As water levels and temperatures drop, clear and shallow conditions on the Mosquito, Indian River, and Banana River Lagoon flats combine to create some of the best sight fishing experienced all year. On clear sunny days, successful anglers focus on quietly polling the flats in search of redfish and sea trout holed up in the sandy potholes soaking up the sun’s warmth.
On colder days an early start is not necessary unless it’s a weekend with limited parking, so read the paper and have an extra cup of coffee before heading to the lagoon. Additionally, mullet and other finfish have migrated out of the area for the winter, so as the predators feeding habits switch to smaller shrimp and crabs, anglers should switch to a smaller bait and slower presentation. For larger sea trout, target areas where mangrove edges, docks, and other structure are adjacent to deep water dredge holes, sloughs, or canals. When targeting redfish, black drum, and sea trout during the colder months, I like to downsize my bait and fish with shrimp or crab imitation baits like the D.O.A. Shrimp and D.O.A. Crab. February is also a key month for targeting tailing black drum on the exclusive Banana River No-Motor Zone.
Also, the American Shad and Crappie Derby on the St Johns River is in full swing, so be sure to sign up at one of the registration locations. Catching shad on ultra-light spin and fly tackle is as close as you can get to stream fishing without leaving Central Florida.
