Day 102: April 11th – Fishing the Flats

Sunny, mild, winds out of the NE at 15 knots

       If our “back yard” is the Atlantic Ocean, then you’d have to consider the Indian River Lagoon as our “front yard”.  Stretching for 156 miles from Ponce Inlet to Jupiter Inlet, this shallow body of water averages 3 feet in depth and is a nursery for an amazing number of oceanic and lagoon fish.  It’s these fish that drew us to the lagoon today.  I decided to celebrate my 66^th birthday by heading out with two of my grandsons to see if we could find any of the Red drum or Sea trout known to inhabit these waters.

       Red drum, better known as Redfish, are found throughout the Indian River Lagoon, and yet they are not easily caught.  When the fishermen get word of the numbers of redfish here in the lagoon, they begin to fish with a vengeance.  How do the fish react?  They tend to move to areas with less intense pressure.  To find these fish, you need to find someone who knows the river and has a sense of where and when to fish certain lesser known areas……a professional guide.

       Our guide today is David Roberson out of Oak Hill.  He was born and raised on the river and has fished these waters his entire life.  When you boat around the lagoon’s waters, it is very easy to get lost since much of the shoreline looks so similar to all the rest that you’ve passed in the recent future.  A cell tower in the distance,  “Haulover Canal” on the western shore, the ElDora Statehouse to the east, Cape Canaveral’s familiar structures to the south……basically,  you get to know these landmarks like you know the streets of your own neighborhood. 

Grandson Ryan shows off his 33" Redfish beauty as I fight my fish 

       Fishing the flats, your guide will bring you quietly into stretches where the water is no more than 3 feet deep, where sea trout and redfish cruise the bottom feeding on mullet, crabs, shrimp, and anything else that calls the shallows home.  You have to be patient, and you have to be sensitive to the feeding habits of these fish.  Feel the bite and strike to quickly and the fish are gone.  You have to let them take the bait and feel secure and confident that they have gotten their “free lunch”.  Then, set the hook and begin the fight.  We all caught our fair share of reds and trout and had a wonderful time experiencing the elements of the lagoon…..the water, the wind, the birds, the vegetation, the manatees, the dolphins, and did I mention the fish? 

       You would probably figure that my best fishing experience of the day was bringing in a 46”, 36 lb. red after a fight that lasted over a half an hour. 

"The General" - 46: long and 36 pounds

       How does it get any better, you might ask?  Easy.  Share the experience with your grandkids.  Ty and Ry both caught more than their fair share of reds and trout, and watching their faces and hearing their enthusiastic cries was worth so much more than that big ole red. 

Cheers for Ty from brother Ryan

Getting your kids and grandkids into the real world of remarkable places like the Indian River Lagoon makes life all the richer for them, and believe me, all the richer for me…..even more exciting than catching a 46 “ redfish!

The "trifecta" - Three redfish caught at the same time by all three family members!