Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report
We are just about to wrap up the month of July; where the heck has the first half of the year gone? I don’t know about you, but for me, the first six months has flown by. With August and September approaching, I wanted to reach out and give everyone some updates on fishing and some other news.
First, I want to start off with a business decision that I have been putting off until now. For the last few years, I have done
everything in my power to keep my guiding prices at the old rate. It was tough, but I thought my prices were fair and that every client got more than their moneys worth on a trip. Unfortunately, I am finally having to go up. The prices associated with guide business have only increased over the last few years and there are no signs of them decreasing. My clients are used to having top of the line equipment, a beautiful skiff to fish out of, and the professionalism that comes with more than 42 years of local knowledge. Well, to keep it all going, I am having to raise the daily rates. If you already have a trip booked, you are locked in at the old price. The new prices will take effect once this blog is sent out and future trips are booked. I will say that my new prices are right in line with everyone else in the area and even guides in other locations that do not have the same overhead that I do on licenses, equipment and permits.
OK, enough with one piece of “negative” news. Allow me to get on with the fishing report and some good news. I’m going to start the good news portion with a report on the Mosquito Lagoon and the surrounding waters. If you follow along with the lagoon and the area around it, then you are probably aware of the loss of seagrasses the area sustained starting in 2011. It was a devastating loss for the area and severely impacted the water quality in a negative way. It forced a lot of us to come together to fight for better protection for our beloved estuary and the areas surrounding it. We had to place tremendous pressure on our politicians at all levels of government and demand they listen to us and make the needed changes. It wasn’t an easy road and it wasn’t a quick trip. About 7 years ago, I started documenting small sections of seagrasses returning. Some people called me crazy, but I saw it as a positive sign. Fast forward to now, and our seagrasses have continued to make a huge comeback. The last two years have probably seen the most growth in a long time, but as more and more seagrass returns, the growth will exponentially increase. Think of it like plugging your yard, once those plugs start to grow and establish themselves, they spread quicker and quicker as there is more to grow from. The return of the seagrasses has helped keep our waters clear, which enables the seagrasses to grow thicker and taller, improving water quality in surrounding areas. This year is the first year that I can remember, in more than a decade, where we have areas of crystal-clear water in the middle of summer. It is truly an exciting time, but our work is not over yet. We still have issues to fix and we have to keep the pressure on everyone involved. There are several organizations you can follow and support to help, including The Waterman Alliance; a group dedicated to helping the Mosquito Lagoon and the surrounding areas. As much as a recovery as we have made, it would be a shame to take pressure off and allow it to collapse again. You'll notice the grass and clear water in the video below.
The return of the seagrasses has also led to another sight that had become more and more rare over the last few years: tailing redfish. Redfish are one of the primary targets for anglers from North Carolina to Texas. There was a time that Mosquito Lagoon was considered one of the premier destinations to chase these fish in all of the world. Once the seagrasses were lost, the redfish population took a hit and spawning season became less and less successful; this was due to pressure placed on the breeding fish along with the loss of habitat needed for young fish to survive. Tailing redfish, which were once a common sight throughout the day became almost non-existent. Well, they’re back! Redfish love the seagrasses, which concentrate crabs, shrimp, baitfish, snails, worms and other bait into their roots and stems. The redfish ease through the seagrasses, their noses pushing through the grasses, waiting for hidden prey items to try and run; while doing this, it is quite common to observe their tails sticking above the water’s surface. When the redfish are really excited, like when they’re about to pounce on prey, their tails light up electric blue along the edges. This is one of the most beautiful sights you can observe while fishing; the electric blue tailing waving in the sunlight, glistening as it wavers back and forth. Tailing redfish are not the only thing that has become more common. So have the shoreline cruising redfish. These redfish cruise at the edge of the shoreline, usually in areas between the seagrasses and the mangroves, again looking for prey in this little open opportunity zone. It is not uncommon to witness these redfish with their entire back out of the water, mulling along lazily until they see something and then rushing forward to crush it. Whether the fish are tailing or cruising, it’s all about accuracy and timing with your cast. Practice casting and becoming accurate before you take a trip, to increase your chances of success. As far as what to use; well, that’s what you pay the fishing guide for. I keep a keen interest in the types of prey in the area and the behavior of the fish, to help select the right bait.
The one fish that probably took the biggest hit from the loss of seagrasses was the Spotted Seatrout. The Spotted Seatrout
not only relied on the seagrasses for food, but also for protection from predators. If you are familiar with the color of a seatrout, then you know how well they blend into the seagrasses. Without the seagrasses, it was easy for birds, dolphins and humans to spot the seatrout and harvest large numbers of them. In order to survive, many of the seatrout left the flats and headed to deeper water, where they could find protection. Now that the seagrasses are returning, I am seeing more and more seatrout on the flats with each and every trip. It is my belief that we still need to protect them better, but that’s a fight we are still fighting. Still, it is good to see them returning to the flats and some of the fish we have seen have been true Gator Seatrout (over 30 inches in length). These fish require patience to sight fish, as they are as spooky as they come. I have some methods that have allowed me to be one of the most successful guides for fishing these large fish on fly, as well as actually sight fishing them with artificials.
Snook continue to surprise us on almost every fishing trip we take. It’s not the numbers of fish we are seeing, although we are seeing a lot of them, it is the shear size of some of these fish. It is not uncommon to find snook over 35 inches on a routine basis and we have seen plenty of snook over 40 inches this year. Understand, seeing them and catching them is not the same. In all honesty, we have only landed a few fish over 30 inches this year and we haven’t landed a fish over 40 inches yet. If you are unfamiliar with snook, a fish over 40 inches in considered a lifetime catch. Big snook are intelligent, wary and absolute beasts when it comes to the fight. Getting them to eat is hard enough, but then surviving the hook-up is another game all together. Still, it is worth the effort and I am happy to spend a lot of time trying to catch them. The greatest part about snook fishing this year is the clear water, which allows us to see them laid up and makes it even more exciting (and aggravating if they don’t cooperate) when trying to catch them. Snook are my favorite fish to target and I’ve spent a lot of time studying their behavior only to have them befuddle me despite my best efforts. Don’t worry though, even if the big ones don’t want to play, we are catching plenty of smaller ones up to 5 pounds.
The best two months of tarpon fishing are almost here. August and September are typically the best months for tarpon in our area. We’ve already had some good catches, and there have been decent numbers of them around. Tarpon in the 15–70-pound range have been pretty regular, while the triple digit fish have been a little harder to find in the backcountry. One of the reasons for this is that we have not had on offshore cold-water upwelling, which drives the fish into the river system, and the big fish have remained on the beaches. The tarpon that we have located have been relatively cooperative, with us jumping double-digit numbers on certain days. I fully expect it to only get better as we progress through August and into September. While it can be a little hot during these days, that is what tarpon like and what they thrive in.
That takes care of the “major four” species of fish. We also have good numbers of ladyfish, jack crevalle, mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and sharks. All of these add to the excitement and can make for plenty of rod bending action. All I need to know is if there is a specific fish you want to target, or if you just want to enjoy some fish fighting fun.
One last bit of news. I was finally able to secure a vendor for water bottles again. This has allowed me to return to the practice of giving each client their own personal water bottle with their trip. I have participated in the #KICKPLASTIC campaign since its inception and this is one way I get to promote it to all of my clients. I’m still working on the finished design for the bottles, but they will be available immediately for all clients that fish with me.
I still have openings for August and September, so call me to book your trip!
386-314-5998
Email me with any questions at: captainjohn@tailhunteroutdooradventures.com
Until next time,
Tight Lines and Screaming Drags
Captain John Tarr
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