Elections Have Consequences
By Rick HaleNot to have a political debate, but to just look at the situation here in Florida, I am incredibly happy that Ron DeSantis won the awfully close Florida gubernatorial election
mind, while all other things were closed
To my knowledge, the only closures I saw was caused by large groups that would get together on an island and party. I was very scared that was going to happen to us in Jacksonville, but people came to their senses I thank Mayor Curry for having patience and keeping the Jacksonville boat ramps open.
I also think Curry and the three beach mayors did a good job of closing and reopening the beaches in a timely fashion
I know most would not vote for a person based on them allowing us to fish or not, But, for the fishing public in the last three months of hell, DeSantis was a Godsend.
fishing Most of the suppliers can not keep up with demand and what was being ship in 4 days is now taking two to three weeks. Most tackle shops are running out of popular inventory before a new shipment can arrive
It seems we run into the China syndrome with the hard baits Another item that seems that is mostly in China is our reels I can remember my heart was broken when Penn reels no longer had the Made in the U.S.A.label on the box.
While most blue states were completely closed down, DeSantis kept boating open
He saw fishing as a form of relaxation and a way to help our mental health For most if not all, it was the only form of entertainment to help us get through the virus with a stable
DeSantis has done so much for the fishing public and for those who want to see Florida with a better water quality From the great work he has done in the Everglades to removing nonfunctional members in the Southern Water District
Problems Facing Tackle Shops
Talking with many tackle shops, they are having an extremely hard time getting inventory. On the bright side, there is nothing else to do but fish, and I believe this pandemic created more people that enjoy
Another situation that shops and suppliers might have to face that is out of their control, what is the outlook on the tackle manufactured in China I would guess that over 70% of the inventory is produced in China and due to retaliation to the pandemic, no one can forecast what will happen.
Those that fish with artificial baits and those that fish tournaments that only allow artificial baits, could lose some of their popular baits But we do have some great baits made here in Florida.
From Mayo Florida, we have Bass and Saltwater Assassins, From St Augustine we have Fishbites and Jacksonville has Chris Cenci with his Slayer products
Even my Jaw Jacker plastics that are only sold at Rick’s Bait and Tackle are made in the good old USA
Some of the companies that produce fishing products here in America, may also have them manufactured in other countries Many businesses alter their brand names, manufacturing practices and product designs with little or no notice.
Rods seem to be different; you can find American made rods. Cajun rods can be found here in Jacksonville
But another product that broke my heart was when Shakespeare Ugly Stix went overseas
Only time will tell how all this turns out, but I hope you will look for an American flag on products you buy We need to help the economy get going again, support American made as much as possible
Rick Hale
Fishing & Boating Media Group Inc.
224 20th St N Jacksonville Beach, Fl 32250 904-962-5996
E-Mail: fbmgjax@Gmail com
Publishers: Rick Hale & Joe Dionne
Editor: Joe Dionne
Contributing Writers
Jeff Altman
Tim Stouder
John Nooney
Roy Mattson
Adam Morley
Will Neimann
John Chapman
Capt Jim Suber
Charlie Freeman
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 Jeff Patterson
Capt Matt Chipperfield
June 2020 Fish Kisser of the Month
Congratulations to our Fish Kis month, who looks really happy la kiss on that fish's slimy lips W FREE meal from Juniors Seafoo for any of you that submit your p contest and are chosen as the winn are this month's winner please c Dionne at fbmgjax@gmail com name and phone # to claim your ce Prize must be claimed no later th of the last day of this month to b you would enjoy seeing your ph Fishing Connection please send in Fish Kissing Photo. Thanks to all w a Fish Kisser photo Anyone can w soon it will be you Send fbmgjax@gmail com
Rules are Simple
Your lips MUST touch the fish The person in the photo must be c clothing on the fish is optional. R all submissions are considered aga entries too, so if you haven't seen yet, you're still in the contest
Disclaimer
We are not responsible if the F kissing bites your head o
month with 6 month commitment
June, The month the temps get nice, the days are the longest, the humidity is still low and fishing gets hot Add on that the shrimp season has reopened so all bait shops will now have live shrimp to sell to anglers.
And hopefully this Corona virus will be calming down Fishing will be on a major upswing Pogie's showing up in good numbers on the beach, Kingfish showing up and Kingfish tournaments hopefully still happening... Grouper, those nonexistent Red Snapper and Cobia on the reefs, trolling offshore for Blackfin Tuna, Mahi and Wahoo available as the seas should be calm And a sailfish is possible Inshore the fishing will remain strong.
Fishing the St. Mary's inlet, deep holes across from the Fernandina Harbor Marina along with the old faithful places like Cumberland Island and the range marker will still get you nice size Redfish, Black Drum and everyone's favorite, Whiting.
Fishing the old shrimp docks in downtown Fernandina will get you good size Flounder and for those like Roger Ebmeier, who specialize in Sheepshead and Flounder fishing bringing in impressive amount of them.
Surf fishing at Peters Point, American Beach and Ft Clinch will be hot using baits like fresh dead shrimp, sand fleas and Fishbite's finding you Pompano,
Whiting, Reds and a Black Drum or Shark.
Finger Mullet will be showing up and that will be one of the prime baits of choice for inshore fishing
I even caught a Cobia 2 years ago bottom fishing in the ICW in 30 ft of water half a mile from the inlet.... No telling what will hit your line It wasn't of legal size so I released it
Float rigs fished along the grass shore line, older docks or at the mouth of creeks will get you Sea Trout and Reds, a great bet is to fish between the Shave bridge and Nassau Sound this time of year
Trolling the inlet of St Mary's or Nassau Sound with Clark spoons or Rapala's can get you Spanish Macks and even Snapper and Bluefish when they are around.
One thing to do here after you catch some nice fish is, be it after you clean them , have the charter boat Capt, if you hired one, clean them on a charter or take the fish to Atlantic Seafood where we will clean them for you is to go over to the Salty Pelican and let them cook your catch.
