Jacksonville August Fishing Report
Capt. Dave Sipler
August 24, 2009
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
8/23 - FISH, caught everywhere.
Had Kirk M. aboard today. Kirk's fished with me many, many times before. BUT, usually in either the fall, winter or spring. So he's used to a bit of a different scenario. I don't think he's ever been on my boat when it's 90 degrees.
But he was in town, from Lima, Peru. Where the U.S. Navy has him spending a few years. And he's just thrilled with that, BTW. So fishing is an activity in which he has been severely lacking.
He wanted to go, but I thought I was going to be in the great state of Louisiana fishing for a week. So when I had to cancel on the La. trip at the last minute, I emailed Kirk and said, "I'm now open to fish Sunday the 23rd."
To my disappointment, I'll be possibly fishing the river here for a few more years, before I can fish the "oh so bountiful" Louisiana inshore waters.
We caught fish at every single spot we went too. There's no lack of bites. We even gave bottom fishing a try again. But was there after the big Redfish bite was about over. 20 boats of all sizes were jam packed into a small area. I initially went in there just to say HI to some friends. Instead we caught small Yellowmouth Trout. As we talked with my friends. And the big Red bite was about done, so when the current went wacky we moved on.
We did try the jetties, earlier. The water temp on the incoming tide was 75 degrees. We were one of 3 boats fishing the rocks. The tide was pouring in, and Kirk hooked a Ass-Hander! Probably a really big Jack. And it ripped him down the jetty and around the corner and then shut the door.
My Ugly Stik "Striper rods"....which are my new charter Float-rigging rods, got a super horseshoe put in the one that Kirk had in his hands, on this fish. Bowed up and drag smoking. It was super cool. But once the big fish hooked around the jetty. It was over, when the light 15# leader popped.
We were looking for some incoming tide Redbass, of course. But the jetties just didn't feel really right for some reason. And that cool water was suspect.
That was about it out there, so back down river we went. Yep, we did some back and forth stuff. But settled in around Blount Island to the Dames Point bridge area.
In the river we caught Speckled Trout about everywhere. But most of them were shorts, 14-12" Trout. Out of maybe 25 total we boxed a whopping six. A 14" Yellowmouth,. and two Mangrove Snappers.
But the really good thing is every spot we fished (Float-rig) we caught fish. Even a quick stop up in a shallow cove in 2 feet of water, we still caught Trout. Small ones, but they were Trout.
(we were looking for a red....even a pup red)
Hey, at least my Speckly friends are all over the place in the river. That's a good thing.
The ratio of keeper sized Trout was a bit of a bummer. I bought no less than 10 dozen live shrimp and at least 3 dozen died.....even after changing the water out with cool clean ocean water.
The incoming tide came very quickly this morning and by the time the tide turned and we had ebbing water again, and were on a decent bite good Specks, we ran out of live shrimp. That's summer for ya.....shrimp just don't want to live, as well as winter time. And I do all I can to keep everyone alive. I call my bait wells in the summer, the I.C.U - "intensive care unit"
We had keeper Trout from 15 inches to 20" being the largest.
Kirk thinks while he's here that we maybe able to sneak out around 3pm again this week, after he's done Navy business over at Jax NAS. I'm all up to that. Late afternoon falling tide bite? Yeah baby! Hmmm, I think I have a few "top water" spots I'd want to try.
Capt Dave's Sport Fishing
www.captdaves.com
26' BlackLab Marine Center Console
Everything you need, nuthin' you don't
Let's go get you some..
Jacksonville Fishing Forecast:
BIG REDS and loads of Trout....just need the size to come up on some of the Trout.
Target Species:
Speckled Trout - only
More Fishing Reports:
