South Indian River Fishing Report 1/8 As we begin 2019, let's hope that this year will bring about change to help the water quality on the Treasure Coast. Last year had it's challenges, but we ended up on a high note as I see the sea grass and water quality improving with the fairly dry winter months. It has been a mild winter and water temperatures have been in the low to mid seventies so far. Winds can be very challenging this time of year, so plan your outdoor adventures accordingly. Enjoy the awesome January fishing this month. The winter fish have arrived and that means lots of exciting action and many different fish to target. Dave and Cody were back this year to enjoy the fishing. They caught redfish, snook, drum, sheepshead, snapper and pompano along with many other species on some beautiful mornings on the Indian River. Al, Tim and Ryan found drum,sheepshead, croakers and snapper to make for a fun river adventure. Don, Lexi, Sammi, Stacy and Ely found whiting, snapper and sheepshead to top off their catch on a very windy day. Sherman had his family visiting and we took three boats of the kids fishing and found a good variety of fish for them to enjoy. All the family came down for the holidays to also celebrate Sherman's 90th birthday a little early. It has been a fun week on the water. Pompano have been in deeper water around the river. Doc's goofy jigs, sand fleas or live shrimp have all worked well. Docks have been filled with snapper, sheepshead and drum. You can also find redfish hanging under the docks as well. Snook fishing around the jetties and bridges has been best at night. We are catching smaller snook around some of the docks. Croakers and whiting have been coming into the river and can be found around channel edges or deep cuts. Try a DOA Deadly Combo on the grass flats when searching for trout or redfish. I love this time of year and the variety of fish available around the river. Watch the weather and dress in layers to cope with cooler temperatures early and to stay comfortable as things warm up later in the day. January should be a very productive month this year. Thanks for everyone for making 2018 a successful year for me. I appreciate those who read my reports and hope I have helped improve your fishing! Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Happy New Year! Captain Charlie Conner

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/20 Inshore: The Holidays are here already. I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season this year. It has been a typical winter so far around the Treasure Coast. Weekly cold fronts bring cooler temperatures to the area for a few days and then things warm back up again. Water temps will fluctuate this time of year and that can affect the fishing. You must be willing to change tactics on any given day and move to areas where water temps will be more favorable. When the water cools down, move to deeper areas for best results. I love winter with all the different species that migrate to the area. You have so many choice on what to fish for and it gives you alternatives to cope with weather patterns. I had my wife, Eva, and her two sisters out this past week. They came down from up north to visit before the holidays and also to get out of the cold weather for a few days. Carol and Judy don't fish very often and it was actually Judy's first time fishing. We drifted channels for an action filled time for the girls to enjoy and then had a boat ride to finish out the morning. I think they had a lot of fun and caught lots of fish! Otherwise, I have been laid up at home the past several days after having cataract surgery. I can actually see again and probably won't need glasses after wearing them since I was sixteen! I'm excited about that. The pompano, sheepshead, drum and mackerel are in the river now and you can find plenty of exciting action this time of year. You can fish for them in a variety of ways now and they are all great table fare. Live shrimp, DOA grub tails, Fish Bites or small shiny lures can all get you in on the great fishing around the Treasure Coast. It's an awesome time of year so plan on getting out soon! Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Captain Charlie Conner

South Indian River Fishing Report 12/13 Inshore: Winter certainly has arrived! Our weekly cold fronts has just dropped more 40 degree nights upon us. Make sure you dress in layers when outdoors this time of year as the daytime will still warm up quite a bite. Water temps have fell into the sixties this week, but will gradually warm up once the cold fronts have passed. It's a typical winter weather pattern so far. I had Timo join me this past week. It was a windy morning, but we found some nice fish in spite of challenging conditions. A few nice sheepshead, croakers and mackerel were cooperating along with snapper, jacks and several other species to make for a good day fishing. My wife, Eva, joined me with her childhood best friend, Lillian, and their friend, Mary for a boat ride around the river. It turned into a fishing adventure for the girls. They couldn't remember the last time they had fished, but did great and caught lots of fish. Mutton snapper, jacks and blue runners kept them busy for a few hours before we ventured on with our sight seeing trip. Paul and Walter joined me on a breezy morning and the guys found the drum biting good. They landed nine and had a few breakoffs along with sheepshead, snapper, jacks and others to make for a fun morning on the river. Don, Art and Sherman were back up to fish this month. They caught some nice sheepshead along with snapper, grouper and a host of other fish. Sherman landed four snook to 24" as well. It was another fun week on the Indian River. It was another fun week on the water. Sheepshead, black drum, pompano and mackerel are all moving into the area for winter. It makes for some exciting days and most are great table fare. Look for drum, snapper and sheepshead around bridges, docks and channel edges. Snook fishing around the inlets have been good with the cooler water this week. Look for redfish around mangroves and docks this time of year. DOA Shrimp is a great way to fish for reds. Try a Deadly Combo on the grass flats to locate trout. Pompano are generally in deeper water and Doc's Goofy Jigs work great with pomp fishing. Try beaches, channels, deeper grass flats or the inlets. Mackerel, jacks and ladyfish will be coming in with the tides and you can generally find them with small shiny lures. It's a great time of year to enjoy the fishing along the Treasure Coast. Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Captain Charlie Conner

