Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report
NOVEMBER 19, 2009
INSHORE - Good reports from the inshore anglers this week. We had a lot of action from the spanish mackerel, bluefish and jacks that are in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and around the local bridges. These fish have been taking just about any kind of bait however the best has been a 1/4oz. silver spoon. The bottom fishing remains steady for snapper, black drum, sheepshead and the croakers are starting to show up. All of these fish can be caught on a live shrimp. The snook fishing has also been good around the lighted docks in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. The top bait has a been finger mullet. And, I did have reports of some flounder showing up around the sand bars along the Inlet. Try using a live shrimp or a finger mullet.
OFFSHORE - The offshore conditions are still not the best for the smaller boats but, the bigger sport fishing boats are reporting some sailfish action starting in 100 feet of water. Most of the fish were caught on a ballyhoo. I also had reports of several nice wahoo in the 30 to 40 pound range and they were caught in 210 feet of water on a split tail mullet. Also, a few kingfish in 80 feet of water and I had a handful of cobia reported around the buoy’s and wrecks.
TEEN ANGLERS - When we arrived at the Jaycee Park boat ramp this morning there was a very stiff breeze and a very high tide. All the Teen Anglers and their family members had to remove their shoes and roll up their pants legs and wade out to the finger piers. The good thing is that the wind did lay down some as the morning went on and it was a beautiful sunny day! We had a total of 14 Teen Anglers fishing and they caught a total of 17 fish.
In the Middle School Division
1st place - Dylora Kohler - Southern Oaks Middle - 3lb. 14oz. redfish
2nd place - Lane Burton - St. Andrews - 2lb. 10oz. sheepshead
Michael Williams - Palm Pointe - 2lb. 10oz. redfish
3rd place - DJ Markowski - Forest Grove Middle - 2lb. 7oz. redfish
In the High School Division
1st place - Shane Surrency - Lincoln Park Academy - 13 oz. mangrove snapper
2nd place - Tyler Serio - Lincoln Park Academy - 9oz. mangrove snapper
3rd place - there were no other fish weighed in for the High School Division
Biggest fish of the tournament trophy went to Dylora Kohler for her redfish.
For more info on being a boat volunteer or joining Teen Anglers call 772-201-5773 or 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 call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com
Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe’s River Charters
South Indian River Fishing Report 11/6
November 11, 2009
INSHORE:
Tough fishing conditions along the Treasure Coast had anglers scratching their heads and wondering when and where they might go fishing lately. Lots of wind each day made it a challenge to get out on the water. Offshore was pretty much out of the question and inshore wasn’t much better. After canceling several days, we finally made the attempt on Sunday. It made for a very limited area to fish.
Will Whitehead and his friend, Ty Fisher, were back out with me on Sunday. They caught fish, but it was tough fishing in both the wind and waves that we endured. The water was pretty chopped up and will take several calm days to clean up the water conditions. The trout bite should continue to hold it’s own, but don’t forget that it’s catch and release. I didn’t hear much about snook fishing this week. The conditions were right for activity around the jetties at night, but few dared the adventure. The weekend is much more promising for fishing. Still some winds, but nothing like the past week out there.
Pompano fishing should improve with the cooling off , sand fleas, Doc’s Goofy Jigs and DOA jerk baits will work well when fishing for pomps. Add that toof the water temperatures. They have been in the river and along the surf. Live shrimp your next trip out fishing. Some sand perch have been caught around the bridges and it should take off now as well. Live or dead shrimp are great off the catwalks. We should see some flounder around the jetties and bridges soon. As things get back to normal, the fishing should be good out there.
