THERE ARE CHANGES ON THE WAY
By Rick HaleAt its July meeting the FWC was very active A Flounder change which I have pushed for except the closure in November Flounder is still in the draft phase.
Bluefish, they have not set a date for and October 1st is set for Stone crabs. It might also be hard to find good oysters for the next five years.
FWC approves draft changes to flounder.
The FWC approved draft changes to the management of Florida’s flounder fishery. These changes will be brought back to the Commission in October for final consideration
A stock status update suggests that the flounder fishery statewide has been in a general declining trend in recent years and is likely overfished and undergoing overfishing on the Atlantic coast of Florida.
Other states have also reported declines in flounder populations and have been making their own regulation changes.
FWC has been working with stakeholders to gather input on this fishery through workshops, online commenting and more.
Draft rule changes include: Increase minimum size limit from 12 to 14 inches total length recreational and commercial
Reduce recreational bag limit from 10 to five fish per person
Establish a November closure (recreational )
Establish a commercial trip and vessel limit of 150 when using allowable gear for all months outside of November
Establish a Nov commercial trip and vessel limit of 50lbs when using allowable gear
Extend all FWC flounder regulations into federal waters
The Commission also directed staff to continue working with the industry on flounder bycatch in federal waters
FWC approves Atlantic bluefish changes
At its July Commission meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission FWC approved changes to Florida’s Atlantic bluefish regulations Bluefish from Maine through the Atlantic coast of Florida make up a single population A 2019 federal stock assessment found that this Atlantic population of bluefish is overfished Because of the assessment results, federal fishery managers adopted more restrictive recreational bag limits in federal waters, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is requesting states implement similar regulations.
Commission approved changes to recreational and commercial stone crab regulations
Changes approved by FWC include:
Reducing the recreational daily bag limit from 10 to 3 fish per person along the Atlantic coast from Nassau through MiamiDade counties. Clarifying that FWC regulations for bluefish do not extend into federal waters of the Atlantic.
The effective date for these changes is to be determined
FWC approves Stone Crab regulation changes.
Effective Oct. 1, 2020
At the same meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Effective Oct. 1, 2020
At the same meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved changes to recreational and commercial stone crab regulations
Florida’s stone crab fishery has experienced a long-term decline in harvest and is likely undergoing overfishing FWC staff worked with stakeholders on these changes that are intended to increase the stone crab population and build resiliency in the fishery.
Approved changes go into effect October 1, 2020, and include:
Moving the season end date from May 15 to May 1st, closed on May 2nd Continued on Page 30
Group Inc
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Publishers:
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Editor: Joe Dionne
Contributing Writers
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Tim Stouder
Trina Polkey
John Nooney
Roy Mattson
Will Neimann
John Chapman
Capt Jim Suber
Spencer Brogden
Capt Tim Altman
Richard Hamilton
Chris Cockerham
Capt Bert Deener
Capt Guy Sanders
Capt Cory Sparks
Capt John Eggers
Capt Todd Philcox
Craig Van Brocklin
Capt Adam Morley
Capt Jeff Patterson
Capt Charlie Freeman
Capt Matt Chipperfield
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August 2020
Fish Kisser of the Month
Congratulations to our Fish Kisser of the month, who looks really happy laying a big kiss on that fish's slimy lips. We have a FREE meal from Juniors Seafood & Grill for any of you that submit your photo to the contest and are chosen as the winner If you are this month's winner please contact Joe Dionne at fbmgjax@gmail com with your name and phone # to claim your certificate
Prize must be claimed no later than midnite of the last day of this month to be valid If you would enjoy seeing your photo in the Fishing Connection please send in your best Fish Kissing Photo. Thanks to all who send in a Fish Kisser photo Anyone can win, maybe soon it will be you Send photos to fbmgjax@gmail.com
Rules are Simple
Your lips MUST touch the fishes mouth. The person in the photo must be clothed but clothing on the fish is optional. Remember, all submissions are considered against future entries too, so if you haven't seen your photo yet, you're still in the contest.
Disclaimer
We are not responsible if the Fish you're kissing bites your head off
A kind old person decided to give 12 sweets to each of the adults in the town and 8 sweets to each of the children.
Of the 612 people in the town, only half the adults and three quarters of the children took the sweets. How many sweets did the kind old person have to buy?
