Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report
FEBRARY 29, 2008
There has been a lot of wind to contend with this week and then came the cold temps! And, then came more wind making the inshore and offshore fishing tuff. Hopefully this cold front will pass on thru and the weather will be better for the weekend.
INSHORE - Before the water temps dropped the trout bite was on with fish from 1 to 3 pounds all over the river in 3 to 4 feet of water and they were feeding on everything live and artificial. The bigger trout seemed to come from the deeper water and most were caught on artificial baits like a Mirro Lure, Gulp! shrimp or a D.O.A. bait buster in the root beer color. But, with the water temps colder the back is on the slow side. As the water temps drop the anglers that are throwing jigs will have the best results. Try places like local bridges at night and the docks in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. There are still plenty of sandperch, black drum, sheepshead, spanish mackerel and bluefish around the local bridges. Try a live shrimp or a piece of fresh dead shrimp.
OFFSHORE - Same story as above — before the front moved in there was a good dolphin bite reported in 90 to 110 feet of water for anglers trolling ballyhoo. I did have reports of several wahoo in the 20 pound range in that same area. The sailfish bite has slowed some with only a handful of fish reported and most were coming from the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. The bottom fishing over the wrecks and reefs for snapper, grouper and amber jacks should continue to improve along with the weather. Look along the beaches for spanish mackerel, jacks, bluefish, whiting and pompano.
TEEN ANGLERS - The next regular monthly inshore fishing tournament for the local chapter of Teen Anglers will be held on Sunday — March 16th. The Teen’s will leave from Jaycee Park at 6:45am and fish until noon. If you would like more info on Teen Anglers for the 12 to 18 age group or Junior Teen Anglers for the 5 to 11 age group just go to the web at www.teenanglers.org.
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or you can call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com.
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe’s River Charters
South Indian River Fishing Report 2/28
February 28, 2008
INSHORE:
In spite of the latest cold front that cruised through the Treasure Coast, it’s really been a mild winter. I think I only had to dig out the ol’ long johns once this season. The coming weekend should bring some mild temperatures and great fishing weather. Let’s go fishing!
Trout was our best fish to target again this week. We totaled over a hundred trout in three outings over the past week. Bob Alton topped off the trout catch with one around 24″ at first light. The majority were caught on DOA CAL jerk baits and shad glow and root beer colors. As long as the water temps stay up above 70 degrees, look for the action to continue in 2 - 5 feet of water.
Bob also boated two pompano that went over three pounds each. They were in the same water as the trout and hit the same baits. We had picked up a couple of flounder on the same flat a few days before. Louie took home a nice flounder for dinner.
We managed a few short snook from around the mangroves. Most of the snook fishing has been at night with live bait or jigs. Action around the bridges and jetties has been good during February and should continue into March. The redfish are still in shallow water during the warmth of the day, but not biting like they will next month. We will see more action as the spring temperatures warm things up.
There are still black drum, sheephead, snapper and sand perch to catch around structure, docks and off the bridges. Live or dead shrimp will work best. The beaches will continue to provide whiting and pompano along the surf. Mackerel are still holding around the inlet and channels. And once again, the ladyfish and jacks are just about anywhere you can toss a lure.
Tip of the Week:
Popping corks are a wintertime staple for fishing. Whether you use live shrimp or soft baits, you can usually stir up some action when those corks start popping! A quick, short jerk on the line will make the popping action and the noise will make a nearby fish look to see what is going on. That’s when they see the shrimp or soft baits hanging there looking like an easy meal. As always in the river, you just never know what might decide to strike at it. You will find a great many anglers out there using them, so join in on the fun!
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
SW FL-Bonita Beach: hogfish, grouper, snapper, sheepshead & monster goliaths
I fished on a windy morning in Estero Bay Monday, 2/18, with Chuck and Steve Nebes. We worked our live shrimp along the channel from Wiggins Pass to Barefoot Beach on a catch-and-release trip that yielded two snook 20 and 22 inches, six keeper-sized mangrove snapper and sixteen sheepshead, ten of which were keeper-sized.
Tuesday there was a small craft advisory in effect until 9AM and seas were predicted to be choppy. My anglers included a few prone to seasickness, so they decided to cancel their plans to fish.
Wednesday I fished close in at the reefs off Bonita Beach, where it was still very sloppy for the first two hours of the morning, with seas of 3-4 feet. It calmed some by mid-morning and we ended up with five nice sheepshead, three Spanish mackerel a keeper mangrove snapper and grunts. We lost a couple of big sheepshead to the goliath grouper and actually saw a goliath eat one of those right under the boat.
