Spookin’ the Reds
Another day in paradise was spent on the water with Pam and we enjoyed some good action with Jacks and Ladys and Blues as well as a 28# Red on a Super Spook Jr. We love the summer and the beautiful weather and the cooperative fish this time of the year .
South Indian River Fishing Report
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
Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report
JULY 24, 2008
INSHORE - The tarpon bite has been good just inside the Ft. Pierce Inlet, at Big Mud Creek and to the north it has been around the Moorings. Most of the fish have been between 20 and 70 pounds and taking a live mullet at first light. Try a D.O.A. Bait Buster if you can’t find any mullet. The trout bite continues to be steady just before first light and again just before dark. In the morning try a top water bait or just after daylight switch to a live shrimp. Late in the afternoon try a top water bait and then a live shrimp around the light docks along Indian River Drive after dark. The catch and release snook action has slowed down some but the best bite remains in the Ft. Pierce Inlet at the tide changes. Fish a live bait on the bottom and release the fish as soon as you can. Remember that snook season is still closed until September 1st. The snapper bite along the channel edges is steady with most fish in the 1 &1/2 to 2 pound range. A small live shrimp is the way to go but a small white bait will work just as well. The redfish bite ha been on one day and off the next with the docks at St. Lucie Village giving up the most fish. Try a small gold spoon.
OFFSHORE - The offshore bite has slowed some with the kingfish and cobia bite being the best thing going. The kings have been in 20 to 50 feet of water and taking a slow trolled live bait. Most of the fish have been between 12 and 25 pounds. The cobia have been free swimming and taking both live baits and chartreuse jigs. Most of the cobia that came in last weekend were between 21 and 30 pounds and caught in or about 50 feet of water. We only had 2 dolphin come in and they were 8 and 12 pounds. Both were caught on a ballyhoo with a blue/white Islander Lure in 150 feet of water. The sailfish bite has slowed way down and only 4 hook-ups were reported this past weekend. The schools of spanish mackerel and bonita coming into the Ft. Pierce Inlet has slowed way down too. Only a few schools have been in chasing the schools of glass minnows. The tarpon have been along the beaches and giving a few anglers a good fish.
BRAGGING BOARD - Sam Pederson went out with me last Friday and caught several nice snapper to 2 pounds, 2 sheepshead, and a small flounder. Kevin Fitts and his son went out with me on Tuesday and they caught a 6 pound flounder, several nice snapper and a sheepshead. Plus, all the big jacks they could bring in. Henry Goodman caught and released a 34 inch snook while fishing at the Ft. Pierce Jetty. He was using a pinfish for bait.
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or 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
Mid July and Heat it up
The fishing in the greater Sebastian area continues to be pretty darn good . The inlet still has big Reds on the outgoing tide gobbling Crabs. In the lagoon lots of Jacks and Blues and Ladyfish are hitting any lure you toss to them . Some fairly decent Trout are being caught on the grass flats and a couple of schools of over-sized Reds are cruising the flats north of town. Today we got one at 12# on a super spook Jr . Last week with Bob,Jim and Doriano from Ft Laud we caught 8 Species including a 6# Spanish Mackerel and a small Permit as well as a mess of Trout and assorted other fish. Later in the week we caught a 60# Shark on a live ladyfish. All in all good action and Great weather so lets go fishing ! 
South Indian River Fishing Report
July 17, 2008
INSHORE:
Summertime on the Indian River…..It’s a wonderful time of year. Lots of afternoon thunderstorms have brought much needed rain to the area this year. You have to plan your trips carefully to get out and beat the odds of getting wet. The water has remained remarkably clear in spite of all the wet weather out there. Fishing picked up the latter part of the week and we enjoyed catching a variety of fish around the river.
Joe, Manolo and Pepe were out with me when the fishing was a challenge, but did catch dinner of snapper, mackerel and trout. It was a great day to be on the water. Joe Senneville and Crystal Mutchler went out to celebrate Joe’s birthday. Of course, Crystal caught the most and biggest fish! She ended up with a 20″ black drum, 21″ redfish, several snapper and an assortment of other fish to end up the day. Joe caught his share of the variety, including a grouper and snook. Happy Birthday Joe!
