8/9 - Casualty of the moon.

Had Jerry and Todd aboard today. Two fun guys. We left the dock at 7am, and I had Big Reds in store for us right off.

The tide: Rising, high at 8:30'ish, and around 5 foot over low, with an East breeze blowing in the river. Made for challenging RB fishing. I used some cut Boston Mac's and had to use 10 ounces of lead to hit the bottom at our first spot. The bite was dead slow. But we waited it out, and eventually the current slowed just a bit.

We had two rod bowing, smokin' runs from big Reds. First fish was hooked up, but somehow came off my Mustad 11/0 EZ baiter long shanked circle hook. The second fish, ripped line off the spool like no ones business and turned around something (ledges on the bottom) and popped the leader just above the hook. HOLY CRAP, Batman.....what the hell???? is what I was thinking.

It's not like this is my first rodeo during tides like this on this spot. But I'm still amazed. After that, we sat and sat without another take down. So off to some other kind of fishing, I figured.

We ran a good ways to a great float-rig fishing spot. Actually a rising tide spot that's my holy grail of spots.
The current was blasting. So we gave it a little while with out much than a bait stealer bite or two. My gawd, this tides is gonna kill me, cause it just gets worse this week. And I have two more charters with kids aboard, and could be demanding adults.

Plus, the wind kept building and building. We tried another spot or two and it sucked. Boat whipped one way, the floats went another or not at all. So we just went to catch any fish. So on the way back towards Mayport I stopped at a spot that I've mentioned that I have been "willing" a Black Drum of keeper proportions to enter the fish box. The tide was so high, with the breeze pushing, but we did have some falling water. Not the situation for the spot, but a few bait stealers did make it to the boat.

Back to deep fishing for big Reds. The wind was now blowing 15 knots or better, the tide was smokin', and there we sat fishing a hard bottom spot, hoping to get slammed again. When here came a big black cloud, and some rain. We pulled anchor and moved to see if there was gonna be big wind with it. But the whole deal passed just east of us. Todd had a long ride back to West Palm, so we headed in.

First casualty, of this weeks new moon tides. And add on to it, some wind and passing dark clouds.
I gave it my all. And even tried to get them a Trout or two, at least. But Momma Nature was against me all the way.

Next up:

Weds. 2- kids, 2 adults
Thursday 2 kids, one adult.

Last week hardly any current, this week too much.