Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Forecast: January

January ushered in freezing temperatures here in East Central Florida and with the colder water, big changes in the fishing. The water levels are dropping, the water is clearer and the reds and trout are schooling in the Creeks and Bays from New Smyrna to Oak Hill. Look for reds in schools of a dozen to over one hundred of these magnificent fish. They will be cruising oyster bars and mud flats looking for food and warm water. ADL weedless spoons work well in these conditions. Work the edges and points of the deeper oyster bars keeping your spoon as close to the bar as possible. If they are holding in a flat, work the edges of the school trying not to spook them with your cast. Due to the low, gin clear water they can be very spooky so stealth and a long cast is crucial. A ¼ oz Aqua Dream spoon matched with our ADSML 7 ft spinning rod will get the job done. If you find that the red fish are following your spoon but not eating it, try changing the color. Recently they were following the gold spoon to the boat but wouldn’t take it. Changing to the white ADL spoon made all the difference. They were whacking it on every cast. I have also had luck on the ¼ oz black spoon in these clear conditions.

Gator trout will be schooling on the flats with red fish of similar size and will respond to the same baits as the reds. Smaller trout however will be schooling in or near deeper water and will readily eat our 3 inch mullet tails rigged on an ADL ¼ oz classic jig head. One warm afternoon last year two of us caught over 100 trout and small reds on these jigs. It’s all about being at the right place at the right time with the right bait.

I hope all of you have a wonderful new year and are always in the right place at the right time. Until next time see you on the water.