Spring seems to be here a bit early this year with temperatures forecast as high 90 degree this week! The warm weather with relatively low humidity has certainly made for pleasant fishing conditions and the fish themselves have shifted into their spring time patterns.
Mosquito Lagoon which is about 10 miles south of New Smyrna Beach has been the place for most of our fishing lately. Good sight fishing for redfish and black drum has been keeping my anglers rods bent on the sunny and calm days and we’ve been using a few other techniques on some of the more breezy and cloudy days. The New Smyrna Beach area has been transitioning into its spring patterns with ocean temperatures in the mid 70’s which is very unusual for February. The target species of redfish, snook and tarpon along with big jack crevalle and false albacore tuna will all be on our radar very shortly. We have been catching some nice reds already and the snook will be more active soon.
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Other than a few cool days in November, we are off to what seems like a pretty warm winter so far here around New Smyrna Beach in central Florida. Compared to most parts of the country, it’s almost always nice in Florida this time of year. Whether it stays warm or cools down as we head towards January, the fishing should be good either way.
Back country fishing in Mosquito Lagoon which is a few miles to the south of New Smyrna Beach starts to enter it’s prime season as cooler temperatures bring clearing water that gives us the visibility we need to have fun days sight fishing with both fly and spin tackle. Big black drum are arriving on their year migration here to spawn and also make a fun target for days on the lagoon. Around the New Smyrna Beach area itself, our winter season is mainly focused on big bull redfish and big black drum on their way to the lagoon. These fish aren’t impacted by cooler water temperatures the way our summer species like snook and tarpon are so we have good chances at them even when we enter the coolest parts of winter. Winter in Florida just isn’t the same as the rest of the country, it’s a great time to escape the snow and come catch some fish! As we transition into the “winter” months here along the coast of east central Florida, great fishing opportunities remain strong! Our winters can be chilly some days, but we can also have extremely pleasant conditions to fish on many other days. The fish bite either way!
In the New Smyrna Beach area, the bull redfish bite continues to be strong with many anglers catching some great fish over the last couple weeks. As we progress into the cooler portion of winter, these fish, along with the snook, will begin to move to areas they prefer to overwinter. Big black drum are also arriving for the winter season with some of these fish weighing in at over 60lbs! Back country fishing in Mosquito Lagoon just to the south of New Smyrna Beach will start to be a good option again as winter brings cooler temperatures and low, clear water. Sight fishing for 4-8lb redfish on fly and light tackle is one of the other highlights of this time of year. Large schools of black drum will also be a good option over the next few months. Get away from the cold and come join us for this portion of our year round fishery! Just when we thought hurricane season was over, we got an unusual November storm. Thankfully it didn’t cause any damage to the boats and fishing is getting back to normal this week.
Redfish and snook are both around in the New Smyrna Beach area and will feed well through November. There are still some tarpon around as well but the amount of time they remain here will be dependent on how our next few cold fronts impact water temperatures. When things are right, the tarpon can feed hard before pushing on with their winter migration towards the Caribbean. Mosquito Lagoon just to the south of New Smyrna Beach has had some really high water levels after our first hurricane, they started to drop but came back up again after this more recent storm. They should drop over the next few weeks and the fishing should be good for spin and fly anglers looking to sight fish as we head into December. As fall fishing enters the stretch of its last month, great opportunities at several species are available. Cooler and less humid weather has arrived in central Florida and this is one of the most comfortable times of the year in the New Smyrna Beach area.
Big bull redfish are still the specialty of our fishery and the primary target through the month of November. Large numbers of migratory fish are still in the area and eagerly searching for food before it’s time to return to the ocean. The great fishing and comfortable weather can make this a special month to fish. In addition to redfish, we do have the occasional opportunity at snook and tarpon. These species may or may not be available on any given day, it just depends on conditions and bait availability. In Mosquito Lagoon just to the south of New Smyrna Beach, water levels have dropped some since last months hurricane rains and the fishing has also been pretty good for hungry redfish along shorelines. As we enter the last month of our fall fishing patterns, the bite remains strong and has produced some great days of fishing around the New Smyrna Beach area. Comfortable temperatures and great fishing make this one of the best times of year to fish in this area.
