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Jacksonville Fishing Report for Amelia Island & Mayport
Capt. Dave Sipler
November 18, 2003
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
TIS' THE SEASON FOR GREAT MEALS
I said it before, but will say it again.
The fall/winter season to me means; "good eating fish, and lots of them".
I, like many guides clean alot of fish through out the year, and on the top of the list of dislikes are Sheepshead. Not only are they tough to clean, but you really don't get much out of them unless they are large, and that's 5 pounds or better.
So I'm going to try something different this fall/winter season, and that is "a little less Sheepshead, and alot more Speckled Trout fishing".
It's a wide open opportunity. Since the best Speckled Trout fishing in N.E. Florida is from November through May. We will have to bare with the February closure of Trout, but that's okay cause it's a bad weather month anyhow.
From Float riggin', as it's locally called, to plugging with MirrOlure 52MR's. The Trout, big and small are tightly schooled, and love both a live shrimp or a properly presented lure.
Over the last few days I have been hammering them.
Much is catch and release because the 5 per person bag limit (15" to 20" with one fish over 20" allowed) is easily caught in a matter of minutes.
One day last week I did a solo trip to my favorite hot spot, and had my 5 fish with many 4 pounders in literally less that 15 minutes.
The next trip I took Dave Herring and his buddy Gary which both were from Sacramento, California out for a 1/2 day trip, and in 1 hour and 15 minutes we had our 3-person limit! It wasn't what they were expecting, that's for sure. Dave just returned from the Andros Islands in the Bahama's the week before where he fly fished for Trophy double digit Bonefish, and told me that this Speckled Trout trip in Jacksonville was better than the trip to the Bahama's.
"I love hearing that!"
Tides are very important though. I have certain places, and those places must be fished on the correct tide, which translates to the best part of the "current". I'm sure you can just go out hilly-nilly and find some trout biting somewhere. But if you want action like we had, things need to be right.
And weekdays are essential, I want everyone at work, or at least 1/2 of Jacksonville off the water!
Boat noise, wakes, and inconsiderate fishermen, we have to stay away from.
Nothing says "livin' in the south" better than a big ole fish fry with family and friends. And in my opinion there's damn near nothing better than fresh Speckled Trout, rolled in some dry cornmeal mix and fried in some Peanut oil. Add a cool dark beer, some sides of beans or a cold seafood pasta salad, and let the feast begin! (don't forget the hushpuppies)
So, be it known.... tis' the season to get you some.
69 DEGREE WATER TEMPS....and waiting for fall??
Right about now, friends and I start wondering and making predictions to what kind of winter we're going to have.
Yes, winter. It's a dirty word in Florida. But part of reality in N.E. Florida.
Nothing compared to the northern U.S. hemispere or even N. Georgia. But it still gets cold, and really cold some years.
January and February are the worst. But it seems like we're still waiting on the fall season to explode!
One nice warm day after another, makes for some fine days on the water. But in reality, some things seems to running a bit behind, this year.
I do remember those years when on Christmas afternoon, I could be out fishing without a shirt on. And it feels as if this could be one of those years.
At least we're up for one. Since the last few winters have been really bad with just a couple years ago being one of the coldest in Jacksonville's history books.
But without the falling water temps, (which has as much to do with changing ocean/water currents more than air temperatures)we wouldn't have the Drum biting at Trout River, or the Croakers either. The Sheepshead wouldn't be getting bigger at the jetties. And the trout wouldn't have turned on.
Also, this can be one of those times during the year, that salinaty levels in the St. Johns River can have alot to do with your daily success.
Right now the salinaty levels in the river are low.
You can check with a Spacfic Gravity meter or as simple as taking a taste.
The Black Drum and big Croakers are sort of hanging out down river, and by this time last year they were at the jetties by the thousands. Could salinaty levels down the river be more to their liking? The answer could be yes, if you wanted to bring in a team of biologists to study this type of thing. But as daily fishermen, we sort of just figure it out ourselves.
Could a big push of more fresh water drive them eastward to the ocean? Could a few days of rain make that happen? The answers I'm thinking of could be a definate, YES.
There is some big Croakers, a fall favorite, along the jetties, but not massive schools of whoppers. Along with the Black Drum, and Redfish for that matter, there's a few at the inlet. But it could always be better. I just caught a 20 pound Redfish yesterday (11/17) and was surprised! Cause I haven't seen one since the middle of October.
Now let's take a report from the St. Marys river Jetties off the tip of Amelia Island, (just north of Jacksonville) and compare....
Two friends of mine went up yonder yesterday.
They caught at least 100 Sheepshead, and 49 were big fish. While doing so, the Redfish ate them out of house & boat! They saw big reds literally, "tailing" up in the south jetty rocks of the St. Mary's inlet.
They caught thier fare share, and some were so big they just let them break off.
THIS IS A COMPLETE 180 FROM WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT THE ST. JOHNS RIVER JETTIES.
And were talking a mere 16 miles north.
BUT....
The St. Mary's river isn't as long as the St. Johns, isn't as big. Doesn't come from the south.....do I need to go on?
It's a whole set of different circumstances.
Things can just be different there!
Either way, that's what's on Capt. Dave's mind for this week. I know it maybe a lot to bite on. Sometimes brewing about what the fish are doing is a loosing battle. But I have nothing else to worry about, which is a good thing.
So for now, let's go catch some nice fat Speckled Trout, some Sheepshead, and big Reds.
Not to forget, if we get the right day, a box full of Black Drum and Croakers, down river too.
It's all good...when your out fishin'.
Till next tide,
Capt. Dave Sipler's Sport Fishing
Jacksonville-Amelia Island, Florida
2-boats/12 months a year
G. Loomis PRO-STAFF
www.captdaves.com
9034-642-9546
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