DOA Rob and myself headed to Nassau Sound early, for a bit of R&D. The ocean was slick, so a quick run north was easy.
Plans were to just do the standard Nassau Sound thing. Get up in the bars and see if we could get either Shark, Whiting, or Pompano action.
And we did. But it wasn't RED HOT. Both Rob and I know what red hot Nassau Sound action is.
We called it adequate, catching all three listed species.
From a small Pompano to a larger "keeper" Pompano. We only boated one keeper.
The keeper was a good one, and Rob would have loved to load the box with a double limit of these.
In between we had Bonnethead Sharks of course. Great drag pullers being 4 footers on light tackle, unruly as all hell, fun to catch. But I was wanting a larger shark. So I sent out a 1/2 a Ladyfish on a big rod with a 7/0 circle hook. And caught this shark, but it wasn't a broad shouldered Blacktip or Spinner. I believe it was a Fine-tooth. Not much of a battle against my 9' meat handler rod and Accurate twin drag reel.
Only 7 Whiting were caught. But they were okay sized fish, with one super stud at 16 inches.
Still nothing compared to some of the Speckled Trout I've gotten up that way in years past in the middle of the summer.
"Yeah, I look at Whiting like Specks. If they ain't monsters, then we better catch a cooler full!"
We tried a different area when the tide started to come in. Hoping for Trout or Black Drum, that I've caught before. Rob caught a 15" Trout on a dead shrimp on the bottom, while I caught Ladyfish & Jacks on the float rig. While we both had Stingrays......yep, the famous Nassau sound flatfish!
By mid-day the seas picked up as the east wind started to howl. And the sound got rather "sporty". I attempted to run back to Mayport via the Ocean, but with the wind and waves Rob convinced me, that he wasn't into a "Chinese Yellow Mustard" kind of trip home.
Ya' know......It's not HOT, just exciting. Making 5 knots in 4 footers with a 20 knot east wind. It was slow going to say the least. And wet, too. So we came back via the Intra-Coastal waterway. Where it was even windier yet, but calmer.
My Thursday charter in which I was doing R&D for......called and switched to Friday instead.
I believe I'll stick around the jetties and river still. Hunting Reds with pogies, maybe. And still bring the float-rig rods, too. Don't really see the run up to Nassau Sound worth it. Not for a 3 passenger charter. I'd rather stick it out and try and find some better pullers, and maybe a few we can keep.
Plans were to just do the standard Nassau Sound thing. Get up in the bars and see if we could get either Shark, Whiting, or Pompano action.
And we did. But it wasn't RED HOT. Both Rob and I know what red hot Nassau Sound action is.
We called it adequate, catching all three listed species.
From a small Pompano to a larger "keeper" Pompano. We only boated one keeper.
The keeper was a good one, and Rob would have loved to load the box with a double limit of these.
In between we had Bonnethead Sharks of course. Great drag pullers being 4 footers on light tackle, unruly as all hell, fun to catch. But I was wanting a larger shark. So I sent out a 1/2 a Ladyfish on a big rod with a 7/0 circle hook. And caught this shark, but it wasn't a broad shouldered Blacktip or Spinner. I believe it was a Fine-tooth. Not much of a battle against my 9' meat handler rod and Accurate twin drag reel.
Only 7 Whiting were caught. But they were okay sized fish, with one super stud at 16 inches.
Still nothing compared to some of the Speckled Trout I've gotten up that way in years past in the middle of the summer.
"Yeah, I look at Whiting like Specks. If they ain't monsters, then we better catch a cooler full!"
We tried a different area when the tide started to come in. Hoping for Trout or Black Drum, that I've caught before. Rob caught a 15" Trout on a dead shrimp on the bottom, while I caught Ladyfish & Jacks on the float rig. While we both had Stingrays......yep, the famous Nassau sound flatfish!
By mid-day the seas picked up as the east wind started to howl. And the sound got rather "sporty". I attempted to run back to Mayport via the Ocean, but with the wind and waves Rob convinced me, that he wasn't into a "Chinese Yellow Mustard" kind of trip home.
Ya' know......It's not HOT, just exciting. Making 5 knots in 4 footers with a 20 knot east wind. It was slow going to say the least. And wet, too. So we came back via the Intra-Coastal waterway. Where it was even windier yet, but calmer.
My Thursday charter in which I was doing R&D for......called and switched to Friday instead.
I believe I'll stick around the jetties and river still. Hunting Reds with pogies, maybe. And still bring the float-rig rods, too. Don't really see the run up to Nassau Sound worth it. Not for a 3 passenger charter. I'd rather stick it out and try and find some better pullers, and maybe a few we can keep.
