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Mixed Bag

 

Recent inshore fishing reports from the Northeast region.




Mixed Bag

Florida Sportsman member: Mikerobb & Sea-Squatch



What do two teachers do when they know they don't have work for a couple weeks... hit the water! We have had a couple of good trips the past few days. Wednesday, we got on a great catfish bite the biggest was over eight pounds. We had a bonus 17" black drum as well. This evening, we took the jon boat out because the canal has been hard to get in and out with these low tides lately. The redfish were fired up this evening! Jen caught her personal best 30" red and we had a blast. We plan on being on the water every chance we get over the unexpected extra week of spring break.

Click here to see Mikerobb's Orange Park report quoted above.

Click here to see Sea-Squatch's surf report.

 




A Good Day on the Intracoastal

Florida Sportsman member: Lastcallcharters



I had a four hour trip yesterday. It was cold and misty, but the fish were hungry. We caught two oversized reds, several trout and a couple of bluefish in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Tough Sheep Fishing in Mayport

Florida Sportsman member: shallowv



The target for the day was sheepshead. I grinded all morning to finally get one nice sheepy. I decided to mix it up and experiment in the afternoon in some very different places and found two more sheepshead and a nice puppy drum. All-in-all, it was a great day and I ended up with a nice pack of fish vacuum sealed and in the freezer.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Windy Day in Palm Valley

Florida Sportsman member: cmhaire



We hit the water early and fished the last of the incoming and most of the outgoing tide. During the incoming all we managed were a bunch of yellow mouth trout. Once the tide changed the bite seemed to pick up some, but was still relatively slow overall. Our luck lately hasn't been the best, but atleast were still managing a few here and there. I think today was the first red i've caught in the last month. I did have one strange catch. A monster fresh water catfish. I just knew I had a giant trout or drum, but nope a big ole catfish. Everything was caught on live shrimp, didn't get one hit on artificial.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Latest from the Northeast

Florida Sportsman member: Mikerobb, Lastcallcharters, & cmhaire



Sheepshead, catfish, black and red drum seem to be the best bites over the last couple days. These anglers cover from the Intracoastal to Mayport jetties. Check out their reports to see exactly what they got and how they got it.

Click here to see Mikerobb's report.

Click here to see Lastcallcharters's report.

Click here to see cmhaire's report.

 




How to Fish the Northeast

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness & HookandStick



If you're like me and appreciate a bit of variety, you cant go wrong pitching a sheepshead jig baited with a live shrimp. There isn't a species out there that wont eat a live shrimp. Same deal as mentioned earlier, slow down your retrieve. You should only be moving the jig enough to keep from snagging. The bite will very depending on what hits but, most bites are going to be subtle. Especially the sheepshead and trout. The drum and reds are active enough in the cold that you wont have as large of a margin of error. If the bites are faint or feel like a sensation of weight, odds are your baits being picked up by a sheepshead or trout.

Click here to see Morocco_madness's report.

Click here to see HookandStick's surf report.

 




Creek Catches

Florida Sportsman member: creekgeek



I wanted to get offshore, but opted for redfish around Blount Island. We caught a dozen or so from 15 to 40 inches. It was hard to find fish short enough to go in the cooler, but we did keep three. We caught the first few on blue crabs, but we only had three and even halving them didn't stretch them far. Luckily, I caught a big lady fish. We cut that into strips and continued to pick through the over slots to put three in the cooler.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Neptune Beach Pompano

Florida Sportsman member: Cast_N_Blast



I made it out after work for a couple hours and finally checked pompano off my list. We fished from dead low, until dark. The bite turned on for about 30 minutes to an hour into the incoming. They hit FDS and shrimp flavored fish bites. I also caught a few really nice whiting.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Jack Attack

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator & Sea-Squatch



Big jack crevalle can be found in the surf and nearshore in the Northeast region right now. We recommend using a big mullet as bait, since they are currently plentiful. A few throws of the cast net should result in some decently sized baits.

Click here to see Guanagator's nearshore jack report.

Click here to see Sea-Squatch's surf jack report.

 




Jetty Tarpon and Smoked Surf Mullet

Florida Sportsman member: elpolloloco & Sea-Squatch



Elpolloloco: I caught a nice tarpon this evening at the end of the jetties. This was the first one caught from my boat. It hit a free lined pogie and put on a nice show. I saw a ton of other tarpon and lost a really big one.

Sea-Squatch: Some good size mullet have been in the surf lately, so I netted some up to make a mullet dip. I kept about ten for the grill. I netted my mullet pretty quick, getting six in one throw. Delicious catch and cook!

Click here to see elpolloloco's jetty tarpon report.

Click here to see Sea-Squatch's smoked surf mullet dip catch and cook.

 




Hot Northeast Bite

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator



The bite in the river and on the nearshore wrecks has been really good. I stuck some nice trout and put a few friends on bull reds Thursday evening. Friday we fished the jetties and picked up some redfish, then ran out and loaded up on spanish mackerel for tacos. They were mixed with bonito blowing up baits on the surface all over the place. We snuck out to 90 feet in the Panga this morning and got a nice cobia off the bottom. There were plenty of boats out there today, hope y'all caught them up!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




The Bite Continues

Florida Sportsman member: Sea-Squatch, reefdonkey, Shivs, Knotty Dread, Chongg & creekgeek



There have been lots of reports from the northeast region lately, and while the fishing hasn't been on "fire" per se, it has been productive. If the weather cooperates, it's definitely worth a short run to grab some fresh dinner. There have been reports of flounder, mackerel, tarpon, pompano, whiting, bontio, jacks and the infamous sharks, of course. Check out the reports below for all the details.

Click here to see Sea-Squatch's nearshore report.

Click here to see reefdonkey's reds and kings report.

Click here to see Shivs's Matanzas flounder report.

Click here to see Knotty Dread's Atlantic Beach surf report.

Click here to see Chongg's kingfish, tarpon, and bonito report.

Click here to see creekgeek's redfish, jack and mackerel report.

