05-16-2003, 09:37 PM
[#312c98]You still have time to register to win a half day fishing trip with me by registering at [url "http://www.donraystudio.com/ScreenSavers/screens.htm"][#800080]Don Ray Internet Studio[/#800080][/url] [/#312c98]
[#312c98]5/16/2003 Flats fishing report for the Titusville & Cocoa Beach area. By Capt Doug Blanton[/#312c98]
[#312c98]The reds are schooling and the trout are busting mullet on the spoil Islands, it must be spring. This past few weeks have reminded me of years gone by when my dad would take me out before daylight in search of a screaming drag. I can think of few things I enjoy more in life than to be on the water as the sun begins to rise and that first shimmer of sunlight across a flat reveals a silhouette of redfish tales. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Redfish[/#312c98]
[#312c98]The larger reds (30 to 40 lbs) have been schooled up on the flats every day for the past few weeks now. The only problem we have had is that are very spooky and only willing to hit top water. A good friend of mine says I have them trained. The bad news is you can usually only get on cast at them before they push off into deeper water and get a bad case of lockjaw. The good news is the smaller reds (15 to 25 lbs) have been a little more cooperative. They have been willing to fished in some cases up to 2 hours. Please remember when fishing these schools to only cast to them when they tailing or feeding. People chasing reds around the river is one of the reasons these fish are becoming harder to catch. Once a school has spooked if you lay back and watch you will see that 9 times out of 10 they will only push off a few feet and go back to feeding. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]All of the reds we have caught this past week have been on top water. The key to boating most of them has been a slow quiet retrieve. We have had our best luck with the [url "http://www.donraystudio.com/fishinglures.htm"][#800080]Original High Roller[/#800080][/url] in the green back or Florida Special. When fishing the larger reds I have been changing out my hooks to a #4 [url "http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/productdetail.asp?prod_id=3840&"][#0000ff]Daiichi's 3x Bleeding treble [/#0000ff][/url] on the 3.25 and #2 on the 4.25. Remember when casting to these fish to place you lure a foot or two to the side and past the fish. Throwing a top water lure to reds is a lot like throwing rocks at them. If you cast too close you are going to spook them.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]All of our smaller reds this week have been caught in 2 feet or less in grassy areas. They appear to be feeding on small crabs and grass shrimp. Most catches have come just prior to sunrise until around 9 am. However, don't give up on the afternoons. I hear a lot of people say that you can't catch reds after 1100 am. What they are really saying is it gets too hot for them. I have caught most of my best reds in the hottest part of the day. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout fishing has been great this past few weeks. We haven't put a lot of fish in the boat, but the ones we have, have been good sized. All were caught on [url "http://www.donraystudio.com/fishinglures.htm"][#800080]3 1/4 inch Florida Special Rip Roller[/#800080][/url] rigged with a #4 [url "http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/productdetail.asp?prod_id=3840&"][#0000ff]Daiichi's 3x Bleeding treble hook[/#0000ff][/url]. most of these fish have been between 3 to 5 lbs with one 8 lbs. Most were caught within the first hour after sunrise in a foot and a half or less in large schools of finger mullet. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Get out there and catch a memory. Capt. Doug[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Here are a few pictures from last week. [/#312c98]
[url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red51503.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red51503_small.jpg[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5035.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5035_small.jpg[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5033.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5033_small.jpg[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51003.JPG"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51003_small.JPG[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51503.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51503sm.jpg[/img][/url]
[#312c98]Here are a few videos made by Zuni Bob on a fishing trip a few weeks ago. Thanks Zuni.[/#312c98]
[url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/video/Red 100kbsps.wmv"][#0000ff]Redfish video[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/video/trout 100kbsps.wmv"][#0000ff]Trout video[/#0000ff][/url] [left][#312c98]My tips for sight catching fish with Top Water!!! [url "http://www.sightfishing.com/fishingtips.htm"][#800080]click here[/#800080][/url] . [/#312c98][/left]
[#312c98]For more information on Flats fishing with Capt. Doug [url "http://www.indianriver.cc/fishing_trips.htm"][#800080]click here[/#800080][/url][/#312c98]