In the New Smyrna Beach area, redfish and snook have both been providing some great fishing on many days recently and should continue to do so through November. There are still some tarpon around as well and when the opportunity presents itself we target them. The number of days we have chances at the tarpon will mainly depend on how soon it cools down, but in the mean time when they are feeding, it’s always a possibility. To the south of New Smyrna Beach in Mosquito Lagoon, we have had some high water levels from the hurricane we had last month, but they have subsided and the fishing is once again giving us some fun days. Sight fishing for lagoon species can be at its best for the next few months so we are really looking forward to the cooler weather season on the flats. Redfish, sea trout and large black drum are all species to target during the coming months. Fall patterns have remained stable and the fishing has been great on almost every trip in the New Smyrna Beach area. Hurricane season is almost passed now thankfully and more stable weather between cold fronts is on the horizon.
Fishing for big bull redfish remains outstanding with catches averaging 5-10 fish on most trips. Anglers from 12 to 70 years old have enjoyed catching their biggest redfish recently. Some days have been calm enough to provide opportunities at migratory tarpon heading south for the winter, but it’s highly variable and unpredictable. Though unpredictable, I expect several more waves of fish and incredible fishing on those days for some of my anglers going into the last part of this month and the first couple weeks of November. Get out here and enjoy the last of the warm weather before truly cooler conditions set it! I suppose I spoke too soon about no hurricanes in my last report, because this past week was a reminder of what hurricane season can bring for Florida. Despite the destruction in other parts of the state, our area faired well over all and the fishing has been good this week.
In the inlet area in New Smyrna Beach, we have been catching some nice reds in the 35”-45” size range with some days being really productive. It’s that time of year and thankfully the fish have stayed in the area through the weather we had during the storm. There are a few snook and tarpon around but the storm impacted them a bit more than the reds, but things should stabilize soon with those species. To the south of Ponce Inlet down in Mosquito Lagoon, we have had some pretty good sight fishing but we will need the post hurricane water levels to drop more before we really get back to fishing down there. That should happen over the next week or two. Contact us today to plan your New Smyrna Beach fishing charter! As we push our way through the start of the fall season, we have so far been lucky here in east central Florida with great weather on most days. Hopefully we continue to avoid any storms coming near us and enjoy the great fall fishing without any interruptions.
Around New Smyrna Beach, redfish and snook are the focus this time of year, with variable chances at tarpon on any given day. The action is pretty consistent right now and we have been having some great trips on most days. The mullet run is arriving in the New Smyrna Beach area. This brings with it other opportunities at fish like big aggressive jack crevalle. Nothing quite compares to seeing thousands of fleeing mullet run for their lives with voracious predators hot on their tail. In Mosuqito Lagoon just to the south of New Smyrna Beach, we are continuing to see good sea grass growth and the fishing that comes with it. Sight fishing for redfish has been a lot of fun with crawling and tailing fish utilizing the grass to feed. Don’t miss the fall action we will enjoy over the next few weeks! As we come to an end of our summer season around the New Smyrna Beach area and enter our fall patterns, some of the best fishing of the year is beginning for both snook and redfish. These fish congregate and feed aggressively this time of year making for some great days on the water.
Around the inlet portion of New Smyrna Beach, redfish and snook will be the main focus over the coming weeks. The bite should be strong with both these species on most days. Occasionally we will still have opportunities at tarpon as well even though the summer season is ending. Mosquito Lagoon to the south of New Smyrna Beach is looking better than it has in many years with good sea grass growth and fish using this habitat. Sight fishing with spin and fly tackle is the primary means of targeting these fish. It’s great to see the lagoon doing better and hopefully it continues to move in a positive direction. |
Capt. Billy Rotne
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