Indian River Lagoon
Redfish or Channel Bass

Catching The Largest Drum During the Late Summer and Fall Spawn

Indian River Redfish Guided Fishing Starting in August and going thru September you'll find large schools of redfish or channel bass congregating for their spawn in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). Typically the fish will start their pre spawn in early August going towards the beginning of September for a full blown spawn. Other parts of the Lagoon toward south Brevard County and into the Banana River the fish are typically spawn a couple of weeks later than the IRL schools and we speculate it's because of the lack of tidal flow and warmer water temperatures delaying the big event.

A big redfish in this part of Florida is over 30 pounds but there are some monsters that exceed the fifty pound mark and approach sixty. It's no secret to most of the fishing guides in the area when this event occurs and most guides anticipate and observe the event as it unfolds. Large redfish will start grouping into breeding pods and over time the schools will accrue larger numbers until they obtain more than 100 or more fish and then the games begin.

Over the years we've observed redfish spawning habits and believe much of their recent behaviors are dictated by fishing pressure. It's not uncommon to see several boats fishing a school of fish aggressively with electric motors and yelling anglers. In deep waters of the ocean, this behavior is often ignored by fish but in one to four foot of water it's not tolerated well by the breeding fish and after an initial fish or two are pulled from the school they often move away from the activity and towards deeper waters. Moving redfish can be difficult to present lures and baits to for advanced anglers, novice anglers have little chance of making the presentation in front spooked redfish schools. The secret to catching several redfish from a breeding school is stealth from both the guide and the angler. Keeping the electric motor on very low speeds with little variation helps, but a push pole might work better until the fish are moving and then the old Minn Kota is helpful.

"If you want to catch your biggest redfish, August is a great month to do that in the Indian River Lagoon when the big breeders spawn"
explains Captain Richard Bradley

Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report

September 2010 Indian River Fishing Update

September is and exceptional time to go fishing in the Indian River Lagoon in east Central Florida. Snook are in the inlets and finished with their spawn and they're legal to keep as of September 1st. Look for night time snook fishing action in the inlet and when the fall mullet run starts to happen in the later part of the month, snook will be in the flats along the mangrove shorelines and around structure. The northern Indian River has been having large herds of black drum from time-to-time and on days the schools of redfish seem to be plentiful early in the morning before the crowds get on them. September often is VERY hot and bring plenty of sunscreen and some good polarized glasses, you'll need them on the Indian River Lagoon this late summer and early fall.

Hello,
I've been fishing for big breeding redfish in the Indian River Lagoon for almost 30 years and it amazes me when I watch these schools start to congregate and breed. Years ago the redfish got pounded by the gill netting industry and their numbers were in decline, today it's a healthy thriving population and each year tends to get better with management from the Florida Wildlife Commission and responsible anglers.

If you want to go catch a big redfish during the August - September spawn give me a call and you'll have a blast watching and catching fish from these remarkable schools of monster sized redfish in the shallow water grass flats near my home. If you happen to catch an oversized redfish during this spawn please safely release so they may return to their normal habit and environment and continue with their mating activities. Big spawning redfish have no table value and should not be considered for their meat when they are this size. The stocks of these breeders assures there will be plenty of channel bass in the years to come.

God Bless,

Captain Richard Bradley
Lagooner Fishing Guide

Indian River Fishing Guide Information

Want to go fishing with professional Indian River Lagoon guide services? Fill out the form below and request a trip with an for redfishing with an Indian River professional redfishing guide today.

To find out more information about taking a fishing guide service on the Indian River Lagoon, please call at (321) 868-4953 or fill out the request form above and Lagooner Fishing Guides will be prompt to respond.