DEC. Jacksonville Fishing Report
Capt. Dave Sipler
December 28, 2008
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
12/26 - Day #2 of the year!
Day #2, is what I call December 26th. It's the second most popular fishing day in this area. The first is the day after Thanksgiving.
So, smartly Phil C. from N.C. called me about a month ago to book his trip with his two son's and his brother Mike, who lives locally. (all holiday weeks, minimum 2 weeks to 30 days advance notice please.)
I didn't have the best feeling in the world. Because just two days prior on Dec. 24th my jetties were absent of all Trout bites, let along catching anything else on the ole Float.
But, on the 24th it was nasty....sloppy and windy out yonder. And around noon after much defeat, I had to put some miles between the nasty inlet and our next spot. And I found them, and my guys Glenn Sr. & Glenn Jr. had a good time filling the fish box.
I told Phil lets do a 9am departure. So for me that meant leaving my house before 7am just to be able to get into B&M bait and tackle to get shrimp and ice, and aquire a parking spot at the Mayport boat ramp. So I sat around for 2 hours tied to the dock. No one thinks about all that....the hours that go into just getting there on holidays. But I have to do what I gotta do.
The guys came down early, and we took off. Very Slowly! The fog was thick. It would be slow going. So I gambled and headed for the BIG ROCKS.
And once I pulled up and dropped my anchor we never went anywhere else for 6 hours!
It was slick calm, no real current to speak of (day before the new moon) and we commenced to WHACKIN THEM!!!
Two rods only, was the rule. I'll do the casting. Phil & Mike and the boys just switch off rods every once in awhile.
IT WAS MAYHEM!!!
The first cast I made, showing the boys what to do, the float went down and the look on everyones face was, shock!! I.G. -instantaneous gratification , a 5 pound Sheepshead.
Then, the next drift, Yellowmouth and Specks from the minute they
hooked the first one till the last fish of the day.
We were sitting in the middle of a FISH RIOT!
I was baiting, casting, coaching, netting, tying, un- hooking, taking photos for hours. It just blew me away what a difference a day can make. When there's no wind, heavy fog, and slick water.
They were catching Trout as fast as we could get a spunky live shrimp in the water. Big ones, small ones and everything in between. But we only kept just enough for a fish fry.
Letting the first Sheepshead go, and most of the Trout. Then, it was Phil's (dad) turn. He set the hook on a big fish. A 7+ pound Sheepshead. "We'll keep this one!"
Everyone got their fair share of rod time. And I was so glad it wasn't rough, and windy and foggy too. Because that sure would have made for all together different fishing experience for these 4 guys.
The weather gods were shining on me, for once. I'm usually pretty nervous on 4 passenger charters. "Will there be enough activity for everyone, if it's rough it will make it a big problem, etc." Today, I was breathing a sigh of relief. And was so happy for the day we were having.
The fog would come and go, but never completely went did it go away. The river remained covered up, so I was glad I didn't have to do much traveling.
The only time I pulled anchor was to re-set it for the change of tide.
The fish box was looking pretty good. But we still needed a larger Speck and a Redbass. So it was just myself and the two boys in the back of the boat. I told them, "let me make a cast for you one at a time. I think I can get you a bigger fish right up in there....." And I pitched the float. Two seconds later the float went down, I reeled a little and handed the rod to one of them. It was a Redbass! Yep, just what I had planned on.
Damn, it's great to know exactly when, where and how to find the perfect fish sometimes. It turned out to be a perfect 25" Redbass. Just what we needed. The "Jettywolf" could smell one up in the rocks! I knew it was there.
Okay, now we need a larger Trout.
So I did the same thing. I made a cast up in the rocks, coached one of the boys, the float went down, and he caught the largest Speck of the day a beautiful 20 incher, for one of the boys.
It was warm, slick and beautiful.....no wonder the boat ramp parking lot looked like a Walmart on dollar day. But what made it nice was the fog. Most everyone was just motoring around slowly. You have to be nuts to go balls to the wall anywhere in that pea soup. While ships passed us by fog horns blarring, and you could only see a faint hint that they were even there.
This whole weekend is supposed to be beautiful.
And I'm sort of glad my next days out are the 29th and 30th.
Maybe I won't have to leave my house 2 hours earlier than need be. Since from my driveway to B&M bait and tackles driveway is only 4 minutes, and I'm only 5 minutes from the boat ramp, also.
It's GO-TIME, folks......
Don't ask me about this kind of action come JULY!
EZ reservations:
Jacksonville Fishing Forecast:
FOG....FOG......FOG...means one thing.
Slow going, but WARM air!
December a great month, now winding down. But the warm winter temps has made fishing a delight out in the BIG water.
I'm loving it. And when the seas are low, the inlet fishing is world class!
Target Species:
Trout, Drum, Reds, Yellowmouth trout, Sheepshead and MORE..
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