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.
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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 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. Our beautiful early summer weather has been here this past week with some really nice and sunny days. Pleasant temperatures and low relative humidity along with low changes of rain makes it very comfortable to fish this time of year. The bite has been good and it’s just been a lot of fun to be on the water.
Mosquito Lagoon is our renowned flats fishery that’s just south of Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach. Ponce Inlet is the headwaters for this shallow water lagoon that runs 33 miles down the coast all the way to NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The sight fishing lately for redfish, trout, and black drum has been very good. Some snook have also been in a few areas we fish. This is perfect fishing for fly and light tackle anglers. The Ponce Inlet area has been fishing well also with larger reds and snook activity during lower light periods around sunrise. Tarpon and false albacore tuna could give us some opportunities this month as a lot of our warm water species begin to arrive and get active. This is a great time of year to fish for all of our fisheries options so take advantage of the early summer conditions! April has been a rather unpredictable month when it comes to weather around Ponce Inlet, but thankfully the fishing has been much more predictable. We have had windy and cloudy days more days than we haven’t, but that hasn’t stopped us from having some really good catching. This unpredictable weather pattern will settle over the coming weeks as we enter May and our summer time calm weather period.
The fishing in Mosquito Lagoon just to the south of Ponce Inlet continues to be our primary focus. We have had some fun days sight fishing in the clear water that’s in most areas of the lagoon. Big reds, sea trout, black drum and some snook have been around in many areas. Fly and light tackle are both great methods for targeting these fish. The Ponce Inlet area is entering its prime season and we will be targeting the warm water species very soon including tarpon, snook, false albacore tuna and big jack crevalle. These species are coming into season as we enter summertime and get the calm conditions it brings. We will also have some great opportunities at big redfish on many days as well. The interim season between the last days of spring and the first days of summer can bring some of my most looked forward to fishing opportunities. Baits begin to move again, warm water species become active, and we enter a period of the year with fishing we have long awaited during the winter. During this transitional period, we still get the lower humidity and pleasant temperatures of spring but we also begin to enjoy the fruits of summer.
In Mosquito Lagoon, the fishing continues to be a lot of fun lately. We have some great grass growth, happy fish and pretty awesome sight fishing opportunities. Fly and spin anglers have had great shots and cruising and tailing redfish and black drum with the occasional trout mixed in. There have been a few snook around as well as it warms up and they come out of their winter hiding spots. The Ponce Inlet area has also entered the warm water season with snook and reds giving us opportunities on most days. The fishing in this area will stay active as we continue through summer. The nearshore fishing we have off the Ponce Inlet area is very close to entering its season as well. We will soon have tarpon, false albacore tuna and big jack crevalle giving us chances on the days we get off the beach. These species are always a lot of fun to catch for both novice and skilled anglers and we have been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Spring time patterns are now in full effect in our area of central Florida. Warm days with pleasant temperatures are the norm and thankfully we are still in our dry season so rain hasn’t been an issue either. The fishing has been a lot of fun and lots of good stuff is on the horizon for our fishing options.
In the Mosquito Lagoon area just to the south of Ponce Inlet, sight fishing for redfish and black drum has been good lately. We’ve been getting some really nice fish using a few different techniques with sight fishing using fly and spin tackle being the most rewarding. Water clarity remains good and we’re seeing some healthy looking sea grass growth. The Ponce Inlet area is gearing up for the warm water season with reds and snook showing some good activity which will only get better in the coming weeks. It won’t be long before the tarpon are cruising the coast along with false albacore tuna. This type of fishing is also one of my favorites and I can’t wait for the fishing that’s right on the horizon for us. Just when we thought all the chill of winter was past us with weeks of 80-85 degree weather, we got another small cold snap this week. The cool down shouldn’t make fishing tough but rather the opposite, it should make the bite better and also improve the water clarity even more. The cool weather will likely only last a couple days this week but we will take it while we can get it.
The fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon area a short distance south of Ponce Inlet has continued to be our main focus for this time of year. Fairly good grass growth and clear water have helped make the fishing a lot of fun recently. Both spin and fly anglers have been getting good shots sight fishing and we have also spent some time using other techniques when the conditions aren’t optimal for visually seeing fish in the water. The Ponce Inlet area has been fishing its spring pattern with some big reds and a few snook starting to become active. The next few months will only get better as the weather gets warmer and our other target species like false albacore tuna and tarpon arrive. Spring in Florida is one of the nicest times of the year with comfortable weather and fun fishing. Don’t miss out on this season! Spring seems to be here a bit early this year with temperatures forecast as high 90 degree this week! The warm weather with relatively low humidity has certainly made for pleasant fishing conditions and the fish themselves have shifted into their spring time patterns.
Mosquito Lagoon which is about 10 miles south of Ponce Inlet has been the place for most of our fishing lately. Good sight fishing for redfish and black drum has been keeping my anglers rods bent on the sunny and calm days and we’ve been using a few other techniques on some of the more breezy and cloudy days. The Ponce Inlet area has been transitioning into its spring patterns with ocean temperatures in the mid 70’s which is very unusual for February. The target species of redfish, snook and tarpon along with big jack crevalle and false albacore tuna will all be on our radar very shortly. We have been catching some nice reds already and the snook will be more active soon. Winter almost seems likes it’s in the rear view mirror with day after day of warm temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s. The fish feel this too and have been moving away from winter patterns and into spring type behavior. This can present us some new opportunities in the coming days and weeks.
Most of our recent trips continue to be in the Mosquito Lagoon area that’s about 10-15 miles south of Ponce Inlet. We have been using both of our Hell’s Bay skiffs to access fish in the shallowest back country areas. Fish tailing, feeding on shorelines, moving around in small schools and other great behaviors conducive to sight fishing have been the recent trend. This provides great opportunities for both spin and fly fisherman. The Ponce Inlet area has been fishing in its winter pattern still with some opportunities at resident redfish and a few black drum which are starting their migration north. Snook will likely begin to get more active as the warmer days continue. Within the new month or two, we will start to enter the productive spring and following seasons that make the inlet area a great place to fish. |
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September 2023
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