South Indian River Fishing Forecast - January

January Fishing Forecast

Well, it appears that we just might be in for another cold winter here on the Treasure Coast. Night temperatures have plummeted into the 20's and 30's once again and that will certainly keep the water colder than normal for this time of year. Hopefully, we won't see the fish kills like last year around the state. We will be fishing deeper water for some time now, but action can be exciting in some areas of the river in January. Water temperature is very important in January for your success on the river.

January is typically a windy month. You might enjoy one or two days a week that are calmer, but expect it to be windy. Using the right ramps can make your day better. There are many ramps around the area that allow you to launch depending on wind direction. The river can be rough some days, but you can still fish most days if you plan your trips carefully. It is a great month to fish in spite of weather conditions that might not be to your liking.

Bridges will continue to produce sheephead, black drum, croakers and bluefish. Most of the anglers on the catwalks prefer live or frozen shrimp for these fish. The inlet and turning basin will be full of bluefish, jacks and mackerel this month. Live or dead bait on a jig head will give you plenty of action along with silver spoons or shiny lures. Around seawalls, channel edges or deeper structure you can find grouper for catch and release action in January. Snook action around the jetties and bridges will be active mostly at night for anglers using feather jigs, TerrorEyz and live bait. Snook will remain closed this year until September.

Redfish can be found around docks and sitting on the flats on warm, sunny days. DOA shrimp or CAL jerk baits work great for wintertime fishing. Docks will be loaded with sheephead in January with nice sized fish. Pompano fishing will depend on water temperatures for their location, but they will be in the area throughout the winter. Surf anglers will be targeting these fish on days when the beach is fishable. Flounder should be found around the jetties on the beach side and on sand flats around the inlet. If you can find warmer water on the flats, you will most likely find trout feeding in those areas. Last year, we were rewarded many days as the sun would warm up a patch of water and get the fish actively feeding. CAL jerk baits were very successful on the trout. Ladyfish will be all over the river for fun action for the little ones.

January Tips: Dress for the weather. We might get one or two days each week that might be warmer, but most days will be on the cooler side. There can be a 30 degree swing in temperature on some days. Dressing in layers can keep you comfortable throughout the day in January. Once you become cold, it's hard to warm back up again. Keep yourself comfortable and enjoy some good fishing in January. Stay warm and safe and enjoy the winter!

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

Thanks and Good Fishing!
Captain Charlie Conner

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

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/13

December 13, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Alright, so winter has set in and it appears that we might be in for another cold season. Well, let's hope not! One cold front has passed and another is fast approaching the Treasure Coast. As usual, they seem to hit us on the weekends and only allow a couple days a week to have a chance to get out on the water. Better get those cold weather clothes out and ready!

The anglers who fished the past week found a good nighttime snook bite around the jetties and inlet. Live bait, feather jigs and DOA TerrorEyz have been working best for snook anglers trying to get a slot fish before the season closed on December 15th. There is only a few days left.

There has been a good redfish bite on the west shoreline both north of Fort Pierce around Harbor Branch and south around the docks. Live bait, CAL jerk baits and DOA shrimp have all worked. There has also been some good size reds taken around the jetties recently. Trout are catch and release this month, but there have been trout taken on the deeper cuts of the flats on popping corks.

Pompano and whiting have been biting along the surf when fishable on shrimp, sand fleas and Doc's Goofy Jigs. Sand perch, sheephead and black drum have been caught off the bridges and catwalks this week. Dead shrimp is always the best bait choice in these spots.

It's gonna get cold again next week, so dress warm and plan on fishing in deeper water for the best results. Afternoons can find fish moving up shallow to get warm and always a possibility of a redfish or trout in the shallows on a sunny afternoon. Have fun out there!

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

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/3

December 3, 2010

Inshore Fishing:

Looks like winter has really decided to set in on the Treasure Coast. Cold nights and windy days have been the norm lately and it appears that it will be here for a while longer. That will certainly continue cooling off the water and make it challenging to fish this month. Hopefully, it will warm back up soon and bring the water temps up to a normal level again.

Joe and Derrick joined me for a morning fishing just before the latest cold front invaded the area. It was windy out, but we were able to find fish and have a good time out there on the river. The father and son team found a variety of fish to catch, including black drum, sheephead and flounder among the other species out on the flats. It was a fun morning!

Some of the better bites around the river has been black drum around docks and structure on live or dead shrimp. Sheephead and sand perch around the bridges on the same baits. Whiting and pompano along the beaches on shrimp, sand fleas and Doc's Goofy Jigs. Trout have moved into deeper flats and you can find some catch and release action on Deadly Combos, CAL jerk baits and TerrorEyz. Docks have held some redfish on the deeper docks around the river. The snook bite at night has been good around the jetties, bridges and docks of the inlet. There has also been some tarpon around the jetties at night. Daytime on the inlet has produced bluefish, mackerel and jacks on shiny spoons and lures. Some flounder has been taken around the inlet on the sandy bottoms. It's a good time to fish....just plan on some cold days out there!

It takes a little more time to get ready for fishing adventures this time of year. Dressing in layers to deal with cold temperatures in the early mornings and coping with a 20 plus degree swing in the thermometer as the sun comes up is an important part of preparing for the days fishing. Being comfortable can make a trip much more enjoyable this time of year. It's time to dig out the ol' long johns and coats.....winter has officially arrived on the Treasure Coast!

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


Joe with a nice flounder for dinner!