October Fishing Forecast – Treasure Coast We transition into fall this month and the water will begin slowly cooling down for winter. It has been a warm year, so don’t expect a huge temperature difference. October provides great weather and hungry fish. Plan on enjoying this month. It’s a fantastic month to be fishing! The fall mullet run will start winding down, but there will still be lots of hungry predators out there chasing them around the river and along the beaches. . Live finger mullet, croakers and pigfish will be the best live baits to use. DOA Terror Eyz and Bait Busters will be good artificial lures to use for snook. Try around the docks, jetties, turning basin and bridges docks around the river. Lighted docks are especially productive when fishing at night. Redfish has continued to be a good bite for us again this year. Their population continues to grow and provide some awesome action for anglers around Fort Pierce. October will continue to be a productive month for those who seek redfish on the flats. The DOA 2 3/4“ shrimp or CAL grub tails are two of the best choices for redfish along with a variety of live and cut baits. The trout bite will be good this month. Get out early with a top water lure for some exciting action on the river. Switch to a DOA shrimp or CAL jerk bait later in the mornings. Harbor Branch, Queen's Cove and Middle Cove are all great areas to fish for trout around the Treasure Coast. Look for some sheephead, black drum and snapper to be moving in around the bridges, docks and channel edges. The surf will be alive with jacks, snook, bluefish and other predators, which will all be chasing the bait schools along the beach. Croakers and whiting will also be hanging along the beaches. It's another great month to fish along the Treasure Coast! Have fun and get out fishing soon! As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!! Good Fishing and Be Safe, Captain Charlie Conner

September Fishing Forecast As Hurricane Dorian continues on its destructive path along the east coast,, we give thanks that we were spared the brunt of the storm. The water is churned up and will take a while to clear up again. Our neighbors in the Bahamas did not fare well and can use all the aid that we can give. Make sure you donate to one of the many charities that are helping get relief to the affected islands. August was another 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 to the area and the predators are chasing it both in the river and on the beach. Water temperatures will continue to be warm, it’s 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! Snook season opens again on September 1st. Make sure you are prepared for the season and check your equipment. It’s always good to check your license and snook stamp, too. 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. 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. Fish the bait schools! It's easy to spot the bait this time of year. If you don't find bait around your favorite fishing spot, you will most likely not find many fish there. Move around if you need to in order 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

August Fishing Forecast The dog days of August have arrived, and you can bet on hot muggy weather for the Treasure Coast. Make sure you take the usual precautions of sunscreen and hydration when outside this time of year. Lobster season will be the most anticipated event this month and you can bet there will be lots of anglers out in search of the spiny critters when the season opens. Look for afternoon thunderstorms and plan your fishing for early mornings or late evenings for best results. Enjoy fishing in August! Trout, snapper and redfish will be the best opportunities this month. Get your favorite top water lures ready for some good trout action on the flats. Follow up with a DOA CAL jerk bait as the sun rises on a light jig head. Water quality has been good so far this year and you can find plenty of grass flats to fish. Harbor Branch, Queen’s Cove and Bear Point have all been productive so far this year. Look for snapper and redfish around docks and mangroves. Live bait or a DOA shrimp can help you find a nice slot redfish in August. It has been a good summer for redfish already. Tarpon will be moving into the river along with many other species. Look around the turning basin for the tarpon action with live bait or a DOA Terror Eyz. Snook will be active around the jetties and bridges. Channel edges will be active with snapper and sheepshead. The glass minnow schools will be moving into the area this month and it will bring a host of hungry predators chasing them. Lots exciting action awaits Treasure Coast anglers this month! Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby……it's an ADVENTURE! Good Fishing, Captain Charlie Conner