Fishing Fernandina
By Capt Charlie FreemanStarting this month I plan on writing about the several Bait and Tackle stores here on the Island (and one just off the Island).
I've visited each one and decided to put all the names in a hat and pick one That way it's done in random order
This month it's RennWorks Outdoors They are the newest one and have been open about 8 months now
Owner's Sandie and Shannon O'Conner along with their son Josh run it and it's worth the effort to find them by the city airfield.
They have a full array of frozen baits and top of the line fishing equipment including the Bubba Blades. I actually stopped in last week to meet them but they were closed as it was the first day of Red Snapper season and they went fishing. Shows they are real fishermen (and woman)
Their address is 2440 Lynndale Rd, 32034
You can call them at 904-3106794 or reach them online at rennworks outdoods@gmail com
Now, it's August so it's hot, very hot and the beginning of hurricane season in earnest
Fishing will still be good but you
have to pick your place, time and how you fish. On the upside, offshore will still be hot (pun intended) with no shortage of kingfish, cudas and jacks around the reefs and inlets along with bottom fish that might be found a bit further offshore
At the St Mary's and Nassau Sound inlets you will find good size tarpon and redfish waiting to take a live pogie or small pinfish along with dead cut baits
Inshore fishing will be slo during the middle of the day bu sunrise or sunset fishing wi work well along with fishin during the night
I like to fish the many docks night, as long as they have ligh on. And the more and bright the lights, the better Sea trout the mainstay but I have als caught small tarpon, redfish an even black drum doing this. Flounder and sheepshead fishin will be hit or miss Luckily liv baits like mud minnows an finger mullet will be in supply s slow fishing those will increas your chances of a hookup
Fresh water fishing can easi y be said, night fishing My daughter lives on a lake west of I- 95 in a sub division and I have never not fished it and get skunked
Last August my two youngest grandsons and I caught 3 bass over 4lbs along with several mudfish and catfish while fishing at night... (A 6 yr old is just as excited at a mudfish as anything) Watch the weather, pick your days and times and go fishing
Just be sure to take plenty of drinks
Capt Charlie Freeman
Fishin' S E Georgia
By Capt Bert Deenerriver The middle and lower river sections are still fishable from a boat, and the redbreasts and bluegills should be taking bugs, spinnerbaits, or crickets
With the water approaching 90 degrees, they will be a little sluggish, but you can still catch a nice mess. Take note of the Highway 158 Bridge landing being closed due to construction of the replacement Hwy 158 Bridge.
Altamaha River: Brentz
McGhin fished the tidal portion of the river on Saturday and had a fun day He landed 5 keeper bass, threw back 2 short bass, and broke off 3 times, as well His bass and a bowfin (mudfish) ate Texas-rigged plastic crayfish
He also managed to catch some warmouth, bluegill, and fliers by pitching crickets
The mullet bite should take off with the dropping river, especially once it starts clearing up. Catfishing has been good for anglers putting worms, shrimp, and cut bait on the bottom. Flatheads were caught on limb lines baited with live fish
The river level was 3 8 feet and falling (87 degrees) at the Baxley gage, and 5 3 feet and falling (90 degrees) at the Doctortown gage on July 23rd
Ogeechee River: Ray and Easton Malone fished the river over the weekend and caught some really nice redbreasts, bluegills, and chain pickerel (jackfish) Bruiser Satilla Spins worked best for them
Some of the redbreasts looked from the photos as if they were approaching a pound, true roosters!
The river level at the Eden gage on July 23rd was 4 2 feet and falling.
Satilla River: The river has dropped through the boatable stage this week, and floating is going to be the way to approach it this weekend in the upper
This will affect anglers fishing that upper river area, so plan accordingly The river level on July 23rd at the Waycross gage was 5 6 feet and falling (85 degrees) The Atkinson gage was 4 9 feet and falling St. Marys River: The river is in good shape again, but it’s hot Pitching bugs early in the day is the way to go for panfish, but catfish will be your best bet
You can still catch white and channel cats in really good numbers by putting shrimp on the bottom In the upper river, a local angler told me that the level is perfect right now to fish limb lines for catfish The river level at the MacClenny gage on July 23rd was 6 3 feet and falling
Local Ponds: Wyatt Crews and Katie Spires fished a Waycross area pond on Friday evening and had a blast They caught 9 giant coppernose bluegill and a nice crappie on crawfish and firecracker Satilla Spins (about half on each color)
They also had a small bass crash a buzzbait right before dark They only fished a little over an hour for their fish Chad Lee flung a chartreuse Bert’s Bug on a fly rod Saturday
morning and landed 10 bigger-than-hand-sized bluegills
He also fished early Sunday morning and landed 4 hardfighting 2-pound bass on poppers Catfish bit best at night in this week’s heat With temps approaching triple-digits, nighttime fishing is the way to go for whiskerfish (and our comfort)!
