South Indian River Fishing Report 11/24

Inshore:

Winter has certainly arrived early! Cold fronts have been moving into the area on a weekly basis. Water temperatures are trying to stay near the 70 degree range, but it is struggling lately to get there. I am hoping for another mild winter...but we will have to wait and see... You learn over the years to cope with each days challenges and enjoy the fishing!

Kevin and Pete were out with me this past week. They caught a variety of species including redfish, sheepshead, grouper, jacks and lots of others. It was an exciting day on the water. Our redfish have continued to hold under docks and mangroves for us. Try a DOA shrimp fished slowly around these areas. Look for trout in deeper grass flats in the mornings. 3 to 5 feet of water is good to start. As the sun gets higher, these fish will move onto the shallower areas to warm up. I like CAL jerk baits this time of year. Jacks, mackerel and bluefish will be moving into the inlet with the tides. Small shiny lures work best in these areas. Look for black drum and sheepshead to be the prevalent fish around the docks. It's a fun time of year to be fishing!

Fishing changes this time of year. Water temps are dropping and the fish will look for warmer areas. Fishing deeper water can be more productive on cold mornings and moving shallower as the sun warms up the grass flats. A few degrees difference in the water can mean a lot in winter. My magic number is 68 degrees. It will be harder to find as we get further into the winter months. Channel edges, deep holes and areas around the bridges and inlet will be holding lots of fish this time of year. Working your lures very slowly can help coax a fish into striking, while working them fast might miss that opportunity. I like a CAL jerk bait or DOA shrimp this time of year and work them very slow. Fish will still be hungry, but less likely to chase a lure. They get lethargic and will sit and let the tides move food to them. Changing the fish you target can also be more productive. Sheepshead, black drum, bluefish and mackerel are just a few wintertime fish to seek. There will be plenty of action for anglers who change their tactics in winter.

Dress in layers during winter. We sometimes get thirty to forty degree temperature changes and being dressed appropriately will allow you to adjust to the weather easily. It's wonderful time of year...but I still like the warm weather....

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 11/16

Inshore:

It looks like winter has come early to the Treasure Coast. These cold fronts have cooled things down around there. Water temps have dropped into the 60's this week, but the fish are still biting! I still believe you shouldn't have to wear long pants and jackets in Florida, but I have to cope with what Mother Nature brings us. Dress in layers for these cool mornings, cause it will warm up by mid day. I love the fishing this time of year!

We have enjoyed a good variety of fish this week. The trout and redfish have been biting and so have the snapper, sheepshead and mackerel. I enjoy wintertime fishing because you have so many different fish to target no matter what the weather dishes out for you. Steve was out with me this week on a nice morning. After catching the usual variety of fish, including sheepshead and snapper, he ended up the day with four slot redfish from the mangroves in Fort Pierce. A great way to end a fishing adventure! Mark was down from Massachusetts for a few days. We had a super morning with a large variety of fish. Trout, snook, mackerel, sheepshead and jacks to name a few of the many types of fish. He'll be back soon to fish again.

We have been catching our trout on the grass flats in two to four feet of water. Having the water near 68 degrees or better has been most productive. DOA shrimp, CAL jerk baits and shad tails have been our best lures for catching the trout. Work your lures slowly this time of year for best results. The redfish we have caught are hanging under the mangroves and docks. Get your lures under the mangroves to find the redfish. It's a challenge some days, but it produces fish! You can find plenty of jacks, ladyfish and mackerel around the inlet areas on the incoming tide. Small, shiny lures will work best for these fish. The mackerel have been nice size lately. Lots of sheepshead, snapper and some black drum have been around docks, bridges and channel edges this week. The pompano have arrived and are in the river and along the beach. It's that time of year and they are fun to catch.

Snook season closes December 15th. You have a couple weeks left to try for that slot fish. The main channel in Fort Pierce changes to slow speed on November 15th. From the north bridge to the signs south of the south bridge will be slow speed for the winter months. Don't forget!!

