From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

 It was a fantastic week around the Treasure Coast.  Both weather and fishing cooperated to make for some great fun out on the water.  Warm days in the 80's can make you forget that it is still wintertime around the area.  Hopefully it stays that way for a while!

I had Ron, Mike and Timberly out this week and we found the fish were hungry and feeding around the edges of the flats.  They teamed up for a dozen redfish, some nice trout and a lot of other fish to round out their day.  Ron landed a 25" trout to top off his catch, while Mike caught a 22" redfish and Timberly had a battle to land her 25" red.  We had a lot of fun out there on the Indian River!

The water continues to warm up and so are the fish.  Warm water and baitfish can only mean that the predators are nearby.  Fish around bait when you see it and you should have some success.  Trout and redfish have been the best action around the flats.  Fishing in two to five feet of water with Deadly Combos, live shrimp and CAL jerk baits can help you find where the fish are feeding.  You should find trout on most flats by now.  Drift fishing across the flats can speed up finding where the fish are feeding on any given day.  Snook fishing should begin to pick up soon as the water warms up to their liking.  We should also see the big jacks invading the river.

There are still some flounder being taken on the back side of the jetties and all the bluefish and mackerel you can handle around the mouth of the inlet.  The turning basin in Fort Pierce has also been full of blues and jacks.  Shiny lures or shrimp on jig heads can get you in on the action.  The tackle shops have been having a run on silver spoons this month!  The sheephead and black drum have been all over the river.  Fish the docks, bridges and structure to find some big sheephead this time of year.  Live or dead shrimp can get you in on the bite.

The surf has been good for whiting and blues with most of the pompano action being to the south of Fort Pierce.  Try walking along the beach with a top water lure at first light and see what you can catch!  February has already been a good month and it has just started.  Get out soon and enjoy the weather and the fishing!

Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!

Thanks and Good Fishing!
Captain Charlie Conner

www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.comI