South Indian River Fishing Report 12/20

Inshore:

The Holidays are here already. I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season this year. It has been a typical winter so far around the Treasure Coast. Weekly cold fronts bring cooler temperatures to the area for a few days and then things warm back up again. Water temps will fluctuate this time of year and that can affect the fishing. You must be willing to change tactics on any given day and move to areas where water temps will be more favorable. When the water cools down, move to deeper areas for best results. I love winter with all the different species that migrate to the area. You have so many choice on what to fish for and it gives you alternatives to cope with weather patterns.

I had my wife, Eva, and her two sisters out this past week. They came down from up north to visit before the holidays and also to get out of the cold weather for a few days. Carol and Judy don't fish very often and it was actually Judy's first time fishing. We drifted channels for an action filled time for the girls to enjoy and then had a boat ride to finish out the morning. I think they had a lot of fun and caught lots of fish! Otherwise, I have been laid up at home the past several days after having cataract surgery. I can actually see again and probably won't need glasses after wearing them since I was sixteen! I'm excited about that.

The pompano, sheepshead, drum and mackerel are in the river now and you can find plenty of exciting action this time of year. You can fish for them in a variety of ways now and they are all great table fare. Live shrimp, DOA grub tails, Fish Bites or small shiny lures can all get you in on the great fishing around the Treasure Coast. It's an awesome time of year so plan on getting out soon!

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Captain Charlie Conner

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

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/13

Inshore:

Winter certainly has arrived! Our weekly cold fronts has just dropped more 40 degree nights upon us. Make sure you dress in layers when outdoors this time of year as the daytime will still warm up quite a bite. Water temps have fell into the sixties this week, but will gradually warm up once the cold fronts have passed. It's a typical winter weather pattern so far.

I had Timo join me this past week. It was a windy morning, but we found some nice fish in spite of challenging conditions. A few nice sheepshead, croakers and mackerel were cooperating along with snapper, jacks and several other species to make for a good day fishing. My wife, Eva, joined me with her childhood best friend, Lillian, and their friend, Mary for a boat ride around the river. It turned into a fishing adventure for the girls. They couldn't remember the last time they had fished, but did great and caught lots of fish. Mutton snapper, jacks and blue runners kept them busy for a few hours before we ventured on with our sight seeing trip. Paul and Walter joined me on a breezy morning and the guys found the drum biting good. They landed nine and had a few breakoffs along with sheepshead, snapper, jacks and others to make for a fun morning on the river. Don, Art and Sherman were back up to fish this month. They caught some nice sheepshead along with snapper, grouper and a host of other fish. Sherman landed four snook to 24" as well. It was another fun week on the Indian River. It was another fun week on the water.

Sheepshead, black drum, pompano and mackerel are all moving into the area for winter. It makes for some exciting days and most are great table fare. Look for drum, snapper and sheepshead around bridges, docks and channel edges. Snook fishing around the inlets have been good with the cooler water this week. Look for redfish around mangroves and docks this time of year. DOA Shrimp is a great way to fish for reds. Try a Deadly Combo on the grass flats to locate trout. Pompano are generally in deeper water and Doc's Goofy Jigs work great with pomp fishing. Try beaches, channels, deeper grass flats or the inlets. Mackerel, jacks and ladyfish will be coming in with the tides and you can generally find them with small shiny lures. It's a great time of year to enjoy the fishing along the Treasure Coast.

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Captain Charlie Conner

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

December Fishing Forecast

December Fishing Forecast:

Here it is December already and the Holidays are almost upon us. Where has this year gone? I must say 2018 has been another great year for fishing all along the Treasure Coast. Both inshore and offshore have provided anglers with many great fishing adventures. The hurricanes left us alone this year and we anxiously await to see if our newly elected officials will work on the water issues for us. Hopefully, this winter will be milder, the water quality improves, and the fishing is great for everyone.

December brings on the winter months and changes fishing tactics on the river. The water temperatures continue to fall and your fishing must adjust to the weather. Water temps can dictate where you fish and how you fish. Finding water a few degrees warmer than normal can mean the difference in catching and fishing. We will get many days of breezy winds that will hinder getting to some favorite spots out there. That's one of the reasons I love fishing in this area....you can always find somewhere to fish! Not only does the cooler weather affect the fish, it also requires us to dig out the ol' winter fishing clothes. I’m not too proud to get out the long johns on a cold winter day. It can get pretty chilly some mornings!

Trout, redfish and snook will be targets throughout the winter. Snook season closes December 15th, but many anglers will still play catch and release with them. Fishing around bridges, docks and inlets can bring great action with snook hanging around the deeper waters of the river. Using live bait, DOA Baitbusters & TerrorEyz, jigs and bomber lures can help you catch one worth a photo opportunity. Trout will tend to hang around the deeper cuts of the river. Move off to three to six feet of water for trout. Live shrimp on popping corks or DOA Deadly Combos will work the best for them. I love to work DOA CAL jerk baits or CAL Air Heads this time of year on the flats. You can also find snook and redfish hanging around those areas as well.

Pompano have already arrived in the area and not only provide great fishing action, but fantastic table fare. Spanish mackerel and bluefish will continue to hang out in their favorite haunts of the river. Fish the inlet, turning basin and channels for them. Jack Crevalle will be traveling around in packs chasing bait all over the river. Flounder should arrive soon and hang around the inlets, docks and sandy flats of the river. Ladyfish is a great way to spend a few hours with the kids on the water. The bridges will be holding sheephead, black drum, croakers and sand perch for those anglers. Live or dead shrimp is always the best bet from the catwalks. There is a good variety of fish to target on any given day in any kind of weather conditions.

Redfish can be found around local docks during the winter months and a live shrimp or DOA Shrimp can entice them into striking. Don't forget about the deeper cuts along the mangroves for redfish and snook in December. Using stealth is essential when fishing the shallow waters for redfish. We had very good success at finding the reds in shallow on sunny days on the grass flats. A mild winter will have them feeding in the shallows this month. It was a fantastic redfish bite all last winter and I am looking for it to be just as good this year.

Winter fishing is already here. Change your tactics with the weather and follow the water temperatures more closely to make your fishing more productive. Let’s make 2019 the year that we see improvements to the water quality in our area. If we all do our share to protect our rivers, we can insure the future generations will enjoy the same experiences we have been blessed with.

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Captain Charlie Conner

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