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The views, opinions and positions expressed in articles submitted by monthly and or periodic contributors to the Fishing Connection
This Month's Column Writers
Page 4 - Nik Bremer
Page 5 - Lee Bowman
Page 6 - Capt Bert Deener
Page 7 - John "Chappy" Chapman
Page 8 - Spencer Brogden
Page 11 - Capt John Eggers
Page 13 - Capt Tim Altman
Page 14 - Capt Todd Philcox
Page 15 - Capt Jim Suber
Page 16 - Jeff Altman
Page 17 - Capt Matt Chipperfield
Page 20 - Capt Cory Sparks
Page 21 - Adam Morley
Page 24 - Will Neimann
Page 25 - Capt Jeff Patterson
Publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fishing Connection. The main objective of The Fishing Connection Publication is to provide you as a fishing enthusiast with the best information and knowledge from the top anglers in N E Fla and ask you to please support the paying sponsors and column contributors who make this monthly publication possible
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May 2022 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 Annual FISHING CONNECTION subscription (12 issues) mailed each month to your home or office ($24 00 Value) 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 FishingConnection@aol 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 FishingConnection@aol.com
Rules are Simple
Your lips MUST CLEARLY touch the fish's 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
Fernandina
By Nik BremerI can't believe we're already into May and the Nassau County Black Drum Tournament is over with some nice fish caught in each category
Ronnie Wilder had the overall largest fish at 80lb, Rhiannon Carre took the Lady's tourney with a beautiful 62 8 pound drum and Pepper (Louis Scott III) finished on the top in the junior angler division Congrats to the three of you and to everyone else who weighed in throughout the tournament
Water temps are now into the 70s, and the big black drum is replaced with many people's favorite, the Pompano When targeting pomps, I like to fish the incoming tide Do a little scouting at dead low tide to find your sandbars. Try to match it up with a good little runout and you've got yourself a good place to start.
Pompano eat a variety of baits including shrimp, sand fleas, clam, and what the Sinker Guy calls his secret weapon, blue crab knuckles I like to get as many scents in the water as possible to feel out the bite
By this I mean, I fish with different baits to see what the fish like to have on the menu for the day. Fish a double pompano rig with 1/0 or 2/0 circle hooks On the
bottom hook, I use Native Baits
Salted Clams
They are awesome and stay on the hook very well For the top hook, I'll use fresh dead shrimp (when available) and I'll tip it with Fish bites Color is up to you, but I like using a different scent than I already have on my hooks
So in this case, I would not use clam or shrimp but would try flavors like sand flea or crab Now you've got 3 scents in the water The Fishbites gives it a little color and helps keep your bait on the hook
Complete your rig with a sputnik weight and you're in business American Beach, Amelia Island State Park, and Jasmine are a few of the favorite beaches on the island for you to give it a shot.
Tight lines my friends! And as always, please feel free to come by Amelia Island Bait and Tackle or my new place, Old Town Bait and Tackle with any questions you may have We're happy to help in any way we could
Nik Bremer
J.O.S.F.C.
By Lee BowmanWater temperatures are warming up and we are seeing some of our spring migration of fish and in particular Rays coming up the beach
Cobia has been a hot topic in the clubhouse over the last few weeks and I’d expect to see some of that excitement transition into trolling for dolphin
If you are wanting to get on the beach, chase rays and find some Cobia you need to be out before the water temperature gets too high They won’t go away over the summer but once it starts to creep over 72° you’ll see more of them being caught on the wrecks offshore
I love the Alien Jigs to throw to them Just be aware of the rays and try not to over throw them. The best practice is to avoid hooking rays altogether You’ll lose expensive rigs, miss fish, and there is no stopping them.
Once they transition onto the reefs
I still like to use the same style jigs but instead of throwing it out and working the surface I will drop it straight down and jig it vertically back to the boat
As far as jigs go I know some prefer eel, pogies, or crab to toss out to them but I feel that they are all effective A hungry fish will eat almost anything.
Fishing boards are getting some fish on them but there is room to knock someone off the board with some of the monsters that are offshore and inshore right now.
We are temporarily meeting in the Ft Caroline Community Center at 4131 Ferber Road while our New clubhouse is being built and completed in Mayport
Upcoming Events:
May 5th - Meeting Cinco De Mayo
May 19th - Club Business Dinner
May Club Tournaments
Inshore: Redfish Tournament
Offshore: May Trolling Tournament
Find us on Facebook and check out our website to keep up with upcoming events, schedules, or any changes www JaxFish com
Our meetings are on the first and third Thursday of each month
We are open to the public so we would love to have you at a meeting even if you are not a member
Capt Lee Bowman
The fishing should be very good during the upcoming week with the river levels dropping and water heating up Take your pick this weekend! I received only a few reports from the past week –probably because the winds, cold mornings, and turkey season have folks deciding to do stuff other than fish
River gages on April 21st were:
Clyo on the Savannah River – 15 7 feet and falling (flood stage is 11 feet)
Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 9 2 feet and falling
Doctortown on the Altamaha – 12 1 feet and falling
Waycross on the Satilla – 8 0 feet and falling (68 degrees)
Atkinson on the Satilla – 10 1 feet and falling
Macclenny on the St Marys – 10 7 feet and falling
Satilla River – Chris Nugent fished the river on Saturday and caught fish even though it was still high, stained, and flowing fast He used warmouth craw Satilla Spins to fool 6 panfish, including a giant 10-inch rooster redbreast He released all of his fish The river is falling out to fishable levels and will be in pretty good shape by the weekend
The annual Satilla Riverkeeper Fishing Tournament will continue through Sunday, April 24th. Check out Satilla Riverkeeper on Facebook for all the details and to sign up Good luck, everyone! Capt Bert’s Lures is sponsoring the native catfish category, so go put shrimp or worms on a Catfish
Catcher Jighead and win the $150 prize! Southern Fishing Company is sponsoring the longest panfish
category, so tie on a Satilla Spin and catch a big bluegill or redbreast to win the $150!
