There is some good news as well as a bit of bad news for this June if fishing the north end of the Indian River is in your plans.
The bad news is we are experiencing some heavy, though localized algae blooms. When you find them they are quite noticeable and, well, smelly! Simply avoid them, it’s easy and often you find baitfish skirting around the milky water. Guess what’s taking advantage of them?
The good news is we’re seeing new grass growth in many areas. It will be a while before our bottom cover restores itself and if the blooms don’t get too out of control this summer I believe Mother Nature will begin licking her wounds and healing. Our brightest beacon of light signaling an improvement is the resurrection of our widgeon grass. It’s growing in great abundance in areas we used to cuss at it for being so thick and new areas where I’ve not seen it before!
In my not too distant past I always longed for June’s arrival. June triggered our commercial spotted seatrout season. We fished with hook and line gear and trapped our own pigfish as bait. Though I no longer sell fish to make my living there’ll always be a soft spot in my heart for this fishery and the simple techniques we employed. Maybe this summer I’ll dig out my old traps, gather some pigfish and revive some old memories!
If catching a bunch of trout is your idea of fun then all you’ll need is a basic fishing rod, an adjustable float, leader, hook and some lively pigfish. While the tackle and technique is simple the reality is most people won’t do well with this method of fishing. It’s the smallest of details here that literally make your day productive or a complete bust. The most important detail, except for location is the proper adjustment of the pigfish below the float. Catch me at the ramp some day and I’ll be happy to explain in detail!
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