Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Time To Change Tactict, Fish The Bait


Fort Pierce - Port St Lucie Fishing Report


October 11, 2007
Inshore:
After another week of wild, windy weather, it finally calmed down a few days this week. We managed to fish in spite of the conditions and caught fish each time we were out there. The water is still dirty and will take a while to clean back up again. It's time to change tactics and fish the bait rather than fish the usual spots. The bait schools are still all over the river and we have found fish chasing it around the area. I found a number of glass minnows around the river and fish were hanging around them. Docks have been productive when the wind lets you fish them. Bridges have been very active in the early mornings and on the outgoing tides.
Snook fishing has remained fairly productive. We managed a number of shorts around the bridges and missed a few bites from larger fish. Live shrimp worked best for us. Lots of bait schools have been hanging around there and the fish have been having a feast on them. Expect the grouper, bluefish, ladyfish and jacks to keep you busy also. The jetties have also been holding their share of snook for those anglers. Jon and Jerry had some fun around the bridge with snook, grouper and ladyfish this week.
Trout fishing has been on and off. If you can find some cleaner water, you will probable find some trout there. North of Fort Pierce has been pretty dirty the past several weeks. South of Fort Pierce should clean up quicker and you can look to find trout from Bear Point south to the power plant as the water quality improves. Try top water early and switch to live bait in two to five feet of water. Alan and Tom were out with me this week. Alan caught a nice 23" trout on the flats.
Redfish have been on the flats, but scattered and we spent more time fishing for trout and snook this week. We will be looking for them over the weekend again. There have been some caught around the docks and jetties in Fort Pierce with the bait schools moving around the inlet. Live shrimp fished under the docks will increase your chances at catching that redfish this week.
Snapper have continued to bite along the channel edges and the bridges. Jacks, ladyfish and bluefish have been all over the river chasing the bait schools. It's a great time to take the kids out and have some fun with them. There were a few reports of flounder prior to the weather churning up the river, but none this week.
Tip of the Week:
It's very easy this time of year to get sunburned out there on the water. Not only the sun, but wind can make it worse. Always use a good sunscreen when on the water. Once you realize that you should have put some on....it's usually too late by then. Make sunscreen part of your morning prep before you hit the water and use it throughout the day to keep those harmful rays from damaging your skin. It's much more fun telling fish tales that evening without a beet red face to go with it!
As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner
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 and Port St Lucie, Florida. His weekly South Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report gives you the latest information for the Treasure Coast area on the Indian River Lagoon.}