April 3, 2008
INSHORE:
March went out with all the gusto is could muster and April has kept in step with the winds blowing so far this month. It has been a hard week to fish on both the river and ocean along the Treasure Coast. The fish have been biting if you can get to them out there. The dolphin bite has been good offshore and trout have been feeding along the river. As the winds die off, look for fishing action to really heat up this month!
Andrew caught this shark on the flats and with Matthew they show off a couple of pompano caught along the channel.
We found some trout out there earlier in the week. Use live shrimp on corks, soft plastics (like DOA CAL jerk baits) or top water in the early mornings. Queen's Cove, Bear Point and Harbor Branch have been the best areas around Fort Pierce with the Power Plant and docks to the south good places towards Jensen Beach.
Snook fishing has been mostly done around the bridges, inlets and jetties. At least you had a chance at beating some of the windy conditions. Live pinfish or large shrimp has worked best lately. Nighttime fishing has produced the best bites on the outgoing tide. We have been seeing some big snook on the shallow flats recently and the top water action will start improving as the water continues to warm up.
Some quality time with Gramps....Chloe with one of her snapper and my new mate on the boat!
I was out with Mark Amorello on Saturday and we found a nice school of redfish on the shallow flats. The only problem was that we couldn't get within casting distance of them before they moved off to deeper water. This is the time of year to spend some time watching and reading the water. Patience and moving slowly along the flats will pay off in April. We had two other boats out there that didn't realize that there were redfish around the area. I like to use soft plastics when sight casting to redfish. DOA CAL jerk baits or DOA shrimp are two great choices out there. Fish them very slowly when sight casting.
Bridges have been pretty much left out of the picture of late. There are still black drum and sheephead if you can stand it out there. Beaches have been pretty much blown out as well. Look for whiting and a few pompano once you can get back out there. Live or dead shrimp and sand fleas are baits of choice. There are still snapper, ladyfish, jacks and mackerel along the channel edges to create some fun. I had a wonderful adventure with my wife, Eva, and our granddaughter, Chloe, recently. Three year olds are easy to please when fishing so we anchored up on a spot that held more small snapper than you could catch and let Chloe have fun with the fish and even playing with the shrimp. Always a joy to watch a child around the water!
Tip of the Week:
Time to check out the contents of the boat and make sure you have your rain gear stowed and ready. Showers will become more likely now and you can keep drier if you have your gear aboard and not back in the garage! We have had a good chance at rain every day of late and it will most likely continue this month. Be careful to watch for lightening! It's never a good idea to be on the water in a thunderstorm. Have a safe and bountiful April!
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