 




Hot Northeast Bite

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator



The bite in the river and on the nearshore wrecks has been really good. I stuck some nice trout and put a few friends on bull reds Thursday evening. Friday we fished the jetties and picked up some redfish, then ran out and loaded up on spanish mackerel for tacos. They were mixed with bonito blowing up baits on the surface all over the place. We snuck out to 90 feet in the Panga this morning and got a nice cobia off the bottom. There were plenty of boats out there today, hope y'all caught them up!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Windy Deep Water Fishing with Heavy Current

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



It has been a another windy week! Calmer conditions are getting harder and harder to come by. I'm going to touch a bit on lure fishing in windy weather. Not just in windy weather, but deep water situations in the river. For most anglers, when you think about lure fishing in saltwater, you think of creeks or salt flats. Essentially, skinny water. You might envision casting soft plastics, or suspending twitch baits such as the ever popular Mirrolure, Mirrodine. Those baits are tried and true, make no mistake, however, in a deep water situation, especially deep water with ripping currents, those baits quickly lose their effectiveness. To read all the details, click the link below. But for now, we'll give you a hint, you might want to stock up on a few crank baits or lipped twitch baits such as the Rapala XRap, Bomber Long A, or virtually any floating, lipped lure model that exists.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




In and Near Shore

Florida Sportsman member: Mark O. & Cast_N_Blast



Success has been found on spanish mackerel and bluefish inshore at the Mayport Jetties, while grouper, snapper, triggerfish, and mackerel can be found nearshore. While it may be tempting to go offshore, it seems the action is definitely inshore right now in the northeast. Check out the details in the reports below.

Click here to see Mark O.'s inshore report.

Click here to see Cast_N_Blast's nearshore report.

 




Northern Redfishing

Florida Sportsman member: mike.robo & Badfish



If offshore fishing doesn't tickle your fancy, it might be time to target some redfish inshore instead. They are definitely willing to bite a line in a few areas. Check out the reports below for the details.

Click here to see mike.robo's Orange Park redfish report.

Click here to see Badfish's Garden Creek redfish report.

 




Intracoastal and Beach Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: ragincajun92 & staugpinoy



According to staugpinoy, the pompano and whiting are being caught off Vilano Beach, which was murky, but cleared up throughout the day. Meanwhile, ragincajun92 and his wife found some time to fish Crooked River and the intracoastal with float rigs and reel habit jigs. They only fished for 4.5 hours, but were able to get some fish to bite, including trout and some rat reds.

Click here to see ragincajun92's report.

Click here to see Cast_N_Blast's redfish and trout report.

 




Trout, Redfish and Pompano

Florida Sportsman member: Cast_N_Blast, jk43462 & Sea-Squatch



Cast_N_Blast headed out to Flagler on Saturday and Mill Cove on Sunday. He and his guests caught some trout and rat reds on live shrimp and gulp shrimp. Meanwhile, on Saturday, jk43462 and his wife got a 26" red on a live shrimp, and two lower slot reds on a paddletail rigged on a 1/4 jighead. Sea-Squatch had entered his son in the Florida Surf Casters Tournament and he ended up leaving a winner, placing first with his 3+ pound pompano caught off of Neptune Beach.

Click here to see Cast_N_Blast's redfish and trout report.

Click here to see jk43462's beach reds report.

Click here to see Sea-Squatch's surf tourney report.

 




First Pompano of the Year

Florida Sportsman member: Sea-Squatch



The conditions looked amazing, so I rushed to pick my boys up from school. We hit the beach quickly, and it was so nice down there. The surf was small and super clean. We started catching fish from the start. We finally landed our first keeper pompano! After about an hour, the wind switched hard onshore, and the air temperature dropped. My two boys got cold, so we had to call it a day. We did bring home that pompano, and a handful of nice whiting. When I'm on the beach fishing, I often get asked what rigs I use. At the end of this video is how I do it. Remember, I'm no expert, just a guy who takes his kids fishing.

Click here to see the 4/17 forum report.

 




Pompano in the Surf

Florida Sportsman member: Maverick



Get them while you can. Find clean water and some sort of trough or runout. I caught these fish on the outgoing and incoming. Most of the bites came on the far rod. I also noticed the reds and black drum were closer to the beach.

Click here to see the 4/12 forum report.

 




Rivers and Creeks

Florida Sportsman member: Cast_N_Blast and Sea-Squatch



Crab hungry sheepshead and black drum were reported by Cast_N_Blast in the rivers, while Sea-Squatch used dead shrimp to catch some trout, flounder, redfish and black drum when yakin' around in a northeast creek.

 

Click here to see the 4/8 river report.

Click here to see the 4/7 creek report.

 




What's Biting in the Northeast

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness, staugpinoy, Sea-Squatch & Maverick



April is well underway and so are the black drum. For weeks, the big breeder drum stock have been hanging around the Blount Island area. There are still some around, but in all likelihood, they should be leaving for the Inlet any day now. While Mayport Inlet does harbor the big drum and bull reds, there are other options for those of us looking to fill a cooler. The whiting bite in Mayport Inlet has been on absolute fire! I've been using frozen clams as bait lately when targeting drum and while doing so, the whiting have been driving me clear up a wall! Really nice sized whiting at that. The sheepshead bite is still going strong. Last week we found a ten pound sheepshead along with a steady flow of fish around four to seven pounds. They were biting good for us in the inlet as well as the little jetties. The bait shops were out of fiddler crabs so we went with live shrimp. They work just as well and offer you an abundance of solid by-catch such as trout, drum, flounder, and redfish. Another overlooked Inlet species that's biting well right now is the black sea bass. A lot of people don't realize you can target and catch keeper Sea Bass in the Inlet, but make no mistake about it, you definitely can. The trick to consistently catching keepers in the inlet revolves around knowing where the deepest holes are. Just inside the north and south jetty tips, there are 75 to 80 foot deep troughs. These spots hold good numbers of healthy sea bass as well as drum, sheepshead, and redfish. Sea bass are pretty aggressive and will take a number of bait types. My personal favorite is cut bait such as cut mullet. For more info, check out the inshore breakdown report below.

Looking for a surf fishing report? Check out the other links below.

Click here to see Morocco_madness' inshore breakdown.

Click here to see staugpinoy's 4/2 surf report.

Click here to see Sea-Squatch's 4/2 surf report.

Click here to see Maverick's 4/2 surf report.

 




First Pompano of 2018

Florida Sportsman member: staugpinoy



I finally caught my first legal pompano of 2018 while surf fishing with clams and fresh dead shrimp. I caught two small pompano and a huge whiting that was around 15-16". It was chilly, but the fish were biting.

Click here to see the 3/23 forum report.

