Happy New Year! Let us kick off the New Year with thanks and a desire to catch more fish with friends and family. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity and ability to go fishing. Let’s not forget that in 2017! With that being said, here’s January’s Orlando, Mosquito Lagoon, Central Florida Fishing Report from Capt. Jonathan Moss of Go Castaway Fishing Charters. Freshwater: The St. Johns continues to hold good numbers of crappie. Slow trolling curly tail jigs has been an effective method to find and catch fish. Look for drop offs in the bend of the river or the mouth of a creek. A few American Shad have also been caught and in occasional Hybrid Bass. Work the edges and drop offs using a mini Rat-L Trap. I prefer the color scheme, chrome with a blue top. Boy they are a blast on light tackle! Saltwater: Redfish are continuing to tail in schools or as either singles or doubles. The key to catching the single fish is lure placement. A correctly placed lure or bait will not spook the fish, which in turn greatly improves your chance at catching the fish. To accomplish this, make a cast in front of the fish but past the fish. Keeping your rod tip up at a 45 degree angle, slowly work your bait or lure towards the fish. As you get in front of the fish, stop your retrieve, give you lure a twitch and hold on. Effect baits consist of, live shrimp, soft plastic jerk baits (I prefer the FlatsHQ in New Penny), DOA Shrimp, or a Berkley Gulp. Top water lures will also get it done! Don’t forget to keep a rod rigged with a pompano jig. Pompano and Flounder should be making a grand entry in the coming weeks. Fly Fishing: This month’s patterns are flies that mimic shrimp and crabs! Reds are filling their bellies with shrimp and crabs and a fly that “matches the hatch” or their main source of food, will most definitely ensue the bite. A Borski Slider has been the fly of choice for my Anglers. pOG Flies has a nice variety but my favorite has been in the orange and yellow patterns. It pops in our dirty water and has provided the action we all are looking for on the fly! Pro Tip: This week’s Pro Tip is how to connect braided line to a fluorocarbon leader. There are a few knots that you can use, but my preferred is the uni to uni knot. This is a simple, easy to tie knot that proves to be highly effective and strong. But the Pro Tip I want to focus on, is the size of the knot. It is crucial that each uni be similar in size. This is vital to the strength of the knot. This can be done in one of two ways. First, using a leader line that is similar in diameter to your main line or your braid. This is not always an option so that brings us to our second option, looping your braid portion of the uni with a few extra wraps. Let me explain. When I tie my leader portion of the uni, I will wrap it 5 times. With my narrower braid, ill wrap the loop 7 or 8 times. This will build up my braid portion of the uni, allowing it to be similar is size to my leader portion and create a stronger connection. In the coming weeks, I will post a how to video in the blog to help you accomplish this knot! Tight Lines Y’all , Capt. Jonathan Moss Go Castaway Charters

