Maryland Angler fishes on Big Metal.
Capt. Dave Sipler
April 22, 2008
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
4/21 - James from the Chesapeake
Since I did my R&D yesterday, and had a nice game plan laid out for James from the Chesapeake area of Maryland, down as a solo passenger. I felt good as we left the dock at 7:30am on a what was surely to be a tranquil MONDAY MORNING....but in the first hour of fishing, I could see the plans I had mapped out needed to be used as toilet paper instead. And Monday morning just might as well be Sunday morning, I guess.
At one point, I was anchored up tight to the rocks with my "cinder block" jetty anchor. I had two boats come in ahead of me, one behind me was already there. Then came one next to me, and then another guide drops with the trolling motor and is fishing off my starboard side 40 feet away.
I'm usually a people person, gregarious, fun loving, kid friendly, joke'ster. But put all these people in boats around me, and I get claustrophobic!! I had zero "wiggle room". And what gets me is no one is catching a damn thing, I know we weren't. So we picked up and went where no one was and caught (2) beautiful Redfish back to back on our Float-rigs. One 27" fish that was a healthy 8.5 pounds, and another at 25".
I knew there were Reds on this spot. But it took a little while to find them. James also had on what we thought was a nice Trout, but lost it. I had in the back of my mind all day that I wanted to go where the Black Drum were. So we tried it a few times even, but only caught one 15" Trout and a Whiting there. Those dang puppy size Drum remind me of Tarpon. Here today by the schools, and then gone tomorrow. Sunday, I saw literally stingers full of Drum but after 2 attempts in the same area James and myself, just figured it wasn't gonna be.
We moved on as the tide started to fall and went to BIG Trout-dom. Again, PEOPLE were the problem but I worked around them. As the tide got perfect I had James working it hard, "details details" I stressed. And when push came to shove, my float went down! As I was fishing along with James. Drag pulling like a red, head thumping back and forth, was this it??
Oh, I was so excited, but also kinda upset that James wasn't on this fish. I could have handed over the rod. But if this was a big Trout I was so afraid we'd loose it on the hand off as so many are. Along the boat, now..... "is it?" " Yes, it's a big Trout!" Jame's grabbed the net and the fish certainly knew it's fate was sealed and made three attempts to pull away. Swoooosh, in the net!
Ahh, what a beauty. If I fish all day without a bite and then catch me a big fat Trout, I'm satisfied. On the Boga-Grip it turned out to be a perfect 6 pounder.
We continued to work the spot, looking for the next GATOR, but as with the whole day.
Things just weren't feeling right.
I kept telling James, this day feels weird. And I'm gonna go with my gut. Because of the wind direction, the current from the full moon, the sea breeze I know it's something, and I'm getting a vibe.
So we moved on looking for some faster action.
The next move I made was as fruitless as a dead tree. Gut said, "get the hell outa here!" So we did, and hit an area where the afternoon wind wasn't all that bad.
Here we had 4 good bites, and boated two small Reds. The low tide on this area was getting oh so perfect. But James had a taxi to catch, I had fish to clean. So we packed it in for the boat ramp.
Overall if I had to classify the day it was just one that we had to work hard for everything we got.
But most importantly, James hadn't fished since last November and got to do it in 83 degree weather, Florida sunshine, on a Big Metal boat.
Which he said he certainly wouldn't be doing back home. And he learned a lot and we had FUN.
Plus he took home with him a nice sack of fillets.
Thanks James, it was my pleasure.
Remember, you always will get the "reel scoop" here at Capt Dave's Sport Fishing Report Blog.
www.captdaves.blogspot.com
Jacksonville Fishing Forecast:
If the wind let's us, it's all about Trout and Redfish, toss in a few Black Drum too.
All good eating, all good fishing fun.
Believe it or not in the last few trips, the small Bluefish and Jacks have not been a problem.
And yesterday they were non-exsistant. Which is good thing.
But at the same time. A big Jack is a crowd pleaser when one hits a live bait out of the blue.
I certainly wouldn't minded a few 5-10 pound Jacks today.
The bait schools (Mullet, glass minnows) just don't seem to be either here yet, or have passed by the jetties (Inlet) already. I see some baitfish here and there. But not what I think we should have by now, this late in April.
Can't wait to get offshore and do some jigging for Kings, AJ's and whatever hits my butterfly jigs....I'm easy to please.
Target Species:
Trout & Redfish
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