 




Sheepshead and Trout Tips

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



The sheepshead bite has vastly improved in the river. The spawn is still rolling along and bigger females are popping up daily. The little jetties are holding some really nice fish. You can expect to catch the big females in water depths ranging from 8 to 25 feet of water. With the recent drop of water temperature, you'll find a more consistent bite in deeper water. We caught a few larger fish at the little jetties this week while targeting redfish. We missed a lot of bites while fishing chunked blue crab. There is no mistaking sheepshead damage on a chunk of crab. The crab gets bitten off bit by bit. Every time we would drop down a chunk, it would get withered down to a knuckle or two. The sheepshead were actually thicker on the bottom than the bull reds. Drop a fiddler, or alternately, a chunk of clam or a meshed oyster, and hang on! In that current, you can expect a tussle you'll likely never forget.

 

One fish you can nearly always bank on when you're expecting high winds and cold weather is speckled trout. When all else fails, the trout can and often does save the day. Pair that with the fact that March and April is spawning season for trout and you have the potential for big fish. The bite is definitely on fire right now. They can be found in a lot of areas including the creeks between Mayport Inlet and Trout River, as well as the ICW between Nassau Sound and the Jim King boat ramp. The bite is also going strong in the river from Trout River on towards the inlet. The inlet itself has been a strong source for bigger fish for over a month now and has been my "go to" choice for trout.

Click here to see the 3/14 forum report.

 




Surf Fishing Whiting

Florida Sportsman member: Sea-Squatch



We hit the beach again today. The bite was slower than other recent trips, but we still put some nice whiting in the cooler. It was the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming. They definitely bit better on the incoming. Still no pompano for us.

Click here to see the 3/11 forum report.

 




First Hooked Convict

Florida Sportsman member: STEEZO



I invited a few experienced sheepshead catchers to show me the ways. They caught a couple fish first, so I know they were down there. The current was light so I dropped a Reel Habits jig down. For my last fish of the day, I felt a tick and a tug... on the other end was this nine pounder. I ended up with a nice eater drum and another sheep. The current then picked up and I couldn't keep the jig on the bottom. We didn't limit out, but we caught some nice ones. One was 10.25 pounds. Either way, I'm happy to just catch my first couple sheeps.

Click here to see the 3/10 forum report.

 




Pompano in the Surf

Florida Sportsman member: flattie



FS forum member flattie's cooler spoke for itself, the pompano are biting in the northeast! Not to mention the pile of whiting under that. Someone will be eatin' good.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




El Cheapo Sheepshead and Drum

Florida Sportsman member: Snatch-Um



We left the Fernandina inlet at 5am and were met with a very scary ocean. We ran into it at 14mph. We ended the day with 13 sheeps and lots of drum. Most of the drum we broke off because they were so big. We did manage a 9.6 pound sheep, good enough for 4th place and another trip to Costa Rica. Thanks to all the JOSFC members and volunteers who helped put on another great event! It's always one of my favorites to fish!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Amelia Island Surf Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: saltlifedoc



I thought the bite would of slowed with the water temperatures dropping over night, but I was pleasantly surprised with a good bite. I started the day at Ft. Clinch river side, but no bites after an hour, so I changed plans. I moved to Amelia Island, and it was on. I didn't count, but I filled the cooler, all chunky sized. Gonna have a nice fish fry tomorrow with friends and family. The current was strong north to south, but 4oz mostly did the trick. I fished the beach in Amelia from 2-5. To see his rigging set-up, click the link below.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Vilano Beach Surf Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: staugpinoy



I hit Vilano Beach to kill an hour. The water temperature was 67 degrees. I was hoping for an early pompano, but I'm still waiting. Using shrimp and clams, I ended up with four nice whiting, ranging from 12-14". Check out the video in the post below.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Fool Proof Fishbites for Whiting

Florida Sportsman member: Sea-Squatch



The whiting bite has been really good, but the pompano should be here soon too. I changed things up today, and used frozen clam with sandflea flavored Fishbites. I have never used Fishbites before, but have heard good things about them. Using a double hook rig, I fished dead shrimp on one hook, and the clam/Fishbite combo on the other. After today, I'm sold on them. We easily caught the most fish on the clam/Fishbite combo. We fished for about two hours, and brought home 16 whiting.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




What's Biting in the Northeast

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



Forum member Morocco_madness gives you the run down on what to target this time of year, where to find them and how to catch 'em. Check out the full forum report for everything you need to know to get on em!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




More St.Augustine Sheepshead

Florida Sportsman member: staugpinoy



First outing for 2018, in the boat that is. I got skunked at Surfside on Saturday. So, got some fiddlers tried for some sheepies and they didn't disappoint.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




St.Augustine Sheepshead

Florida Sportsman member: staugpinoy



I did ok on my last two sheepshead trips. I tried different hooks and rigs. I tried using 2/0 owner j-hooks on a dropper loop with a tear drop at the bottom, but I kept missing so I switched back to 2/0 circle hooks and starting catching. Then, on the next trip I tried a 1/0 owner j-hook and still kept missing bites, so switched back to circle hook. However, I brought my cane pole (crappie pole) and remembered slaying sheepies with this when I used sit on the mayport jetty rocks. So, I used a 10' can pole with 30 pound mono, 1/4 oz split shot about 6-8" from bottom and on the bottom had a 1/0 owner j-hook. Bam! Just like old times my hook-up ratio was better. The cane pole makes it easy to detect the bite, it does take some getting used to when you don't have a reel. I caught four 22 inchers and one was with a cane pole!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Record Mayport Bull Red

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



She ate in 6-8 feet of water and at the time, I thought I struck bottom. I don't think she knew she was hooked because she didn't move at all for the first 5 seconds or so. Once she realized something was off, she took off along the jetties(Mayport Inlet) spooling my little Shimano Sustain 3000. I had a member of my crew chase the fish down with the boat. After over an hour of wondering what on earth I could have possibly hooked, Redzilla swirled at the surface. Everybody was quiet trying to figure out what just broke the surface. Eventually, her tail broke the surface again and that's when it hit home that the fish was a bull red. It wasn't until we got her within a few feet of my starboard rail that it hit home just how massive this red was.

