07-16-2003, 06:35 PM
[#312c98]7/16/2003 Flats fishing report for the Titusville & Cocoa Beach area. By Capt Doug Blanton[/b][/#312c98]
[#312c98]Summer is here! You can count on thunderstorms every afternoon and tarpon in the canals at first light. This has been a great week so far. The trout are plentiful on the flats in the early mornings. Snook are starting to feed a little better on top water. Reds are feeding late mornings and afternoon and as I mentioned earlier, the juvenile tarpon have started showing up in the early am. To sum it all up, It's Slam Time in Central Florida.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Redfish[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Redfish has been much better on the Banana River this past week. Most of the reds have been waiting till late morning to show up but when they do they have been more than willing to take a lure. Most of the fish we have seen have been in 2 feet or less, in most cases less. Due to the depth of water and how calm it has been out there for the past week, they have been rather spooky. This means our best strikes have come by casting to these fish from as far away as possible. Most of the reds we have found have also been in or near large schools of mullet or cursing the outer edge of the weedlines searching for lunch.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Most of the reds we have been catching over the past few weeks have been on Cotee's Reel Magic in Rainbow trout rigged with a 5/0 Daiichi Bleeding Copperhead Hook . or on #4 gold tin liz flies. A few fish have been willing to take top water but only those worked slowly around the edge of the schools of bait. Most of these fish have been in the 5 to 10 lbs range. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout fishing Has been much better over the past few weeks. we have managed a few fish up to 8 lbs but most have been just under slot. Most of the trout we have caught have been near large schools of bait. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]In the early mornings we have found a few fish willing to take top water plugs worked slowly on the outer edge of the bait. Our best catches have come on the Original High Roller in the green back or Florida Special. We have also caught a few on my favorite, the green back Rip Roller , however, you have to work this lure real slow. The prop has been spooking the fish. In the afternoons we have had our best luck on pearl Cotee grubs. When it comes to flies, we have had our best luck on #4 shrimp flies in morning and afternoon.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Everything else[/#312c98]
[#312c98]The tarpon have been feeding best in the early morning hours on small top water plugs like the 3.25 Pop Roller or the 3.25 Crank Roller in Golden shiner. Our best strikes have come by working these lures very slowly in areas where you have seen them rolling. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]The snook have been feeding pretty good from early morning till early afternoon. A few times they have been willing to take the Rip Roller but most have been caught on clear DOA shrimp. All of the snook we have seen have been in tight against the shoreline. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Large schools of ladyfish have been working the areas near sandbars and near the main channel. Just look for the schools of glass minnows and cast anything shinny. I always carry a light fly rod just for these fish. We hook a 4 pounder today that striped a good 50 feet into backing. These fish will hit almost anything but try bonefish flies when throwing fly. You'll find you get more hook-ups and get a cleaner hook-set. When casting spinning I recommend casting grubs. You get a cleaner hook-set and do a lot less damage to the fish. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Get out there and catch a memory. Capt. Doug[/#312c98]
[#312c98]For more information on Flats fishing with Capt. Doug [url "http://www.indianriver.cc/fishing_trips.htm"][#312c98]click here[/#312c98][/url].[/#312c98][#312c98] [/#312c98][url "http://www.indianriver.cc/doug's/pic's/trout6103.JPG"][/url]
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[#312c98]Summer is here! You can count on thunderstorms every afternoon and tarpon in the canals at first light. This has been a great week so far. The trout are plentiful on the flats in the early mornings. Snook are starting to feed a little better on top water. Reds are feeding late mornings and afternoon and as I mentioned earlier, the juvenile tarpon have started showing up in the early am. To sum it all up, It's Slam Time in Central Florida.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Redfish[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Redfish has been much better on the Banana River this past week. Most of the reds have been waiting till late morning to show up but when they do they have been more than willing to take a lure. Most of the fish we have seen have been in 2 feet or less, in most cases less. Due to the depth of water and how calm it has been out there for the past week, they have been rather spooky. This means our best strikes have come by casting to these fish from as far away as possible. Most of the reds we have found have also been in or near large schools of mullet or cursing the outer edge of the weedlines searching for lunch.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Most of the reds we have been catching over the past few weeks have been on Cotee's Reel Magic in Rainbow trout rigged with a 5/0 Daiichi Bleeding Copperhead Hook . or on #4 gold tin liz flies. A few fish have been willing to take top water but only those worked slowly around the edge of the schools of bait. Most of these fish have been in the 5 to 10 lbs range. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout fishing Has been much better over the past few weeks. we have managed a few fish up to 8 lbs but most have been just under slot. Most of the trout we have caught have been near large schools of bait. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]In the early mornings we have found a few fish willing to take top water plugs worked slowly on the outer edge of the bait. Our best catches have come on the Original High Roller in the green back or Florida Special. We have also caught a few on my favorite, the green back Rip Roller , however, you have to work this lure real slow. The prop has been spooking the fish. In the afternoons we have had our best luck on pearl Cotee grubs. When it comes to flies, we have had our best luck on #4 shrimp flies in morning and afternoon.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Everything else[/#312c98]
[#312c98]The tarpon have been feeding best in the early morning hours on small top water plugs like the 3.25 Pop Roller or the 3.25 Crank Roller in Golden shiner. Our best strikes have come by working these lures very slowly in areas where you have seen them rolling. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]The snook have been feeding pretty good from early morning till early afternoon. A few times they have been willing to take the Rip Roller but most have been caught on clear DOA shrimp. All of the snook we have seen have been in tight against the shoreline. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Large schools of ladyfish have been working the areas near sandbars and near the main channel. Just look for the schools of glass minnows and cast anything shinny. I always carry a light fly rod just for these fish. We hook a 4 pounder today that striped a good 50 feet into backing. These fish will hit almost anything but try bonefish flies when throwing fly. You'll find you get more hook-ups and get a cleaner hook-set. When casting spinning I recommend casting grubs. You get a cleaner hook-set and do a lot less damage to the fish. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Get out there and catch a memory. Capt. Doug[/#312c98]
[#312c98]For more information on Flats fishing with Capt. Doug [url "http://www.indianriver.cc/fishing_trips.htm"][#312c98]click here[/#312c98][/url].[/#312c98][#312c98] [/#312c98][url "http://www.indianriver.cc/doug's/pic's/trout6103.JPG"][/url]
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