How to Fish the DOA Shrimp in Mosquito Lagoon (Redfish & Trout Guide)
If you’ve spent any time fishing Mosquito Lagoon, you already know this place can humble you quickly. Clear, shallow water, skittish fish, and very little room for error.
That’s exactly why, after more than 20 years of guiding these waters, I keep coming back to one lure over and over again: the DOA Shrimp.
It’s not hype. It’s not trendy. It just flat-out works. I’ve had a front-row seat to its success not just as a guide, but as a longtime friend of the man who created it, Mark Nichols.
Why the DOA Shrimp Works in Mosquito Lagoon
Mosquito Lagoon is a sight-fishing fishery. Most days, you’re targeting redfish and seatrout in shallow water where fish can see and hear almost everything around them. They spook easily, and you often don’t get a second chance.
The DOA Shrimp solves that presentation problem better than just about anything else I’ve thrown.
It matches the hatch. Shrimp are a food source in the Lagoon, and the DOA Shrimp looks, glides, and settles like the real thing.
It lands softly. Unlike heavier lures, the DOA Shrimp can enter the water quietly. That matters more than many anglers realize when casting to fish in clear, shallow water.
It stays in the strike zone. Its slow sink rate allows you to keep the lure in front of a fish longer, which can be critical when sight fishing.
How I Fish the DOA Shrimp
There’s a right way and a wrong way to fish this lure. One of the biggest mistakes I see is fishing it too fast.
Make a soft, accurate cast. You want to lead the fish, not land the lure on top of it. I’m usually casting two to four feet ahead of a moving redfish.
Let it sink naturally. This is where the magic happens. Don’t immediately start working the lure. Give it time to fall naturally like a real shrimp.
Use subtle twitches. I’m not jerking the rod or making big movements. I use light twitches, just enough to make the shrimp look alive.
Pause often. The pause is what triggers many bites. If you’re constantly moving the lure, you’re probably fishing it too fast.
Best Conditions for Throwing a DOA Shrimp
I’ll throw a DOA Shrimp year-round, but there are certain conditions when it really shines.
Clear water: The more important a natural presentation becomes, the better this lure performs.
Light wind: Lighter wind makes it easier to make the quiet, accurate casts that shallow-water sight fishing demands.
Shallow flats: In water roughly one to three feet deep, the slow, natural presentation of the DOA Shrimp can really separate it from other lures.
Best DOA Shrimp Colors for Mosquito Lagoon
I’ve tested just about every color they make, but there are a few I keep coming back to.
Natural/Clear: This is my go-to choice in clear water.
Root Beer: A good option when the water is slightly stained.
Glow: I like this option during early morning and other low-light conditions.
Whats the best color? The one you cast where the fish are and make it act like they think a bait should. Casting trumps color any day.
If I had to pick just one, I’d choose Natural.
Common Mistakes I See Anglers Make
After more than 20 years of guiding anglers on Mosquito Lagoon and the surrounding Central Florida waters, I see many of the same mistakes repeated.
Fishing too fast. Slow down. Then slow down again. The DOA Shrimp doesn’t need a lot of action from the angler to be effective.
Casting too close to the fish. Landing the lure directly beside or on top of a redfish can turn an opportunity into a spooked fish. Give yourself enough room to let the fish discover the lure naturally.
Overworking the lure. This isn’t a topwater plug. You don’t need to constantly make the lure move. Let the DOA Shrimp do its thing.
When the DOA Shrimp Outperforms Other Lures
There are days when fish won’t touch anything else. I’ve had clients throw soft plastics, topwaters, and gold spoons and get ignored. Then we switch to a DOA Shrimp and start getting bites.
That isn’t about some magic lure. It comes down to presentation. In clear, shallow water with pressured fish, a quiet and natural presentation can make the difference.
Final Thoughts from Mosquito Lagoon
After more than 20 years guiding Mosquito Lagoon and the nearby Indian River Lagoon, I can tell you there are plenty of good inshore lures available. There aren’t nearly as many that I trust to consistently produce around clear water, shallow flats, and pressured fish.
The DOA Shrimp is one of them.
Learning to fish it effectively is less about adding action and more about knowing when to leave the lure alone. Make an accurate cast, let the shrimp settle naturally, use subtle twitches, and give the fish time to eat it.
Whether I’m sight fishing for redfish or targeting seatrout on the shallow flats, the DOA Shrimp remains one of the most reliable tools in my tackle box.
Learn to Fish the DOA Shrimp on Mosquito Lagoon
If you want to learn how to fish the DOA Shrimp while sight fishing the shallow waters of Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon, that is exactly the type of fishing I do on my guided trips.
There is no substitute for seeing how the presentation works around real fish. Learning where to cast, how long to let the lure fall, when to move it, and when to leave it alone can make a major difference when targeting shallow-water redfish and seatrout.
Book a Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Charter
If you want to learn how to fish the DOA Shrimp for redfish and seatrout, book a guided Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Charter with Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters. I’ll show you how I use this lure while sight fishing the shallow flats and help you improve your casting, presentation, and retrieve around real fish.
After more than 20 years of guiding these waters, I still enjoy watching an angler make the right cast, see a redfish eat the lure, and come tight. It never gets old.