Monday, September 5, 2011

9/3-4 - Labor day weekend

Started out on Saturday with Thomas B. and three friends. River fished and tried our best to catch big Reds. But ended up doing a lot of bottom fishing and poppin corkin' with out much to show for all our efforts. Caught some Trout, on the bottom in a screaming tide, on Mullet and 7/0 circle hooks meant for mega-Redfish. And burned through 5 pounds of dead shrimp laying the wood to no less than 75 Croakers of all sizes, with 13 inchers being the very best.

Screen Shot, of area fished:




Despite all the trying for Reds, the group left out with a big bag of fillets, thanks to the trout we caught and the largest of the Croakers, and keeper Seabass. It was a busy day on the water, as we stayed up in the river. Don't know why we couldn't score any Redbass, I tried a proven spot that morning.

But on Sunday I decided to keep it close. And try something else.

On Sunday morning I had the Lewis family. Keith, Angela, and Alec. Keith was a superior fisherman. And right off the bat started the day with a 5 pound Jack, in tight quarters.





The action was pretty good, as the three fished the falling tide. The live Mullet attracted only good quality bites.







Screen Shot of area fished:

 










Angela, even had a slam-dunk rod bender that she couldn't stop. I even tried to help her. And it wasn't like any fish I've felt on a line, in a long time. Super Heavy, and did nothing but "dig" for the bottom. I believe, I could have been a Grouper. It wasn't like we weren't fishing huge structure. But eventually, the fish "rocked" her up on the bottom and I had to just break the line.





Two or three reds were too big, but not much over 27 inches.






"Industrial fishing at it's finest." Don't even have to anchor, which is nice!




Yep, even Trout were caught while they snacked on our frisky live Mullet baits.




Only fish we were really lacking was a Flounder, to have an inshore SLAM.




It's certainly no secret, were we spent the entire day. Out of the breeze, but yes in "wake central" as boats headed, north to Ft. George for the Holiday partying.

Then, finally Keith nails a good 18 inch Flounder. Our "SLAM" is had!
Followed by another Trout, to round out the day. The box was looking nice with Trout and Reds, and the one Flounder. And as the tide creeped higher and higher the bite slowed. Signaling it's "time to go make the donuts", which is what I call fish cleaning time.

It was a great day. And Keith was a great angler. Angela, also did really well and was a highly competitive fisher-woman herself.  Twelve year old Alec, learned how to cast a baitcasting reel, caught his first Redfish, Trout, and Grouper. And I loved it, because we didn't have to move around hardly at all. We jus' kept baits in the water! And that's how ya' catch fish.  

I attempted to make a short video of a few Big Red catches, but for some reason they didn't turn out. The camera was on when it wasn't needed, and off when it was. Operator Error.....I'm sure. 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

9/1 - L-o-n-g haul

Had Colin M. aboard today. Been along time since I had one person. And in my mind a "true guided charter". Usually, all summer I feel more like a "inshore party boat".

So, feeling free like a seagull, we blasted off westward out of the shoot. And headed down river. To do some shallow water trout searches, and allot of casting.

The forecast was not perfect, by any means. ENE winds 15 knots, with morning rain possible. But the wind was next to nothing all morning.

First spot, casting live shrimp on popping corks in shallow water, equalled ATE alive by Needlefish.

Second spot,  casting live shrimp on popping corks in shallow water, equalled ATE alive by Needlefish.

Really....is this it?

All that was caught besides a few pinners, was a small pup Redbass. And the dead shrimp pile was getting pretty big on the cutting board. All the shrimp that the Needlefish just killed, in a pile.

So we tried some bottom fishing, the current was about over though, and Colin must have fed the same bait stealer a pound of dead shrimp on the bottom, without a hook-up. As I caught one small yellowmouth Trout.  Time to move on........

Next spot, it has to be Speckled Trout, has to be!!

Colin nailed the first one. A nice keeper. And no sooner here came the rain. Then after the rain here came the 20 knot winds. NOT 10-15, but hienous 20 knots.






Then came another...






Then finally....a fat 20 incher.


Quickly that slick calm water you see went away. And we struggled to get a bite, as the sun got bright and the humidity kicked in.

Making a few more moves, as I searched for any kind of pattern in this area.

But still fighting the needlefish, every other cast.
Made a move and picked up the float-rigs, and caught one 14 inch trout, which was just a luck fish. As we couldn't pull another from the area.

The tide was pouring in strong now, we got some trout in the box. So we went back up river and tried bottom fishing once again, the same area we tried earlier.

Yellowmouth Trout, a few small Croakers, and Stingrays, and a visit from the FWC is all that happened as we sat in the blowing wind, and smoking current. But we were having fun any how and as the hours passed we boxed another 7 filletable Yellowmouths, packed it up and headed in.

Back at the dock I filleted all the trout and bid Colin good luck as he heads to Alberta, Canada to work for an oil company up there pumping out the oil sands.

NEW ADDITION TO REPORTS, "JING" SCREEN SHOTS OF AREA FISHED.























I got home and got a call from a buddy. He said the Jax Beach Pier today was on fire. When the tide turned, the Trout lit off like crazy. And saw 5-7 pound "surf" Trout  come over the rail along with Flounder and Black Drum.  And it's so funny, because that's where they are, and that's it. You can fish all you want at the jetties and those Trout aren't there. But each summer, the Trout hover around that Pier as they patrol the surf. And catching them from a boat is nearly impossible. And there's NO other structure arond our beaches to hold them, other than the Pier.

"It's called being, S.O.L"