Mosquito Lagoon & Manatee Hammock

Happy Monday Spacefish!

Summer is here! For my wife, our kids, and I that means time off from school – and even though it’s 10,000 degrees in the shade hot, it gives us a chance to go do more fun things than we would normally do during the school year. This past weekend that involved a family camping weekend at Manatee Hammock in Titusville, and I took advantage to go and fish Mosquito Lagoon.

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing

I was able to do a 6ish hour session on Mosquito Lagoon, from sunrise to noon-ish when it got really really hot out. Honestly though, despite the hot air temps, the fishing remained solid – I would have been willing to stay if I wasn’t planning on meeting my family at the campground to check in.

The morning started when I got to Beacon 42 around 530ish, I was already on the water making casts when the sun came up – there is something about sunrises over Mosquito Lagoon that just feel extra special. I started with topwater but was having trouble with how much grass there was, not just on the bottom, but floating grass as well. I ended up switching over from my Super Spook Jr to a Rapala Skitterwalk I had with single in-line hooks, this made the grass situation a little easier. But I was kicking myself for not having any frogs.

I ended up landing a few decent sized Trout, and then making a switch to subsurface lures, I ended up spending most of the rest of the day with a weedless gold spoon, and a Texas rigged Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad, but baits proved to be very effective in fishing in so much grass, and ended up enabling me to have a great fishing trip. I ended up landing around 20 total seatrout and a handful of redfish with my best being 31 and 27 inches respectively.

Bass Tactics Prove Effective

The tactic that put the most fish in the boat for me, and enabled me to fish in the heaviest of grass was a Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad I rigged just like I rig my speedworms. Tungsten weight pegged with a bobber stopper, and a EWG hook. I used the Gamakatsu G-Lock, which features a slightly bent hook point that digs back into the bait offering the utmost weedlessness.

I could use this presentation as a search bait, but when I got into the really thick stuff I would stand up in the kayak and pitch and flip into holes as well. There were so many Reds in the grass, I probably spooked more than I caught, but I had an absolute ball fishing for them. I plan on doing a return trip soon and experimenting with several ways to get to these fish in the thick stuff, and I plan on writing a more in-depth report in the near future

The Power of the Gold Spoon

The tactic that put the most fish in the boat for me, and enabled me to fish in the heaviest of grass was a Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad I rigged just like I rig my speedworms. Tungsten weight pegged with a bobber stopper, and a EWG hook. I used the Gamakatsu G-Lock, which features a slightly bent hook point that digs back into the bait offering the utmost weedlessness.

I could use this presentation as a search bait, but when I got into the really thick stuff I would stand up in the kayak and pitch and flip into holes as well. There were so many Reds in the grass, I probably spooked more than I caught, but I had an absolute ball fishing for them. I plan on doing a return trip soon and experimenting with several ways to get to these fish in the thick stuff, and I plan on writing a more in-depth report in the near future

The fishing spoon is one of the oldest artificial lures ever tied to a line. According to legend, its origins trace back to the 1820s when an angler accidentally dropped a teaspoon overboard and watched a trout strike it as it fluttered through the water. Whether the story is entirely true or not, anglers soon began modifying household spoons into fish-catching machines.

The modern weedless spoon arrived in 1920 when Louis Johnson introduced the Silver Minnow, a design that remains popular more than a century later. While silver spoons became staples in freshwater fisheries, gold spoons carved out their own legacy on the shallow flats of Florida and the Gulf Coast.

In stained water, grassy shorelines, and muddy backcountry creeks, the warm flash of a gold spoon closely resembles fleeing baitfish, crabs, and other forage that redfish, snook, and trout feed on every day. The combination of flash, vibration, and weedless design allows anglers to cover water efficiently while fishing through grass, oyster bars, and shallow cover where other lures struggle.
Few lures have stood the test of time quite like the gold spoon. More than 100 years after its invention, it remains one of the most effective tools ever created for finding fish in Florida’s inshore fisheries.

Gold spoons have earned a legendary reputation among redfish anglers because they perfectly match the environments redfish call home. The wide wobble of a spoon creates strong vibrations that redfish can detect with their lateral lines, allowing them to track the lure even in thick grass or murky water.

The gold finish is equally important. Unlike silver, which can lose its effectiveness in dark, tannin-stained water, gold produces a warm flash that stands out in shallow flats, muddy creeks, and grassy backwaters. That flash closely resembles the belly of a fleeing baitfish or the glint of a crab, two of the most common food sources redfish encounter.

Perhaps most importantly, spoons are naturally weedless. Their design allows anglers to fish through turtle grass, shoal grass, oyster edges, and other cover where redfish spend much of their time feeding. The result is a lure that can be cast a long distance, retrieved through heavy cover, and consistently put in front of fish. Simple, durable, and effective, the gold spoon remains one of the most reliable redfish lures ever created.

Manatee Hammock Campground

If you’re reading this because you are planning on making a trip to the area this summer, or if you live in south brevard and want to have a staycation at a cool campground near Mosquito Lagoon and the National Wildlife Refuge, Manatee Hammock may just be the place you are looking for!

Manatee Hammock Campground is one of the most family-friendly camping destinations on the Space Coast. Located along the Indian River Lagoon, it offers front-row views of rocket launches from Cape Canaveral while also providing plenty to keep kids entertained between launches. Families can enjoy the swimming pool, playground, fishing pier, and frequent sightings of dolphins and manatees along the shoreline. The campground’s shaded canopy of pines, palms, and oaks helps keep campsites comfortable during Florida’s warmer months, while amenities like showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, and both RV and tent camping options make it an easy and convenient choice for families looking to spend time with their children in the great outdoors.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, this is what makes the Space Coast such a special place to live. In a single weekend, you can spend the morning chasing redfish and trout across the grass flats of Mosquito Lagoon, the afternoon watching a rocket launch over the Indian River Lagoon, and the evening sitting around a campfire with your family. That’s a pretty hard combination to beat.

Of course, having the right tools makes those adventures even better. Whether you’re looking for a kayak capable of reaching shallow-water fish that powerboats simply can’t access, or need help rigging and outfitting your current setup, the crew at Kayaks By Bo continues to be one of the best resources on the Space Coast for kayak anglers.

And before you make your next trip, be sure to stop by Strike Zone Fishing in Melbourne. From gold spoons and soft plastics to terminal tackle and local fishing knowledge, they’ve got everything you need to make the most of a summer day on the water.
Enjoy the outdoors, make some memories with your family, and as always, tight lines Spacefish. Until next time!