It has been over two weeks since the last fishing report. Consequently, our note book is bursting with tall tales of great charters and our photo album is jammed with the evidence to prove it! Let’s get started, this time organizing our journey geographically by beginning in the New Smyrna Beach area of Volusia County and winding our way south to Sebastian Inlet at the end of Brevard County.

The Oak Hill area, just south of New Smyrna Beach and only 40 miles east of Orlando, sits on the northern rim of the famous Mosquito Lagoon. It is one of the most picturesque venues along the east coast of Florida and a special treat for Native Sons guides. Capt. Peter hosted Steve and Kim Stepp of Orlando for a relaxing day of fishing on this pristine body of water. Highlights of the charter included a dandy 28 inch gator trout (held by Kim in the picture below) and the spectacular Florida wildlife; rosette spoonbills, ospreys, manatees, dolphins and schools of cruising redfish.

Moving twenty miles south of Oak Hill we find Titusville and the headwaters of the Indian River Lagoon system. This area boasts of being the ‘redfish capital of the world’. It would be hard to argue with this mantra based upon our three most recent charters to Titusville. The first trip was guided by Capt Peter and included Nigel Malloch of West Palm Beach and Garrett Wegerif of Merritt Island. The two had a blast landing over 10 redfish, most weighing between 15 and 20 pounds, and huge gator trout. In fact the fishing was so good, most of the crew lost their shirts in the process – pictured in order below are Peter, Nigel, Garrett and finally Nigel and Garrett with an outstanding double.

Returning to Titusville the next day, Capt. Peter guided Jack Vitek from the Orlando area and Kyle Gold of Gainesville, Florida. In Peter’s words, “We sight-fished schools of redfish in less than 18 inches of clear water for the majority of the day and there were soo many fish around the boat, that there was almost always a redfish that you could see within casting distance. Once everyone’s arms were sore from pulling on the bronze beauties, we cracked open some ice cold sodas, and called it a day.” The final tally was 8 redfish including the one held by Jack in the following picture:

The final trip to the Titusville area was a half day charter with two Native Sons guides, Capt. Rocky and Capt. Peter. The crew from South Carolina was a father and son team, Greg and Gregory Howard. Gregory is pictured below, first bending a rod on one of the hard charging redfish and then posing with a 14 pounder caught later in the morning.

With the action so hot in Titusville, it was hard to change locations on the Howards the next day. However, we took a gamble and traveled 25 miles south to the Banana River between Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island. This time, Greg and Gregory would be joined on the half day charter by Carmen, a good friend of the family. The final count was 10 redfish and 7 monster ladyfish. Pictured in order below are Carman with a 7 pound ladyfish, Gregory with a 19 spot redfish, Carman with his first redfish, a 17 pound beauty, and finally Greg with yet another big brute:

Traveling south again, our next report is yet another charter guided by Capt. Peter, this time in the Melbourne Beach area. Peter’s crew consisted of Aimee Shea and Kenny Vitek of Orlando along with Monica Pena of Naples, Florida. Using several different techniques including fishing docks, chumming deep potholes and wade-fishing free-lining live finger mullet, the group caught a number of different species – redfish, snook, trout, jacks and snapper. Pictured below are Peter and Monica with a redfish and Kenny and Aimee with a jack:

Our final stop is near Sebastian Inlet, 80 miles south of New Smyrna Beach where we started this journey. Good friends Kenny Vitek of Orlando and Capt. Peter had one of those special days on the waters hooking numerous Spanish mackerel, redfish, bull sharks, and many other hard fighting fish. One unusual experience during the charter will not soon be forgotten – finding a herd of sea turtles, at least an acre in size, foraging in the deep grass flats of the river. Even more unusual was the school of bull sharks, some exceeding eight feet in length, swimming among the giant orange and green colored turtles. An incredible sight!

(Kenny and one of the redfish caught near Sebastian Inlet).