We again found redfish on the shallow flats. A few large schools have been cruising the flats with the higher tides, but have been very hesitant in biting. We found a school of more than a hundred reds this week, but they were not in the mood to eat. Move slowly when fishing the shallows as you never know when you might happen on a school of reds. Gold spoons, DOA shrimp or CAL jerk baits are good choices to use out there.
Trout was on the slower side for us this week. There is so much bait around, it’s hard to get them to feed on anything else. We found lots of bait around Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island. Fish around the glass minnows whenever you happen on them. Snook fishing around the inlet has been mostly at night or on the moving tides. There are snook around the docks and mangroves of the river also. Fish early for a chance around these areas. Joe coaxed one to hit his top water lure in the shallows around some of the docks.
There are still some nice snapper around the channel edges and docks. Crystal caught two keeper mangroves and a couple of short muttons from under the docks this week. Around the bridges, the anglers have caught snapper, croakers and sheephead. The mackerel are still around the inlet, but not as frenzied as last week. We did see some bonito crashing bait out there today. The surf has been producing mostly whiting and some croakers and mackerel. We had a lot of fun out this week and will be out there again looking for the action around the river.
Tip of the Week: Keep plenty of water on the boat during the summer months. Drink lots of liquids to begin the day and continue throughout your adventure. It is very important to keep yourself hydrated as the sun beats down on you and the water. Make sure all your passengers do the same! Have fun on the water this summer.
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
JULY 17, 2008
INSHORE - Not much change in fishing patterns this time of year. Fish early or late and save the middle of the day for a nap. Still, the best action is the trout, jacks and ladyfish and they all are hitting on top water baits at first light. Try Bear Point or the flats just north of Harbor Branch. I had god reports of redfish this week with some of them coming from around Jack Island area and some coming from the docks along South Indian River Drive. At both places the fish are being very picky. The best results are coming from small live crabs. The catch and release snook action has been good in the Ft. Pierce Inlet for anglers using greenie’s fished on the bottom at the tide changes. The snapper were scattered over the weekend with a few here and a few there Most were caught along the channel edges on a small live shrimp — that is if you were lucky enough to find some.
OFFSHORE - The word this week has been sailfish. The boats at our docks reported from 5 to 12 hook ups per trip. And, they were taking both live baits and ballyhoo. Try the area just east of 12 buoy in 90 to 125 feet of water. There were good reports of cobia to 50 pounds coming in over the weekend and this week. Most of the fish were coming from 30 to 80 feet of water and a live bait was the way to go. I have had a lot of kingfish come in over the weekend and also this week. Try the area from south of Ocean Village down to the Boils at the power plant in 30 to 40 feet of water. Slow troll a live bait for your best results. The good news was that we have a good number of dolphin come into the docks over the weekend. They were caught anywhere from 80 feet out to 250 feet. All of the fish were caught on ballyhoo. The bottom fishing has been off again this week due to the cold bottom temps. The reports on the internet are of 52 to 57 degrees making grouper and snapper fishing nonexistent.
CENTRAL FLORIDA OFFSHORE FISHING CLUB - The CFOFC held their monthly offshore tournament this past weekend at the Dockside Inn. Club members reported a variety of catches but non as unusual as the blue marlin that Eddie Merritt caught in 80 feet of water. He was using a ballyhoo for bait. Guy Harrell was sure he set a new club record with the 42.3 pound kingfish he caught in 26 feet of water to the north of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Jarrod Naberhaus celebrated his 13th birthday by catching a 7.6 pound dolphin in 100 feet of water on a ballyhoo. Robert McDonald caught a 13.7 pound dolphin in 102 feet of water and they had another in 80 foot. Alan Wilcox had 2 dolphin that were caught in 120 feet of water. The clubs next offshore tournament will be held on August 2nd.