Life here on Amelia Island isn't
*NON -ETHANOL FUEL
*WET & DRY STORAGE
*TRANSIENT SLIPS
AVAILABLE
*COMPLIMENTARY WIFI
*BOAT PARTS & ACCESSORIES
*30 TON TRAVEL LIFT
*HULL CLEANING & BOTTOM PAINTING
Arlington Marina has been recognized as a Clean Marina by the Florida DEP and The Clean Boating Partnership
Charlie with a 33" Red
Fishin' S.E. Georgia
By Capt. Bert DeenerThe rivers have been the place to be this week (all but the Altamaha) The panfish and bass bites have been great for most folks. Ponds, saltwater, and the Okefenokee are still good options for the holiday weekend, as well Be safe, and catch ‘em up this weekend!
Satilla River – The upper river was perfect for floating this week, and the middle and lower river sections were in good shape for motorboat fishing. Several folks I talked with this week did very well, especially in the upper river Chris Nugent floated the upper river on Saturday with a friend, and they caught 39 panfish – mostly big rooster redbreasts.
They caught them on several colors of Satilla Spins, and he said that the fish didn’t seem to have a color preference that day Another angler I talked with got into a bunch of big shellcrackers and some nice warmouth on Friday and Saturday. I floated with my daughter on Sunday evening for a few hours, and I caught (and released) 52 panfish and small bass on Satilla Spins
The bite was slow until 5pm, then it fired off
Our biggest redbreast was 9 1/2 inches and biggest bluegill was 10 inches We also had a fat 10inch warmouth
We caught fish on stumpknocker, bruised banana gold, copperfield, bruiser, and electric chicken, but it was a 1/16-oz cracklehead crawfish that stole the show during the hot bite from 5 to 6 On Tuesday, I
took off work and floated the upper river with Don Harrison and Ed Zmarzly We got a midmorning start and still ended up catching 109 fish
We released all but 2 mealsworth. Ed fished for bass most of the day and caught about a halfdozen on Whopper Plopper topwaters Don and I flung Satilla Spins and caught fish on all the colors we threw (about 10 colors). The top color in the morning was a 1/16-oz. crawfish. In the middle of the day, I slowrolled a slaw (white/chartreuse/orange) 1/8-oz and did well Late in the day, a 1/8-oz fire tiger was drawing the most strikes, by far Our biggest redbreasts were right at 10 inches.
We had a big crappie, as well. The bluegills were mostly small, but was had a couple 9-inchers
Chuck Deen fished Thursday on the lower river and caught 4 nice bass on Capt Bert’s black/gold buzzbaits. He and his friend also had 7 panfish and a small bass on beetlespins.
Jonathan Guy and Gary Ware fished the middle river on Tuesday and worked for them, but they were good fish when they caught them
They had 65 fish total of about 9 species. Most of their fish ate Satilla Spins, but a few hit crickets Crawfish was their best color, while bruiser, bus stop, and electric chicken also produced some
Take note of the Highway 158 Bridge landing being closed due to construction of the replacement Hwy 158 Bridge
This will affect anglers fishing that upper river area this spring, so plan accordingly
The river level on May 21st at the Waycross gage was 5 7 feet and falling (75 degrees), and the Atkinson gage was 5.2 feet and steady St. Marys River - Ronnie Kemp paddled the upper river on
Continued on Page 30
As we near the month of June, look for the Flounder size to continue improving So far, there have been some really nice fish caught all along the Northeast region.
It seems as though Fort George South to Mayport has produced the bigger fish Pitching mud minnows and finger mullet have been the key Jigs heads and fish finder rigs are the perfect tackle to use when weather permits I like using the Flounder jigs in a 1/4 oz or 3/8 oz but size and weight will depend on tidal flow and wind The key is to pitch up to the base of structure and use a slow retrieval with short lifts of the rod tip followed by a brief pause
I have seen a few decent fish up to 3 lbs just to the North of Fernandina into Crooked river but we still haven't seen that consistent bite Water clarity is playing a major factor coming out of the St Mary's river due to all of the wind
To muddy and the bite won’t be there, to little or too much current and the results can be the same Make sure to keep this in mind while targeting flounder
Lastly, focus on pinch points and run outs where bait collects near creek mouths
Next, red fish continue to be very consistent. Cut baits such as quartered blue crab and cut mullet are the go to
A jig head with an 18" to 20" leader fixed to a popping cork is perfect for floating over structure
while a simple fish finder rig preferred for the bottom
Yes artificial’s such as t water, subsurface baits a plastics like down south lures a producing but, you need to early Also, slow presentatio on the flats are key right now d to fishing pressure.
With that said, there's so mu bait that these fish don’t ne cover large areas Cut down yo search by fishing oyster beds th run out into the channel from shallow flat That said, anywhe along our intracoastal is hot f red fish.
Moving on, trout in our area have been pretty spread out in shallow water However, May is the perfect time to find a big female
Grass points where oysters extend out into the River on the higher falling tides are a perfect example of a great target area Most of our fish are deep and being found with slip cork rigs near docks For these fish, live shrimp is key Also, float tree tops and rock ledges to cover larger areas.
If you find a few fish there’s a chance they’re gonna be stacked up
In closing, I hope you all have a safe trip and we look forward to seeing you on the water!
Chris Cockerham
IN THE NEWS
Our Waterways by Capt. Jim Suber City of Jacksonville Waterways Coordinator / Dock Master Division of Natural and Marine Resources.Department 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
SUMMER IS HERE!
Due to the COVID-19 situation North Florida is feeling the summer rush We have seen an obvious difference in the boating and fishing activity at all of our facilities and getting more facilities expanded and built is really becoming more obvious than ever
The ramp facilities are being stressed above and beyond the normal expectations I want to stress the importance of the boating public doing their part by helping with trash build up. If a can is full go find another can If all of the smaller cans are full try to find a dumpster in the park area If you can’t do any of these things please do not leave your trash beside a can (nothing
good happens with that)!