St Marys River – The Shady Bream Tournament on Saturday saw 15 boats battling it out for top honors The top weight (10 panfish limit) was 8 66 pounds by Hunter and Austin Ernie and Alan took second with 8.05 pounds, while Daniel and Tamara rounded out the the top 3 with 8 03 pounds
Big fish was a whopper warmouth (1.20 pounds) caught by Ernie and Alan There will be a co-ed tournament this Saturday (4/23), so check out the Shady Bream Tournament trail on Facebook for more information
Okefenokee Swamp – The cool nights have the bite slow, but the warmup late this week and falling water level should have the fish chewing over the next week. The latest water level (Folkston side) was 121 20 feet
Local Ponds – Chuck Deen fished with a buddy in a Brunswick area pond on Friday, and they did well (even in the WIND). It was blowing 25-30 knots for a good part of their trip, so they looked for windblown points for active fish and protected water for a respite. The windblown areas did not play, as they only caught 1 bass on a crankbait But, when they started banging plastics around wood, they started catching fish
Texas-rigged Keitech Mad Wag Worms in the black-blue and green pumpkin candy colors and pink Trick Worms worked best They caught a dozen bass, with their biggest pulling the scales down to 4-lbs, 2-oz and 3-lb 10-oz The bream should move shallow with the warming temperatures over the next few weeks.
Saltwater (GA Coast) – I did not receive any reports from our coast If you can get out, the whiting should bite decently on this warming trend Check the forecast before heading to the big water, as the winds are supposed to be strong for the next several days For guide trip information, call Capt Greg
Hildreth at (912) 617-1980 or check out his website georgiacharterfishing com
For the latest fishing information or live shrimp in the Brunswick area, check with J&P Bait and Tackle on Hwy 303 (912-2829705) Keaton Beach/Steinhatchee, Florida – Capt Pat McGriff of One More Cast Guide Service
(wwwonemorecast net
Phone: 850-584-9145) out of Keaton Beach has been doing great since the water has warmed up. He’s starting to see small bait schools with the water staying above 70 degrees but the white bait has not shown up yet His trips had limits of trout on Friday and Saturday,19 inches They kept a beautiful
Continued on Page 9
Kaytlyn caught this nice warmouth on the upper St. Marys River
Scott Smith caught this big bull red down in Suwannee, Fl. on a white Keitech swimbait fished under a popping float.
Creeks & Rivers
By John "Chappy" ChapmanAs The Wind Blows
I could spend the whole article on complaining about the windy few months we’ve had lately or maybe give a tried-and-true way to beat it while going after our NE Florida Copper
Well actually red fish but they do have that Copper Hue in the Spring time sun as well as the irridescent blue tail if the conditions are right
Any way there are ways to fish this time of year and beat the wind without getting up before dawn and catching the first two hours of daylight before the hurricane force daily winds start.
You could fish at night when the wind dies down and get off the water early in the morning before the wind starts but then you're dragging butt and living like a vampire
You could soak cut mullet, crab, or shrimp in the grass at high tide on the leeward side (non-windy) of the river or flat There is always the option of juking and weaving through the wind along the river or flats all day long and only fishing the flat water for however long you can secure that leeward bank but here is one more way that will work out for you as well.
The method I’m talking about is really quite simple and it is an artificial technique that has been tried and proven for many, many years of red fishing This method has personally broken through the top ranks of tournaments for me on both coasts of Florida as well as in South Carolina
I only mention this because when I say what it is some will scoff at its use here in Jacksonville in the often-muddy water of the St Johns and its immediate tributaries This particular lure comes in a wide variety of sizes as well as colors Additionally, there are many versions and variants of this
particular lure It is by all accounts a deadly redfish bait though There are deep water versions, shallow water versions, treble hood versions and weedless versions.
I in no way get any compensation for endorsing nor have I ever used this particular method of slaying redfish and using this particular lure and because there are so many variants out there, I will go with three versions that I have used and been successful with
Most importantly I DO have a favorite and will mention that as well.
How to fish this particular lure is also as controversial and diverse as the best flats boat. Like I said the versions and variations are plentiful but my favorite GO TO deadly redfish (sometimes trout and flounder will volunteer themselves for a ride) is the old school gold spoon You can retrieve it fast, slow, start stop, or bounce off the bottom.
Weedless version can be thrown into the weeds and slowly dropped just outside of the weed line for deadly results Again, there are thousands of varieties out there but since I did say I would mention my favorites that are tried and proven fished on 10lb braided line with a 20# fluorocarbon Leeder are 1 Aqua Dream Weedless spoons (long time ago were Capt Miike’s Spoons) 2 Johnson Silver Minnow (Gold Color) 3 Sebile Shallow water spoon.