Each year in Pamplona, Spain there is a famous festival which features crazed thrill-seekers running with snorting bulls through the narrow streets of the ancient city. Each summer, in the Indian River, we experience a similar adrenaline rush with our own brand of bulls – bull reds and bull sharks.

Yesterday, joining Capt. Peter and me were Rob and Rick, two veteran anglers from the Orlando area. They sought the thrill of tangling with the ill-tempered bull reds resident on the shallow flats of the river near Titusville. The redfish did not disappoint. Among the seven redfish fought and caught was a monster 51 inch, 38 pound bull which ran Rob up and down the river for an exhausting hour before finally being subdued. This fish, pictured below, ranks as one of the largest landed in our area this summer.

The full force of summer has hit the central east coast of Florida with warmer temperatures, higher humidity, frequent afternoon thunderstorms and sizzling fishing. Along with the changes in the seasons, we have experienced several significant changes in our charter activities as well – Capt. Rocky went on an extended, non-fishing related, mission trip to Mongolia – Capt. Roland exchanged his 2005 Pathfinder for a 2008 edition, complete with a bigger Yamaha engine and Power Pole – Capt. Peter finally received his long-awaited official notification from the US Coast Guard that his certification process is complete. These changes have been exciting to us personally but we are also excited to report on great fishing action as well. Read on!

Yesterday, Capt. Peter and I combined efforts in guiding Rob and Heather Ferrari of Seattle, Washington for a little redfish action on the Banana River in the Cocoa Beach area. We caught a number of redfish and trout during the full day charter including two reds in the 30 pound range. Rob caught the first big fish after a 30 minute, reel screaming, rod arching and back aching fight in shallow water. What a memory for Rob, however, it may be Heather’s epic 45 minute struggle with her nearly 40 pound fish that becomes part of our local angling lore. The battle included an attempted assault by a demented dolphin thwarted by Peter some 75 feet from the boat, an aborted landing attempt 15 feet behind the boat during which the landing net broke into pieces and a subsequent, incredibly acrobatic, somersault over line and fish by the new captain. Pictured below are the Ferraris with their monster redfish and a triumphant Capt. Peter soaked but smiling.

epic redfish battle)

On Thursday, it was the same comical duo of captains, Peter and Rocky, guiding the father and son team of Dexter and Greg Simms. These North Carolinians, vacationing in Orlando, also fished on the Banana River. The trip started out as frustrating as any in recent memory as a tropical low pressure system accompanied by a rare north wind pushed across the region. The fish that had been so plentiful along the western side of the river simply disappeared. However, a change in tactics toward the end of the trip proved golden as both Greg and Dexter hooked and landed big, memory-making redfish just before the thunderstorms hit the area. Pictured below are the 30 pound red caught by Greg and 12 pounder caught by Dexter.

Have you ever had an experience so thrilling it was hard to describe to others? Well, as avid anglers, we have found that fishing along the Florida East Coast during the month of May can be so overwhelming that it is difficult to find adequate descriptions. This time of year, it seems every one of our prized inshore species from redfish to snook competes for our undivided attention. And it does not matter what part of the Indian River Lagoon system we are fishing, May is simply marvelous. Let’s start this report in Titusville and work our way south.

Last weekend, fishing the Indian River near Titusville, Peter Deeks, Jr. hosted Steve and Kim Stepp from Orlando, owners of Velocity Powerboats. The primary purpose of the trip was to test out the draft of Velocity’s new 22 foot center console. During the test run, they took time to sight-fish shallow pods of redfish and were rewarded with upper slot to over slot fish, including those pictured below. (By the way, there was also a 30 inch snook to anchor the trip.)

Yesterday, fishing the Banana River near Cocoa Beach, Capt. Rocky guided John Lagrande and his co-worker, Bob Noble. Bob is new to the area and wanted a tutorial on shallow-water, river fishing. The trio of anglers caught six solid redfish during their half-day charter including a gorgeous 13 spot fish, a big 34 inch monster and a double catch – all are featured below.