Normally, I land my bulls by grabbing the line with my left hand and grabbing the tail of the fish with my right hand. From there I cradle them to the boat. With 50 pound mono leader this works great but this wasn't happening with 15 pound Yozuri HD flourocarbon... Instead, we stuck her head in my small rubber net that I use for landing sheepshead, trout and flounder. From there, I cradled her up into the boat. When she hit the deck, I knew this girl was different. Her girth was bigger around than my thigh and she measured 125 centimeters(49"). The record is 125 centimeters. (I'm referring to centimeters because IGFA length records are measured in CM. That's also the only unit of measurement used on IGFA measuring boards)

The only difference is the current record was caught on heavy tackle with bait. This one ate a #10 model Rapala XRap "Deep". Essentially, it's a crank bait that runs 6 to 12 feet. The body type is exactly the same as any other XRap model, not your typical squaty bodied bass style crank bait. I like them because there is less resistance unlike standard crank baits and twitching them is less exhausting. They also impart better action when twitched due to their slender, minnow shaped design.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Jetty Fishing Sheepshead 101

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



Since posting last week, the sheepshead bite in Mayport has been really hot. I had the opportunity to put a number of complete rookies on their first ever convicts. Coaching them through the process has been relatively painless. Most anglers are bringing them over the rail as well as my buddies with years experience. That is, after a little trial and error. The first fish usually makes it to the boat within the first ten minutes at the first stop. To learn how to read productive spots, how to rig for different conditions and what tides to fish for these sheepies below.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Winter Sheepshead Advice

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



You'll find plenty of decent keeper sheepshead at the Big Jetties, Little Jetties Park, and surrounding areas. Navigation markers and docks also produce plenty of action. A good way to tell a productive dock from a dead one is by looking over the pilings at lower tides. If the pilings have little to no barnacle or oyster growth on them, keep looking till you find one that does. Another thing to consider is water depth. Shallow docks with less than four feet of water will either hold juvenile sheepshead or none at all. Many docks, especially in Mayport and Ft. Caroline areas, will have riprap on the bottom near or around them. Many home owners throw construction debris such as concrete blocks off their docks to create habitat for fishing. This isn't necessarily for the rest of us- however, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of it. After years of flounder fishing in the area, I've found a number of good riprap piles around docks. This kind of debris is more common than you might think. Some docks also contain riprap for the purpose of preventing bottom errosion around the pilings. This is especially common around aids to navigation. Most AID's will have rocks piled around the base of their pilings. Just because you only see two or often times, one piling, don't rule it out. The spot may not look like much at the surface but the bottom could have several square yards of rocky structure surrounding it. Many of them do. There are a number of baits that will catch sheepshead. The most common is the fiddler crab. However, oysters, live shrimp, clams, and muscles will also catch sheepshead.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Pompano in the Northeast

Florida Sportsman members: saltlifedoc & Maverick



A few forum members have gotten out in the surf lately and have had the first peek at the beginning of winter pompano fishing. "The water temperatures are right. Find the clean water and you should be rewarded." Get these tasty guys while you can!

Click here to see the 11/4 forum report.

Click here to see the 11/2 forum report.

 




Nassau Sound Weekend Report

Florida Sportsman member: 7950



Today was a jack day. I managed to catch mullet on the bridge again this morning. The reds that bit yesterday, didn't bite today. The jack were pretty much everywhere. They were a blast. The fun part is making sure you muscle the jack away from the piling. The bigger ones always go toward the piling when they get hooked. It's like a poor man amberjack style of fishing.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Pompano in the Surf

Florida Sportsman member: flattie



Forum member flattie reported some whiting and a few keeper pompano while surf fishing this week in the northeastern region. He also reported "Cleaner water," and "Very little seaweed."

Click here to see the 10/15 forum report.

Click here to see the 10/16 forum report.

 




St.Augustine Inlet Ling

Florida Sportsman member: Boattronics



Instantly, I've written off this fish in my mind as the coolest sighting I've ever had in the inlet. No way a sore lipped cobe is coming back to the boat... and then he appears again! The vicous cycle plays out exactly, AGAIN! Throw him dazed mullet, eats my jig on the dive, set several times, then spit again, and shows up at the transom AGAIN! Mind you this whole scenario has unfolded in only a minute or two. Finally, Don has an 8/0 circle hook tied onto his ten pound braid. He tosses him a mullet, and we all gasp as this desperate mullet jumps away from the lings mouth over and over again, and finally, he gets it! Fish on! This was the third time this fish was hooked! But this time, he had the proper hook and it's locked into his jaw!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Flood Tide Reds and Trout

Florida Sportsman member: reddrumregalia



I got out for high tide and poled the first flat for 20 minutes, no tails. The next flat didn't look promising either, but I kept pushing deeper and finally found a happy one. A couple shots at him and some stalking and he ate. The tide was starting to go out, so I switched to the bait caster and had fun with trout in the 15 to 20 inch range along the grass lines on finger mullet.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




The Flounder Are Back

Florida Sportsman member: Boattronics



Several days after the storm, there was still no sign of them. Then, it was back on like someone flicked a switch! Almost every spot we tried produced a fish or two, but we didn't find them stacked up anywhere. We had to work for them, but they were definitely chewing! I don't have much patience for soaking live bait, so most of our fish were caught on Redfish Magic spinner baits with white curly tail gulps. The trout were thick too, and we had some nice ones crash the artificials.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Northeast Reporting

Florida Sportsman member: mcnally



Forum member mcnally put together an awesome video report for the Northeast region. If you're planning on going out to get on some fish any time soon, take a moment to hear what this local fisherman suggests.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Jacksonville Success

Florida Sportsman member: reddrumregalia



Forum member reddrumregalia has been having success in Jacksonville over the past two weeks. "Free lining mullet around sea walls and structure produced some big reds, as well as decent mid-size slot reds, some nice mangroves, and a couple trout, the biggest being 18". There are lots of mullet all around, deep and shallow."

Click here to see the 8/29 forum report.

Click here to see the 8/31 forum report.

Click here to see the 9/13 forum report.

 




Downtown Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



We hit the water around 3 pm on Sunday with four dozen shrimp and green gulp swim mullets to look for snapper and flounder. We caught probably 30 snapper that were mostly shorts, but invited five keepers home for dinner. The biggest was 14". I also worked a rock line with the gulp and pulled out two flounder, the biggest being 18".

