01-22-2002, 02:13 PM
Capt. Rob Blake’s fishing report from Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon and Upper Indian River-updated January 22, 2002. <br><br>The 80-degree temperatures were back this past week, and the fishing was hot to match. In most cases, even the “catching” was very hot! Read on… <br><br>Wednesday and Thursday I fished with Capt. Jack Brown of Beaufort, South Carolina. On our first day, Jack and his “new fishing hat” got an eyeful of reds. These fish were grouped up in a school of about 150 and absolutely would not leave a certain area of the flat we were on. Good casting into a 15mph breeze produced a hook-up on most every cast. Jack was even able to get out his brand-new 6 weight and break it in on a few reds. The school of fish was so cooperative that after 12 reds, we stopped fishing, staked out the skiff 40 feet from the school and ate lunch-what a show! <br><br>The next day brought slick calm conditions and mostly sunny skies. Rather than go harass the school we were on the day prior, we headed for new territory. The spot we poled into was full of reds from 18 to 30 inches. Some were schooled up, but most were singles and doubles cruising. By noon Jack had caught about 15 reds, all on fly. We made an agreement that we wouldn’t stop until we hit 20 reds on fly for the day. Within an hour, our goal was met. The total for the two day trip was 32 flyrod reds. A #2 shrimp pattern was used each day. <br><br>Although 20 fish days on fly are extremely rare, much of the success can be attributed to Jack’s fly-casting. Get out there and practice to prepare for your trip. Anyone planning to visit coastal South Carolina in the future should contact Capt. Jack Brown for some awesome redfish action. Capt. Jack Brown can be reached at 1-843-838-9369 or 1-843-271-0987 and his web address is: <br><br>http://www.coastaloutdoors.com/reports/jbrown.htm <br><br>Soft plastic jerkbaits have also been taking their share of reds and trout. Remember to slow your retrieve this time of year, especially after sustained periods of cold. <br><br>Saturday, Scott Davis and wife Angela from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida certainly caught their share of fish. Using spinning gear, they caught 27 reds from 18-27 inches in a half-day trip. Although the fish weren’t exceptionally large, the two enjoyed non-stop action. <br><br>Sunday, my girlfriend and I went out with friend Chris Paladino to do some fishing of our own. The weather was nasty…clouds, light rain, and wind hard out of the southwest. Despite this, my girlfriend caught 16 reds, Chris got 3, and I brought 2 to the boat. We even got a couple on fly. <br><br>Monday, Jim Pedrolini and his 5-year-old son Nick set out to get into some redfish action. They were a long way from their home in Connecticut, which is now experiencing massive snow. The morning started slow, but eventually we got onto fish. The father and son team caught 26 fish in 4 hours. Many were on the small side, but 5-year-old Nick wasn’t complaining. Good job, Nick! <br><br>Congratulations to Scott Jacobson on the purchase of his new boat (my 1999 Maverick Mirage HP). Scott has fished with me in the past and I’m sure will enjoy his new toy. The toughest thing for Scott is going to be waiting for my new 2002 Maverick Mirage HPX to arrive in about 6 weeks from the factory. Hang in there Scott! <br><br>Take a closer look at Rob’s new boat by visiting the Maverick Boat Company’s website. The link below will allow you to watch a very informative video about the most advanced shallow water boat in the world, the new Maverick Mirage HPX. <br><br>http://maverickboats.com/video_library/video_library.htm <br><br>By the way, the water levels are still very, very low. Again, please use caution when running anywhere east of the ICW. <br><br>Capt. Rob Blake <br>www.redfishonfly.com<br>1-866-RED-DRUM<br><br><br>Contact Capt. Rob at 1-866-RED-DRUM <br>or 321-633-0923 or 321-544-5041 (cell).