Back Country Tarpon on Fly

Fly Fishing for Tarpon along the Florida Coast

Do you fly fish? Is catching a Tarpon on fly high up on your “bucket list”? Or are you a seasoned “Poon” angler? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you know there is an unwritten bond between all of us. A brotherhood if you will.Backing!

Lindsay with a Baby Tarpon on Fly

Lindsay, with Simms Fishing, with her first Tarpon on fly.

This past summer I spent most of my time on the water chasing that magical, armor clad, silver king. Whether we were targeting juvenile fish in the back country or posted up ocean side for giant migratory fish, fishing and guiding for Tarpon is my absolute favorite. Everything about the pursuit of this fish is captivating to me. Whether I’m getting my skiff ready the night before, tying flies, rigging leaders or picking up clients for a day of fishing…. I’m pumped to see what the day has in store. Whats even better about all of this? It last for a few months.

For me, prime time for Tarpon fishing is mid April through early July, with May and June being my favorite months for the big migratory Tarpon. We are constantly learning more about Tarpon and their migration. More and more money and time are being spent to study this amazing species. As we learn more about their habits, we realize that there is a lot we can do to protect this fish for our children and grandchildren.

 

Tarpon on Fly Jumping

Ocean-side Tarpon Jumping

Tim_Tarpon_AnnaMaria_June_2015 079

Fishing in Mosquito Lagoon

I’m lucky to call Mosquito Lagoon my home waters. Being that Mosquito Lagoon is so close in proximity to Orlando, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, and Cocoa Beach you can have all the luxuries of city life and in less than 1 hour be on the pristine coastal estuary waters of Mosquito Lagoon. With that brings along some negative impact to the Mosquito Lagoon. Since it is so close to these bigger cities, with large populations, fishing on Mosquito Lagoon can be tough due to all the fishing pressure it receives. With that being said, you can still fish Mosquito Lagoon and experience some of the best redfish and trout fishing in the world.

Being a fishing guide, its not uncommon in a social setting when employment comes up as a topic of conversation, that you get asked about fishing. It only makes sense, right. Right. One of the most common questions I get asked is “So, hows the fishing?” or “What do you catch?”. The fishing on Mosquito Lagoon is really good. We are lucky in the fact that we don’t really have to deal with our redfish populations migrating to spawn. Our redfish, for the most part, are born here, live here and spawn here year round. As far as I know, Mosquito Lagoon is the only ecosystem that can boast that. In addition to having a resident redfish population, we also have some of the largest sea trout you can find anywhere. During the winter months, on any given day when you’re fishing Mosquito Lagoon, you are going to see a few 10 lb, maybe bigger, sea trout. For a flats fisherman, this is truly a sight to see. You’ve heard of gator trout, well Mosquito Lagoon has it’s fair share of gators.

If you are interested in fishing and learning to fish Mosquito Lagoon, it’s a good idea to hire a guide. While your guide most likely isn’t going to give away all of his best fishing spots to you, they will get you started down the right path in understanding this diverse ecosystem. Mosquito Lagoon receives a lot of fishing pressure, so the fish can be very weary. When you come up to a flat you are going to fish, shut your big motor down well in advance of getting to the spot and ease in with your trolling motor, or even better the push pole. This will give you a better opportunity at not disrupting the fish and hopefully increase your chances of catching a trophy redfish or gator sea trout. Plus, if any other anglers are working that area, you will not disrupt their fishing.

I hope this improves your time fishing in Mosquito Lagoon.

Capt. Jesse
www.FlyinHighCharters.com
(407) 448-2017

To find out more about Mosquito Lagoon or to book a fishing charter, give me a call!

redfish

Tips for Sight Fishing Mosquito Lagoon

What is sight fishing? Sight fishing is a tactic used by many anglers and guides where you see the fish swimming, laid up, tailing or pushing a wake and then make a presentation to that target with a lure or fly. Sight fishing is a preferred method of fishing for many anglers and guides. For a lot of anglers, they’ve never done this type of fishing before, let alone know what it means or how to do it… It’s more like hunting in the sense that you see your target versus fishing with live or dead bait waiting for a fish to come to your offering.

The first and most important element in sight fishing on Mosquito Lagoon, or any body of water, is to be able to see the fish. Your guide spends a lot of time on the water and their eyes are conditioned for spotting fish. Your eyes may not be and that is okay. After a little bit of time on the water and seeing a few examples of your target species doing their thing, you’ll quickly pick up on what to look for. There is one piece of equipment you must have in order to have a successful day of sight fishing, that is a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. There is a vast variety of options to chose from including lens colors, frames, lenses materials, etc. My personal choice of sunglasses for sight fishing on Mosquito Lagoon is Smith Optics, specifically their new line of lens, chromapop. The chromapop lenses is their newest technology featuring crisper color contrast and optical clarity. If you’re looking to upgrade your sunglasses for sight fishing, definitely check out the chromapop lens from Smith Optics.

Now that we’ve gone over the most important piece of equipment for sight fishing Mosquito Lagoon, let’s talk a little about what you are looking for. Sometimes sighting fish is really easy, they may stick out like a sore thumb. Below is a picture of a huge pod of tarpon pushing over a white sand bottom. There isn’t much for them to camouflage themselves therefore making it very easy to visually pick up on their presence.

It’s not always that easy to sight your target. Below is a picture of a redfish swimming away over a grassy bottom. As you can see, it can be much tougher to make out your target. There are some tips you can employ to better your odds of picking out a fish, visually, and increase your odds of making a good presentation that invokes an eat from a fish.

Tip number 1: Whenever you are sight fishing, you want to put the sun at your back. Having the sun at your back helps “light up” the flat and allows you to see through the water much better. If you are facing into the sun, there will be a glare on the water making it next to impossible to see through the water. Additionally, if the sun is at your back and you see a fish in front of you it means the fish is looking into the sun and it will be that much tougher for the fish to see you.

Tip number 2: When you are working a grass flat, focus on sand holes. Not only do fish tend to hang around the sand holes and use them as ambush points but as a fish swims over a sandy patch it will be much easier to visually pick up on the fish’s presence.

Tip number 3: Slow down. Sight fishing is a game of patience. You can’t force it. The slower you work an area, the better your odds get. Poling slowly across a flat will create a smaller footprint in the water, the fish will be less likely to feel your presence and you’ll give your eyes more time to dissect the flat.

I hope these tips help your sight fishing improve and result in more hook ups and more fish brought to the boat.

Capt. Jesse
www.FlyinHighCharters.com
(407) 448-2017

To find out more about Mosquito Lagoon or to book a fishing charter, give me a call!