Light tackle and fly fishing on the abundant waters in Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, Ft. Pierce, Jupiter, Jensen Beach and Hobe Sound, Florida with Captain Greg Snyder and Riverhawk Charters. NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2008 INDIANRIVER LAGOON FISHING REPORT I cannot believe it is the holiday season again! This time of year you will start to see several changes in the weather, water quality and fishing itself. Air temperatures begin to drop which in return will bring the water temperature down. By December we will have had one or two cold fronts and this will bring the water temp down to the mid 60s. With the cooler water and shorter days brings pompano fever beginning in November, lasting until March. The anglers from the bridges have been using D.O.A. shrimp in the glow or gold flake colors, nylure jig or Gulfstream's redfish jigs. Soaking sand fleas on a triple-rigged kayle hook rig is also productive. If you are fishing from a boat, pompano can be found almost anywhere. The crossroads, sailfish flats, around the quarter bridge in Stuart and the many spoil islands along the Indian River. Flounder are good this time of year. They can be found around structure or where there's sandy bottom near grassy flats. My favorite lure for the big door mats is the D.O.A. shrimp in the gold flake color. Remember to work the shrimp slow on the bottom, and I mean slow. Snook will still be around, mainly inside around area bridges, seawalls, and other deep water structure. With out a doubt, the best bait for these cool water snook is the D.O.A. terror eyzs or D.O.A. C.A.L. bait, with a 3/8 oz red jig head. Work the baits slow around the bridges or along sea walls. For under or around docks throw a D.O.A. glow shrimp and let it drift with the current. I know you will be pleased with the outcome. Trout season is closed, November and December. There is a reason for this. The trout are in big numbers and can usually be found congregated in one area. Trout have very fragile mouths, so pinching the barbs on your hook is a good idea for a quick and healthy release. You will catch just as many fish while minimizing damage when unhooking them. Wetting your hands prior to handling any fish allows the fish to maintain its protective slime coat. Avoid the use of nets, and release the fish in the water. Taking care of these fish now will produce some great results for the future. Again the bait of choice is the D.O.A. shrimp either by its self or with the deadly combo this bait will fool even the smartest of fish. Heading into the surf, the blue fish, Spanish mackerel and pompano will be the story all winter long. Macs and blues will be in the surf and shallow reefs. These fish are a blast and can be caught on anything shiny like glass minnow jigs or spoons. The pompano will be along the beach as well. Use the same fishing techniques as you would in shore. Remember when you are fishing in Martin County, there's a maximum of two rods per angler, while in St Lucie County there is a four rod per person max. The pompano limit is 10 per person, with an 11 inch minimum to the fork, and only one over 20 inches. If you have read my fishing reports in the past, you know that I mention and recommend D.O.A. lures in every report. The reason for this is that in all my years of fishing I have not been able to find a soft plastic bait that catches fish consistently like D.O.A. lures. It is a fantastic American product that is truly an unfair advantage. I was asked by G.A.F.F. to recommend a good affordable gift for the holidays. The D.O.A. kits make an excellent gift for fishermen, and can be customized to fit any need. Also if you mention that you read this report D.O.A. will send you a free Mark Nichols Unfair Advantage DVD along with your purchase. This DVD is a great way to see and learn how to fish soft plastics. Contact D.O.A. and talk to a real person, at 1-877-362-5873 or at info@doalures.com or the web www.doalures.com. Plan on visiting the Treasure Coast? Heres a seasonal round-up of what you can expect to catch. January-March Inshore the tarpon and snook are slow, March will see a better snook bite. Redfish, trout, goliath grouper and jacks are good. Nearshore the kingfish, jack, and snapper are a good bet, weather permitting. The cobia get better towards March. April-June Inshore the snook bite is getting hot. Slot-size fish and bigger are in the rivers. Redfish and trout remain good and the tarpon should start to show up in June. On the beachs Bonita are getting very good in june. Usually the late spring and summer months bring calm seas and your best chance to venture offshore. Cobia and dolphin really start to heat up as we approach the summer. Kingfish slow down a little but you can still expect some "SMOKER KINGS". The grouper bite slows down while the snapper remain good. July-September The snook, redfish, trout are best this time of year. The big tarpon are all along the beachs. We should still have plenty of nice days offshore where the kingfish, dolphin and cobia are still good. Some wahoo are showing up. October-December The tarpon slow down this time of year as they migrate south. Snook redfish and trout remain the hot fish this time of year. You will still find cobia and jack near shore. The kingish bite picks up.