Fishing has been red hot even though the temperatures have been cooling down.

In the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River the water levels are still considerably high. This week we have been hitting the water early and getting on a great trout bite on top water baits such as spooks and chuggers. Head out to Tiger Shoals first thing and set up a nice drift using the wind to cross the Pole and Troll area. Some redfish and black drum have been scattered in the area so keep your eyes peeled for these pods of fish. If you happen to come across one of these groups position yourself up wind and make long casts to the outskirts of the school. Preferably have some cut bait, shrimp, or crab and cast in front of the school allowing the fish to swim upon your bait instead of casting to close and spooking the fish. Remember that in low light conditions you may see only a few of the fish in a school and casting too close may cause unseen fish to spook the whole school off.

As the day progresses and the sun rise higher in the sky and visibility improves I have been moving to the many shoals that border deeper water basins. We have been encountering large schools of redfish sin numbers surpassing 100 working the deeper edge of these shoals. Artificial such as Gulp Shrimps in new penny and molted has been the key to hook ups. These colors mimic the crustaceans the fish are feeding on this time of year and paired up on a Daiichi Bleeding Bait hook makes for a deadly combination.

Now that the holidays are upon us and most of you have some time off, give me a call and let’s get out on the water and take advantage of this hot bite we are experiencing this month.

Capt. Mike Ortego

“The Florida Fisherman”

866-960-8403

Healthy looking fish.  Thanks for the report.