7/7 - Big day upon the seas....

Had back on the boat Steve W. and his two sons. Last time, they were out on the JETTYWOLF we hit the shrimp boats out in the chum hole and had us a big day of the boys pulling on sharks as they screamed drag off the twin drag Accurate reels. Well, guess what they wanted to do today?

You got it......SHARKS.

I told Steve, "I've been behind those shrimp boats out there 4 times and have yet to even see a Sharks let alone catch one."

So as we left the dock, I turned down river versus out the river eastward. We had the last of the falling tide ahead of us, so I figured we burn off some old Cigar Minnows on the bottom and get us a few big Reds.

Upon arrival on the spot, the tide was great, the morning wasn't all that hot with a due east breeze coming off the ocean, all seemed to be perfect. Glitch in the game plan.....bait stealers galore! Eating our baits on the bottom in 36 feet of water faster than I could keep two rods out and lines in the water.

No Redbass bites. Yeah....how hard could it be to catch a decently big Redbass on a falling tide in good current along the Lil Jetties?
OBVIOUSLY PRETTY HARD, in bazzarro world.

So I said hell with this and picked up and headed east out the jetties. Big Swells against the east wind were at the end of the north rocks, but outside the current it was really nice. We saw shrimp boats WAYYYY out there a few miles offshore. So I dropped two plugs and two dead cigar minnows over the side and trolled the "rip-line" out to the shrimpers looking for a Kingfish or Cuda bite, which was also a "fish-wish".

We arrived at the shrimp boats all gathered in one area, so I pulled all the trolling lines and headed over to them with a rod all rigged up. I use a 4" Pear shaped float with 4 feet of 200# test and a 13/0 to 16/0 Mustad circle hook  on the end of the rig. Everything is crimped. I also file the bend of the hooks and create a notch in the steel, because most of the time I'm not going to get that hook back. ( I like having hands and fingers) So giving the sharks a bit of help with hook degrading-rusting, as soon as possible.

We pulled up behind the first shrimper and what did we see??? A pack of 50 sharks from 3 foot to 6 foot or better all chasing the boat on top of the nets. I freaked....."LOOK AT ALL THOSE SHARKS!!!"
The boys were ready, too. The sharks were boiling the water, even. Fins and tails were everywhere.
I made a cast into the pack and in seconds it was game on!

I believe we hooked up at least 8-10 and put at least half to the side of the boat, thanks to some never die angling of the boys, and the meat stik'ness of my big Ugly Stik rods. Young anglers don't need to go "light tackle" here. Because several times at the side of the boat when a sharks in the 4-5 foot catagory and anywhere from 40-70 pounds would lunge, that rod was smacked on the side of the gunnel, plenty!
But the Uglies can take it. 

You have no idea how big or bad the sharks that's gonna eat the bait will be, till you hook it. But one thing we are TARGETING is the Blacktips/Spinner sharks that are the largest of the pack and are the HIGH FLYERS!

Yes, now that's exciting. Hook shark up, sharks smokes line sizzling through the water, sharks flies across the water sideways in the air, "cork screwing" and lands and does it all over again. If you still have this animal on after all that, you're lucky! I call 'em, BROWN MARLIN.

We weren't all that lucky today. After the arial displays our fish was lost, by either a bit off hook right through 200# mono, or the whole rig was just plain g-o-n-e. Yeah, I lost loads of tackle, today. But that's the game.

Then, re-rig and get back in and do it again. Most boated sharks were Atlantic Sharpnose, and a few smaller Blacktips.

I was busy doing all the de-hooking and or cutting the leader, while holding the sharks for a photo. So I didn't get many shark pics today. And the pics I did take were with my camera on my phone. Yes, today while I was fishing my replacement for my broke digital camera was delivered....but a signiture was needed. So I still have no real camera.

So these are the shots I took. Steve was supposed to send me all he took. But I have not recieved them yet.

Next up: A solo'ist Chris M. on 7/8 another returning past customer. Last time he fished with me it was in January and was freezing. Now he's trying the flip-side.

Heading offshore for Kingfish is the plan, then come back in and hit the shrimp boats for some more "run & gun" sharkin'.

7/5 - It's over.

