April Fishing Forecast

Treasure Coast Fishing Forecast - April 2013

As March blows out of the area, you can still plan on some windy days ahead in April. The transition into the summer pattern is well under way and soon the winds will die down and you can enjoy those calm days of summer once again. Expect the fishing to be especially good this April as the water temperatures have remained warmer this year and the fish have been active all winter. March was a little cooler, but the water is warming back up to suit the fish. As the river fills with bait schools, you can bet the fish are hungry and will be feeding heavily. Have fun!

Redfish and trout will be active around the flats. They will be shallow early and gradually move to the edges of the flats as the sun get higher in the sky. Look to areas like Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island for trout to be feeding on the flats. On a calm morning, break out the top water lures and switch to jerk baits, like a DOA CAL 4” Arkansas Glow or Watermelon. Shallow running Mirrolures will also entice the trout into biting. Don’t forget to use the Deadly Combo or new Airhead for more exciting trout action on the grass flats. There has been a lot of redfish activity throughout March and it should make April a fantastic month. Redfish can be found on sandy flats around the docks or try the Moorings and Bear Point for a chance at a nice size red. DOA shrimp or CAL grub tails in root beer or glow colors are great ways to find a redfish along with a trusty gold spoon.

The snook season has many anglers out seeking that slot fish this year. The bite has been good around the inlets and will improve on the flats as well. Snook season will close June 1st so you have this month to find that slot fish. Docks will hold sheephead, jacks, redfish and many other species. I like either a DOA shrimp or TerrorEyz around docks. Fish them slowly to keep them under the dock as long as possible. Drop a live shrimp or pinfish under a dock as well for a great chance at hooking up. There are many great areas to fish so plan on getting some fishing in this month.

Bridges will continue to hold sheephead, jacks, bluefish and some black drum. The big jacks will be invading the river this month. They are not great to eat, but provide a tough battle on light tackle. Ladyfish will be all over the river and keep the kids smiling. The inlet will continue to hold bluefish, jacks and mackerel. While April might be a little windy, it is a great month to fish the Indian River.

April is the first month that fish can enjoy all the many baitfish schools and they will be feeding heavily on the schools around the flats. The water has already been warming up and you can see the changes in the bite already. Early morning can bring lots of good results this time of year. It was a mild winter this year and the fish are anxious to enjoy some warmer weather…..and so are we!

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

Enjoying the fishing this week with Captain Charlie

South Indian River Fishing Report 3/21

Inshore:

Spring has officially arrived along the Treasure Coast.....finally! Winds continue to blow most days, but you can expect mild temperatures around the area and water temperatures have already began to warm up. Water temps this week have reached near 70 degrees and the fish will be hungry instead of trying to keep warm. Winter was mild overall and provided us with lots of great fishing memories this year, but on to Spring!

Our trout bite picked up this past week as water temps warmed up to their liking. Look to sand bars and flats that are two to five feet in depth to find some good sized sea trout. DOA shrimp, Deadly Combos, top water or live bait are all good ways to fish these areas for trout. The redfish bite has been good most days around the mangroves when the water has been in the upper 60's. CAL grubs, DOA shrimp and live baits can give you a good battle under the mangroves this time of year. Snook fishing has been best around the jetties recently and should pick up soon for anglers. The pompano have been scarce for us in the river. There are some out there, but it hasn't been the best bite for them of late. Sheepshead and black drum continue to hang under docks and bridges for anglers. The power lines at the power plant have been active with them as well.

You can find mackerel and jacks around the inlets areas of the river by using small shiny lures. Beach anglers continue to catch whiting and occasional pompano along the surf. Ladyfish and jacks are everywhere as usual this time of year. April promises to be a super month for fishing. Expect more windy days ahead, but milder temperatures. I think I can finally pack those sweats and long johns away for this year. It's been a good winter, but I am certainly ready for Spring. Have fun and enjoy the fishing!

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

South Indian River Fishing Report 3/14

While spring is still on its way, March continues to roar like a lion most days for us. Every time I think we have had our last cold front....another comes our way. It can't last forever! Even with the windy days, we have continued to have good catches along the river while hanging close to the mangroves and sea walls. We have enjoyed one or two days each week without the prevailing winds chasing us. It has been fun, but can get a little choppy around the area.

Once the water temperatures warm back up after the cold fronts blow through, we have enjoyed catching redfish around the mangroves on DOA shrimp and live baits. Duncan Haley was out with me this past week and we boated three slot reds from under the mangroves. Bob Altieri and Dave were back in Florida and enjoyed some great action on another windy day. They both boated a nice redfish among a host of species caught that day. Keith, Turner, Frank and Bob were also back in the area. Turner and Frank doubled up on a redfish and snook during a fun morning. Ron, Mike and Timberly were out with me on a beautiful morning and boated lots of sheepshead along with trout and pompano to round out their trip. Tom and Eric found a variety of fish around the river while fishing the flats and docks. Jim, Joy and Ian were visiting and we had a great afternoon trip that found assorted species biting, including redfish, trout, sheepshead and drum. It has been an exciting week on the Indian River.

