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As we approach the edge of the winter months in the Ponce Inlet 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 Ponce 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 Ponce Inlet 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 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.
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Cooler temperatures are knocking on the door as we head into the latter part of fall, bringing another change in the seasonal fishing patterns. Warmer water species hunker down while new species arrive from the north.
In the Ponce Inlet area, redfish and big black drum will be the mainstays of the early winter season. These species tolerate cooler temperatures well and give us great targets even on the cooler days. Snook are still around, but become considerably less active as the days get colder. Mosquito Lagoon looks good and is already getting clearer from the mild algae blooms we had in some areas with the first couple fronts past us. We should have a great winter sight fishing season this year. Big schools of black drum will be arriving in the coming weeks, giving us some great flats fishing opportunities. As with the others seasons, east central Florida has great fishing at all times of the year. Don’t miss out on the opportunities at hand! Our fall season of fishing is here and the fishing has been a lot of fun recently. Many species feed heavily this time of year both for spawning and in preparation for the coming winter season and its lack of plenty compared to falls bait runs. The weather is extremely comfortable over the next month or so with low humidity and air conditioning like temperatures.
We will be focusing much of our fall fishing in the Ponce Inlet area. Large numbers of redfish, snook and even some remaining tarpon are around and ready to be caught. Having the chance to catch a slam on most days is a nice treat for our end of the warm water season when the snook and tarpon will either move to secluded areas to winter or migrate south. Mosquito Lagoon just to the south of its headwaters at Ponce Inlet has also been fishing very well this year. For the first time in over a decade, the lagoon is showing clear water free of algal blooms in some areas during the fall. Good sea grass coverage and healthy looking habitat has really been moving the lagoon in the right direction much to the delight of anglers and those involved in advocating for its restoration. Fly and spin anglers will both be offered some great sight fishing for reds, trout and black drum on sunny days and we use blind casting and other techniques on the cloudy and windy days. Don’t miss out on the great fall fishing season, it’s one of the premiere times to fish in this area! Fall fishing has arrived in full in the Ponce Inlet area and with the drop in humidity, you can literally feel it in the air! Comfortable temperatures, much less rain chances, and great fishing are what fall in central Florida is about.
Bull reds are one of the main highlights of fall fishing. Large numbers of oceanic fish gather in accessible areas and provide some of the best fishing of the year. Snook fishing is also at some of its best quality of the year, and the mullet run also gives us intense fishing for ravenous large jack crevalle. Nearshore, on the days without northeast winds, we still have some chances at tarpon. October is typically our last tarpon month of the year in the Ponce Inlet area, but when opportunities present themselves, we are quick to take them! Sight fishing in Mosquito Lagoon remains a fun option with good water clarity in some areas and fish feeding in their fall pattern style giving us opportunities with fly and spin tackle. Redfish and sea trout are the main targets in the fall but we do see snook sometimes as well as black drum. As the winds shift from westerly to northerly and the air feels noticeably cooler and less humid, the fall seasons has quickly arrived. 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, 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 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 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, 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 Ponce Inlet 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 Ponce Inlet 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 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 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 dog days of summer are definitely here and the fishing has been as hot as the weather! We have been enjoying the beautiful weather we get almost every morning and finishing our days before the daily afternoon thunderstorms roll in to cool everything down. We have been catching some awesome fish lately and almost every day on the water is a great day of catching.
In the Ponce Inlet area, we have been catching some big snook, redfish, tarpon and false albacore tuna. Occasionally we are getting some nice jacks as well. Fishing a little inshore and nearshore lets us mix up our day and target a number of different species that summer offers. The ocean is at its calmest this time of year and we take full advantage of it! Inshore we have been getting some nice redfish as well and will continue to have chances at these fish through the summer. A few snook are spread around as well and we have seen some marauding schools of jacks attacking mullet throughout the system. In Mosquito Lagoon just to the south of Ponce Inlet, we have still been able to sight fish some nice reds and trout with fly and light tackle. A few schools of fish and some single cruisers have been mixed around. We have also been catching some good numbers of trout on bait but generally we try to sight fish when possible. As we cruise into summer, the last few weeks have brought us some great fishing both inshore and nearshore in the Ponce Inlet area. Summer patterns have arrived and the next month and a half will offer some of the calmest sea conditions of the year.
Big tarpon, jack crevalle, and false albacore tuna have made fun nearshore targets on light tackle recently. These fish will continue to offer us opportunities throughout summer. Bull redfish in the 25-40lb class have been steady in their pattern offering good opportunities with both spin and fly tackle. Snook have been active as well and we have caught some really nice fish up to 40” lately. Sight fishing with fly and spin in Mosquito Lagoon continues to provide us with fun days on the flats as the water and sea grass look great this year so far. We have been getting some nice redfish, black drum and a few trout when they’re shallow enough to give us shots. The hot days of summer have finally arrived 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 about 10 miles south of its headwater Ponce Inlet, 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 Ponce Inlet 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 Ponce Inlet are here with large school 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. |
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