Temperature of the Banana River Lagoon will dictate what the fish are going to do this month. Last year the water temperatures soared into the lower 90 degree range during the first two weeks of the month. This pushed the majority of the redfish and trout off the flats and into the deeper residential canals where the water was slightly cooler. If this year is a repeat of last, try fishing live or cut baits on the bottom in these deeper areas. Saltwater Assassin sea shad tails and plastic shrimp imitations worked slowly along the bottom and should be a solid pattern for these fish as well.
Later in the month water temps will fall back into the lower to middle 80 degree range, this should be the triggering mechanism to get these two species back out onto the shallows where they will chase schools of fingerling mullet and glass minnows. Small gold spoons or soft plastic jerk baits rigged on a weedless worm hook are often productive when fished near mullet pods during dawn and dusk periods once those waters temperatures start to cool a bit. Snook, ladyfish, and juvenile tarpon will be other species that anglers can expect to find in some of the residential canals in the Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach canals throughout this month. The types of lures and live baits mentioned for the trout and reds will work on these three species as well.
Until next time… Catch a memory!
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