December is here and cooler temps have begun to make an appearance. Love this time of the year for it’s beautiful blue bird skies, comfortable temperatures, and great fishing! Here’s what you need to know to get on the bite! Freshwater: Crappie, or as many like to call them, Specks, have been caught in good numbers in the St. John’s River and local Central Florida lakes. Fish can be caught on artificial baits such as a beetle spin, small curly tail jigs, or mini rattle traps while trolling with your trolling motor. This method allows you to deploy multiple lures and cover different depths and more water faster. Don’t forget to mark the spot where you get hits so that you can circle around and hit that same area again. Another effective way of catching specks is by using minnows rigged with a small hook, size 8 or 10, with a split shot weight or rigged using a 1/16 oz jighead. Saltwater: Trout and redfish have been schooling up and rooting through out the Mosquito Lagoon. As you work the flats, move slowly and quietly, scanning the area for tails and pushes. Also be on the look out for low fly or hovering seagulls. This is a sure sign that fish are feeding nearby. Redfish have been in schools of 20 plus fish devouring shrimp. We have been witnessing large numbers of shrimp scurrying across the surface through out the flats trying to avoid hungry predators. My lure of choice has been a soft plastic jerk bait, specifically the FlatsHQ Flats Jerks in white, gold or new penny. All have been effective on both Reds and Trout. Live Shrimp or baits that mimic shrimp such as a DOA Shrimp or Berkley Gulp, will also get the job done. Black Drum have schooled up and are moving across tiger shoals. Look for large pushes and tails and be sure to have some live shrimp on board to get you that bite! Fly Fishing: This month’s patterns are simple, Sliders. A Borski Slider has been the fly of choice for my Anglers. pOG Flies has a nice variety but my favorite has been in the orange and yellow patterns. It pops in our dirty water and has provided the action we all are looking for on the fly! Pro Tip: This week’s Pro Tip is all about sunglasses. One of my most used, must have tools for a successful day on the water are my sunglasses. Regardless of brand, one thing that you can do to make your valuable sunglasses and lenses last considerably longer is all in how you clean them. It happens, you release a fish and get a light splash in the face, or you’re running in some nasty, choppy, windy conditions and inevitably you get some spray or mist on your lenses. The last thing you want to do is wipe your glasses with a towel or t-shirt. And the reason for this is because the salt residue on your lenses can actually scratch your lenses and create a hazy, blurred vision. Instead you have a few options that will not damage your lenses. First, and the cheapest option would be to grab a bottle of water and use the freshwater to wash them down followed by a wiping with a clean microfiber towel. Most sunglasses come with a small packable microfiber towel. A second option would be to purchase liquid lens cleaner, such has Mo Henry’s Lens Cleaner, which comes in a spray bottle or Pre-Packaged Lens cleaner wipes made by Zeiss. Both are fairly inexpensive, available online and will keep your glasses clean with out the fear of scratches. Tight Lines Y’all , Capt. Jonathan Moss Go Castaway Charters

Hello from the world famous Mosquito Lagoon. This is Captain Jonathan Moss of Go Castaway Fishing Charters with the November edition of Outdoor360’s East Central Florida Fishing Report. Last month was all about picking pumpkins and boy did we. This month we continue to see good numbers of redfish and sea trout on the flats and shoals. Fish have been caught throwing gold spoons, top water plugs, and weighted, weedless rigged, soft plastics by FlatsHQ (www,**hidden content**). With clarity still only about a foot, vibration and noise are key factors in catching fish, even more so than lure color. Our biggest obstacle continues to be the wind. Strong North winds can cause the lagoon to get choppy. Don’t let that challenge stop you from going out! High water levels from Hurricane Matthew, has pushed bait and quality schools of redfish into the backwaters of the eastern islands of the Mosquito Lagoon. This is to our advantage as these islands provide ample protection from the wind, allowing both spin and fly anglers shots at laid up fish. Snook and tarpon are still around and mixed in with the redfish and trout in certain areas. My fly anglers are throwing the Anarchy Chromatic Borski Slider in Orange and Yellow, tied by pOG Flys (**hidden content** out of Titusville, Fl. This has been my go to fly for redfish, as it stands out in our stained water and mimics the shrimp these fish have been feeding on so aggressively. For our anglers who prefer to throw bait, live shrimp on a 2/0 circle hook can be thrown into schools of redfish for an easy hook up. Also, a 1 to 2 inch chunk of cut mullet, or cut lady fish, again on a 2/0 circle hook, thrown on a grass flats with nearby sand holes or “pot holes” will do the trick! This month, I made several trips to the Banana and Indian Rivers. Both rivers have improved in water clarity since Hurricane Matthew! This is such great news! A benefited result, is that sight fishing has improved drastically. Focus on docks, mangroves and spoil islands for consistent redfish, snook and trout action. This month’s “Pro Tip” DOUBLE HAUL: Double hauling is the act of pulling on your fly line as you back and forward cast. This causes the line to glide through the guides of your fly rod at an amplified speed. The pull is the haul. It is crucial that you are able to perform the double haul to achieve a cast with enough distance to reach spooky fish. Distance and accuracy will increase your hook up ratio so time spent practicing is time well spent. Lastly, because the double haul greatly increases line speed, it also aides in casting under windy conditions. The added speed caused by the double haul will help the line cut through the wind. Thank you for your time in reading this article. I hope it aids you in becoming a better and more prepared angler. Tight lines, Capt. Jonathan Moss Go Castaway Fishing Charters

