Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast

[Captain Tom Van Horn]

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Forecast, November 2005

 

Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters

 

It’s hard to fathom the thought of how quickly fall has arrived, delivering cooler weather and exceptional fishing to the Indian River Lagoon Coast of Florida. As I sit down to write this forecast, countless memories of outstanding fishing adventures in November come to mind. We are truly blessed to live in a location where angling is a year-round activity, and fall prevails as one of the most productive times to fish along Florida’s east central coast. This November marks the twentieth year of my family’s annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to the city of Sebastian Florida were we celebrate our thankfulness for the many blessing we’ve received, and fish for an entire week straight. This year, I’m just as excited about our odyssey as I was the first time I laid eyes on Sebastian Inlet.

 

It’s the season of the mullet On the Space Coast, with waves of black and silver mullet working their way south through the lagoon and along the beach. This year’s bait run started early, and in some locations finger mullet schools have thinned out a bit, but good reports of heavy bait concentrations to the north around Ponce Inlet indicate more is yet to come. Along with the seasonal migration of bait come cooler temperatures and an influx of predator species seeking warmer waters and an easy meal. Large tarpon along the beach, snook, sharks, jumbo jack carvalle, and breeder redfish will all be present as the feeding frenzy commences.

 

As water temperatures cool, look for cobia and tripletail to begin showing up on the Port Canaveral Buoy line and on flotsam, both near-shore and offshore. When you find 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 is also important to keep the sun to your back to improve your range of sight, and to keep a medium heavy rod rigged with a one-ounce chartreuse or white buck tail jig ready to throw to any cruising cobia. In some cases migrating manta rays swing in close to the beach, each shadow harboring small pods of fish. 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.

 

November is one of the best months to target snook at Sebastian Inlet. In addition; large flounder and oversized redfish should begin to show up on the Port Canaveral buoy line and in the inlets and their numbers will increase as the flounder begin their seaward migration out of the lagoon near the end of the month. Also, let’s not forget the influx of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and black tip sharks shadowing schools of finger mullet and glass minnows along the beach.

 

On the lagoon, look for schools of pompano to begin to form up and move off of the flats thought the inlets, and invade the beach in search of mole crabs (sand fleas) their favorite winter food. Currently, reports of skipping pompano have been coming from anglers working the flats in the north Indian River Lagoon, and the flats on the east shore of the Indian River Lagoon south of Titusville. Also, look for large schools of ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, and small sea trout working the migrating schools of glass minnows as they move south through the lagoon in deeper water and along the beach. When looking for schools of glass minnows, watch for terns swooping down and touching the water. Terns prefer to eat live baitfish, and their activity is a sure sign to the presents of feeding fish. Another sign to look for are pelicans holding their bills in the water after diving on bait. With the small glass minnows, pelicans must take the time to separate the tiny bait from the water before tilting their head back to swallow.

 

 

Last but not least, weather is always the determining factor in November. Passing cold fronts create a cycle of blustery winds, heavy seas offshore, and dirty water, and they can change a great day of fishing into a tough day of catching, So watch the weather, plan your trips accordingly, catch-um-up, and be safe.

 

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

 

Good fishing to all,

 

Captain Tom Van Horn

www.irl-fishing.com

407-366-8085 office

407-416-1187 on the water

866-790-8081 toll free

 

If you would like to be added to my mailing list, please contact me at captain@irl-fishing.com.