A few highlights, thought. Left out with 4 guys and bottom fished. Started way down river. Kept them pretty busy with just Whiting and yellowmouths. But all were smaller fish. Finished the day along White Shell rocks, and Dave (an EZ name to remember) was pitching a jig and shrimp on a light spinner to the rocks and he hooked up a good sized Tripletail. Probably around 5-6 pounds if not more.
But, it jumped and he lost it. The hook flew right out of it's mouth. Besides that the river is slap full of "junkers". We ended up catching a bunch of small Jacks and ladyfish. After cleaning the Martin Groups fish they went on over to Singletons Seafood and had a fish fry late lunch. Which is always a nice way to end a big day on the water.
Then the next day I had a solo'ist. Adam was visiting all the way down in St. Augustine and came up to see "ME". Great guy and we had alot of fun and stayed at the jetties all day long.
First spot, first drift of his float-rig........Float Gone!
From that point on, on that spot it was solid Ladyfish!! I thought we'd be in the "meat". WHY, because I remember and have th photographic PROOF, that there was a time when April was a seriously HOT month for monster Yellowmouths and Specks exactly where we were fishing. BUT not any more. The water's too warm and the junkers are extreme.
So I made a move. I told Adam well get a Redbass here. And he did, a 20" red.
Not exactly what I was looking for but it will do. As the tide was now falling and all wrong for the spot.
We moved and I caught Mullet and we fed the perfect sized ones to Bluefish after Bluefish over at the north jetty.
Then came back to the south and threw jigs and shrimp and left out a few mullet on the bottom.
We of course wanted a BIG Redbass, but that's alot to ask right now as it seems. So Adam got hooked up on a Monster Ray that ate our Mullet, as usual.....
It finally broke off after Adam tested my brand new Okuma Trio-55 spinning reels on the "NON-stoppable" Hover vacuum cleaner.
As we continued to jig the mullet rod went off again with the years 1st Blacktip Shark, as we hooked baby Bonnetheads on our jigs.
This one "a-l-m-o-s-t" acted like a big Red. But of course wasn't. The jetties are alive with "stuff". We saw turtles everywhere, bait everywhere, a baby Cobia swimming across the surface. But over-sized Redbass were obviously absent.
So we headed in.
The next day was my 4 person per 4 boats charter. I believe this day was a game changer for me permanantly!
NO MORE will I be bottom fishing on the channel edges for monster Redbass. WHY YOU ASK. Cuz, I'm sick of that current, in that river. We caught ZERO Big Redbass. I couldn't keep a 8 ounce lead on the bottom fishing cut Mullet. And even when we fished just some shrimp on the bottom in 40 feet of water the guys couldn't feel the sinker hit the bottom either.
And I obviously TRIED way too hard. I was out at 9am hunting bait........Mullet, Pogies, didn't care what. The Pogies were all over off the north jetty in the chum hole. It was sloppy, whitecapping out there, and I couldn't run the boat and toss the net at the same time in the sloppy seas.
The charter wasn't till 1pm!!!!!!!! So I went and wasted alot of time and fuel doing nothing to benefit me or my guys.
Turned out I was so disgusted at the Bluefish out at the inlet, I wasn't about to go out there again. But 2 out of the 3 other boats caught pogies because the seas flattened out, and they caught Reds! I feed cut mullet to nothing but Bluefish all day long anyhow.
I should have just brought my float-rigs, saved gas, time and alot of frustration. So, I won't be bottom fishing unless it's winter, or way down river in shallow water away from all Bluefish from now on. Four passenger trips or not. You'll just have to take turns. Because 4 floats out behind the boat is too much. And two persons trips are always better. I have two sides of the boat.
So, as you can see I'm a bit pissed and frustrated.
So on Friday I have 3 person, then here comes the WIND this weekend till at least Monday. Then on Monday and Tuesday I have 2 persons on each trip........."we'll be float-rig fishing, or pitching Poppin corks" away from Bluefish the N.E. Florida scourage fish.
