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Mosquito Lagoon: Another Florida Fishing & Golf Getaway Capt Doug Sinclair was key in bringing me to this area for my "Fishing the Flats" TV Series. Besides realizing his great expertise in fly fishing, Doug knows a no. of other great fishing guides like Capt Denny Mialki in which I also did a TV Show with . Knowing this, group packages are a snap especially when you can also play some great golf down the road while you are vacationing in New Smyrna Beach. Henry Waszczuk Fins for Fishing: Saltwater Flats & Backwater............................. by Capt Doug Sinclair Except for times when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, the fishing here is great year round, but best from September through mid-June. You can see cruising fish working a grass line, oyster bed, or meandering along the white and black mangroves. They make huge pushes as they arch their backs and patrol the flats. Trout look like miniature submarines. This is the home of Florida's famous redfish, sea trout, jack cravelle, snook, and black drum. And if you like to golf, New Smyrna Beach area has that too. Turnbull Bay Golf Course in New Smyrna Beach Development of Turnbull Bay Golf Course began centuries ago as little oaks pushed up from the forest floor to become the moss-shrouded giants that shade the fairways today. Designed by Gary Wintz, a five-year veteran of the PGA Tour and former head pro at Walt Disney World, the championship course is an environmental masterpiece. Hammocks of ancient trees are utilized as course hazards. Magnificent pines and tropical palmettos frame the fairways offering an exquisite balance of nature and sport. Beautiful lakes present a challenge to golfers while offering refuge to wildlife.The course boasts 6,800 yards of softly rolling fairways, meticulously sculpted from the natural vegetation. There are four sets of tees, which vary the length, allowing all levels of golfers a challenging sports experience.The greens are tifdwarf and the fairways are Bermuda. Enthusiasts find an ample number of both sand and grass bunkers. In addition to the fantastic natural amenities at the course, there is a beautiful clubhouse and pro-shop adjacent to a large practice green and driving range.
Turnbull Bay Golf Course	A close look at a tailing redfish

Why Mosquito Lagoon

Well, here's a small secret that a lot of people, who have gotten addicted to the kind of madness a 32-pound redfish creates on the end of a fly line, may not be aware of. East Central Florida is known as the Redfish and Spotted Sea Trout Capital of the World. Only one other place can claim such a feat - the Abacos as the Bonefish Capital of the World. There are other parts of Florida that lay claim to fishing conditions that boast record fish. The fact is, more than 80 IGFA World Records have been set and broken in Mosquito Lagoon. The largest Black Drum on record is hanging in the IGFA Hall of Fame in Dania Florida. It and two others were caught on 2-, 4- and 6-pound test the largest weighing in at 90-pounds, all caught by New Smyrna Beach resident Raleigh Werking.

Imagine being guided or poled over a lush bed of grass. Water so clear you can make out the blades on the turtle grass, or see individual pebbles in potholes of yellow sand. Redfish stand out with their copper bodies and their arched backs as they make a run or tail up when feeding on the bottom. They can be seen up to 100 yards away. Their tails are edged with a beautiful iridescent blue and that spot. The excitement created by seeing a large game fish make a huge push is unmistakable. Your adrenalin will soar. Your heart will beat faster. And a hookup will test your strength. You'll hear line zinging off the reel and the mighty fish rocketing across the flat. Your arms will burn as you pull against the running redfish. This memory will last you a lifetime. In these shallow water flats you'll see rays, crabs, and baitfish, and an occasional tiger shrimp leap out of the water. Your senses will be heightened by the beauty of this place.

Records showed that man inhabited the lagoon for as long as 15,000 years. Second only in size to the Chesapeake Bay, Mosquito Lagoon, part of the Indian River Lagoon System, hosts some of the most diverse marine and wildlife habitat found in North America. Mosquito Lagoon is a long, shallow estuary that runs from the southern limits of New Smyrna Beach south to Haulover Canal in Titusville.

Redfish: one of of the hardest fighting fish in the flats of Mosquito Lagoon.

The area is a semi-enclosed coastal water body with an inlet connecting to the sea (Ponce Inlet in the North and Sebastian Inlet to the South), where freshwater from rivers, creeks, and canals mix with the salty seawater. As a result it contains more species of mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, invertebrates, trees, algae and sea grasses than anywhere else on this continent. The backwater creeks hold snook, gar, bowfin, large mouth, black drum, bull sharks, spawning bonnet-head and the greatest nursery of baby tarpon. We have everything including river run tarpon to 125 pounds, Spanish mackerel, cobia and barracuda. Imagine hooking up a barracuda - imagine more if you hooked one up on fly.

New Smyrna is one of the best destinations for saltwater fly-fishing. The famous Saltwater Fly Fishing Academy is located here. They have taught many anglers techniques for fly-fishing the flats. This is a great place if you want to learn this sport or brush up on your skills before you head to the Bahamas or Costa Rica. Their students have fished in the Seychelles and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. They have great packages for the traveling angler.

Fish East Central Florida with a number of experienced fishing guides involved in our Saltwater Flyfishing Academy our expertise is very diverse including both light-tackle and fly-fishing the flats, mangroves and creeks from New Smyrna Beach to Palm Coast for redfish, trout, snook, tarpon, jacks, kings, even shark.Send your contact information, preferred dates, and any special requests.A day on the water includes all tackle, Florida fishing license, and cooler with ice. You should bring hat, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, food and drinks for the day. We specialize in corporate events too!

Eco Tours

A mixture of salt and freshwater settles over miles of narrow, white sand flats blanketed by a sea of grass. Nowhere in North America is there as more diverse estuary than Mosquito Lagoon. And, nowhere on the planet can you experience the thrill of being an arms length from bottlenose dolphin, manatees, and a host of other aquatic species and birds. More than 4,000 animals and plant species make their home here. There are 700 salt and freshwater fish species, 300 bird species, and more than 3,000 animals and reptiles. Mother Nature has crowned this area one of the most pristine and diverse ecosystems on the continent, second in size only to Chesapeake Bay.

Whether you fish, paddle, or just enjoy the environment, take your camera and binoculars for some breath-taking scenery. From New Smyrna Beach you'll find many access points for boating. You can hirer a fishing guide to take you to prime light tackle or fly fishing, or eco-tours for sightseeing by pontoon or airboat. You'll have a great trip, I guarantee it!!

Awesome view and great accomodations at Moontide Condos