Those of you staying home because of the hype about the brown algae bloom are doing yourselves a great disservice. Yes, we are experiencing a bloom and yes, some areas are dirtier than we would like. Yes, we are still catching fish, and even in much of the waters with a brown bloom, Mosquito Lagoon fishing is still pretty solid.
Look for concentrations of mullet. Remember, if there is food the predators are nearby. Can’t see a redfish or seatrout in the dirty water? “So what,” I say! We have all caught plenty of fish without actually sight-fishing for them.
Cut bait leaves a scent which all fish can easily find. Live baits become distressed once they are affixed to a hook and this alerts the predators at hand. Many lures which produce sound, vibration and or scent will work well on reds, trout and other species.
While we need to be stealthy as we approach our fishing areas I tend to be less worried about spooking our quarry with either lure or bait in the dirty water. In fact, I prefer using soft plastic lures with built in scent and an added rattle. The Exude Fan Tail Shrimp has a rattle chamber to accommodate a magnum glass rattle and has proved to be a killer lure in dirty water. Any top-water plug that rattles, pops, spits or sputters does well in dirty water provided floating grass does not interfere too much. Spinner baits and spoons with lots of vibration offer another dimension which savvy anglers may employ in the quest for redfish success.
Pay special attention to where dirty water meets relatively clean water. If mullet or other baitfish is abundant here you’ll probably find activity from redfish, seatrout, ladyfish and more. These clarity lines might even afford decent sight-fishing opportunities for those of us preferring this style of fishing.
IMGP3461: Tim’s slot red pounced on the Exude Dart in Salt & Pepper Shad color. He caught several fish on the Dart while blind casting dirty water holding active mullet pods during a recent trip with Capt. Mark Wright
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