South Indian River Fishing Report 10/23

October 23, 2009


INSHORE:

As our first winter front blew into the area, reminders of things to come was sure in my mind. A cold front followed by windy days made it challenging for sure. We did manage to get out a few days later this week and skirted most of the wind to fish around the river. The weekend looks much more favorable, so plan to get out now that this front has finally calmed down.

The trout bite continues to be the best around the river. John, Tom and Jeff were out with me on Thursday and we found a great trout bite later in the morning. Lots of trout, a couple reds and a variety of other fish kept them busy once the bite took off. Larry, from West Palm, and Richard, from Oklahoma, were out with me today and after a couple of spots, the trout bite again turned on for us. Live shrimp, DOA Deadly Combos, and CAL jerk baits kept our reels busy on the trout flats. There are some big gators out there, too. Richard had three on that ended up getting the best of him. We did boat a number of good trout in the 18 - 22 inch class. Bear Point, Queen's Cove and Round Island are all good areas to get in on the trout action.

The inlet has been busy with mutton snapper. While most are undersize, many bigger fish have been taken. Not a lot of snook report with the windy conditions, but they are out there feeding, too. Pompano and Spanish mackerel have invaded the river. Captain Chris Nelson sent me a report of skipping just south of Fort Pierce. The deeper flats from the south bridge down to the power plant will be holding pompano. Spanish mackerel have been in the inlet and turning basin and also just south of Fort Pierce in the deeper flats. We hooked up on a nice Spanish on the Deadly Combo this week. It's a great time of year to fish!

Tip of the Week:

We are getting into that breezy time of year when most days will bring some kind of windy weather. Using the wind to your advantage can also help in your fishing. Drifting the flats can give you the opportunity to fish a larger area to find the fish bite. Both days this week, we would start near the lee side of the land and let the wind drift us across the flats. Each time we found that trout would be feeding in certain parts of the flats. With each drift, we would move a little north or south of the last one. Once the bite stops, move back again. You can fish big areas and once you find a good bite, it's easy to anchor in the productive areas. I seldom anchor up to fish. I have went to an area that had a good bite one day and nothing the next. By using a drift method, you will many times find that the fish are there, but just in another part of the flat that day. It works!

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
http://www.fishtalescharter.com/
email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852