[#312c98]If you have any questions or comments please let me know [url "mailto:captdoug@indianriver.cc"][#0000ff]captdoug@indianriver.cc[/#0000ff][/url] [/#312c98]
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[#312c98]5/16/2003 Flats fishing report for the Titusville & Cocoa Beach area. By Capt Doug Blanton[/#312c98]
[#312c98]The reds are schooling and the trout are busting mullet on the spoil Islands, it must be spring. This past few weeks have reminded me of years gone by when my dad would take me out before daylight in search of a screaming drag. I can think of few things I enjoy more in life than to be on the water as the sun begins to rise and that first shimmer of sunlight across a flat reveals a silhouette of redfish tales. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Redfish[/#312c98]
[#312c98]The larger reds (30 to 40 lbs) have been schooled up on the flats every day for the past few weeks now. The only problem we have had is that are very spooky and only willing to hit top water. A good friend of mine says I have them trained. The bad news is you can usually only get on cast at them before they push off into deeper water and get a bad case of lockjaw. The good news is the smaller reds (15 to 25 lbs) have been a little more cooperative. They have been willing to fished in some cases up to 2 hours. Please remember when fishing these schools to only cast to them when they tailing or feeding. People chasing reds around the river is one of the reasons these fish are becoming harder to catch. Once a school has spooked if you lay back and watch you will see that 9 times out of 10 they will only push off a few feet and go back to feeding. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]All of the reds we have caught this past week have been on top water. The key to boating most of them has been a slow quiet retrieve. We have had our best luck with the [url "http://www.donraystudio.com/fishinglures.htm"][#800080]Original High Roller[/#800080][/url] in the green back or Florida Special. When fishing the larger reds I have been changing out my hooks to a #4 [url "http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/productdetail.asp?prod_id=3840&"][#0000ff]Daiichi's 3x Bleeding treble [/#0000ff][/url] on the 3.25 and #2 on the 4.25. Remember when casting to these fish to place you lure a foot or two to the side and past the fish. Throwing a top water lure to reds is a lot like throwing rocks at them. If you cast too close you are going to spook them.[/#312c98]
[#312c98]All of our smaller reds this week have been caught in 2 feet or less in grassy areas. They appear to be feeding on small crabs and grass shrimp. Most catches have come just prior to sunrise until around 9 am. However, don't give up on the afternoons. I hear a lot of people say that you can't catch reds after 1100 am. What they are really saying is it gets too hot for them. I have caught most of my best reds in the hottest part of the day. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Trout fishing has been great this past few weeks. We haven't put a lot of fish in the boat, but the ones we have, have been good sized. All were caught on [url "http://www.donraystudio.com/fishinglures.htm"][#800080]3 1/4 inch Florida Special Rip Roller[/#800080][/url] rigged with a #4 [url "http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/productdetail.asp?prod_id=3840&"][#0000ff]Daiichi's 3x Bleeding treble hook[/#0000ff][/url]. most of these fish have been between 3 to 5 lbs with one 8 lbs. Most were caught within the first hour after sunrise in a foot and a half or less in large schools of finger mullet. [/#312c98]
[#312c98]Get out there and catch a memory. Capt. Doug[/#312c98]
[#312c98]Here are a few pictures from last week. [/#312c98]
[url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red51503.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red51503_small.jpg[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5035.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5035_small.jpg[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5033.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/red5033_small.jpg[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51003.JPG"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51003_small.JPG[/img][/url] [url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51503.jpg"][img]http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/pic's/trout51503sm.jpg[/img][/url]
[#312c98]Here are a few videos made by Zuni Bob on a fishing trip a few weeks ago. Thanks Zuni.[/#312c98]
[url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/video/Red 100kbsps.wmv"][#0000ff]Redfish video[/#0000ff][/url]
[url "http://www.indianriveradventures.com/doug's/video/trout 100kbsps.wmv"][#0000ff]Trout video[/#0000ff][/url] [left][#312c98]My tips for sight catching fish with Top Water!!! [url "http://www.sightfishing.com/fishingtips.htm"][#800080]click here[/#800080][/url] . [/#312c98][/left]
[#312c98]For more information on Flats fishing with Capt. Doug [url "http://www.indianriver.cc/fishing_trips.htm"][#800080]click here[/#800080][/url][/#312c98]
[#312c98]If you have any questions or comments please let me know [url "mailto:captdoug@indianriver.cc"][#0000ff]captdoug@indianriver.cc[/#0000ff][/url] [/#312c98]
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