Please take your trash with you if the cans can not hold it. The City staff has increased the schedule for trash pick up but they are over extended due to being restricted on hours They are trying to empty cans at all Parks Monday Wednesday and Friday and have included Sunday pick up at some of the busier facilities
They have added extra barrels at the more active ramps As most of you have noticed boating, fishing and general outdoor activities have increased This is a good thing and it is up to us to show these activities are safe and within the requests of the CDC, Mayors and Governor
I hope to see this take hold and the practice of safe boating only increases as we work through summer Please let’s all do our part. We are seeing a lot of boaters gathering out on the waterway and enjoying the natural opportunities
Stay 50ft apart and keep the passenger numbers within the suggested numbers Respect the speed zones and manatee protection zones. We have a NEW slow speed zone 300 ft. from either side of the Heckscher Drive Bridge over SHAD CREEK This was installed as a safety issue due to the restricted space and heavy currents
We had the Florida Department of Transportation move the no fishing signs on the bridge to cover more space to insure boaters don’t get a fishing line around their neck or a fish hook in the face! Boaters can help us keep peace in the community by being aware and respect property owner’s docks and vessels on the docks.
Always remember the vessel operator is responsible for your own wake even if it is not a safety or manatee zone We have Manatees all over our waterways this time of year and they are moving in every day. Duval
County is controlled by a Manatee protection plan mandated and regulated by US Fish and Wildlife and Florida Fish and Wildlife When a significant number of manatees die in our waterways it triggers action we have to put in place
Some times action that is required is a moratorium of construction on the waterway. We are also seeing an increase of requests for additional slow speed zones in our county. The Jacksonville Waterways Commission I s considering the need and have formed a sub-committee to evaluate the need
Continued on Page 29
Tight Lines and Screaming Reels Fishermen! How do you really feel?
WTF- Where's Trump Fishing?
Downtown Jacksonville!
On 5/13/2020 Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida announced to the country that if your professional sport needs a venue then Visit Florida HEY! B A S S ready to kick some A Fish On! At this writing we are still in phase 1 of the reopening of the
state of Florida from the Covid 19 Pandemic.
On 5/26/2020 prior to the meeting of the full Jacksonville City Council at 2:00pm
There will be a Leadership vote by our elected legislative representatives
In Duval county there will be a new President and Vice President of the Jacksonville City Council. This NEW legislative LEADERSHIP WILL guide the Fishermen and Charter Captains of Duval County WTF-Where To Fish? In the months leading up to the November 2020 Presidential Election we'll be ready to welcome Executive Leadership to Florida
Tight Lines and Screaming Reels
John Nooney
904-434-0839
vendo5@yahoo com
The Tournament Scene
By Craig Van BrocklinSpring Tournaments
Wednesday Night Tournament (Redfish/Trout)
1st Place Charlie Dehlinger & Bob Morris 9 0lbs
2nd Place Malcolm & Larry Powell with 7.12
3rd Place Adam Bryan & Joe Curtis with 7 5
Honorable mentions Fred Rounsaville with a 5lb trout and Richard Hulett with a 5lb Flounder
Florida Surf Caster
Largest Whiting
1st Conner Pickett 1 51
2nd Jared Mazerolle 1 37
3rd Spencer Brogden 1 31
4th Eric Powell 1 28
5th Gregory Davis 1 24
6th Taylor Chenoweth 1.21
7th Stephen Matthew 1.19
8th Brook Daley 1 18
9th TJ Stafford 1 16
10th CJ Tremble 1 15
Largest Pompano
1st Shann Cogdon 2 87
2nd Shantel Curlett 2.75
3rd Brook Daley 2.34
4th Cory Gurman 2 33
5th Trevis Twiggs 2 29
6th Thomas Morse 2 24
7th Wendell Nolan 2 15
8th Chip Brundage 1 88
9th Anthony Belinko 1 86
10th Larry Finch 1.77
JOSFC Inshore Trout Tournament
1st Craig Van Brocklin 4 2
Upcoming Tournaments
June 2nd Big WT
6th IFA Georgetown
13th Jacksonville Elite Redfish
13th Wildwood Inshore St. Aug
13th Historic St Marys
20th Clay Roberts Memorial
July 13th through 18th Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament (Redfish & Kingfish)
25/26th ACGFA Challenge Tournament.
August 1st/2nd IFA Jacksonville
4th Big WT
15th Powerpole Redfish Panama City
22nd IFA Beaufort SC
Offshore Tournaments
June 6th Meat Mayhem
13th Old School Kingfish Shootout (Vilano)
27th Kingbuster 400
July 11th Palms Snapper Slapper
Jr Angler
1st Glen Fraser Jr 1 65
2nd Dustin Berg 1 62
3rd Austin Beck 1 14
We finally start seeing steadier weather patterns going into the summer months and with these better conditions the fish tend to be easier to pattern
I will target the big trout first light in the morning around docks and any concrete structures or bulk heads especially in the river with big top water walk the dog style lures
5 inch minimum in size with a mullet pattern will get those big 5 plus pounder's to bite After the sun comes up for about an hour I switch to a suspending or slow sinking jerk bait or big soft plastic on a 1/8oz long shank jig head
Sometimes the bigger fish will bite top water early then quit when the sun comes but will still bite lower in the water column where there is less sun light by switching lures you will still be able to catch the fish.
When red fishing similar techniques apply First light the reds will aggressively attack top water lures and will bite pretty well most of the morning unlike trout. If the reds keep missing your plug make sure you have a
follow up soft plastic or twitch bait ready to throw right beside the lure missed
You will be surprised how many times you will catch that short striking red Flounder will be around the spartina grass hard sand bottom areas and bull reds start showing up a little better in the river and jetties
If you can get out off the beach or near shore structures the king fish bite will be taking off With plenty of pogie pods available on the beach it shouldn't be hard to get bait. the silver king will start making an appearance with their migration and should be hear until August
I like using a pogie on a circle hook with a big float and 3 feet or less of 80lb leader around the pods. A short leader fished on the outer edges of these pods singles out your bait from the herd making it an easy target for these tarpon
Capt John Eggers
Offshore Fishing Club
by Guy Sanders
Due to Coronavirus social distancing we are still not able to host club meetings I have seen several social media posts lamenting the lack of a club prepared meal, and how the members would be sadly eating their own cooking
With the recent easing of restrictions our board decided to go ahead with our club tournaments, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Our club rules: (small craft exercise caution and small craft advisory as Small Craft Warnings )
In either case it means automatic postponement of a club tournament
So, Both the Inshore and Offshore tournaments have been postponed as of submission of this article. Wind and waves seem to be the story of late Those that have made it out deep have been rewarded with fish; Wahoo, Kings, Mahi and Grouper Anglers at the Jetties are still boating Sheepshead, Drum, Blues and Mackerel.
