Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report with Capt. Chris Myers (Aug 11, 2012)

The low light and oxygen levels have led to a die off of both baitfish and grasses. You can see hundreds of fish one day and virtually none the next. The types of algae that have been identified thrive on high salinity and can be very persistent. Hopefully the water will begin to clear as it certainly makes sight fishing a challenge. Those fishing the northern Lagoon around Oak Hill are report some excellent catches of redfish, mostly while soaking live or cut baits.

Now for some good news. I have found areas of cleaner water in the Indian River and the fishing has been excellent. While the redfish are few and far between, there have been plenty of other species to pull the drag. To start with, the tarpon fishing is outstanding. On calm days, there are constant shots at 40-100 pound fish. Anglers using DOA lures like the Baitbuster and Terror Eyz have been much more productive than those using live baits. While the tarpon may eat the live baits, so do every sailfin catfish, ladyfish and bluefish. Those fish are great fun on light tackle but not so much on 30lb braid and heavy tarpon rods. Cast to rolling fish as blind casting will result in constant catfish bites.

The larger tarpon are difficult to find if the wind blows. When that happens, there are 5-20 pound fish that can be caught on standard flats fishing gear with a 30 pound leader.

For nonstop catching, watch for bird activity and tie on a castmaster type spoon with a single hook and some 30lb sevenstrand wire. Seven year old Michael hooked a fish on every cast for over 2 hours using ultralight tackle. He boated ladyfish, trout, sailfin catfish, and bluefish.

These fish pull hard and are easy to catch. They are perfect for beginning and novice fly anglers who want to practice their saltwater fly fishing skills. This fishing is as good as it gets right now.

Fishing along the beaches between Ponce Inlet and Melbourne is also another option right now. Tarpon are along the beach and king mackerel are cruising in 30-50ft depths. Look for schools of glass minnows and you will find false albacore and spanish mackerel as well.

While I hope the algae bloom clears soon so the grass does not sustain any further damage, it has been nice to take a break from the redfish and target other species which are only here during the summer.


Captain Chris Myers specializes in the finest inshore, flats and backcountry fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River, on Florida’s Space Coast. Click here for more details