December 14, 2007
INSHORE:
Today is the last opportunity to catch that slot size snook until next year. The season closes today and won't open again until February 1st. A lot of anglers have been fishing around the jetties with live bait and having success in catching....not necessarily a slot size though. Bridges have continued to hold snook for night anglers with live bait or feather jigs. Early mornings can find them cruising along the flats. Joe Novak emailed me and caught a nice snook around the Jensen Beach Causeway that was just a little short of slot size. After today.....catch and release them with care.
Trout fishing picked up this week, even though they are still out of season. The have been hungry for live shrimp or soft baits along the flats. Most have been in the slot size with a few above the 20" size. Fish the edges of the flats where the water drops off to 3 to 4 feet of water. It will be a couple more weeks until the season opens on January 1st, so again catch and release for now. Harbor Branch and Round Island has been good for trout lately.
Redfish action continues to be good on the flats. They have been hanging around the shallows in the warmth of the sun and you can find a few hungry ones if you use soft plastics and fish them slowly along the shallows. Bobby found his nice redfish on a soft baits and boated it after being chased around the boat a few times. Again, fish your lures slowly and then slow it down some more. Redfish can be lazy this time of year and slow to move around. Cooler water slows the metabolism and reaction time is like.....do I want to get off the couch and get myself a snack or wait here for my wife to come through the kitchen????
Other action around the river has been around the inlet with Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jacks cavorting most days on the bait schools. Shiny spoons or diamond jigs can help you find them. You might consider a short wire leader if you want to keep that lure very long. Jacks and ladyfish are everywhere again. Ten year old Michael wore himself out on ladyfish this week. He lost count, but kept on fishing for them. He sure kept me busy! Sand perch and flounder have been reported around the bridges along with black drum and sheephead. Docks have held many species for those wading or drifting along them. It's been a great week on the water!
Surf:
Whiting and pompano are again the fish being most sought after on the beach. Shrimp or sand fleas are the bait of choice. Silver spoons and pompano jigs are good artificials to be working along the surf. I have heard of bluefish and a few mackerel also being caught by the beach anglers. The nice weather has made it great along the Treasure Coast surf.
Tip of the Week:
Cooler water temperatures in winter brings clean water on the flats. As the water clears, it's more important than ever to move quietly and slowly across the flats. Fish usually more skittish in clean water. Start on the edges of the flats. I watch many boats motor up on the flats and start fishing. Most of the fish around them have already moved off that area. Redfish will lie in very shallow water to soak up the sun's rays. Noises will send them off the flats in a hurry. Drifting across the area will allow you to keep the noise down and have time to fish your lures slowly. I keep a mushroom anchor in the boat to allow me to stop on any given spot to fish it more thoroughly. Slow down and you should have better success this winter.
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