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 11/11

Inshore:

Lots of nice, dry weather this week with windy days most of the time. It's our fall season now and we can expect lots more of the same conditions. It was unexpected to see the recent cold fronts drop the temperatures into the 40's a few days. Water temps have dropped so it's time to slow down your retrieve. Give me the warm days anytime!

I was out this past week with Captain Adam White for a scouting trip around the river. It was a great day to be on the water and we enjoyed ourselves. Adam found a few redfish schools traveling around on the grass flats and we landed three reds. We saw plenty of trout, but it wasn't time to eat yet. The water was nice and clean on the grass flats, but cloudier as you got towards the main channel. Ron, Kip and Phil joined me on a beautiful morning and found plenty of fish to keep them busy. Even during a full moon, the fish were hungry. They enjoyed catching trout, sheepshead, snapper, jacks, grouper and even a nice black drum along with quite a few other species. Nice busy morning!

Look for a good trout bite in two to four feet of water on the grass flats as the sun warms things up. DOA shrimp, live bait and top water lures will all work on the trout. Redfish can be caught on the grass flats, under docks and along the mangroves. They have been getting lots of them around the inlet areas as well. DOA shrimp or live baits have been working well. Snook around the jetties and sea walls has been steady. Its a good month to enjoy the fishing activity on the Treasure Coast.

Mackerel, jacks and ladyfish have been heavy around the turning basin in Fort Pierce. Snapper, sheepshead and black drum are hanging around many of the docks and been nice size. Live or dead bait always works well for them. 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

November Fishing Forecast

November Fishing Forecast

November is always a fun month to enjoy the fishing along the Treasure Coast. We are in the middle of our winter transition and you can also count on cooler temperatures that will start the thermometer sliding when it comes to the water temps as well. The days will remain nice and warm, but the nights will become cooler this month. It’s time to change your fishing tactics out on the water. We enjoyed a very mild winter this past year and hopefully it will be the same again this winter. The fall mullet run will continue into November and bring lots of action to the inlets, rivers and beaches throughout the area.

Trout will continue to be a target of many anglers. The trout bite will be good on the flats, but you must move to the deeper areas as the temperatures cool the water down. Look for them to be in three to six feet of water this month. My favorite lures are DOA shrimp or Deadly Combos when trout fishing. Don’t forget to fish the sand holes and drop offs on the flats. Many sand holes are much deeper than the flat and you can expect some nice fish to be hiding in them waiting for that easy meal to drift by. Harbor Branch is especially productive for me during this time of year as well as the Midway Road area. It was a fantastic year for big trout in 2014. There have been lots of big trout around the Fort Pierce area this year. The pompano are beginning to return to the river and will be a favorite target for anglers throughout the winter. When fishing the surf, use sand fleas or clams and the same in the river. Don’t forget to try a Doc’s Goofy Jig for the pomps. Many are located when they skip behind the boat wake. Keep your eyes open for them.

The snook bite will continue to be good, especially at night. The inlet, jetties, bridges and docks around the river will be holding snook. Lighted docks are very popular when night fishing. Live baits, Bait Busters and Terror Eyz are very popular for snook fishing. Don’t forget the spillways when the water is running over them. They can be another very productive area for snook. Redfish can be found hanging under mangroves during the day and will strike a DOA shrimp or CAL jerk bait. You might also find some hanging under some of the docks around the river. Look for them in shallow water as long as the sun keeps the temperatures warm. I love the CAL grub tails this time of year around the mangroves. A gold spoon can be another good lure in winter for hooking up on a redfish.

Docks and bridges will hold black drum, sheephead and the sand perch should also show up this month. Live or dead shrimp always works best on these fish. I love fishing docks this time of year. You just never know what might be lurking under one. I fish my lures from up tide of the dock, so that it will stay under the dock. You only have to twitch it and can fish it much longer that way. It’s always a challenge in getting a fish out from under one, but the excitement is well worth it. You should still find some flounder around on the sand flats of the inlet and river. The mackerel, bluefish and jacks will fill up the inlet this month. Most shiny lures will work on these predators. You can also find them hanging in the channels up around Harbor Branch. It might be breezy out there…..but the fish will be feeding!


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

Good morning on the water with Capt Adam White