Whewwww....The madness is over. Now, it's hopefully back to normal. Even thought this holiday wasn't the best weather wise. Maybe now when folks contact me, it will actually be because they "want" to go fishing, rather than tire kick, around.


This weeks forecast as of today:

TODAY - EAST WINDS 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. INLAND WATERS A
LIGHT CHOP. SCATTERED SHOWERS.

TONIGHT - EAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET. INLAND
WATERS MOSTLY SMOOTH.

TUESDAY - EAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. INLAND
WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.

TUESDAY NIGHT - EAST WINDS 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. INLAND
WATERS MOSTLY SMOOTH.

WEDNESDAY - EAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. INLAND
WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.

Hummmmm, EAST WINDS HUH?
That's not right. My next pre-booked trip is on Wednesday.


OBSERVATIONS:

I have not seen the first Tarpon at the jetties yet. They may be there. But I haven't seen one. All I've seen tucked up in the rocks is lines of cuda's facing into the current. Did you know that they will take a "top water plug"? Yep, years ago I worked on them for hours. Then finally caught a 15 pounder on a Storm Chug Bug.

They're way to smart to follow a plug away from the rocks too long. I had them following for a few feet. But C'mon....what baitfish swims into open water to get eaten? Later in the day as the sun started to get closer to the horizon, I guess you could say "in lower light conditions" same as top water Trout. I made a few casts parallel along the rocks. Yes, a bait fish struggling would be up in the rocks seeking some kind of shelter, right? And that was the ticket! Half way back to the boat the "following" cuda blasted the top water plug. Flying out of the water with a mouthful of sharp treble hooks. And I got it! Can't say I know anyone else who's caught them SNAGGLE TOOTH JETTY TROUT, on top water, along the big rocks!

Heck with sharks.....these dudes are the scarey ones.









































 
 
 
 
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I prefer sic'n the wolfie on them, myself....."let's go get us some"

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
-Bring that blonde in the little bikini ........

7/2 - Boys day out.

Had Greg T. and his two sons, brother-in-law Bruce and his son.....same crew as last year. And the son's ages are from 6-8 years old. I always try to keep the boys as busy as I can. So after I picked them up at the Sisters Creek boat ramp we headed not far away to toss out some shrimp and start catching some fish.

We weren't on the spot but minutes and the boys started reeling fish in. From giant Pinfish to a Spadefish, a pup Black Drum and alot more Pinfish. (looks as if the Pinners have taken over where the Mangrove Snappers would be if it wasn't for this past winter's cold taking care of the river's plague of mini-mangroves, along every rocks, bump and dock piling in the St. Johns river.) 

The tide started to slack and the boat started to swing around on anchor. So I made a pitch to a spot where I always pull a Redfish out of, with a light rod, small hook and a piece of dead shrimp. I felt bump, bump, and handed the rod to Bruce. This was an adult size fish! But Bruce and his son shared the reel in of a very nice light tackle catch of a 30 inch Redfish.

My Verizon phone camera didn't do so good with this picture today. I can't wait to get my replacement digital camera, replacement number 2 in two years. SeaLife dive cameras.....save your time and buy a Olympia "TOUGH" digital water proof, instead. (http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1483)  I wish I did. I would have taken more photos, but I was a bit busy with the boys and fish today.














As the tide really started to pour, we swung around perfectly. Time for heavier lead, and heavier rods. And big Reds in strong current. So I busted out the dead Cigar Minnows I had on the boat yesterday and cut them in half, pinned them on some circle hooks. Just like yesterday, the first Red slammed the bait, I picked up the rod and yelled for one of the boys.......then the fish was gone. It came off the hook somehow. Big time current and deep water can be that way with these fish, sometimes.

Next up was Wes, the rod doubled again and he was reeling and pulling as drag smoked off the spool and the fish got him over the ledge behind the boat and cut the Mason hard type nylon 30# leader.

Waiting on more big fish wasn't the three boy's forte, so as the anchor slipped I drug it up and we made a move. The next spot was pinfish and more pinfish. But the boys didn't care.....their favorite fish of the day probably wasn't the 30 inch Red, but rather the puffer Greg hooked up for them.

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I had so many emails and phone calls for this weekend, but people have a hard time committing. But inquire all the same. I don't get that? The weather is gonna get windy as this front finally goes over us by Sunday.
So I made plans to head to Hilton Head, N.C. with the folks and visit my aunt and uncle.

