South Indian River Fishing Report 9/30

September 30, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Windy, rainy weather continued along the Treasure Coast again this week. Tropical storms out in the ocean certainly effected our weather. October begins the transition into fall. You can feel the change in the air. The hot weather is slowly easing its grip on the area and milder temperatures will gradually make the days much more comfortable. Fall is a great time of year for fishing!

Mark Amorello was down this past week and we did get out one day to do some fishing. Lots of trout around the river have been busy feeding on live baits, DOA shrimp and CAL jerk baits. We hooked up on a couple redfish from around the mangroves and one snook to finish out the day. Everything was caught on DOA lures. Somehow we managed to skirt all the rain clouds around us.

I drove up to fish with my best friend, Capt Pat Wells, and his son, Dalton over the weekend. We fished the Banana River in Cocoa Beach. Again, lots and lots of trout out there on DOA shrimp. Once the ladyfish moved in and kept us busy for a while, we loaded up and headed to look for some redfish. It took a short time to find a tailing school of reds in four feet of water. Casting three lines loaded with chunks of ladyfish ahead of the school, we were seconds from hooking up on two reds. Dalton landed a 36" beauty while mine kept fighting. Finally, I landed my fish which measured 42" and left us with lots of memories to end the day.

You can find plenty of trout on the grass flats. Bear Point, Round Island and Harbor Branch have all produced trout for us. The CAL jerk baits and DOA shrimp continue to keep us busy on the trout. Work them slowly along the bottom and you should have plenty of action. We have found redfish on the shallow flats around mangroves. Work a DOA shrimp very slowly under the mangroves. Snook have been biting, but it has been difficult to fish the jetties most of the week. Try around the jetties, bridges and docks with TerrorEyz or live baits.

October Forecast:

As the water temperatures slowly begin to cool off, you can bet the fish will get more active. As the mullet run continues the fish will take advantage of the plentiful food sources around the river. Top water lures early can get some exciting action on the flats. Switch to CAL jerk baits on light jig heads and fish flats, docks and mangroves to find a variety of fish. Black drum and snapper can be found around the bridges and structure of the river. Trout will continue to be very active on the flats. Redfish will be in the shallows and snook can be found around the usual haunts. Get out early for the best opportunity and have fun out there on the river.

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner

http://www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

This weeks action on the Indian

South Indian River Fishing Report 9/23

September 23, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

The winds are still blowing out there as storms out in the Atlantic continue to push the wind out of the east. The ocean has been rough most days, but you can still fish the river....at least on the east shoreline. The fish are biting in spite of windy days out there. You just need to plan your trips to use the wind to your advantage. We have fished the east side of the river from Bear Point up to Queen's Cove with good results this week.

Eric, Alex, Tina and Etta joined me for the Michael Shields Memorial Fishing Tournament this past week. Alex is six years old and Etta is eight, so our plan was to let the kids have fun that day. Alex is an avid fisherman and was excited about fishing on the flats. We headed up to Bear Point to seek out some sea trout for him. We lost track of the trout that he and dad, Eric, caught that morning. No big takers, but lots of nice size slot trout. DOA Deadly Combos, CAL jerk baits and live shrimp kept the guys busy fishing all morning. Tina and daughter, Etta, joined us by mid morning and we found more trout willing to bite. Young Alex caught a nice redfish up on another flat, while Eric caught a snook from under the mangroves. We finished with five fish on our score card for the tournament, but the fun we had with Alex and Etta outweighed filling out the score card.

Trout continue to be the best bite out there. Fish the bait schools or in three to five feet of water for some good trout action. Snapper continue to feed around bridges, channel edges and structure. The snook bite slowed a little, but that is more due to the winds that kept many anglers from fishing. Redfish are up shallow in the sandy flats. DOA shrimp or live bait works well on getting them to bite. The surf has been hard to fish due to the east wind, but whiting should be feeding whenever it slows back down. It has been a fun week out on the water!

Tip of the Week:

Kids and fishing is always a great combination. The excitement and thrill they have out on the water fills your heart with joy. I have had a good many kids out on the boat this year and we have had many days of fun watching them catch fish. Even if you don't have kids or grandkids close by, you have friends or neighbors who do. Taking a kid out fishing allows you to teach them about fishing and boating. The rewards are fantastic when you watch them catch fish and see that big smile. I take the grandkids out fishing and have volunteered for Teen Anglers for many years now. TAKE A KID FISHING SOON!

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner

http://www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Some of this weeks fishing photos....

South Indian River Fishing Report 9/17

September 17, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Milder weather has been welcomed this week along the Treasure Coast. It has been breezier and the temperatures have been below 90 degrees most of the week. You can sense that the fall weather patterns are now fast approaching. Snook season has finally opened and I found lots of eager anglers that were planning on being out there on opening night. It should prove to be a great season this year.

