Charlie Conner

Happy Holidays!

December 20, 2007

INSHORE:

With the Holidays already here, I want to take a few minutes and wish everyone a wonderful Holiday Season from myself and my wife, Eva. We thank all of you for making this a year full of great fishing adventures and memories. We made a lot of new friends and were visited by many old friends. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! I wish you the best for 2008 and hope your fishing adventures are fantastic. Be safe and happy!



First light can bring great fishing action on the flats....

The latest cold front has passed by and warm, mild weather has prevailed most of the week. Sunshine and light winds along the Treasure Coast enticed a lot of anglers to venture out on the water and enjoy some great fishing. The water temperatures have continued to cool off, but the fish have been hanging on the flats a good part of the day. Looks like the coming weekend should continue with the mild weather patterns.



Redfish and trout action was great on the flats this week!

I found fish on most flats this week. Redfish, snook and trout were patrolling the flats in two to three feet of water as the sun came up over the water. Top water will get you some early morning hits and soft baits on the flats will give you a chance as the day wears on. I found redfish both north and south of Fort Pierce. Jerk baits worked well for the reds and trout as well. Snook will also be in the same areas looking for an easy meal. I found quite a few schools of glass minnows in the river and this should help find good areas to fish. Fish around the bait schools for a good chance at hooking up. Work your lures slow.......you will have better results.

Still good reports of pompano down south of Fort Pierce. Shrimp, sand fleas or small jigs are good baits. Flounder along the edges of the inlet have continued to bite. Try a live shrimp on a jig and fish it slowly along the bottom. Sheephead, snapper and black drum have been biting around the bridges and catwalks. The jetties have produced a lot of large jacks and Spanish mackerel. Hope you get a chance to fish soon!

Surf:

Whiting and pompano continue to feed along the beaches. Shrimp and sand fleas are hard to beat for them. You can also find some jacks, mackerel and bluefish also if you use a silver spoon or anything shiny. It should be a nice weekend to hit the beach.

Tip of the Week:

Looking for redfish on the flats is always fun and exciting. In winter, I like to fish along the edges of the flats early and move onto the shallow areas once it warms up a bit. Cool water temperatures don't seem to affect the reds as much as other fish. They will lie in very shallow water to keep warm in the sun's rays. Moving slowly and quietly is essential this time of year. Work across the flats too fast and you will find yourself spooking the fish. If you are fishing lures as slow as possible, it give you more time to fish the shallow areas and have a better success rate. Slow 'er down!

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Happy Holidays,

Captain Charlie Conner

www.fishtalescharter.com

email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com

772-284-3852

Fish Species: Redfish, snook and trout
Bait Used: Top water, soft baits, DOA, Gulp
Tackle Used: light spinning tackle
Method Used: Flats fishing
Water Depth: 2-5 feet
Water Temperature:
Wind Direction: light winds
Wind Speed:

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Charlie Conner

About The Author: Captain Charlie Conner

Company: Captain Charlie\'s Fish Tales Charters

Area Reporting: Fort Pierce & Port St Lucie, Florida

Bio: Specializing in light tackle fishing on the flats of the Indian River for snook, redfish, trout and tarpon. Over twenty-five years experience fishing the Indian River Lagoon.

772-344-3187
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Charlie Conner