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Last week gave us our first taste of summer temperatures and a chance to explore some of the fishing patterns that are to come in the next few months. Warmer temperatures and calmer winds are a sign that we are leaving the transitional period of late spring and into our summer. This period of the year brings some of my favorite fishing for species like tarpon, I’m really excited that it’s finally starting.
Nearshore fishing off Ponce Inlet is a part of our daily excursions on most days of the week, and with species like big tarpon and light tackle false albacore tuna, it doesn’t get much better. As bait and other attractors of these powerful fish arrive, catching them will be our top priority. Inshore fishing inside Ponce Inlet will also be a part of most of our trips for the summer season. Big snook and bull reds are high on the list of to-dos and as activity peaks for these fish, we will surely have some great days. Recently we have begun to enjoy just how much more active the warmer temperatures are making the snook in particular. To the south of Ponce Inlet in Mosquito Lagoon, shorelines are attracting redfish and snook hunting for a bite to eat and giving up opportunities with both fly and light spin tackle. Sea trout also start to get active this time of year as they enter their spawning season. The water clarity remains good for sight fishing and these trips to the isolated back country can be truly unique.
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This is by far one of the most comfortable times of year to fish in Florida. It’s warm enough that our warm water species are showing up and the early summer patterns are beginning, but humidity is low enough that it’s still really comfortable to be outside. The next few weeks will continue this way before the summer days of June bring on their hot weather.
Inshore fishing around the Ponce Inlet area, big snook and tarpon will be lurking along with a few big bull redfish. As these fish get ready for summer, they can offer us some great fishing opportunities. Redfish can be particularly fun to target this time of year. Nearshore off Ponce Inlet, the forces that bring tarpon, sharks, big jack crevalle, and false albacore tuna are all coming together and should be in full swing in no time. Calm days and smooth seas of early summer will make these trips accessible on a regular basis. To the south in Mosquito Lagoon, calmer days of May and June can help make our back country reds and trout more visible during the warm water months. Sight fishing with fly and light tackle is the agenda on our lagoon trips. We’re still in the Goldilocks zone of late spring temperatures here in the Ponce Inlet area and the fishing has been and should continue to be great. Warm water species are starting to arrive and get active both inshore and nearshore.
Nearshore fishing off Ponce Inlet has finally started to shape up nicely with calmer winds ahead and warm enough water that our target species of tarpon, jack crevalle, and false albacore tuna are doing their thing. The next month should really open this fishery up and I expect great days to come for sure. Inshore fishing around Ponce Inlet and the adjacent areas has been a lot of fun with good catches of big bull reds and big snook. The bull reds are entering their summer pattern and we have been targeting them with both spin and fly tackle. The big snook are definitely glad winter is over and they’ve been nice and chewy recently with my clients landing fish up to 35”. Just to the south, fly and light tackle fishing Mosquito Lagoon has been fun with redfish blasting baits in shallow water and the big sea trout starting to gear up for their coming spawning season. Another spring week has passed with seemingly perfect spring weather that has made every day comfortable to be outside. As we enter the beginning of the summer season over the next few weeks, the weather will get a little warmer but more calm and open up all the opportunities that this fishing season offers.
Around the Ponce Inlet area, we have been catching big redfish and a few snook in the areas around the inlet and adjacent inshore waters. As summer progresses more tarpon will move in as well. Nearshore off Ponce Inlet, big adult tarpon up to 125lbs are arriving along with big jack crevalle and false albacore tuna that can make light tackle and fly rods scream. The calmer weather to come over the next month will really open up this area of our fishery. To the south of Ponce Inlet, Mosquito Lagoon has been fishing well with 4-8lb backcountry reds pushing on shorelines and tailing in some areas. Big sea trout will also begin feeding well ahead of their spawning season. These are both great targets for light tackle fly and spin anglers on the calmer sunny days. It feels like we have been knocking on summers door on some days recently with some nice temperatures that are a clear sign that any cool weather is in the rear view mirror. Low humidity make it feel just right and sure does make it comfortable to be on the water this time of year. The fishing has been good and to top it off, I’ve added a brand new boat to the fleet to ensure my clients have the best equipment available to make their charter as top of the line as possible. My bay boat clients will now be fishing out of my 2022 Yellowfin 24 Carbon Elite powered by a Mercury Racing 450r outboard. This is the top of the line bay boat on the market and it just doesn’t get any better. The most ergonomic and comfortable boat in its class keeps my clients on the fish and 100% comfortable at all times!  The inshore fishing around Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach, and New Smyrna Beach has been a lot of fun lately with good catches of big bull redfish. Snook are starting to enter their warm months patterns and are giving us opportunities, and it won’t be long now before the tarpon start to show up.
