N. Indian River Lagoon Fishing Forecast: May 2013

Get ready all, May is here and I expect the fingerling mullet will be here too! Yes, we’ve been seeing them in mid-April; at the time of my writing this forecast. YES, the numbers of small silver mullet usually called “finger mullet” due to their diminutive size are improving in April and typically explode in May. Our local waters in May normally harbor schools of finger mullet seemingly thick enough to walk on.

This means fantastic top-water action for those like me who appreciate the literal explosive nature of a surface strike from a gator trout, redfish, snook (we do have a few) and juvenile tarpon! The savvy angler will try different sizes and designs of top-water plugs until the fish tell you what they want at the time and place you’re currently fishing. On my boat I’ll usually have one angler throwing a walking plug and a second angler throwing a popping or propeller plug. For you guys and gals who enjoy fishing a solid wood plug Banks Lures is back in business and available in a few tackle stores in Brevard County. Of course, the old standbys will work well too. Spooks, Skitterwalks, Chug Bugs, etc. will catch lots of mullet eating predators.

When the top-water action is slow or too much floating grass prevents their use I go to soft plastic. Exude RT Slugs get more time on my rods than anything else from now until the mullet leave in the winter. Rigged on a weighted keeper hook they perform well throughout the water column and excel on the shallow flats. Rigged on an unweighted keeper hook this offering can be fished as a surface lure or slow falling lure which imitates a dying mullet, minnow, etc.

When you need to cover water fast, cast “the spoon” and my favorite is from Aquadream! The anodized colors are wonderful and the live bait series actually look like the mullet or pinfish the spoons imitate. Vary your retrieve speed and occasionally “twitch” it to entice a predator that follows, but won’t bite!

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