D.O.A. Camp - Fishing Report

South Florida's trade winds were blowing well before the D.O.A. outdoor writer's festival, and they are scheduled to continue for another week. Fishing the Indian River is still productive though thanks to Hutchinson Island and Sailfish Point, which serve as a barrier island. Armed with assorted D.O.A. (www.DOAlures.com) shrimp, C.A.L.'s, B.F.L.'s and some secret proto-type lures I set out with Captain Charlie Fornabio using the J.C. Park boat ramp in Fort Pierce to access the Indian River and its spoil island's which serve as structure for game fish. (www.SpoilIslandProject.org) With the tide and the wind going in the same direction Captain Charlie said, "This will make for a good D.O.A. drift." Fish breaking the waters surface demanded a cast to probe for jack crevalle, but a school of bluefish turned up and I reeled in a 4-pounder that fell for a D.O.A. sinking Bait Buster in the color, black back gold glitter. Switching to lighter rods rigged with D.O.A. shrimp in glow and gold we casted towards the spoils and retrieved towards the deeper water. Wham - a nice snook bit my lure and bent the rod while Captain Charlie divulged that this area had been hit hard by the winter kill and that this snook was a survivor! The snook that took the hook was released promptly; there is currently a 'No Take' moratorium in place in Florida on snook right now. Captain Charlie said, "I hope the discussion to close the snook harvest for a full three years comes to fruition." LowcountryOutdoors can give its highest guide recommendation to Capt. Charlie (www.Captain-Charlie.com) and would like to support the call for conservation of Florida snook for three years, giving them time to recover the age class that was lost in the winter of 2010, and perhaps instilling a long-term mentality of catch and release, and certainly curtailing any unscrupulous anglers that would harvest a snook now with little regard for their intrinsic value. We went on to catch a few spotted seatrout - and the D.O.A. shrimp seemed to make the specks betray their instinct to sit tight. The fish of the day came right next to us though when a female angler hoisted a 10-pound (?) trout that hinted at a photo opportunity.

For more blog coverage from the 11th annual DOA camp click here.

PhotosByJeffDennis: Jean McElroy and her Snook Nook guide with a large spotted seatrout; Captain Charlie Fornabio knows D.O.A. products and has fished with Mark Nichols for 20 years; Jeff was a 'rookie on snookie' in '09 - but not so in 2010; writer Pete Barrett holds his blue runner schoolie caught with www.CaptMikeConnerFishing.com