South Indian River July Fishing Forecast July Fishing Forecast July has arrived and it brings hot weather, festive parties and some great fishing action to the Treasure Coast. Getting out early or late is a must to beat the heat of the day. Action will begin at first light and late in the evenings. Water temperatures are warm so look for docks and mangroves that provide shade to help the fish cope with the hot weather. I like to fish docks and mangroves in July. Redfish like the shade and a DOA shrimp can help you hook up on a nice red. Docks are usually very productive all year for us. Top water lures are good to use early on the flats. There have been some nice trout this year and it’s a great way to target them on the grass flats. I am seeing lots of grass north of Fort Pierce and the schoolie trout have been thick. With snook season being closed, I generally try not to target them in summer. There will be larger snapper in the river around structure and along channel edges. Bridges will be producing snapper, drum and sheepshead during July. Live or dead shrimp will be hard for them to resist. Watch the tides and fish the slower sides of them for best results. Whiting will continue to be in the surf with the occasional bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Sharks will be patrolling along the beach also. Watch for the glass minnow schools to flood into the river and you will find lots of action surrounding these tasty morsels! Jacks, Spanish mackerel and bonito are a few of the fish that love to feast on the glass minnows. Fish deeper water as the sun warms things up. I like channel edges for a variety of species as the water temps get into the upper eighties. Incoming tides will bring in cooler water and that’s a good time to fish! Try Harbor Branch, Queen’s Cove and Bear Point this month for some good action. Enjoy fishing in July! Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby……it’s an ADVENTURE! Good Fishing, Captain Charlie Conner

June Fishing Forecast June brings about hot summer days and great fishing action around the Treasure Coast. It’s a time to get out early or late in the day and avoid the afternoon heat. Winds will be the calmest of the year so far and water temperatures will be in the mid to high eighties most days. June is an awesome month to enjoy the fishing in the area. Redfish, trout, snook and tarpon will be the main targets this month. Redfish will be hanging around mangroves, grass flats and docks. DOA shrimp or CAL shad tails are the perfect lures to target reds. I like root beer or copper colors. Most of the redfish will be slot sized fish. Trout will be feeding on the grass flats both early and late in the day. Top water lures are the best choices for trout with switching to DOA paddle tails once the sun rises up high. Start shallow and move out to 3-5 feet as the temperature heats up. The DOA Deadly Combo is a great way to search out the sea trout on the flats. Snook will be found around bridges, inlets and sea walls in June. Live bait or DOA Terror Eyz are great ways to fish for snook. Don’t forget that the season is closed, so handle the fish carefully and get them released quickly. Night fishing will also be one of the best times to snook fish. Look for tarpon along the beaches, inlets and channels. Live and cut bait or DOA Terror Eyz are some of the popular choices for tarpon. Look for jacks, ladyfish and mackerel in the inlets as well. Make sure you take plenty of water with you. It will be hot out there. Drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated and reduce the risk of heat stroke. Slather on lots of sunscreen! Sunburn isn’t a good feeling at the end of a good day of fishing. A little common sense and a few minutes can a big difference. Make that part of preparations for your adventures on the water. It will just make a great day even better! Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby……it’s an ADVENTURE! Good Fishing, Captain Charlie Conner

May Fishing Forecast for the Treasure Coast Inshore: The winds of spring will be leaving us soon, and May brings warm temperatures and lots of great fishing action around the Treasure Coast. Water temps have risen, and the fish are hungry this month. April provided us with some great fishing action with lots of old friends and many new ones this year. I had the company of lots of kids this year and it is always fun to watch the smiles on their faces. May is one of my favorite months to fish with many opportunities to catch lots of different species. One of my favorite fish to target this month is redfish. They will be more active this month and you can fish for them around docks, mangroves and grass flats. Some good choices for lures will be gold spoons and the DOA 2 ¾” shrimp. Redfish will be active on the grass flats through most of the day. They also like to hang under docks and mangroves as the heat of the day arrives. Snook fishing will be good this month with night or early morning the best times to fish tor linesiders. The season will close May 31st so it will be the last chance for a slot fish before fall. The inlet, bridges, seawalls and docks are all great places to target snook. Live bait, DOA Bait Busters and feather jigs are among the most popular favorites with snook anglers. Trout will feed on top water at first light and live shrimp on popping corks during the day. As the sun rises, head off the shallow flats to deeper water in the two to four-foot range. We have had some nice gator trout of late and should see some still big trout throughout the month of May. I have had great success with CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos this year in place of live shrimp. If you are using live baits, try big shrimp or pilchards on the flats. Look for clean water and good grass to have your best results. Bridges will hold sheepshead and drum, while snapper will be moving into the river along with flounder. 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 and you can start looking for them in the St Lucie River, Big and Little Mud areas and the channels of 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