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Downtown Jacksonville Mixed Bag

Florida Sportsman member: JaxNative1



We caught a few croakers and perch before the trout started biting. My best friend of 25 years caught two nice speckled trout that he let my 6-year-old daughter reel in. We also landed a few big yellowmouth trout. The fish were caught in about 18 feet of water. Most of the croakers and perch were caught on fresh, dead shrimp. The speckled trout and larger yellowmouth were caught on finger mullet.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Shrimping and Fishing Reports

Florida Sportsman member: Splitshot Syndicate



We caught shrimp in 10 feet on the northern ledge of the hole at the 17 bridge. We fished several docks in three to seven feet, catching eight different species. We caught several bass, a few mangrove snappers, redfish, sheepshead, croakers, ladyfish, catfish and a snook. The wind started off SSW at 5, picking up to about 15 by quitting time. The water temperature was 87 in the shrimp hole and 89 around the docks. High tide was at 11:02am. My gear: 7'6" rod paired with a 3000 reel, 15 pound braid, with a uni to uni 24" fluorocarbon leader. I mixed up rigging between 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigs. I tie my jigs/hooks on with a homer rhode loop knot.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




St.Johns River Dock Hopping

Florida Sportsman member: Splitshot Syndicate



We started fishing a dock in five feet and the bite was pretty good. We were getting hits on every cast, mostly small mangrove snappers. We managed a 23" redfish and a seven to eight pound bass. We decided to move to find less miserable weather conditions. We caught a few rat reds and some mangrove snappers around a dock in four feet. We caught a few more rat reds, some ladyfish, and some catfish around a dock in seven feet. I was using a 7'6" rod paired with a 3000 reel, 15 pound braid with a uni to uni 24" fluorocarbon leader. I mixing up rigging between free lining 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigs, or just pinching on a splitshot depending on the current. I tied my jigs/hooks on with a homer rhode loop knot.

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Inshore Rundown

Florida Sportsman member: mcnallyoutdoors



Here's a great and extensive video report on all the inshore species you want to target right now, and some helpful tips on how to get them!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




First Time Smoker

Florida Sportsman member: 23Sporty



I finally decided to give king-fishing a try yesterday. We just used bare stinger rigs on live pogies, slow-trolled. Ten minutes later, we got hammered and eventually pulled this big guy in the boat. I have a feeling I'm now totally spoiled and may have set the bar a little high for the future. But it sure was fun!

Click here to see the full forum report.

 




Downtown Mixed Bag

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



Saturday night we worked around downtown with small mullet and did decent on snapper and trout. Sunday we woke up and ran out to the southeast hole to look for some kings but got skunked, it seemed like everyone around us was getting hit on their down riggers, which we didnt have. We snuck out after work yesterday, after the rain, and managed two redfish, a 40" and 43", on blue crab and cut mullet.

Click here for full forum report.

 




Kings and Sharks

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



Stef and I broke the jetty right as the sun was coming up and quickly netted more pogies than we needed at the poles. We we're hoping to chase some tarpon in the pods but the water temperature had different plans for us. We played with the sharks behind the shrimp boat for a little and hopped out to the parking lot, just off of Atlantic Blvd. We trolled there for about two hours and get two out of three small kings.

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Two Keepers and a Cutie

Florida Sportsman member: My_Mitzi



The tide was mid to high and outgoing. I found an nice drop-off on the flat and we started working it hard. I had a freelined mud minnow and my buddy, Luke, was working them on a 1/4 oz jighead, so we would be covering the whole water column. My first bait gets destroyed within the first ten casts. The fish instantly runs toward the only structure around and we have to pursue with the trolling motor to help avoid breaking my line. We end up getting him to the boat and it was a nice 23.5" red.

Click here for full forum report.

 




Downtown Jacksonville Variety

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



My sister and her family are in town right now, so I got a chance to take my two nephews and my brother-in-law out after work. We managed two reds 30" and 32" that hit live mullet, a few snapper and a small grouper.

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Mandarin Point Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Splitshot Syndicate



We stopped in 15-16 feet and picked up a few croakers on the ledge at the 17 bridge hole. There were plenty of shrimp in 25ft. Two to four dozen a cast. Low tide was 1:19pm, the water temp was 84, and the wind was south at five knots. My buddy's uncle immediately hooked a 27" red, his first Florida fish. Not a bad start. This same gentleman from Indiana hooks a 26.5", 6.5 pound trout on a croaker, hooked through the chin with a 1/8 oz jig.

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Spades Save the Day

Florida Sportsman member: Sea-Squatch



We found plenty of pogies in 25 feet of water in front of the Hanna Park lifeguard station. I threw a pogey out on the flat line, and it wasn't long before we had a small king spit the hooks at boatside. I put another one out, and we landed a snake a short time later. We had a few more strikes on the flat line, but nothing stayed hooked long. The bottom bite never produced anything good. The cool thing was that we had a school of those giant spadefish underneath the boat the whole time. Griff put out a piece of shrimp on a freelined hook and had a good time. He only went one out of four, but they pulled hard.

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Fly Fishing First Bonefish

Florida Sportsman member: SeaAnchor



Finally, my first bonefish. It's only taken 40 years and I decided that the curse could only be lifted if I did it on the fly. I have to thank my sister for having a destination wedding on an island off Andros. That definitely helped. Tough conditions with bad light, but it's done. I think I currently sit at 1 for 1,258 on bonefish, but who's counting.

Click here for full forum report.

 




Pogy Pod Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator



The pogies are thick with small pods everywhere and a few big ones, if you look long enough. We netted some up and tossed knocker rigs and free lines out the back while we fly fished off the bow. Lots of sharks on the live bait and caught a few spanish and a monster jack on fly. I saw some tarpon in the pods, but couldn't get an eat. Earlier last week, I got out one evening and caugh the flood tide at sunset. I managed to get one nice red saw a bunch more tailing. Overall, a great holiday weekend and a good start to the summer beach fishing.

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Northeast Mixed Bag

Florida Sportsman member: Cole321



The redfishing has been extremely good and they have been in small schools on oysters, the trout and flounder are consistent, but scattered. If the water is dirtier and at lower tides, all they would eat was a mud minnow on a jig head. At higher tides, with clean water, live shrimp or mud minnow on a float is the way to go. All of the fish were caught off oyster beds.

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Downtown Night Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



I have been finding decent keeper trout after sunset, with the occasional redfish, using live finger mullet on 1/4 jig heads and fish finder rigs. We lost an absolute freight train red on my 3500 series Penn that we fought for nearly half an hour.

