South Indian River Fishing Report 5/31

May 30, 2012 Inshore: It's obvious that the rainy season has arrived on the Treasure Coast. Chances of afternoon rains and thunderstorms each day will determine if you want to venture on the water or not. Early mornings are generally the best time to get out fishing before the wetness moves in. Keep an eye peeled for lightning and keep safe out there. I had a wonderful day on the river this past week. Taking my son-in-law and my granddaughter, Chloe, out on the river along with a good friend, Wayne, from Long Island and his grandson, Justice for an outing. Justice has been out with me before and was excited about another adventure on the river this year. He is a special needs child with autism and loves riding in the boat and enjoying the water. He and Chloe decided that they wanted to catch ten fish that day and succeeded in catching eleven before the winds moved in on us. It was wonderful watching the kids fishing and examining each of the eight species that they caught. I look forward to the next time Justice visits the area again. Sea trout are still the best bite along the river. Look for drop offs along the grass flats or sand holes to find some big fish still feeding. DOA shrimp, CAL jerk baits or drifting live bait can get you in on the excitement. Look for redfish on the shallow flats and along the mangroves this time of year. DOA shrimp is hard to beat on a redfish. Snook season is closed as of June 1st and will be catch and release until fall. The snapper should be working their way into the river soon and you will begin finding them around the bridges and structure throughout the river. Live shrimp is always a good bait for them. The surf will continue to hold whiting and there are still some bluefish around as well. June begins the full swing into the summer patterns and you can find many calm mornings to work top water lures for some exciting action around the river. It's a great place to live and fish! 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 captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com 772-284-3852 Justice and Chloe on their fishing adventure!

June Fishing Forecast Summer has arrived and you can bet on hot afternoons and lots of great fishing action around the Treasure Coast during June. The mornings will be calm and it is certainly to your benefit to get out early to beat the afternoon heat. Being on the water at first light is worth the effort to watch the sun rise. Expect a chance of afternoon thunderstorms each day…we could sure use some rain around the area this year! It’s a fantastic month to fish. Inshore will provide lots of redfish, snook and trout action on the flats. Get those top water lures cleaned up and plan an early morning to get some of that explosive action in the shallows. Switch to DOA shrimp or a CAL jerk bait as the sun warms up to continue your success. Watch for bait schools on the flats and you can be assured there are fish nearby. You can expect the fish to be feeding shallow early and move to the edges of the flats as the sun rises. Look for sand holes on the flats! Fish are traditionally lazy and love to sit in a sand hole and wait for the tide to bring the food for them to ambush. You should be able to find plenty of redfish around the shallows. The population this year has been outstanding and they have been growing all spring. Lots of schools will be feeding on the flats, so be on the lookout for them. Most will be slot size to just over the slot. I love using a DOA shrimp while fishing for reds. Try along the mangroves as well. Lots of fish will move under the mangroves as the sun heats up for the day. Trout will be on the grassy flats and feeding on the same food out there. Move out to three to five feet of water as the day heats up to continue your action. A Deadly Combo can provide inexperienced anglers with lots of fun learning to fish artificial lures. Don’t forget to fish the docks around the river. Lots of big fish will be hanging around many of the docks along the Indian River. Live bait, TerrorEyz and DOA shrimp can find some exciting action in June. Harbor Branch, Queens Cove and Bear Point will all be hot spots for action all summer. Snook will provide lots of action around the bridges and jetties this month. Snook season closes on May 31 and won’t open again until fall. Night anglers will be heading to the jetties for catch and release snook and maybe some tarpon action. Top water lures, feather jigs, TerrorEyz and Bait Busters can all get you in on some fantastic action. Handle the snook carefully and release them quickly and safely so that they will be there this fall. Jacks will also be hanging around the inlets and give you some rod bending activity. Make sure you take plenty of water with you. It will be hot out there. Drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated and reduce the risk of heat stroke. Slather on lots of sunscreen! Sunburn isn’t a good feeling at the end of the good day of fishing. A little common sense and a few minutes can a big difference. Make that part of preparations for your adventures on the water. It will just make a great day even better!