South Indian River Fishing Report 6/26

Inshore:

We enjoyed another fun filled week on the Treasure Coast this week. The summer weather has let us enjoy some beautiful mornings and rainy afternoons in the area. Expect lots of the same weather patterns in the weeks ahead. Some of those storms can become pretty nasty, so watch things on the water when you are out there. The water clarity has been great to the south of Fort Pierce, but not so good to the north as Taylor Creek water continues to be pushed that direction with the tides. The Saint Lucie River has it's own ugly issues as dirty water continues to be released into it.

Trout fishing slowed down this week with the full moon going on. We found some trout both north and south of the Fort Pierce area on the grass flats in spite of the moon. DOA shrimp accounted for the all trout this week. Anthony and grandson, Khalil, had a fun day on the river. Khalil caught all the trout! Phil and Bob found a good trout bite on DOA shrimp on one of the sand bars in the river. I had Michael on the boat for the Treasure Coast Casters first tournament of the new season. It was full moon fever, but Mike caught a nice bluefish to win first place in the High School Division. Bob and Dave had some fun with blues and jacks along with a few other species. Bob added a snook off the flats on a beautiful day to fish.

I had the privilege to be invited to the DOA Outdoor Writers Event again this year. Thanks to Mark Nichols of DOA for putting on the event and Rufus Wakeman of River Palms Cottages for hosting a wonderful outing! I had Michael "Mookie" Wilson from the Lakeland Ledger on the boat both days. It was a tough bite, but Mookie caught a variety of fish including snook, flounder, mackerel and jacks for a fun time on the river using DOA lures. We found a school of redfish both days, but couldn't get a good cast at them. It was great to see old friends and make new ones.

Look for trout in two to four feet of water on the grass flats. DOA shrimp works great! The bite should pick up now that the full moon effects are about over. Snook have been around the jetties, sea walls and mangroves on the river. We have caught our snook on DOA shrimp and CAL jerk baits. The redfish bite should pick back up soon. They are starting to school up so keep a look out for them. It should be a good summer bite this year. You can still find snapper around docks, bridges and channel edges. Mackerel and jacks are slowly filling up the turning basin as the glass minnows begin to flood into the river. We have found some nice size bluefish south of the bridges hitting DOA shrimp or Mirrolures. Have fun and get out fishing soon!

Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby……it’s an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing,
Captain Charlie Conner

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

Fishing this week with Captain Charlie

South Indian River Fishing Report 6/18

Inshore:

Lots of sunshine and warm weather this week around the Treasure Coast had boaters and anglers on the water this week. Summer has taken over and you can look for more warm days and chances of afternoon thunderstorms each day. Getting out early can keep you out of the heat of the day and increase your fishing opportunities as well. Have fun this summer and enjoy the fishing!

It was father and son week most of this week, which was great since it was Father's Day this past weekend. Marty and son, Ryan, were out with me and Ryan boated and released a beautiful slot snook from around the docks. Joe and son, Timmy, found a variety of fish, but Timmy caught all the trout on a fun day on the Indian River. I was out with my best friend, Pat, and his two boys, Dalton and Ethan. We got into trout and ladyfish to keep the boys busy on another gorgeous day. My wife, Eva, and I enjoyed a wonderful day with our grandkids, Chloe and Brody. After catching a few fish, we headed to Jaycee Park to let them enjoy the fun there for a while. Chloe just missed boating a big trout on our adventure. It was an exciting week on the river!

We have found our sea trout on the grass flats in two to four feet of water using DOA shrimp, top water lures or live baits. Still getting some big trout up to 26" this past week, so the gators are still around. Redfish were a little slower for us this week. I didn't get up on the shallow flats much with the low tides, but will be back out this week for them. We have been fishing docks quite a bit this week with some very nice results. Snook anglers are still getting a good bite at the mouth of the jetties on live baits. You can find plenty of snapper around the river. Docks, channel edges and bridges have accounted for lots of mangroves this month. The mackerel, jacks and bonito have begun showing up around the inlet this week. It should go crazy with them as the glass minnows show up in force. It's lots of fun and action when they are in a feeding frenzy! The beach should be active with jacks, snook and bluefish this month along with the usual whiting. Jacks and bluefish have been feeding around the mouth of the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The 4th of July is just around the corner. If you haven't had the boat out in a while, it's a good time now to check things out prior to the holiday. Most boaters know that holidays can be challenging around the boat ramps and a little preparation can make everyone's weekend more enjoyable. Checking the batteries, fuel and trailer should be done prior to leaving the house. Start your engine in the driveway so you know it will start at the ramp. Take a short time and make sure that your boat is in good operating condition for the upcoming holiday!

