Tuesday, May 31, 2016

June Fishing Forecast

June Fishing Forecast

Summer has arrived and you can bet on hot afternoons and lots of great fishing action around the Treasure Coast during June. The mornings will be calm and it is certainly to your benefit to get out early to beat the afternoon heat. Being on the water at first light is worth the effort to watch the sun rise. Expect a chance of afternoon thunderstorms each day…we can always use some rain around the area this time of year! Watch the weather each afternoon out there. It’s a fantastic month to fish.

Inshore will provide lots of redfish, snook and trout action on the flats. Get those top water lures cleaned up and plan an early morning to get some of that explosive action in the shallows. Try the DOA Airhead or Bait Buster for great top water action. Switch to DOA shrimp or a CAL jerk bait as the sun warms up to continue your success. Watch for bait schools on the flats and you can be assured there are fish nearby. You can expect the fish to be feeding shallow early and move to the edges of the flats as the sun rises. Look for sand holes on the flats! Fish are traditionally lazy and love to sit in a sand hole and wait for the tide to bring the food for them to ambush.

You should be able to find plenty of redfish around the shallows. The population this year has been outstanding and they have been growing all spring. Redfish schools will be feeding on the flats, so be on the lookout for them. Most will be slot size to just over the slot. I love using a DOA shrimp or CAL paddle tails while fishing for reds. Try along the mangroves as well. Lots of fish will move under the mangroves as the sun heats up for the day. Trout will be on the grassy flats and feeding on the same food out there. Move out to three to five feet of water as the day heats up to continue your action. A Deadly Combo can provide inexperienced anglers with lots of fun learning to fish artificial lures. Don’t forget to fish the docks around the river. Lots of big fish will be hanging around many of the docks along the Indian River. Live bait, TerrorEyz and DOA shrimp can find some exciting action in June. Harbor Branch, Queens Cove and Bear Point will all be hot spots for action all summer.

Snook will provide plenty of action around the bridges and jetties this month. Snook season closed on May 31 and won’t open again until fall. Night anglers will be heading to the jetties for catch and release snook and maybe some tarpon action. Top water lures, feather jigs, TerrorEyz and Bait Busters can all get you in on some fantastic action. Handle the snook carefully and release them quickly and safely so that they will be there this fall. Jacks will also be hanging around the inlets and give you some rod bending activity.

Make sure you take plenty of water with you. It will be hot out there. Drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated and reduce the risk of heat stroke. Slather on lots of sunscreen! Sunburn isn’t a good feeling at the end of the good day of fishing. A little common sense and a few minutes can a big difference. Make that part of preparations for your adventures on the water. It will just make a great day even better!

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

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

South Indian River Fishing Report 5/25

South Indian River Fishing Report 5/25

Inshore:

Congratulations goes out to the 2016 Treasure Coast Caster Of The Year: Michael Rochedieu!

Beautiful spring weather along the Treasure Coast lately has anglers anxious to get out fishing and enjoying the water. Watch for afternoon showers this time of year and some windy days as summer weather patterns begin to work their way into our area. The rainy season is about to begin and that means watching for thunderstorms and being prepared. Sunscreen and hydration are essential this time of year.

It's that time of year to fish the bait schools. Pilchards, mullet and glass minnows are all showing up and the fish are hungry too get their fill of them. Lots of bait are around the area now and if you take the time to observe the activity, you can be rewarded for your efforts. Watch for bait schools, especially nervous bait, and fish the edges of the pods. Top water lures work great when the bait is getting hit by feeding fish. DOA CAL jerk baits or shad tails on a light jig head are awesome lures during the day when fished on the edges of the bait schools or around docks and mangroves. The big trout are here along with redfish and snook. Snook season will close the end of the month so there is still time to get that slot fish. Live bait also will work when free lining them in the same areas. May is a transition month and also a super month to enjoy the fishing.

