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TOP 5 ARTIFICIAL BAITS FOR THE MOSQUITO LAGOON (Sep. 2007)
There are a whole bunch of artificial baits on today's market!
by Captain Dave Rogers

What do you do and which ones do you choose? I have been fishing the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon for the past 14 years. I have used many different types of artificial lures, but if I had to pick my top five it would be the following baits. Yes, if you asked 100 people you would get just as many different answers. All I can say is these baits work well for me and I only know what I know. I am always trying to learn more everyday I am on the water. So, without further delay here are my choices from number five to number one.

Coming in at number five is the old reliable jig with a choice of two bodies attached. The Rip Tide 3 inch mullet is one of my all time favorites when rigged on a 1/8 ounce jig head. The tail action on the bait is awesome and the trout and redfish love to crush them. The other body in the Rip Tide Conley grub. This twin tail bait really attracts the fish. The vibration is easily detected by the lateral line and the erratic action is hard for fish to resist. If you work the bait either bait around sand holes and grass patches you will catch fish. You can bounce the bait up and down off the bottom or you can swim the bait on a steady retrieve. The best advice I can give is to vary your retrieve until you get a bite and try to duplicate whatever triggered that fish to eat.

My number four selection is a soft jerk bait rigged on a weedless hook. These baits work great in shallow water situations and are great finesse baits. The best time of year to use these baits is the fall and winter. Sight fishing laid up redfish and trout is exciting. These fish are very spooky and you need to lake a soft presentation to entice the fish to eat. Casting the bait passed the fish and working it across his face is the best way to coax them into eating. There are many manufacturers of soft jerk baits and they all have a little different shape and action. I use the Rip Tide Flats Chub on a Daiichi 'Hitchhiker' hook for shallow water. If I am fishing a little deeper I use the Daiichi 'Butt Dragger' hook. Again vary your retrieve for best results.

Top water plugs are my favorite way to catch fish. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a 30 pound redfish explode on a top water lure. MirrOlure has always been my choice in plugs. That is all my dad ever used when we went fishing. They have quite a selection to choose from featuring the Top Dog, Top Dog Jr., She Dog, and Poppa Dog. These bait have great action and the color schemes are great. The one thing that I have always loved about MirrOlure plugs is the big red eyes. Walking the dog takes some practice, but once you get it down you will love the explosions from the fish. These baits are also great for covering a lot of water.

The number two bait on my list used to be my number one and it is still a great go to bait. That bait is the old reliable gold spoon. There are a tons of spoons on the market and it a choice each person has to make. Spoons are made to cover water and they really work. I really like the Hakala spoons. What I really like about the spoon is the way is flutters through the grass. These spoons are rigged with weed guards and you can work them in any situation. I have used many spoons and another one I really like is the Gator spoon with the inset used to hold a trailer. A small trailer can many times induce that bite on a tough day. I have sight cast to redfish over 30 pounds with spoons. They are hard to beat!

My new number one bait is the MirrOdine 17 MR! I have used many baits over the years and I am amazed at how this bait catches fish. The MirrOdine catches anything that swims. It is a suspending twitch bait and you are able to work the bait in just about any situation. You can work it slow, medium or fast. You can work it a different levels of the water column. It is amazing how little the grass affects the bait. I have sight cast a 28 pound redfish, landed many trout, ladyfish, bluefish, catfish, sail cats, blowfish, croakers, tarpon, pinfish and even a pigfish. I am sure a snook would eat one if he had the chance. This bait really works! No Joke!

All of these baits are effective in the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon. There are also many other baits that work. Every body of water is different and choosing baits that work is up to each person. I hope my suggestions will help you catch more fish. All I know is they work for me and 90 percent of fishing is confidence in what you are doing!

Here are some photos from my recent fishing trips (click on them for a larger view):

Tight Lines and Good Fishing!

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