How many times have a said, "I just can't find any decent bites on the incoming tide, since the water's cold"?
So why was I in the water and wanting to catch some fish at 8:30 am?
Today's Mayport tides:
Low tide: 6am
High tide: 12:17pm
Low tide: 6:07pm
So there I was, and I just knew it was a futile to beat this dead horse. So I went and utilized the $4,000.00 worth of electronics I have on my boat. I went and made "trails" on my chart-plotter, (a laymans term would be "bread crumb trails") up in the Hannah Mills area. I wanted to chart the way from Sisters Creek to Clapboard Creek. There is a miriad of creeks back there between the ICW and Clapboard creek, that are navigatable. And I haven't been up there for years, but found my way thru, and made a permanant "trail" to follow via using my color chart-plotter and GPS. MORE WINTER SPOTS TO TRY.
I did all this on the incoming tide. And by the time the tide turned, I went back to my "go to" area for some fish catching on the falling water.
And if you haven't kept up on it, the tides this week have been L-O-W.....I mean, there's areas that are going dry that haven't been that way for a long time.
But never fear......MY 26' Black Lab is here! The only 26' sea-going, rough water able, boat that can go in incredibily shallow water.
My new favorite spot is in shallow water.....that get's impassable for most boats my size on tides like we're having now. But I had this week, 2 charters up in there and had 4 anglers plus me in the boat and still got in and out. That's why I'm so happy. My boat does it all. What a great choice I made. I'll never fish fiberglass again!
Well, I had (all on the float-rig) in shallow water :
16- Speckled Trout to 4 pounds!
11- Redfish to 28 inches
1- Flounder 18"
All on one spot as the tide ebbed.
Then I left and went home.
As you can see in the photos, that's my anchor line and you can even see my anchor barely sticking out of the water. That's where I started out! I was anchored up there, and had to keep letting out anchor line so I wouldn't sit on the bottom, as the tide dropped.
I didn't get a picture of the big Trout because I booked 6 charters today alone, and half the time as the phone rang, I was reeling in a fish. It was a very busy phone day!
The wind was a real pain in the butt, blowing hard from the west. And the front (clouds) didn't clear till at least 11am. But afterwards it was sunny and warm.
Have I mentioned lately how effective and fun fishing the float rig is?
I had a blast.
And if it can't be caught on the float rig, it ain't worth catching.
But I catch it all on the float-rig.....so whats that mean?
It means, do I ever need to do anything else? NOPE.
I was watching a boat full of guys today, just casting out and sitting there like bumps on a log. And I was 200 yards away up in my shallow spot waxing the fish. I never saw them catch a thing. Too bad they don't know the ways of the float, and how to fish it. Then, I had a Kayaker come near, as I caught at least 5 fish insight of him. Never saw him get a bite. Why are the Kayakers fishing where the birds are wading? If the birds are wading around your Kayak, I think the fish maybe in a tad deeper water.
Wanna learn the tides, the currents, and the structure.....book a charter with the Float-Freak and you'll learn more than you will on your own in two years worth of poking around weekend after weekend staring at your rod tip.
