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With the recent unseasonably warm temperatures that Florida is experiencing despite winter storms elsewhere, it’s seemingly likely that the coldest part of winter has passed here and we will be entering an early spring here in the Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach and greater Daytona Beach areas.
This brings with it new opportunities at migratory species like cobia, followed by tarpon over the next few months. These fishing options are very popular as they can be a lot of fun. Sight fishing a big cobia of the back of a couple thousand pound manta ray is quite the experience! Aside from the oncoming migratory fish, our year round fishery of bull redfish as well as seasonal black drum has been good the last few weeks. We have been landing quality fish on every trip with most days giving us large fish of both species. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters
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As we are now halfway through our winter season, spring is on the horizon and the time has come to start looking ahead at what fishing opportunities are not only happening now but will soon be available.
Currently, we are still catching big bull reds around Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach and Mosquito Lagoon. The year round resident fish are truly the basis of our fishery here and offer something special that no other place has, an opportunity to catch a trophy redfish on any day of the year. We have also been catching 4-8lb redfish in shallow water and large migratory black drum in the 20-30lb class will be here through February and March. Looking ahead, we will soon have opportunities nearshore off Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach for migratory cobia. These fish are highly coveted for the exciting style of sight fishing used to target them, catching them off the backs of giant manta rays. When the temperatures start to warm up, the fish will arrive. It all depends on cold fronts and the intensity of the rest of the winter season through February, but one way or another it won’t be long now! Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters The past week has been a roller coaster ride of temperatures from lows in the 30’s to highs in the 80’s. Winter in Florida is never predictable!
We have still been catching some big bull redfish in 20-35lb class in the Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach area. This fish are impervious to the cold weather that impact so many other Florida species and are a staple during the winter months. There are also some big 20-30lb migratory black drum around the Mosquito Lagoon area here for the winter from their Chesapeake Bay summer grounds. These fish are always fun to catch and can appear in huge schools in both deeper water and on the flats where they can tail and offer sight fishing opportunities. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters Our first batch of truly cool temperatures in the New Smyrna, Ponce Inlet and Daytona Beach areas arrived over Christmas with night time lows approaching 35 degrees. This dramatically changed our seasonal patterns and we are now in the full winter pattern. That being said, we have forecast temperatures back in the low 80’s in the next couple days. So goes winter in Florida.
Migratory Black Drum have arrived and some of the fish we catch can be true giants. Last week my 14 year old client Drew landed a 70lb fish, the largest I have ever seen. These fish provide some sight fishing opportunities, even tailing on calmer mornings and evenings. Opportunities for both spin and fly anglers make these fish a winter time staple in and around Mosquito Lagoon. Big bull redfish are year round targets here and we are still catching these fish into winter, landing some really large fish this past week as well. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters Winter has officially arrived with the solstice and with it comes an entire new fishing season here in central Florida. Winter starts with big redfish and triple tail and and progresses with back country sight fishing with fly and spin tackle, all in relatively comfortable conditions compared to much of the country.
With the onset of the season, big bull redfish remain the main attraction in the New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet area. These cold tolerant fish provide good action while the warmer water species like snook and tarpon lay low or migrate south. In the back country areas of Mosquito Lagoon, Ponce Inlet and Daytona Beach, we start our sight fishing season for reds and trout in the 4-8lb class. Low and clear water makes this time of year optimal for this style of fishing. Fly or spin tackle, these fish are fun either way. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters Winter in Florida brings exciting fishing and pleasant temperatures. This seasonal change brings more options to our fishery. The summer and fall patterns change and make way for new opportunities.
With cooler temperatures comes better water clarity and lower water levels. This gives us opportunities for targeting fish by sight fishing with both fly and light spin tackle out of our Hell’s Bay flats skiffs in the back country areas of Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna and Mosquito Lagoon. This style of fishing can be very exciting, challenging and rewarding. For others, bay boat trips targeting big bull redfish are still a great option for anglers of all skill levels. As we transition into the “winter” months here along the coast of east central Florida, great fishing opportunities remain strong! Our winters can be chilly some days, but we can also have extremely pleasant conditions to fish on many other. The fish bite either way!
Nearshore fishing off Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach can be a lot of fun with triple tail and cobia making their migrations to avoid cooler temperatures in more northerly waters. Finding the right days with the right sea conditions between front with strong north winds can be tricky, but when it’s good, it’s great. The bull redfish bite continues to be strong with many anglers catching some great fish over the last couple weeks. As we progress into the cooler portion of winter, these fish, along with the snook, will begin to move to areas they prefer to overwinter. Back country fishing in Mosquito Lagoon and other areas will start to be a good option again as winter brings cooler temperatures and low, clear water. Sight fishing for 4-8lb redfish on fly and light tackle is one of the other highlights of this time of year. Get away from the cold and come join us for this portion of our year round fishery! Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters As fall fishing enters its last month, great opportunities at several species are still available. Cooler and less humid weather is arriving in central Florida and this is one of the most comfortable times of the year in the Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach area. Big bull redfish are still the specialty of our fishery and the primary target through November. Large numbers of migratory fish are still in the area and eagerly searching for food before returning to the ocean. The great fishing and comfortable weather can make this a really special month to fish. In addition to redfish, we do have the occasional opportunity at snook, tarpon and jacks. All of these species may or may not be available on any given day, it just depends on conditions and bait availability. Get out here and enjoy the last month of fishing before we enter the colder winter months! Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters Fall patterns have remained stable and the fishing has been great on almost every trip in the Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna and Daytona Beach area. Hurricane season is almost passed now and more stable weather between cold fronts is on the horizon.
Fishing for big bull redfish remains outstanding with catches averaging 5-10 fish on most trips. Anglers from 12 to 70 years old have enjoyed catching their biggest redfish recently. Some days have been calm enough to provide opportunities at migratory tarpon heading south for the winter, but it’s highly variable and unpredictable. Though unpredictable, I expect several more waves of fish and incredible fishing on those days for some of my anglers going into the last part of this month and the first couple weeks of November. Get out here and enjoy the last of the warm weather before truly cooler conditions set it! Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters Fall fishing is in full swing and the mullet run is just beginning. This brings another exciting season to our fishing in the Ponce Inlet area. A few days of heavy wind, lots of rain and extreme tides in the Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach area recently changed the pattern a bit, but we were able to stay on quality fish even in our rain gear. Conditions have since normalized. The big bull redfish bite has remained good with 5-10 fish being the average catch. In addition to big redfish, we will also start having opportunities at big jack crevalle as the mullet run progresses. Tarpon and snook are around and can provide additional targets depending on the tide cycle and feeding behaviors that day. Capt. Billy Rotne Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters |
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