Winter Time Fishing on The Indian River

December is usually a month to shine in inshore fishing

Story/Photos By "Indian River" Joel

December is usually a month to shine in inshore fishing. The water clears up and the temperatures drop. Also, Fish are moving because of the cooler weather.

This December was even better than usual. The trout bite was amazing. I'm not talking about a bunch of schoolies either, I'm talking big gators. As December moved along, the fishing only got better. We caught a bunch of trout over 20". I had clients get tired from battling trout after trout!

We had some great fishing in Melbourne near the 192 causeway, Pineda, Cocoa Beach, Sebastian, and Crane Creek. Brackish water can be especially productive this time of year. I've even caught grouper back in crane creek almost every winter, so be ready for anything!

Bridges along with any type of drop off were the best places to find trout and redfish. We had a good amount of bait move through for this time of year.

I learned a few new/old tricks from some cajun guys which proved to be lethal on big trout. One of the things, I learned was to go with proven baits from years past and not to get hung up in all the new fads. Simple grubs and speckle beetles proved to be deadly on 1/4 oz. Jig heads. Fishing with light colors such as white and clear yielded the best results in clear water.

We can now look forward to a good 2012 fishing year. I've already been out on the water a few times this year and yielded similar results even after the freeze. Remember, the colder it gets the more neccessary it becomes to find deeper water. Throwing in 2 feet of water this time of year is kind of pointless. I wade near bridges and deeper docks, skipping an artificial underneath them. Make sure to have your drag set and be ready to go!

"Indian River" Joel
321-402-9881
www.wadefishingflorida.com

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