September 13, 2007
Inshore:
Another beautiful week of nice weather on the Treasure Coast has provided some great fishing opportunities on the Indian River. Tides have been running higher than normal this week, allowing anglers to fish areas that are usually too shallow for most boats. The water has remained fairly clean to the north of Fort Pierce, even with the showers we have received this week. South of Fort Pierce has been clear and the mullet have invaded the river. Fish the bait and you will find the action!
Terry with a nice 22" trout caught on the flats....
Trout has continued to be very productive in the early mornings on soft baits, top water or live shrimp. Get out early for the best action. Fish the shallow grass flats first and move to the deeper edges once the sun rises. Mike Smith and his friend, Terry, were out with me over the weekend and we got into some nice trout action in the early morning. They caught two over slot trout, but Terry had a huge gator trout explode on his top water, only to miss. I was out scouting a couple days this week and landed a 27" to top off the day. Harbor Branch and Bear Point have been good to us most days out there.
A 27" gator trout caught on soft baits this week....
Snook fishing has been good at night along the inlet, docks and bridges. Not many slot size reported, but many shorts and some over-size snook were reported. Live bait is the first choice. Large shrimp, when available, or live mullet will do the trick. Don't forget to give the surf a try this time of year. Lots of snook will be patrolling the beaches while chasing the mullet.
Early morning on the water - 9/11/2007....a double rainbow!
Not a lot of redfish reports this week. They were on the flats the week prior, but evaded us this week. I will be after them again next week! With all the mullet filtering into the river, look for the action on the flats to continue to heat up next week!
Hoards of ladyfish and jacks are chasing bait all over the river. Some nice size jacks are out there to keep your rod bent. It's a great time of year to fish the Indian River. Still lots of snapper on the channel edges to keep you busy. Plan a trip on the water soon.....
Tip of the Week:
With all the bait in the river, it's a great time to drift the flats in the early mornings. It's always a good idea to use the tides and winds to your advantage when fishing the flats. Set yourself up to drift across your favorite fishing area to let the winds and tide move you silently across it. I always carry a small bell anchor along to drop over the side if I want to stop in any area to fish it, before drifting along again. You can use a zigzag pattern to fish flats by drifting and moving back for another drift along a different path. It works well for early mornings on the flats.
As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!
Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com
email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852