Beating the weather?
Capt. Dave Sipler
May 12, 2008
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
5/12 - More beatings....
Well, the wind seems to be again, relentless. What is it, the 5th day or so of 20 kt plus winds?
Was supposed to be out there today. But the Small Craft Advisory has me thinking Tuesday instead. It may not be SCA Tuesday, but just "a little less worse"....that's a cool term, huh?
One of my favorite saying is from the movie "Something about Mary", where Chris Elliott says to Ben Stiller, "yep, each day is worse than the next." Now that's funny!
A few people have called. Although after doing a few e-mailing with past customers I did have one fella reply with, "it costs too much to travel there for one day of fishing, Dave...."
I'm all switched in to a different gear. I have the Twin Drag Accurate reels on the heavy Biscayne rods. All ready for those Sharks and Tarpon along the rocks and beach. The mini -197 Accurate's are now on the 9' Loomis Pelagic series "whoop-ass" rods. For deep water float-rigging, with jumbo shrimp or pogies.
A few years ago, during one of the seasons first kingfish tournaments. I sat out on the south Jetty as the sun came up and watched all the 40 foot, 4 engine go-fast boats come out the inlet and run down the beach to find pogies. And the pogies were right there on the south jetty. If they just slowed down and opened their eyes, they would have seen them.
I pitched my net on a few, and stuck them in the livewell. Grabbed my mini Accurate and a heavy float-rigged rod and pinned on a pogie. I drifted the float behind the boat and in the next 2 hours hooked (and lost) 5 Tarpon. I knew they were there, because I could see them rolling in the swells. It was a really nasty day. Good for me, bad for a King fisherman.
It's fun to go 2.5 miles, get a few baits at boat side, drift them out, and hook up on fish that fly through the air. While being entertained by the boat show of go fasters, leaping the waves.
The Tarpon were all in the 50-80 pound range. I'd have a few on for awhile, drop off anchor and start the outboard and pull off the rocks giving a slow chase, as they sped eastward, "when they were in the water." But it's almost just as much fun getting hook-ups, and short battles over and over again. Especially when you're alone, fishing solo.
I really hope we get enough pogies around this year so it's easy to just go net some up and pull out to the chum hole area off the north rocks and start a drift. Better yet, would be pogies in the chum hole area itself, as I've seen it before. One bait on the bottom for a big Red, and two on the surface for a Tarpon,shark or Cobia. All the bait and fish in the same area sure does make it convenient.
Using the resources you have "close", is what the theme of this summer will be. As fuel prices reach record highs, I'm finding that I can't charge anymore. The public just won't pay it. Everything that's mandatory is going up, while fishing charters (not mandatory) can't go up....It's a luxury. They're not mandatory. Unless you are a die hard.
Jacksonville Fishing Forecast:
Looking forward to a few King Mackerel on jigs, Tarpon at inlet, and sharks off the jetty rocks.
Of course these trips are not for the weak or faint of heart.
We're ever so slowly approaching big water time.
Target Species:
Trout - Tarpon - Shark - Cobia - Kings
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