December Fishing Forecast: Here it is December already and the Holidays are almost upon us. Where has this year gone? I must say 2018 has been another great year for fishing all along the Treasure Coast. Both inshore and offshore have provided anglers with many great fishing adventures. The hurricanes left us alone this year and we anxiously await to see if our newly elected officials will work on the water issues for us. Hopefully, this winter will be milder, the water quality improves, and the fishing is great for everyone. December brings on the winter months and changes fishing tactics on the river. The water temperatures continue to fall and your fishing must adjust to the weather. Water temps can dictate where you fish and how you fish. Finding water a few degrees warmer than normal can mean the difference in catching and fishing. We will get many days of breezy winds that will hinder getting to some favorite spots out there. That's one of the reasons I love fishing in this area....you can always find somewhere to fish! Not only does the cooler weather affect the fish, it also requires us to dig out the ol' winter fishing clothes. I’m not too proud to get out the long johns on a cold winter day. It can get pretty chilly some mornings! 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. Using live bait, DOA Baitbusters & TerrorEyz, jigs and bomber lures can help you catch one worth a photo opportunity. 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. I love to work DOA CAL jerk baits or CAL Air Heads this time of year on the flats. You can also find snook and redfish hanging around those areas as well. Pompano have already arrived 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. Fish the inlet, turning basin and channels for them. 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 sheephead, black drum, croakers and sand perch for those anglers. Live or dead shrimp is always the best bet from the catwalks. There is a good variety of fish to target on any given day in any kind of weather conditions. 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 redfish bite all last winter and I am looking for it to be just as good this year. Winter fishing is already here. Change your tactics with the weather and follow the water temperatures more closely to make your fishing more productive. Let’s make 2019 the year that we see improvements to the water quality in our area. If we all do our share to protect our rivers, we can insure the future generations will enjoy the same experiences we have been blessed with. Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Captain Charlie Conner

Inshore: Nice weather continues along the Treasure Coast this week. Temperatures have become milder and the water temps are in the mid 70's this week. Winter fishing should prove to be an awesome bite this year. Some of the winter fish have already started to arrive to the area. It can be challenging with the weather, but productive if you use it to your advantage. Look for some windy days ahead and enjoy the fishing this winter! The black drum have been coming in strong and bite has been good for us most days. Nolan had a good day with his dad and they landed 12 drum that were all in the slot size. We ended up with a few sheepshead, one nice triggerfish, a big mackerel and lots of snapper to finish off a good day on the water. All fish were released this week. We lost several good fish that broke us off or threw the hook. Most of our fish have come from channel edges and docks this week. Look for redfish around docks as well this time of year. Snook fishing has been good mostly at night. Pompano will be showing up soon and anglers will be happy about that. The mackerel have been coming in with the tides and been decent sized lately. You can find jacks and ladyfish in many places. There have been whiting in the surf this week. Perfect for the kids! As winter sets in and we get the weekly cold fronts, make sure you are changing your fishing habits to fit the conditions. Water temperature will help show you where you might fish. A couple degrees in temperature can mean the difference having a successful day. Wintertime fishing is very good in our area, but you must watch the conditions and plan your fishing carefully. Good luck in December. 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 Report 11/15 Inshore: The weather has been fantastic this past week. Temperatures in the mid eighties and winds that are very cooperative to fishing inshore. Water temps in the mid to high seventies have really improved the fishing around the area. ;Expect similar conditions in the near future as winter establishes itself on the Treasure Coast. It has been another exciting week on the water. We have enjoyed a good variety of fish this week. Snapper have been the most prevalent fish out there. Sheepshead and drum are moving into the river now and that is good news. Pompano and mackerel are also coming into the river. Winter fishing is always productive and exciting for anglers! Pete and Peter, Jr. were out with me n a nice morning. First cast was a nice pompano. They found some nice croakers and snapper to add to the days catch. Good morning for the guys! Jerry and Lindy joined me on another nice day. They found redfish, drum, sheepshead and snapper to make for a busy morning along with the usual other species. Bob was back with the baseball guys from PA. We had two boats full and it was another beautiful morning. The guys caught lots of fish. We started out playing with the ladyfish to get warmed up and moved on to snapper, sheepshead, jacks and drum and many others. Don, Art and Sherman had a nice morning to fish. The day was mostly snapper, jacks and sheepshead. All three of them got broke off by redfish or drum on the docks. Art landed a nice tripletail that was just short of the keeper. It was an awesome week of fishing. Snook have been good at night around the jetties and bridges. Snapper are everywhere and some decent sizes to them. Redfish have been under docks along with drum and sheepshead. Fishing will continue to improve as the water temperatures fall and more of the winter fish arrive to the area. It should be a great November and December this year! As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!! Good Fishing and Be Safe, Captain Charlie Conner