Captain Tom Van Horn
Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon Coast by Captain Rodney Smith


If you've ever wondered about kayak fishing, snorkeling or crabbing along Florida's Indian River Lagoon Coast, you need look no further. In Capt. Rodney Smith's newest book, Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon Coast, you'll learn about these topics and much more-including Indian River Lagoon tides, guiding, shrimping, fishing, canoeing, sea turtles, sea level rise, beach combing, conservation, gardening, bird watching, dolphins and weather patterns.


This 228-page book, compiled from Rodney's own journal, written over the course of 20-plus years, is made even better with the inclusion of the author's own beautiful color photographs. In it Rodney shares the secrets of success to exploring the Indian River Lagoon system-one of the world's most prolific and diverse estuaries.


What Capt. John Kumiski once said about Rodney's first book, Catching Made Easy: Where, When and How to Catch More Fish, holds true for Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon Coast: "Don't buy this book. There's nothing in here you couldn't learn on your own given two or three lifetimes."



For more information on how to purchaseone of Rodney's books or one of his Surf Fishing Hot Spots Maps of Brevard County, please contact Capt. Rodney Smith at rodney@coastalanglermagazine.com.

e articles on topics of interest to your readers, relevant news and events.
Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, October 5, 2011

By Captain Tom Van Horn



Upcoming Seminars and Events



Saturday October 8th, Free Intro to Fly Fishing Class



10 a.m. - 12 noon, free introduction to Fly Fishing Class instructed by FFF Certified instructor Captain Chris Myers. Class will be held at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave., Apopka, Florida. www.mosquitocreel.com.



Saturday October 22nd, Free Fishing Seminar "Lagoon Fall Fishing Tactics"



10: 00 - 12:00 "Free Seminars" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, "Lagoon Fall Fishing Tactics", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.



Saturday November 12th, Gumbo Cook Off for Give Kids the World and Anglers for Conservation



12 Noon at Fish on Fire Restaurant in Orlando. For more details, visit www.fishingfloridaradio.com



Last Weeks Fishing Report



Although October welcomed us with stunning fall weather conditions, our cool sunny days will transition this weekend from gorgeous to gloomy as nasty weather moves in. On both Saturday and Sunday, high winds up to 30 knots and rain are predicted. In addition, the heavy onshore fetch will kick the seas up to 7 feet, shutting down any chance of venturing out of the Port. I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but it is what it is, and our time this weekend may be better spent catching up on chores or spending time with family and friends.



On the lagoons this past week, water conditions are still high and dirty with a water temperature has cooled off to 76.7 degrees. For the most part, sight fishing was tough and the best results came from staking out on the flats and chunking cut mullet and ladyfish. For those of you who fish in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge (Mosquito Lagoon), the park service implemented a new ramp fee of 5.00 on October 1st, with an annual pass of 15.00 available at the Visitors Center.



Offshore, this easterly fetch should push the weed lines in closer, but the wind and heavy seas could also bring in the jellyfish again. This past week, conditions were perfect, and some nice wahoo and dolphin were caught around weed lines in 120 feet of water out of both Port Canaveral and Sebastian. Again, heavy seas will keep folks in Port this weekend, but once seas settle down, offshore trolling should be good.



Along the beaches and in the inlets of Ponce De Leon, Port Canaveral and Sebastian, the mullet run is in full swing with heavy concentrations of silver mullet pushing through. There have been good reports of snook and flounder in the surf, feeding on finger mullet, as well as your standard bluefish, jacks and Spanish mackerel, with the best results coming from casting live mullet on a slip sinker rig. The snook fishing has also been in Port Canaveral and Sebastian, especially at night, again fishing with live mullet and mullet imitation lures like the DOA Baitbuster.



I know that regardless of the snotty weather forecast for this weekend, some of you are going to fish anyway, so my suggestion is to fish on the insides on the inlets on leeward shorelines, but exercise extreme caution this weekend while out in open water, and better yet, Attend Captain Chris Myer's free fly fishing class at Mosquito Creek Outdoors or UCF has a home game against Marshall on Saturday, go Knights!



As always, if you need information of have any questions, please contact me.


Good luck and good fishing,


Captain Tom Van Horn


mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com


http://www.irl-fishing.com



(407) 416-1187



For all of your outdoor needs, visit www.mosquitocreek.com, it's where your adventure begins.











Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast



October 2011



By Captain Tom Van Horn



Upcoming Seminars and Events



Saturday October 8th, Free Intro to Fly Fishing Class



10 a.m. - 12 noon, free introduction to Fly Fishing Class instructed by FFF Certified instructor Captain Chris Myers. Class will be held at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave., Apopka, Florida. www.mosquitocreel.com.



Saturday October 22nd, Free Fishing Seminar "Lagoon Fall Fishing Tactics"



10: 00 - 12:00 "Free Seminars" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, "Lagoon Fall Fishing Tactics", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.



Saturday November 12th, Gumbo Cook Off for Give Kids the World and Anglers for Conservation



12 Noon at Fish on Fire Restaurant in Orlando. For more details, visit www.fishingfloridaradio.com



October's Fishing Outlook



The fall bait migration is in full swing on Florida's Space Coast with good concentrations of migrating baitfish can be found excite both gamefish and angler alike. Triggered by shorter days, cooling water temperatures, and approaching cold fronts, pockets of mullet stream down the beach harassed by hungry predators. As the bait works its way south in the troughs of the surf, bluefish, ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, redfish and snook keep them hemmed up close along the surfs edge, with tarpon, blacktip and spinner sharks lurking in the waves eager to fulfill their position at the top of the food chain. As the baitfish feed out the inlets on the falling tide, breeder redfish, tarpon, snook, take advantage of the easy meal, as the fleeing mullet are forced away from the shelter of the shoreline. Additionally, October and November are the best months to target snook at Sebastian Inlet as long as water temperatures stay above 70 degrees.



Once the water temperatures near the 68 degree mark southern and gulf flounder moving through the inlets usually follow the first major cold front. It's difficult to predict the precise moment of the run, but serious flounder pounders know when the moment is right, and they're often rewarded with doormats from 8 to 14 pounds.



In the deeper water, both tripletail and cobia move into the depths of 40 to 60 feet of water shadowing pods of threadfin herring (greenies) and Spanish sardines (cigar minnows) pushing south along the Canaveral shoals, often hanging just below the abundant flotsam carried inshore by the easterly breezes. Once you locate weeds and other debris, look for tripletail to be hanging just below the floating structure. Live shrimp and small jigs tipped with shrimp work well when targeting these brim on steroids. It helps to fish later in the day keeping the afternoon sun to your back to improve your range of sight, and always keep a medium heavy rod rigged with a one ounce chartreuse or white buck tail jig ready to throw to any cruising cobia. Also, look for the fall kingfish run to commence as well as an occasional sailfish or black fin tuna on the near-shore reefs and wrecks like 8A and Pelican Flats.



In the lagoons, breeder schools of redfish are abundant in deeper water through the north IRL. These schools of oversized redfish are m



schools of pompano will begin forming up and moving thought the inlets invading the beach in search of mole crabs (sand fleas) their favorite winter food. Remember, spotted sea trout are out of season in November and December on Florida's east central coast, so if you manage to catch one please handle and release it with extreme care.



For up to date fishing forecast by all Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando captains visit:

http://coastalanglermag.com/orlando/.



As always, if you have any questions or need help, please contact me.



Good luck and good fishing,



Captain Tom Van Horn

Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters

(407) 416-1187 on the water











Mosquito Creek Outdoors Angler Improvement Clinics



2011 Clinic Schedule











Become a better angler by learning from the pros.



Veteran lagoon fishing guides Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn will provide instruction on the skills and techniques necessary to become a more successful angler through free seminars, provided as a service to you by Mosquito Creek Outdoors and Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando. Would you like to learn what it takes to be a successful Angler? Here is your chance and all it will cost you is your time.



Saturday, October 22nd Fall Lagoon Tactics

10: 00 - 12:00 Fall Lagoon Fishing Tactics "Free Seminars" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, "Fall Tactics for Redfish and Sea Trout", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.



Saturday, November 5th, Flounder and Pompano

10: 00 - 12:00 Flounder and Pompano "Free Seminars" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, "Fall Tactics for Flounder and Pompano", located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.

Saturday, November 12th Introduction to Fly Fishing

10:00 - 12 Noon, Free Introduction to Fly Fishing Class instructed by FFF Certified Instructor and veteran Mosquito lagoon Fishing Guide Captain Chris Myers. Located in the Outback section of Mosquito Creek Outdoor, 170 South Washington Ave. Apopka Florida www.mosquitocreek.com





Tight Lines and Let's Go Fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
407-416-1187
http://www.irl-fishing.com