What can I say? It’s June and everything is alive and in motion in the North Indian River Lagoon! Water levels are up enough to fish shoreline structures which have been dry for months on end. Water temperatures are near perfect though slowly on the rise. Regular rainfall is likely and truly helps with water quality. Best of all even though an occasional cold front will pass the front will not (hopefully) produce COLD!
April & early May were far from typical this year as far as weather and fishing patterns were concerned. Yes, we caught fish and some days a lot of fish. However, on more days than I’d like to admit we struggled to catch only a few. I’m fully expecting things to break loose in June. All types of baitfish are abundant and redfish, seatrout, jacks, ladyfish and even a few snook are chasing them. Soon we should be seeing adult tarpon on the prowl!
Be versatile and keep several rods rigged in different manners. Cover the surface with a walking, popping or rear-propeller plug, the bottom with a weedless soft plastic lure like an Exude RT Slug and the middle of the water column with a spoon such as an Aqua Dream weedless or maybe a shallow running crank bait like a Banks Lures Mangrove Minnow. All will produce as long as we can keep them weed free!
Go natural, as in live or cut bait. There are so many baitfish choices in the lagoon system right now it’s easy to catch your own and worth the few minutes to do so. Of course you can usually pick up a dozen or two live mullet at the local tackle store if time is not on your side. A rod rigged and ready with a circle hook is a must for me. At times I’ll keep a mullet or pinfish pre-hooked and left swimming in the bait tank for a quick pitch to an unsuspecting target or to a fish who was not interested in a manmade offering.
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