Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, November 30, 2011

By Captain Tom Van Horn



Upcoming Seminars and Events



Saturday December 3rd, Kel's Rod and Reel 2nd Annual Parking Lot Swap Meet. Located at 430 Hwy 436 Casselberry, Florida - 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. Call Terri at 407-834-3008 for more details.



Thursday December 8th - 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., Free Round Table Shad and Crappie Seminar at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave. Apopka Florida. Contact Rory Roush at 407-464-2000 or rory@mosquitocreek.com



Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby Dates



Thursday December 15th, Shad and Crappie Derby Anglers Meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Mosquito Creek Outdoor, 170 South Washington Avenue in Apopka.



Saturday December 17th, Shad and Crappie Derby begins at safe light.



Saturday January 14th, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Crappie Rally and Seminar at Boat Tree Marina at the Port of Sanford.



Thursday January 26th 6:30 - 9:00 PM, Free Shad and Crappie Fly Tying Event at Orlando Outfitters, 2814 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL 32808, phone (407) 896-8220. Visit: www.orlandooutfitters.com. Fly tying instruction and seminar by Capt. Beau Osborne. Learn what you need to catch shad and crappie on fly in the Orlando area and see how easy it is to tie effective fly patterns for both species. These tying techniques can also be used to create your own shad and crappie jigs.


Saturday February 25th, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Shad Rally and Seminar at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp on the St. Johns River and HWY 46 east of Geneva.



Saturday March 17th, Shad and Crappie Derby ends at dusk.



February 11th and 12th, Old Florida Outdoor Festival in Apopka, Florida.



December Fishing Forecast



Cooler conditions will force anglers to dig out their winter shorts in preparation for their day on the water. Like November, December is loaded with outstanding fishing opportunities, with the only difference being the impact of cold fronts on water temperatures and fishing conditions. Currently, surf and lagoon water temperatures are in the seventies with offshore water temperatures remaining near the eighty-degree mark. As these fronts approach and pass, gusty breezes will kick up the sea shutting down most offshore and site fishing opportunities.



In and around the inlets, look for oversized redfish feeding on surface baits during periods of slack tide. At both Sebastian and Ponce De Leon inlets, target these fish outside the inlets near the end of the falling tide in areas of bird and bait activity. These fish will hit artificial swim baits, but live pinfish, pigfish, and finger mullet are the most productive baits.

Snook fishing will also remain steady as long as the water temperatures stay warm, with Sebastian Inlet proving to be the prime location. It is best to target inlet snook during periods of slack tide drift fishing live pigfish or pinfish at night in the channel under the inlet bridge. This style of angling can be quite rewarding when the bite is on, but it can also be challenging due to the number of anglers competing for the same action.



Flounder is another notable species worth mentioning when speaking of inlet fishing in December. The warmer than normal weather and water temperatures have delayed the traditional flounder migration from the lagoon to the warmer coastal waters.

Along the beaches, look for pompano to begin moving off the inshore flats to the deeper troughs along the beach in search of sand fleas (mole crabs) their favorite winter food. Also look for schools of bluefish and Spanish mackerel shadowing pods of glass minnows and other bait ii the surf. To target both blues and Spanish, watch for birds working bait pods and through small jigs and spoons with a fast retrieval to avoid cutoffs.



Near-shore when the seas permit it, look for tarpon and sharks to be cruising the beaches working remaining bait schools as they move south. Also, solid concentrations of kings will be holding on the near-shore reefs and wrecks in 60 to 100 feet of water. Several prime locations to target kings are the north end of Pelican Flats and 8A Reef. The kingfish bite should remain steady as long as the water temperature stays above 74 degrees. To target these fish, slow troll live bait if you can find it, or troll dead Spanish sardines or cigar minnows (spinning minnows) dressed with skirts. When near-shore water temperatures approach the 70-degree mark, look for tripletail and cobia to begin to show up on the Port Canaveral buoy line and the near-shore water off the beaches and the bight of the Cape. These fish normally hold on structure such as floating weeds and other debris, but they also have a tendency to free swim on the surface once the sun warms the surface water.



