Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Our World's Greatest Lagoon in Crisis

Gold at the end of the rainbow — the Indian
River Lagoon.
My leap into saltwater fly fishing was defined by both blunder and success. It started some thirty-five years ago along the east shore of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). If I remember correctly, I used a tin bobbin to apply a coat of red nylon thread to secure three small dabs of white bucktail on the neck of a Mustad Shaughnessy- 3407 hook. My fly rod and reel were as rudimentary as was the design of my fly. The reel had no handle to reel in its line; it only had a thin metal lever used to energize a spring-loaded device to retrieve the fly line. The two-piece yellow fiberglass rod was heavy and cheap, much like my first fly casts and presentation.

Regardless, I knew of many places along the IRL Coast that were special sweet spots for the fish I targeted using my substandard fly rod and poorly hand-tied flies lived. I fished those habitats; the ones rich in lush sea grass beds and those thickly shaded with red, white and black mangrove canopies. These areas were often teeming with crabs, shrimp, mullet, glass minnows, and many of the other forage foods which attracted an abundance of the marine critters I worshipped.

Over time, I caught spotted seatrout, snook, tarpon and red drum, despite my lack of fly fishing grace and skill. The IRL system was a fly fishing paradise back then; I should've never taken those days for granted.

I became a fishing guide a few years later, depending on the Lagoon's vigor and vitally to afford my family their lifestyle. On good days back then, my clients could catch and release over a hundred spotted seatrout before lunch if they wanted to.

Many others discovered the bountiful IRL Coast, and moved here to explore and relish the blessings of its bounty. Developers cleared land and drained wetlands, built homes, and landscaped the yards with non-native plants and grasses that depended on fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and routine watering. During that time, State, county and city officials tailored laws and regulations that made it easy for the developers to change the lay of the land, and in the long run, alter the quality of our water and our lives.

Yes, what has placed the IRL in crisis is an explosion of growth and population within its watershed. The fact is, Florida's economic machine has been fueled by development and real estate and other connected industries for generations, and the chances of this changing anytime soon are near zero.

The results of this reckless development and horrifically poor management and leadership on issues directly connected with storm water and ground water issues has plagued the health of Florida's waterways. Regardless, we all should see the light at the headwaters of the Lagoon, because individually we can make a huge impact on the conservation of the IRL and the other rivers, lakes, springs, creeks and bays of Florida.

For instance, our family has “Floridified” our yard and adopted the “Three R System.” Practicing reusing, reducing and recycling we hope for a brighter IRL future, a future where green sea grass once again covers its bottom.

For more on how you can make the wise choices on how to return health to Florida's waterways check out befloridian.org or contact me, Rodney Smith, at irlcoast@gmail.com. Together we can proactively change Florida's future.



Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Get Wet and Catch More Fish

Here are a couple of things people ask me all the time. “Is getting wet a necessary part of catching big fish,” and “where and when can you find big fish in the summertime?” It may sound like we’re talking about two different things, but if you read on you’ll see how they can sometimes be related.

Because of the intense heat (average high temperature is 90 degrees!) this time of year along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), fish seek out places to find relief from the heat, and generally, deep water isn’t an option because the IRL’s average depth is only three feet!

As a guide, I’d seek out docks, bridges, piers, and any other shady niches that provide comfort for fish as the days grew hotter. I also learned the importance of being on the water well before the sun rose too high when fishing the flats for red drum, spotted seatrout and snook. Fish would often leave the deeper water early, go into the shallower water to feed, and then head back to brisk water as the sun and water temperatures rose.

Over time, discovering wade fishing with my clients was a cooler option this time of year. They enjoyed getting out of the hot boat and into the refreshing water for a spell, and it is much calmer especially along Florida’s Atlantic beaches. Of course, be careful of stingrays, sharks, crabs or any critters or things that may be hazardous to your body.

Have you ever been overwhelmed trying to land a big fish on undersized tackle?  If so, you understand how difficult and downright challenging it is to do it, especially around any type of structure. There have been times when I found myself chasing fish that were either taking all my line or going under water, over or around structure.

One particular time comes to mind when guiding my friend, Chad Helping. Chad hoped to catch a large black drum. A perfect cast was made, placing his bait, half of a blue crab, on the Indian River Lagoon’s bottom between a cement piling and a couple thick steel cables running into the water. Within seconds, he hooked a large fish, and did his best to keep it out and away from the structure. After a minute or two it looked as if the fish had hopelessly wrapped Chad’s line around the structure. In an effort to save the day, I jumped into the Lagoon with Chad’s rod and reel, and swam under and around the cables until the line came free. From the water, I handed Chad back his tackle, and after an extended battle he landed his trophy — a 54-pound black drum.  

Getting wet may not be the key to your fishing success, but I’ve found it to be the key to cooling off in the heat, and at times, landing oversized fish on undersized tackle. Try it; you may find it enjoyable!



Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.