South Indian River Fishing Report 11/26

Inshore:

Well, the windy days continue again this week on the Treasure Coast. We did get some much needed rain finally. November continues to be a windy month for us, but you can always find someplace to fish. Water temperatures continue to fall into the low 70’s and that means slowing down your lures to get the best opportunities. Fishing will be good throughout the month. Have some fun out there!

I made it out a few days recently when the winds weren’t blowing like crazy. Norm, Nick and Neal joined me on a windy day. We hit a couple spots that were blowing too hard to fish and ended up back in the mangroves to try their luck. The guys came through with 8 slot redfish up to 27” along with a dozen short snook and plenty of snapper to round out the morning. Nick ended the day on a high note with a 25” trout to give him a Treasure Coast slam. It was a fantastic morning. Don and Bernie were out on a breezy morning and it was difficult to find clean water. They caught fish when we did find the better water conditions.

With the cooler water around the area, look for trout to be in three to five feet of water. CAL jerk baits or DOA shrimp are great in these conditions. Work them very slowly for your best success on the trout. Fish the mangroves for redfish and snook with DOA shrimp or my favorite, CAL paddle tails. The 411 color in the paddle tail is a good bet on the redfish this time of year. There are still lots of snapper around the river. Most are small, but there are still plenty of keepers to be caught. Nighttime snook fishing around the jetties and bridges has been good for those using live bait, feather jigs or TerrorEyz. The pompano have started their trek into the area now and you should be hearing more about their whereabouts as they continue to arrive. The jacks and bluefish have been cruising around the river and inlet lately. It’s been a productive month in spite of the windy days!

Snook season is winding down and will close on December 15th so you still have a couple weeks to get that slot fish for dinner. The slow speed zone in the Fort Pierce channel between the north bridge and below the south bridge is in effect and you should remember that it is slow speed all winter through that area. We are fortunate to live in such a diverse fishing habitat and can enjoy the great fishing around the Treasure Coast. Do your part to keep it clean and take all your trash to a trash receptacle each time you are out on the water.

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 11/14

Inshore:

November is always a super month to catching spotted sea trout. The bite has been very good this month and should continue to improve each week for anglers. Tactics are a little different from the summer months due to weather conditions and temperature changes on the water. Water temperatures have already dropped in to the mid to low seventies recently. Fish tend to become more lethargic as the water cools down and are more apt to sit and wait for the food source to come to them with the tides. Finding the right water temps can increase your productivity as winter continues on its way. Changing your tactics and improve your success on the water. A few degrees warmer than surrounding water can make a huge difference.

Trout will hang out in three to six feet of water most of the time, but will move shallow to catch the rays of the sun to warm up. Watch for grass flats with lots of sand holes scattered on the area and you should find the trout. They love to sit in those sand holes and wait for the food to wash across the flats. It allows them to feed without much effort on their part. Targeting the sand holes will give you better odds at finding fish. Areas like Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Queen's Cove have always been great trout flats to target. Working your lures much slower will allow you to fish these spots longer and give the fish a chance to make a decision on striking your bait. DOA shrimp, Deadly Combos or soft plastics like CAL Air Heads are excellent choices for wintertime trout fishing. The key to success is working them slowly!

This past week I had Ron, Kip and Phil on the boat. Ron's wife, Kip, was on her very first fishing adventure and wasn't sure if she would enjoy it. After a few tries, she took up her rod and began casting and catching fish like a pro. You would never know that it was her first outing. Everyone caught fish, but Kip showed the guys up that morning! They caught redfish, snook, trout, snapper, sheepshead and a number of other species that day. I think that Kip is now hooked on fishing!

Windy days will continue this month as winter fronts move through the area. Expect each front to bring us closer to wintertime. Fishing will be good the rest of November and provide you with a good variety of fish to catch. Hopefully this winter is like the past few years and give us some mild weather to enjoy. We will see before very long. 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

South Indian River Fishing Report 11/6

It has been a windy week on the Treasure Coast. It kept most anglers at home as a result. I did my usual duties around the house and spent time working on the boat and tackle to while away the time in anticipation of the winds letting up so I could get on the water. Expect more windy days as we go through November and look for water temperatures to continue to cool down as winter approaches us. Fishing will be good throughout the month. It just might be a challenge to get out on some days.

Just prior to the front moving into the area, Clint Walker of the Fishing Center, and I got out for a morning scouting trip. We spent some time enjoying the mackerel, bluefish, jacks, ladyfish and other species that were tearing up the flats to the south of Fort Pierce. Small shiny lures kept us busy having fun on the river. We went back into the mangroves and found several snook and redfish that were hiding under them and willing to hit a DOA CAL paddle tail. Once the winds set in, it was time go give it up for the day. Now that the weather has calmed down, I will be back on the water tomorrow.

Mangroves will be holding redfish, snook and snapper in the shadow lines. CAL paddle tails on a 1/16oz. jig head or DOA shrimp are great artificial lures around the mangroves. I like the paddle tails in particular because they are much easier to skip back under the mangroves to find the fish. Look for trout in two to five feet of water. Look for the cleaner water for best results. It has been pretty rough on the water lately so clean water is essential to finding the fish. Top water lures, DOA shrimp or CAL jerk baits are great ways to find the bite both in the mornings and during the day. Hit the top water lures early and switch to the soft baits as the sun rises. Work your lures much slower now that the water temperatures are dropping. The snook bite has been good around mangroves, docks and around the inlet, especially for night anglers. DOA TerrorEyz, feather jigs or live bait have all worked well for snook fishermen.

Around the turning basin you can find a variety of fish on the incoming tides. Mackerel, bluefish, jacks and others are coming in with the bait schools and feeding heavily. Anything small and shiny can get you hooked up for some exciting action. There are still lots of snapper around the river. The bridges have been holding lot of snapper and sheepshead. Surf anglers are certainly happy that the winds have slowed somewhat. Everyone is anticipating the arrival of the pompano to the area. Shrimp, sand fleas or clams are favorites along the beaches for most fish. November is an active month to enjoy the fishing on the Treasure Coast. REMEMBER! The slow speed zone through the channel around the bridges in Fort Pierce go into effect on November 15th. Don't be the one that gets caught running the slow speed zone.

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