I feel your pain Jeff, I went on on the 5th in the south end of the lagoon, caught a couple then by 9am the bite went cold. Tons of finger mullet and I found myself in the middle of one of the largest schools of reds I have seen in some time (probably 100+ reds) but they would not touch anything we presented paddle tails or topwater not interested in any of it. ughhh
Still looks like a fun morning. You always seem to find some good fish! That one ladyfish seemed to inhale that topwater before it even reached the water!
Great video Jeff, that tarpon spook was awesome. I live in the middle of the state around the Harris chain of lakes, so Mosquito Lagoon/New Symrna area is where I'll get my saltwater fix. I have a 17' Action Craft that drafts around 9-12in depending on load. What areas of the lagoon (north/south) would you say will be the most fishable for me depth wise?
Well you can fish most of the southern half, it's deeper all through the middle until you get close to the islands and shorelines on each side. Even a lot of the outer pole and troll would be accessible. As for the north, most places along east channel, shotgun, slippery and so forth. You'll just have to venture in among the islands and see how far you can get. Plenty of water as long as you're careful and don't get out of the channels on plane until you know your way a bit.
@@JeffHammerFishing thanks for the tips. I went yesterday out of Edgewater on the north end (wife wanted to check out the sandbars) and we were quickly humbled by the tides. Had to walk the boat through a couple areas to get back into Brown’s Bay and surrounding areas but was able to idle out after the tide came up. It’s my understanding that the southern part of the lagoon has less tide movement, so will definitely explore down that way on days dedicated to fishing and not beach/sand bar.
Thanks, as always, for posting. I'm considering a gheenoe lt25, similar to yours. Would you buy one again, or maybe a small skiff instead? If you don't mind me asking. If so, would you configure it the same?
100% I'd buy another LT25. Honestly, I could have just about any skiff I wanted but I choose to run the LT25 . There aren't too many capable skiffs that will fit in the garage along with 2 full size SUVs and a riding mower. That's a big plus for me. I'd probably do the exact same setup again too. The only things I dislike about it is that the console is a little too short to stand behind while driving without hunching, but they make a taller side console now. The other thing I'm not a fan of is that it doesn't handle big chop and swells that well. It can be a wet ride when it's rough. I've learned how to minimize that, but it takes practice and it's still not ideal.
@@JeffHammerFishing I fish the south side of ML and north IRL mostly. It seems that most people around here believe it is the best boat for the area, but "pick your days" is the theme. I know you almost exclusively fish ML, so maybe no large boat wakes there. Have you ever had any days where you were glad to have a bilge pump on board?
No large boat wakes? That's funny...this clip is from the same day and they aren't even "big" boats and this isn't even a particularly rough day. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HjdeTYbLgBQ.html
Hey, I fish the exact same areas and for the last 2-3 weeks it’s been a nightmare to catch redfish. Compared to last year in the summer when I was catching 10-15 reds now I’m happy if o catch 3. They are super spooky, even when I cast 20ft ahead of them they still turn and go in the other direction, I throw everything in my tackle even gulp and they don’t want anything. Any input on what’s happening this summer? It’s tough
In my own meaningless opinion, I think a lot of it is related to water clarity and the lack of grass. Last summer and for a few years before, water clarity was terrible, so the fish (and us) couldn't see as well so they felt less threatened. This year we've got clearer water so the fish feel exposed and vulnerable. They can see us and other threats much better and there still isn't enough grass recovery for them to find much cover and protection. So, I think they're just hyper-aware of everything around them as a result.
@@JeffHammerFishing i noticed that and i also noticed compared to last year and year before the water level is crazy low areas I was fishing with 3-4 feet are in inches of water and making it impossible even for my kayak to get through
@@elioavila8456 I don't think water levels are necessarily an annual thing. The lagoon is tidal, despite what many believe, and it ebbs and flows slowly. Give it a few weeks or a month, and I bet it'll be very different than it is right now.
I've answered this question before. I don't swing every fish, just the smaller ones. For anything larger I use a rubber mesh landing net. You'll rarely ever see me landing fish with my hands. That's because the worst thing you can do is grab fish with you hands, especially dry hands. You'll notice I don't "flip" fish. I set them down (except that one ladyfish which I said I was planning to keep). You'll also notice I walk around right over the same spots where the fish were just laying on the deck. That's because there is absolutely no slime loss that way. Even when I release them by grabbing the tail, I still get some slime transfer. Sticking your fingers in the gills is even worse, but I see people doing that all the time. You just can't do it safely with your hands, and this I've learned from decades of personal experience, not from some nonsense I've seen on TV or saw online. Best way to avoid harming the fish it to use a rubber net, which won't remove any slime (no fabric or mono netting please). The second best way is use grips, but you have to know how to use them safely or you can damage the fish with those too. And third, placing them on a fiberglass or gelcoat deck. If you have something like Seadeck or a course non-skid, then this won't work. Yes, they might thrash around a bit, but they don't lose any of their slime layer and they're in much better condition than handling them.