1st place - Guy Harrell - Reel Party - 42.3 pound kingfish
2nd place - Julian Rioseco - Dread Knot - 18.2 pound cobia
3rd place - Craig Toth - Afternoon Delight - 13.7 pound kingfish
4th place - Robert McDonald - Gitty Up - 13.7 pound dolphin
5th place - Jarrod Naberhaus - 7.6 pound dolphin
6th place - Alan Wilcox - Swamp thing - 6.7 pound dolphin
BRAGGING BOARD - On Saturday Rob Ward caught a 30 pound cobia while fishing with greenie’s in 50 feet of water to the southeast of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Danny Maness was 0 for 2 on sailfish. Also, on Saturday Troy Brown fishing on the For Sure caught a 32 pound cobia while fishing in that same area. He was also using live greenie’s. All three had several kingfish. I got an e-mail from Mike Drown stating that he went out of the Sebastian Inlet on July 9th in 100 feet of water and caught 2 - 10 pound dolphin and 1 - 30 pound bull. They were caught on a ballyhoo with a blue/silver topper. They also caught 2 bonita, 2 cuda’s and a small shark and all were released.
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or 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
Summer Time
Blues and Jacks and Ladys Oh my.These fish are all over the lagoon and the Bull Sharks and Tarpon are now mirroring these schools and being a part of our daily activity.In addition the big reds are still slurping Crabs in the Inlet and its quite easy to fill your day with activity.Some decent CPR Snook are being caught around the docks and mangroves.The biggest problem we have is a super low water level in this area because our wind has been hard south and west all summer.
South Indian River Fishing Report
July 10, 2008
INSHORE:
Summer heat has sure taken over along the Treasure Coast. Hot temperatures has warmed up the water and it has been an early bite most of the week. Look to deeper water after the sun heats things up out there. Fishing has been up and down this week. Most of the action has been around the turning basin with many anglers out to challenge the hoards of Spanish macks and bonitos that are chasing the schools of baitfish around the inlet.
Trout and snook have been on the flats early and move off as the sun rises. Top water or live bait will be your best choice on the flats, while soft baits are good around the mangroves and docks of the river. With all the bait around the inlet, night fishing can produce snook, tarpon or bonitos if you venture out. All of our trout this week have come on DOA CAL jerk baits in various colors. Mike James even caught a nice bluefish while fishing the flats.
We continue to find redfish up on the flats in the mornings. They have been pretty picky about biting, but there are many different lures and baits to try and coax them into feeding. The schools have been smaller most days and they have been in some shallow water. DOA shrimp or jerk baits are good lures to use along with live pigfish.
The mangrove snapper have continued to hold along the channel edges and structure around the river. Beaches have held whiting and Spanish mackerel. The inlet has been boiling with all the action and many large bull sharks are cruising underneath the frenzy. Don’t be surprised to find one chomping on your catch next to the boat. Lionel Lusardi was out with his brother, Adrian, and battled a bonito in the boat.
Tip of the Week:
Summer brings HOT weather out on the water. Harmful rays from the sun are beating down on you. Take a few minutes and make sure you put on good sunscreen during the day. Hats and sunglasses are a given when on the water. Don’t find yourself with one bad sunburn to end a good day of fishing. Apply sunscreen before you leave the ramp and at intervals during the day to help protect your skin from the sun.
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
JULY 11, 2008
INSHORE - The inshore fishing hasn’t changed much since last week — the old summer time patterns. The trout bite has been better just before and right at daylight. The late afternoon bite has slowed down because of the heat. The best baits have been a top water plug and right at daylight switch to a live pigfish. Most of the trout have been between 3 and 6 pounds. The catch and release snook bite has been great in the Ft. Pierce Inlet at night and on the tide change. Just fish a live bait on the bottom and hold on. The snapper bite continues to be good along the channel edges and around the bridges when using a live shrimp. There have been a few tarpon rolling around the Mooring but they all have lock jaw. I did get a couple of reports about tripletail being caught to the south of the power lines. They were using a live shrimp. The spanish mackerel and bonita schools are still chasing the schools of bait fish in the Inlet. All you really need is a silver spoon or anything that is shinny. There have been a few kingfish mixed in with the mack’s and bonita.
