05-03-2002, 02:54 AM
5/2/2002 Flats fishing report for the Indian and Banana Rivers. By Capt Doug Blanton<br>The gator trout are here! Over the past few week s I have been seeing large trout starting to work their way up on the flats and the week they decided they wanted to play. We have caught a few of these big boys up to 28 inches on top water this week. If history repeats itself these fish should only be getting larger as summer moves in. There is only one thing to keep in mind, These fish are only here for a short time in good numbers. Over the past few years I have noticed a trend, they come in in may and move back into deeper water by July. So, If you want to have the best shot a landing a gator trout, get out before the summer heat pushes these fish into deeper water. <br>All of the big trout we caught this past week were on Rip Rollers in 1 to 2 feet of water just inside of the schools of bait. Our best catches came within the first few hours of sunrise. These fish we start to become more active throughout the day as the full moon passes a little more. Some of our best catches last year came between 8 am and 2 pm last year. At the end of this report I have more information on the lures I have been using.<br>Red fishing has been a little slow this past week with the full moon. The reds have been feeding all night and have been less active after 9 am. The good news is the moon has pasted and we should be starting to see these fish schooling up into large schools of 100 to 500 in the Banana River. Last year I was able to fish the same school of reds for over a month. So far I have haven't seen the large schools yet, but I have seen the large schools of bait building to numbers larger than those last year just before the reds set into their spring feeding schedule. <br>This week all of the reds we caught where in 2 feet or less and were only taken on Cotee's Reel Magic rigged with a Daiichi Bleeding Copper Head Hook. The reds have been a little shy to hit top water and fast moving lures, so keep your retrieve slow and try to work it as close to them as you can without spooking them. Most of the red we found where in small schools or singles. <br>Tackle report All of the big trout we caught this past week were on a new top water plug I have been trying called a Rip Roller. I have used a lot of top water lures of the years and have found this lure to be one of the best I have ever used. There is a lot of great things about this lure compared to others I have used. It is by far one of the most durable hand made lures I have seen. It is made from sugar pine and covered with gel-coat. This makes this lure a great top water plug for toothy fish. The hardware on this plug can stand up to all the stress of big fish and the salt water. And best of all, it catches fish. The only down fall to this lure is the price, but, as I have found, I would rather pay a few dollars more for a great lure that will hold up the the constant wear I put a plug thru than something a pay a few bucks for and have to replace every other trip. To find out more information about these lures check out their web site at www.hroller.com<br>Over the past few months I have been using G-Loomis Green Water rods with Orvis Super Cast reels. I love this combo! The rods are light enough to cast all day and still strong enough to handle the big bull reds. We hade a chance to put these rods to the test earlier this year when we landed a few bull reds up to 52 inches. I ways a little unsure at first if this light weight rod would hold up the the stress these big boys can dish out, but they proved to me that they can stand up to anything my flats have to offer. Another nice part of these rods is they have a life time warranty. If you are looking to buy a great rod I would highly recommend adding one of these rods to your fishing arsenal. You can find these rods in Titusville and Orlando at the Fly Fisherman. <br>The Orvis reels I have been using has also shown itself to be a hard working reel with 8 ball bearings. Those same 52 inch red were caught on these reels and they never missed a beat. The best thing about these reels is their 25, yes, 25 year unconditional warranty. I know there are a few good reels out there, but none of them have a warranty that can come close to what you get with Orvis. You can find these reels in Titusville and Orlando at the Fly Fisherman. <br>I am currently trying out a new 10'6" spinning rod that casts like a rocket. I will let you know a little more about it in my next report. Until then, try not to catch them all. <br>Don Ray has a new snook print! http://www.donraystudio.com/<br>This week all of our fish we caught where on: <br>Cotee's Reel Magic<br>High Roller's Rip Roller<br><br><br>See you on the water<br>Capt. Doug Blanton<br>Indian River Adventures<br>321-432-9470