Wednesday, September 25, 2013

October Fishing Forecast

October Fishing Forecast – Treasure Coast

October marks the transition into the fall weather patterns along the Treasure Coast. You can expect temperatures to begin to cool down somewhat into more comfortable days to enjoy the outdoors. Water temperatures will begin to slowly cool off as well. This year has brought us lots of rain and a quiet hurricane season so far. October provides great weather and hungry fish. It's a fantastic month to be fishing!

The fall mullet run will continue to dominate the area as large schools of finger mullet fill the beaches, inlets and rivers of the area. You can expect lots of big fish to be feeding on them both day and night. Snook fishing will be best during the night hours on the higher ends of the tides. Live finger mullet, croakers and pigfish will be the best live baits to use. DOA Terror Eyz, Bait Busters and feather jigs will be good artificial lures to use for snook. Try around the jetties, turning basin and bridges as well as many of the deeper docks around the river. Lighted docks are especially productive when fishing at night.

Redfish has continued to be a wonderful fishery for us this year. Each year has seen their population increase and many anglers have enjoyed the experience of fishing a large school of reds this year. October will continue to be a productive month for those who seek redfish on the flats. DOA shrimp or CAL grub tails are two of the best choices for redfish along with a variety of live and cut baits. The west shoreline south of Fort Pierce is always a good area when looking for redfish.

The trout bite will be good this month. Get out early with a top water lure for some exciting action on the river. Switch to a DOA shrimp or CAL jerk bait later in the mornings. Harbor Branch, Queen's Cove and Middle Cove are all great areas to fish for trout around the Treasure Coast. Look for some sheephead, black drum and snapper around the bridges, docks and channel edges. The surf will be alive with jacks, snook, bluefish and other predators, which will all be chasing the bait schools along the beach.

Snook season has been in full swing for the past month and anglers are always looking for that slot fish to take home. Beaches, jetties, bridges and mangroves are all popular areas to seek snook. Top water lures, DOA Bait Busters, CAL Airheads and live baits are all great ways to target snook in October. Have fun this month!

It's another great month to fish along the Treasure Coast! Have fun and get out fishing 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

Sunrise on the Indian River


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Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Soggy South Indian River Fishing Report 9/19

Inshore:

This past week we have seen rain, rain and when it stops....more rain. What a wet week around the Treasure Coast. Out of four days scheduled on the water this week, we managed two hours on Sunday before the storms arrived. It has been one wet year around here! Expect more of these conditions for the coming week. The Saint Lucie River continues to be flooded with water from Lake Okeechobee and the run off from all the rain. Both Martin County and Saint Lucie County have asked the governor to declare a state of emergency for waters around that area. Seems like a few weeks ago we were in a severe drought....

Fishing has continued to be productive around the river. The most active area has been the Fort Pierce inlet. It has been loaded with jacks, mackerel, blue runners and other assorted predators. A good number of tarpon have been following the bait inside the inlet. Top water lures or small shiny jigs have kept rods bending on the incoming tide. Trout can be found around the mullet schools in two to five feet of water. The DOA 3 1/2" Big Fish lure or Bait Buster are good choices around the mullet schools. You can't beat using the trusty DOA shrimp on the flats as well. We have found redfish hanging around the mangroves lately. The snook bite has been good around the jetties and bridges. You can still find plenty of snapper around the channel edges, bridges and structure of the river.

The surf has been good while fishing the bait schools for snook, jacks, bluefish, etc. DOA Big Fish lures, CAL Air Heads or Bait Busters will all work around the bait schools. You can also find plenty of whiting this time of year. Bridges are holding snapper, sheepshead and some black drum. The mouth of the inlet has been alive with a variety of species on the incoming tides. It's been a wet week, so plan your trips carefully and watch the weather. Lots of thunderstorms this week have made it an adventure out there.

With all the challenging weather, what can you do on these rainy days? I like to change out hooks and refurbish lures, check the guides on my fishing rods. It's a good time to grease and oil reels and check the line. I check safety equipment in the boat to make sure all is available and in good condition. Checking dates on flares is often missed by boaters. I check my first aid kit to insure all is in good condition and well stocked. It's a good time to check out the boat trailer for lights, tires and bearings. Hey, it's never as much fun as fishing, but these things are necessary to check several times a 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

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Wednesday, September 11, 2013

South Indian River Fishing Report 9/11

Inshore:

We have enjoyed some fantastic weather lately along the Treasure Coast. It is still warm outside and the afternoon rains continue, but the mornings just cannot be beat when it comes to fishing. I got to spend a week in the mountains of West Virginia, while visiting my family up there. It was a great time, but good to be back home with the exception of jury duty this week... The water in the Fort Pierce area has really cleaned up very nicely and the fishing has been good. We have had some good days out there on the water!

The fall mullet run is in full swing now and you can find a variety of species chasing them. Along the surf, look for tarpon, snook, jacks and bluefish to be hanging around the schools. Top water lures, DOA Big Fish lures or silver spoons work well along the beach. Around the inlet, you can find the same variety of fish there as well. On the flats, look for trout, redfish and snook while fishing the bait pods. Top water lures are excellent lures this time of year. Find one that resembles the mullet and work it around the edges of the schools. I like the 3 1/2" DOA Big Fish Lure or the CAL Airheads around the mullet. Fall is a fantastic time to enjoy the fishing along the Treasure Coast!

Most of the trout have come in two to six feet of water this week. DOA shrimp. CAL jerk baits, top water lures and live bait have accounted for most of the trout. Redfish can be found moving across many of the flats on the high end of the tides in one to three feet of water. There are schools of reds around the area this time of year, so keep your eyes open for them. DOA shrimp, CAL grub tails and live bait has worked well on hooking up with an upper slot redfish. We have found flounder on some of the sandy flats and you can still find plenty of snapper around the bridges, channel edges and docks of the river.

Snook fishing the bridges and jetties at night has been productive on the incoming tide. Feather jigs, Terror Eyz and live bait has been the best choices for anglers. The mullet run going off in the inlets and the bait is flooding into the river. The predators are moving in and the fishing will continue to get better as the fish will be feeding heavily the next few months. It's a great time of year to be 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

Captain Charlie's Fishing Photos