Orlando, Florida Fishing Beta needed

[2FUNKY]

I am taking the family to Orlando some time next late spring to early summer. Think April-June time frame. Wife has an Uncle in Orlando so we have the digs covered. We will be there for 7 days, one to possibly two of which the wife gave me to go ahead to get my fish on. I am really wanting to get a Drum on the fly. Will have a rental car for travel. Can do a guided trip full day. Also like the idea of DIY. I have rods to bring or could just rent. Proficient caster, no Steve Rajeff but can get it done. Any guide recco's would be great. Any knowledgeable maggots in the area willing to take me out? Gas,beer, you know the drill.

I have read about the Indian River, looks awesome. Just trying to get an idea of what I am getting into.

[teleee]

PM Warthog he should be able to give you a wealth of information.

[warthog]

I can take you out. Let me know when you will be here. Reds on the fly are not my forte, but I know where they are. I mostly fish spinning gear these days. Saltwater fly fishing has tested my patience lately.

[2FUNKY]

I can take you out. Let me know when you will be here. Reds on the fly are not my forte, but I know where they are. I mostly fish spinning gear these days. Saltwater fly fishing has tested my patience lately.

Not sure how this slipped my radar. Great offer man, hope it still stands. I sent you a PM.

[happytimefunbox]

If you can get out in a boat I recommend it! But if a trip with Warthog doesn't work out and you want to DIY and do it cheap I would suggest heading east to the Indian River or Mosquito Lagoon north east of Titusville, less than an hour drive from most places in Orlando. Find Haulover canal on Google Maps and look for the dirt roads either N or S of it that take you to the Indian River or the Mosquito lagoon (preferably the lagoon side) near the canal. Google maps and earth can show you access points to the entire N indian river and mosquito lagoons. Park your car at a likely spot and wade out onto the grass flat. The canal itself is too deep to wade but the fishing in it is outstanding, not sure about a back cast though, and there are some awesome flats at either end of it. Depending on the conditions and what roads are open (I'm in Utah now so I'm kinda out of the loop) you can drive the dykes along the indian river and mosquito lagoon while spotting for tailing red drum in the shallows. When you see a tail in the air park the car and wade out stealthily and cast ahead of them... Where there is one there is usually many more. If that is too far or too in the middle of nowhere take the beeline expressway towards cape canaveral and when you get to either the indian or banana rivers park at one of the many pull outs and wade out. SHUFFLE YOUR FEET! You don't want to make friends with a stingray. I don't barefoot wade anymore but you can do it, just find a spot that not a ton of people party on the shore, broken glass sucks in your feet. Your felt bottom wading boots will serve you well here, no worries about new zealand mud snails or whirling disease. Look for the white sand patches in the dark of the grass flats, cast your shrimp, crab or mullet imitation over those "dinner plates" and hold on. Red and Black drum, spotted sea trout, the occasional snook (those hang in the mangrove canals around haulover usually), ladyfish, and occasional baby tarpon. Anything less than knee deep you will mostly site fish, anything deeper than that you can do well with blind casting in between the dinner plates. I didn't pick up fly fishing till I moved to the mountains, I would love to get a bull red onto the drag of an 8 wt lamson, wooooooo that'd be a hoot!

I've never needed a guide there so I'm not familiar with who is good but I have but I have reached out to my peoples for their recommendations. Captn Scott Mcalla is friends of a friend and I have heard some good things but damn $$$. I will let you know what my friends give me as other recommendations.

If you do head that way stop by the haulover canal boat launch and pet the manatees, I'd also recommend a tour of the Kennedy Space Center to see some of America's finest technological heritage. Find the Old Florida Bar and Grill in Cocoa and eat on the patio by the river. I grew up on the Indian river in Brevard county and have thousands of hours fishing those flats, let me know if you need any more beta, so much damn good fishing there, almost any stretch of water has potential to put a hook in a big redfish and a smile on your face.

[2FUNKY]

^Wow, thanks man, that is some freakin money info. looks like we will be there from June 7-15th. I will shoot you a a pm so we can talk. Have not heard from Warthog yet, hoping to get out with him though, be cool to fish with a maggot. PM me if you want to keep some info on the DL. Thanks again!

[concretejungle]

I think donkeypunch lives in Titusville now. Maybe shoot him a PM.

[happytimefunbox]

^Wow, thanks man, that is some freakin money info. looks like we will be there from June 7-15th. I will shoot you a a pm so we can talk. Have not heard from Warthog yet, hoping to get out with him though, be cool to fish with a maggot. PM me if you want to keep some info on the DL. Thanks again!

No problems mang. None of this info is on the DL, not giving up any secret spots. Now if I was to give you directions to the Disney canal and the gator trout in it well then I'd have to kill you

I've heard back from some of my friends who are in teh business down there. My good friend who spends almost every day in a boat, and whom I respect immensely hands down recommends Captn Will Le at Native Fly Charters. Another recommendation is Captn Mark Wright . June is prime time on the flats, fish will be super shallow in the morn and evening then they will head to deeper water (3-6 feet) midday. Here's a hot tip nobody really thinks about. As you drive around the more populated areas and see boat docks sticking out in the river (hint-look for docks with big boats, they make deep trenches when they back out and pull in), wade out next to them and fish under them. Biggest red I ever caught, 43 inch, 40+lbs, was caught by flipping a live shrimp under a dock during the middle of the day in a residential canal in Cocoa Beach. If I wasn't fishing with a flipn stick spooled with 25lbs test, a locked drag to turn him, If he hadn't run straight out from under the dock, and if I hadn't been in a boat and could chase him I never would have landed him. My forearms ache thinking about it. I have a picture somewhere I'll try to dig it up...

