FlatsTime Charters


The Indian River Lagoon System
Taking 240,000 years to form, and designated as the most diverse estuary in North America, the Indian River Lagoon System is well known for its unique plant, fish, fowl, and shoreline animal life. The Indian River Lagoon System contains 20 percent of the mangrove forests found in the eastern United States and provides habitat for 700 species of fish, 310 species of birds, and is home to 1,350 species of plants in its waters or around its shoreline. At this time, its waters are also home to 33 threatened or endangered species.

The upper Indian River Lagoon System isn’t really a river, it’s an estuary, and in the upper reaches there are three separate and distinct lagoons; the Indian River, the Banana River, and Mosquito Lagoon. Bordered by coastal barrier islands broken up by inlets, its widest and longest bodies of water are in north Brevard County. The lagoon system extends from Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County south to Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County. Its length is over 150 miles long, and its width ranges from 1.5 to 5 miles wide. In the Brevard County area the lagoon's depth is regulated by rain, evaporation, and the strength, duration, and direction of wind. Salinity levels in the lagoon system vary according to proximity to the ocean inlets, as well as by evaporation and rain levels.

The seven species of aquatic seagrass living in the lagoon's waters are a vital keystone to its marine life. Please do not throw trash into the water or drive motorized watercraft in areas they aren’t designed to be in. While enjoying this great ecosystem please leave “small footprints” to ensure our great fishery will remain for future generations!

Because of the northern Indian River Lagoon’s uniqueness, a land-locked haven for large redfish has developed. Unlike most coastal inshore areas, many of Brevard County’s mature red drum rarely enter the ocean. As a result Brevard County has developed a fantastic shallow water red drum fishery, perfectly suited to sightfishing for tailing bull redfish!

At the same time, anglers must also take responsibility for our part in preserving our red drum fishery by protecting our breeder-size redfish. Treat them gently & with respect. A mature female red drum can produce up to 2 million eggs per mating event, and may spawn more than once per season. Our red drum fishery is experiencing more boating & fishing pressure and pollution than ever before, and the numbers of boaters, anglers, and new homeowners is constantly growing. Due to increased fishing pressure our redfish are now congregated in smaller areas; especially in Mosquito Lagoon, which currently experiences more fishing pressure than the Indian or the Banana River combined. It’s now common to see multiple shallow draft boats surrounding schools of redfish in Mosquito Lagoon. The long-term affects have yet to be determined, but long-term observation shows that obviously this type of behavior is detrimental. On a positive note, many guides, recreational anglers, and marine biologists are now realizing that the ever-increasing pressure by motorboat anglers is negatively affecting the behavior of our large breeder-size redfish.

Because of the ever-growing pressure on these fish I do not promote or participate in local professional inshore fishing tournaments, nor do I participate in multi-boat corporate charters. My charters are sightfishing/sportfishing with artificials; we don’t chase fish with trolling motors or soak bait, chunks of ladyfish, or mullet. It’s like fishing in a barrel and really not very sporting, and these practices result too often in gut-hooked breeder-size fish. I’ve made these choices to set an example, and to do my part to help protect our unique red drum fishery and the seagrasses on our flats.

The MINWR Banana River Manatee Sanctuary

No-Motor-Zone (NMZ)

The 10,500-acre Banana River Manatee Sanctuary was established in 1994 on the south end of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge in the Banana River between the NASA Causeway and State Road 528. The sanctuary was established in the south end of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge in the Banana River between the NASA Parkway (SR405) and the Beeline/Beachline (SR528). Sanctuary waters and the land to the north & west are owned by NASA and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and is actually the southern-most part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. To the east, (the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station) is owned by The US Air Force. It is patrolled by The FWC, the USFWS, the US Coast Guard, and a Space Center contractor, Space Gateway Systems (SGS).

The “No Entry" area of the Zone north of NASA Causeway is the actual manatee sanctuary. Entry by the general public there in any form is a Federal violation. Following an environmental assessment after the closure of the sanctuary in 1990, the lower portion of the no entry zone was converted into a non-motorized watercraft area. Camping is not permitted and several of the islands are closed to protect nesting birds. Anglers are allowed to enter the southern-most portion of the NMZ by wading or with non-motorized vessels only. This includes any vessel having an attached or non-attached internal combustion or electric trolling motor capable of use. The boundary of the No Motor Zone is delineated with signs. This is one of the few places in Florida free from motorboats and is a popular destination for paddlers and fishermen.

It is a pristine area with extensive seagrass flats that are comprised mostly of Cuban shoal grass, manatee grass, and widgeon grass. It’s an extremely special place and I love the peace and tranquility it offers canoe & kayak anglers. I fish there frequently because of its great fishery, and to get away from the motorboat crowds in the northern Indian River & Mosquito Lagoon.

I work hard for my clients when we’re out there. Few local guides offer nmz trips because it can be such hard work. On cold winter days, during the dead-calm heat of summer, and many times in screaming wind, putting in my time and poling my canoe in search of big fish an average distance of 10 to 12 miles or more. My charters in the nmz are normally six to eight hour trips, and weather permitting I’m out there two or three days a week. When you fish the Zone with me, you fish and I pole, and I commit myself 100% to help you catch fish!

The open waters of the Banana River can be very rough during windy conditions, so it’s best to get a weather forecast before planning your trip or picking a launch site. Whether you fish by kayak or canoe I can help you learn how to catch big fish in the Zone. I know where the fish are, where they aren’t, and why, and I know when the fishing is good and when it’s not. When you call me inquiring about a charter you can trust that I will always be honest with you so you aren’t wasting your time and money.

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Located east of Titusville, Merritt Island has the distinction of being the home of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR), and the Canaveral National Seashore. In cooperation with NASA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed MINWR since the lands were purchased in 1963. The second largest refuge in Florida, MINWR and its surrounding waterways offer a sanctuary for plants and animals from both the tropical and temperate climate zones. Along its western edge is the Indian River Lagoon, North America's longest and most biologically diverse estuary. The Refuge consists of 140,000 acres of salt marsh, freshwater impoundments, brackish estuaries, hardwood hammocks, pine flatwoods and scrub.

The MINWR supports more threatened and endangered animals than any other single refuge in the continental U.S., including the Florida manatee, bald eagle, wood stork, gopher tortoise and eastern indigo snake. More than 6,000 alligators call the refuge home. Approximately one-half of the refuge consists of brackish estuaries and marshes. The remaining lands consist of coastal dunes, scrub oaks, pine forests & flatwoods, and palm & oak hammocks. Over 500 species of wildlife inhabit the refuge, with 15 being listed as federally threatened or endangered.

Bird watching in a variety of habitats on the refuge can be exceptional, particularly from November through March. Impoundments and salt marshes offer the best viewing opportunities. One of the most popular areas is Black Point Wildlife Drive, a seven-mile one-way driving loop, which provides an opportunity to observe birds and wildlife without leaving your vehicle. Wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl, gulls, terns, rails, sparrows, blackbirds and raptors can be seen along the wildlife drive. Near the middle there's an observation tower. The Cruickshank Trail, a semi-natural five-mile walking trail around an impounded salt marsh, also starts at this point.

The MINWR Visitors Center is located about 2 miles east of the Black Point Road & SR402 intersection. The refuge also offers more than 40 miles of drivable dike roads for unparalleled wildlife viewing. In late spring there's a good chance you'll see roseate spoonbill, reddish egrets, great blue, little blue, tricolor and black-crowned night herons, great and snowy egrets, white ibises, brown pelicans, and cormorants. In winter, lesser scaups, white pelicans, loons, red-breasted mergansers, and horned grebes may also be seen on the open waters of the lagoon. Prime bird viewing time is March through July.
One of the last three strongholds of the threatened Florida scrub-jay is found in the Refuge's scrub habitat. An observation tower is located on the Scrub Ridge Trail, which is north of the intersection of SR 406 and SR 3. About a half-dozen scrub jay families maintain territories along the Scrub Ridge Trail. A dirt road system on the southeast side of Haulover Canal also passes through prime scrub habitat where Florida scrub jays may be seen.

Mosquito Lagoon info from the US Fish & Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/ccp/MosqLagoonBackgroundInfo.pdf

Capt. Robert A. Jaspers ~ USCG #955013 ~ flatstime@cfl.rr.com
321.626.0104