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Amelia and Vilano Surf Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: creekgeek

Vilano Surf Fishing

One of the boys was struggling to get the pole out of the holder and I looked out to see our big toothy customer come out of the water three times in succession. I knew it was a big one and thought, "Well this won't last long. It's just a bit too big with this tackle and this surf." I was wrong.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Sheepshead Roundup

Florida Sportsman member: Sea Snake

Sheepshead

It was a nice day on the ocean with fish of all sizes, a bunch of smalls, as well as some stud fish. Let me tell ya, an eight to ten pound sheep in 40 foot of water, especially with light tackle, is all you want.

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Jacksonville Jetty Action

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast

Jacksonville Jetty Action

We dropped three blue crabs down and quickly picked up a legal black sea bass. Into the cooler he goes! Then one of the rods goes off and dumps about 100 yards of line very quickly.

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Jetty Variety

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast

Jetty

I picked up another sheepshead when I look over to the back and one of the droppers is screaming. Johnny Moon was right next to it and quickly grabbed it and started what would be a lengthy battle. After a couple epic runs, we finally see color... a lot of color.

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Mayport Drum

Florida Sportsman member: Spongking

Mayport Drum

The only fish came in a great way at end of our session. The finder lit up with one big mark. Then rod tip started bouncing hard. I hand it off to my buddy, who had never caught a big red or black drum before.

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Palm Valley Trout

Florida Sportsman member: trousertroutman



I got this beauty yesterday fishing with my brother. She was large! I caught her on a white 3" gulp shrimp on a jighead, and released.

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Mayport Sheepshead

Florida Sportsman member: northfl

Mayport Sheepshead

They finally started biting for a few minutes. We moved inward to the ferry slip and caught a few more. We ended up with six, with one being six pounds.

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Jacksonville Inshore Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Splitshot Syndicate

Jacksonville Inshore Fishing

Ended up finding the reds with a freelined shrimp in about two to four feet in between the docks. They were caught using 15lb Spiderwire, 25lb fluorocarbon, and a 2/0 Octopus hook, with a shrimp pinned through the tail. Everything else caught using live shrimp on a 1/8 - 1/4 oz H&H short shank jig with 25lb fluorocarbon and 15lb Spiderwire. Water temperature was 71 degrees.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Downtown Jacksonville Trout and Reds

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast

Downtown Jacksonville Trout

River was oil slick after the rainstorm and the trout were chewing.

Click here to read the full 2/7 forum report.

Click here to read the full 2/6 forum report.

 

 




Mayport Inlet Variety

Florida Sportsman member: northfl

Mayport Inlet

We got a couple pounds of shrimp and decided to head east towards the rocks. After a bunch of little strawberry grouper, we decided to head back and hit a couple docks. We got to my two favorite docks and within five minutes I hooked two reds.

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Seeing Silver in the St. Augustine Surf

Florida Sportsman member: flattie

St. Augustine Surf

Forum member flattie caught a nice mess of whiting and pompano near the St. Augustine Inlet.

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Freshwater Speck Action

Florida Sportsman member: Sea Snake

Freshwater Speck

I got word Monday that the specks had hit the pads good, so decided that is bail out of work early Tuesday and get down there to fish the afternoon till dark. The fish started biting at 3 o'clock and we poked around enough to have a nice little mess for a fish fry, but the fish we did catch were very nice ones.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 




Fort George Inlet Flounder and Trout

Florida Sportsman member: DinsmoreOutdoors

Fort George Inlet Flounder

I caught the incoming tide at Fort George Inlet, water temp was around 64. Found some keeper trout and even got some flounder!

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River Variety Caught on Shrimp

Florida Sportsman member: creekgeek

River Variety

I thought we had hooked into a stray bull red with the peeling drag, long runs and violent head shakes,. After about five minutes of back and forth, the biggest cat I have ever seen in person blew bubbles behind the boat and Sophia got his head in the net. He was 35" and was probably in the 30 pound range.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Pine Island Redfish and Trout

Florida Sportsman member: Shallow Man

Pine Island Redfish

Fished all day in the Pine Island area and caught tons of small reds and slightly smaller trout. All the reds were 17-18 inches and caught on live shrimp. All the trout were 10-14 inches and caught on Gulp new penny.

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St. Augustine Stone Crab

Florida Sportsman member: Blue gills

St. Augustine Stone Crab

So far it has been a pretty good season. I started with six traps and still have four, so that's pretty good. Plus I have been on the crabs pretty steady. I got over twenty claws between my last two pulls. The ones I have been getting have been pretty large. I have been going out of St.Augustine and baiting with pigs feet.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 




Mayport Inlet Huge Bull Reds

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness

Mayport Inlet

Ever heard of 20-30 personal bests in one day? There were seven captains in the group and through the course of about four hours, close to 40 Bulls were landed with every fish being bigger than the previous.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 




Talbot Surf Fishing Pompano

Florida Sportsman member: Sea Snake

Talbot Surf Fishing Pompano

We headed up to Talbot to check the rumors that a few pompano were still around. Armed with clams and crab we hit it right at low tide, and within five minutes of setting up, this nice pompano came through the wash.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 




Mayport Inlet Variety: December Advice

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness

Mayport Inlet Variety

The Bull Reds are absolutely thriving in the Inlet, as usual for this time of year. We're averaging a dozen on through 20 or even as many as 40 Bulls per trip. We're scoring our best numbers on the outgoing tide, in the 70-80 foot north trough, just inside the north submerged row.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 




Fishing Artificials Inshore

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator

fishing artificials inshore

Flounder have been very hit or miss but the last hit sure was a good one. Got lucky and stuck my PB at just over 22" on a sureset jighead Zman paddlerz combo. Thought I was sight casting a red, then once I started working it I was worried it was a stingray. I was so happy to see those spots and really glad I had a friend with me to net it.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Palm Valley Variety

Florida Sportsman member: slobouf

Palm Valley Variety

The weather has been beautiful and the areas we fished were full of life. All fish were caught on cut mullet. The live mullet didn't fair as well. The live shrimp we used only produced rat reds and one dink trout. No-brainer rigs with a chunk of mullet caught all of our keeper fish.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Redfish: Personal Record

Florida Sportsman member: Justinbrow56

redfish

My personnel record of a red 26.5" I've been fishing since I moved here for a red like this. After that excitement settled down we caught a bunch of trout some fatties too. I caught my first grand slam this weekend, I hope its the first of many.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




St. Johns Inlet: Sheepshead and More

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness

St Johns Inlet

The Sheepshead push is going strong in the St. Johns Inlet. The first waves are smaller fish around two to three pounds on average with several from three to five pounds mixed in. Angler beware though, the Black Tips are taxing the heck out of us on the tips of the jetties right now.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Jacksonville Jetties Big Redfish

Florida Sportsman member: Doc Ron



We decided to go into the Jetties, where we caught a few bass and a Bull Red. It was a beauty, well outside the slot. Always a good day out on the boat!

