4/4 24 hours can be the world….

Capt Dave Sipler’s Sport Fishing

www.captdaves.com

904-642-9546

4/4 – 24 hrs can be the world!

Had two of my favorite guys on board today. Mike Hurt and his Dad, Gary. Been taking these two guys fishin for years, and I always enjoy seeing them, because we always have a good time no matter “what”.

Well, “the what” today was a major change in weather from 24 hrs prior, when Nick and myself fished the same areas.

Problem was…..the wind. Didn’t start out all that bad this morning at 8am as I headed to the jetties. And then anchored in what was a soup sandwich (Minestrone between rye bread). The southside of the south jetty. It was rock & roll. Nothing that “MY BIG METAL” can’t handle, but as we feed the Bluefish live shrimp on the float-rigs bouncing and swashin’ around. Mike was starting to feel the call of his breakfast, doing a re-run the opposite way! So I packed up and moved to calmer waters. Although Mike did have a big run of a large fish on the float-rig. But his leader broke. Might have been chafed from prior Bluefish attacks.

Bluefish love the soup.

The nastier and choppier the water, the more the ocean Piranhas, like it.

You can’t tell in the photo, that the swell was 4 feet, but you can surely see the nervous surface condition.

Okay, back to the calm water area inside the jetties. Well, by now the wind had built up and was a good 15-20 knot sustained from the southwest, and by the time the tide started to flow. I couldn’t stay anchored to save my life!

Between the tide and the wind, it had the boat jerking back and forth pulling the 13 pound Fluke style anchor loose. So I did what us jetty fisherman never do….go to a 7-1 scope on the anchor line. Yes, to anchor in 20 feet I paid out approximately 150 feet of anchor line! And we stuck, like a granite boulder to the bottom then. This was a personal record. I never have had to put out that much anchor line to hold in the depth of water in my life. So you can surely tell, that the conditions were far from perfect.

The Bluefish were still present, but we did bag a few Trout as the tide started to ebb. But as the New moon strength and wind got behind the water, the current was way too fast. So it was time to move on, and drag up all that dang anchor line.

We moved over a an area out of the wind, sort of and found a few small Jacks, Blues again, a Sheepshead, and another Trout, 16″ and mighty skinny but it was a Trout. Mike and I both lost a good fish, probably another sheepshead.

As the tide slowed on this spot I made another
move to an area that’s so hard bottomed that again, it was a miracle the anchor stuck.

Right in the Lion’s Den of wind. Knowing full well, that there probably wasn’t any Trout there. But the decent sized Blues were there and Mike and Gary hooked one after another for hours it seemed. And probably 20 hooks worth. They were either eating the hooks off, or chewing on them as we flipped them into the boat.

We ended that day there, and headed back to clean fish. And I was surprised. There was enough for a small fish fry dinner.

I really hoped for a better day. But the weather beat us. Mike comes to Jax to see his folks a few times a year, and always calls me well in advance, is always on time, and likes the float-rig fishing too. That’s why I look forward to his day. And so wanted a better one, weather and fishing wise.

So it looks like the rest of this weekend is gonna be windy, although they say Sunday is going to be 10 knots from the N.E. And we know that really means 15 knots or better probably.

I have Monday and Tuesday booked with the same two guys, and man it doesn’t look good right now:

MONDAY – NORTHEAST WINDS 15 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.TUESDAY – NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS CHOPPY.

 

So every time I have multiple days in a row, momma nature doesn’t want to cooperate. And people still want to trade me j-o-b-s. Yeah right!

OH, BY THE WAY….ask anyone who’s been with me. And they’ll tell you how safe they feel. In the same boat the US Coast Guard uses. This is one tough boat!

26′ all welded plate alloy, by Black Lab Marine. 1-4 passengers, 12 months a year. Departing from Jacksonville’s, Mayport Village.

4/3 – Had to GO!

www.captdaves.com

904-642-9546

4/3 – Had to GO!

Yesterday (Wednesday 4/2), what was it like, 83 degrees, sunny and no wind? And I was supposed to have Jake O. aboard, who’s a single passenger charter customer. But Jake called me at 0600 hrs in the morning as I was loading rods in the boat and said he couldn’t make it. His ’sugar’ was low, and he was really weak. Holy sunburn Batnan, did we both miss a perfect day. A really perfect day. We don’t get them enough to throw them away. So I was really disappointed.