Back Country pursuits are landing Redfish and Trout
Upcoming: As of the writing of this article our club house is closed as part
of the coronavirus response. If June meetings are allowed, they will be held on the 4th and 18th Guest speakers have not been scheduled
We open the doors around 18:00 if you want to come early to visit, dinner is at 19:00, and we generally try to get started with the meeting about 19:30, 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
Intracoastal St. Johns River
by Capt. Todd PhilcoxJune on Jacksonville’s inshore waters will bring in our consistent summer pattern of extreme heat and afternoon storms, set your alarms earlier to take advantage of earlier sun rises and calm morning waters
On those early mornings I’ll focus on fishing flats along the intercoastal banks around the high tide and the steeper drop offs closer to low tide
Redfish, trout and scattered flounder will be cruising the weed line on early morning higher tides, they will be looking to ambush the mullet schools that arrived in May in full force
Target those fish with finger mullet, mud minnows or live shrimp on the lightest jig possible, an 1/8-ounce jig will work in shallower water and light wind conditions, chunks of mullet or ladyfish will also produce slot reds, fish these baits on 3/0 circle hooks, use a small sliding egg sinker if needed in areas of stronger current
The number of fish species to pursue continues to increase, larger creeks in the Palm Valley area will hold tarpon and some snook along with an increasing
population of mangrove snapper and smaller bait stealing species like pinfish, as the summer progresses I tend to fish mud minnows and finger mullet more than shrimp.
If you are intent on fishing live shrimp over the summer pick up a couple dozen extra as the smaller mangrove snapper, pinfish and juvenile reds and trout will pick many a hook clean.
Tarpon inshore are extremely wary, but I have found a live medium to small blue crab, or live mullet, fished under a cork with 5 to 6 feet of fluorocarbon leader to be productive, I’ll use a 40lb test leader and 6/0 circle hook as most inshore tarpon are not the monsters that are out on the jetties and cruising the beach Fishing topwater plugs early is a blast and will elicit aggressive bites from trout, jack crevalle and an occasional snook
Throughout the summer be more aware of water conditions, weekend boat traffic has been crazy will continue to make fishing the intercoastal banks quite uncomfortable, if not outright impossible after 10am on Saturdays and Sundays, if you are able, try to fish weekdays for more peaceful conditions That heavy boat traffic will stir up and muddy inshore waters to the point of being unfishable, find protected waters farther up creeks if possible
Be mindful of water temperatures as well, as I mentioned in winter articles, I’ll seek moderate water temperatures during periods of extreme cold or heat, this
Happy Salty Charter Clients
summer we will see inshore waters reach 90 degrees some afternoons, some 5-7 degrees warmer than morning water temps. If I am fishing afternoons or evenings during the summer, I’ll run closer to the river or jetties where the ocean’s influence will keep water temperatures more consistent I look forward to seeing you on the water, give me a call if I can help get you out fishing!
(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 FISHING TRIPS: Proven to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress, these repeat experiences provide rest, relaxation and rehabilitation in a peaceful, calm environment.
CAMARADERIE 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.
Capt Todd PhilcoxI feel like every month I start out the same way but really, time sure does seem like it is flying.
I mean it is already June Tarpon on the beach,
aggravating Jacks of all sizes everywhere, bait so thick along the beaches you can actually see spinner sharks sky out of the water eating pogies
Fishing has been pretty darn good this year The flounder started running early in the creeks and well they are still running. There are some really nice flatties being caught all over the river lately Funny thing is when they are biting they are on fire
Mud minnows, jig head with a plastic, float fishing shrimp, and or dragging them on the bottom with a jig head are all
productive. Creek mouths and grass shore lines with some roughed-up bottom all produce Additionally, the red fish are absolutely biting all over the river They love all kinds of bait and will usually come to dinner with all the popular offerings
If you want to catch them on artificial bait then try your luck with the bright chartreuse gulp variations and it seams like this time of year they prefer the jerk bait as an alternative to your whites an light colors That seams to be the case for me this time of year.
This brings me to my absolute
favorite way to fish and this is the best time of year to do it.
Top Water will work almost anywhere this time of year Remember there is absolutely no wrong way to throw top water If you maintain contact with the water with your lure you are doing it right.
Now there are thousands of people to tell you the right way but truth is as long as there is a willing fish around then top water is a great great way to entice a bite
They absolutely can’t stand the thought of an easy meal getting away... Continued on Page 29
Hook it n Cook it
By Jeff AltmanJune has arrived and Florida is starting to get back to our new normal Businesses are opening so everyone can start enjoying life again.
This months recipe is a Spanish inspired dish called Paella It is very easy to assemble and you only need one pan
I used a small rectangle Pyrex pan or you can use a traditional Paella pan
Start with a bag of yellow rice then add tomatoes, onions, scallions, bell peppers and pineapple chunks
Now you need 3 1/2 cups of boiling liquid
Use reserved pineapple juice and water Stir and cover cook in 400 degree oven for 30 min.