Inshore, both redfish and sea trout will remain in the skinny water as long as the water temperatures stay in the 70-degree range. Fish in protected areas and sunny spots, and look for fish to be holding in sand pockets (potholes) until the sun gets overhead. Now is also the time of year to begin looking for tailing black drum in the Banana River Lagoon No Motor Zone. Try fishing early in the day, and preferably with a west wind, and if you've never seen black drum tailing before, it's worth the paddle.



On the freshwater fishing side, the 3rd Annual Shad and Crappie Derby kicks off on December 17th with several free seminars available leading into the event to anglers. Last year, I caught my first American Shad on fly on December 18th, so stand by for some great light tackle action.



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 Report, December 23, 2011




By Captain Tom Van Horn





Upcoming Seminars and Events




Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby Dates



Saturday January 14th, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Crappie Rally and Seminar at Boat Tree Marina at the Port of Sanford.



Thursday January 26th 6:30 - 9:00 PM, Free Shad and Crappie Fly Tying Event at Orlando Outfitters, 2814 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL 32808, phone (407) 896-8220. Visit: www.orlandooutfitters.com. Fly tying instruction and seminar by Capt. Beau Osborne. Learn what you need to catch shad and crappie on fly in the Orlando area and see how easy it is to tie effective fly patterns for both species. These tying techniques can also be used to create your own shad and crappie jigs.



Saturday February 25th, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Shad Rally and Seminar at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp on the St. Johns River and HWY 46 east of Geneva.



Saturday March 17th, Shad and Crappie Derby ends at dusk.



February 11th and 12th, Old Florida Outdoor Festival in Apopka, Florida.





This Weeks Fishing Report




The holiday season and winter have arrived, and more than ever families and friends are gathering to celebrate life and living. It's time to count our many blessings and remember to thank those who sacrifice their time and lives to defend our freedom. It is also time to relax and enjoy life with those within our close circle and there is no better place than the outdoors to do this very thing. The weather has been very warm so far and this weekend shows improvement with winds settling down and temperatures in the 80's, so plan some time on the water and enjoys your time with family and friends.

Currently, the sea state offshore is expected to settle to 3 to 4 feet, so I don't think many folks will be venturing out until the seas settle around the middle of the week. Once conditions improve, look for snapper, grouper, and amberjack to be concentrated on the deeper reefs and wrecks from 120 to 240-feet. Also look for cobia holding on the near-shore wrecks from 90 to 160 feet of water. If trolling is your preference, there are still some dolphin and wahoo possible outside the 120-foot mark with an occasional sailfish mixed in, and plenty of kingfish on near-shore structure.

Along the beaches as the seas settle down, look for pompano, whiting, sheepshead, bluefish and Spanish mackerel off the beach, ocean piers, and in the inlets, with sand fleas, cut clams, and fresh shrimp serving as choice baits. The water temperatures on the flats is warm, so look for slot redfish and sea trout up in the shallows, and small dark colored soft plastics and cut mullet and ladyfish should produce best for them. Also, remember sea trout season is closed until January 1st, so please handle and release them with extreme care.

This past week, I ventured out on the freshwater side, and spent some time on the St. John's River, and although I didn't catch any, I heard of several hickory and American shad being caught. Also, as the new moon settles in look for speckle perch to move in close to structure and shorelines, and schooling bass to be feeding on small surface minnows in the confluences of small sloughs and creeks flowing off of the pastures.

Remember, fishing and boating activity will be at an elevated level this week, so please be kind and courteous to each other and the environment.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity thank all of you who fished and worked with me in 2011, you are all truly a blessing, and I'm looking forward to a glorious 2012.

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

Good luck, good fishing, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year,



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 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