Winter Fishing Charters

Florida's winter fishing season is here! Mosquito Lagoon has a reputation for large schools of scale tipping reds during the winter season. When temperatures drop, those reds favor sandy potholes and grassy areas. The lagoon consists of about 21,000 acres along the Intracoastal Waterway. Seagrass thrives in the salty and sparkling shallow waters of the lagoon, behaving as the perfect host for your perfect winter catch.

Seasonal Patterns

The lagoon is well known for its seasonal patterns and the refuge it provides to the redfish brought in by the cold. Water levels stay high enough on the flats that the redfish take refuge in the sand slough. The submerged vegetation are key to the success of the ecosystem of Mosquito Lagoon, and are the feeding ground for redfish and seatrout. The redfish stay comfortable and remain in the lagoon during the winter season, and all year long.

Florida's winter temperatures are unpredictable from day to day. On the colder winter days, you'll find redfish in large schools in deeper areas. On warmer winter days, the redfish are in smaller schools in shallow areas. Redfish pursue those warmer waters near the grass flats of Mosquito Lagoon in extremely shallow waters. The clear and shallow waters make those tailing redfish highly visible. This makes winter fishing Mosquito Lagoon a fisherman's paradise.

Feeding Patterns

Feeding patterns change with season. Winter fishing in the lagoon calls for some slight changes in the size of tackle and lines. When the water is colder, decrease tackle and line size for a less invasive presentation, and for a longer range cast. Three to four inch lures on a light jig head and behind a smaller weight works best.

The winter feeding pattern differs from the any time of day feeding that occurs during fall. During the winter, feeding usually occurs during the warmth of afternoons. However, cooler water offers some advantages when it comes to feeding. There are higher levels of dissolved oxygen in cooler water. The higher oxygen levels keep the fish more active for feeding. This means more action.