December 2011 Mosquito Lagoon New Smyrna Edgewater

With the holiday season upon us the main focus is gathering presents and scheduling dinners. But do not neglect the water this time of year this can be one of the best times of year to be on the Lagoon. As the cold fronts move south east across the state the water begins to cool allowing alot of the algae to die off and give us crystal clear water conditions. With the water becoming so clear that you can sight fish your choice of species and literally watch eat your bait if presented correctly. This is the time of year that we start to see our redfish and black drum schooling in large numbers anywhere from ten to three hundred sometimes more. As the water starts to empty in the Lagoon look for these fish to be holding in deeper holes on the flats and on edges of bars. They can be taken on several different baits from small soft plastics to live shrimp there is a couple things to remember with the water being so clear stealthyness is a must and slow your bait retrieval down to a minimum. This is also a good time of year to target larger trout by casting to the pot holes on the shallow flats these fish like to lay in them for the warmth that they give off in the middle of the day. Just remember as the water cools these trout will move slower to conserve energy so this go's back to a very slow retrieval is key. This is also a excellent time of year to target flounder in the northern zone of Mosquito Lagoon toward Edgewater and New Smyrna. I like to use a small Aqua Dream shad body with a 1/8 oz jig head or a 1/4 oz spoon and a slow retrieve along the bottom. Don't get surprised if you think you have hung a oyster bar or bottom and the line starts to move this area is known for large doormat flatties. Good luck and be safe. Capt Patrick Rood www.spotntailcharters.com