Tip of the Week:
Make sure you pack your rain gear as winter continues to work its way into the Treasure Coast. It might not rain, but those windy days can get you wet just as well on the water. Wear your rain gear when traveling around on the water to keep that cold spray from getting you soaked. We have many windy days throughout the wintertime and into spring. Planning on how to battle the winds and deal with the waves and sea spray can make an otherwise uncomfortable day into a much more enjoyable trip on the water. Have a safe and fun time 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
SW FL-Bonita Beach: Almost Too Big Snook, Bull Red, Snapper & Sheepshead
Bill Story and friends, Mike, Dave, Jim, Marvin and Ed picked a nice calm morning to fish offshore with me on Tuesday, 10/28. We headed out of New Pass about eighteen miles and fished in 43 feet with live shrimp. The guys were after pan-fish for a fish-fry they planned for this week, and we did well to fill their table with keeper lane snapper, mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, grunts, Spanish mackerel and porgies of the whitebone and jolthead varieties. We released lots of smaller snapper, as well as short triggerfish and red grouper. Friday morning, 11/6, Mark Murphey, Tom Stefaniak and Jerry Craig fished with me in Estero Bay. We had a great morning, mostly because of the 32 1/2 inch snook Mark caught on shrimp–It was a beauty, and we were holding our breath when we measured it. Fortunately, it fell 1/2 inch below maximum size (see photo.) The guys also caught some nice keeper sheepshead and mangrove snapper, along with four sand bream. We released crevalle jacks, an 18-inch snook and all but ten of the 35 mangs we caught. The group planned to go have their catch cooked for lunch at Fish House, then to ride back to where they were staying on Marco…probably a long ride for Tom and Jerry, listening to Mark brag the entire time! Though Friday had been windy, it seemed calm, compared with the winds of Saturday morning. I fished Estero Bay again, this time with Jim and Kytha Eibel and their ten-year-old son, Graham. The high winds made for a tougher time fishing, but we caught three keeper sheepshead and released lots of smaller sheepies, along with snapper and two large stingrays to 20 pounds. The storm out in the Gulf, north of us, caused our winds to grow stronger and stronger throughout the weekend. The party I was to fish with on Monday decided that even bayside fishing would be too challenging, with wind gusts predicted to reach 30-35 mph, so they deferred their Monday trip. As it turned out, winds laid down pretty nicely that morning and didn’t become gusty until after noon. Winds were moderate Tuesday morning, when I fished Estero Bay with Ed Leroux and friend, Jim. We caught too redfish, one too small to keep at 17 inches and one a bull, too big to keep at 30 inches. We released those after photographing the larger one, along with small mangrove snapper, crevalle jacks, and two stingrays. We caught a few keeper sheepshead for table-fare. The photos shown are of angler Adam Koenigsmark, with a 34-inch king mackerel, caught on a sand perch on a recent offshore trip, and angler Mark Murphey with his 32 ½ inch snook, caught on shrimp in Estero Bay this week.
Orlando Florida Redfish Report 11/7/09
Some high winds have descended upon central Florida and are forecast to remain with us for much of the coming week. The wind has made sight fishing difficult but we have managed to catch some nice redfish and seatrout despite the challenging conditions. Water levels are still quite high but the temperature has dropped significantly with yesterday morning’s water at 66 degrees.If conditions allow you to find the fish, they have been biting.
Last week, prior to the arrival of the cooler temperatures, I made a trip to Mosquito Lagoon with my friend Mike. We hoped we would be able to find a few tarpon lingering around. We only saw a couple and did not get any bites. The redfish and large seatrout, however, were much more cooperative. We caught several of each on a DOA shrimp and used the Baitbuster for some redfish double hookups.
This Monday, I made a solo trip to Mosquito Lagoon. It was the first day of the cloudy and blustery weather. I used 5.5 inch DOA Cal lures in Stark Naked and Silver Mullet colors to catch several trout over 24 inches as well as three redfish from 30-38 inches. All were caught around schools of small mullet holding around patches of shallow grass and sand.
Tuesday, I fished with Larry and his wife Debbie. The wind was blowing when we started but they both caught several trout to 25 inches using the CAL tails. We found a few schools of redfish as well as scattered singles during the day. The wind and clouds made it tough to see and cast to the fish. A handful of trout were caught and released but no redfish made it to the boat.
The forecast for Friday was for winds up to 20 mph. Despite the poor conditions, Canadian residents Mark and Marianne wanted to give it a try anyway. We spent the day along some lee shorelines attempting to avoid the choppy open waters. Both caught some nice redfish including a 48 inch brute.
When the wind dies down, the cooler water should produce some good fishing for tailing redfish. Trophy trout have made their way onto the flats and can be found in the shallow sand holes throughout the day. We have been seeing some black drum each day as well. The DOA shrimp is one of the few lures that is effective on all three species. Fish it slowly along the bottom for best results.