October is here and pumpkin everything is in season. Perfect. You can not beat picking pumpkins at the pumpkin patch and that's just what has begun in the Mosquito Lagoon. Pumpkins, I mean redfish, have begun to slip into their fall pattern. This process will strengthen as cooler air temperatures cool our waters. Water temps are sitting in the low 80s and will continue to drop as cold fronts move in this winter and with that the redfish will be moving into shallow water flats and shorelines. Belly crawling is when a fish sits in shallow water, and has it's back and tail exposed. These aggressive feeders will sit patiently and wait for unsuspecting prey to swim by. This creates an incredible sight fishing experience and with continued yoo-hoo colored water in East Central Florida, having a fish show its position provides anglers a greater hook up ratio. So what are we throwing? Fish can be caught using both artificial and live bait. For artificial, I prefer a soft plastic swim bait, like a FlatsHQ Flats jerk or Flats swimmer, rigged weedless. White and gold are my colors of choice. Also, plastic shrimp, like a D.O.A shrimp will also present itself well, but watch the grass with that exposed hook. Make the pitch, give it a twitch and hold on. Another exciting way to catch these fish, is by making a long cast parallel to the shoreline, and past the fish. Remember, casting to close to the fish with a heavy lure, like a top water plug, will more than likely spook the fish. Leading the fish is your best bet. After you cast, work your top water plug past the fish and watch him explode on it. Again, I like to grab that FlatsHQ Flats walker, in white, with the J hooks. For live bait, I prefer a live shrimp, rigged through the tail on a 2.0 circle hook. Make a soft presentation out in front of the fish, and when the shrimp pops, the redfish will make its move to feed. This is a exciting time of year to chase pumpkins but lets not forget the trout and snook. For trout, fish are being caught in 1-3 feet of water, using soft plastics, top water plugs, and live shrimps. These fish are holding off the spoil islands and drops offs adjacent to the bars. Slow down your retrieve and you should get a bite. Snook are holding in the mangroves and working back and forth along the edges along the islands. Soft plastics, and hard baits will get it done. And even better if you can skip your lure underneath the groves. If working mangroves, you may want to tighten that drag and step up to at least a 20lb leader which in some case may still be a little light. Tight Lines, Capt. Jonathan Moss Go Castaway Fishing Charters

Slick Calm. Glassed out conditions. And tails, big happy tails, waving in the air. I love it! Water levels have dropped in the Mosquito Lagoon which is causing the exposures of some nice bars. Redfish and trout have begun to stack up on these bars either the inside or the outside, depending on what the bait (schools of mullet) are doing and where they are going. On the inside you find a broken bottom of grass and sand, which is prime area for these redfish and speckled sea trout to stack up. The redfish like this grassy area to stick there faces down in and forage for food such as shrimp and crabs. In fact, many of the reds caught this week regurgitated some crab pieces. That have really been chewing well. On the outside of the bar you find a water depth of up to 4 feet. This drop seems to be holding the bigger gator trout. I have been placing my East Cape Fury Skiff about 65 ft from the bar and having my guests cast towards the bar and reel their lure back in with a medium speed and an occasional twitch. This has been producing the bite! This week brought a mix of both fly and spin anglers. I had my fly anglers throwing the anarchy shrimp fly tied by Martin Jennings of pOGflys and the spin fishers threw both the FlatsHQ flats swimmer and flats walker. All pictured below. Mid morning, Redfish are making the move from either up on the banks or the broken bottom to follow the schools of bait to the middle of the flat. It was such a sight to see these over slot reds cruising on the surface. They create a wave or push and tend to have their back and tails poking out. In this scenario we are throwing a FlatsHQ Flats walker in front of them and give it a a twitch or two. Hold on because an explosion is coming. I LOVE TOPWATER! So much fun! You can also catch them on the swim bait. The key to either bait, is to put it in front of the fish. I guarantee you, if you make the right cast, just beyond and in front of the fish, reel it in front of the fish, give it a twitch and boom. FISH ON! It has been so much fun out on the mosquito lagoon! Now is the time to book. Tight lines y’all! Capt. Jonathan

The last 2 weeks have been jammed packed with trips and making great memories with incredible anglers of all ages! I am so thankful for the opportunity to take people fishing and getting to know them and their stories! I have been fortunate enough this week to have fisherman and fisherwomen from North Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and even the UK on the skiff! Every trip has had its own unique situations. From first time saltwater fishing to checking off a redfish from the list of species never caught before. It was truly a fun few weeks.