Remove from oven then add shrimp on top and sprinkle with Old Bay Cover and cook 12-15 min until water is absorbed
Pineapple Shrimp Paella
1lb - large shrimp (pealed & deveined)
1 - 10oz. bag of Mahatma yellow rice
1 - large Tomato diced
1 - med Onion diced
1 - bunch Scallions chopped
1 Bell pepper chopped
1 can Pineapple chunks drained and reserve juice
salt and pepper to taste
Jax Beach Pier n Surf
By Spencer BrogdenI hope that everyone had a good month of fishing in May, but now we are headed into June and the summer heat What can we look forward to catching in June? Well, there will still be pompano as long as the water temp holds around 73-76
If you are willing to drive, you can head towards little talbot island or American beach in Fernandina to go after the pompano Fresh clam and live sand fleas have been the bait of choice and will continue to be.
It never hurts to carry a couple packages of different flavored fish bites as well! Continue to use the pompano rigs, and if you are fishing 2-3 rods try different combination beads and floats to see what color the pompano are zeroing in on that day.
There will also be scattered whiting If you want to target some of the larger whiting, look for the full moon and fish around that time Ive always caught some of the biggest whiting each month around the full moon as it seems they come in to spawn. Whiting seem to lay eggs pretty much nonstop through out the year They will also eat the clam and sand fleas as well as fresh shrimp
June will also be a good month to target speckled trout and redfish along the surf. On calm days, throw top water lures first thing in the morning and in the evening to target the trout or you can use a float rig with live shrimp
To target the reds try to catch
finger mullet and use or buy blue crabs and use the knuckles. There tends to be more reds along local inlets when beach fishing
If you have a kayak, you can target Kingfish, tarpon, and large jack crevalle just outside the surf zone. The best bait to use are live pogies! Typically if you see the large schools of pogies, try to fish the outside of the schools as the game fish usually circle the outside and dart in and out of the school
Also keep in mind quite a few sharks also hang out in these schools of fish. Always keep a sharp knife on hand in case you need to cut the line quickly to avoid a bad situation in the kayak I hope this information helps and that everyone has a great month of June. To keep up with whats going on weekly in the surf in N.E Florida check out t b /B k l23 i
were caught on the troll
Let's Talk Offshore Fishin'
by Capt. Tim AltmanMahi Mania is in full bloom this 3rd week in May! Most boats venturing to deeper water will find Mahi (Dolphin) in depths ranging from 120ft all the way out to 2000ft in abundant numbers
Captain Jimmy Laidler of the Charter Boat “The Legend” out of St Augustine had 36 keepers on a recent trip.
They reported most of their fish were inside “the ledge” and were caught in 120-140ft on broken patches weeds All their fish
My “Saltwater Challenge” tip for Mahi is to bring a three (or more) larger spinning combos rigged with a 3ft section of 50lb test fluorocarbon with a 6/0 to 9/0 hook and a couple of boxes of sardines in addition to your rigged ballyhoo.
Once you get lines out trolling, have your right-hand guy or gal chop one box of sardines or cigars into small pieces of chum, place the chum in a couple of Ziploc bags and then put it back
on ice Each time you reel in a Mahi, look for one following it or what we call a “trailer”.
If one happens to be in proximity, grab the chum Ziploc and start chumming by throwing pieces into the wake
If the fish hooked is smaller and you have the discipline, leave it in the water beside the boat. Next go to a dead boat status (stop the boat) and continue to chum This will attract the school and they will start feeding
Once you see the school come in, then deploy your spinning rods with a larger piece of chum or even a whole sardine/cigar. If you had the patience to stop and jig live bait on the way out, live bait is killer mixed in the chum slick! To me there is nothing more fun than to get on a school of feeding Mahi with spinning rods.
There are still a few rays with Cobia on them in depths of 4055ft Tyler Smith and Team
College Fund, last year’s winner of the Ultimate Cobia Championship and the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament Division have really had another banner year for beach Cobia fishing
Kingfish are moving closer to the beach daily
Captain Rob Widdows of the Hannah Belle took his wife and his daughter Hannah to a nearshore wreck and had three kingfish on live bait.
Rob is getting as much time with his baby girl as he can these days
Continued on Page 25
Green Cove Springs Fishing Forecast
by Richard and Judy Hamilton R&J Tackle Green Cove Springs
up the deeper creeks and out around the piling of the bridges Bait will be shiners, minnow imitations, and jigs. Go with the tides.
Well, short, but sweet. 'Til next time, keep your lure moving and your line went
Richard HamiltonWell, thus far, every weathered the storm, fishing, whether it be fo food, but we're all fish being blessed
The first fish up will Reds. They're out the really want to bite you Bait shrimp or crabs see the ticket, followed close variety of plastic jigs, swim tails all seem to trick You'll want to hit t of docks followed u fishing the drops away f ends of docks So good lu
Croaker and Yellow are hit and miss, but choose to try, then bait and a small piece of cut croaker for the Yellowmouth Mile marker 18 is a good starting place
Then just start fishing the drops and holes in the area Also near the mouth of coves in six to eight feet is a good bet. So go if you want to try your luck.
Mullet are starting to increase in action, but size is so-so, bigger ones will follow All you need is some bait, chum and tackle, and you can have a find day of fishing. Oh, they are really good smoked!
Next will be the Bream They start around docks and in the lily pads Baits will be crickets, followed by worms So give it a try Bass will start being under dock and blow downs
Try to find that perfect ambush point. Plastic and crank bait work well The Striper will go
Kayak Fishing St. Augustine
by Will Niemann
As life slowly returns to normal, don’t forget, summer is here and the bite is hot Flounder are stacked up, redfish are schooled up, the tarpon are showing up and the snook are blowing up.
June is an excellent month to get on the water With all the mullet around, there are plenty of hungry predators close by Mullet schools are a great place to start looking for fish Throw a slow suspending Mirrolure or Unfair Rip-N-Slash into the school, allowing it to suspend, giving it a couple twitches, before starting the retrieve If there is a redfish or trout anywhere around that school, he will nail it
This same method works great when fishing runouts as well. Often a flounder will be laying on the bottom waiting for prey to get washed through Throw into the flow and work the lure naturally back through the runout
Also, this is a highly effective method for sightfishing. If backs
and tails are in sight, th i suspending bait in the the fish is headed will strike. It doesn’t get mu than a redfish take in water
The area creeks will holding fish Most creek have a deep hole somew the bend, signified by water” or an eddy. bouncing a Fishbites Fi on a red jighead al bottom is a very effectiv catch reds and flounder
Keep it moving until a detected, load the rod an it’s a fish or a snag determined to be a fish hook. This is looking fantastic flounder year Mangrove snapper wil in the creek holes, alon and jetties, or any other a structure Mangos are target and excellent ta Using live shrimp minnows on the bottom best method to catch the Whatever species you target this month, they chewing, so have fun Good luck and tight l see ya out there.