Capt. Chris Myers
Orlando Fishing Guide and Charters
South Indian River Fishing Report 11/6
November 6, 2009
INSHORE:
I usually talk about windy weather in March, but here we are in November and we have windy conditions throughout the Treasure Coast and it appears to be here for several days. The fishing has been very good out there, but few anglers have been able to brave the choppy waters to give it a try. I managed a day out earlier in the week, but had to cancel the last couple of days with small craft advisories out.
The pompano bite has been good and I found some early in the week that were feeding under the ladyfish and jacks. They have been nice size in the 15 - 18 inch range. Live shrimp, sand fleas, DOA shrimp or Doc’s Goofy Jigs can get you some action on a very tasty fish this time of year. There are also pomps along the beach when it is fishable. Snook fishing around the inlet has continued to be productive on the tide changes and at night. Live mullet, Bait Busters and feather jigs are all good choices for snook. If you are fishing around the spillways, try the Bait Busters or TerrorEyz for good results. Redfish reports were mostly north of Fort Pierce around the Moorings. It’s a tough place to fish this week though. Trout season is closed, but the bite had been very good. Release the fish carefully and handle them as little as possible.
Bridges have held snapper, black drum and sheephead with a few reports of some sand perch moving into the inlet. The river is overrun with jacks and ladyfish and lots of fun for the kids and young at heart. I found lots of tarpon at first light around the turning basin earlier in the week. Live mullet will be your best bet at coaxing one into striking. Bluefish have been hanging around the mouth of the inlet along with big jacks, tarpon and snook. It’s a great time of year to fish……just a little challenging this week.
Please take a moment and keep one of my good fishing buddies, who is also a cousin, in your thoughts. Tom Hull has accompanied me on many scouting trips to try out new lures, try new fishing areas and just help me enjoy a day on the water. He was diagnosed with cancer this summer and has been going through treatments since then. I haven’t been able to get him out fishing since August and look forward to having a chance to take him out one day soon. He truly loves to fish and I miss him being on the water. Thanks for thinking of him!
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
NOVEMBER 5, 2009
INSHORE - We had good reports of trout and redfish over the weekend and before the winds started blowing and trout season closed on November 1st. The trout were around Herman’s Bay and feeding on soft plastic baits like a D.O.A. Terroreyz or a live finger mullet. Remember that the trout are catch and release only. Look around the docks along Indian River Drive for the redfish. A small crab or a jumbo live shrimp will be your best bet. The snook fishing remains good along the docks in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and a live shrimp has been hard to beat. I did have reports of some small tarpon that were also working in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and in the Turning Basin and they were feeding on live mullet when they did eat. Around the area bridges you can look for snapper, black drum and plenty of jacks and they all are feeding on live shrimp.
OFFSHORE - Again, before the wind started blowing from the NE and the sea conditions got bad I did have good reports from the weekend about the dolphin bite. There was a good number of dolphin to 15 pounds coming from 180 to 200 feet of water and they were taking ballyhoo. There was also a good cobia bite around both the 10 & 12A Buoys. Most of the fish were caught on Red Tail Hawks. The kingfish action was still steady in 60 to 80 feet of water, The bottom fishing for snapper, grouper and aj’s has been good and they were taking live baits. And as always there are plenty of bonita and cuda’s to take your bait.
BRAGGING BOARD - I got an e-mail and picture from Greg May about a trip he took offshore on Sunday. He reported that they came upon a school of cobia at the 10-A Buoy and they had 6 hits and landed 2. Greg had Adam & Mike Ball on the boat and they landed a 20 pounder and a 16 pounder.
If you want to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770. You can also visit me on the web at www.captjoeward.com
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe’s River Charters
-
Fishing Blog- Web Updates - Nov. 4, 2009
- Salmo Sting Review - Salmo Lures
- Salmo Chubby Darter Review - Salmo Lures
- Salmo Bullhead Review - Salmo Lures
- Salmo Hornet Review - Salmo Lures
- Shrimp Tease Review - Creme Lures
- Killer Diller Shrimp Review - Creme Lures
- Jerk N? Shrimp Review - Creme Lures
- Devil?s Tongue Review- Saltwater - Creme Lures
- Creme Shrimp Soft Plastic Lure Review - Creme Lures