Okay now the drama is over let me tell you why they are the cat's meow for this time of year. Better yet let me show you
Go out in the yard on your windiest day and cast one of these spoons against then with the wind Yes, with the wind it will go a country mile, but against the wind it will go quite a way as well
On one of the windiest tournaments of my life I fished a spoon all day long and won the Forgotten Coast Kayak fishing tournament using this method for my redfish
The wind was blowing in excess of 20 knots and gusting even more You can cover lots of ground therefore get this bait in front of a lot of fish Happy Hunting and hope you get a chance to get out and try it
904-743-3200
983 University Blvd. N
Located in the N E corne of the Town and Country Shopping Center
STORE HOURS
Wednesday 7am - 6pm
Thursday 7am - 6pm
Friday 7am - 6pm
Saturday 6am - 6pm
Sunday 7am - 5pm
Closed Mon. n Tues.
Mud Minnows
Live Shrimp
Fresh Dead Shrimp
Cigar Minnows
Spanish Sardines
Boston Mackerel
Clams
* Finger Mullet
* Fiddlers
* Blue Crabs
* Live Shiners
* Live Minnows
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Wide selection of Artificials
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* HULL CLEANING & BOTTOM PAINTING
Arlington Marina has been recognized as a Clean Marina by the Florida DEP and The Clean Boating Partnership
"Chappy" Chapman
Pier & Surf
By Spencer BrogdenWell here we are, almost to the halfway point of the year already! April was filled with several good runs of Pompano up and down the Northeast Florida area along with whiting, black drum, redfish and bluefish and more!
What does May have in store?
The water temperature will start to rise to the 75-78 range and that tends to slow the whiting bite down as well as push the larger schools of pompano north to cooler water temps
We will still be able to catch them but they will definitely thin out, especially by the end of the month All is not lost though! Schools of mullet will be around in the surf as well as plenty of sandfleas! With the arrival of mullet, speckled trout and redfish will become more
plentiful in the shallow waters of the surf I like to use a simple Carolina rig with a 8-10 inch leader and a number 4 wide bend hook
I usually use 20-25lb leader because when the mullet are around, the bluefish also tend to be around and they will bite through light leader
Another option to target the speckled trout is to throw topwater lures first thing in the morning. The trout tend to move very shallow overnight and early morning and a topwater is a lot of fun to catch them on!
As always, there will still be a handful of whiting around with the bigger ones usually being around the full moon Live sandfleas is my favorite bait to target them with during the summer
If you can’t find any sandfleas, fresh shrimp and clam will also work For those who have an ocean kayak, May also signals the arrival of kingfish along the local beaches! We will touch more on that in next months edition As always, tight lines until next time!
Capt. Bert - Continued from Page 6
--23-inch gator trout for their biggest They also had some Spanish mackerel and redfish mixed in their catch Donald and Matthew Rowzee fished with him on Sunday and had their limit, including Donald’s biggest-ever trout, a 24 1/2-inch sow They also each caught their first-ever redfish On Sunday, all the fish came on live pinfish, while earlier in the weekend it was 70% shrimp and 30% pinfish. The best depths were 3- 3.5 feet for redfish and 4.9 to 5.0 feet for trout. The bite is on, so book a trip soon if you want to get on his schedule
9549 First Coast Hwy Fernandina Beach, Fl. 32034
904-624-7293
otlbaitandtackle@att net
Suwannee, Florida
Scott Smith and his crew fished the grass flats and shell mounds around Suwannee on Thursday and did well. They used a sight flash (white) Keitech swimbait fished under a popping float and worked it around cover Their biggest was a bull redfish that looked to be about 36 inches, but they caught seatrout and smaller redfish also
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) For a 20% discount on some really comfortable fishing shoes (the Miami style is my favorite style of Skuze Shoes), use the CAPTBERT20 discount code at checkout on their website skuzeshoes com
Capt Bert Deener
Warmouth Craw Satilla Spins fooled some giant redbreasts for Chris Nugent in the upper Satilla River on Saturday This was the biggest rooster, but he caught 5 others during a short trip and released them all
S&D Williams , Family Owned
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Intracoastal and St. Johns River
By Capt John Eggers
Finally May has arrived and hopefully it brings us better weather and stable weather conditions We are all tired of the winter hanging on with a new front every week and not being able to have a consistent pattern going into spring. May should be the month though when fishing is not only good but consistent and predictable Our red fish will bite better and will be stacked in the creek holes at low tide and at high tide they will be cruising the g food
Depending o morning and bite will be g be present and of jacks, la trout
The ICW action and th about anythi Look for som and most of among these looking for a some of these Cut ladyfish on the botto almost every waters our florida snook
With the w these guys w favorite shal especially in t
They can be g y g top water lures and twitch baits both early and late or during any low light periods. The flounder bite will be better now that the finger mullet have returned and the size should increase as well Look for the speckled trout fishing to pick up in both the creeks and the ICW Look for good flowing water around any points, pilings or creek mouths to hold fish especially in the 5 to 15 feet depth. Tight lines.
