Orlando, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach area fishing report by Captain Jim Ross of Fineline Fishing Charters
Summertime is making it presents known in the Orlando area over the last week or so. Because of this, the fishing patterns in the Orlando and Cocoa Beach areas is getting a little harder to predict. I’ve had to adapt to these hotter temperatures we’ve been experiencing to try to keep on a decent bite. Some days it’s working good, on others not quite as good as I’d like. Speckled trout and redfish catches in the Indian River and Banana River Lagoons near Cocoa Beach have taken a down turn due to the temperature increases. To combat the sun, I’ve been trying to launch the boat and get out fishing earlier in the morning on most days. This is creating a much better top water plug bite for my clients. Especially so for redfish in the Indian River this past week. The bite slows for redfish when we’re fishing from the mid-morning to mid afternoon period. This mid morning to mid day time is good for finding schools of ladyfish and smaller trout though. Especially in the Cocoa Beach area of the Banana River Lagoon, or in the northern Indian River Lagoon due east of Orlando. While fishing the flats, I’m constantly scanning for birds working over an active school of feeding fish. When I see one, we’ll run over to what usually turn out to be a frantic bite with very fast paced fishing action. Like I mentioned before these trout are smaller than the ones we’ve been catching on the flats, but they are still a fun by-catch. What I am really trying to get my clients to hook are the ladyfish. They are acrobatic game fish that will usually still bite even with the higher water temperatures. I then take these to the Mosquito Lagoon south of Daytona Beach and Indian River east of Orlando and cut them into pieces to fish for the reds. This is a much more effective way to produce hookups when the fishing slows during the mid day periods. I prefer this to having my customers continue fishing with the lures. The Orlando area redfish and trout don’t like to chase soft jerk baits or paddle tail jigs once it gets too warm. So by changing techniques we can often have a better day of fishing than if we had stayed with the same old routine.
Tarpon, jack, shark, king mackerel, and others are striking live menhaden just offshore of Cocoa Beach. Some of these fish can weigh over 100 pounds. If you’re coming to the Orlando area, Daytona Beach, or Cocoa Beach to vacation, give me a call and we’ll try to get out and catch your next memory aboard my 22 foot Skeeter bay boat.
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