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Mayport Inlet: The Spot is Hot

Florida Sportsman member: Salty Dog



Went out to some of the sheepshead and trout spots around the Mayport area to see if the fall fishing season had arrived yet. I found hungry, aggressive fish at every spot. Brought home a cooler full of sheepshead, trout and nice inshore sized mangrove snapper.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Mayport Inlet: Sheepshead, Flounder, Redfish and Trout

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



The transition from late October to November is always prime time Sheepshead fishing. The largest concentration of fish come through Mayport Inlet every year at this time. They quickly disperse throughout the river, the ICW, and neighboring estuaries. The best fishing tends to be at the tips of the Mayport Inlet Jetties.

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Bridge Fishing with the Mayor

Florida Sportsman member: Sea Snake



The one thing that I took off of that trip, was that it is way more to fishing that bridge, than just wheeling out a cart and tossing shrimp over. It takes patience, preparation, and timing to be successful. Knowing what the fish want and how to present it, are crucial.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Jacksonville Inshore: Bull Reds

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



Finally getting around to posting some shots from our day fishing the Full of Bull tournament. We did decent catching and releasing three fish from 29 to 38 inches. It was a little slower than the previous days we were out "practicing" for the tournament.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 




Jacksonville Mixed Bag: Flounder and More

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



The retrieve I go with is simple, "bump, pause, bump, pause." Roll the bait back towards the boat slowly and once you get bit, pause roughly 1 to 2 seconds and sting it! The bite of a Flounder varies from fish to fish but most of the time, if the fish is of half way decent size, you'll feel a single thump followed by a sensation of weight.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Pine Island Variety

Florida Sportsman member: slobouf



I stopped in the creek across from Pine Island to catch more bait. I got lucky and caught a nice ladyfish while netting some mullet at sunrise. We went south and found a few places that looked fishy. By 9AM, (2 hours of fishing) we had five 22 to 24 inch redfish and a nice 25 inch trout.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Fun with the Boys

Florida Sportsman member: Sea-Squatch



It was pretty steady action for about 2 hours. We caught rat reds, trout, mangos, and flounder. We lost some good hits too. The tide came up, and water covered up our sandbar, so we decided to call it a day.

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Redfish Palooza

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



The Big, breeder Red Fish have started their annual movement up river from the St. Johns River Inlet in anticipation of spawning season. These fish begin staging on the 40 foot dredge lines that edge the shoulders of the rivers shipping lanes every June. This period is what we call the "Pre-Spawn". The breeders gather up in numbers and gorge on fish and crustacions to fatten up for the spawn that typically begins in the early weeks of August.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 




Northeast Flatties

Florida Sportsman member: jameslentz



I got about a dozen finger mullet and paddled north out of beach marine. Fished the finger mullet on cork and Carolina rig for the last two hours of the incoming with no luck. As the tide started flowing out I switched to a 1/4 ounce jighead and penny gulp shrimp. Started dragging it in creek mouths and banks and ended up with three keepers.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Jacksonville Action

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



The Shrimp boat action is hot and there is no shortage of fast and furious, line screaming craziness to be found. No hassle, no wait, instant gratification. Big Jacks as large as 50 pounds and all manner of sharks. You can pitch large plugs behind the these boats and get these guys nearly every cast.

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Fishing the Flood

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



I've never really scouted for the flood tide around home so last night I decided to go check out some areas I thought I might be able to walk once I felt confident that those pop up storms weren't going to be an issue.

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Buckman Reds

Florida Sportsman member: REDROB



Went out after work yesterday to soak a few crabs, fishing the buckman in 20 feet of water, the bite was on fire! 9 reds all over 36 inches with the biggest being 42 and one 40 incher with a tag in her.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Back at It

Florida Sportsman member: Chongg



The reds are on fire around the little jetties. Last Saturday we brought in seven upper/over slot reds fishing shrimp on the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming. All the fish swam away healthy that day.

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Late Spring Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator



At this point I know what I have and am overcome with mixture of excitement, nervousness, excitement, this is why I've been using 30 pound leader after all! After the first jump the fish found the current and ran towards the ICW and deeper water, line peeling off my 1000 letting the drag work.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




River Reds

Florida Sportsman member: trousertroutman



Fellow forum member and childhood fishing buddy "Flounderpounder" was gracious enough to take me out on his sick ranger whip, and we got a couple nice reds fishing docks with live and cut mullet.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Hot Artificial Bite

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator



Fishing all artificial, mostly working the docks on mid tides and natural structure on West side closer to the bridge and just south at high tide to mid low, some nice sized reds, a couple of flounder and a few smaller trout first couple trips then Saturday night my buddy put the first North Florida snook on my boat.

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Beachside Action

Florida Sportsman member: Sea Snake



Sunday I went back with my grandson Hunter, my daughter and momma Snake, we had a nice catch of fish in a couple of hours of fishing. With this time all of them being keepers.

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Northeast Pompano

Florida Sportsman member: Sea Snake



All in all a good day for us. I got to spend some time with my sweetie, and catch some fish too, and anytime the targeted species is acquired, then in my book it's a good day!

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Northeast Big Uglies

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



It's that time of year again! The first full moon of early Spring has past and the "big uglies" have reached the North East Florida inlets. These massive inlet monsters head up from south Florida and migrate north every year around february.

