# need some help



## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

i'll be heading down to visit with some family just outside orlando middle of next week, and i'm hoping to put in my share of fishing time as well. last december was my first florida fishing experience and went sorta well with the help of kozlow and some others. i made my way out to ft desoto (i think it was) area and managed black drum & whiting. i want to hit up both the coasts this year. from what i have gathered off this board, i think i should be able to pick up some pompano or whiting in the surf. i will most likely try the playalinda area. i have heard the fishing is great at titusville/indian river lagoon for the reds and trout. my question is do i need a boat to get on the fish here? i'm not opposed to wading, and the idea of hauling a kayak down is still in the air. can anybody give me some starting points? thanks in advance.

ryan


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

To get on the fish for sure I would say yess to the a Boat or Yak uncdub13.
Here is a good board for the IRL fishing.
http://www.camirl.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi

FISHING THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
http://abouttitusville.com/outdoors/fishing/IRL1.html

http://abouttitusville.com/outdoors/fishing/IRL2.html

http://www.indianriveradventures.com/

http://www.indianriveradventures.com/Fishing_Report.html

SURF FISHING AT CANAVERAL NATIONAL SEASHORE
(PLAYALINDA BEACH)

http://abouttitusville.com/outdoors/fishing/surffishing.html

PADDLING LOCATIONS
http://abouttitusville.com/outdoors/paddling/index.html

Places to Paddle tm Scroll down to the Florida Routes
http://www.kayakguide.com/kaykRout.htm


Have a great time uncdub13


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

thanks for all the info once again this year. i hope to be able to bring the yak but it's not a sure thing. do you think i could find some fish by foot in these areas if that's my only option? i have some waders if that's what it takes. i'll be sure to post reports of how i do.

another question, am i supposed to have a license to fish in florida saltwater? if so, can you direct me to where i need to go to get one? i'm also curious about the size/bag limits.

thanks again for the quick response

ryan


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Anything is possible here in the Sunshine State.
Just watch out for the Gators and the Rays on the bottom. The fish are transitioning from their fall to wintertime pattern. While there are still plenty of fish cruising right on the shorelines, the rest have taken up station on the outside points and potholes Quietly approaching these fish by poling or wading is key and will only become more important as water levels continue to drop.

Guide to Saltwater Limits
http://home.cfl.rr.com/floridafishing/guide.htm

Now That You Caught It, What is IT!! 
http://home.cfl.rr.com/floridafishing/FishID.htm

SALTWATER

Those required to have a license:


Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing anywhere in state waters. A nonresident is someone who has not lived in Florida continuously for six months. 
Residents age 16 to 65 fishing from a boat in state waters, the exception being those fishing from a boat covered by a vessel saltwater license. 
Residents age 16 to 65 fishing from an island or other land area when the person or party used a boat or other waterborne means, including swimming, to reach land. 

Those not required to have a license: 

Anyone younger than 16 years old. 
Florida residents fishing from land or from a structure affixed to land, such as a pier, jetty, bridge, dock or floating dock. 
Florida residents wade fishing in 4 feet of water or less, when a boat is not used to reach the wading area. 
People 65 or older with a valid Florida driver’s license, Florida voter registration card or Florida Senior Citizen Exemption Card. 
Any Florida resident who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces while home on leave for 30 days or less. 
Anyone accepted by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services for developmental services. 
Any Florida resident certified as totally and permanently disabled will receive, without charge, a permanent license from the county tax collector. 
Anyone holding a valid Saltwater Products License. But only one person aboard a vessel holding an SPL may claim exemption from the license requirements.

The fee structure:

Resident, one year, $13.50. 
Resident, 10 days, $11.50. 
Nonresident, three days, $6.50. 
Nonresident, seven days, $16.50. 
Nonresident, one year, $31.50. 
Licenses purchased from a county tax collector sub-agent will cost an additional 50 cents. 
The law established blanket vessel licenses for party boats, charter boats, guide boats and a blanket license for fishing piers where a fee is charged. Their customers do not need licenses. 
Owners of boats carrying 11 or more customers, such as party boats, will pay $801.50; those carrying three to 10 customers, such as charter boats, pay $401.50; those carrying no more than two customers, such as guide boats, pay $201.50.

Also, $2 snook and crawfish permits are required of snook and crawfish fishermen, but only when they are required to have a license.

The license will be required while taking, attempting to take or in possession of marine finfish and invertebrates. That includes anglers who are sport shrimping, clamming, oystering, lobstering or fishing for saltwater species in freshwater areas.

