Friday, February 26, 2010

South Indian River Fishing Report 2/25

February 25, 2010

Another week flies by.....another week closer to Spring weather! We did manage some very nice days on the water between those windy ones. The fish continue to bite this week on the Treasure Coast. Weekly weather fronts will challenge you some days, but will offer a few days each week to enjoy the water. Plan your trips to cope with mother nature.

Sheephead, pompano, redfish and jacks were the main catches this week for our adventures. Frank Miller was back this year with a couple friend from up north. They caught lots of sheephead, a dozen pompano, too many jacks and seven redfish to finish out their day on the water. Bob caught most of the pompano on a bare DOA jig head. Pat Garrett was out with his sons, Noah and Eli, and the boys caught a boatload of jacks and sheephead. We headed up on the flats and Noah landed his first redfish. I managed to get out a few hours later in the week and found the trout bite had picked up. Some nice trout in the upper slot range are hitting DOA CAL jerk baits. I found the rootbeer colors to work best on the hungry trout. Bear Point, Round Island and Harbor Branch are good areas to try for redfish and trout....if the wind allows!

Bluefish and mackerel are still around the inlet and turning basin in Fort Pierce. Shiny lures have worked best for the toothy critters. Jacks are everywhere! No matter where we fished this week....you caught jacks. Bridges continue to produce sheephead, bluefish and a few macks. Live or dead shrimp works great on the sheephead. Most of the surf anglers are catching whiting, bluefish, jacks and a few pompano mixed in. It has been a good week on the water.

March Forecast:
As the next cold front moves across the area, you can expect the bite to pick up as the sun warms the water next week. Trout and redfish will continue to be active on the flats. You can find them on sunny days in one to three feet of water. I like CAL jerk baits on a 1/16th ounce jig head when fishing the flats. Move slowly and quietly to get close enough for casting. Docks will hold sheephead, redfish, jacks and small grouper. Try a DOA TerrorEyz or shrimp this time of year around the docks. Water temperatures will slowly begin to rise and you will find the fish becoming more active on the flats. Fish drop offs and the edges of the flats on the moving tides. Bluefish and mackerel will continue to feed around the inlet on the incoming tides. March is a great month to fish the Treasure Coast!

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

Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner

Friday, February 19, 2010

South Indian River Fishing Report 2/19

February 19, 2010


Wintertime on the Treasure Coast can bring lots of challenging days out on the water. Between cold temperatures and windy conditions, you certainly can be tested out there fishing. We found the normal weather patterns again this week. There are plenty of fish to catch out there no matter what Mother Nature does about it. We had lots of fun out there this week.

Mark Amorello called to report the trout were active earlier in the week as well as the redfish. He caught 14 big trout and four redfish while fishing the flats with DOA CAL jerk baits. The water cooled off by mid week and the bite slowed down again. As soon as we have a few warm, sunny days, you can expect the flats fishing to take off again. Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island have all been good flats when the water temps are nearing 60 degrees or better.

The best bite on the river has remained the sheephead. They are thick around the bridges, docks and structure in the river. Live shrimp or dead shrimp usually works great on those toothy critters. Ron, Denny and Mitch joined me this week on a very windy, cool day. We found lots of sheephead willing to bite. There are quite a few areas that can keep your rods bending while avoiding some of the wind and cold. Don Joslyn took his grandsons, Tyler and Brennan, out fishing with me and the guys found lots of sheephead to keep them occupied. Tyler and Brennan had a fun day. Brennan caught the most, but Tyler caught the largest of the day.

Deeper water will continue to be productive in cold conditions. Fish move off the flats to get in warmer water. When you find those areas, you should be able to find the fish. Trout will move off the flats into deeper cuts and channels. Fish the edges of these areas. I keep a river anchor ready to drop at the first sign of a good bite along the flats. The fish can congregate in these warm pocket to feed. We have had great success this year using the DOA CAL jerk baits to find the trout. Remember to work any bait or lure very slowly along the bottom. Fish are more lethargic and you sometimes have to hit them on the head to get them to bite.

Tip of the Week:

Fishing the flats can be great this time of year when you catch the water temperatures warming up. The trout bite can be fantastic some days. It can be challenging to drift the flats. I keep a river anchor handy to drop as we drift the flats. You can stop and fish an area and easily pull anchor, drift a short distance and drop anchor again. It allows you fish an area thoroughly before moving on. I like to have several rods rigged with different lures when working an area. Sometime one works better than another. Once you find some fish, work that area well before drifting again. It a challenging, but fun time of year out there!

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

Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner

Indian River action this week!


Friday, February 12, 2010

February 12, 2010


Lots of windy days this week made it yet another challenge to get out fishing. Those who were able to brave the weather were rewarded with a good bite around the Indian River. It will remain windy most days this month, but you might catch one or two a week that will be a little on the calmer side. The fishing is great if you can stand the winds!

I spent the last weekend camping with some friends on one of the spoil islands of Fort Pierce. Even though it was way to windy to attempt fishing, we had a wonderful time just enjoying the outdoors. The wildlife and water is always good for the soulAs we made camp, I was disappointed with how some campers leave the areas on the islands. Trash and empty cans littered around the island made it clear how some people disrespect the privileges allowed us. We picked up lots of additional trash as we broke camp and headed home. It was a nice weekend anyway!

The trout and redfish bite continues to be the best opportunity around the river. Both north and south of Fort Pierce has been active with lots of trout activity and quite a few redfish being caught. Harbor Branch, Round Island and Bear Point have all been good areas to find feeding fish on the moving tides. The outgoing tide has been the most productive. Live shrimp and DOA CAL jerk baits work great on the trout. Redfish will take a DOA shrimp, free-lined live shrimp or CAL grub tail. I had a number of good reports on catches this week.

Turner, Frank and Keith Mullins were back in town this week and we found a very accommodating day to get out fishing. Turner and Frank ended up the day catching lots of jacks, some bluefish, a few trout and some sheephead for a fun day on the water. We fished both the flats and some of the docks around the area.

Bridges can still get you some sheephead, sand perch and a few black drum. Mackerel and bluefish are still hanging around the inlet this week. Bluefish can be found all over the river. The ladyfish are also making a comeback and are back to their usual antics on the deeper edges of the flats. It's been a good week!

Tip of the Week:

One of my usual tips centers around taking kids fishing. One of the most rewarding experiences is to watch kids catch fish. Their smiles alone make it worthwhile. While camping, my buddy's son spent hours exploring the island. Turner and Frank kept me busy reeling in their fish. Whether you take a kid fishing along the bank, on the beach on in a boat......it fun and exciting for everyone!

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

Action on the Indian River this week!



Captain Charlie's Fishing Photos