Remember, as always, 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 6/11

Inshore:

Summer has arrived with warm weather and rainy afternoons. It has been a wet rainy season so far, so I have to spend a day mowing grass instead of fishing! Water clarity has been good to the south of Fort Pierce in spite of all the wet weather. It has held up pretty well to the north as well. This weather pattern should be the norm through the summer months, so expect some hot temperatures out there. It's a fantastic time of year to fish the Treasure Coast!

Sea trout have continued to be the best bite around this area. The big gator trout are on the flats and you can still catch a trophy size fish this month. I had Stuart from Australia this week and he found some nice trout up to 25" in shallow water. The tides have been low this week so you might need to change your patterns up a bit and try some new areas that are deep enough to fish. Try top water at first light and switch to CAL jerk baits, DOA shrimp or live baits as the sun rises higher. Harbor Branch, Queens Cove and Bear Point are great areas to fish on most any tide. You can still find some bluefish hanging around the flats this time of year along with Docks have been productive lately with redfish, snook and some huge jacks around the area. Some of the jacks are in the 25 - 30 pound range and would most likely spool a lot of gear used in the river.

You can still find lots of snapper around the river, especially docks, bridges and channel edges. Live or dead shrimp always works well on the snapper. I still see some mackerel and blue runners just below the south bridge in Fort Pierce. Small shiny lures can get you hooked up with some of those species. The surf will hold whiting, bluefish, jacks and snook for anglers on the beach. Try getting on the beach at first light with a top water lure and see what happens....

As summer kicks in full blast, make sure to drink plenty of fluids and use lots of sunscreen. It's going to be a hot summer and you should plan it as a part of each trip. A little common sense and preparation can save you from a very uncomfortable day. Sunburn and sunstroke are two things you don't want to experience on the boat or beach. Stay safe and have a great summer on the water!

Remember, as always, 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 6/3

Inshore:

Looks like the weather is clearing and the sun is shining on the Treasure Coast this week. We have a lot of rainy days behind us and the plants are happy and blooming around the area. We should be in the normal weather pattern of beautiful morning and a chance of rain in the afternoons. The water clarity has been very good in spite of all the winds and rain. June will provide anglers with some fantastic weather and excellent fishing action. Have fun this month and get out fishing!

We had a fun week on the river renewing friendships with some returning clients and making friends with some new customers. Jim, Tom and John were back out to enjoy a days fishing. The highlight of the day was the couple times that Jim seemed to lose his popping cork under the docks only to find that he had been taken by a redfish while he wasn't paying attention. It kept us laughing throughout the morning. Tim and Greg were back out for another day of fishing and found a good variety of fish to cooperate, including trout, blues and jacks. Kibby and Sandy had a fun morning with trout, jacks, blues and a very nice flounder. Steve was out with sons, Greg and Griff, on a windy day. Greg hooked all the big fish for the day filled with a good variety of species. Dave and Cody back out with me again on another windy day that provided lots of fish and it was topped off by a four foot bonnet head shark that Dave fought on light tackle for a while. Cody graduates this year and will be off to college. Best of luck to you Cody! We had lots of fun and smiles this week on the Indian River.

Trout have been in three to five feet of water for us this week. DOA shrimp or live bait work great on the trout. Don't forget to try the new DOA Airhead as either a top water or slow sinking bait on the flats. Trout seem to love them! Most of our redfish have been around the docks recently. It's been harder to find a day to enjoy the docks with all the recent winds, but that has slowed down and this week should allow anglers to enjoy the west side of the river. Keep on the lookout for schools of redfish in June. It's that time of year for them to gather up and move around the flats of the river. There have been some good sized jacks and bluefish patrolling the docks lately and we have chased our share of them. Just ask Jim, Tom and John about it! Snook season is over and fewer anglers will be targeting them around the area. There is still good opportunities for catch and release throughout the summer around the jetties, bridges and docks of the river.

You can find plenty of snapper around the area right now. Many keeper sized mangroves are just about everywhere in the river this time of year. You will find plenty of anglers fishing the channel edges, docks and bridges this month for snapper. Most will be using live or dead shrimp for the bait of choice. Bridges will also hold some sheepshead for those anglers. The surf will provide whiting, jacks and some bluefish. June is a wonderful month to fish the Treasure Coast!

Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby……it’s an ADVENTURE!

Good Fishing,
Captain Charlie Conner

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