Okefenokee Swamp: The water level is still a little high and the fish are still spread out on the prairies Very few folks fished this week, but they did catch some bowfin (mudfish) One of the Okefenokee Adventures staff members is taking a guide trip this week fishing for bowfin. They are great fighters and very easy to catch during summer.
All you have to do is wait for the sun to get up (they bite best the more uncomfortable the temperature is….) and cast an in-line spinner down the middle of the canal. I’ve caught over 100 fish per trip several times.
It usually takes longer to get the fish off the hook than to catch another one The refuge and Okefenokee Adventures have returned to their usual summertime hours 1/2 hour before sunrise until 7:30pm
Check the Okefenokee Adventures website okefenokeeadventures com for the latest on their services
SALTWATER (GA Coast)
Capt Greg Hildreth reported that the tarpon fishing slowed this week as fish dispersed into inland rivers and up the coast There are still fish on the beaches, but they are more spread out than they were when they first arrived
He has been catching tripletail off the beaches well this week The inshore trout bite has been good, but lots of the fish are undersized Cason Kinstle, Justin Bythwood, and Dillon Metz fished the St Marys Jetties on Sunday and pulled out a good day at the end
They had a slow start, only catching a couple keeper trout and flounder, but as the day progressed the bite picked up for them... Continued on Page 30
So what's the word on the water? Well, the red fish haven't missed a lick They continue to be very consistent on the incoming tide The use of cut baits such as mullet and crab are producing very well.
Try to find cleaner water and focus on oyster shells where they are most likely to hold. Right now, you can find reds throughout the Northeast Florida region
The biggest concentrations have been stacked up at our inlets Where mullet schools are thick, our red fish are near by Next flounder, although we haven't seen them as thick as recent years They are still being caught from Brunswick all the way down to St Augustine
The absolute best results are coming on the falling tides
Finger mullet and live mud minnows are the preferred bait but if you like throwing plastics
Try a Down South Lure on a jig head and make sure to adjust weight to tidal flow.
Again, many times artificial will out fish live bait. Focus on docks but do not overlook the small feeder creek run outs
Jacksonville continues to have the most consistent bite and that will only improve Moving on to Sheepshead, let me tell ya', they are working the inshore rocks
and oyster beds right now The incoming tide has been best when the water cleans so keep that in mind
I look for the sheepshead bite to only get better in the next few months
If you are looking for big game fish, Tarpon and sharks are everywhere!
You can find them scattered all along our rivers, at either of our Jetty's and along the beach. You can rest assured that they won't be far from schooling mullet. Stay on the mullet and you'll be all over the fish!
With that said, till next time, I'll look forward to seeing you on the water!
Chris Cockerham
Ou ate ays
by Capt Jim Suber City of Jacksonville Waterways Coordinator / Dock Master Division of
factor and experienced entry levels they have not seen since 2010! The Media day started the 2020 tournament off with approximately 50 participants on about 12 volunteer Captains Every Boat brought in several Kings and the day went great The off shore waters were a little sloppy but everyone had a great day.