But as I made my way back from Sisters Creek boat ramp after the charter, dad called and said his transmission was acting funny in his truck that we were taking. So now no trip to N.C. this weekend and no bookings either.

Next up, is Tuesday the 7th.......Steve W.  and his two boys.      

JULY 1 - World Tour

Had the Don B. and his family my favorite "regulars", aboard the Jettywolf again. Always glad to have them, as we always have a good time no matter what happens. Well, today was one of those "best laid plans, gone awry." Let me define, for the vacabulary handicapped;  AWRY - "away from the correct or expected course; "something has gone awry in our plans."

And that usually means Nassua Sound! I ride all the way up there, because we weren't looking for any box fish, I just wanted big time pullers. Drag smokers, via relatively light tackle. And by the way, that meant SHARKS. Be it the small 2-3' Blacktips, or the 20 pound Bonnetheads. When I have the Brandts aboard, they just want to catch, and enjoy the day out.  The last time I was up at Nassua Sound on a kids trip, we had 30 or so Whiting and a few light tackle rod doublers we never even saw, before the hook was bit off the leader. So that's what I had in mind. But I came prepared. And even brought Chum to secure the bite, if we got into a good one.

Twelve inch Whiting are fine for a 6 year old, as long as there's loads of them. But c'c'mon....adults ain't getting any thrill out of a 12 inch fish. So after my 18 mile long run via the ICW, we arrived as the last of the falling tide just started to switch. Bites we had.....12" Whiting, and one after another 12" Sharks.

Did ya get that? I said 12 INCH Sharks!!!!! The nursury. Romper room, Sesame Street crap. I moved around 3 times. Same deal.

The water temp in the sound on my machine was 72 degrees!  IT'S JULY 1ST, AND HERE WE ARE IN 72 DEGREE WATER? Yes, another summer time happening in bazzaro world N.E. Florida. Cold water in summer. Usually a good thing for the shark hunter. But obviously not today. So after a good handful of 12" Sharks and dink Whiting. We all agreed, "it's time to get the hell outa here." So I made the run all the way back to the St. Johns River.

On the way back, I thought of a good spot and if the tide was right we could catch some big Redbass. And damn if I didn't pull up, drop the anchor set out two rods rigged with circle hooks and pinned on some thawd cut Cigar Minnows and the first rod bent over. I.G. - instantaneous gratification. Bill, Don's dad was sitting right next to the rod when it took a bow. Hooked it up and then it got off.....OH NO MR. BILL!! I believe the fish didn't have long enough to eat up the cigar minnow, as Bill reeled it up and everything but the head was gone.

That's the tricky thing when fishing circle hooks for gamefish that eat their baits whole. Give them time to take it and then double the rod over with the reel spool peeling line out. There's no need to hurry, the fish ain't going no where.  Unless the fish eats the bait and swims towards the boat, like big reds will do. Then you have to take up the slack, feeeeel, feeeel some more. Then reel like your hand is a Black & Decker, as you lift against the fish.  Not always as easy as it sounds. But lots of experience, will do the trick.

That rod wasn't out 2 minutes and we already had one on. Things were looking alot better than Nassua Sound already!

Then came a precession of bites from some super pretty and dark copper colored "RB's" - (Redbass')

(the camera crew getting ready)

(not bad photos from my Verizon phone, after a bit of tweaking)
We had some other bites. No Stingrays, thank goodness. But as fast as the action came, it was over. I bet if we were there just an hour or so sonner we would have been in the whole bite, instead of the tail end.

We made a few moves, but couldn't get any more "love" out of a Redbass. So eventually we headed back to the dock. The weather was calm all day, almost too calm. But we did watch the clouds come in later in the day. I had kind of a sinus headache. So something was happening. That's always my clue that there's a change on the way.

That change will happen for tomarrows trip. From no wind today too N.E. wind shifts on Friday up to 20 knots by afternoon. I'll be doing a 1/2 day with Greg T. and his two youngsters, and his Brother-in-law and his youngster. Five, and me. Thank goodness the kids are light weights.

No more Nassua Sound for Cappy Dave. I try to only let that place "burn me" a few times each year. And when it does, it does it royally.