Fishing on the Indian River and the Mosquito Lagoons is starting to come alive after a long winter. Many of the predator fish begin to turn the focus of their diet to a newly arrived food source. Redfish in the Mosquito Lagoon will eat crabs and shrimp all year long but during the warmer months, they also feast on mullet, pinfish, pigfish, and other small bait fish, so shifting your lure selection from shrimp and crab to finfish patterns is a good move. When using bait on the lagoon flats, cut mullet and ladyfish is your best choice as those same pinfish and pigfish will devour crab and shrimp in a heartbeat.
Speaking of sea trout, the topwater bite will turn on this month. Fish around the schools of mullet with your favorite topwater plus for best results. Try fishing the topwater plugs at first light and stand by for some explosive action. Also remember the water is starting to warm up and warmer water holds less oxygen. So, practicing catch, photo, and release to help keep our stocks healthy.
On the St Johns River, crappie will still be available in deeper water and the panfish (bluegill, shellcracker and redbreast) bite will improve as they move on and off the beds. Also look for the channel catfish bite to improve once the river levels begin to rise with the arrival of our summer rains. For largemouth and sunshine bass, focus your attention on schooling shad in the area of Lake Monroe and north.