Natural
and Marine ResourcesDepartment of Parks, Recreation and Community Services
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd
Jacksonville, Fl 32202
Office - (904) 630-0839
Cell - (904) 509-0588
Fax - (904) 355-4857
jsuber@coj.net
Jaxparks com
Subermarine com
Heat! We are getting plenty of it. The water is nice and warm and the fishing and boating is still on fire! We have gone to normal rain fall to minimal rainfall which has made the salinity levels go up and down the scale
The fishing tournaments have all experienced great success this year and it is showing the fishing and boating in North Florida is making a major economical impact! The Old School King of the Beach had over 600 boats participate, The King Buster hit the max number they placed on themselves at 150 and had a great Jr Angler day The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament made the 40th Anniversary year one of the best ever considering the COVID 19
The High Roller and Past Champions Tournament kicked off Tournament week and again the bite was on and the new weigh in Tent and dock layout to maximize social distance and a new hand washing station was tested and passed with flying colors
Jr Angler day had over 200 young anglers and fishing again was worthy of bragging rights With no Captain meetings and no check out The General GJKT Tournament with the rules of 5AM leaving the inlets of Mayport, Fernandina or St Augustine worked out well with only a couple of minor issues
The Kings were again cooperating and hungry so the weigh in both days were exciting and busy with Zack Crabtree and his team on the Vamoose bringing in a 50.53 stud to out do a crop of 40 and high 30 pounders, winning the 2020 24 ft Contender with the 300 hp Yamaha and Magic Tilt trailer valued at $141,300 00
To top off the excitement the RED SNAPPER catch was impressive with Trina Polkey and Team Big Bobberz brought in the winning 23 23 snapper!
To add to the excitement of Tournament week with over 200 anglers fishing the Greater Jacksonville Redfish tournament boat and kayak anglers made a great day before closing the tournament out with a very exciting social distance awards ceremony with well over $300,000.00 plus more TWT give outs. The City of
Jacksonville continues to work with several projects We have installed new floating docks in front of Friendship Park, some dredging had to be completed first and now they are ready for use
The notice to proceed for new docks on the Northbank, in front of the old Landing Property, which will be an open park for the time being, was issued and work has started to remove the old docks while the new ones are being manufactured
We continue to try and keep up with the repairs and maintenance, but due to the pandemic shut down the city staff that is working on getting the purchase orders out are still trying daily to catch up.
Thanks to Jacksonville Marine Charities an additional fish cleaning table has been added to Mayport Boat Ramp!
The camera project at our boat ramps is working out great and more cameras at more boat
ramps are going in at a solid pace During Red Snapper days the cameras at Jim King and Mayport earned their value with witnessing a truck stolen, a vessel crash and a parking lot hit and run During the GJKT the company placed a camera at weigh in and a misunderstood angler saved a protest fee before deciding to file a protest after learning what the play back of the camera showed Again I want to continue to remind all that if you are aware of an event that will impact our waterway or if you are a member of a club or organization that is planning an event that will impact our waterway please let us know so we can help you with promoting.
If you send the information to me at jsuber@coj net we will publish on the website and promote on Facebook pages The city of Jacksonville has several
Continued on Page 9
Tight Lines and Screaming
Reels. Fishermen! How do you really feel?
67 counties in the state of Florida. Just asking the question. Does Boat Lover’s Matter legislation apply in your county?
In Duval County I happened to visit RAM - Riverside Arts Market which is under the Fuller Warren Bridge Interstate 95 in
Downtown Jacksonville on July 4, 2020 Independence Day and was in shock that the Floating Dock that is only open when RAM is open was locked for Joe Q Public to access our St John’s River
This half million dollar FIND (Florida Inland Navigation District) taxpayer subsidized Floating Dock shown in photo above, which unfortunately when opened 10 years ago had ZERO access to the River for Joe Q Public unless RAM was opened
The only beneficiary was RAM And RAM is only open on saturday So you can imagine the shock and disappointment when I visited the floating dock and it was shut down for Joe Q. Public.
At this writing I have subsequently visited RAM every saturday and the dock continues to remain closed for Joe Q Public to use This public access to our St Johns River, a former American Heritage River, should be opened, not closed
Also, on a completely different issue that is working its way thru Jacksonville Waterways Commission Subcommittees will be future yet to be filed legislation that will have everyone in Duval County saying “Que Pasa!” No one is there. Email me your favorite acronym for
Capt Jim Suber
Continued from Page 8 events around the city and Beaches that we are just not getting credit for as a community. We want to promote our city and our beaches as a city with great waterways and beaches with tournaments, events and entertainment opportunities that are happening just not being included in the Big Picture
As always allow me to remind everyone to always check your boat and yourself Use of a lookout and being aware of your surroundings are more important than ever
File a float plan with someone that will miss you first so the search for you can be narrowed and recovery can be quicker Take a safe boating course and do your part to activate our waterways! The Jacksonville Sail and Power Squadron, America’s Boating Club, continuously offers America’s Safe Boating Course at Lamb’s Yacht Center and classes have resumed so check their web site.