Capt John Eggers
Offshore Deepwater
By Capt. Tim AltmanMother’s Day Mahi Madness
Mother’s Day in North Florida usually marks the height of the Mahi bite It also just happens to be the traditional peak of the beach Cobia migration
The Mahi run usually happens in depths of 145-2000ft and that can be a long way offshore To get on the Mahi, you most likely will have to run a minimum of 45-50miles Look for floating debris or the everreliable weed line
Weedlines produce your most reliable concentrations of fish My specific tactics for finding fish is to put lines in in 125ft and troll out at 5-6 mph to the first weedline and then start working it north and south
As you are trolling out to reach your first weedline, remember to put down at least 2 Wahoo Lures or baits I prefer the Nomad DTX or skirted select ballyhoo rigged with wire on a planer Both techniques are very effective and will yield big Wahoo
After crossing the “ledge” or the roll down (where the depth goes from 170ft to 200+ft) I usually pull in my planners and replace them with Mahi baits What are my Mahi Baits? Usually, a small ballyhoo rigged on 80# Diamond Fluorocarbon with a 8/0 or 9/0 hook
The shot of Fluorocarbon varies from 6-8ft I run two teasers, one off of each outrigger I position my flat line baits within four feet from the end of the teaser Teasers on the Hoodoo boat are placed on the first and second waves from the transom.
This is usually our hottest bite For Mahi know it is
counterintuitive, but after the initial bite put the reel in free-spool as fast as you possibly can
Do this for 10-15 seconds, let the fish swallow the bait Capt Robert Johnson of Jody Lynn fishing charters has been fishing Mahi off of North Florida for 40+ years and this is his technique
Capt Johnson reminds us that Mahi are the fastest growing fish in the ocean and in his words No Mercy on Dolphin (Mahi)” When
Falling” for Cobia
My Grandson TJ Altman killed his first Turkey during the Georgia Youth Weekend Opening about a month ago Yes, as a reminder TJ is 5 years old, and my son Chris has been working with him for 6 months with the 410 he used to bag the 21lb double bearded gobbler My son Chris says this may be the most expensive turkey ever, because TJ put at least 100 Rounds downrange practicing for that 1 shot While TJ was ecstatic, my son Chris was over-the-moon Taking a kid outdoors is part of our family tradition and a Double Bearded Gobbler (10” & 4”)
exceeded all expectations I’m now thinking TJ is a horseshoe and I need to take him out of school next year when I’m fishing the NE Florida Wahoo Shootout so I can get some of that proximity luck! Please take a kid fishing or at least outdoors
As I’m writing this, I’m on a plane headed to Oregon to attend my Late Sister-In-Law Jaci’s Celebration of Life I was especially close to her because she loved me like a brother, favorite brother She loved my Wahoo Junkies Livestreams and was a huge supporter with her encouragement and brash humor
Continued on Page 18
Mate Chris Altman with a Hoodoo Mahi
Cobia - The beach Cobia bite has been really slow during the first few weeks of April. This could be for a myriad of reasons such as overfishing south of North Florida or changes in the oceanic temps and currents. But nevertheless, it has a plethora of Beach-Cobia Fisherman & Women very worried The offshore wreck bite was red-hot this winter and you couldn’t find a wreck not holding a flotilla of at least 10 boats during the months of November & December. This brings us to the age-old question of “are our Beach Fish migrating from the south up the coastline or are they just naturally heading inshore from the wrecks out in 85-115ft?”
My best guess is that it’s a little of both But let’s be clear anyone that swears that the cobia migrate all the way up to the Chesapeake Bay is misinformed The DNA tests from the NC and VA Cobia prove they are of a different family of fish So, let’s be patient and see what the near future (the rest of the season) holds before we scream the “Sky is
Intracoastal Rivers & Creeks
By Capt. Todd PhilcoxMay in NE Florida is a great time to be on the water, pleasant temperatures, longer days and less afternoon storms than our summer months will allow for great morning as well as evening fishing action
Weekend boat traffic will continue to increase so be sure to get out very early, or late evening if you plan to fish along the Intracoastal waterway Mid-day boat traffic will make fishing the ditch uncomfortable and less productive due to wave action and muddied water around the lower tides, favor creeks or other protected areas when the boat traffic increases
The number of fish species cruising our inshore and nearshore waters will continue to increase with many options to bend a rod for sport or table fare Look for birds to reveal schools of jack crevalle, ladyfish and bluefish from the jetties, up the river and in the Intracoastal.
Jacks and blues will crush topwater plugs and poppers, spoons and live bait will also draw aggressive bites. Tarpon should begin showing by late May, along the beaches with the pogy pods first, then at the jetties and inshore locations.
Fishing the grass edges alo ditch at higher tides will cont improve as warmer wate increasingly abundant bai result in strong redfish, tro flounder action
Fish jigs and shrimp, minn finger mullet - which will be to find and cast net this mont calm mornings I will go with
jigs, 1/8 to 1/4 ounce with shrimp and mud minnows, or a 3/0 to 4/0 circle hook and a small sliding egg sinker with heavier baits, live finger mullet or chunks of larger mullet are great baits as are chunks or strips of ladyfish, which redfish will devour
On high outgoing tides I’ll work the grass lines adjacent to smaller creek run-outs and along the larger mud flats During lower tide phases work the steeper drops along the Intracoastal with heavier jigs to get your baits down deep, larger reds and trout will be waiting!
I look forward to seeing you o the water, give me a call if I ca help get you out fishing!
Capt. Todd Philcox
Captain Todd has 45 years of fishing experience, beginning on the waters of Long Island Sound off the shores of Connecticut and New York targeting striped bass, flounder and other inshore fish, and since 2005 working the inshore and near-shore waters of Northeast Florida as a USCG licensed captain for redfish, seatrout, flounder, tarpon and other species that inhabit our waters His Sea Pro SV2100 CC is a great vessel for shallow flats and creeks, and the St John’s river and jetties, and can accommodate up to 4 adults or entire families
Prior to operating Salty Charters, Todd spent 10 years as an NFL quarterback, including the 1996 season with the Jaguars as a backup, and seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and 3 other teams He is a graduate of Syracuse University where he guided the Orange to #12 ranking in 1988 and completed both undergraduate and graduate degrees Todd looks forward to sharing his lif l i f fi hi d th
Barry with a Golden Beauty Andy and daughter Owen with a 28" Red Capt. ToddOur Waterways
By Capt. Jim Suber COJ Waterways Coordinator
Dock Master
Division of Natural Marine Resources
Department of Parks
Recreation and Community Services
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd
Jacksonville, Fl 32202
Office (904) 630-0839
Cell (904)509-0588
Jsuber@coj net
www JaxParks com
www COJ net
Spring has been a little confused! Just when we thought the water and weather would start warming, we were again reminded mother nature is in control
We have had a cool spring and the rain fall has caught up for the year We should see things continue to warm now and before you know it Summer will be upon us
We continue to see our boaters and fishing community enjoy our waterways and the fish will be cooperating.
The fishing tournaments are full speed ahead and competition is active! I would like to take a moment to inform everyone about the Jacksonville Marine Charities
REDFISH ROUNDUP REDFISH SPOTS TOURNAMENT for Safe Harbor Boys Home and Maritime Academy
JMC took this tournament under their umbrella to support an organization that really makes a difference in the lives of young men that just need a little structure and purpose to turn a life headed in the wrong direction to a productive member of communities all over America
In order to help offset the cost to a family and keep the lights on at Safe Harbor Fund raisers such as the Redfish Roundup goes directly to Safe Harbor So please consider signing up to fish and enjoy the fun while doing some good.
The young men in the program only need stability and good role models to learn from Go to
wwwjmcredfishroundup com and register to fish and make a difference while you hopefully win money and prizes!
The City of Jacksonville Continues to make improvements and several projects are seeing progress. The Mayport Community Center Construction continues and making progress and is near occupancy
As some of you may have seen with the new Community Center a new Pavilion has been built on the waterfront Jacksonville Marine Charities (Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament, Redfish Roundup Spots Tournament and Jacksonville Redfish Tournament) and The Jacksonville Offshore Fishing Club (El Cheepo Sheepshead Tournament) have partnered up to place new cleaning stations at the pavilion
There is an 8 ft table, a 4 ft table, and a 4 ft ADA height table for a total of 16 feet of fish cleaning surface with clean running water We will be celebrating our City of Jacksonville Bicentennial June 11! This will be an all-day celebration on the waterfront in downtown Jacksonville with fun waterfront events, a Parade of Boats, concerts and of course FIREWORKS! There will be historical displays and food and fun opportunities
During the month of April, the City of Jacksonville and Downtown vision partnered with great sponsors to bring outdoor concerts to River Front Plaza The Boaters returned to the docks and the North Bank was alive again. The Metropolitan Park Marina is always open and available for coming to Daily’s Place or VyStar Veterans Arena so why not come by boat?
Every day is a good day to come downtown by boat and visit our new docks and catch a lunch or dinner! We have several new opportunities to enjoy our downtown and Southbank businesses. We have completed the Jackson St Dock so boaters can enjoy the Riverside Avenue area
Soon we will see the Post St Docks installed giving boater’s access to 5 points and River and Post
We have added docks to the south bank docks We are still working through the process to begin construction phases for the dredging of Burt Maxwell Boat Ramp.
A contractor has been awarded and I still have to say should start soon Oak Harbor Dredge is still going to
happen soon I have been promised!!
The construction of the new dock on the east side of the Jacksonville Zoo, the dredging of the Kayak access at Castaway Island Preserve is still working through the process and contractors should be able to mobilize soon.
All of these projects are on a schedule, but the schedule is more within seasons. The new fishing platform at River Road Park is still under construction and near completion
There was a small delay to correct an engineering issue, but we should soon see the platform going in The fishing pier under the Dames Point
Bridge has been cleared to replace and the contractor should start soon The engineering called for a hollow core deck that is no longer available so an amended engineering review for solid concrete deck use Although contractors have been determined the contract process is well let’s just say a process
The derelict vessel war is still full speed ahead. We have had a slow spell getting the approvals We have 6 that have been approved by FWCC and working through city council approval and two more Continued
Hook It & Cook It
By Jeff Altman
Shrimp Creole
Ingredients
2 lbs shrimp pealed and devained save shells for stock
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 14oz cans diced tomatoes
1 6oz can tomatoe paste
1-2 cups shrimp stock
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp olive oil salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
4 cups cooked white rice In a medium pot add 3 cups water along with the shells and head from shrimp and boil for 30 min till it reduces down to 2 cups then strain this will be your stock.
In a large pan on medium heat add olive oil,onions,celery and bell pepper season with salt and cayanne pepper cook until translucent then add flour cook 1-2min.
Stir in tomatoes,garlic,chili powder and bay leaves add 1 cup stock reduce heat to low cover and simmer 20-30min then add Worcestershire, hot sauce and shrimp cook another 10-15min untill shrimp are pink in color. serve over cooked white rice. There is a lot of work, but well worth it, enjoy!
Guana Lake
By Capt. Matt Chipperfield
Warm air means warm water And warm water means lots of baitfish Here on the First Coast we are already experiencing the early phases of the menhaden migration “Pogies” showed up in late April and will continue to become more abundant
As this pattern progresses you can be sure it won’t be long before the King Mackerel and tarpon arrive These are easily two of the most sought after nearshore species North Florida has to offer
The kings will arrive first to feed upon the large pogies, small Spanish mackerel and blue runner along our coastline Slow trolling any of the above prey items on a copper wire stinger rig is a good presentation for kingfish.
I like to run four lines during trolling: 1 prop wash bait in the center really close to the boat, 1 centered and running furthe and 2 on down riggers on and starboard rod holders w running halfway to the bott the other just off the bottom are several popular nearsho for slow trolling that can e reached by boat.
But, keep in mind thes move all over our beach sometimes you can find them 20-30 feet of water right out breakers
Tarpon will arrive shortly after kingfish as the water trends upward. They like the temperature a little warmer than the kings and have a much more varied diet They target large shrimp, pogies of all sizes, crabs and large mullet
Tarpon follow these bait schools in large numbers and can be found just outside the surf busting and rolling
through the pogies During incoming tides tarpon will also make their way inshore and can be found within our intracoastal waterways
Inshore juvenile tarpon can be a blast on light tackle but most of the mid range to full grown tarpon require heavy tackle and are found on the beach or in the river mouths. I prefer free-lining mullet or pogies on a 10-0 circle hook with a heavy action 8 foot rod paired with a 67000 series reel lined with 50-60 pound braid and a 80 pound fluorocarbon leader Hang on tight and when they jump don’t forget to bow to the silver king!
Capt Matt ChipperfieldChipscoastalcharters@gmail com
A military wife of over 20 years, she loved military folks and reminded my wife Judy and I that you never leave the military, you just don’t show up to work on the base anymore She was beautiful and funny, she died unexpectedly 2 weeks ago She texted me a stupid joke only a few days before she passed, I answered with LOL, I wish I had said more Like I love and appreciate you immeasurably This is dedicated to her loving memory
Until next month, please stay safe on the water and remember that great things happen when you take a kid fishing The HooDoo Boat is rigged and ready for Mahi Season
If you’re game for some of the most fun and best eating fish here in NE Florida, then give us a call at HooDoo Sportfishing Charters for your Mahi Mahi Adventure!
HooDoo Sportfishing Charters
saltwaterchallenge.com
904.859.6314
Dates are filling up Fast
we are waiting on FWCC to approve We have two that have sunk at our city facilities, one at Exchange Island and one at the transient Dock at Jim King Park During the month of April, we were able to remove vessels in the Ortega River and the Intracoastal Waterway area!
On the east end of the Back River behind Blount Island we have a sand bar developing It is on the Ramoth Drive side of the river A Waterways Commission sub committee met with government agencies to determine a cause and solution
As most know this is the original St Johns River prior to the development of Fulton Cut Look for meeting notices if you are interested and if you boat in the area use caution because it will bring you to an abrupt stop and damage lower units and cause injury
The City has received an engineering recommendation and quote to mark the shoal for safety There are federal requests that the city has made to determine a cause and solution
Please use caution and a look out when you are on or off plane in your boat, debris items are just under the surface and seeing them can be difficult Day time always use good, polarized sunglasses and at night slow down and double your caution and lookout
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 always a priority
Invest in a QUALITY EPERB, file a float plan with someone that will miss you first so if things don’t go as planned, 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 monthly.
They will hold the next class May 21 and check their web site for classes through 2022. The cost of the classes to the student will continue to be reduced to an affordable rate thanks to a donation from Jacksonville Marine Charities
from proceeds from the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament
The next class and all future classes will be announced on the America’s Boating Club web site at wwwusps org/localusps/Jackson
JSPS has also started the 2022 vessel inspections so you can contact an inspector at the same web site or reach out to me and I will assist getting you with an examiner
Last but not least, show pride in the facilities provided for your use with your tax dollars by properly disposing of your by-products when you clean your fish and dispose of your trash appropriately!
BE
SAFE! AND WASH YOUR HANDS!!
Capt Jim SuberPalm Valley St. Augustine
By Capt Cory SparksPogies and mullet are all over Palm Valley and the predators are following close by Our Spring transition has hit and the water has a little bit of everything swimming around and available to catch
Over looked and less sought-after species such as Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish and Bluefish are at any given bank or creek The dead giveaway is birds diving but these fish can also be caught in the typical spots you target redfish as well Anything from swimming an artificial through them to live or dead bait will lead to a bite for these species that are more than willing to cooperate
Sharks have arrived with the warmer water as well. Fish ledges of the intercoastal with cut bait or live mullet and soak the presentation on the bottom It won’t take long for the rod to bend over with a shark attached to the other end.
