Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Forecast: Jan 2014

his over slot redfish ate a Cajun Crab. 12 pounds of pure meanness devoured my offering though I was casting into a group of black drum. The fishing in South Mosquito Lagoon has been quite good lately!
his over slot redfish ate a Cajun Crab. 12 pounds of pure meanness devoured my offering though I was casting into a group of black drum. The fishing in South Mosquito Lagoon has been quite good lately!

Happy New Year Gang! The South Mosquito Lagoon has been giving anglers good to great fishing through the first half of December. I fully expect this trend to continue through the winter months, though fishing patterns will most certainly change.

Water clarity is much improved from the warm season and we will see more improvement in this as we slide into true winter. Winter water temperatures will stem the algae blooms we’ve been forced to endure for the past six months or so.

Until this happens enjoy the current fishing opportunities as the last of our mullet schools slowly migrate away from us. Employing a top-water plug to catch redfish and oversized spotted seatrout is a fantastic way to enjoy the first hour or two of the morning.

As water levels drop for the season and continue to cool look for our redfish and black drum populations to gather into schools. Some of these schools will number well into the hundreds of fish, though smaller groups will be more common.

A live shrimp is a tough bait to beat this time of year. I typically tail hook a live shrimp on a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook and will add a small split shot if necessary to make a long cast or to help the bait sink quickly when fishing in deeper water.

The “thump” you feel on the end of the line is your lure hitting the back of a redfish’s throat! An exude Cajun Crab is hard for fish to ignore when offered to them on a sandy bottom.
The “thump” you feel on the end of the line is your lure hitting the back of a redfish’s throat! An exude Cajun Crab is hard for fish to ignore when offered to them on a sandy bottom.

Of course there is nothing wrong with using artificial shrimp either. As a personal preference I choose artificial’s over natural most anytime. I’ve enjoyed great success with Exude Shrimp in a variety of colors though I rig them weedless. This plastic shrimp has a chubbier profile than others. The added girth means more weight allowing a very long cast.

Offer your shrimp either live or manmade to the perimeter of the redfish or black drum school you’ve located. If the school is in motion lead the fish by several yards if possible and let the school swim over your offering. If a bite doesn’t come quickly and you think your bait is probably hidden in the grass simply pop it up above the grass with a sharp lifting of your rod tip. Resist too much motion a shrimp doesn’t move like a pinfish or mullet especially when in shallow water. They’re rather slow until spooked and once spooked they dive for cover or hop on the surface.

[easy-social-share]