The Jacksonville Sail and Power Squadron, America’s Boating Club of Northeast Florida and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary are back available for vessel safety checks
Last but not least, Show pride in the facilities provided for your use with your tax dollars by properly disposing of your by product when you clean your fish and dispose of your trash appropriately! BE SAFE!
Capt Jim Suber
The Tournament Scene
By Craig Van BrocklinSummer Tournaments
Wed Night Tournaments
Mike McCue Park
1st. Chad Duncan 8.20lbs
2nd. Brenda Smith & Randall
Padgett 6.43
3rd. Michael Sullivan & Ralph Murray 4 58
Sisters
1st. Rickey & Chris 6.51 lbs
2nd. Eddie Cabler & Brian
Dutcher 5.60
3rd Malcolm Griffith & Chris Peterson 4 92
Lions Club
1st. Wade Hastings 7.96
2nd. Brenda Smith & Randall Padgett
3rd Bob Morris & Brian Clark
5 92
King Buster
1st. Jim Maedel Smokin Reels
47 30
2nd Scott Sullivan Headhunter
43 20
3rd David Cole Broke Again
41 90
4th Darren Carter Gotcha 41 70
5th Larry Vogt Bam Bam 41 18
6th Frank Vining Walk Thru
39 45
7th Bobby Markwalter
Overruled 37 40
8th Trevor Wiedegreen The Rat Trap 37 05
9th Michael Kelly Time Served
36 25
10th. Travis Crowley Posse
36.20
11th. Marty Snipes Blackfish
34.30
12th. Steve Pausche My Three Sons 34.30
13th. Mike Burch The Last Draw
34.10
14th. Forrest Heeter Trigger Getter
33.10
15th. Randall Chao Reel Chaos
33.05
Lady Angler Ashlie Heeter 33 10
Brian Dingman Memorial
Junior Angler
1st. Colt Carney Driftin N
Dreamin 43 85
2nd Sadie Thomas Freemen
34 65
3rd Bradley Giddens Overruled
29 20
4th Blane Perry Vamoose 28 80
5th Cannon Smith Turn 3 28 50
6th Brantley Farlow Crawfish
27 55
7th Maggie Duncan Rid'N Dirty
25 80
8th Sawyer Cook Reel Quick
25 10
9th Colton Carter Line Money
24 60
10th. Mark Fyffe No Limit 24.50
11th. Josh Deegan Four Reel 24.5
12th. Jaylee Carter Reel Quick
24.25
13th. Wade Anderson Loose
Cannon 24.10
14th Riley Osborne Salty Dawg
23 9
15th Bennett Haney Everglades
Blue Blah Blah 23 25
16th Angler 174 22 80
17th Parker Fonville Rick Ryals
22 30
18th Zeke Rooney Driftin N
Dreamin 21 10
19th Kouper Fickers Reel Hungry
21 05
20th Kale Hindrix Chum On 20 40
Palms Snapper Slapper
1st Dirty Money 26 8
2nd Broke Again 23 6
3rd Reel Trouble 22 4
4th Head Hunter Scott Sullivan 22
5th Freeman 21 8
6th The Rum Line 21
7th. Matador 21
8th. Second Bite 20.4
9th. Blackfin 20.4
10th. Sugar Daddy 20.4
Continued on Page 29
DISCLAIMER:
Some Regulations may have changed and we suggest you ALWAYS check the FWC Website for current updates The Fishing Connection is not responsible for any incorrections on this page
One of the toughest months to pattern is upon us hot water temps really slow the bite down unless we get decent amounts of afternoon rain activity. The morning bite for slot reds and trout in the creeks will be short but the deep water 10-20 foot depths will be the ticket for consistency This time of year I will target deeper drop offs and ledges in the ICW and river where I can target a number of species
Using heavier jigs up to 1oz or adjustable float rigs to cover up to 25feet will be key Most fish will be feeding on shrimp that are moving up through channel and are headed out to the ocean
Big reds, trout, jacks, lady fish, flounder, tarpon and just about every species of fish are on the feed taking advantage. The cooler temps of deep water help keep activity high and fish feed better throughout the day. I like using big local shrimp slow dragging them on the bottom making note on depth when getting bites, I will use this info when changing spots and start at those depths
You may burn a lot of bait up
using this technique up but I promise you will catch a lot of fish as well.
