Wintertime on the Treasure Coast can bring lots of challenging days out on the water. Between cold temperatures and windy conditions, you certainly can be tested out there fishing. We found the normal weather patterns again this week. There are plenty of fish to catch out there no matter what Mother Nature does about it. We had lots of fun out there this week.
Mark Amorello called to report the trout were active earlier in the week as well as the redfish. He caught 14 big trout and four redfish while fishing the flats with DOA CAL jerk baits. The water cooled off by mid week and the bite slowed down again. As soon as we have a few warm, sunny days, you can expect the flats fishing to take off again. Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island have all been good flats when the water temps are nearing 60 degrees or better.
The best bite on the river has remained the sheephead. They are thick around the bridges, docks and structure in the river. Live shrimp or dead shrimp usually works great on those toothy critters. Ron, Denny and Mitch joined me this week on a very windy, cool day. We found lots of sheephead willing to bite. There are quite a few areas that can keep your rods bending while avoiding some of the wind and cold. Don Joslyn took his grandsons, Tyler and Brennan, out fishing with me and the guys found lots of sheephead to keep them occupied. Tyler and Brennan had a fun day. Brennan caught the most, but Tyler caught the largest of the day.
Deeper water will continue to be productive in cold conditions. Fish move off the flats to get in warmer water. When you find those areas, you should be able to find the fish. Trout will move off the flats into deeper cuts and channels. Fish the edges of these areas. I keep a river anchor ready to drop at the first sign of a good bite along the flats. The fish can congregate in these warm pocket to feed. We have had great success this year using the DOA CAL jerk baits to find the trout. Remember to work any bait or lure very slowly along the bottom. Fish are more lethargic and you sometimes have to hit them on the head to get them to bite.
Tip of the Week:
Fishing the flats can be great this time of year when you catch the water temperatures warming up. The trout bite can be fantastic some days. It can be challenging to drift the flats. I keep a river anchor handy to drop as we drift the flats. You can stop and fish an area and easily pull anchor, drift a short distance and drop anchor again. It allows you fish an area thoroughly before moving on. I like to have several rods rigged with different lures when working an area. Sometime one works better than another. Once you find some fish, work that area well before drifting again. It a challenging, but fun time of year out there!
Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!
Good Fishing and Be Safe!
Captain Charlie Conner
Indian River action this week!
