Spring flats fishing is heating up over the last few days. The water in the Indian River Lagoon has warmed from 72 degrees up to just over 80 degrees over this time. Slot sized speckled trout and small to medium sized snook in the 20 to 30 inch range are showing their appreciation for this warm up and the abundant baitfish that have come with it.

Glass minnows, pilchards, greenies, pinfish and mullet of all sizes are returning to the southern portions of the river in excellent numbers. Free line these live baits near mangrove covered shorelines, docks or spoil island and you shouldn’t have to wait long before you get a fish on your line. I’ve been using the new Penn Battle 4, 4000 size spinning reel with 20 pound Sufix 832 braid line on it and this combo is definitely worth what I paid for it. The braid slips off this reel effortlessly and the Battle is one of the best reels I’ve used for its price point. This type of fishing will be going on for the next three to four weeks so you can bet I’ll be giving these fish a lot of attention while the ocean stays on the rough side. If you’re interested in getting out just book a trip and let’s go catch your next memory.