Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report
November 16, 2016 | by Steve Beare
Prepare for our windy conditions to continue through the Thanksgiving Holiday and beyond. If you are looking to beat the winds, the mornings have been offering lighter winds. But as the days progress, the winds will continue to build in true fall fashion so look for the leeward areas providing protection. Along the Treasure Coast we are starting to see a decline in water temperatures and cleaner water.
Snook fishing has been very productive in and around both the Ft Pierce and Sebastian Inlets. Hit the late incoming or early outgoing tide with a live Mullet or Pinfish rigged on a 6/0 circle hook with 50# leader. Attach a sliding weight or some pinch weights to the main line. For the artificial angler, hook up a First Light jig, or jig of your choice.
Snook, Mangrove Snappers and big Jack Crevalles have been hanging along the seawalls from Queens Cove north to Johns Island. Live Mullet on a 4/0-5/0 circle hook with 30-40# leader have provided our most success with Rapala Skitterwalks and MirrOlure Mirrodines also drawing some explosive bites.
Seatrout have been aggressive along the grass flats adjacent to deeper water in the pre-dawn hours. Put on your favorite top water and walk the dog for some explosive bites.
Redfish have been found holding close to the mangrove shorelines and with the cleaner water showing up, this presents anglers with great opportunities to sight fish. For sight fishing our Lagoon Reds, I prefer a Tuscan Bunny fly or any fly that provides substantial undulation. If you are a light tackle connoisseur, use a paddle jig of your choice rigged on a 1/8 oz Weighted Swimbait Hook. We’ve been using a Down South Lure Super model in Frozen Smoke rigged on a VMC-HDWSB.
Spanish Mackerel have become a common catch along the flats this past week along with an increase of larger Jack Crevalles that are always a worthy adversary.
While it appears that the remnants of Hurricane Matthew are slowly subsiding there are still plenty of damaged docks and floating debris along our ICW so be vigilant. I’ll end with a friendly reminder that November 15th marks the start of the seasonal manatee zones in our area so be cognizant of your locations and boating laws in your area.