Inshore:
Wonderful fall weather and lots of sunshine has turned on the bite around the Treasure Coast this week. Water temperatures have been running around 70 degrees in the river and that has given us a good bite around the area. Expect more of this nice weather the rest of November and have some fun out there fishing!
The trout bite turned on most of the week as the water temps continued to rise. As the winds let up, the sun warmed up the water quickly. Fall is a different fishing pattern from the rest of the year, so plan on changing tactics on any given day as weather conditions change things around. We had been fishing south of Fort Pierce with good success, but have switched to the north of the area for our fishing in recent days. Water temperature has a big effect on fishing each day and will dictate where the best place might be.
The trout bite turned on as soon as the water reached 70 degrees for us. Mark and Dana fished with me on a cooler day. They caught a lot of fish, but the trout were slower to bite that day. Clint Walker was out with me one day and the trout were not feeding well due to 63 - 68 degree water. We ended up with a few trout and more ladyfish and jacks than you could ever catch. The very next day, Ron, Mike and Timberly were out with me and we found one sand bar that held all the trout we needed that day. All were in the 18 - 22 inch range on that one particular spot. You just have to keep moving around some days to find the right bite.
We are catching our trout in three to six feet of water on DOA glow shrimp, CAL jerk baits and live bait this week. Concentrate on sand holes and drop offs during the incoming tides for your best results. The incoming tide has been our best bite and it may only last and hour. Work your lures with the tides where it will drift from the shallow areas to the drop off or sand hole. The fish love to sit and let the tide do the work for them. Fish are somewhat lazy most of the time. Cooler water can make them less likely to move very fast towards food sources.
There are sheephead, black drum and pompano around the river. We have been catching sheephead and black drum on the open flats lately. You can certainly expect them to be around the bridges, channel edges and docks of the river this time of year. Pompano have been just south of the Fort Pierce bridges in the tidal cuts along the channel this past week. Expect them to move around the river and watch for them to skip when you happen up on some.
The surf should be holding whiting, pompano and bluefish when the winds allow you to fish it. The Fort Pierce inlet is overrun with jacks, mackerel and bluefish each day on the incoming tide. Ladyfish and jacks are anywhere and everywhere this time of year! Great action for the kids! The Treasure Coast Casters will hold their November Fishing Tournament this Sunday, November 18th at Jaycee Park. Check out www.treasurecoastcasters.com if you have kids or would like to volunteer. It's a great organization.
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