April 17, 2008
INSHORE:
We enjoyed some great fishing weather this week. A few cool and windy days to keep you home, but overall spring has arrived here on the Treasure Coast. Look for nicer weather as May nears and fishing to continue to improve for trout and redfish on the flats. We had some great fun out there and look forward to much more in the coming weeks!
We fished for a variety of fish this week from grouper to trout. While we got busted by some nice grouper, finally Lawson Taylor muscled in a 27" gag grouper from around the seawalls in Fort Pierce. Both 14 year old Megan Lundy and 10 year old Rachel Taylor had big grouper bites only to lose the battle with them. We used live pinfish for our action this week.
Lawson Taylor muscled in this 27" gag grouper from the seawalls...
Trout was the other species we went out in search of. Rachel and Patrick Taylor both landed some trout off the flats that were all in slot size. Patrick even boated a good size bluefish around the docks this week. Live pinfish or shrimp along with DOA CAL jerk baits are the best options for trout lately. The winds allowed us to drift the flats at a leisurely pace and fish them thoroughly. Queen's Cove and Harbor Branch has been good producing sites and when Bear Point is fishable....give it a try also.
10 year old, Rachel Taylor caught several trout from the flats...
Redfish have been pretty quiet this week. It's been hard to fish with the windy weather, but we have seen a number of them in the shallows and it should turn on at any time out there. Snook has been mostly a nighttime adventure. I talked to several returning anglers in the early morning that have caught some slot size along with some oversize and a good number of shorts. Live bait or jigs have worked best.
Patrick Taylor found this bluefish hiding under a Fort Pierce dock...
Catwalks and jetties have been pretty quiet with all the winds to keep anglers from venturing out. Lots of jacks around the river and some bigger ones in the inlets. Young Megan battled several 20 to 25 pound jacks, but they got the best of her in the end. It was fun to fight those bruisers though! The surf has produced whiting when the beachers could get out there. A lot of days was more like fishing in sandpaper. It has been a good week and this weekend should be great weather to venture out on the river and even the ocean.
Tip of the Week:
Lots of smaller pinfish and pigfish have been around the flats. It's time to get out the ol' fish traps and use some of these plentiful fish for some great trout action. Floating a pigfish on a popping cork will keep some of the daredevil bait snatchers from bothering you like they do on live shrimp. Lots of fish around the flats will take the opportunity for an easy meal. Have some fun soon, especially with the young anglers.
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