July 24, 2008
INSHORE:
Some days I am truly amazed at the fantastic area we have to fish here on the Treasure Coast. Over the past twenty-six years that I have lived and fished along the Indian River, I am thankful for the abundant resources that we are so fortunate to enjoy. This past week, we have seen redfish schools that you could never find ten or fifteen years ago. Large and small schools of redfish have been roaming the flats this month. Watching a school of a hundred fish tailing and feeding in a foot or two of water bring the excitement level up rapidly. It's been a great week on the water!
We had found a few schools last week and when Frank Miller arrived at the ramp, we were in for some great fishing opportunities. After fishing a couple areas, we finally came up on a large school of reds. Keeping our distance so not to send them running, Frank hooked up on four reds and boated three of them. All upper slot or larger....he ended up with a 26" - 28" - 29" tally for the morning. Earlier in the week, found them once again feeding on the flats and a 27" beauty to the boat. Tom Hull joined me later in the week and we found them feeding in less than a foot of water with tails everywhere. While waiting for the tides to rise a few more inches to allow us to get close enough for a cast, Tom hooked up on a large jacks that was riding along with the school. We also boated a 29" redfish to make for a successful day. It was a wonderful week out there!
Snook fishing has continued to produce fish at night around the jetties, bridges and docks. We boated a few shorts around some of the docks to the south of Fort Pierce on DOA TerrorEyz and lost a couple nice hits under the docks. There are still tarpon around the inlet and down around Big and Little Mud Creeks. I had two nice tarpon hits on the DOA Big Fish lures this week. They look very realistic in the water. Bridges have continued to hold snapper, some croakers and sheephead. Bonito and Spanish mackerel still chase the bait around the inlet and turning basin of Fort Pierce. Beaches have been giving up whiting, mackerel and some bluefish. It's a great time of year to be fishing the Indian River!
Tip of the Week: Watch around you when you are fishing and see what is happening. Fish are feeding on the prevalent baits right now. If you watch, you see mullet, greenies and lots of pinfish. Change things up with your lures to match what they are feeding on. With all the pinfish and pigfish out there on the flats, try a DOA TerrorEyz. It has worked for us this week on snook and redfish when they wouldn't look at a shrimp. Don't be afraid to put down that favorite lure and try something different!
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
Frank Miller caught these three redfish while fishing a large redfish school on the Indian River in Fort Pierce.
Tom Hull found this big jack cruising along with the redfish this week.