• Indian River Fishing Report - FL

    Fish Tales Charters
    (772) 284-3852 http://www.fishtalescharter.com captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
  • Captain Charlie Conner has over thirty years experience flats fishing the Indian River Lagoon from Stuart, Fort Pierce & Port St Lucie to Titusville, Florida. A licensed and insured Coast Guard Master Captain specializing in light tackle fishing along the flats and islands of the Indian River. Captain Charlie is a member of the Florida Guides Association. We welcome the experienced as well as the novice angler.

  • Indian River Fishing Report - FL

    Here it is Decemberalready and the Holidays are almost upon us. Where has this year gone? I mustsay 2016 has been another great year for fishing all along the Treasure Coast.Both inshore and offshore have provided anglers with many great fishingadventures. Hopefully, this winter will be milder and the fishing great foreveryone.
    December brings onthe winter months and changes fishing tactics on the river. The watertemperatures continue to fall and your fishing must adjust to the weather.Water temps can dictate where you fish and how you fish. Finding water afew degrees warmer than normal can mean the difference in catching andfishing. We will get many days of breezy winds that will hinder gettingto some favorite spots out there. That's one of the reasons I love fishing inthis area....you can always find somewhere to fish! Not only does the coolerweather affect the fish, it also requires us to dig out the ol' winter fishingclothes. I’m not too proud to get out the long johns on a cold winterday. It can get pretty chilly some mornings!


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


    Pompano havealready arrived in the area and not only provide great fishing action, butfantastic table fare. Spanish mackerel and bluefish will continue to hang outin their favorite haunts of the river. Fish the inlet, turning basin andchannels for them. Jack Crevalle will be traveling around in packs chasing baitall over the river. Flounder should arrive soon and hang around the inlets, docksand sandy flats of the river. Ladyfish is a great way to spend a few hours withthe 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 thebest bet from the catwalks. There is a good variety of fish to target on anygiven day in any kind of weather conditions.


    Redfish can befound around local docks during the winter months and a live shrimp or DOAShrimp can entice them into striking. Don't forget about the deeper cuts alongthe mangroves for redfish and snook in December. Using stealth is essentialwhen fishing the shallow waters for redfish. We had very good success atfinding the reds in shallow on sunny days on the grass flats. A mildwinter will have them feeding in the shallows this month. It was afantastic redfish bite all last winter and I am looking for it to be just asgood this year.


    Winter fishing isalready here. Change your tactics with the weather and follow the watertemperatures more closely to make your fishing more productive. Let’s make 2017the year that we see improvements to the water quality in our area. If weall do our share to protect our rivers, we can insure the future generationswill enjoy the same experiences we have been blessed with.


    Remember, fishingis not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!
    Merry Christmas andHappy New Year!
    Captain Charlie Conner
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