Sleep In When It's Cold

Fishing Report

Fort Pierce - Port St Lucie - Vero Beach - Jensen Beach

January 23, 2009

INSHORE:
As I look around outside and see brown grass....frost scorched plants & trees and my poor tomato plants....we sure did have one cold front move through this week. The days haven't been so bad, but the nights have chilled the water and made it more challenging to fish on the river this week. Look for a fantastic weekend ahead to get out and do some fishing!

I was out over the past weekend, just before the cold front hit so hard. Ray Boyd and his son-in-law, Mike, were out with me and we ended up having a great time on the water. With the water so cold, we found trout, ladyfish and jacks on the flats. Ray and Mike decided to have a contest to see who caught more fish. We lost count of how many and they tried to keep track of who was ahead. Well, rules continued to be changed and challenged so I have no idea who won the contest, but we all had a wonderful time on the river. I think this was a continuation of the contest from last year.....

It's important to find the warmer water to find the fish. Deeper water will work better in early mornings and you can move to the shallows on these sunny days to look for redfish and trout. Jerk baits, suspending lures and live bait will be good choices of baits. Fish slowly as the fish will be slow to move and sometimes you have to put if right in front of their face to get them to eat. Harbor Branch and Queen's Cove have continued to hold trout, ladyfish and jacks. Fishing around bridges, docks and deep cuts can pay off in this type of conditions. It has been a challenging and cold week!

Tip of the Week:
It's not as important in getting the early start in cold conditions. As the sun warms up the water, the fish will become active and more apt to feed. Fishing lures slowly along the bottom will give you more opportunities on each cast and have a better chance getting that hit from a fish. DOA shrimp or CAL jerk baits are great ways to fish for trout and other species in cold water. Deeper cuts along mangroves can also be a great area to target fish. Fish slow and low and have success in this artic weather.......

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

(Captain Charlie Conner has been fishing the Indian River Lagoon for over twenty-five years. Specializing in light tackle fishing in Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, Stuart and Port St Lucie, Florida. His weekly South Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report gives you the latest inshore fishing information for the Treasure Coast area on the Indian River Lagoon.}