Tomoka river and Tomoka Basin were the same as the Lagoon yesterday, very windy and the water was not very clean until we went up river.
The Trout bite was early which we wer not, coming from Orlando you can only get people up at a reasonable time to make the drive to the coast. We did mannage a few large Mangrove Snapper and a couple of Jack Cravelles on fly.
There were other things to do however, there were manatees, aligators and we watched a 5 foot rattle snake swim the river. On the way home we ran into a pair of dolphins heading up river to feed on the mullet.

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Tuesday in Mosquito was very windy, lots of fish but they acted as though it was the full moon rather than a new moon. During the course of the day we saw 100 plus redfish and didn't put on in the boat. 2 good fly casters and plenty of fish should have added up to some good numbers. Both Dick Gerding and his son had a great time on the water together, father is a lawyer and his son is a doctor so time is something they don't have to share very often.

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The full moon in mosquito lagoon played the same song as in the Tomoka River with the exception of there were lost of redfish to look at, not to catch just look at.
Julian Smiley, one of my customers for the last 7 years fished live shrimt to these fish for 6 hours and got nothing he cast to at least 50 fish and they would either run or smell the bait and swim on past it. This is not uncommon for the full mook on the flats, the only way to get a a fish is to throu a chung of mullet or ladyfish in a sand hole and put your rod in the holder and read a book. Not exactly my kind of fishing, I can teach a monkey to turn the handle on a reel when the line goes out.

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This months full moon really played hell on the fishing in shallow water, along with a high preasure system it mad fishing or should I say catching very slow.
The bite was very early and was primarly just trout in the Tomoka River area. The jacks are starting to show up as well as blue fish and spanish mackeral, yes spanish mackeral 20 miles from the ocean.

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This mornings trip was with Mike Maslak and daughter Julia. Julia was a real trooper, a good fisherman and a good sport. The weather was less than perfect and there was no live bait, a must have when fishing children as well as some adults. Only one fish was taken, a snook by Julia on a top water plug. Way to go girl.

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The bite was early again this morning, Dr. Todd McCall got 3 nice trout in the 3 pound range, all on top water. After the early bite there was nothing but boat traffic, the Tomoka Basin looked like a ZOO. I personally thing this amount of boat traffic is having its affect on the overall fishing on the entire river.

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As quickly as the trout appeared they seem to have disappeared, this morning gave up only 1 trout at day light but the baid was very scarce. Up river we found jacks and snook, neither in great quanities. There were some roving schools of large jacks but always just out of rainge. the weather was great except for the wind.

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Again this morning the bite was at daylight, the summer pattern is starting to take over early this year. Fishing with Troy Boulware and his brother Steven from St. Louis we got on the trout as soom as we got on the water, only this time there were no redfish and the average size trout was larger, starting about 2 pounds up to 3 1/2 pounds. Up river the tarpon have again done there no show trick, we saw a few but nothing like yesterday. The joys of fishing tarpon in the backcountry, if you are not already nuts they well drive you there quickly. We did however pick up one small snook. The Large Mouth Bass seem to have gone elsewhere again. Tomorrow is another day and another challange.

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Fishing is finally startint to pick back up inspite of the steady barometor. Bob Bausum and his uncle Jim hat a good early morning bit of trout and redfish, most of the trout were in the 15 to 20 inch range and the reds were all about the same.
up river between US1 and I95 the tarpon were everywhere,fun to watch but no takers. This is the first time this spring they have been this plentiful hope they decide to eat in the next few days.

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Neil Dorsey fished Mosquito lagoon, we had a great time. Neil is a very good fly caster and got a 10 pound redfish on a 7wt just as the morning started. We saw redfish everywhere, there were tailing, they were finning with their backs out of the water in 6 inches of water, it was great.
We saw more fish than I have seen in the lagoon in a very long time, the big reason was that other boats were not around and when they did discover us they couldn't get that shallow. Thank you Hell's Bay for your great boat.

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This will prove to be the most fun I will have had for the entire year when we look back on it. I had 2 gentlemen from Japan, Kiminori Shitashima and his friend Hiroshi Ishida. We went to the Tomoka Basin and sure enough right on schedule there were the Redfish who had gone missing 2 days before. The only thing they forgot was they were supposed to eat the fly when it is presented to them. We worked the school for the better part of 1 hour and finally departed for the upper reaches of the river where we were not dissapointed. the bowfins were happy to see us, several were taken on artificial lures but no takers on fly. After lunch we departed for a more salty part of the river wherer we found a few snook sunning themselves. One on fly and one on artificial. A very memorable trip for everyone. We also had close encounters with manatees and alligators.

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This time of the year weather is everything, Dan Lewis and party did not have the best weather but is was fishable. The tomoka Basin was up to it's old tricks of hide the fish. The Redfish school that has been there for several months has taken a leave so we went up river which is to the south, Tomoka River is one of those that flows south out of the Tomoka Forest area. This proved to be the right move, we found a flat where the Bowfins were starting to gather to spawn. Great fun for catch and release fishing. In the middle of everything a very large Snook got into the act and made one short run over a log and cut 20 pound braided line like it was nothing. The morning ended with a 4 pound Large mouth bass. That"s what is so great about Tomoka, varity.

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Welcome to the back country. This page will be kept up to date on the basis of fishing trips both with customers as well as just fishing. I will try to be as consice as possible and give you as much information as possible as to where, when and on what the fish are caught on.
So far this winter we have been catching trout and redfish with the main intrest on redfish in the Tomoka River and Basin areas. Some trips have been to Mosquito Lagoon with mixed results both on artificial lures as well as fly fishing. The fish have been there but they are beat up so badly they are not eating well.

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