St.Augustine
Guana by Capt. Matt Chipperfield
Ahhh yeah, summer time and feeling fine I hope you and yours have been safe the last couple months Good news is the light is visible at the end of the tunnel and fishing is red hot along the first coast.
The pogies are thick on the beaches, tarpon have arrived for the summer migration, cobia are still lingering with the manta rays and the flood tide fishery is starting to kick into gear
If the wind conditions are favorable and the swell is minimal I suggest you take a boat ride down the beach
Look for large schools of menhaden holding tarpon, black tip sharks and monster jack crevalle Tarpon can often be found blasting through these bait schools as they feed just outside the surf.
Large silver flashes, bait showers and surface explosions are a dead giveaway
Heavy spinning rods and fly rods are needed to land these 100 pound class fish so bring the big sticks. You don’t want to find yourself outgunned by a 150-200 pound tarpon
While you’re looking for bait be sure to watch for manta rays carrying cobia The main push of brown bombers has left our waters, but there are still some lingering fish.
Large 1oz and 2oz jigs and soft plastics are great for teasing cobia off the mantas Just be sure to cast accurately because hooking a 1 ton ray is not conducive to catching cobia
Lead the ray or allow the jig to fall off their back and watch for a brown turd to follow you lure
The flood tide is knocking on the door.
We have already experienced a couple fat tides that pushed water into our grass flats But, as the moon cycles grow larger the redfish will surely wiggle their way through the spartina
I’ve long stated that this is the most unique fishery North Florida has to offer
It produces world class sight fishing for tailing redfish in just inches of water These fish are aggressive and are committed to finding food. Check your tides and plan your trip accordingly.
Capt
Matt Chipperfield
Guana Trout Cobia TimeSurf Fishing
by Roy Mattson
Summer Fishing is moving inshore and just off the Beach
June is going to be a lot different then the past years. We have no Piers other then St. Augustine Ocean and Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores to fish as of today 5/24/20 the Flagler Pier is Closed Beaches are lot more crowded so if you’re not on the Beach early or late in the afternoon it's hard to fish.
I am still not doing Charters because its hard to fish with all the swimmers
I would like everyone to try fishing the Intracoastal waterway
The summer cold water starts moving into the coast so a lot of the inshore beaches fish move in to the Intracoastal waters
What can be found in the Intracoastal is Mangroves, Pompano, Trout, Redfish, Flounder, big Croakers and More
The Surf Fishing will be limited to Tarpon, Snook , a few Yellow Tail Snapper ,Gray Snapper, Whiting, few Pompano
Off the Beach will see lots of Baitfish that Turn on the Jack Crevalle, Barracuda, 100+ lb Tarpon, some of the Biggest Snook, Redfish, The most Popular fish this time of the year King Mackerel
There will still be a Few Offshore Fishing Tournaments. Check with your local Bait and Tackle Shops
Good luck Fishing remember that your bait Shop is Open for you to enjoy your self on the water
Support them because they are not big Corporations.
Roy Mattson
Roy’s Surf Fishing Guide Service - Pompano Banana Jigs and Rigs. Both can be found on Facebook. Royssurffishing.com
You see Hannah their only child has fished with her dad her whole
The Old School Kingfish Tournament is on June 13th and promises to be a great time with great prizes. 1st Place Guaranteed is a Yellowfin 21 Bay Boat, Yamaha 200hp 4-Stroke, AmeraTrail Trailer valued at $85,000
There are prizes for Juniors and Ladies Additionally, each boat that weighs a fish 10 pounds or more will receive a ticket to a drawing to win a Kubota RTV XG 850 valued at $15,000 The drawing will take place at the tournament site during the Awards Saturday night I’ll say it again and again until we get through this.
COVID-19 has affected our economy on every level. Please support your local business because they are the one’s disproportionality impacted Until next month, please stay safe on the water and remember that great things happen when you take a kid fishing Captain
Tim Altman Capt. Tim Continued from Page 20 Hannah Enter Text Here.Awes this tim everywh follows Tomoka some gr get into June to A
I lov artificial hitting been a backwat hard to b for bait to get so
The T smother couple catching even a fe the morn Seatrou oyster flounder bars Po more ar the basin
The co that wh beds, yo get close
and skip on there side a couple times No brainer to try a pompano jig at that point because typically there are more around
I've had trips where we've seen 20-30 fish do this throughout the trip, and even had them jump in the boat
Down around the inlet the flounder bite is picking up with some nice 2 to 6 lb fish being caught Mud minnows work
Katie's monster Bull Red - 44"
Hunter with a pretty red in Strickland Creek
Fishin' Crescent Beach Area
by Adam MorleyJust for a laugh
In these crazy times we should all be leaders and instead of scaling back on our humor we should cast out as many lines as we can, even if they’re only one liners
To help you along I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite fishing jokes/puns If you’ve got more to add, let me know on our Facebook page “Genung’s Fish Camp”
When put on the spot and asked for a fish pun, I was left floundering.
I tell fish puns just for the halibut
My Ichthyology jokes were too sofishticated, so I had to scale them back
Somebody just threw a bottle of omega-3 capsules at me I only have super fish oil injuries but I’m lucky I wasn’t Krilled! If the fish tastes funny, it may have been a Clownfish
The guy at the Bait & tackle shop asked what kind of bait I wanted, I had to Mullet over Commercial fishing for Flounder
is just a night time gig for some
Never get in an argument with a Pinfish, they’re skilled debaiters
The fish wasn’t born with a silver spoon in it’s mouth, but that’s how it fried
What kind of shoes do fish wear after being caught? Flip flops
Hope you enjoyed some of those, if I Pro-Cure any more lines I’ll share them now that I’ve got you hooked
I’ll be a leader when it comes to keeping things light tackle As far as the report for Crescent Beach goes the Fishbite has been stop and go.