It was Capt. Roland guiding again on Saturday, this time in the Ft. Pierce area. His charter consisted of Vickie Raleigh and Wayne Rowell, Maverick Boat dealers from New Brunswick, Georgia. They caught a number of good fish including personal bests in sea trout for these veteran anglers – Vickie’s fish weighed eight while Wayne’s hit the scales at seven pounds. However the real story of their trip came close to noon when Vicki hooked and landed a monster 40 inch snook which weighed 22 pounds – words could not adequately describe the thrill of this experience for Vickie.

Finally, Peter and Capt. Rocky were also in the Ft. Pierce area on Saturday fishing another Treasure Coast Flats Circuit event. Both anglers managed bragging sized fish, including another inshore slam by Peter. But the big news from the trip turned out to be two snook which were well over legal limits. The biggest of these measured 43 inches and weighed 30 pound. It equaled a personal best for Capt. Rocky. Fishing in May is simply marvelous!

If you live along the central east coast of Florida, are an avid fisherman and have a pulse, you’ve got to love this time of year. There are fish, fish everywhere from Ft. Pierce to Grant/Sebastian to Cocoa Beach to Titusville. As a result, we have many recent tales to tell in this report with limited space, so let’s get on with the telling.

There were two terrific reports from the Ft. Pierce area over the weekend. The first featured Vickie Raleigh and Wayne Rowell, a pair of Maverick Boat dealers from Brunswick, Georgia, guided by Capt. Roland. These two caught several gator trout, among other species, before hooking, and landing an awesome 34 inch snook. The fight alone on this fish will not soon be forgotten by anyone who witnessed it.

The other Ft. Pierce tale from the weekend came from Capt. Peter, Kenny Vitek of Orlando and me as we entered and won the slam category of the Riverside Café Inshore Tournament. Fishing against an estimated 125 anglers, we caught four snook from 28 to 34 inches, a number of trout over 27 inches and a single 26 inch redfish to complete the slam, hooked just minutes before the end of the tournament. What an adrenalin rush!

The fish have been congregating in the Grant/Sebastian/Melbourne Beach segment of the Indian River too. Capt. Roland guided two successful charters in the area last week. The first trip to relate featured a grandfather, father and son trio of Jerry Jones, and Eric and Garrett Reese. These anglers from Tennessee also caught an inshore slam of redfish, trout and sheephead. The following pictures are of Garrett, the youngest member of the crew.

The other Grant/Sebastian Inlet charter concerned Deltona residents Mitch and David Gordon and again it was Capt. Roland guiding the charter. These eager and enthusiastic anglers faced a difficult barometric condition but still fought and landed several trout, ladyfish and jacks.

The Banana River, Cocoa Beach charters have been fantastic over the last two days. Migrating finger mullet have begun their spring flood of the flats and the predatory fish are in a feeding frenzy. Yesterday I had the pleasure of guiding Jerry and Brenda Bulington of Gary, Indiana on their first backwater fishing adventure. On the half-day charter we caught eight redfish and one huge trout with a number of other fish fought and lost, including two monster redfish. Several of the ones which did not get away are pictured below.

The second Banana River charter was on Monday and featured Gene Garner from the Cornhusker State vacationing in Orlando. Capt. Roland assisted me on this charter as we caught five redfish and eight huge spotted trout. It was just one of those magical days where the fish were aggressive and hungry all day. What an absolute blast!

Finally, old friends from the Crimson Tide State, Howell and Jean Riggs, hooked up with young Peter Deeks, Jr and Capt. Robert Rohmann the previous weekend for two days of fishing. On the first day, the guides chose the Indian River near Titusville as their venue and caught approximately 15 redfish. On the second day, having only four hours before having to rush to Orlando International Airport, they opted to stay closer to home and fish the thousand island area of the Banana River near Cocoa Beach. Another six redfish were caught, along with several large trout.

What an awesome week of fishing!