OFFSHORE - The bite is almost the same offshore as last week but the cold bottom temps has made the snapper and grouper fishing tough. The kings have moved in as close as 20 feet along the beaches. A live blue runner has been the bait of choice. We had kings to 38 ponds reported over the holiday weekend. The sailfish are still going strong to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Most of the fish that were caught and released were in 80 to 125 feet of water. Naked ballyhoo seems to be the bait of choice. The cobia have been around more starting in 50 feet of water. Most of the have been free swimming and not with rays so make sure you have something to throw at them like a chartreuse cobia slayer from Gulfstream Lures. There has been a good number of what would be over the slot snook at the Boils. Remember that they are out of season and you should handle them as little as possible. Once again, the bonita and spanish mackerel are all along the beaches chasing the schools of bait fish and also following them into the Inlet on the incoming tides.
BRAGGING BOARD - Jesse Cervone along with his dad –Matt enjoyed a few days of fishing in Ft. Pierce — they were up here from Ft. Lauderdale. Jesse caught a 38 pound kingfish at the Boils. He also caught a 24 pounder in the same spot and he was using threadfins for bait. Brian Zdrojowy of Westminster, Maryland was visiting Ft. Pierce with the Cervones. He caught a nice seatrout on a top water plug just after daylight and also his 1st ever snook from the docks at the Dockside Inn. The snook was caught on a live shrimp and released. Wayne Wilson caught and released a snook that he estimated to be 25 to 28 pounds. He was fishing the Ft. Pierce Inlet and using a pinfish.
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or 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
SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Bite-Inshore & Offshore Report
Estero Bay offered a pretty good variety of fish for us on Monday morning, 6/30, when I fished with Jason and Callie Eubanks, Don Cruz and Paul Odele. We used live shrimp to catch a keeper sheepshead, a 21 inch keeper redfish and a bunch of keeper-sized mangrove snapper. We released all the mangs but four, and we were broken off by another slot red and by a big cravalle jack. I was back in the bay Tuesday morning, with Tom Wolfe and young son, Jordan. We caught a nice redfish at 22 ½ inches (see photo) and lost another keeper-sized red when it snagged on some trees. We also caught a keeper mangrove snapper, which was big for a bay snapper at 14 inches. We released a couple dozen smaller snapper, along with three trout that were all around 14 inches, four snook to 16 inches, and a cravalle jack. Jim & Lisa Roe, son Brendon, and friend Jerry Garland fished the reefs with me in 33 feet Wednesday morning and we managed to get half-day of fishing done before the rains came. We caught twenty nice- sized whitebone porgies and fifteen keeper mangrove snapper. We also got a 25 inch Spanish mackerel and two hogfish, one of which was keeper-sized at 14 inches. We released small yellowtail snapper and red grouper shorts to 19 inches. We had a cobia that was about fifty pounds hooked at one point, after he bit a fish we were reeling in—that fight lasted about fifteen minutes until the cobia finally spit the fish and took off.
Bill Brown and son, Greg, fished with me Friday morning until we got run in a little bit early by storms. Fishing with live shrimp about fourteen miles west of Big Carlos, we caught ten keeper mangrove snapper to 14 inches, porgies to 14 inches and Spanish mackerel to 25 inches. We released red grouper shorts and grunts.
Ethan & Kay Ware, along with children Malachai, Jack, Noah and Julia, celebrated the 4th of July with an offshore fishing excursion. We fished about 17 miles west of New Pass. Unlike the day before, there wasn’t much cloud cover and the water was crystal clear. We could see bottom in 38 feet. The bite was a little slower. We caught a keeper hogfish, whitebone porgies to 15 inches and grunts. We released triggerfish, a mangrove snapper that was just short of legal size for federal waters, a Spanish mackerel and red grouper shorts to 19 ½ inches.
Brian McGoldrick, Bill Justice and Todd Snapp fished central Estero Bay with me Saturday. Brian caught a nice 25 ½ inch redfish shortly after we anchored. He lost three more nice reds that came off their hooks. Bill caught a 24 ½ inch redfish and an 18 inch trout. Todd caught a keeper sheepshead at 15 inches and the group caught eight keeper mangrove snapper to 12 inches, all on shrimp.
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Fishing Blog- Web Updates - Nov. 4, 2009
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