CREEKS:
The redfish bite has been improving better and better here lately but we still have those days where the fronts come in and the barometer just will not work with us. We'll always have those days though when you can only find a few reds that will bite. Well, you can't have great days every day. It's hard when you consider that everyone has tough days and then when you do this for a living each and every day it's not easy putting people on feeding fish EVERY DAY . We usually can get our limit although we did have two days this week that we've caught 18 then 14 slot reds in those two day trips so that shows me the reds are getting better about feeding. We've also have been catching a few oversized reds in the creeks too. There are millions of mullet everywhere in the creeks right now and that may have something to do with it too.
Trout in the creeks have been doing good too. We've been catching some real nice trout from 18" to 26" and I've had people catch an 8 pounder and a 7 pounder this past week and a 6 pounder this week. It's great to see these nice trout rebounding like they have. One day this week we didn't catch a lot of them but the smallest keeper we had was 19". When you can catch trout like that who needs a lot of them?
The flounder have still been offshore for the most part. Oh yeah, we're catching a few but they're still pretty small. They should've been here by the numbers back in the last part of April and at least the first half of May but the offshore Captains and Party Boats are still catching them 10 to 25 miles out. We've been catching 3 to 8 of them per trip now depending on how long we concentrate on them.
Be looking for the tarpon to show up in the creeks most anytime now.
JETTIES:
The bull reds have arrived along with the pogies. Yes, the pogies have finally showed up in the numbers we remember. Last year it was very tough to try to find enough pogies to fish with but they sure have shown back up last week with the westerly winds. When the pogies show up so do the bull redfish, (oversized reds) the tarpon, sharks of various types and the larger jacks. This is the time to really bend some rods out at the rocks. Don't forget, you can also use those same pogies up river and in the creeks too. Greenbacks or greenies have shown up and they're also a great bait for the same fish I mentioned. You have to use Sabiki Rigs for these guys to catch them.
A few black drum are still around but don't look for them to stay much longer. The water temps are rising steadily and that will drive them away. The whiting bite has picked up and hopefully they'll bite for some time now. I know they're small fish but you just can't beat whiting deep-fried in peanut oil.
Cobia have been spotted by many, including myself out at the rocks and it's looking like it's going to be a better year for these great tasting and hard fighting fish. The tarpon have shown up out at the rocks and they'll soon be up in the creeks too. We've been seeing quite a few along the jetties and I have not personally had any on the line yet but I haven't had anyone who wanted to target them yet.
Check out this 7 1/2' foot, 120 pound Bull shark. Man, can that Shakespeare Ugly Stick bend double without breaking. A graphite rod would've broke 45 minutes earlier. THAT's the ONLY rods I'll ever use are Ugly Sticks. I've used Penn's, Diawa, All Star, Hurricane Redbone, G.Loomis and with the same size and action rod they'd have all broken before this kind of pressure was required to boat this size of fish on this size of rod. No other rod made can bend like this without failing and breaking.
RIVERS:
Spotted trout are in the usual locations now in the rivers. You can slip-float fish with live shrimp for these guys or cast lures like top waters, crank baits, plastics Sure Catch Jigs and Bombers. If you use something that looks like a 'fish' then you'll probably catch larger ones.
Black drum are still around but are fading fast. The higher water temps will drive these guys away very soon.
Whiting are being caught in the sandier areas of the rivers and the yellow mouth trout are very nice size this year. Cut bait will get you the larger ones for some reason.
Jacks and ladyfish are becoming more and more common now also and there are some pretty nice croakers in the St. Johns again. They aren't like the October and November run of them but they're from 6" to 12" and the 11" to 12" ones are nice to eat. I use the 6" ones cut up for the yellow mouth. They work good. Remember, you cannot use a species of fish that has a bag limit on it for cut baits so don't get caught cutting up yellow mouths or sea bass, etc.
SURF:
The surf fishing has picked up considerably with catches of pompano, whiting, black drum and redfish. Last week there were even 4 kingfish caught right on the pier so that shows they're getting close to the beach again.
OFFSHORE:
My good friend Captain Chad Starling of TeamBuckRogers.com tells me the kingfish are what's the hottest thing going right now. Slow trolling live baits along the beach and around the wrecks will pay off from now throughout the summer. Kingfish in the upper 40's have already been caught. Sailfish can also be caught this time of the year along a strip called "sailfish alley" which runs from North to South about 12 to 16 miles off our coast.
Bottom anglers can expect to catch red snapper, Vermillion snapper, triggerfish, amberjack and grouper. He had a 25 pound red grouper last week.
Please remember to secure your trash in your boat, at the beach and on the bridges. Don't let it blow into the water and take it back with you. There are trash cans everywhere for us to use. Our precious waterways are NOT where it belongs.
You can say what you want about the South but,
you never hear of anyone retiring and moving up North,,,
Captain Vic Tison
Co-Host of WOKV's 'Just Fishing' Radio Show 6:00am to 8:00am 690 AM & 106.5 FM
United States Coast Guard Licensed Captain
International Game Fish Assoc. Certified Captain
Regional Director for the Florida Guides Assoc.
Member of the National Assoc. of Charterboat Operators
Member of The Inshore Saltwater Anglers Club
Vic2Fish & Adventures, Inc.
P O Box 28208
Jax., Fl. 32226
904-699-2285
Web Site http://vic2fish.com
Neither Captain Vic nor Vic2Fish & Adventures, Inc. claims any responsibility for any injury or loss of property arising out of any party using these Fishing Reports.
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