JB's Fish Camp, Bethune Beach Fishing

JB's Fish Camp is an old-Florida fish camp on the quiet Mosquito Lagoon shore of Bethune Beach, where you can wet a line off the dock and then, if you like, have the restaurant cook what you keep. It is a relaxed, light-tackle spot with some of the lagoon's famous redfish country just beyond the dock.

• A dock on shallow Mosquito Lagoon, with oyster bars and islands nearby
• Redfish, black drum and flounder, plus seatrout and sheepshead
• Rods for rent and bait on sale, so you can show up empty-handed
• A catch-and-cook restaurant and kayak rentals on site

The camp is at 859 Pompano Avenue in Bethune Beach, south of New Smyrna Beach on the lagoon side of the barrier island. It is a privately run business, open to the public.

• Approach: follow the Bethune Beach roads to Pompano Avenue and the camp's own lot
• The visitor bureau says you can bring your own pole and fish right off the dock, or rent one from the camp
• Dock fee and dock hours: not published, so call or ask at the counter
• The restaurant has its own hours; the kayak rental desk runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

This is lagoon fishing, shallow and brackish, so the catch shifts with rain and season.

• Spring (Mar-May): seatrout and redfish on warming flats, black drum around structure
• Summer (Jun-Aug): redfish, snapper and the odd juvenile tarpon; early mornings are best
• Fall (Sep-Nov): bull redfish and mullet-run action along the oyster bars
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum, sheepshead and flounder; seatrout in cooler, clear water

A 7-foot medium spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader covers everything from the dock.

• Redfish and black drum: fresh cut mullet, crab or live shrimp on a light bottom rig
• Seatrout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head
• Flounder: a live finger mullet or a jig bounced slowly along the bottom
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp dropped beside any pilings
• Buy bait here from 8 a.m., or bring your own

Mosquito Lagoon has almost no tide, so water movement comes from wind and the pull of inlets far away.

• A steady breeze that moves water past the dock fishes better than a dead calm
• Early morning and the last hour of daylight are best in summer
• Clear, calm days are good for seeing fish; a hard blow muddies the shallows
• Heavy rain freshens the lagoon and can slow the bite for a few days
• The nearest tide station is at Ponce Inlet; its timing reaches the lagoon late and weak

It is a working dock beside a restaurant, with kayaks coming and going.

• Keep lines clear of paddlers launching nearby
• Shuffle your feet when stepping into the shallows; stingrays rest on the sand
• Leave the dock at the first thunder; summer afternoon storms build fast
• Sun, bugs and heat: bring water, repellent and a hat
• Access: a short walk from the lot to the dock; check the deck boards before bringing small children

Facilities are those of a small restaurant and outfitter, not a park.

• A catch-and-cook restaurant that will cook the fish you bring
• Rod rentals and bait sales, with bait available from 8 a.m.
• Kayak and paddleboard rentals
• Restrooms for customers are likely, but not confirmed; ask on arrival
• Parking is on site; any fee is not published

• Call the camp before you drive out to confirm the dock is open to walk-up anglers that day
• Buy a drink or a meal; it is a business, and the camp is the reason the dock is open
• Wade carefully and quietly near the oyster bars if you launch a kayak; the shells cut
• Bring a cooler and have the camp cook a keeper with fries and slaw
• Polarized glasses help you spot redfish pushing along the flats
• Bethune Beach Park's pier is a short drive away if the dock is busy

JB's Fish Camp is privately run, and the dock is used at the owner's discretion, so follow any signs and staff instructions.

• Dock fee, hours and gear rules are not published; ask on site
• You need your own Florida saltwater fishing license unless you are exempt
• The FWC's Indian River Lagoon region has release rules for redfish; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything