AUGUST REPORTS, JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA LATE SUMMER INLET & ST. JOHNS RIVER FISHING REPORTS
DAY ONE 8/28: PULLED AWAY FROM DOCK FOR 30 SECONDS AND HERE CAME THE DRIVING RAIN WITH BLASTING GUSTS OF WIND.
TIED BACK OFF TO DOCK F-A-S-T! HAD CHRIS AND HIS WIFE JESSICA ABOARD......''AT LEAST THEY BROUGHT RAIN JACKETS!!!" NOT MANY PEOPLE DO.
AND YOU NEED TO THIS TIME OF YEAR.
WE FISHED A AWFUL FULL MOON TIDE AND IN THE RAIN 95% OF THE DAY! (THANK GOODNESS FOR THE JETTYWOLF'S MEGA-TOP) CAUGHT CROAKERS AND WHITING JUST FOR FUN AND FOR CUT BAIT AT THE JETTIES. NO WAY WAS I RUNNING AROUND LOOKING FOR POGIES. THE WIND WAS STRONG AND THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE SOUTH JETTY WAS ROUGH....JESSICA WASN'T INTO THOSE SEAS.
YEAH.....NOT GREAT LOOKING AT INLET AS A SHIP THREW 6' WAKES COMING IN!
DECIDED TO JUST BOTTOM FISH IN RIVER WITH CUT UP FRESH CROAKERS, STAY PUT AND HOPE FOR A BULL REDFISH.
HOOKED ONLY TWO, GOT A 18 POUNDER TO BOAT, THE SECOND ONE BROKE THE LINE IN ROCKS.
CHRIS' LARGEST FISH EVER
ONE LONG HARD SOUGHT BULL RED TO BOAT FOR CHRIS. GREAT GUY! (USN - 23 YRS AND COUNTING!!!)
HOPE TO HAVE HIM AND HIS WIFE ON THE JETTYWOLF AGAIN SOMETIME
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DAY - 2 8/29
HAD PAST CUSTOMER MARTY AND HIS SON CARTER ABOARD.
BETTER DAY....''NO INCESSANT RAIN''.
IT WAS CARTER'S BIRTHDAY TRIP, AND MARTY SAID. LETS TRY FOR BULL REDS.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WE TRIES H-A-R-D! ALL WITHOUT RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT CONCENTRATING OUR EFFORTS. STILL CRAZY FULL MOON TIDES!
CURRENT IN THE RIVER WAS ALWAY B-L-A-S-T-I-N-G!
NO BITES!!!! MAYBE ONE HALF HEARTED.
CATFISH ARE NOW ALL OVER THE RIVER AND JETTY BOTTOM!
THE RIVER SALINITY IS VERY VERY LOW, AT SAY THE OLE LITTLE JETTIES AREA. SO THE RISING TIDE SALTS IT UP A BIT AND SEEMS BETTER.
WE TRIED FOR THOSE BULL REDS WITH THE PATIENCE OF JOBE AROUND THE LITTLE JETTIES AFTER CATCHING SOME CROAKERS AND WHITING AT THE JETTIES.
RIGHT AFTER ''HIGH TIDE'' AS THE CURRENT SWUNG AND STARTED TO FALL, AFTER FIGHTING CATFISH BITING ALL OUR CUT BAIT CROAKERS AND CUT BLUEFISH CHUNKS,
THE TWO GUYS WERE JUST FISHING SHRIMP ON THE BOTTOM.
I WAS HOLDING A ROD WITH A BIG CHUNK OF CROAKER ON IT, HITTING THE SINKER ON THE BOTTOM. KINDA ''JIGGING'' IT. DURING THE SLACK'ISH CURRENT......
WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, I FELT, ''THUMP THUMP'', AND OFF SHE GOES. I HAND THE ROD TO CARTER (the birthday boy)
AND HE'S NOW HOOKED UP TO A REAL STRONG REDFISH.
YEP, THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. LITERALLY BANGING THE SINKER ON THE BOTTOM DURING THE SLOWER CURRENT HAS A EFFECT. THE SMELL OF THE BAIT, THE SOUND DREW IN THIS PASSING REDFISH IN 30 FOOT OF WATER.
FINALLY!!!!!!! THE ONE WE WERE LOOKING FOR ALL DAY.
STRONG, HEALTHY 23 POUNDER.
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Needless to say, I have many more days pre-booked for the Labor Day holiday. And I'm giving this bull Redfish bottom fishing a ''reel'' break till the October spawn bite. Back to float rig fishing, and jig-n-shrimp combo meals for us.
Only have (2) person charter days, which makes it manageable.
SO...if you book YOUR date. Keep that in mind. Because with (4) people, all we can really do is, bottomfish and sort through the hardhead catfish! With LIMITED, returns. Unless YOU pick a great tidal and weather date.
