The following is an archived fishing report for the below date and location. If you are looking for the most current fishing reports on the Mosquito Lagoon, Sebastian Inlet, Ponce Inlet, Port Canaveral, near coastal beaches and Indian River in east central Florida then please visit our reports page. Also visit our "video reports" page to see an HD version of this fishing report.

If you are here in the Orlando, Disney, Kissimmee, Palm Coast, Cocoa Beach, Edgewater, Titusville, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Bay or Daytona Beach area and are looking into going on an inshore light tackle flats fishing charter for redfish, seatrout, tarpon, IRL snook or black drum then please give me a call at (352)223-;7897 -; email -; captdrew@floridainshorefishingcharters.com -; I will be glad to see if I can meet your needs or answer any questions you may have.

April 11th, 2018 East Central Florida Light Tackle Saltwater Fishing Report

The new year is here! Happy new year! With that being said let's talk about some fishing, past present and future. The past few weeks we had a few big cold fronts come through. What this means are a few different things. First off water temps will and have dropped drastically. Second, water levels have dropped as well, quite a bit to be specific. Most of the time when we get a cold front coming through the winds come from the north or even worse the northwest. This pushes the water out of the lagoon causing the water levels to drop. This is why in the winter months we have shallow waters and in the summer we have high waters, hence the southernly winds we get then. Now throughout the winter and spring time this will vary.

So with the above being said do keep in mind this as you are operating a vessel here on the Mosquito Lagoon and North Indian River as too the waters a very shallow. The past few weeks the fishing has been fairly decent. As the water temps dropped the inshore backcountry flats in the New Smyrna Beach, Titusville and Oak Hill areas became hotspots for redfish and spotted seatrout. As the water and temp levels begun to fall fish will move deep at night to keep warm and as the first light comes they will then begin to move onto the flats. The reason is that the deeper waters at night time will be warmer then shallow waters and the shallow waters will be the first to warm up in the morning time. As the sun breaks the horizon the first banks to get the sun light on them will be the western shorelines. So keep this in mind as you are searching for redfish, black drum and seatrout. Along with this the bait fish will be doing the same thing. Remember that fish are cold blooded and warm themselves differently than we do.

Using the typical sight fishing methods look for reds cruising the banks in search of food. You can use a live shrimp, DOA Shrimp or a crab or shrimp patterned fly. Now the one thing to keep in mind this time of year with the waters being as cold as they are is to take your time. I mean slow. Work the banks slowly and casting to them with slow retrieves. Remember what I just said with them being cold blooded. They will be very, very lethargic. So just take it slowly. During the warming of the day there are chances as well to get a few snook and even jacks mixed in, along with several other odd ball species. this is a great time of year for family and kids to go out and catch fish as well.

Now the black drum have been very active too. However I am getting most of them in the deeper drop offs, just off the shallow flats. They also almost all of the time travel in schools. Now these schools will range from 10 fish in them to 500 fish in them. Just depends on where and what you find. Now I like to use live shrimp when it comes to catching drum. Just for the fact that they tend to be very picky. A small 3/0 circle hook with a 1/4 ounce weight just above it works the best. Actually you can even use a weighted jig head too if you choose. Now the key with casting to the black drum is to get it far enough in front of them as to not spook them, but also not so far as they turn or don't see it. I have mentioned this before in the past. You spook one you spook them all. It is like the flock of birds theory. One bird turns they all turn.

Now it will not be much longer until the cobia run will start hopefully. Another month in half and we should start to get some reports in on that. Then after the next thing you know it is summer time! My favorite time of year for fishing here in east central Florida. Why you ask. Tarpon time! Our tarpon really turn on around June and start to really pick up in August and September. Then when the first cold front hits, well then we are back to where we are now.

If you are interested in booking a trip with me please call or email me and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have or get you locked in on a date. Until then I want everyone to be safe out there on the waters and have a very happy new year!

Captain Drew's Cell -; (352)223-;7897

Past Central Florida Fishing Reports -; Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters -; New Smyrna Beach Fishing Guide

2006 to 2009 Archived -; Ponce Inlet, Sebastian Inlet, Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Reports
2010 to 2015 Archived -; Mosquito Lagoon, Port Canaveral, Indian River and Ponce Inlet Fishing Reports
2016 to 2020 Archived -; Mosquito Lagoon, Sebastian Inlet, Indian River and Ponce Inlet Fishing Reports

New Smyrna Beach Light Tackle Saltwater Flats Fishing Guide -; Oak Hill Fishing Guide -; Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide -; Daytona Beach Fishing Charters
Captain Drew Cavanaugh -; Florida Inshore Fishing Charters -; New Smyrna Beach Florida -; Cocoa Beach Fishing Guide -; Oak Hill Redfish Charters