Do I need a fishing license for a Mosquito Lagoon charter?

No. All required licenses are covered by your guide. You don’t need to purchase a separate fishing license when booking a charter.

What should I bring on a flats fishing trip?

Polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, and weather-appropriate clothing. Space on skiffs is limited, so bring only essentials. Ask your guide if rain gear, water, or snacks are provided.

Can beginners book a Mosquito Lagoon trip?

Yes. Beginners are welcome, though certain styles like sight fishing require more casting skill. Your guide will match the trip style to your experience level.

Do we keep the fish we catch?

Many Mosquito Lagoon charters focus on catch-and-release for conservation. State rules apply for all fish. Check with your guide for their personal policy.

What happens if it’s windy or rainy?

Trips run in most weather, though your guide may suggest adjusting tactics if conditions are tough. Safety is always the first priority, and rescheduling may be possible if conditions are unsafe.

Booking a Mosquito Lagoon Charter? A Local Guide’s Tips for First-Time Anglers

By Capt. Chris Myers, FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor & Full-Time Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide

There are 3 methods to fish in Mosquito Lagoon

Except for the very northern reaches of the Lagoon closer to New Smyrna Beach, the majority of the fishing here is done in 3ft of water or less. Locally known as "flats fishing", there are three different strategies you can use to catch fish here. When booking a fishing charter, you should discuss with your guide before submitting a deposit what types of trips and styles they offer. This will ensure you will get the most enjoyment from your trip and do not wind up with surprises the day of. It will also give the guide a chance to discuss your fishing experience and explain what may work best for you

The 3 styles of fishing are

Sight Fishing - These trips are my specialty as you can tell from my business name, Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters. They are not, however for beginner anglers or kids. They require patience while stalking the fish. No noise on the deck of the boat, and quick accurate casts to fish you can see. If your casting skills are not up to the challenge, sight fishing will often end in zero catching. The excitement of knowing there is a fish you can reach and watching the fish eat your lure is addicting and exciting. This type of charter is also much more difficult if there is heavy wind, dirty water, or lack of sun.

Blind Casting Lures or Flies - Nonstop casting lures to cover large areas of water is a popular method of fishing Mosquito Lagoon. This tactic can work in any weather or light conditions and requires far less casting skill than needed for sight fishing charters. Two anglers can fish from the front deck at the same time with spinning tackle. You can catch redfish, seatrout, drum, snook, and more while blind casting. While I don't usually recommend it to clients, some anglers will blind cast using fly fishing tackle. For maximum success, long casts are required to cover enough water

Fishing With Bait - This is by far the most popular charter option but one I personally do not offer except for kids trips and for inexperienced anglers. Using live or dead baits, including shrimp, mullet, pinfish, pigfish, croakers, mud minnows, pilchards, crabs, ladyfish and more, anglers put a bait on a hook, throw it out and wait for a bite. This type of fishing takes little to no casting skills, is super effective at catching, and can be done year round in all weather. Most guides love it because they don't have to worry about their client's getting frustrated when they can't cast to the targets. These trips usually end with something being caught but since it it not sight fishing, you cannot always control what is going to bite. one day it can be non-stop redfish, the next 10-1 catfish.

Watch this video on How to improve your Sight Fishing Skills

Tell your guide exactly what you would prefer to do

Now knowing the fishing options, make sure you tell your guide before the day of the trip what you would prefer to do. Not all guides offer all options. Some specialize in live bait trips, others might do more fly or lure fishing. You may tell your guide what you prefer to do and they may explain how that may not be the best option for success based on weather, water, time of year, etc.

Some guides have been known to stretch the truth and tell clients that only certain styles work all the time or steer them towards the guide's favorite style whether or not another style actually works. If something sounds funny, ask around. Do a little research on your own and don't just pick from the first Google listing you see. With the number of huge fishing guide listing aggregates dominating the search result pages, inexperienced, unethical, and poorly equipped guides have the chance to get their listing in front of lots of customers. As with all things you are going to spend your money on, check around and dig deeper before sending a deposit to the first thing you see.

What should you need to bring

All legitimate guides in this area provide all licenses, and tackle. Some, not all, may have an extra fee for live bait trips. Some provide water, others prefer you bring your own. For shallow water flats fishing trips, guides will prefer you use their onboard cooler instead of bringing yours, which you will have to step over all day.

Sunglasses are a must have, sunscreen is a should have. If you are going to be doing any sight fishing, it will be nearly impossible if you do not have polarized glasses. Copper, brown or amber lenses far outperform gray. Even a $15 pair of glasses will make a huge difference in the amount of fish you will see. Some guides may carry a pair for clients to use but best to bring your own. If you wear prescription lenses and don't have polarized glasses, consider getting a pair of clip on or fit over lenses

Space on flats skiffs is limited, if you don't need it for your trip, don't bring it. never leave valuables that can be seen in your car at any boat ramp in Florida no matter how remote

Ask about rain gear ahead of time if the weather looks spotty, some guides carry extra sets, some do not

When in doubt about anything you may or may not need, be sure to ask your guide before the trip, not after it starts

Have reasonable expectations

Fishing guides all want you to catch the most and biggest fish ever. I have never met one who does not. We do not, however, have a magic wand that can control the weather, fish movements, or whether a particular fish eats when you want it to. We do our best to put the client in the best position to catch the fish the want to target. One day there can seemingly be a fish in every direction and they next day they have vanished.

Clients should judge the day by the effort their guide put forth to give them a successful trip. Did the guide move to different spots if nothing was biting? Did they try different tactics if you wanted to switch. Did they offer you options? Did they do their best to help you refine your techniques or talk on the phone all day? Was the boat and equipment clean and ready to go? Guides can control a lot of things but fish biting is not one of them

About the Author

Capt. Chris Myers is a full-time saltwater fishing guide in Central Florida for over 20 years and an FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor. He specializes in Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Charters for redfish, seatrout, drum, and tarpon .