Three Mosquito Lagoon Days Fishing Report
Thanks for reading this week’s post, Three Mosquito Lagoon Days Fishing Report. Fished four days this week, all with spectacular (if a little breezy) weather.
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Monday
Met Dave Caprera at Spruce Creek. Tide was low falling when we started. We paddled around Strickland Bay. It was real quiet as far as the fish went. I saw two redfish, got a shot at neither. No fish breaking. No jacks. No rolling tarpon. The tide turned, but nothing else changed. Blindcasting with a plastic shad, I got a bite near the island cluster, a seatrout about 18 inches long, chasing the skunk. Spruce Creek has been good to me through the years, but it will be a while before I go back.
One of the several colors of the plastic/rubber shad that I use.
Tuesday
Having heard about seagrass growing and some clean water in Mosquito Lagoon, I towed the Bang-O-Craft over and went on a search mission. The Haulover gauge was at 1.8 feet, so I could go anywhere I wanted to. The wind was out of the east. Tin boats are noisy, so I stayed in lees as much as I could.
I did find some seagrass, and some clean water. As always, there was no logical pattern to why one place was clear and another murky. I saw some dolphins, and some manatees, and two bald eagles, and a sea turtle, and two sizable sharks, and a single redfish (no shot). I got a single redfish that may have been a slot fish by blindcasting the plastic shad. Seeing the grass was very encouraging.
Wednesday
This is a file photo that in no way implies that this is what the fishing was like on Wednesday.
Tom Van Horn picked me up. We went to Mosquito Lagoon to further the search for seagrass and clean water. We went to the north end of the lagoon and started blindcasting, using the Deadly Combo. Tom released a half-dozen trout before I got a bite. Unfortunately they were all running pretty small. Then I started catching them, too. We did manage to get a few decent trout.
The Deadly Combo. It is not illegal to replace the shrimp with a jig.
Cruising along with the trolling motor in the lee of an island, I spotted a redfish right against the bank. I got a shot at it, and, using the plastic shad, actually caught it! I figured it was about 32 inches long, but the ruler on Tom’s boat said it was 21. I think the ruler was defective!
This is what I thought I had, but really? It was only 21″.
I followed that up with a snooklet, finishing up a pretty weak slam, but these days you’d best be happy with what you get.
For anyone who might be wondering, a snooklet is merely a very juvenile snook.
Thursday
Twenty knot winds forecast. Didn’t fish.
Friday
The forecast was for fifteen knots out of the east. After looking at next week’s forecast, I went anyway. Fifteen beats 20!
This is a file photo that in no way implies that this is what the fishing was like on Wednesday. Mine was about a pound-and-a-half.
My first fish on the fly this week was a jack crevalle. I haven’t gotten one of those in the Mosquito Lagoon in at least five years, it was pretty awesome. Then I got a mangrove snapper! Fly was a Polar Fiber Minnow. Then I put the fly rod away- fighting the wind got to be too much.
On the spin rod I got several trout and hooked and lost two snook. Saw a few reds, either didn’t get a shot or pooched it if I did.
Saturday
Volunteered at Secret Lake Park’s Hook Kids on Fishing event. The kids were excited, but fishing is more fun if the fish participate. Great event, though!
That’s the Three Mosquito Lagoon Days Fishing Report. Thanks for reading!
Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take a walk! Stay active!
John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog
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