Fishing report for weekend of May 18-20

Mosquito Lagoon: Calm waters enable anglers with sharp eyes to spot tailing schools of redfish in shallow water. It’s best to approach these fish within casting range by poling instead of trolling motor. Cast gold spoons or ¼-ounce or 1/8-ounce jigs with 2-inch and 3-inch bodies. Jerk baits and curly tail grubs are the best, or artificial shrimp. Some trout are being caught, too, but it’s hard to find the big ones.

Offshore: Anglers fishing aboard the Orlando Princess party boat out of Port Canaveral earlier this week were treated to great snapper fishing in 80-100 feet of water. Catch of the day was mutton snapper, but there were plenty of nice mangrove snapper caught, too. Grouper season is underway and there are a few caught including gag grouper weighing up to 25 pounds, and red grouper up to 12 pounds. Use long leaders for the better snapper fishing.  

Surf: Remember the pompano? Well, it was fun while it lasted. Few surf anglers can reach the tideline because the mats of seaweed simply blanket the beach right now. Wait a week or two until the next tide and current cycle sweeps it all away, then the beach fishing should open back up again.      

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Indian River Lagoon: The rain means moving water near canals, spillways and creeks. It also means there could be snook and jacks in the area. Captains are talking about seeing more spring mullet around than they would have expected, and that is good news for what has been a tough season. Trout fishing has been better with the early morning topwater plug bite providing most of the action. Soft-bodied jigs fished after the sun gets up over the horizon will keep the action going, but watch the western skyline for storms and get off the water before the lightning comes.

Sebastian Inlet: The beaches around the inlet are nearly unfishable because of the incredible racks of sargassum seaweed lying above the tide line. Forget trying to cast for pompano or whiting here. Fishing from the jetties is possible, however, and Spanish mackerel and jacks, or a few snook bites, are keeping anglers coming to the well-known spot. Use pinfish and shrimp for the snook, sheepshead and a few snapper.     

Freshwater: The lakes to the south like Stick Marsh, Headwaters Lake and Blue Cypress Lake have been hit and miss. The best of it has been at Stick Marsh where wild shiners are still garnering up to 35 bites from bass in the 2-6-pound range along with an occasional trophy. The rainfall has been recharging the rest of the St. Johns River system and the catfish will be caught in spots where there is good current.

Ed Killer is an outdoors columnist for the USA Today Network based on the Treasure Coast. Friend him on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @tcpalmekiller, email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com or reach him by phone at 772-221-4201.