Sunday, May 6, 2012

Boat ramp follies

US...


Other places in the world......"crowds???"

Jacks, lost? But not forgotten

Lately, I've been reminiscing. Because of all the bait we have in the river and outside the jetties.
I've be looking in my photo albums and seeing a change. The photos that caught my attention right away were of memorable light tackle catches of Jack Cravelle's, by customers in the spring time.
















-Serious light-tackle catch along heavy structure.

And it got me thinking. Especially after the last few Jetty trips. Where Pogies are the bait of choice. Because they're so numerous.














-Your average Jetty Jack

It seems like years ago, you could always count on catching a handful of decent sized Jacks by simply pitching live pogies up to the jetty rocks.

And sometimes you didn't even have to do that. Drifting along the rocks with some heavy Gator spoons, just cast to the pockets along the rocks, let the spoon sink a second and burn it back to the boat. You'd catch either a Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, or Jack Crevalle. The Jacks were always the favorites, though. 

Those tight schools of Pogies out there would have marauding packs of big Jacks streaking through them. These fish would be big. I'd go from Pogie pod to Pogie pod, looking for the Jacks, and rip a large top water through the bait. The hook ups were intense, the boating of these Jacks were an angling challenge. Jack Crevalle in the 20-30 pound range, were not uncommon.

While float-rig fishing in April and May, back when we all could fish along the Navy base. The last of the falling tide, a float-rig with a live shrimp would mean hook-ups on Jacks from a few pounds to 10 pounds. And when they'd ball up the bait fish on the point of the carrier basin, my favorite thing to do was to rip a plug through them and have an instant hook-up, minutes from leaving the dock. 

One day, along the Navy Base rocks I was hand feeding the Jacks. I had a bucket of real small dead pogies. And as they came down the bank in a pack. I threw out a handful of the dead baits. And before you knew it. I had the school along side the boat and I was dropping the small dead pogies off the side of the boat feeding individual Jacks that would swirl the surface.

My customers loved hooking up on big Jacks, especially way down the river. They'd be drifting their float-rig behind the boat thinking "Trout". When they'd hook up a large Jack that had me pulling the anchor and following it.

One especially memorable day was when I had three Australian crew members off a yacht that was being worked on at Atlantic Marine. We went float-rig fishing and caught Speckled Trout and Black Drum. Then, as the yacht's Captain used the last of the shrimp in the baitwell, he hooked a giant river Jack. I ended up pulling the anchor and giving chase as he yelled, "It's spooling me, Mate!!".  He caught the fish and it was 20 pounds. Afterwards, he said, "now that's like fishing at home in Australia!"

As of right now, we've only caught a few tiny Jacks. And this time last year, was about the same. Sure, many of my favorite places are off limits. Because fishing there means we're a threat to National Security. So far, I've failed to see any of the big Jacks that make memories, like years ago.

I'll keep looking.  Jack, old friend. You're not forgotten.

5/5 - Weekends.....

Wow, you could have sworn that the Mayport Boat ramp was the headquarters for a giant tournament this morning. It was so busy, it was rediculas. And again, as I headed home. There was trucks and trailers parked almost to Safe Harbor Seafood, and even on the side streets.

In all my years, I have never seen vehicles parked that far down the road. I guess you could park that far away and then call who ever's in the boat, and they could come pick you up a mile away at the docks at Sea Harbor Seafood??

Had Dallas and his mom and dad, and his 9 year old son. Original plans were to go offshore, get away from the crowds after getting some pogies and then a basket full of pogies as chum. But the best plans in the world don't always match up to Mother Natures plans.

The Pogies were everywhere. And very difficult to catch. BTW, did anyone else pay attention and see the SIZE of that moon around 5:30 this morning? It was low and the size of NY city!  All I could think about was the tide. When the tide turns and heads out those jetties, Oh it's gonna be a screamer.

I really wanted 50 pounds of pogies. We looked and looked, and finally I got about 10 monsters. They were way too big. But, time was a wasting....I wanted not only some live, but a basket for chumming too.

So we headed over to the Jetties and anchored up. I pinned on the monster Pogies on a 1/2 oz. jig-head and had my crew cast them out and let the pogie swim and drift around the jetty rocks. Where I really wanted to be, had WAY too much current.