[2FUNKY]

Oh man, you are making the wait for the trip uber painful! We are going to Disney, maybe I'll sneak the rod in..

Drum pRon!!

As things get close I will hit you up with pen, paper, google earth in hand to nail down some spots. Totally owe you some beer mang!

You ever get up my way I will hook you up with whatever you want to fish, trout, pike, bass, panfish, carp, steelhead, you name it!

[warthog]

I am around during that time. We can work out the details as it gets closer. Depending on tide and weather, I'll put you on some trouts for sure, reds maybe, depending on when you can get here.

If you want, we can try out some of the skillz Hook taught me for Tarpon. They will probably still be around. No fly fishing for them near me though.

If you stay the night, I can get you out to the pier, where the monster Snook live. Then we can hit reds and flats early am the next day. That would likely have to be a friday/sat thing though, judging from my work schedule lately. This "shitty" economy has the construction world blowing up around here with no end in sight.

[2FUNKY]

Sounds awesome warthog! The Fri. Sat. things works for me, wife approved as well. I will keep in touch the closer it gets.

[dfinn]

bumping this as I'm headed to Orlando next week for work. Fugitive, really appreciate all that info above. Between that and a few things I found online I'm hoping to spend a couple of nights wading the flats on the lagoon.

I do have one question about something that has me pretty freaked out....alligators? Is it safe to go and wade the lagoon flats solo in the evenings? Not after dark but probably right up to it was my plan.

[BS720]

^^Looking forward to the answer to this from someone in the know. I would imagine flats are of no interest to a alligator. I was watching those free bonefish videos, and there's one where the guide and his local buddy go into the everglades. They are sticking their hands into the water with a bleeding fish. Made me shudder.

The beach near my wife's home in Nica is a place I surfed for years not knowing there was a cocodrilo there. In fact, I had been nipple-deep in the river going from his home to the ocean. When they told me...

[dfinn]

so far most things I've read say it's fine and just keep an eye on them, if you don't mess with them they won't mess with you. one other thing did say don't go solo though. usually i'm pretty adventurous (aka willing to do dumb shit) but wouldn't mind hearing some others opinions on this

free bonefish videos?

[warthog]

Night should be fine. Just shine a headlamp. If two little lights shine back at you, go the other way. Don't be there at dusk though.

Never seen much gators in salt. Are the lagoons brackish? The brackish ponds on our golf course have a small gator in them every once in a while. They seem to not like the salt water if they have a choice.

If you find yourself on the Tampa side of things, I'll show you where these are.

[dfinn]

they must be salt based on the fish people are catching in them but plenty of sites saying the gators are in there too

[Underoos]

free bonefish videos?

I, too am curious about the bonefish videos.

In return, I offer you the Walker's Cay Chronicles.
http://hellsbayboatworks.com/media-p...y-chronicles-1

[warthog]

they must be salt based on the fish people are catching in them but plenty of sites saying the gators are in there too

Gotcha. Must be brackish(ish) we catch Reds, Snook, and Juvenile Tarpon on the golf course here. The ponds are tidal.

As long as you aren't wading out at dusk (feeding time), you should be pretty safe. Shine a light, and look for eyes. Then wade slow and shuffle your feet, or just find a sweet spot from shore if possible. Gators want very little to do with people, kinda like rattlesnakes. Don't step on them, or fuck with them, and they will go somewhere else.

[BS720]

Er, Tarpon, I meant. Sorry guys.

Yeah, I've definitely fished lagoons with a headlamp. Two lights on the horizon? Turn off your headlamp. If the lights stay on, fish on. If the lights go off when your headlamp goes off, move along.

[beaterdit]

Sorry for the highjack here. BS720, your inbox is full. Got a few more questions for ya if ya don't mind.

[Ripzalot]

I think donkeypunch lives in Titusville now. Maybe shoot him a PM.

there's something i never expected to read on tgr. i thought i was the only tvillian.

[Ripzalot]

bumping this as I'm headed to Orlando next week for work. Fugitive, really appreciate all that info above. Between that and a few things I found online I'm hoping to spend a couple of nights wading the flats on the lagoon.

I do have one question about something that has me pretty freaked out....alligators? Is it safe to go and wade the lagoon flats solo in the evenings? Not after dark but probably right up to it was my plan.

are you talking about mosquito lagoon? indian river? i spent at least 10 years windsurfing there and only saw a gator twice. once was i was launching from the shore and it was apparently laying on the shallow bottom. a big one too. scared the bejebus outta me and my friends. shuffle your feet. it's the stingrays that you gotta watch out for.

i have a friend who runs a fishing charter out of port canaveral. pm me if interested.

[2FUNKY]

If you can, head out with warthog. Super cool dude. Our trip was tough due to big tropical low pushing in with a full moon high tide, made for some super tough fishing. Still had a blast though. Oh yeah, take his advise and eat at the little place he turned me onto, cannot remember the name, but it was awesome.

Hire a guide as well. I hired Capt. Willy from http://nativeflycharters.com/wordpress. Dude was awesome. I just drew the shit card for fishing again though. Jumped a few poon and spooked a few huge reds. A guide is so worth the money down there. I hope to go back soon. I didn't see one gator while fishing.