4/7 - P-L-A-N ??

Well, as usual it's a HOLIDAY weekend and I get all kinds of last minute calls......

I already had a "past" customer scheduled for Saturday. Usually "past" customers have been briefed before. So they're in the know. And get the primo days first.

BUT, of course none of these callers had a clue about the weather report for Saturday.

Here's the conditions right now approx. 8am 4/7: 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY!
(18 knots gusting to 21 knots in Mayport)
GOTTA LOVE THE COOL NORTH AIR, THOUGH!

THIS IS LOCATED ALONG THE "RIGHT SIDE BAR" OF THIS BLOG. IT'S THE WEATHER CONDITIONS RIGHT AT THE PILOT DOCK NEXT TO THE BOAT RAMP IN MAYPORT.

We rescheduled from Saturday, because of the winds, and will be hitting it Sunday instead.
2- persons, light tackle sport fishing! MY BEST TRIP!
Gonna go "poppin corkin'" again, and hope to load up on Trout.......again!!

SUNDAY'S FORECAST:

SUNDAY
NORTH WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTHEAST 10 KNOTS
LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS A LIGHT
CHOP.

BIG, BIG, FISH BAIT....... How to fish his WideGlide

Larry is the "MAN", he made this lure in his basement. And Now River2Sea has brought it to us.

Best so far for me is having a "tailing Redbass" come chase this and try to eat it, with it's "underslung" mouth.

But stand by. Cuz, this baby looks soooo awesome it's nutz.
(as you can see here)

4/5- Weather on it's way........

My buddy who is the owner and admin of Aluminumalloyboats.com website lives up in North Texas. He called me yesterday and said that tornados that picked up semi trucks and tossed them hundreds of yards passed just 30 miles from his front door.  And that it was actually "COOL" there. I told him, "I'm sitting in my truck and sweating here right now."

So with that said...

We've had it WAY too good lately. Have you been outside in this beautiful weather? If not. You need to call me!
Over this "spring break" I've had great days and really crappy ones.  I remember years ago the spring due east winds drove me way down river so I could hide from it.

Now, the ravenous Bluefish have drove me as far from the inlet I can get in a 6 hour day. As per my report from Monday, we couldn't even fish, they were so bad. Eating every bait we dropped down!!  Gawd how I hate a Bluefish........!

So here's what's in store according to the NWS-Marine forecast:

FRIDAY
NORTH WINDS 20 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET BUILDING
TO 3 TO 5 FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. INLAND WATERS CHOPPY. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING...THEN ISOLATED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.

FRIDAY NIGHT
NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 25 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 7 FEET.
INLAND WATERS ROUGH. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE EVENING.

SATURDAY
NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 4 TO 6 FEET.
INLAND WATERS CHOPPY.

SUNDAY
NORTHEAST WINDS 10 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND
WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.

-If you want to know exactly what the weather, water temp, and wind speed and direction is right next to the boat ramp, look along the right side bar of this BLOG and you'll see the Mayport Weather Station's  info.

OF COURSE, I'M BOOKED ON SATURDAY. THANK GOODNESS IT'S JUST A FATHER AND SON SERIOUS ANGLING TEAM, I'VE HAD ABOARD THE JETTYWOLF BEFORE.

4/3 - A PERFECT DAY...with the Traveller.

What a day!

This is what happens when I get to do a "one on one" genuine guided Charter. Plus, Bob is a 100% angler.

-Perfect weather
-Perfect tide
-Not one Bluefish
-Just one Ladyfish, all day.
-Got as far away from the inlet as possible.
-A weekday!

Started the day off fishing a rock pile covered in Trout, using "poppin corks" and live shrimp. The first cast was a Trout, and the the last cast of the day was also a Trout. Total was nearly 20, easily getting a 2 man limit of 12 up to 20 inches.
Plus a 2 man limit of Redbass from 18 to 24".

Basically had a "full box" by 9am. So we hit one more spot and caught a Trout and Ladyfish. Made a move and before anchoring procured a livewell full of medium mullet around 6-7". Pulled out to a Redbass area and pitched them out on light casting outfits. The current was not moving yet, so we had a few snacks and drinks and when the tide turned, it was "balls to the wall" BIG BULL REDBASS action.