I keep a bigger rod out with bait on the bottom for these guys but many times the Tarpon will eat that live mullet as well Tarpon are being spotted daily rolling over the same ledges that sharks roam the bottom so don’t be surprised to hook one If you see them rolling nearby takeoff the weight and free line a mullet to them They are a tough target in the Valley but it can be done!
Redfish are still concentrated and hanging in creek ambush points and holes that contain clean moving water. They will begin keying in on mullet more this month, but continue to fish a variety of bait until you find the preferred bite The pattern can change daily still and one school may prefer mud minnows over shrimp or vice versa. Throw a variety at them and take
note of what is ate.
Trout are hanging in deeper water rip lines on the clean side of the rip as well as over scattered shell bottom Paddle tails pinned on ¼ oz jigs and twitch baits will draw strikes this month
I prefer rootbeer/chartruese or white/chartruese color patterns when throwing paddletails but any dark with speckled colors produce such as blacks, greens, etc
Stay committed to throwing topwater lures at first and last light this month With all the bait that has moved into our area, topwater disturbances are becoming the norm during those magic hours of the day.
You will catch the trout and redfish along edges and banks with these lures while also drawing the fun blow ups of the jacks, blues, and others
Keep Reeling!
Cory Sparks
310charters
Protect what you love
As I type this looking out over the Mantanzas River and the Crescent Beach Flats I ache to be out there literally, I’ve got a cracked rib that has kept me from enjoying the bounty our waters still have to offer.
I know that can change as over development threatens the watershed and the health of our river
But it’s important to still get out and enjoy what we are passionate about and love doing. Because the enthusiasm that it brings us is contagious and often can be the difference needed to sway a vote to deny a rezoning application for more high density developments along the shorelines of our favorite fishing holes
Speaking of fishing holes, some of them have been producing nice catches recently A 6 5lb flounder on a jerk bait near Mantanzas Inlet, upper slot reds back in the skinny water and creeks, trout hitting top
water a dawn and Barry with BS fishing Charters gave us the following report from the surf:
As the water temps continue to rise so does the Pompano fishing
The Pompano are here, and they are here in numbers! These fish are stretched from Hutchison Island through the north side of Jacksonville with some fish as far north as the Carolina’s
The hot baits seem to be clams and sand fleas, but some fish are still being caught on fresh dead shrimp as well The Fishbites scents and colors that have been producing are pink shrimp, electric chicken crab, sand flea and coquina clam These fish will be riding through our beaches for the next month As water temperatures warm more toothy critters will be showing up as well.
There is still an assortment of fish to catch from the beach other than Pompano Jacks, Bluefish and some nice Whiting are still hanging around On our beaches most of the Pompano are being caught right past the first bar. A good rule of thumb is to fish 2 hours before and after the tide flip
Make sure you are using your Sinker Guy sputniks to hold on these windy, spring days
All of these products and fresh bait can be found at Genungs Fish Camp.
Capt Adam Morley
SALTWATER FISHING LICENSE
Required to take or attempt to take saltwater fish, crabs, clams, marine plants or other saltwater organisms (other than non-living seashells and lionfish with certain gear) A Florida fishing license is required to land saltwater species in Florida regardless of where they are caught (state or federal waters)
Resident Annual: $17.00
Resident Five-Year: $79.00
Non-Resident Annual: $47.00
Non-Resident 3-Day: $17.00
Non-Resident 7-Day: $30.00
FISH RULES
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FRESHWATER FISHING LICENSE
Required to take or attempt to take native or nonnative freshwater fish
Resident Annual: $17 00
Resident Five-Year: $79 00
Non-Resident Annual: $47 00
Non-Resident 3-Day: $17 00
Kayak Fishin' By Will
NeimannMan, can we get a break in the wind? It seems it is windy every single day. Wind can make or break a day on the water
When scheduling a trip, wind and the tide are the determining factors I use to make a decision in where to go. I look at what the wind will be doing at the launch and how fast and what direction it will be blowing by the time I am ready to come in
I try to have the wind at my back for my return trip. It doesn’t always work out that way though An east/west wind is fairly easy to work with, especially at low tide At low tide, the area oyster beds provide nice wind blocks. At high tide, fish the east or west bank depending on the wind direction East wind, fish the east bank, west wind, fish the west bank
The grasses and the banks will provide somewhat of a wind block. If the area has mangroves, mangroves provide an awesome windbreak A north/south wind is a little more difficult to get out of East/West running creeks or freshwater creeks are what I look for with a strong north/south wind Google Earth is a great tool for finding areas that fit the criteria I’m looking for on a given day or in a new area.
It will show creeks, flats, holes, sandbars, grasses, and pretty much everything else Planning around the wind may take a little extra time, but it will make the trip much more enjoyable
Once I’ve determined what direction and how fast the wind will be blowing, I then decide where to go Whether in the creeks or on the flats the bite in May will be good, so I know either way I’ll catch fish
If I choose to fish the flats, I just grab a few artificial baits and start casting. I look for current rips, current blocks, pinch points, eddies, and transitions
I keep moving until I find a spot holding, then I’ll fish it out I always cast with or across the flow.
