By Capt. Charlie Conner                        
 

April 30, 2010

INSHORE REPORT:

Fantastic spring weather rewarded us with great days to fish and lots of action around the river. Both inshore and offshore fishing has improved with the good fishing conditions and it promises to be a wonderful spring around the Treasure Coast. April has lived up to its reputation of a windy month, but became milder as the days wore on. May is always a month of calmer winds and great fishing opportunities.

Trout fishing remains steadfast as the best action around the river. DOA Deadly Combos, live shrimp, CAL jerk baits and top water lures are all working great on the trout around the river. Fishing in two to four feet of water around Harbor Branch, Queen's Cove and Round Island have all been very productive for trout action. Wayne Keever, Mario and Kathleen had a fun day catching trout on the flats. I finally managed a morning to check out some flats and found the trout and redfish to be cooperating very nicely. Most of the reds are on the lower scale of the slot, but they will be the big boys of summer very soon. CAL jerk baits and grub tails worked good on the reds for me this week. I was also rewarded with a top water redfish as well. Sandy flats or around the docks of Fort Pierce will be good areas to look for reds in May.

Snook fishing has been good around the jetties and bridges lately. You will still find bluefish, mackerel and jacks patrolling the jetties. The big jacks are filtering into the river and you should be able to find some drag squealing action around some of the deeper docks. The baitfish are beginning to fill the flats and that means lots of big trout will be there to feed on the many bait schools. It's a great time of year to get out at first light with a top water lures to get in on some great action. Beaches are still producing whiting, jacks and some pompano. The bridges have been good for mostly sheephead this week. May will provide us with some great fishing!

Forecast:

Winds will continue to ease up around the area and early mornings will give you some great top water action around the river. Find the bait schools and fish around them to look for big trout. Redfish will become much more active as the water continues to heat up. You can find reds on the flats throughout the day during May. Snook will be feeding around docks and bait schools on the flats this month. May is always exciting on the river and with the past winter, the fish are ready to fatten themselves up on the baitfish. Plan on getting out this month and have lots of fun

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,