Little Lagoon Summer Fishing

Hey everybody, first post for me. My name is Jimmy and I'm a fanatic kayak fisherman born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, FL currently living in Nashville, TN. My wife and I are taking a vacation and staying right on the Little Lagoon in late July and I can't put into words how excited I am to get to finally chase the same species that I spent so many years catching in south Florida! It's been 13 years...

I'll be bringing my kayak and promised my wife I'd only spend one day fishing haha but it will be a FULL day! Basically, I've been out of saltwater for some time now and any advice is greatly appreciated. I'd love nothing more than to get my kayak tugged around by a nice redfish and also to take a few specks home for me and the wife to have a fresh fish dinner one night.

Not at all asking for anyone's secret spots but if anyone could chip in with some advice for patterns and areas that time of the year that would be fantastic and I'd gladly return the favor if any of you happen to head to Tennessee. I pretty much have my lure selection figured out but any tips there would also be appreciated :D

Welcome MTF!
It sounds like you've done your 'homework' and will have a great time on the Little Lagoon.
Early morning and late afternoon are going to be your best bet that time of year, but fishing any available dock lights at night is where fishing can really 'shine'!

The species you will encounter most should be familiar to you (speckled trout, silver seatrout and redfish) and you should encounter some croaker and maybe flounder, but likely not any snook around here :-(

Hope this helps!

I was wanting to reply but couldn't seem to get past the 'one day of fishing' part of his post!!!

Haha well you know... it wouldn't be nice of me to go on vacation with my wife and then leave her alone everyday just so I could fish. It's a fishing/scouting outing that day. I plan to make another trip later in the Summer by myself or with a few of my kayak fishing crew from here and we'll spend 3-4 days fishing like madmen.

I am with Dave on this one. I love my wife and kids, but one day, that would be hard to do. Cant wait to get down myself and fish for one day, or three/four. Good luck midtennfisher when you come down and safe travels.

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Originally Posted by bfreeland38

I am with Dave on this one. I love my wife and kids, but one day, that would be hard to do. Cant wait to get down myself and fish for one day, or three/four. Good luck midtennfisher when you come down and safe travels.

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There's a long dock behind the house we're renting. I can't guarantee that I won't be out there at sunrise/sunset sometimes for an hour but as far as the entire sunrise to sunset fishing, I'm only doing that one day. When I make another trip back it will be alone or with fishing buddies and will be 3-4 days of hardcore fishing.

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Originally Posted by MidTennFisher

Haha well you know... it wouldn't be nice of me to go on vacation with my wife and then leave her alone everyday just so I could fish. It's a fishing/scouting outing that day. I plan to make another trip later in the Summer by myself or with a few of my kayak fishing crew from here and we'll spend 3-4 days fishing like madmen.

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I'm just messing with you. I usually only get to visit lower Alabama once a year or every other year. One thing to consider is when she's wanting to go to the beach, go to one that you can fish at also. May have to move down a little bit away from people but I've done it. I have a wife and three kids so I know how you feel.

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Originally Posted by Dave

I'm just messing with you. I usually only get to visit lower Alabama once a year or every other year. One thing to consider is when she's wanting to go to the beach, go to one that you can fish at also. May have to move down a little bit away from people but I've done it. I have a wife and three kids so I know how you feel.

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Oh I specifically looked for a place we could do both, that's why we're headed to the Little Lagoon! I did my research on the place. Great fishing for me and then right across the street is a beautiful beach.

I meant surf fishing straight off the beach while she catches a few rays.

I may give that a shot. For the reds down there I was thinking of using my goto lure down in the Florida Bay which was a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon. Matter of fact, I think that's the only lure I caught redfish on. Is that a producer in the lagoon? I'd cast them way past some visible tailing reds, bring it past them at a steady retrieve and watch them slam it. For specks and flounder I was going to get some of the Berkley Gulp shrimp lures. Those and some paddletail swimbaits should do just fine. What do you all think?