Capt John Eggers
by Guy Sanders
Due to coronavirus social distancing we are still not able to host club meetings. The City of Jacksonville owns our clubhouse and limits capacity to 50%.
Since our meetings are so popular, we just can’t leave half of our club looking in through the windows The club’s Roulette and Kingfish Warmup tournaments were held Saturday, July 11th The Kingfish Warmup is to prep our club members for the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament held the following weekend
The inshore Roulette Tournament quarry is determined by the drawing of three fish species This year Redfish, Croaker and any Trout were selected
Upcoming:
As of the writing of this article our club house is closed as part of the coronavirus response We did have one meeting in June outside on the Mayport Ramp parking lot.
If August meetings are allowed, they will be held on the 6th and 20th. Guest speakers haven’t been scheduled. Please follow jaxfish.com or our Facebook page for details as they come available
We open the doors around 18:00hrs if you want to come early to visit, dinner is at 19:00hrs and we generally try to get started with the meeting about 19:30hrs and we will have a great raffle
All of our meetings are open to the public, you do not have to be a member to attend. We are family friendly so feel free to bring the kiddos!
If they are a little too young to appreciate the guest speaker, please bring them a quiet activity to do at the table with you We hope to see you there!
Guy Sanders Fishing Club
Summer fishing on NE Florida’s inshore water can present some challenges but it's still better than work! Water temperatures in July ran in the low to mid 80’s in the morning, higher most afternoons, fishing
was decent to good some days, then incredibly difficult on others.
Try to plan your fishing days, or days off, for those with a late morning low tide I’ve found the last 3 hours of the falling tide through the first hour of the incoming to be the most productive for redfish
Flounder action has been decent through July, when they are your target, fish the higher tide phases around weed edges that show a good tide rip The trout bite was poor early in July but picked up quite nicely mid-month
The redfish bite throughout the summer has been sluggish and slot size fish have been scattered, juvenile reds showed up in force in July and readily ate shrimp and minnows I generally prefer active
casting and working shrimp, mud minnows or finger mullet on jig heads, along weed edges, flats adjacent to creek run-outs and some of the steeper drop-offs along the Intracoastal
However, throughout July a productive technique has been to fish stationary baits, mud minnows, live finger mullet or cut mullet on fish finder rigs. Find banks along the Intracoastal with bait activity and let your bait sit right in the middle of that activity, patience will pay off!
The August bite should resemble July’s action, high water temperature’s and sluggish fish, get out early and continue to slowly work the Intracoastal banks for redfish, trout and flounder cruising the weed line on early
morning higher tides, steeper drop-offs closer to low tides. Keep on the move and jump around to different spots until you locate a good bite Boat traffic will continue to be heavy once the sun gets high in the sky, so, once again, get out early Be courteous to other fisherman as well, when cruising down the Intracoastal give fisherman working the banks as much room as possible and when in creeks or shallower waters be sure to slow down to idle speed and once again give fellow fishing boats room. Get out fishing, stay cool and be safe
Capt Todd Philcox
(904) 403-8575
Saltychartersjax.com
(H.O.W.) Heroes on The Water
By Tim StouderHeroes on the Water successfully applies a simple solution to a complex issue giving veterans, first responders and their families a path to a successful life through:
NO expense kayak trips: Proven to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress, these repeat experiences provide rest, relaxation and rehabilitation in a peaceful, calm environment.
Camaradirie with like minded people: Discover the tribe you have been missing by visiting one of our volunteer led chapters and experience first-hand the fellowship
Family focused events: Heroes on the Water is one of the few veterans’ charities that includes family members in our programs
Paddle. Fish. Heal: More than a tag line – it’s what we do, how we do it, and what happens thanks to our volunteers 15
Braylen Fowler with a Nice Red Solomon Fowler with a Flounder Catch"Chappy" Chapman
The water is like glass and the steam is coming out from under your hat almost at the same rate as it is coming off of the surface of the water.
