Inshore fishing provides lots of possibilities!

September Fishing Forecast With COVID-19 still affecting the Treasure Coast, more people have turned to fishing to get out of the house. August was a super-hot month! September will continue to be warm, but the fishing is always exciting. It’s a great time of year to target tarpon, snook and redfish around the Treasure Coast. Lots of bait has arrived in the area and the predators are chasing it both in the river and on the beach. Water temperatures will continue to be warm. Temps have been in the upper 80’s lately. It is always best to fish early or late in the day. The fall mullet run begins this month and that will bring exciting action to the area. I love fishing in September! Fish the shallow water early. Look for redfish around docks and mangroves this month. They like the shade these areas offer, and you can get a nice redfish fishing live bait, DOA shrimp and CAL grub tails. The trout bite improved this year and you can find some nice fish around Bear Point, Harbor Branch or Round Island flats. Fish top water early and switch to DOA shrimp or CAL jerk baits as the sun warms up. Snook season opens again on September 1st. Live bait, DOA Terror Eyz and assorted other favorites used around jetties, bridges and sea walls can get you hooked up to that slot fish. Make sure you are prepared for the season and check your equipment. It’s always good to check your license and snook stamp, too. Fish the bait schools! It's easy to spot the bait this time of year. The fall mullet run is going on strong in September. If you do not find bait around your favorite fishing spot, you will most likely not find many fish there. Move around if you need to find active bait. Fish love this time of year and they are out there gorging themselves on the bait in anticipation of the coming winter months. Water temperatures will begin to mellow out and will get back to normal. It's a great time of year to be fishing! Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Good Fishing and be Safe, Captain Charlie Conner **hidden content** **hidden content** **hidden content**

May Fishing Forecast for the Treasure Coast Inshore: It has been a strange year so far and most of us are wondering how this COVID-19 will affect us in May. I hope everyone has fared will so far and hope the coming months sees things get settled down. I like to target redfish in May. Some good choices for lures will be gold spoons and the DOA 2 ¾” shrimp. Redfish will be active on the grass flats, mangroves and docks around the river. Snook fishing will be good this month with night or early morning the best times to fish. The season will close May 31st. Inlets, bridges, seawalls and docks are all great places to target snook. Look for trout to hit top water lures at first light. As the sun rises move to deeper water in the two to four-foot range I have had great success with CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos this year in place of live shrimp. Look for clean water and good grass to have your best results. Fish bridges and docks for sheepshead, snapper and drum. Jacks and ladyfish will be just about everywhere creating havoc all over the river. Beaches will produce whiting with catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish along with some pompano. Tarpon will begin their trek into the river. May is a great month to fish the Treasure Coast! As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!! Good Fishing and Be Safe, Captain Charlie Conner

South Indian River Fishing Forecast – March Inshore: The winds of March have arrived! Warmer weather means winter is over and spring conditions are just around the corner. Chances of rain are on the increase so watch the weather and plan your adventures carefully. Water temps will be on the rise this month and you can expect lots of exciting fishing action around the Treasure Coast this month. Look for redfish to be around mangroves and docks. A DOA shrimp is always a good choice for reds. Trout will be moving onto the shallow grass flats as the sun warms things up. Try a DOA Deadly Combo or live shrimp on a popping cork to locate trout. A DOA CAL will also work well this month. Sheepshead, drum and snapper will be along channel edges and docks and willing to take a live shrimp. Snook fishing will pick up around the inlets, bridges and docks. Live pilchards are a favorite bait in March. Mackerel, bluefish, jacks and many other predators will be coming in with the tides and feeding around the inlets and channels of the river. Small shiny lures work best for these fish. Pompano fishing has been good so far this year. Pompano are in the river and along the surf and willing to take a Doc’s Goofy Jig, shrimp or sand fleas. They usually can be found in channels and deeper parts of the flats in March. We have had great success on croakers the past few years. There will be nice sized fish in the river and along the beaches feeding with whiting. They are fun to catch and very good on the table! Winter wasn’t so bad even though we complain about it. Living in Florida spoils you! March is a good time to check equipment. Both fishing and the boat should be checked a few times a year to make sure everything is in good working order. Some of these windy days will provide a good chance to check rods, reels and safety gear for when good weather arrives. Have a great March and enjoy the fishing! As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!! Good Fishing and Be Safe, Captain Charlie Conner

February Fishing Forecast The winds of winter have arrived in full strength! It will be blowing most days and make it a challenge for anglers to get out fishing. Winter is well established, and you can expect weekly cold fronts to blow through the area bringing windy days and cool temperatures with them. Water temps will fluctuate this month and you must adapt to the changes for better success. The sheepshead and drum have arrived early and are plentiful out there. You can find them hanging under docks or along channel edges. Live or dead shrimp always works well. It has been a good bite so far. Pompano can be found along beaches, in deeper areas of the grass flats and in channels. Doc’s Goofy Jigs are great for pompano with live shrimp and sand fleas good choices, too. Mackerel, jacks, bluefish and ladyfish will all be coming in with the tides and small shiny lures will work best for them. Snook fishing will be best at night around the bridges and jetties. Live bait or a DOA Bait Buster will be good choices. The trout bite has picked up and we are seeing more sea grass growing on the flats. I like to use a DOA Deadly Combo when looking for sea trout. Look for redfish around docks and mangroves with a DOA shrimp. Fishing your lures slowly will certainly give you more action on the river. Fish tend to be sluggish in the colder water. Be willing to fish deeper water if the temps drop below 68 degrees. Working your lures or bait slower along the bottom will give the fish more time to react to it and will result in more bites for anglers. We have enjoyed more normal winter weather and the fish bite has been good for us. Winds will still be blowing, and the water will begin to gradually rise in temperature. Have fun this month and get out fishing Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Good Fishing, Captain Charlie Conner

December Fishing Forecast This year has flown by! Here it is December already and the Holidays are almost upon us. Both inshore and offshore fishing have provided anglers with many great fishing adventures. We managed the hurricane season with some luck. You can see the seagrass making a comeback to the Treasure Coast. Hopefully, this winter will be milder, the water quality improves, and the fishing is great for everyone. Trout, redfish and snook will be targets throughout the winter. Snook season closes December 15th, but many anglers will still play catch and release with them. Fishing around bridges, docks and inlets can bring great action with snook hanging around the deeper waters of the river. Trout will tend to hang around the deeper cuts of the river. Move off to three to six feet of water for trout. Live shrimp on popping corks or DOA Deadly Combos will work the best for them. Redfish can be found around local docks during the winter months and a live shrimp or DOA Shrimp can entice them into striking. Don't forget about the deeper cuts along the mangroves for redfish and snook in December. Using stealth is essential when fishing the shallow waters for redfish. We had very good success at finding the reds in shallow on sunny days on the grass flats. A mild winter will have them feeding in the shallows this month. It was a fantastic Pompano are already arriving in the area and not only provide great fishing action, but fantastic table fare. Spanish mackerel and bluefish will continue to hang out in their favorite haunts of the river. Jack Crevalle will be traveling around in packs chasing bait all over the river. Flounder should arrive soon and hang around the inlets, docks and sandy flats of the river. Ladyfish is a great way to spend a few hours with the kids on the water. The bridges will be holding sheepshead, black drum, croakers and sand perch for those anglers. There is a good variety of fish to target on any given day in any kind of weather conditions. Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Captain Charlie Conner