I volunteered for the first Teen Angler tournament of the year. There are a lot of eager teens out there eager to fish and enjoy the water. I had CJ, Ashley and Michael on my boat. We had a lot of exciting action and the teens caught a lot of fish. Most were not on the fish list or too small though. Ashley weighed in two mangrove snapper and Michael had one keeper trout. They are all anxiously waiting for next months tournament. Got a boat and interested in volunteering?? Call Joe or Cammie Ward at 772-201-5770. You will enjoy it!

I had Shane, Lisa and 6 year old, Zack, on the boat later this week. It was on the breezy side, but we found enough areas to fish and the fish were hungry that day. They caught about forty fish which were mostly trout. About a dozen were slot size and they took home some nice fish for dinner. We lost a few bigger fish, but Lisa hooked up on a beautiful 29" snook that gave her a battle. We took a few photos and released it unharmed.....the day before snook season opened and we catch a slot fish! Young Zack caught his share of fish as well. It was a fun day on the water.

The trout bite continues to be the best action on the river. We have had very good success on the CAL jerk baits and shad tails. The trout can't seem to resist them when fished slowly along the bottom. I favor the Arkansas Glow or Silver Mullet colors for trout. On a 1/16th CAL jig head, you will certainly find some nice action this time of year. Live shrimp on popping corks or the DOA Deadly Combo is also a great way to fish the flats. I was fishing along with the Teens on their tournament and caught a 25" redfish and 23 3/4" gag grouper on CAL jerk baits.

Snook fishing is back in full swing. The jetties, bridges, docks and seawalls will all be fished hard this week. Live bait, TerrorEyz (rootbeer), feather jigs and diving plugs are popular for snook fishing. Top water lures or a DOA Big Fish Lure on the flats can help you find a snook patrolling the edges. Getting on the water early can also improve your chances.

There are still a lot of snapper around the river. Channel edges, structure and bridges have all held fish. Black drum and sheephead have also been caught in the same places. Whiting along the beaches has been a staple this year. You can find some tarpon, snook and jacks around the jetties feeding on the tides. Fall is always a great time to fish the Treasure Coast!

Tip of the Week:

When using jig heads on the flats, I like to use the lightest possible for the best action. Lighter jig heads let the lures move a little more freely and lifelike. A 1/16th ounce won't dive into the grass as much as the heavier heads. You can bounce them slowly on top of the grass and have much more success. Windier conditions might call for a heavier head, but try moving to a 1/8th head instead of the usual 1/4th ounce. Light tackle and the weight of the body can aid in getting a reasonable cast. Make sure to use a loop knot to give the lure the freedom of movement and making it more attractive to the fish. Have some fun out there!

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner

http://www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Lisa with her 29" snook, son Zack and dad, Shane, with one of his trout and Spencer with a trout he recently caught.

South Indian River Fishing Report 9/3

September 2, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

September arrived with the usual active hurricane systems out in the ocean. Sitting here being thankful that none seems to be heading this direction and hoping that the rest of the eastern coast remains safe this season. The winds have been blowing most of the week and offshore swells have kept anglers at bay as well. I did manage a trip this week that ended up with several good rain soaking hours out on the river. We had fun in spite of getting wet.

Pat and Dalton Wells came down from Cocoa Beach for what ended up being a good day full of rain clouds all over the Fort Pierce area. Seemed like everywhere we ventured, the clouds kept pace with us until we finally got good and wet. The bite was good with trout, jacks, mackerel and blue runners keeping us busy when we could fish. It was a good day anyway. The weather will get back to normal for a while until the next storm brews up out on the ocean.

Trout have continued to bite well on the flats. We found good action in three to five feet of water around Harbor Branch area and Round Island. DOA CAL jerk baits worked best for us on 1/16th ounce jig heads. Work them slowly along the bottom for your best results. Top water in the early mornings can also be rewarded with good action. Redfish are being taken along the shallows north of Harbor Branch and around the docks to the south. DOA shrimp or TerrorEyz works great for redfish. Mackerel, jacks, blue runners and some bonito have been invading the inlet and turning basin this week. Small shiny lures can give you lots of fun action with a variety of fish. Whiting along the beaches and snapper around the bridges, structure and channel edges are still biting. The mullet are starting to move in now....so get out fishing soon!

Snook Season Opening:

Snook season will finally re-open on September 17th. The commission decided that snook season would open as previously announced. It will close on December 15th as normal, but will stay closed until September 1, 2011. You can expect that lots of anglers will be getting ready for the upcoming season and you should anticipate lots of boaters and anglers around the jetties and bridges the first several days of the opening. Live bait, TerrorEyz, deep diving plugs and jigs will be the best bet for a chance at a keeper snook this month. Make sure your snook permit is current along with your license because you know you will have a good chance at being checked. Have fun and be safe out there this snook season!

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner

http://www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852