Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide
New Smyrna Beach • Orlando • Daytona

One Hour from Disney, SeaWorld, Universal
and Kennedy Space Center

Capt. Karty Sills
386-423-3474

Frequently Asked Questions
What Do We Need To Bring?
No Fishing License Required

• Polarized Sunglasses for everyone in your party. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a pair for it to make a huge difference in your experience. Polarization makes it possible to see through the glare of the water surface to the structures below. This ability greatly adds to the Wow Factor of the ride through the shallow waters and increases visibility of the fish. You may see your fish actually take your bait!
• If you are going to use sunscreen or insect repellent we recommend that everyone applies it before you leave your home or lodging for your trip. Make sure everyone gets their sunscreen and repellent off their hands. Nothing turns fish off more that a hint of sunscreen on a rig or lure. And it Kills Live Bait Quick!
  
• Please bring your own beverages and snacks. Bring more water than you think you will need. You may bring your cooler.
• Bug repellent may be necessary for the boat ramp area, mostly in the summer months. There is a good reason they call it Mosquito Lagoon. Generally bugs are not a problem after the boat leaves the ramp area.
  
• Cool Weather trips, dress in layered clothing. Remember the ride can be quite nip, even in warmer temperatures.
• You should consider wearing a Hat and remember to bring your own Camera. We would love for you to share any pictures you have after your trip. Please email them to us.

How Many Anglers Can You Take?

You can bring up to four anglers. Our boat is one of the few that can comfortably accommodate four anglers.

The most Capt. Karty can take is two adults and three children. If you have a larger party, we can arrange to provide other captains and boats for a Multi-Boat Charter.

“We had a great time! My dad will always remember our special day of fishing. Thanks!”

-Andy DeWitt

“This was our first experience salt-water fishing and what a great one it was! We each caught a Redfish, which was very exciting. Thanks Capt. Karty for being patient with us and teaching us newcomers.”

-Tammy and Jenny

What About The Weather?

The weather forecasts here are notoriously wrong.

The majority of our trips are concluded before noon and foul weather is not a concern.

Please do not put much faith in local weather forecasts. They are talking percentages and a large percentage of our trips are completed without rain or foul weather. Trips may be postponed an hour or two when warranted to allow for the occasional morning shower. Karty finds that trips after morning showers are predominantly great trips. The barometric pressure changes and the fish turn on. Also the rain discourages others from joining us.

Capt. Karty gets up in the wee hours to prepare for your trip. If the weather, at that point, looks nasty, he does not want to fish in it and he will postpone or cancel. If you are traveling a distance, we will try to let you know before you begin your drive.
If you cancel before the day of your trip, it will cost you $100. If the weather is truly not fishable, Karty will cancel on the day of your trip and you will owe nothing. Since 1992, we have never heard from an angler that they felt they should not have been fishing due to unsafe conditions.

Trips are weather cancellable by the Captain only,
only on the day of your trip.

What is Your Cancellation Policy?

Capt. Karty just wants to fish.
That said, we will certainly attempt to rebook your date. If we cannot, we reserve the right to charge up to $100 per trip cancelled. We take each situation individually and try to be extremely fair and have very rarely charged for cancellation. If we turned down a trip due to your reservation, you will be charged the $100. If you fail to call or show up, you will definitely be charged the $100.

"Karty knew exactly where to find fish. Even with bad weather conditions we still caught fish. Thank you both for the awesome fishing experience. Fishing topwater is one of my favorite ways to catch Bass but Reds beat them hands down."

-Brad Ribbens of Plymouth, Wisconsin

“As a mom I admit I was afraid to take my three boys on a fishing trip. What if we didn’t catch anything? How patient would they be on a 20 foot fishing boat in the middle of Mosquito Lagoon? Well, that never happened, we caught more fish than we could bring home! One son’s quote was ‘This was one of the best days of my life.’”

-Diana. Peter, Jeff and Jacob

“My sons and I went on our first fishing trip and are glad we chose Capt. Karty. It was a terrific experience and we would do it again in a heartbeat.”

-Mike Keating

“Capt. Karty knows just where to go to find fish and he helps just enough!”

-Trisha Scheible

How Can We Make Our Trip More Productive?

Your fishing trip can be made more productive by accurate casting. You may want to try this to help the other anglers in your party. Take a rod, with a quarter ounce weight tied on, to a grassy area. Practice aiming for a garbage can lid, Frizbee, Hoola-hoop, or similar item. Move around the yard and cast from different distances.

Quiet Catches Fish! Of course, you can talk and we play music on board. It is the heavy stepping and hatch slamming that spooks the fish and sends them scattering. Try to explain this to the others in your party and remind them right before the trip to close the hatches gently and step lightly. It may be helpful to remove the shoes of the little ones you bring with you. It does help when they have a difficult time remembering. When you know fish are very close to the boat, you should even avoid sudden movements.

“If you like to fish, we found a great guide to take you back water fishing. His name is Capt. Karty Sills. He was very patient with the four of us including our 6 year old daughter who did not know how to use a fishing rod. The fishing was good, the wildlife was spectacular including seeing Manatees next to the boat. He knows the best places to go for Red Fish and they taste great.”

-Joann Bason, Mill Hill, Penn.