Monday, December 26, 2011

South Indian River Fishing Forecast - January

December 26, 2011

Inshore:

January Fishing Forecast

The past several years, January has been a cold month around the Treasure Coast. Hopefully this will be a mild winter and you won’t have to worry about the water temperatures as much this year. Fishing in deeper water will provide you with better results on most days. Working your lures and baits much slower will also give you more success. Fish tend to become lethargic in cold water and are slow in moving to strike at a bait. Finding water that is a couple degrees warmer than the surrounding area can also give you an edge on finding fish. We had great results last year on fishing deep sand holes on the flats that were being warmed by the sun. We will certainly be doing that again this year.

January is typically a windy month. You might enjoy one or two days a week that is calmer, but expect it to be windy. Using the right ramps can make your day a little easier in dealing with the weather. 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, sand perch 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 closed on December 15th, so it will catch and release on them.

Redfish can be found around docks and sitting on the flats on warm, sunny days. DOA shrimp, Terror Eyz 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!

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

Monday, December 19, 2011

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/19

Merry Christmas!

and

Happy New Year!

December 19, 2011

Inshore:

As we near closing out 2011, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that 2012 is prosperous for you all. We have had a lot of fun this year out on the water. Made a lot of new friends and saw many of our old friends again. I look forward to lots more fun and action again in 2012!

We had a very nice week without as much wind and lots of sunshine to warm up the river. Water temps are in the mid to high 60's and the fish have been feeding. A variety of different species have been on the flats and shallow water fishing has been very productive for us. It's been fun!

Jim and Patty were out on a gorgeous day on the river and caught lots of fish to keep them busy. Fishing sand bars and the flats provided us with lots of nice sea trout along with the usual jacks and ladyfish. Jim even caught a big sheephead off the flats to start the morning. Patty ended up the day by catching three slot redfish to Jim's one slot red.

Trout season will open up on January 1st and the bite has been good. DOA shrimp, Terror Eyz and live bait have worked very good on the flats. Most of our fish have been in three to five feet of water. The redfish have been in shallow water. Fishing mangroves or pot holes on the flats can find a good redfish bite lately. The population continues to improve each year and you can find many more anglers seeking a battle with a redfish.

The inlet has held Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jacks that will hit shiny lures on the incoming tides. Bridges, docks and structure will be holding sheephead and black drum that can be caught on live or dead shrimp. I've heard of some flounder and pompano, but the bite should continue to improve as the water temps continue to fall. It's been an exciting week so plan on getting out soon!

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

Some recent catches out on the river....

Monday, December 12, 2011

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/12

December 12, 2011

Inshore:

The holidays are already upon us. Where has this year went? Time passes by way to fast anymore!While it ended up being a wet and windy weekend, the fishing continues to be good around the Treasure Coast this week. The rains have left for now, but expect continued windy days throughout the rest of the month.

We had good days earlier in the week. Ron, Mike and Timberly caught eight redfish along with sheephead, trout and a variety of other fish. The redfish bite has been good around the river recently. Fishing docks and flats have both been productive from Round Island to Bear Point along the river. Live bait, Terror Eyz and DOA shrimp have all worked for us. I had Savannah and DeLora on board for the Treasure Coast Casters first tournament. The girls caught a lot of fish on a very rainy day, but none to turn in for the tournament. We caught trout and snook on live bait and Terror Eyz along with lots of ladyfish to keep them busy on a wet day.

Bridges have held sand perch, sheephead and black drum. Bluefish, mackerel and jacks have been hanging around the turning basin to the jetties. Pompano have been out in the river and along the beach if you could find nice weather to get out and fish for them. Snook fishing at night has remained good for those anglers using live bait, Terror Eyz and jigs. The fishing has been good, just challenging this time of year. Have fun and dress appropriately for the conditions and you will enjoy fishing this time of year.

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

Monday, December 5, 2011

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/6

December 6, 2011

Inshore:

While windy weather continues to blow around the Treasure Coast, the fishing has been great along the Indian River lately. Water temperatures continue to fall in the low to mid 60's and finding a few degrees of warmer water can add to your success this time of year. You can expect the winds to be there most days. Its been fun out there!

Had several old friends out this past week along with some new ones to have some fun out on the water. We found a large variety of fish on most days to keep us busy. Most of our fishing has been in five to ten feet of water. As water temps continue to fall, we move to deeper water and fish drop offs, channel edges, docks and bridges. DOA Terror Eyz has been working great when fishing the deeper water along with live baits.

We've found redfish, snook, trout and drum under the docks along with many other species. Bridges have held the same, plus grouper, sand perch and snapper. Our best bite has been on the incoming tides. Harbor Branch, Bear Point and Middle Cove has been good for the trout and redfish bite. Don't forget they are still out of season this month. Lot of last minute snook anglers are fishing the bridges and jetties for that slot fish. The bite has been good at night on the incoming tides. Live bait, feather jigs and Terror Eyz have all worked well. Remember that snook season will close December 15th.

The inlet has been holding lots of mackerel. There are some good size fish in the turning basin that are willing to hit a shiny lure. The bluefish are moving into the river and should be feeding around the inlet now. Pompano are along the surf and the river. It's been hard to fish for them with all the winds, but they are out there. A few reports of flounder around the jetties means they should be moving in soon. It's been great fishing out there, so get out soon!

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

Some recent catches out on the river....

Thursday, December 1, 2011

South Indian River Fishing Report

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 have provided anglers with many great fishing adventures. 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. Water temps can dictate where you fish. Finding water a few degrees warmer than normal can mean the difference in catching and fishing. 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. I’m not too proud to get out the long johns on a cold winter day. 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, many 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 Bait Busters & TerrorEyz, jigs 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 as well.

Pompano have already arrived in the area and not only provide great fishing action, but fantastic table fare. Spanish mackerel and bluefish 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. There is a good variety of fish to target on any given day in any kind of weather conditions.

Redfish can be found 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. We had very good success at finding the reds in shallow on sunny days on the grass flats. 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.

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

Captain Charlie's Fishing Photos