Fish Deep Until The Sun Rises High

Fishing Report Fort Pierce - Port St Lucie - Vero Beach - Jensen Beach February 5, 2009
INSHORE:
Alright, I have finally figured it out. Sitting here with the wind and freezing temperatures outside has gotten me to thinking and I have came up with the solution to beating these cold fronts. Everyone should show up at the beaches on both coasts on Sunday and bring a paddle. We can all just row Florida a few degrees south and end these freezes for this year. It shouldn't take more than a couple hours........

Wind has been the enemy most of the week. Daytime temperatures hasn't been so bad, but windy conditions has kept many anglers off the water. This weekend should provide us with fishable weather and much milder temps. The water is cold, but the fish will have to eat. Start fishing deeper water until the sun rises high in the sky. I did manage a trip to check out the river. The water has remained fairly clear so far and the trout are coming onto the flats later in the day. I drifted the Harbor Branch flats and found fish looking for the warm rays of the sun.....

Anglers have had luck on snook at night around docks, bridges and the inlet area. Live pinfish or large shrimp are the best choices with feather jigs the favorite artificial. Some slot and a lot of shorts were reported this week. At least the inlet has given some protection from some of the winds. Snapper and a few flounder have been boated this week as well. Catwalks have been mostly quiet this week. The Northwest winds have allowed beach anglers to hit the surf and find whiting, bluefish and pompano along the beaches. The jetties have held bluefish, mackerel and jacks during the day and some snook caught at night along the rocks.

The ocean continues to be a challenge on getting offshore. On the river, pick your spots and fish deep cuts or the channel edges for now. Most of the fish will be holding there, especially in the mornings or late evenings. Hopefully, this is the end of the freezing temps and things will begin to get back to normal soon. Cold water can make it challenging to find the fish some days. It's still better than chopping a hole in the ice....

Tip of the Week:
This time of year usually provides plenty of days to get your gear checked out for the coming spring. When it's cold and windy, I take a little time to change out line, oil reels and check rods for damaged guides. Changing hooks on lures, looking in the bottom of the tackle bag..... and cleaning out the storage compartments on the boat are a few other things to do on a cold, windy winter day in Florida. The warm weather isn't far off......

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.}