Andy Unger, son David Unger, Tony Pastori, Jim Sistek and Bob Wilson headed out with me Thursday to fish in 39 to 45 feet of water out of New Pass. We had a good day of fishing, with a final tally of fourteen nice mangrove snapper to 17 inches, sheepshead to 18 inches, five hogfish including two keepers at 15 inches, Spanish mackerel to 24 inches, triggerfish and whitebone porgies. We caught and released a pair of 24 inch gag grouper and one 20 ½ inch red grouper, all of which are out of season in federal waters currently. I missed out on photos because of a dead camera battery, but I am hoping one of my anglers will send a few.
In 35 feet out of New Pass Friday, Emily Bowden, Bill Koscher, son Gary Koscher and Gary’s children, Katie and Kevin, caught a nice variety of fish on shrimp, that is, when we weren’t running from the dolphin. Every time we started getting lots of bites the dolphin showed up to spoil the fishing, but the kids enjoyed seeing the dolphin anyway. We ended up with a 15 inch hogfish, a few keeper mangrove snapper, a few keeper lane snapper, a 13 ½ inch triggerfish, porkfish and grunts. We released lots of gag and red grouper shorts.
Saturday morning I headed out to about 25 feet, staying a little closer to shore because of the winds and higher seas offshore. I fished with Brad Clemons, Amanda McCrackin, Amanda’s parents John and Debbie McCrackin, and friends Kevin and Carrie Kelly. We released accumulative total of nearly 700 pounds of goliath grouper—one weighed close to 400 pounds and the other about 275 pounds, according to my estimates. Both bit large blue runners. For table-fare, we caught seven nice sheepshead, all 15 and 16 inches, on live shrimp. We released gag grouper shorts.
The photo shown is of angler Bob Carter with a pair of hogfish caught on shrimp on a recent offshore trip.
Fish Tales Signs of spring
- As we inch our way closer to spring, we can only dream about those long stretches of light winds and comfortable temperatures.
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For now even though we’ve been fortunate this winter with mild weather, we’re still dealing with that persistent cycle of cold fronts. High winds will keep you off the water for a few days and if you’ve been lucky enough to get out on the water between fronts, it’s definitely been good.
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Kingfish anglers should be getting excited as reports of baitfish, Spanish mackerel and a few kings are beginning to be more frequent. Anglers fishing the Skyway piers are catching a few mackerel and the occasional kingfish; this fishing is going to explode right around the first of next month.
South Florida fishing report
MiamiHerald.com, FL - Feb 21, 2008
- Captain Mike Shellen of Okeechobee Bass Fishing Charters out of
South Indian River Fishing Report 2/21
February 21, 2008
INSHORE:
Well, this week, we must first get to the CATCH OF THE WEEK! We welcomed our newest grandson, Brody, into the world last Friday and couldn’t be more excited. I already gave him his first fishing rod and reel, but I guess he will just have to grow into it. Congratulations to Dena and Rick for such a wonderful grandson!
We had some very nice weather most of the past week and some good fishing adventures out on the Indian River. I had Kyle Collins and his five year old son, Kameron, along with Grandfather Bernie earlier in the week. It was such a joy watching Kameron’s excitement while he battled numerous fish to the boat. It was a great day out there. Todd and Rhonda Monzeglio joined me this week and they caught 40 plus trout on the flats. Louie and Louis Natale along with Dave Backer also had some great action with 40 plus trout around the Indian River flats. It was a fantastic week to be on the water!
Trout action really heated up this week. Warmer water around some areas of the river helped get the trout active. Most were caught on DOA CAL shad tails or jerk baits in lighter colors on the grass flats. Remember……..fish them slowly! Dave topped the catch with a nice 24″, while most were in the 14 - 16″ range. It was a fast and furious bit of action. Live shrimp on popping corks and jerk baits were our best producers out there. We fished both north and south of Fort Pierce on grass flats that were 3 - 4 feet deep.
Snook action has been mostly a nighttime affair with the turning basin, bridges and jetties the best place to fish. Pinfish, live shrimp or feather jigs have been the hottest options. Charles Galley reported catching five nice snook up to 41″. He is still trying to get that magic slot size landed! As the water warms up, look for action to continue.
Redfish are still on the flats, but need the temps to warm up a little to become more active. It won’t be long and they will be out there hungry and chasing your lures again. Look for them up on the shallows as the sun warms up. Flounder have been around the river this week. Louie boated a nice 4 pounder for dinner and we landed another 12″ one that day. Pompano are still out there also. Bernie boated a 3 pounder for dinner also. It’s been a good week and provided lots of fun.
Bridges have held black drum, sheephead and snapper. Live or dead shrimp will get you some of that action. The SURF has been mostly whiting and pompano. The pomp bite has been much better this year and lots of anglers have been enjoying the tasty table fare. Shrimp and sand fleas are the best baits out there.
Tip of the Week:
Water temperatures have a noted affect on fish during winter and early spring. Look for the warmer water out there. It can change due to weather, tides and temperatures, so be prepared to look for other places. Cooler water can make fish lethargic and less likely to feed. The trout bite was hot where the water had warmed up to the mid 70’s. It’s hard to say where to fish as it changes often each day. A simple pool thermometer can give you enough information on where to fish or when to move on. Have fun out there!