Lost the first two, but then started putting them in the boat. Each and everyone pulled the 30# Boga-grip scale past the 30 pounds that it weighs. My estimation, at least 40 plus pounds about each one. Super Fun on light tackle and live mullet.

This is the way to do a "spring break" weekday!  With just Bob, I was able to get really flexible. And Bob being an avid angler himself, always makes it easier.

Bob won the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament "aggregate division" last year in his 18' Boston Whaler with the help of his regular tournament partner. And he also places in many local kingfish tournaments, usually being the smallest boat. He says, his secret is "going back to the basics of Kingfishing...."

Our last charter was back in November of 2010. Bob knows when to come and get in on the "best" bites. Our last trip was a big Red and Black Drum waylay!  Here's the report from then, from my "archives" listing along the right side bar of this blog:  http://www.blockurl99.blogspot.com/2010/11/1125-turkey-dayfree-for-all.html 

YOU HAVE TO FISH, WHEN THE FISH ARE CHEWIN'.  Bob keeps up with my daily reports, and knows when to call me.

FISH BOX AT 9:00am.......filling fast!

WHEN QUALITY COUNTS!

CAUTION:
VIDEO MAY CONTAIN OVERLY EXCITED CAPTAIN, CUSS WORDS, GIGGLING,
TROPHY FISH, THE AGONY OF DEFEAT, THE THRILL OF VICTORY, AND SLICK CALM WATER!



Received this nice note from Bob, when he got home......

"Hi Dave

What a day! I learned a lot, and had an absolutely amazing time.

I had never used popping corks and live shrimp before. After a day with you, I feel like I could use the technique on my own boat and catch quality fish.

I had learned how to use the float rig when I went on another charter with you. When conditions changed, the old float rig helped to fill our limits with trout.

I don't know what to say about the over-sized reds! Sometime about the 3rd fish I realized that I have to get back in the gym if I am going to take on fish like that on a regular basis.

Thank you for a great day on the water. If anybody reads this and is trying to decide on who to charter in NE Florida - call Captain Dave!!

Bob "Traveller"

4/1 & 4/2 - Got the Blues......

Man am I upset. I had Greg H. and his two sons aboard on Sunday and had some sweet pics of his son's Trout catches and while trying to delete old pics off my camera I deleted all of them!!!

Sunday, what can I say. Weekends really start suckin this time of year. The amount of boats and people running up and down the river is just insane!!

If you want, I can and will fish Fernandina. Alot less people up there. Jacksonville is just TOO big with too many people on a weekend.

We attempted to Drum fish up river. And out of 10 boats one boat caught a Black Drum! It was terrible. We caught tiny Croakers and yellowmouth Trout, that was it while, Bottom fishing. So we switched over to the float-rigs, and finally caught some Trout. But the wakes and ghetto cruisers going up and down the river was insane.  So we ended up at the jetties and didn't pick up any Trout there.

Then, on 4/2 - Monday I had 4 people, 3 teen-agers and a dad. I wanted originally to go float-rigging, because we always catch fish that way. But, I got the sense that something else was wanted. I wanted to stay away from the jetties. The Bluefish are so terrible out there.

But we went east and bottom fished shrimp along the jetties........Never lost a bait!  So I went and ran the beach and caught a well full of Pogies. And we went back to the rocks and had Bluefish eat every bait, except for a summer special...The Stingray.

We moved from the tips of the jetties to the little jetties and everywhere inbetween. And every single Pogie was bit in half from Bluefish! We couldn't even fish. They're everywhere.

So it was a total bust. 

If you want anything like a quality day....do a trip with three persons or less. Four is for sitting and waiting on a bite when trolling offshore. NOT inshore sportfishing. It's just too many bodies.  I'm thinking of doing a max of 3, soon.

Think Quality!

Now tomarrow I have Bob the "Traveller". And that's it. One Guy.

Bob's an Angler. He WON last years Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament. So we're heading up river, to get away from the Bluefish and concentrate on Trout and Reds.

Hopefully, pics to follow.