The temperature is in the high 80’s but the humidity in the air is so thick you could cut it with a bait knife! No sign of rain or wind, nothing in sight but a pure hot summer August day
It is Saturday and it’s the only chance you have to get out on
the water with your neighbor, your kid, or if you prefer your dog. The water temperature is almost as hot as the air temp All you wanted to do all week after watching boat after boat drive by all week (from the comfort of your air conditioned office) is get out on the water and relax fishing
Finally, you have everything in place and you get out on the water and the tide is right, you have a little water movement and you get to your favorite place and cast out your top water.
Immediately, it is slammed and knocked two feet into the air. The excitement is almost unbearable as you make yourself NOT Bill Dance it bringing it flying back into the boat like a 6 barbed mini Tomahawk missile, so you let it sit and bam! again it gets slammed and this time it is a hook up.
The excitement in the boat is contagious as your dog pants and stands under your feet ready for
a lick of the fish and your partner is diving for the net Then as you finagle the fish to the top for the first exciting glance of the fish, the air goes out you like a popped balloon Yep it’s a just a Jack Crevalle. Well, the only good thing about it is there are usually 50 more where that one is That’s when you have to go to the old adage when life gives you lemons make lemonade
I backed off of the school, retied some junk top water lures and handed the rod off to my neighbor Chris
He’s a self-taught (you tube) relatively new fisherman and he had a ball. We chased the school with the trolling motor and caught Jacks and Lady Fish for an hour or so
We even added a nice size blue fish in for a good trash can slam. We still had enough time in the end to work the outgoing tide to catch a couple of just in the slot flounder that were
released to make the new limits in a few months
So just remember if you just want to have fun catching fish this time of year, especially with a kiddo, fix an old crappy top water with a single hook and find the school by watching the birds and throw into them and have a ball!! Good Luck and bring plenty of water, because it’s blazing hot out there and when you done catching those things for a solid hour you’ve lost about a gallon of water Have a great time!!
How ‘bout a pogy report?
By Trina PolkeyIf you fish offshore Northeast Florida with any regularity at all it is only a matter of time before you hear someone on the radio asking for a pogy report.
Especially during a Kingfish tournament! That is because they are God’s gift to us to go forth and catch fish Lots of different kinds of fish! From kingfish to Cobia and from Snapper to Striper, fish love ‘em!
Typically you can find them by
running along the beach looking for their tell-tale flips or if they are not flipping yet you can sometimes see the large dark schools just under the surface.
A well placed cast net will load your live well or at least get you started. You may have to try a few (hundred) times, but well worth the effort Once you have some in the tank you can cruise the beach looking for Cobia, in which case you would hook one on a pitch rod with a single hook on the business end
Once spotted you pitch your fresh, feisty bait in front of the naturally curious Cobia and watch him take off with it They will not always take it but there is a real good chance they will and buddy you better hold on! You can rig one up on wire for Kingfish, you can take them bottom bumping for Snapper and Grouper, or try pitching one out to a Tarpon and see what happens.
Besides being great baits, these
little guys can filter up to 7 gallons of water per minute as they consume phytoplankton which helps make pretty, clear water. I have read they can reach 15” long but I have yet to see that for myself. Whether you call them menhaden, bunker, bug-head or fat back, pogy’s are a great bait to have on board Do not be afraid to spend some time catching them Good luck!
Trina PolkeyPier n Surf
by Spencer BrogdenI have found that using a long leader with live mullet tends to attract more Bluefish than anything else and then all you end up with most of the time is a mullet that is cut in half
I hope everyone had a great month of July and now we are on to August. The heat is really setting in and the surf temps have been on a steady rise.
At the writing of this article the water temp in Jacksonville beach is 85 3 degrees and rising What does that mean for surf fishing?
Fish early in the morning, and late in the afternoon
It also means when the water is dirty, the Catfish, Sharks and Stingrays will be plentiful This time of year I try to avoid fishing in dirty water at all costs because it gets quite tiresome taking off once Catfish after another
My suggestion is that when the water is dirty, fish the inlets
Vilano, Ft George, Little Talbot, Ft. Clinch just to name a few. The water tends to be nicer in these areas.
