyrna Beach, we have been catching some nice reds, trout and occasional black drum. Sight fishing for fly and spin anglers remains the main focus on our trips but we can also use other techniques when conditions require. Either way, on most days, we are catching some really nice fish. The New Smyrna Beach area has been giving us good shots are big redfish and occasionally some tarpon and snook. These fish will remain active throughout the summer season and often compliment our nearshore fishing. Nearshore opportunities off New Smyrna Beach are here with large schools of false albacore tuna to target with 10lb test light tackle setups. These fish can make blistering runs are up to 20-30mph and make reels produce sounds few have heard before! Tarpon fishing is also heating up with a couple different type of opportunities to target them depending on the day. In addition to these species, we also see big jack crevalle occasionally which are always a welcome catch. Spring time patterns are now in full effect in our area of central Florida. Warm days with pleasant temperatures are the norm and thankfully we are still in our dry season so rain hasn’t been an issue either. The fishing has been a lot of fun and lots of good stuff is on the horizon for our fishing options.
In the Mosquito Lagoon area just to the south of New Smyrna Beach, sight fishing for redfish and black drum has been good lately. We’ve been getting some really nice fish using a few different techniques with sight fishing using fly and spin tackle being the most rewarding. Water clarity remains good and we’re seeing some healthy looking sea grass growth. The New Smyrna Beach area is gearing up for the warm water season with reds and snook showing some good activity which will only get better in the coming weeks. It won’t be long before the tarpon are cruising the coast along with false albacore tuna. This type of fishing is also one of my favorites and I can’t wait for the fishing that’s right on the horizon for us. |
Capt. Billy Rotne
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NEW SMYRNA BEACH FISHING CHARTERS
with Capt. Billy Rotne
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