Mackerel, jacks and ladyfish have been following the bait into the inlets on the incoming tides. There are still sheepshead and snapper on docks, channel edges and bridges. Beaches will hold whiting, jacks and bluefish. Bait along the surf can hold tarpon, snook and a host of other fish. Have fun and enjoy the 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
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Thursday, May 19, 2016

South Indian River Fishing Report 5/19

Inshore:

Well, the rainy season arrived in torrential rains this week around the Treasure Coast. Seems like mother nature wanted to catch up on the dry weather all at once. We surely needed the rain, but it was a little overwhelming. There will be no end to the run off water being drained into the Saint Lucie and Indian River for quite a while. Expect a good chance of rain each afternoon. If the temperatures are a prediction, it will be another hot summer for us!

Snook fishing has been good around the jetties and bridges for anglers. Snook season closes the end of May so you still have a short time to get that slot snook. Live bait, DOA Terror Eyz or feather jigs are good choices when snook fishing. You can find snook and redfish around mangroves and docks this month. DOA shrimp or live baits are also good choices. There are still big trout in the river. Fish sand bars or grass flats with the DOA shrimp or CAL shad tails when in these areas. Bear Point, Queen's Cove and Harbor Branch have all been good for trout lately. Top water lures are also effective this time of year. Jacks, mackerel and ladyfish have been around the inlets.

I have always preached the use of sunscreen over the years. Even though I use it myself and wear long sleeve shirts, etc. to try and protect myself from the suns rays, I just was diagnosed with a melanoma. I had surgery this week and will be off the water for a while for now. I will be taking my wife on a summer voyage along with our cat, Maggie. Don't take the sun lightly. Most of your skin damage happens when you are a child and it can come back to haunt you later in life in spite of taking precautions when you are older and wiser!

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
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Thursday, May 5, 2016

May Fishing Forecast

May Fishing Forecast for the Treasure Coast

Inshore:

Finally, the windy months of March and April are almost behind us and we can look forward to the great fishing weather that May has to offer us on the Treasure Coast. Other than the usual windy days, it has been a pretty mild winter and spring has arrived. Look for warmer temperatures and little less blustery days. As the water temperatures climb, the fishing will steadily improve on the river. The water is already in the mid 70’s and that means the fish will be hungry. It will provide fantastic mornings for top water and lazy afternoons to drift the flats. May is one of my favorite months on the water!

Redfish will be our main target throughout the month of May. The past several years have bought us schools of slot sized redfish along the Indian River. Most of the fish we have caught have been in the 18 to 30 inch range. The mangroves have produced lots of redfish action again this year. They have been sunning on the flats and May gets their blood pumping and turns on the feeding. I always have three lures ready during May…DOA shrimp, CAL jerk baits and top water lures. Gold spoons and the DOA Airhead will also be great additions to the arsenal when fishing for redfish. As the fish school up, look for them around the edges of the flats. Most of the river here on the Treasure Coast has been holding redfish and you should be able to find some on your favorite flats. I tend to enjoy the east side of the river, but we have found many on the west side as well.

Snook fishing in the early mornings will bring some rod bending action as they head up on the flats for an early morning or late evening meal. Top water lures, Baitbusters and DOA shrimp are all great lures to tempt a snook into biting. We have been broken off numerous times by big snook under the mangroves. Docks will also hold snook lurking around for an easy meal. Live shrimp is hard to beat around the docks. In the inlet areas, try around the seawalls and bridges with live bait, Terror Eyz, feather jigs or deep diving plugs. I love early morning for great snook fishing opportunities! Snook season will close May 31st.

Trout will continue to feed on top water at first light and live shrimp on popping corks during the day. As the sun rises, they will head off the shallows to deeper water in the two to four foot range. We have had some nice gator trout of late and should see some still big trout throughout the month of May. I have had great success with CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos this year in place of live shrimp. If you are using live baits, try big shrimp or pilchards on the flats. Both sides of the river have been productive in early mornings. Winter fishing for trout has been good this year and spring should continue to give you some great action.

Bridges will hold the usual sheepshead catch, while snapper will be moving into the river along with flounder. Jacks and ladyfish will be patrolling the areas and creating havoc all over the river. Beaches will produce whiting with still a few catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish along with the usual whiting. Tarpon will begin their trek into the river and you can start looking for them in the St Lucie River, Big and Little Mud areas and the channels of the river. May is a great month to fish the Treasure Coast….plan on a trip out on the river 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
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852


Captain Charlie's Fishing Photos