You can catch Flounder, Redfish, Black Drum and more fishing these areas. Live shrimp, live mullet and sand fleas are the baits of choice for these fish
The month of August usually signals the arrival of mullet in the surf in decent numbers
Once they start running the beach, the predator fish will follow
Reds, Trout, Bluefish, Spanish, as well as Tarpon, Jack Crevalle and large sharks I use a simple Carolina Rig with a number 4 wide bend hook and a 6-8 inch 25lb fluro-carbon leader with the live mullet
I fish the sloughs, run outs, and any structure along the inlets.
As far as Whiting and Pompano go, there are still very scattered Pompano around, not counting the hundreds of 5 inchers The whiting are hit and miss this time of year, however when I go after them I always fish around the full moon because some of the biggest whiting of the year come in to feed along the beach. Sandfleas, clam and fresh shrimp is what I use to target them Runouts and deep sloughs is what I look for when targeting them
Hopefully all of us surf fisherman have a great month of August and catch some nice fish Don't forget to check out the Brokenreel23 youtube page for weekly surf forecasts for the Northeast Florida region Until next time, tight lines!
Spencer Brogden Taylor's Ribbon
Let's Talk
Offshore Fishin'
by Capt. Tim Altman
July puts us in full blown Kingfish Tournament - Mode.
The crown-jewel of the July tournaments is and always has been the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament (GJKT)
My family and I have fished the GJKT for the last 18 years and it’s usually our yearly family get together
Some families have Thanksgiving or Christmas but the Altman’s (of Callahan) usually have a week-long family reunion dubbed appropriately by my daughter in-law as “Grandma’s house of Chaos Week”
Yes, we have kids and adults sleeping everywhere on air mattresses, the WiFi slows to a glacier-like speed and there is usually at any given time at least 10 abandoned Solo Cups with lemonade or Kool Aid littering the house It’s truly my favorite week of the year
The GJKT made some great changes this year with the most important being the “No CheckOut” and abandoning the archaic Check Out line
Along with live streaming the event this was a huge leap in the right direction The slow down for weigh-in because of COVID 19 was handled as best as it could be
This was another fantastic event and well on its way to becoming a modernized and streamlined well-oiled machine. My only criticism remains the
weigh-in line and crew pick-up For as long as I can remember there is always 2 or 3 huge boats docked on the southern floating dock at Sisters Creek
These huge boats prohibit the safe, orderly and efficient flow of boat weigh-in traffic In the past it forced the crew members weighing a fish to be dropped off on the northern dock and t pontoon boat across the intercoastal to up at “Kingfish Island”, a moored do opposite side of the intercoastal
This year there was no “Kingfish Islan process was slowed down immensely everyone weighing was dropped off a up at the northern dock. If th belonging to the GJKT Staff wer temporarily during the weigh-in(s), tournament could reach it’s full potentia safe, expeditious and orderly flow of t customer, the tournament participant Nevertheless, this is a Great tournam monumental task accomplished by a group of hard-working folks that absolutely nothing Thank you GJKT you all again next year!
Micro Snapper Season. I have a select group of family and friends that I take Red Snapper Fishing just after midnight in the very opening moments of Red Snapper season. This year was no different, the guys met me at the marina at 11:20 and by midnight we are set up on our first spot less than 5 miles from the tip of the Mayport Jetties I really love our little tradition! This year we had the Rhodan Trolling motor deployed and in “Anchor Mode” and let me tell you It is a game changer! We had our limit of Snapper by 2am with the largest being 17 2lbs and the smallest was 9 3lbs While I continue to be absolutely outraged by the colossal mismanagement of this fishery, like Charlie Brown I want to believe that Lucy will let me kick the football this time though I know it is futile
“Back to School” Kids Kingfish Derby hosted by the Jacksonville Bluewater Club is on August
8th! Unlike a tournament or fishing rodeo where the emphasis is usually on competition and profit, the Kids Kingfish Derby places emphasis on the kids and their exposure to fisheries resources and the sport of fishing. Cost is $25 Per Kid and all donated fish proceeds will go to Safe Harbor Boys Home. Here is a brief overview... Continued on Page 29
TJ riding the rail
by Richard and Judy Hamilton R&J Tackle Green Cove Springs
Capt Matt Chipperfield
Capt Cory Sparks
Capt. Tim and Grandson TJ
