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Jacksonville Fishing Report for Amelia Island & Mayport
Capt. Dave Sipler
November 29, 2003
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
NOT THE USUAL HOOK LINE AND SINKER........
I just have to tell you about Thanksgiving day.
It was thick with fog, as day light came over the eastern horizon. But the forecast was for a beautiful day. Not a breath of wind, and the boat ramp was pretty vacant too.
I needed to wait a bit for the tide to get right for about an hour. So I wasn't in a hurry, and the fog helped me waste some time, since travelling was at a madatory idle speed, if you didn't want to hit someone or something.
I'm never satisfied with doing the same ole fishing techniques day in and day out. So that's why I go fishing even if I don't have a charter on a particular day. I love to experiment and do some, R & D.
I had plans of "float fishing" today. A normal practice used for Speckled Trout fishing. It's also a regional method too. From N.E. Florida to the Carolina's, floats are used commonly.
The rig consists of a long pole type float, a stopper knot, and a trout weight (a torpedo weight with a swivel on one end), and a leader and hook. The stopper knot is set so the weight can take the leader with bait down, and fished at a certain depth. Controlled depth fishing just like with a down-rigger when trolling. But we use the current to drift this rig over productive areas. And suspended Speckled Trout, is usually the quarry.
In the St. Johns River, Intra-coastal Waterway, and back in the tributaries, almost every boat you saw had these floats rigged on the poles back years ago. But like many things, it seems to be a dieing art.
Just as tournament fishing has changed the way an average fisherman pursues his King Mackeral offshore, I think float fishing has sort of faded off the same way. Except for the ole timers. At least the fisherman older than me. They know how to float fish, and make lure, jig, and bottom fisherman enveous with how easy they make it look.
Fish haven't changed, just fisherman. Older methods still work.
But I wasn't fishing the river, ICW, or the creeks the morning of Turkey day!
I was fishing the big St. Johns River Jetties.
A place you hardly ever see a "float-fisherman". And if you do, all you have to do is watch the guy for a minute and you can tell if......he is doing it right.
A highly effective presentation is what Float fishing is all about.
And this day couldn't have been more perfect for it. I anchored up along the massive jetties granite boulders and drifted my float rig with a live shrimp down the rocks, and watched the float disappear quickly under the water. The fight was on. And it was a big 7 pound Sheepshead, then another and another.........
Then as I shouting about my success to a buddy over the radio I started to catch Redfish, and big ones too. Up to 31 inchers that weighted 10 pounds.
It was great, I never had so much fun float fishing before, and never really did much of it out at the jetties before.
I only lost 4 small hooks to either fish or the rocks this morning, unlike if I jig fished where it's not unusual to break off 10-20 jigs in a mornings fishing.
I was catching really good fish and it was stress free!
The Mayport Jetties are know for the snags, with your tackle as well as anchors. But fishing a float really ends all of that.
Float fishing, is not that easy. You still must have knowledge of how to set your float up for fishing along the rocks, the way the water moves, the best tides, and positioning your boat is crucial.
I finished up my pre Thanksgiving dinner fishing trip at 11am with; 5-Sheepshead to 7 pounds, 6-Redfish to 10 pounds, 2-Speckled Trout to 2 pounds and a 4 pound Flounder.
Wow, was it great few hours.
You can bet, I'll be looking forward to having some clients give it a try also. There's no real big difference between float fishing the river and the inlet. You just have to know the things that makes each area unique, and then it'll come natural.
There's many ways of productively fishing the St. Johns River inlet. There's bottom fishing, vertical fishing over the rocks, casting jigs with bait, there's lure fishing, and Float fishing.
My goal has always been to be a master of each species and technique out there. I don't worry about fly fishing, sight casting in shallow water, or trolling and bottom fishing offshore. I've done all of those with some success over the years. But when it comes to the most productive place to fish in the Jacksonville area, it's the jetties, and I want to know it all.
I am more than well versed in each technique, and can show you with confidence how it's done. Period.
Like everything else, there's seasons that float fishing will work, and when the weather won't let it work.
But since I love catching Speckled Trout in the winter, be it in the river, or at an inlet.
You can bet, I won't be without a Float-rig when I go to the Mayport jetties.
Give me a call, so you can give it a try!
TIDES, CURRENTS, DATES, DON'T GO FISHING WITHOUT THEM.
Yesterday, it was like an early Christmas! I recieved my 2004 Florida Sportsman's Fishing Planner, in the mail.
I can't live without one. I use it every single day.
About this time of year I start reserving trips and getting inquiries for the next year. And what's easier than opening up the pages of a book that has the tides, locational tide adjustments, moon phases, tide highths, solar-lunar tables, and just a bunch of good info like the story between fish and barametric pressure, fish species temperature preferences, bag limits, tide tips, and more.
I also use it as a yearly log. I jot down weather patterns, days fished, customer info, maintenance schedules, phone numbers. My whole year goes into this book.
And the best thing about it is I save them and refer back to all the notes I've made, year after year.
Now can you see why I can't live without this book?
I know I'm not talking about how to "physically" catch fish, but this is just as important.
Some people say; "I'm not in the charter biz, I don't have to know or do all that".
My response is; "so I guess you don't take your fishing that serious, huh?"
Which at that time I quickly remind them that I kept logs in the same way I do now, way before I fished for a living. And before Florida Sportsman printed such a handy book.
This year the Planner is enhanced with color photos of fishermen and women from each region of Florida.
The Tide Planner is state wide. If I was heading on a fishing trip, I'd refer to my Tide Planner for that area of Florida before making the call to the travel agent. Cause I know tides and moon phases can effect my success.
Ordered on-line at Florida Sportsman's web site, or coming to a local store near you, you can't beat it at $8.95. And it's funny, everything goes up year after year. But not the Planner, it's still the same price as last year.
You can even find a quote about how important the book is to me by, "yours truely" on the inside cover.
When you ask for one tell 'em Capt. Dave Sipler sent ya'. You won't be disappointed. And this is one "tip", that works for every Saltwater angler.
Till next tide,
Capt. Dave Sipler
www.captdaves.com
904-642-9546
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