9/21 - These tides.......
If you are a frequent visitor here, you know I tell it the way I see it. I call a day when there's a really high incoming tide and a N.E. or East wind. A "K.O.D." day. Not very conducive for river float-rig fishing for Speckled Trout, less alone anything else. So what's the best thing to do? Hit the bottom. And this morning we had really no alternative.
But you know me, I never leave the house without my float rods rigged and a bait well full of live shrimp.
Had Mike D. and his wife aboard today. So I had to scramble a bit to get some live fresh crabs, because I just talked to Mike the day before. So with everything in place, we left the dock around 7:30am. First thing, get to where I've been starting days like today, and get some baits out ASAP. The first push of the incoming tide has been the ticket. No sooner we got there and a few other boats that left before us were already hooked up. But our first taker didn't take long, but we sort of lost it. The fish ate the crab off the hook while giving us a sort of false hook-up.
No biggy, I had about a dozen crabs just enough to get some Reds as the incoming tide rumbled under us. Mike is an avid Texas Gulf coast angler, that had us swapping info back and forth like to kids trading baseball cards. Which made for a fun day.
More photos at: www.jacksonvillefishingreports.blogspot.com
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9/24 - Curt from London
Had Curtis from London England, and step father Ed from Jax beach (I think) aboard, for a day of hunting Big Bull Redbass. Curtis was all for it.
Well, we fished and fished....using one live Blue Crab after another. Then, finally we got bit. But lost it to a "hook-set" on a 7/0 circle hook. Remember, never set the hook when using a circle hook. Just let the fish pull against it. AND START REELING!
So we moved away from the crowd anchored up on the first of the incoming tide, all alone. I pitched out a few fresh crab chunks. And a rod went off. Finally, crazy, wacky, super excitable. let alone entertaining, Curtis was hooked up and freaking out!
More photos at: www.jacksonvillefishingreports.blogspot.com
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9/25 - Multi-species day in Mayport.
Had Don M. aboard again, with his sister Lindsey. Don's a regular customer and he'll be back next Friday again, with his dad visiting from Pa.
We stopped in along a rock bank this morning. And I did a survey drift with my float-rig. And on the first shrimp of the morning I had a big Trout hooked up. Head shaking, pulling drag, and then the fish busted the surface, I saw it....then it got off. Damn!
This was after we tried outside the jetties along the rip line for big Reds with crab baits. We soon left to go float-rig fishing instead, because there wasn't a bit out there. My buddy Capt Randal was also out there trying it. And the same thing for him, so he left for up in the river.
I decided to hang out east of the boat ramp all day long. The river and the jetties haven't had my full attention lately. But it's about time, it did.
No Trout....but believe there could have been if we caught more of the falling tide. But Don's sister wasn't feeling good, so we took her back to the dock and Don took her home then we re-started our day, over again afterwards.
We re-tried the absolute last few mintes of the falling tide inside the jetties bottom fishing. And again came up with no Big Reds. So right there we decided, it was Float-rig fishing the rest of the day.....forget those crabs, and the heavier tackle. Let's put something in the "BOX".
So we worked the jetties.....
More photos at: www.jacksonvillefishingreports.blogspot.com
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9/26 - Short Saturday Trip
Had the pleasure of having Dr. Rodney and his daughter Tara aboard for a Saturday morning. They were in town for a wedding, and after fishing is when the wedding was. So we departed at 7am.
I decided to keep everything close. So we went over by the Navy base and did some float-rig fishing. But only caught Jacks and Ladyfish on the last of the falling tide. I'm going to mark it down in my log book this year, the day that good amounts of Specks show up along that bank. I just want to see how late it will be. Good number's of Trout. Not just a fish here and there.
We got bit again, and this time it was a fish with not as much "spit and vinegar". So it makes me wonder "how big was the one we lost?" (if you catch a big mean Red with a Eagle Claw 7/0 circle hook in it's mouth trailing a leader and a bunch of Berkley 50# super braid. You'll know where that fish has been) Rodney fought and fought. Arms getting tired, feeling the burn in the forearm, when finally the big Red appeared.
More photos at: www.jacksonvillefishingreports.blogspot.com