The big Flounder have come into the Matanzas inlet and surrounding waters The trout bite has been consistent but not on fire and the Reds I’ve been tracking have had tunnel vision eating a fresh hatch of grass shrimp 1/2”-3/4” long. But I’ve heard folks are doing well with cut mullet
My hope is by the time this publishes the Reds will be back to blowing up on top water along the grass lines as the bait starts coming out of the grass with the falling tides. Good luck!
Adam MorleyTHE LITTER GITTER
The Litter Gitter is a program of Matanzas Riverkeeper that takes members of our community out on the river to remove trash from our waterways and to learn about the issues surrounding marine debris and litter.
Once the water and weather heat up this month, the bite in the Valley gets slower mid-day so plan morning or evening trips when you can Redfish should be leaving the creeks more often and hanging on the main ICW as the mullet schools become thicker
This month I like to cast net mullet when available and put them on No Brainer hooks or fish finder rigs with circle hooks Chunks of Ladyfish or cut mullet will also work
Just put 2-3 rods out and wait for the fish to find it! If soaking bait isn't your cup of tea, then mud minnows, mullet, shrimp, or any soft plastic paddle tails on jig heads slowly retrieved through those same areas will catch your dinner Redfish and Trout will still attack topwater plugs at first and last light as well I like to commit about an hour to throwing topwaters to start or end my days.
They are a great search bait and, in my opinion, the most exciting way to catch a fish!Flounder are everywhere and when you start seeing them flipping down the bank (picture footballs fumbling in inches of water) after small
shrimp and other baitfish, i ' signal to slow drag a minnow on a 1/4oz jig h that area.
Flounder can also be around scattered oysters a rap on the bottom If hitting snags and hang u some sort your most checking a good spot T drag minnows through dro as slow as possible. Many you will locate them on the of depth changes waiti ambush from below
If artificial lures are preference, try the Fish Dirty Boxer Curly Tail 1/4oz jig head or a spinn slow retrieved. Flatties in the Valley love both presentations. The waterways have been extremely crowded lately Keep others in mind out there and at the ramps It keeps everyone safer by being mindful and respectful of each other Be friendly, offer help and patience when needed, and understand we're all sharing our water resources together Making friends always goes farther than making enemies on the water! I've seen tons of love and help being spread in Palm Valley through these busy times! Keep it up everyone!
Keep Reeling!
Capt Cory Sparks
Oldest City
Bait n Tackle
1949 A1A South St Augustine, FL 32080
David Privett * Candace Burke
Open 7 Days a Week
Oldest City Bait & Tackle, serving the St. Augustine area since 1991. Products include Live, fresh & frozen baits, rods & reels, a wide variety of fishing tackle (904) 461-0244
Continued from Page 8
So if you have a concern about additional zones you need to stay tuned and voice your logical position.
The Fishing tournaments and organized boating events are really picking up The OLD School Kingfish Tournament is on and will be a great TUNE UP for The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament.
The Board of Directors of Jacksonville Marine Charities had a socially acceptable meeting and determined the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournaments will happen!
The on site activities will be evaluated this month and if needed will be cancelled or adjusted to follow the recommendations in place but the Jr Angler Dock Tournament and the Down of the Dock tournaments were determined to not having the ability to keep the social distance recommendations.
The Down on the Dock Tournament is postponed for now at the request of the Downs Syndrome Association of Jacksonville
When all returns to normal the tournament will be re-addressed for a later date The GJKT 40th Year Anniversary Kingfish Bash 40 years of Champions High Roller and Past Champions Tournament will continue July 13
There will be some changes in how vessels come to the weigh in docks and the layout of the weigh in scales and area to insure safe distance procedures
The Board decided to roll back the registration fees to help with the individual hardships the participants are experiencing so anyone paying more than $295 00 for the General Tournament will receive a refund check for the difference
Go to Kingfishtournament com for more information
As of this writing the Hook the Future King Buster Tournament was still on for July 26-28
It appears the Red Snapper days will be somewhere around July 10-12 So the Palms Fish Camp and Restaurant has announced the 2020 Snapper Slapper Tournament will be July 11 and the GJKT will move the Greater Jacksonville Redfish Tournament the Saturday after the General Kingfish Tournament July 18
If you are participating in any of the Flotillas, Tournament, or events remember your boating safety basics and safe distances, check your vessel and check yourself!
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 events around the city and Beaches that we are just no getting credit for as community
We want to promote our city an our beaches as a city with grea waterways and beaches wit tournaments, events an entertainment opportunities tha are happening just not bein included in the Big Picture
As always allow me to remin everyone to always check you boat and yourself Use of lookout and being aware of you surroundings are more importan than ever.
File a float plan with someon that will miss you first so th search for you can be narrowe 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 teach America’s Safe Boating Course at Lamb’s Yacht Center and hope to resume classes soon
The Jacksonville Sail and Power Squadron, America’s Boating Club of Northeast Florida and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will hopefully soon be 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
Chappy - Creeks and Rivers
Continued from Page 16
Here is another thing that is common misconception, if the want it you can’t reel it awa from them.
Now they might be picky an want a certain presentation bu those fish are faster than yo
you can fish with and will throw the opposite colors/lures you are throwing so you can combine and conquer
My buddy Flint is all about that and he puts up with my insistence on throwing top water to entice “the big one” to bite More often than not it doesn’t happen but occasionally it all works out as it did for us last night
We combined a two fish weight of almost 10#’s with is Red and my trout and had a great time. Revo even went along to help out, literally he jumped in after the trout in the process of netting her
It was during a fun Wednesday Night tournament with a threehour time limit. Lots of fun and
Continued from Page 4
Saturday and flung a crawfish
Satilla Spin for a couple hours It was his first time on the river, and he loved it. He ended up catching about 18 panfish mostly redbreasts and bluegill
He found his fish mostly in the deeper holes The catfish bite was good again this week for anglers putting shrimp or worms on the bottom The river level at the Macclenny gage on May 21st was 2.0 feet and falling.
