SUWANNEE

It'sthe middle of June, and once again, we have had a spell of strong persistent WSW winds! The waters around the Lower Suwannee River are stirred up and muddy! Just three weeks ago, we had a little clear water to the North of Suwannee, and we were catching some really nice speckled trout. Hopefully, we will have another period of calm winds that will help clear up the waters.

If scalloping is something you would like to do, then unfortunately the Lower Suwannee River Estuary is not where you want to go. In years past, we had great scalloping just north of Horseshoe Beach, but it's been several years since that has occurred. Check out Steinhatchee and Crystal River for some great scalloping!

July is the peak of the spawning season for speckled trout in my area. The "big mommas" are loaded with eggs, while the smaller males are running around wondering, "When will it be time?!"

The primary spawn happens around the full moons of June, July and August. This time period can fluctuate based on the moon cycle. While I have always encouraged the release of the trout 19 inches and up, it's especially important at this time of the year! Just releasing ONE big momma will add 3 to 5 million ripe eggs to the aquatic system. If 1% percent survives, that's 3,000 to 5,000 new baby speckled trout! Catch-n-filet the smaller slot size fish, catch-n-release the "Big Mommas"!

I am excited to let everyone know that I will now be tagging fish here around the Lower Suwannee River Estuary and other locations that I may fish. I have been accepted into the "Gray Fish Tagging Program", and my clients will have the opportunity to tag a fish as part of "their adventure"! They can name the fish and then have the ability to track the fish when it's caught by other anglers. Look for more info as I am just getting started with this adventure!

If you want to catch a big ole shallow water bull redfish, then July and August are the months you will find them here around the Lower Suwannee River and Estuary. What is a bull redfish? For me, in my area, I consider 39 inches and up to be a bull redfish. You will find these fish usually in small groups, of 2 to 5 fish and when feeding, they seem to focus on the cooler waters close to the river and adjacent deep creeks.

Best baits? If you haven't tried the FishBites FightClub Lures you really should! I have fished 60 plus years, and this bait is the real deal. It stays on the hook far better than any other "scented lure" and is very cost effective, plus, it "Catches Fish", multiple fish on each bait, inshore, backcountry, nearshore or offshore. FishBites are my go-to bait!

Until next time, be safe, Tightlines and Catchemup!

Captain Tony Johns | 352-221-2510 www.lowersuwanneriverfishing.com

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It’sbeach time baby! Right now, along our beaches, just outside the surf, there are pogies (menhaden) getting chased, thrashed, and eaten by one of many predatory fish who roam our waters in July. Tarpon, kingfish, huge jacks and sharks, are just some of the monster sea creatures, waiting for you to hook into for the fight of your life! A great all-around rig to catch just about all those fish is to put a live pogy on a circle hook and cast just around the edges of the pods. Getting an early start, will also increase your chances of hooking up along the beach, as the feeding frenzy tends to taper off as the temps climb, and the sun gets higher in the sky.

By now, tarpon should be thick along the beach, gorging themselves on the pogys, but another fun way to catch the silver king in our region, is to hunt them behind the shrimp boats. Summertime brings the shrimp boats within a mile or so of the beach. Look for the boats that have birds hanging around, as those are the ones getting ready to, or just recently dumped their by-catch overboard. Approach the shrimp boats from behind and be very aware of any rigging they may have in the water. It’s as simple as going slow and looking at what’s feeding on the by-catch. Net a few of the floating fish and use them for bait. When you see a tarpon gulping down by-catch, just toss your bait in the chum line and hold on. If you don’t see any tarpon, you’re sure to see a ton of big sharks and they will definitely put a bend in the rod.

Inshore, the best bite will be early from first light to about 9 am, when things start to heat up. When it gets hot, the fish will slow down and not be nearly as aggressive. At first light, a top-water really can’t be beat this time of year, as redfish and trout will be willing to give serious chase and devour a Berkley J-Walker plug. Once the sun gets up a bit, you’ll want to change to something sub-surface like the Saltwater Assassin paddle tail. I like to rig them on a 1/8 oz. or ¼ oz. jighead to help keep the bait down where the fish will be. The deeper creek holes will be a good bet once the heat of the day sets in. A live mud minnow or shrimp pegged to a jighead will also work well when fishing deeper.

With the murky “Summer” water settling in, it’s a great time to use some baits with either scent, flash, or noise makers in them. One of the offerings from Fishbites under a popping cork, is a no-brainer, as it covers the scent and the noise. A gold spoon or spinner bait is also a good choice when searching for redfish on a higher tide in murky water. They give off plenty of flash and the thump from the spoon or spinner blade can call a fish in in the murkiest of waters.

Capt. Tommy Derringer www.InshoreAdventures.net 904-377-3734

Wow, the dog days of summer got here so fast this year. Last month we were already in the mid 90’s. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get to the beach early, especially on cloudless mornings. When the temperature rises so quickly, the bite usually shuts down between 9 and 10 AM. I get there about 5:30 AM, and about 15 minutes later, there is enough light to bait up and cast out. By 11 AM there are fish in the cooler, and it is time for an early lunch at the Seafood Kitchen, Palm Valley Outdoors, or Captain’s BBQ, just to mention a few.

One of my favorite things to do on hot calm summer mornings is to cast lures. I use a light weight nine-foot rod and a 3000 series reel spooled up with 20 lb. braid. My lure selection will vary with the conditions. Calm flat seas with little to no wind is prime conditions for a top water bait. Trout, Jack Cravalle, Spanish, ladyfish and bluefish will aggressively crash your top water bait. Be sure to carry extra lures and 20-pound mono leader with you. Yes, you will get cut off occasionally, but the light mono leader will get you more bites.

Even with the water temperature rising into the 80s, you can still catch some great table fare with the bait-and-wait method, meaning, a double dropper rig and a sputnik sinker and two pieces of great bait. On my last outing, we caught pompano, palometa, ladyfish, bonnethead sharks, whiting, bluefish, catfish, and stingrays! However, by 10 AM, the bite went dead. All three baits, Fishbites, sand fleas and ghost shrimp produced equally well.

Of course, big sharks are now in the surf, and they will be, through November, when the water drops below 70 degrees. So, if you want to get your string stretched and hear the drag scream, soak a big fresh bait. My favorites are a ladyfish or whiting head. Because of the crabs, the head half will last five times longer than a tail section. The good news about the calico/spotted crabs chewing on your bait, is that with every nibble, they leave one great chum slick.

Remember to set your drag light. This time of year, you also have a good shot at a big tarpon. If you want to target them, just drop down to 60-pound mono leader.

Tightlines and see you on the beach.

Noel Kuhn

43 years of surf fishing experience, surf fishing guide and long distance casting coach. Founding member of Florida Surf Casters club. 904-945-0660 www.TheSurfAngler.com