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Epic Week in the Valley

Florida Sportsman member: Slug-O



The past week in the valley has been nothing short of "EPIC" for me. With the water temp in solid 70 degree range and bait thick as fleas on a stray dog, the bite has been the best so far this year. With mullet as thick as you can imagine, the reds, trout and a few flounder have all the food they want.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Lots of Bait, Lots of Fish

Florida Sportsman member: Slug-O



Three ways are really working well with mullet. Popping corks with 24 inches of 30 pound flouro with 3/0 khale hook works well at creek mouths or oyster beds with current. Freeline live mullet hooked through the back, casting to schools working the banks. The last is 1/8th ounce jig head with a live mullet that can be used about a 1000 ways.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Northeast Trout and Reds

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



Focus on the river, not the creeks, but river shoulders. Find spots with current breaks, bottom contours, and sharp drop offs. Bottom type is definitely a factor. Gravel, shell and rocky bottoms are all good signs to look for. I don't do well in areas with sand or mud bottom.

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Fun in the Creeks

Florida Sportsman member: Guanagator



Got out this morning and picked the right creek, Alexis had a fat 16 inch flounder within a minute of the mullet hitting the water. Was expecting reds but no complaints. My second cast, I hooked something solid on the catch 2000 and unfortunately it got me in the oysters and sliced the leader, downside of using a 1000.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Northeast Sheepshead

Florida Sportsman member: sydngoose



We hit channel markers and pilings from the inlet up the intercostal. Number one circle hooks and very small leaders (6 inches of 15 pound flouro) was the ticket. We ended up with six nice sheeps but two absolute STUDS, at 10.25 pounds and 7.20 pounds.

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Oak Harbor Slam

Florida Sportsman member: Cast&Blast



Went and hit the Harbor in the cold wind with two buddies and 4 dozen shrimp. Most fish caught were under slot reds and trout but we found a 20 inch red and a 17 inch flounder to bring home for dinner.

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Cold Weather Convicts

Florida Sportsman member: fsu11



We managed nine keepers the majority were 2 to 4 pounds again. We didn't go through half a pint both days. The key was moving water, we fished the exact same spot both days and when the tide was moving we caught fish and when it stopped, so did the bites.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Cold Water, Hot Bite

Florida Sportsman member: Slug-O



This is my favorite time of year, the water temperature drops into the 50s-60s and the reds start to school up thick. Low tides and mud flats are a few degrees warmer than the rest of the ICW and I target them there. Moving slow on my push pole, no trolling motor, I can get close to a school and start picking them off.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Northeast Redfish

Florida Sportsman member: Spongking



Wednesday we got out and went to jetty. Beautiful weather and fish biting. We got one giant red on light inshore setup. He swam away strong too which had me worried after a 15 minute fight.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 

 




Northeast Drummin'

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



I spent a day hitting a number of productive Inlet holes in an attempt to reassess what's around out there. I haven't been spending much time in my usual playground. It didn't take long to figure out that the bull reds and black drum were pretty thick.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




December to Remember

Florida Sportsman member: Slug-O



Aside from the windy afternoons you can't ask for anything better. The bait situation is just amazing with all the shrimp, mullet and blue crab right now in the valley. Fishing creek mouths, oyster beds, mud flats, and drop offs this time of year will produce big payoffs.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Palm Valley Report

Florida Sportsman member: Slug-O



Water temperature is still in the high 60's and will stay there until something big comes along to change that. Trout, reds and flounder are still thick and are feeding on mullet and a second hatch of shrimp in the valley. Best bet is popping corks fishing with 3/0 kale hooks working the last outgoing tide and incoming tide.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




December Tarpon

Florida Sportsman member: Alec_904



However about 30 minutes later my rod tip starts bouncing, I pick it up and i'm on! This one did the same thing as the last, immediately screamed drag and jumped, it proceeded to jump four more times before we got him to the boat.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 

 




Inshore Variety

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



Eventually, we reach a spot where I'm hooking up pretty consistently. Chips getting some action on the Fluke but not near the action I was getting. Eventually, he ties on an X-Rap he happened to have. His was orange and yellow. Before long, we're either hooking up or getting hit on every cast.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Valley Report

Florida Sportsman member: Slug-O



The wind will be great the next few days to fish the valley. Water temperature is still from 67 to 70 degrees, last year it was 57! Lots of shrimp, mullet and pogies are still here to be used as bait.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Fishing the Creeks

Florida Sportsman member: sydngoose



We had one hour of nonstop action- rods bending, fish retrieving, rebaiting, casting, releasing fish, kept a few. Every bait was eaten, all three said presentations. I would subjectively say the live mullet was the most popular choice.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Family Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: creekgeek



We finished the day in the same spot my dad landed his big fish and my 11 year old, Marina, connected with her best red ever. She wanted to give the rod up as the big fish made several long runs on light tackle and with the help of a strong outgoing tide.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Northeast Reds and Trout

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



I've been on a healthy dose of both species as well as some of the largest sand trout I've ever seen. The same places I mentioned above are holding ridiculous numbers of trout. I was actually targeting trout when I realized that the Bull Red presence was so thick in the shallows.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Northeast Reds

Florida Sportsman member: Spongking



A few nice fish came unglued but all in all a win. Good weather and beat crowd back to ramp by about 20 minutes. Just enough time to clean up boat and get in line to get out of there.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 

 




Fall Fishing

Florida Sportsman member: Morocco_madness



The slot reds are chewing VERY well right now at both the little and big jetties. The bull reds have emptied out of the river and are officially done spawning. The good news is they are a year round species for us and the inlet is where you'll be finding them from this point on through early June.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

 




Fishing with the Wife

Florida Sportsman member: butchbal



After Barb saw what I caught yesterday, she wanted to go out and get a few reds herself.

Click here to read the full forum report.

 

 

 

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FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Videos

Kayaks and Saltwater Flats

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Videos

Kayak Fishing Fun 2023 Product Showcase

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Store

Refurbished 1987 Alumacraft Jon Boat | One Man's Dreamboat

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Learn

New Berkley Finisher: The All-Around Live Sonar Lure

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Gear

New Berkley Power Switch: Powerhouse Lure Designed for Foward-Facing Sonar

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Gear

New Berkley Krej: A Reversed Lip Jerkbait?

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Learn

How to Install New Fuel Tanks in an Old Boat

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Videos

Testing Out the Latest from Old Town in the Marquesas

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Store

How to Powder Coat: Benefits of Powder Coating Metal Fuel Tanks

FS Boating Editor George LaBonte joins Scott Dunik and his son Shawn Dunnuck aboard their custom-built 20' center console.
Gear

Father & Son Customize a 20' Center Console | One Man's Dreamboat

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