Summertime kayak fishing is a great way to spend a morning or evening on the water and hooking fish. In many areas an incoming tide can cool the flats a degree or two leading to great fishing under a high noon sun. However, in the tideless lagoons of East Central Florida that high sun can absolutely kill a bite. As temperatures soar outside, they rise in the water creating very lethargic fish. Fishing at those lower light times early and late can be key to successful time on the water. One scenario that can make for some outstanding fishing is culvert out flows after a good afternoon rain. We have tons of outflows that convey water from our neighborhoods and streets directly into the lagoon. These open flowing runouts are one source of many lagoon issues, but they are also a great place to catch fish in certain situations.
The rush of water that can accompany rain events will flush bait of all sorts into the lagoon in a disorientating manner. Even a moderate afternoon shower will get the water flowing and fish biting, but for the best results a rain event that puts lots of water on the ground can make for an epic fishing session. As the water gets moving and bait starts flushing predators will stage up and lay in wait for the easy meal of confused minnows as the flush out.
The top four lagoon species will take particular interest in these ready-made buffets. Snook, Tarpon, redfish, and seatrout will stage up and feed like it’s all you can eat. This is one of your best chances to get the coveted Grand Slam that has you catching one of all four of those top species in a single trip. The best baits to make your outflow fishing trip a banner one will fall in the small category in an attempt to mimic the small minnows being flushed out. One of my favorites for lure selection is the Mir-O-Dine and DOA terror eyez. Both are small and extremely effective in these situations. Next time that rain is falling, do not get all glum and bummed out. Rig up the rods and drop the kayak. Flowing water will be easy to find and surprisingly productive.