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
Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report
February 21, 2008 INSHORE - The inshore bite has finally picked up despite al the wind with lots of trout being reported on Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Soft plastic baits or a lie shrimp were working on the trout that were from 14 to 28 inches. The best places have been Bear Point, Harbor Branch and the Mooring’s flats. Look for a few redfish around the Queen’s Cove area or along the docks of St. Lucie Village. The best bait choice has been a chunk of ladyfish. The snook have also gotten a little more active around the Ft. Pierce Inlet and the local bridges at night. Most of the slot sized fish reported were taken on a live pigfish. There are still plenty of sheepshead sandperch, spanish mackerel and a few black drum around the bridge and they have been feeding on live shrimp. OFFSHORE - The first part of the week I had good reports of dolphin, tuna and sailfish in 80 to 125 feet of water. Ballyhoo seemed to be the best bait. If it is kingfish you are looking for all you will need will be some live baits like blue runners or a mullet and slow troll them in 70 feet of water. Everyone is still asking about the cobia but I haven’t heard of any yet but it should be any day now. The bottom fishing has been good with plenty of snapper, sea bass, triggerfish and a few keeper grouper. A also had reports of good AJ action over the wrecks. Along the beaches look for spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano and jacks to keep you busy. TEEN ANGLERS - Last Sunday was the monthly inshore fishing tournament for the local chapter of Teen Anglers. . The only fish that was brought to the scale was a 3lb. 2oz. sheepshead. This fish earned Shane Surrency a 1st place trophy in the middle school division and also a biggest fish of the tournament trophy. Shane also received a goody bag and a new rod & reel combo. Once again a special THANK YOU to Pursuit Boats for sponsoring the February Teen Angler Tournament. If you would like more info on TEEN Anglers just go to the web at www.teenanglers.org. BRAGGING BOARD - On Sunday Jesse Pfeiffer was snook fishing in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. He was bouncing a pigfish off the bottom and hoping for a keeper snook. What he got instead was a 81.2 pound black drum! This is the biggest black drum he has caught. If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or you can call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com. Capt. Joe Ward Capt. Joe’s River Charters
South Florida fishing report
MiamiHerald.com, FL - Feb 14, 2008
Captain Dean Panos on the Double D charterboat out of Keystone Marina reported a fantastic day of fishing off
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Full Report - http://www.miamiherald.com/627/story/418706.html
Fishing Report for February 15
What’s biting in area waters:
SW FL-Bonita Beach: grouper & snapper bite hot offshore
Monday, 2/11, the winds were blowing in the early morning but without the strength they gathered late on in the day. Predictions were for 2-3 foot seas close-in, so I headed to the artificial reefs with Ed and Margie Bock. We were only five miles offshore and we had 4 foot seas most of the morning. The wind was howling and it was tough to even stay anchored up. We caught two nice sheepshead, each 18 inches, along with a 15 inch triggerfish. We released gag and red grouper shorts and small Spanish mackerel.
Tuesday, winds looked just slightly calmer on land but I knew what it would be like offshore with a weather front approaching from the gulf. Estero Bay’s water level was dead-low so that left few options for a day of successful fishing. I advised my anglers to cancel their trip. Sure enough, the rain moved in from offshore by late morning and winds gusted on and off. A small craft advisory was issued through late Wednesday, causing me to cancel my trip for Wednesday also.
Thursday, with seas offshore still trying to calm down, Herb Guaracio and friends decided to try their luck in Estero Bay. The tide was very low and it was a slow ride back to shore in shallow water. We caught a couple of trout on shrimp, but nothing else seemed to be biting.
Our luck was better in Estero Bay on Friday, where I fished with Leeds Hutchinson and Pete Solden, along the mangroves toward Wiggins Pass. We caught a dozen whitings and a keeper trout, lost another trout and released lady fish and small sheepshead.
Saturday, I headed to 43 feet out of New Pass with Gary Jacobson, son Chuck Jacobson, grandson Grayson and family friend, Tom Batcheller. We could have had a few nice gag grouper if the season for those in federal waters had not just closed. Sadly, we had to release three or four that would have been keepers to 23 inches. We also released some shorter gags and red grouper to 19 ¾ inches, along with porkfish, triggerfish, whitebone porgies and Spanish mackerel. Though it was disappointing to have to release the grouper, the snapper bite was also hot and pretty much made up for the grouper. We kept our limit of mangs, releasing thirty of fifty caught. Of those fifty, about half were keeper-size to 17 inches. We used shrimp for everything.
The photo shown is of sister-anglers, Erin and Emily Bowden, with a Spanish mackerel, a flounder and a mangrove snapper all caught on shrimp on a recent offshore trip.
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