Wednesday, November 24, 2010

South Indian River December Forecast

November 24, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!

December Fishing Forecast:

Here it is December already and the Holidays are almost upon us. Where has this year gone? I must say it has been a great year for fishing all along the Treasure Coast. Both inshore and offshore has provided anglers with many great fishing adventures. We went from the coldest winter I can remember to the hottest summer I can think of. Hopefully, this winter will be milder and the fishing great for everyone.

December brings on the winter months and changes fishing tactics on the river. The water temperatures continue to fall and your fishing must adjust to the weather. We will get many days of breezy winds that will hinder getting to some favorite spots out there. That's one of the reasons I love fishing in this area....you can always find somewhere to fish! Not only does the cooler weather affect the fish, it also requires us to dig out the ol' winter fishing clothes. It can get pretty chilly some mornings!

Trout and snook will be targets throughout the winter. Although trout season will remain closed through December and snook season closes December 15th, lots of anglers will still play catch and release with them. Fishing around bridges, docks and inlets can bring great action with snook hanging around the deeper waters of the river. Using live bait, DOA Baitbusters & TerrorEyz and bomber lures can help you catch one worth a photo opportunity. Trout will tend to hang around the deeper cuts of the river. Move off to three to six feet of water for trout. Live shrimp on popping corks or DOA Deadly Combos will work the best for them. I love to work DOA CAL jerk baits this time of year on the flats. You can also find snook and redfish hanging around those areas, too.

Pompano have already arrived in the area and not only provide great fishing action, but fantastic table fare. Spanish mackerel will continue to hang out in their favorite haunts of the river. Fish the inlet, turning basin and channels for them. Jack Crevalle will be traveling around in packs chasing bait all over the river. Flounder should arrive soon and hang around the inlets, docks and sandy flats of the river. Ladyfish is a great way to spend a few hours with the kids on the water. The bridges will be holding sheephead, black drum, croakers and sand perch for those anglers. Live or dead shrimp is always the best bet from the catwalks.

Redfish will hold up around local docks during the winter months and a live shrimp or DOA Shrimp can entice them into striking. Don't forget about the deeper cuts along the mangroves for redfish and snook in December. Using stealth is essential when fishing the shallow waters for redfish. A mild winter will have them feeding in the shallows this month.

Winter fishing is already here. Change your tactics with the weather and follow the water temperatures more closely to make your fishing more productive. The fishing on our Treasure Coast continues to improve each year. If we all do our share to protect our rivers, we can insure the future generations will enjoy the same experiences we have been blessed with.

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

Good Fishing!
Captain Charlie Conner

www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Friday, November 19, 2010

South Indian River Fishing Report 11/19

November 19, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Windy days and windy nights should be a country song! Most days lately have been quite blustery and makes it a challenge to get out fishing on the river. The ocean has been rough with a couple days that boats could venture out. It looks like another windy weekend. but it should start to lay down in a few more days.

I was out with the Teen Anglers this month for their fishing tournament. We had a great time in spite of the cooler water keeping most of the fish from biting. Two of the kids did manage to catch a nice sheephead and they caught numerous jacks, ladyfish and even trout. It was fun as always and I look forward to meeting up with the kids each month. Anyone interested in volunteering your boat to take some of the kids fishing on a Sunday tournament should contact Cammie Ward at 772-201-5773. We can always use some help and it's well worth your effort to show the kids a good time on the water.

The water has definitely cooled down this month. Fishing in deeper water can give you the best opportunity to catch fish. The jetties have continued to hold mackerel, bluefish and jacks for anglers. Nighttime fishing for snook and tarpon has also been productive. Live pinfish, deep diving plugs, feather jigs and TerrorEyz have all worked for snook fishing. Black drum, sheephead and sand perch have been caught around the bridges on live or dead shrimp. CAL jerk baits or Deadly Combos can find some trout on the flats, but it's catch and release for now. Snook season will close on December 15th and stay closed until next September so now is your best opportunity of catching a slot fish. Redfish have been hanging around the deeper docks, but it has been difficult to fish them in this wind for now.