Florida fishing licenses on-line
http://wildlifelicense.com/fl/

Wade fishing: Fun, productive, safe
http://www.capmel.com/wadefishing_safe.htm

Get your feet wet - Catch fish!
http://www.capmel.com/wade_fishing.htm

Wadefishing: What you need to know
http://www.capmel.com/wadefishing_what_you need.htm

Good Luck


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## derek (Nov 6, 2003)

You can also buy your license at Walmart (most) any bait shop. 

If you don't want to haul your kayak down, you could probably rent one.


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

i appreciate all the help guys. are there a lot of gators in saltwater? i had always thought they were mostly freshwater dwelling. i can live w/ the thought of wading around with rays, but i'm not too found of big toothy reptiles.


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## derek (Nov 6, 2003)

I've never had any trouble with alligators while wading, but they are in there. I've never waded Mosquito lagoon, but I've seen plenty of alligators around. It's always a good idea to keep your catch on a long stringer if you are wading...there are alot of toothy critters in the water, and I can't say I want any of them crawling in my pocket. 

For what it's worth, the stingrays concern me more than the alligators do...


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Did not mean to scare ya about the gators but they are out there and like derek said I would be more worried about the Rays and getting one in the ankle from there tails. 
Can't forget Florida's State Reptile is The Alligator and I thought it was worth mentioning .










http://www.marshbunny.com/intercoastal/


Thank God it was not a gator but scared the S*it ot of me.  
http://www.pierandsurf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2279&highlight=Encounter


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## creek (Dec 16, 2003)

MIght mention that I was at Playlinda today. Missed one on my first cast, Got an 18" Blue on my second cast. After that the wind moved in for about an hour and then whatever that stuff is that wrappes around you line got so bad that I would bring in two pounds per cast. Packed up and left. Might have done better if I didn't lose about 45 minutes getting around Minns because of the Christmas Parade.

On the way out, there was a 8'-10' gator sunning himself just accross the first ditch along the main road. Gives me second thoughts about wadding the lagoon.   

What is down the road on the southside of Haulover cannel? East or west


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

is live bait (shrimp,finger mullet) easy to catch this time of year or is buying it my only option?


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## derek (Nov 6, 2003)

i can usually find bait year round, though some days it simply isn't worth the effort. shrimp is a hit or miss thing up here with a cast net, but I can usually find some mullet or the like without too much difficulty. 

If you are going to buy a cast net just for this trip, you'd probably be best served by buying a bucket and a cheap aerator ($6 at walmart) and just buying shrimp.


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

thanks derek. i already got the castnet and bucket w/ the aerator. god only knows how many of those bubble boxes i've been through. for shrimp do you blind cast or normally see them popping?


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## greybeard (Nov 9, 2004)

I see you guys seem to be worried about gators. IF it's hatching season and you run across a big mother guarding her young or eggs, you have something to worry about. IF there is a dog in the water near you and there are large gators in the area, you have something to worry about. Otherwise, they are probably more afraid than you are.


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## derek (Nov 6, 2003)

up here the river is usually too murky to sight cast for shrimp, at least where I hang out. I don't know how it is down in Kozlow's neck of the woods, and that's more likely to be where you are headed anyway. When the shrimp are running, I can occasionally get a mess of them, but normally it's just a couple, if any. 

Baitfish are another story. I can almost always find them somewhere, although occasionally I have to range quite a bit.  Luckily, I live about 3 minutes away from a canal that spills into one of the bays here. The fishing stinks there (bridge construction seems to killed the fishing, and it's not come back yet,) but the mullet are usually pretty thick in there. If they don't show, there's almost always some menhaden, glass minnows, pinfish, etc. about. Last winter I stumbled into a ballyhoo run...which was just plain weird. 

Mind you, I live up by Ponce Inlet rather than Sebastian, though I can't imagine it's much different down there.


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

> I see you guys seem to be worried about gators. IF it's hatching season and you run across a big mother guarding her young or eggs, you have something to worry about.


haha i'm not real real worried or anything, but it'll be in the back of my mind. when's hatching season?

appreciate the info derek.

i'm headin down tomorrow probly, so it's time for catchin.

ryan


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## derek (Nov 6, 2003)

np...all i did was prattle on.  

enjoy your trip.


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## greybeard (Nov 9, 2004)

*When is egg season?*

In the spring but don't discount the dog thing. I have personally seen them go crazy when a dog got in the water. Bunch of us had to get our kids out of lake Interlochen in a hurry. And of course the dog. They did a survey. I saw it somewhere. In cases where eggs or little gators weren't involved, in almost all gator attacks on humans, a dog is involved. They can smell them a long ways away.


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