Inshore Fishing Guide

Your inshore fishing adventure begins here, with the ultimate inshore fishing guide. All the tips and tricks from picking a fishing spot to identifying fish are all covered in this comprehensive guide. If you want to step up your fishing game, keep reading.

Fishing Guide to the Secret Fishing Spot

Your fishing spot is paramount to your fishing experience. Too many fisherman find their favorite honey hole, and go to great lengths to keep their secret fishing spot a guarded turf. It is human nature to take ownership and possession over things, but guarding a fishing spot only hurts good sportsmanship. Code Red Fishing Charters is all about supporting those new to the game, teaching technique, and even sharing our favorite fishing spots in this inshore fishing guide. Keep reading and learn where to find the most action all year-round, during every season.

Inshore Fishing

Inshore fishing involves action 365 days a year, especially in our fishing spot, which we promise to disclose in this inshore fishing guide. Before we do, let’s talk more about inshore fishing. This is the fishing experience that comes to mind most often when we think about fishing. Inshore fishing occurs in water less than 30 meters deep, and usually keeps you within just a few miles from the shore, near beaches, rocky shorelines, piers, jetties, flats, and mangroves. Inshore fishing usually involves a shallow draft boat, like the 18 ft skiff we man at Code Red Fishing Charters. Where you fish and how you bait will determine what you catch. A fishing guide on our fishing charter provides you with the ultimate fishing experience.

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide

Our fishing guide does not disappoint when it comes to fishing spots. It is no big secret that the redfish capital of the world, Mosquito Lagoon, is our favorite fishing honeypot. Mosquito Lagoon is a bar-type estuary on the northern side of the Indian River Lagoon system (IRL). The salinity levels average 32-34 parts per thousand, making it the perfect host to fish species commonly found in the ocean. Redfish, snapper, speckled trout, striped bass, snook, tarpon and other fish of similar size are plentiful in Mosquito Lagoon. Code Red Fishing Charters is your fishing guide to fishing Mosquito Lagoon.

Mosquito Lagoon is unique in that it is one of the few places where redfish live their entire lives. Redfish move into the lagoon for spawning. Since most redfish dwell their entire lifespans within a six mile radius of their birthplace, they remain in Mosquito Lagoon. The shallow and clear waters allow the sunlight to penetrate and reach the vegetation on the bottom. The vegetation provides a home to the redfish. Now that you know the fishing spot, keep reading this fishing guide to learn more about the fish.

Fish Species

Identifying the fish and knowing how to bait for them are key to your fishing experience. Differentiating between fish species is not always an easy feat. This fishing guide will help you tell them apart, and bait accordingly. Redfish, snapper, speckled trout, striped bass, snook, and tarpon are commonly found in Mosquito Lagoon. Code Red Fishing Charters primarily targets redfish, bull reds and spotted seatrout on our excursions. This fishing guide is specific to our primary targets, but you can learn more about other species on our fishing charters.

Fishing Guide to Catching Redfish

A fishing guide at Code Red Fishing Charters can help you become an expert at identifying redfish. Redfish, also called Red Drum, are formally known as Sciaenops Ocellatus. They are commonly referred to as channel bass, bull red, or rat reds. Redfish are among the easiest fish to identify. Their unique identifying marks are a single spot on each side of the caudal peduncle, just before the tail. Keep in mind that young redfish or puppy drum have numerous spots, instead of the single spot on each side before the tail. The average redfish is about 12 pounds, but hold tight to your rod, because Mosquito Lagoon is known for heavyweight bull redfish.

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout or speckled trout are formally known as Cynoscion Nebulosus. Our fishing guide can help you develop the skill of telling this fish apart. The prominent canine teeth and large mouth with a protruding lower jaw that extends below the back part of the eye are the first noticeable identifiers. They have an elongated soft dorsal fin that is separated by a deep notch from the spinous dorsal fin. It commonly has two anal spines. This fish probably gets its name from the scattered spots. The shape and coloration are similar to a brown trout. However, unlike the name implies, this fish is not in the trout family. A fishing guide on our fishing charter can provide more detailed instruction on identifying spotted seatrout.

Baiting for Redfish

With the help of this fishing guide, you’ll have no trouble hooking redfish. Redfish are bottom feeders with a natural diet of live shrimp, minnows, mullet and menhaden. You can use live shrimp on a jig head, under a float or free-line in shallow water. Baiting with live finger mullet and crabs on a standard bottom fishing rig produces action. Using cut bait can add scenting to the scenario and amplify your results. We prefer live bait on our fishing charters, but artificial bait works well too. A fishing guide on our charters can help you refine your baiting technique.

The real trick to baiting is in how you play it. Always imagine how your target fish will perceive the bait. It is important to imitate the prey of the fish you are targeting. Also, think about the size of your bait, and remember that big fish eat big bait. A fishing guide on our fishing charter can help you play your bait to hook your trophy catch.

Fishing Guide to Lures

This fishing guide gives you all the basics you need to know about fishing lures. A fishing lure mimics the bait fish it is attempting to imitate with movement, color and vibration. They are attached to fishing lines with various knots, and have unique hooks for their intended species. Fishing lures have one purpose, to entice a fish to strike. Different types of lures include, jig, surface lures, spoon lures, LED lures, soft plastic bait, spinner bait, and swim bait.

The best fishing lures for redfish are Assorted Poppin Corks, Bomber Long-a-Lure, Berkley Gulp Alive Shrimp, Heddon Super Spook, DOA Shrimp, Nemire Red Ripper Spoon, TTF Red Killer, Yozuri 3D Popper, Strike King Redfish Magic Spinner, MirroLure Suspended Twitch Bait, Rapala X-Rap, TTF Hackberry Hustler, and Yozuri 3D Shrimp. A fishing guide at Code Red Fishing Charters can help you pick the right lures for your target fish.

Casting

Every angler needs to practice their cast, because practice makes perfect. Here are a few casting techniques every angler should know:

Overhead Cast

When casting long distances, the overhead cast can give a powerful and accurate launch to get your hook where those fish are. Hold down the button on your casting reel. Lift the rod back over your head. Then, sling the rod forward as you release the button at the same time. Let your bait drag out the line.

Shooting Cast

When you want to shoot your hook straight out or under a structure, use a shooting cast. Pull the lure or bait back towards you along the rod about half the distance between the rod tip and the reel. Use the index finger on the hand that is holding the rod to pull the line and keep it tight. While your dominant hand grips the rod, grasp the lure behind the hook with the opposite hand, and pull the lure back towards you. Your rod will bow downward. Aim like using a sight on a gun, and then simultaneously release the lure and your index finger that was holding your line. The line will shoot off the spool in the direction of your rod.

Pitching

If you want to cast less than 10 yards out, use a pitching cast. Hold the rod in your dominant hand and the lure in your opposite hand. Bring the lure down to the reel and keep the line tight. Hold down the button on your reel, and sling your rod outward in the direction you want to cast while allowing the motion to pull the lure out of your other hand.

Side Cast

Bring the rod to your side, snap your wrist forward and release the line at the same time.

Join Captain Matt Lee, the ultimate fishing guide, for an all-inclusive inshore fishing adventure in Mosquito Lagoon! Call Captain Matt Lee at (386) 214-3530!