Fresh Grant-Valkaria Fishing Reports

Last night's adventure on the water was a thrilling reminder that even after a week of cold and windy weather, the snook are always waiting. With the moon nearly full, I set out to see if I could stir up some action. As I cruised along the mangroves, the silence was oppressive. Cast after cast, I waited for a sign of life, but the water remained still and unresponsive. The minutes ticked by, and I began to wonder if I'd made a mistake coming out. But then, a lone mullet jumped in the distance, shattering the stillness. My heart skipped a beat - finally, a sign of life! I quickly made my way over to the area and started casting. A few more splashes guided me to a small point, where I made a cast that would change everything. The moment I hooked up with that monster snook, adrenaline flooded my body. The battle was intense - she took off like a rocket, making one of the longest runs I've ever seen from a snook. My heart was racing, but I managed to keep my cool, and after a few more runs and head shakes, I landed her under the moonlit sky.

Happy New Year! I wrapped up 2024 with an exciting guided trip for Todd from Massachusetts. We braved the early morning fog and were rewarded with an unforgettable fishing experience. Hitting the water before dawn, we started our day by picking up a few small snook along the mangroves. As the sun rose, we moved to a wind-protected shoreline, where Todd landed a beautifully stained backwater snook. It was a great way to end the year, and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2025 brings!

The sheepshead bite has been absolutely on fire lately! Key target areas have been along mangrove shorelines and under docks, yielding catches of up to 20”! These strong fighters put up quite a challenge when trying to pull them out from structure, making for an exhilarating experience.

This week’s focus was on exploring both dock structures and mangrove shorelines/flats. While the docks were relatively quiet, the mangroves and flats proved to be hotspots. Redfish Success Early in the week, I targeted redfish using cut mullet on a 7/0 Octopus hook with a 40lb leader and 20lb braid. Casting close to mangrove shorelines and letting the bait sit until something picked it up, which yielded an impressive catch. A previous encounter with a school of reds in the area helped identify the prime location. Snook Action On Sunday evening, I shifted focus to snook, using finger mullet hooked through the upper lip with a 4/0 circle hook and a 30lb monofilament leader. Slowly moving along mangrove shorelines until finding areas with loud bait activity, and approaching quietly, led to multiple snook catches. Outlook With the current conditions and bait activity, I’m optimistic about the week ahead. Mangrove shorelines and flats are expected to remain productive, making them priority targets. Key Takeaways: – Mangrove shorelines and flats are producing quality catches – Cut mullet effective for redfish – Finger mullet successful for snook, jacks and trout – Quiet approach essential for snook in shallow waters

Despite the challenging windy conditions, I found success targeting docks with the Mirrolure Lil John. The day began with a bang, landing a 29" redfish beside a dock, surrounded by schools of bait - a promising sign! As I continued to fish, I added a few small trout to the mix, followed by a respectable snook. I also picked up a mangrove snapper and a sail cat, adding some variety to the day's catch. The highlight of the trip came when I precisely cast my lure onto a piling and immediately hooked the larger of the two snook pictured. What a thrill! Before wrapping up, I made a quick stop at a windblown mangrove point to catch a few trout, including the largest shown. All in all, a fantastic morning on the Indian River, proving that windy conditions don't have to hinder a productive kayak fishing trip.

I just got back from Alaska doing some halibut fishing with AFishunt Charters and what an amazing trip that was. It was definitely a change of scenery and weather for sure. Probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The heat here in Florida is brutal and unforgiving at times but at least we don't have to deal with below freezing temps. Last week we did have some beautiful days despite some of the showers. The river and the ocean were flat and calm which let us get out to some of the nearshore reefs on the flats boat. We were able to limit out on some big lane snapper and a few good sized mangrove snapper. The kingfish have been running down the beach as well as the big tarpon. If you want to target tarpon, let me know before hand because we will have to get on the water much earlier than normal trips, "weather permitting". The river has been holding a bunch of keeper mangrove snapper in some of our honey holes and the snook bite has been pretty decent at times at the inlet. This young kid was getting whooped by his dad and older brother all day catching snapper but he was persistent and ended up pulling in the biggest fish of the day, a nice 30" slot snook. It looks like this week is gonna be a breezy rough week so we'll just have to manage and work around the weather. The forecast for next week is looking to be a pretty good week with calm seas as of now.