I try to never cast into the flow I will have my rods (4) rigged up all differently so I can just grab a different rod if I want to change lures
I’ll have one rigged with a topwater, either a Storm Chug Bug or Rapala Skitterwalk Another will have a jig head so I can throw a paddle tail, either a Hackney Jr Belly or an Ancient City Outdoor Hawg Gold has been a killer color lately
The third rod will have a Swingin Buck tied on and the fourth rod will have a suspending bait such as an Unfair Rip-N-Slash or a Mirrolure. If the bite is tough, I’ll tie on a popping cork with a Fishbites Fightin Shrimp and slow down my retrieve
If I determine a Creek will be the best option, I’ll generally fish holes with live bait with one rod I’ll still have my other rods rigged up with a Swingin Buck, a paddletail, and a popping cork I look for “swirling water” in the creeks.
Swirling water is called an eddy, and is caused by water flowing over a sudden depth change Eddies commonly form on corners Every single eddy is worth a cast or two. Live shrimp, mud minnows, or mullet are the live baits I use the most
I’ll have my live bait rod rigged with either a jig head or a Carolina rig using a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook. Weight will be determined by the depth and current but 1/4 or 3/8 ounce are generally what I throw It’s looking as though it’s going to be another windy month.
The fishing will be great if you can plan your trip accordingly Good luck and tight lines I’ll see ya out there
Daytona Ormond Beach
By Capt. Jeff PattersonGetting into some awesome fishing this month with all kinds of hot fishing going on The tough part has been dealing with the wind. It seems like we get a day or two of nice conditions and then the wind starts cranking for a week limiting where you can fish with decent conditions
I’ve been fishing in Ormond and also down around the inlet and off the beach Up in Ormond and Daytona the snook bite has been awesome around docks and bridges. Live pigfish, mullet, and select shrimp have all been working well especially near the tide changes. Toughest part is getting them out of the structure
The Tomoka Basin has been
blast early morning. There’s been some flounder in the basin as well Back more in the Tomoka I’ve been hearing about quite a few snook although I haven’t tried myself recently With all the snook action going on keep in mind season closes June 1
Down around the inlet the redfish bite has picked up a lot with both slot fish and some big bull reds as well. Some good snook action there as well I’ve picked up some good sheepshead here and there around the jetties and some of the docks near the inlet
There’s been a pretty big school of tarpon at the inlet and I’ve tried targeting them a little bit with no luck There’s been a bunch of boats fishing the inlet too so there’s been some pressure on the tarpon which doesn’t help.
Lots of bluefish, jacks, ladies, and Spanish in the inlet and also between there and port Orange in the creeks Several mornings heading to the inlet from Port Orange I’ve seen spanish mackerel and bluefish busting baits on the surface
Coming up over the next few weeks the water will start warming up and fishing in May is typically very good all around Catch em up!
Tournament Board
By Craig VanBrocklinSpring Tournaments
Florida Lure Anglers
1 Redfish, 3 Trout
1st Robert Lytle/Chris Warde 14 42
2nd Lynneia Holladay/Steve Yurkevicius 12 58
3rd Wade Hastings 12.20
4th Chris Peterson/Malcolm Griffith 12 08
5th Daniel Doughty/Logan Griffith
11.26
6th Scott Koons/Phil Zeller 10 52
Big WT
1st Whiting - John Wesley 28 5oz
2nd Whiting - Alan Deloach 24 8oz
1st Pompano - Brian Hooie 39 45oz
Ladies - Taylor Chenoweth 23oz
Whiting
Inshore Xtreme Kayak
Total Inches
1st Dustin Murray 144”
2nd Nick Odle 131 75
3rd Michael Fitzwater 117 5
4th Travis Goodale 116 25
5th Jim Miller 101 75
Ladies Dana Thrower 89
Wahoo Shootout
3 Fish Aggregate
1st Reel Team 260.50
2nd Bella Mar 185 02 (largest fish)
3rd Marine Specialties 246 80
4th Good problem 240 52
5th Walk Thru 230 64
6th Undecided 223 82
7th Another Tangle 215 56
8th SoFISHticated 210.70
9th High Premium 210
10th Final Approval 196 90
Ladies - Lisa McCormick 77.5
Junior - Cannon Smith 75 14
Florida Redfish Series Jax
2 Redfish
1st RJ McDermott/Brian Clark
13 72
2nd Matt Davis/Chris Henninger
13 43
3rd Roberta Cooper/Frank Risk
12.03
4th Megan Burnett/James Drysdale
11 66
5th Walton Leddy/Brett Kelsay
10.38
Ancient City Inshore SAHS (Slam)
1st Jeremy Jones 14 65
2nd Kyle Reynolds 10 80
3rd Rick Mackey 7 40
4th Greg Van Fosson 6.90
5th Jim Price 6 80
Upcoming Tournaments
May
*3rd Big WT
* 7th Wildwood Inshore Vilano * NE FL Veterans Surf
*11th Annual Bluewater St Augustine
* 13th NE FL Ultimate Cobia ends
*14th Safe Harbor Redfish Roundup (Spots)
* Florida Surf Casters
* 14/15 FLA Championship
* 27th CCA STAR begins
June
* 4th Historic St Marys
* Kingfish Mayhem Vilano
* 7th Big WT
* 11th Old School Kingfish
Shootout
* 18th Clay Roberts
Redfish Series 2nd place
Chris Henninger & Matt Davis
Bayliner, Carolina Skiff, Hurricane, Key West. Regal, Sweetwater, & Trophy center console fishing boats. We offer Mercury, Suzuki, or Yamaha Outboards
386-255-2345