As the water gets cooler with the coming winter, you can bet the fishing will change as well. Fishing deeper water will be more productive. Trying different ways to fish can also get you more action. Doc's Goofy jigs and DOA TerrorEyz are great cool water lures. Fish them slowly for the best results. Deeper docks, channel edges and tidal cuts are all great cool water areas to fish in winter. Good luck this year and hopefully it won't be quite as cold as last year!

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

Saturday, November 13, 2010

South Indian River Fishing Report 11/12

November 12, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Continuing windy weather has blown out fishing on the ocean. It has been rough both inshore and offshore this week. Only a couple days were calm enough for anglers to venture out on the river. The seas continue to build and it will be another rough weekend ahead for anglers. The Teen Anglers Tournament is this Sunday and hopefully it will give us a break to get the kids out on the water to fish.

Snook fishing at night around the bridges and jetties have been productive again this week. Those who braved the windy weather were rewarded with some slot fish and some oversized ones, too. Live pinfish, DOA TerrorEyz, feather jigs and diving plugs all worked for anglers. Some flounder have been caught around the sandy areas of the jetties. The sand perch have began to invade the inlet and many anglers are out there fishing for them around the bridges and docks of the inlet. Along the beach there have been pompano. Most have been smaller, but it has been tough to fish the surf lately. The trout bite remained good for catch and release fish on the grass flats. Live pigfish, CAL jerk baits and live shrimp have all worked on the trout. Once the wind settles down again the river will be productive on the flats and docks.

You should be able to find some pompano south of Fort Pierce on the deeper grass flats. Use Doc's Goofy Jigs or sand fleas for bait. The turning basin and inlet has been loaded with mackerel, bluefish and jacks. Shiny lures will get you the most action. The grouper should be around the inlet this time of year as the water cools down. You can also find some black drum and sheephead around the catwalks. There is plenty out there to fish for if the weather calms down.

Tip of the Week:

It's about that time of year to dig down deep into those corners of the closet and find some warm weather gear. It gonna come in handy real soon. The morning have been crisp and you will begin to layer on clothes to deal with the change in temperatures throughout the day. I wore long johns too many days last winter, but they sure kept me from freezing!! Mornings are going to be cool so dress for it and keep comfortable 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

Friday, November 5, 2010

South Indian River Fishing Report 11/5

November 5, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Cooler weather and lots of windy days along the Treasure Coast have made it a challenge to fish many days this week. Let's hope that this isn't a warning of another cold winter that is fast approaching. If you can get out of the wind, it's pretty nice out there and the fish have been biting most days. I guess it's time to find where I stored the winter clothes!

I was out with Ron, Mike and Tephanie mid-week on a windy day. We found both trout and black drum willing to eat. Once we found the trout, there was lots of action on the flats. Live shrimp and Deadly Combos are great on the flats for catch and release trout. We found our drum hanging along the mangroves. It will continue to be difficult to get out and deal with the winds, but worth it when the fish are biting. don't forget that trout season is closed November and December!

We had our best luck on the east shoreline. Queen's Cove continues to be productive for us. Harbor Branch and Round Island can also be great areas to fish. I haven't been south for a while due to the windy days. Black drum and sheephead have been holding around the bridges, docks and structure along the river. Bluefish, jacks and mackerel have been feeding around the inlet and turning basin this month. Night anglers have been enjoying a good nighttime snook bite in this weather lately. A number of slot fish have been reported. Flounder have been taken around the jetties and sand flats of the inlet. The surf has held whiting and pompano. Most of the pomps have been smaller, but there are some good sized ones out there as well.

Tip of the Week:

It's easy to complain and fuss about windy days. It can't be stopped, so use it to your advantage on the flats. East or west winds can give you one side of the river to fish and allow you to fish a large area. Northerly or southerly winds can give you more of a challenge. There is always some place to fish on the water. Use the wind to let you drift across the flats. I like to use either a drift anchor or small river anchor when drifting in the wind. You can fish an area in a zigzag pattern to find the fish on any flat. Use the river anchor to stop and fish an area that might be productive. Head into the wind towards the bank and drift with it across the flats. It will prove to be very productive out on the river.

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

Be safe and good fishing,
Captain Charlie Conner

www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852


Dr Lyman


Tephanie


Tephanie


Captain Charlie's Fishing Photos