Local Ponds - The bass bite was really good this week Davis
Summerlin landed the biggest bass I heard of this week, a 11 30pound monster! He caught it on a black plastic worm Another angler fishing on Saturday whacked the bass on a vibrating jig (black/gold/orange) and beat some of his buddies in a grudge match tournament in a local lake
Chad Lee didn’t catch as many bass as he has been catching, but he had some quality fish He fooled a pair of 5-pounders on a big bluegill crankbait this weekend, and had a 3-pounder on a Rat-L-trap on Thursday evening I only had a couple bluegill reports, but those anglers caught some nice ones by pitching crickets in Waycross area ponds.
Okefenokee Swamp - The adjusted refuge and Okefenokee Adventures hours at the time of writing this are 7am to 4pm (closed Mondays) Okefenokee Adventures will also provide take-out lunches at the café during lunch hours.
The warmouth bite picked up this week, and I heard of several folks making good catches early in the morning Most caught them on crawfish - both natural and plastic I haven’t received any reports of it yet, but the topwater bug bite for warmouth should fire off soon, if it hasn’t already.
On the west side, catfish in the boat basin were the best bite A
few anglers fooled fliers by pitching sallies
Bowfin bit on both sides this week in the warmer weather. Expect the bigger bowfin on the east side. The water level is still good for getting around, and the yellow flies aren’t too bad yet Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area (near Hawkinsville) - I talked with an angler fishing live bait for bass on Friday, and he caught 3 fish over 8 pounds, with the largest at 9-lb., 12-oz.
Lots of quality bass in the 5 to 8-pound range were caught this week Bank anglers have been catching bream on crickets The crappie bite has slowed for now Remember, bass must be released, but there is a holding cage on the boat dock in case you catch a potential record fish so that you can get it certified Lake Miccosukee, Florida Shane and Joshua Barber roadtripped to the lake on Friday and caught some nice bass.
They ended up with 15 bass, a bowfin, and a chain pickerel on plastic craws and topwater frogs Saltwater (GA Coast) - The whiting and sheepshead bites were the best I heard of again this week
Brentz and Claudia McGhin fished the Crooked River area on Saturday and caught 25 short sheepshead and 8 keepers by dabbing fiddler crabs They also brought home 4 whiting and a bluefish They caught 8 sharks, as well
Expect the flounder to show up any time at the St. Marys Jetties. Check with Mike and Trish Wooten of St Simons Bait Tackle (912-634-1888) for the latest on the St Simons Pier
Capt. Bert Deener makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert’s Jigs and Things on Facebook
For a copy of his latest catalog, call him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him (bertdeener@yahoo.com).
Fishin' The Sunrise Bass on a Hard Bait Fishing for the Big Boys in The Swamp Sun bathin'The History of Fathers Day
By Joe Dionne
Fathers' Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June It is a day set aside to honor fathers everywhere, whether they are the new father of a baby who is too young to say thank you by themselves, the proud patriarch of a young family, or the father of grown children who have flown the nest but still choose to remember him on that day
Whether he is a foster or adoptive father, a step father or simply a beloved father-figure, a Dad, a Daddy or a Father, this is the day to show him how much he means Fathers' Day was first celebrated in the US in 1910, when a woman called Sonora Dodd decided that fathers should be shown the same appreciation as mothers, who had been officially celebrated in the US on Mothers' Day since 1870
The tradition on which Mothers' Day was based could be traced back to ancient Greece, with Mothering Sunday having been used as an opportunity to give gifts and a break from work to mothers in Europe since the 16th century Mothers had traditionally been the main caregivers, who looked after the family and took care of the home
hey were often under eciated and hard-worked, as onstrated by the proverb "a an's work is never done". Mrs d believed that her father ved the same show of eciation, having raised six ren alone
ough Fathers' Day was often as less important than ers' Day, and considered by to be just a commercial enterprise, the changing role of the father in family life means that they are equally as deserving of a show of appreciation as our mothers Fathers are no longer the stern head of the family who goes out to work and rarely spends any time with his children
Fathers' Day is a chance to thank your father for everything he has done for you Giving him a card and a gift basket is a great way of doing this, particularly when you can't be there in person, while taking over the chores or giving him breakfast in bed can be a way of getting him to relax when you do share the same home Let him take the day off and treat himself for once
For many people Fathers' Day is an important chance to set aside some time to spend with their father, whether this means having a special meal together or taking him out for the day Not everyone can make it on the day, but sending a card or calling him up can let him know that you are thinking of him.
Fathers will always appreciate the personal touch, so a handmade card or fathers day gift basket is always going to be special Older children and adults tend to show their appreciation with a bought gift. The best thing which a father can receive is something that shows how much care and thought has gone into choosing it A personal gift that appeals to his particular likes and interests will really serve the purpose of Fathers' Day-demonstrating his importance in the lives of his children.
If he has a special hobby or he
enjoys a certain sort of chocolate, or there is something you know he has had his eye on for a while then you can get him something you know he will appreciate
If you are having trouble finding something, or you live too far away to deliver it in person, then the internet can offer some more options. Everyone enjoys getting a surprise delivery, and unwrapping the parcel to discover something wonderful inside
Hold My Hand Daddy
Hold my hand Daddy
And show me the way So that I can go out In the big world one day
Teach me the basics And then let me learn Should I ever get stuck I’ll know just where to turn
Cheer me up Daddy
When I’m feeling blue I can always rely
On a kind word from you
Dry my tears Daddy
When I’m feeling sad Let me know it’s okay And I won’t feel so bad
Show me the sunshine
And then set me free
To be the brilliant person
That you raised me to be. Happy Father's Day from The Fishing Connection
Joe Dionne
My Dad
Me and My Dad
My Newborn
My Little Girl