Mosquito Lagoon has also been giving us good fly and light tackle spin fishing opportunities at redfish and trout in the back country. This is some of my favorite type of fishing and I really enjoy disappearing into the back country with my clients where we only see fish and birds. Nearshore fishing off Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach, and New Smyrna Beach is starting to enter its prime season with big jacks recently showing up and the tarpon hopefully getting closer by the day. False albacore tuna will be here soon as well. The most comfortable time of year to fish is upon us with low humidity and perfect temperatures. Combined with a good spring time bite, it’s been hard to beat lately.
Nearshore off Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, and New Smyrna Beach, we have had opportunities at some nice cobia recently. As that migration winds up, warmer months fish will soon arrive such as tarpon and false albacore. Tarpon are a challenge for literally any angler, and false albacore are one of the most drag screaming, hard pulling, fun fish to catch on 10lb tackle that there is. Inshore fishing around Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach, and New Smyrna Beach has been productive for our big bull redfish as well as some black drum and snook which are beginning to move around with the water water temperatures. Flats fishing in Mosquito Lagoon is still giving us good shots at 4-8lb reds and sea trout on fly and light spin tackle. Snook will begin to show up in some of these same areas soon. As we enter the full fledged spring season, the fishing has been rapidly falling into the expected patterns. The temperatures couldn’t be more comfortable to fish in and now with the time change, we get a little more daylight to lengthen our afternoon trips. Spring in Florida brings about many great opportunities that we are ready to enjoy.
In the Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach area, big bull reds will begin entering their spring rhythms and warming up from the winter time hunkering. Snook are also starting to move back into their usual haunts. Black drum have mainly migrated back to the north but there are still a few around. Nearshore fishing has been quite variable with windy conditions, but we should start to get more opportunities in the coming weeks. Cobia could still make an appearance if we catch a few good weather days. Tarpon and big jack crevalle won’t be too far behind either along with drag ripping false albacore. Mosquito Lagoon has lost a little clarity with the warmer temperatures but we are still getting some fun sight fishing for fly and spin anglers in the skiffs. And so yet another change of seasons begins as we enter spring. Cardinals calling in the upland islands, white butterflies floating across the bow, and comfortable temperatures in the low 80’s are all a signal that spring has sprung. It’s the beginning of another cycle of our yearly rhythm of fishing opportunities.
Inshore fishing can be a lot of fun in spring with possibilities at large redfish, snook and black drum. In the Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, and Daytona Beach areas, these species will keep our rods bent in the coming weeks. Nearshore fishing off Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach will enter its warm months season with opportunities at cobia in the next few weeks, followed by the arrival of tarpon in late April and May. Big jack crevalle will make an appearance at some point as well. Inshore fishing in Mosquito Lagoon is still producing fun sight fishing opportunities for fly and light tackle spin anglers. Close quarter shots at reds and trout are exciting for any angler! The fish are challenging so bring your A-game but the reward is nothing short of spectacular. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters Winter seemed to be rather brief this year with a few days close to 80 degrees last week and more warm weather in the forecast. Low humidity and “just right” temperatures sure do make it comfortable to be outside this time of year!
We have been mainly focusing on light tackle and fly fishing in Mosquito Lagoon the past few weeks as that’s been where the better fishing has occurred. Water clarity and fish activity continue to make it a good option to sight fish for 4-8lb redfish, black drum, and sea trout. Fishing around Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, and Daytona Beach for big redfish and black drum can be variable this time of year but it should pick up rapidly as the warmer temperatures become a steady trend. The patterns of the fish will adjust to this and the days should become consistent soon. Nearshore fishing off Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach is generally more of a summer activity but on the right days we do have opportunities at migratory cobia. This challenging type of sight fishing is a lot of fun when things line up. Spotting the cobia following giant manta rays is a sight to see. Just seeing the rays alone is a great experience! Mid winter has brought us cooler water temps and a change in the focus of our targeted fishing. Cooler water means clear water and that gives us some of the best sight fishing opportunities of the year.
Mosquito Lagoon has been a lot of fun lately leading to some great days with clients. Sight fishing in shallow water with spin or fly tackle is one of the most exciting ways there is to catch fish. Redfish, black drum and sea trout are all possible catches on any given day. We still target the big bull reds and larger black drum around Ponce Inlet, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach this time of year on the days we aren’t fishing in the shallow water. Nearshore fishing still won’t be much of an option until we get warmer water temperatures that typically start arriving in March and bring cobia with them. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters |
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