24 hrs can be the world, with fishing.
Capt. Dave Sipler
April 4, 2008
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
4/4 - 24 hrs can be the world!
Had two of my favorite guys on board today. Mike Hurt and his Dad, Gary. Been taking these two guys fishin for years, and I always enjoy seeing them, because we always have a good time no matter "what".
Well, "the what" today was a major change in weather from 24 hrs prior, when Nick and myself fished the same areas.
Problem was.....the wind. Didn't start out all that bad this morning at 8am as I headed to the jetties. And then anchored in what was a soup sandwich (Minestrone between rye bread). The southside of the south jetty. It was rock & roll. Nothing that "BIG METAL" can't handle, but as we feed the Bluefish live shrimp on the float-rigs bouncing and swashin' around. Mike was starting to feel the call of his breakfast, doing a re-run the opposite way! So I packed up and moved to calmer waters. Although Mike did have a big run of a large fish on the float-rig. But his leader broke. Might have been chafed from prior Bluefish attacks.
Bluefish love the soup. The nastier and choppier the water, the more the ocean Piranhas, like it.
You can't tell in the photo, that the swell was 4 feet, but you can surely see the nervous surface condition.
Okay, back to the calm water area inside the jetties. Well, by now the wind had built up and was a good 15-20 knot sustained from the southwest, and by the time the tide started to flow. I couldn't stay anchored to save my life!
Between the tide and the wind, it had the boat jerking back and forth pulling the 13 pound Fluke style anchor loose. So I did what us jetty fisherman never do....go to a 7-1 scope on the anchor line. Yes, to anchor in 20 feet I paid out approximately 150 feet of anchor line! And we stuck, like a granite boulder to the bottom then. This was a personal record. I never have had to put out that much anchor line to hold in the depth of water in my life. So you can surely tell, that the conditions were far from perfect.
The Bluefish were still present, but we did bag a few Trout as the tide started to ebb. But as the New moon strength and wind got behind the water, the current was way too fast. So it was time to move on, and drag up all that dang anchor line.
We moved over a an area out of the wind, sort of and found a few small Jacks, Blues again, a Sheepshead, and another Trout, 16" and mighty skinny but it was a Trout. Mike and I both lost a good fish, probably another sheepshead.
As the tide slowed on this spot I made another move to an area that's so hard bottomed that again, it was a miracle the anchor stuck.
Right in the Lion's Den of wind. Knowing full well, that there probably wasn't any Trout there. But the decent sized Blues were there and Mike and Gary hooked one after another for hours it seemed. And probably 20 hooks worth. They were either eating the hooks off, or chewing on them as we flipped them into the boat.
We ended that day there, and headed back to clean fish. And I was surprised. There was enough for a small fish fry dinner.
I really hoped for a better day. But the weather beat us. Mike comes to Jax to see his folks a few times a year, and always calls me well in advance, is always on time, and likes the float-rig fishing too. That's why I look forward to his day. And so wanted a better one, weather and fishing wise.
So it looks like the rest of this weekend is gonna be windy, although they say Sunday is going to be 10 knots from the N.E. And we know that really means 15 knots or better probably.
I have Monday and Tuesday booked with the same two guys, and man it doesn't look good right now:
MONDAY - NORTHEAST WINDS 15 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
TUESDAY - NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS CHOPPY.
So every time I have multiple days in a row, momma nature doesn't want to cooperate. And people still want to trade me
j-o-b-s. Yeah, right!
Wouldn't you feel safest fishing aboard the same boat the US Coast Guard uses? BlackLab Marine, all welded Plate Alloy boats. I know I do!!
Jacksonville Fishing Forecast:
We're in a funk right now. Started today, and I guess yesterday's weather was it for a few days now.
Looks like this weekend will be windy, like today right on through till next week.
But when the conditions are better, there's alot of fish to be had at the Mayport Jetties.
So why not call for a day aboard the JETTYWOLF!
Taking reservation now for May...get those good tide days now. And get ready for big fat TROUT!
Target Species:
Trout, Yellowmouth, Sheepshead, Redfish
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