I ended up doing neglected yard work, and planting some bushes I rescued from my dad’s house. Then went to the “club house” aka: the Mayport China Buffet, for dinner with buddy Nick…..where of course I planned an attack on the TROUT & REDS. And Nick was happy to go along, of course. So this morning we took off out to the jetties.

Not the same as yesterday’s weather by no means. Hazy, overcast, but warm then dreary, dark, and cloudy with fog in the afternoon. Here comes the next “front”.

I told Nick, we should have run offshore again. Because the ocean was slick calm.

But quickly the offshore butter fly jigging pangs went away as I set the hook on a nice Redfish on my “meat-mover” float-rig rod I use for fishing really deep swift water. If you’re a Float-rigging tackle enthusiast, you’ll soon learn one rod and reel doesn’t do it all, well. Especially if you’re a jetty fisherman, like me. The deep swifter water
has fish too.

I’ll keep this short and sweet since I have a charter tomorrow with Mike H. a regular from Minnesota and his dad.

But we had 8 Speckled Trout to 20“, and 5 Yellowmouth Trout, and 4 Redfish, from 17″ to 30″. And this years 1st Jack Crevalle of the season, a little 12 incher. And some Bluefish. Last years first Jack was 5 pounds on March 23rd. I’ve been waiting on them, sort of with some contempt. Along with the Ladyfish and Mangrove Snappers, that’ll soon be here too. All fish I could live without, of course.

We took loads of photo’s, so I’ll let them just tell the story. Take notice of how gloomy it looked out there. Now envision how nice it was yesterday…Either way, I just had to go fishing!

* Call today to reserve your summer vacation private charter.

2- weeks to 30 days in advance is always best. 

4/1 – A beautiful morning, NO April fools!

www.captdaves.com

904-642-9546

4/1 – A beautiful morning, no April fools.

After a weekend of big winds and dreary skies, this morning at 7:30am proved to be a good decision made, to get Steve Titus and his 6 year old son Reese out for a half days trip.

I was really surprised how many people I saw out today. Monday’s are usually pretty vacant, but That’s over…..cause it’s now April!

The residual of what the wind did against the start of a new moon week had the falling tide inside the jetties rocks quite sporty to say the least. So we stayed close and I taught Steve and Reese what we were gonna do.

As the tide lowered, the better the fishing got. Even though I thought it was kinda slow, I had to remind myself of what it probably looked and felt like out here this weekend in the gale force gusts.

In between spots we took a ride out the jetties and to the ocean. It was sporty. Big rolling seas from what seemed from the S.E. Reese was yipping all the way as he sat in the stern with his dad.

I saw a few intrepid folks head in from offshore, loaded to the hilt with big offshore rods. I guess these people don’t listen to the Weather radio or look at the Internet weather sites. I’m never amazed.

Reese caught a dozen Trout or more and two sheepshead. The sheeps weren’t massive, and the trout were mixed, up to 19 inches. He got proficient at saying “Get the net!”.

The water temps up, but no signs of Jacks or Spanish Mackerel yet. But in two weeks or so, I bet we’ll start seeing them. I hear the dreaded Mangrove Snapper’s are on their way too. Those shrimp eating machines are worse than small Bluefish to me. I know how to get away from Blues. But there’s no getting away from Mangrove Snappers if you are a Trout fisherman. The 4″ eating machines could fall off the face of the earth and I’d never miss them.

I have tomorrow booked along with Friday this week. And with the seas it doesn’t look like I’ll get offshore to do any jig fishing again.

So I’ll wait for that perfect day again.
Next week I’m reserved for several days with one group.

And I think this Saturday is the Redfish spots tourney? Man, that’s a good day to get outa Dodge and head offshore. That’s one tournament that’s grown too large for my participation likes. So I’ll probably stay home.

If I had to count the days that I’d rather stay home than be on the water because of tournaments, I bet it’s up into the bakers dozen mark by now.

Like I said before, crowds are not my forte.

Click this link to see the rest
of today’s photos on my recent catch pages: http://www.captdaves.com/Catch7.htm

** make your summer vacation reservations NOW!