They could cast the big pogies on my new heavier spinning rods I git for the purpose. But barely. I thought "spinner's" were America's reel?  I know I don't need one or even like them. And after awhile I had to give a few casting tips, before one went into the drink at 4 days old.

We finally got on top of the rocks where I wanted to sit in the first place, and Pop's had someone on running up current with his pogie. Then he got stuck in the rocks. One thing about taking a jig and tossing it around "OUR" structure. I can guarantee, 99.99% of America has never done anything like this before. So getting hung up was the routine. But it's also where the Redbass are.

But, I was thinking, used to be....this is all you had to do to get your butt handed to you by big Jacks! They are gone, but not forgotten. Yes, over the last few years, we've lost our big Summer Jack Crevalle's. Years ago in April and May. We've caught and or lost big Jacks from the beach, jetties, all the way to the mouth of Trout River.
 









-average Jetty Jack

I have the photo proof of catching 5 pounders along the Navy base on Float-rigs in May. Casting nothing but Gator Spoons along the rocks as we drifted out the jetties. Casting live pogies and having a ball catching them from 5-10 pounds off the north rocks. Wonder what happened?
Each year, I've said to myself "it's just a bit early for them." Till, July arrives and I see a few. But still, nothing like years ago. Usually, by Mother's day. They're just about everywhere and of all sizes.

Back to today. My crew finally pulled a 26" Redbass out of the rocks with a 11" Pogie. Just like last week. The difference from last Saturday was we had numerous bites. From what I gathered is Dallas' Dad was the only one who got bit, twice. Eater size too. Which like last week, seems uncommon. But a good thing.
















The current was playing hell with us atop the south jetty. Spinning the boat in circles. So I dislodged my anchor and we headed back to the pogie pods, in search of shallower bait.

Easy, finally. I pulled up and made a few throws and put some monster Pogies in the baitwell and filled a fish basket with small ones. There was zero wind, and I need some to make a drift. So I ran out till I hit some breeze on the water's surface about 2 miles out.

I took two big pogies, put them on a balloon rig and sent them out about 6' deep. Filled the "chum chopper", and started one hell of a slick behind the boat. We had enough breeze to have us drifting right along as if we were slow trolling. Yep, the way I rigged the big Pogies on the balloons, is nothing more than having a boat in a slow troll with down-riggers.  Except way stealthier, and the baits are right in the chum slick!  An awesome concept, that has yet to POP! And I mean POP, with a Kingfish, Cuda, or Cobia on the line. Granted, it catches sharks.

BUT WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A SINGLE SHARK IN THE SLICK! Which to me is a Bill Engval..."here's yer sign!" That something was majorly awry.

Drifting at least a mile or more, seeing people driving around looking for Cobia, and slow trolling pogies in and around the bait schools. You'd think we could have gotten a Shark for a our Jr. Angler aboard, at least.

So, we headed back to the rocks pitched out cut pogies on jig heads laid them on the bottom looking for a small shark for the boy. And had nothing bbut tiiny fish eat the pogies.

After that we headed in. Wow, what a day!

Next up:

Monday:  East 10-15 kts. and I'm heading back down river because of it. Float-rig fishing and maybe some live mullet fishing.
Tuesday: Same thing.....south 5-10 kts.

Friday, May 4, 2012

5/3 - Early try at Reef Chum fishing......

Solo, of course. But had to try. Got the "chum-chopper" so went and used it. After loading up on lil' stinkers. 1st spot 5 miles out of the jetties. 2nd spot, almost 5 more miles. It was rough as a dang C-O-B! Not for the faint of "stomach". Pogies Galore, small ones. Not much happening at either spot. Came in towards the beach 40' of water, while on the cell-phone, what do I see swim right behind me? At least a 50 pound Cobia. I fed it a few dead pogies to keep it near me, then tossed it my 8-1/2" Dalhberg 'Wide-Glide'. I came over thinking BIG Mullet and sucked it up. Drag smoking on my Shimano Curado 300EJ, "Oh yeah baby!" Then the hook pulled. ^%^@%^#*&^%&*^%$@!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was it. Heard of a bunch of Cobia caught. Seemed like bottom fishing boats had the best luck with Cobs swimming up to the boat. Same as last year. When I'm DONE and OVER IT, here one comes. I'll try again, later.