Water temperatures have been up and down lately. It has been in the low to mid 60's most of the time for us. We have found our redfish hanging under docks and mangroves and willing to take a DOA shrimp. Trout have been in three to five feet of water. CAL jerk baits work great on trout right now. Try the new Airhead lures from DOA. It's gonna be a great asset this Spring on the flats. Sheepshead and black drum have been around docks and under mangroves. We have found a few pompano around the river along with bluefish. We have been fishing south of Fort Pierce most days, but the recent gusty weather has pushed us back in the mangrove islands to the north of Fort Pierce. The water on the incoming tide has been dirty the past several days from all the winds. It has been difficult to fish in the surf most days. With a forecast for nice weather this coming weekend, the water will have time to clear up and warm back up to the upper sixties. It should be a fantastic weekend on the water!

Dress in layers for a while longer. Some days you will find nearly a 40 degree change in temperatures on the water. We seem to end up with a pile of coats, sweatshirts and assorted warm clothes in the corner of the boat by noon each day. Sunscreen is essential this time of year with the wind and the sun wearing on you. It can't be much longer before it warms up to Spring weather! Have fun out there fishing.

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

South Indian River Fishing Report 3/6

Inshore:

Well, March has certainly lived up to its reputation of being a lion. The winds have arrived and you can expect it to continue through the rest of the month. I keep thinking that each cold front should be the last one, but it seems the next one sneaks in just as I am ready to pack away the winter duds for another year. Fishing has been very good around the Treasure Coast, but conditions can make it difficult to get to many favorite spots some days.

The fishing has depended much on water temperature this month, but the sheepshead fishing has continued to be the best bite around the river. They aren't affected by the cooler water and are always hungry. It's not uncommon to catch 25 - 30 around some of the docks. Most have been nice size fish. We have caught a good variety of fish this past week, including redfish, trout, black drum, mackerel and others. When on the flats, DOA CAL jerk baits have been hard to beat for the trout. Redfish have been hanging under docks and mangroves and can be found with a CAL paddle tail this month. Snook fishing around the jetties has been good for night fishermen. You can find some flounder and snapper around the back side of the jetties this month.

The surf has held whiting, bluefish and some pompano for the beach anglers. The turning basin has had jacks, bluefish and mackerel coming in with the tide. Expect the ladyfish and jacks to be just about everywhere in March. It can be a challenge with the weather conditions, but Fort Pierce offers lots of areas to get out of the worst of the winds and enjoy a day on the water. Watch your water temperatures around the river and you can find fish. Winter is slowly letting loose of its grip and we can expect nice days ahead, just a little windy!

Dress warm in layers as you can sometimes experience up to 30 degrees change in temperatures on any given day. Keep plenty of suntan lotion on as the winds and sun can give you a nasty burn if you aren't prepared. Spring is on its way! Have fun and enjoy the fishing along the Treasure Coast.

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

South Indian River March Fishing Forecast

South Indian River Fishing Forecast - March

Inshore:

March has arrived on the Treasure Coast and, traditionally, we can expect windy conditions along with some rain clouds. It might dictate where and when you can get on the water, but at least we aren't cutting holes in the ice to fish! Water temperatures will continue to rise and the fish will be actively feeding on the flats. Winter has been kinder to us this year and the fishing has been very good so far. Take advantage of the good days and get out fishing.....

As the sun warms up the water again, look for fish to travel into the shallows to feed. Trout will continue to be most prevalent in the deeper grass flats in two to four feet of water. Those anglers using live shrimp on popping corks, Deadly Combos, CAL jerk baits and top water will have the best chance at hooking up with a trout. I like to fish the edges of the shallows where the water drops off to these depths. You can find some trout on the flats early, but they tend to go deeper after sunup. Depending on weather conditions, there are many areas to fish. Round Island, Bear Point and Harbor Branch are always popular to fish in March.

Redfish will get more active this month and you can find some tailing on the flats in early mornings. Top water, DOA shrimp, CAL grub tails or gold spoons are good choices for finding a spot tail on the flats. Don't forget to fish around the mangroves also. So far this winter, there has continued to be a good redfish population around the river and the fishing has been fantastic for them. I tend to like the east side of the river for redfish, but you can find them on the west side also. Work your baits slowly along the bottom for best results. This makes the second winter to allow us to enjoy a terrific redfish bite around the docks and mangroves with nice sized slot fish. Learn to read the water so you don’t miss what is happening around you.

Anglers will continue to target snook around the inlets, docks and bridges on the Treasure Coast. Live bait always works best, but feather jigs, TerrorEyz and BFL lures can also get you hooked up. Most of the action will be at night with best results on the high ends of the tides. As the water warms up around the area, the snook action will liven up also. Those fishing the flats can also find snook feeding early or late in the day. Fish the mangroves during the rest of the
day. There has been a very good juvenile snook population on the flats this year. Top water, twitch baits, TerrorEyz or CAL jerk baits can do the trick in March on the flats.

The pompano bite started slower this year. They have moved in the river now around Fort Pierce through Stuart and they should be in this area for a while. Whiting, Bluefish and pompano will be hanging around the beaches this month. The inlet will be holding Spanish mackerel, jacks and bluefish. Jack Crevalle and ladyfish continue to haunt the river and provide fun catch for all. Bridges should give up catches of sand perch, Sheephead and black drum on live or dead shrimp.

Spring is just around the corner on the Treasure Coast. It won't be long! Take some time to check all your equipment now and be ready as the weather improves to get out on the water. Make sure your reels are in good working order. Check your rods for broken or cracked tips and guides. How old in that line?? Get ready now on some of these windy days ahead, so you will be ready to head out to the water soon! Have a great March in 2013!

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