3/17 – can someone tell me whats going on?

www.captdaves.com 

904-642-9546

3/17 – Can someone tell me what’s going on?

I say, can someone tell what’s going on because I go all month pick and poke a few charters here and there and then Monday 17th thru Friday the 21st I’m booked every day and to top it off it’s the worst weather week of the entire month.
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SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION:
(I’ll highlight the not good, in yellow)

*TONIGHT EAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS A MODERATE CHOP.

*TUESDAY SOUTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS A MODERATE CHOP.

*WEDNESDAY SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 KNOTS…SHIFTING WEST. SEAS 3 TO 5 FEET. INLAND WATERS CHOPPY. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

*THURSDAY NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET.INLAND WATERS A MODERATE CHOP. SCATTERED SHOWERS.

*FRIDAY EAST WINDS 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET. INLAND WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.
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Well, we sat through some seriously heinous wind today, let me tell ya. If you think the wind was bad walking outside at the office at lunch time on the west side of town, I don’t have to tell you what I was encountering outside of my office!!

Had three Joe Rudy and his dad and uncle on the boat today. They were good sports. Of course I left out early, because that’s when you’d think the wind would be the slowest. No not really, it was windy right off the bat.

We tried it all, float-rig fishing, bottom fishing, and that new sport.
attempting to get the anchor hung. It’s a game I played problem over a dozen times at various places.

Remember this, due West winds and due East winds “OVER” 15 knots is pure hell in the St. Johns river. Especially if you’re fishing in and around Mayport. Because the river runs West to East. So on those two wind directions, there’s no place to hide.

Oh, your probably wondering about the fishing???????

Let’s see;
1- Bluefish on a float-rig at too high of tide.
2- Pinfish
8 or 10 – small Yellowmouth Trout
10 – 3″ Seabass
1- Skate

Ahhh, just a killer day. Makes me want to pinch myself when I get to sit at the jetties on a beautiful day, catching Reds and Sheepshead or a Drum bottom fishing on the falling tide, then move and get limits of Trout on the incoming tide, with just a solo customer.
(see perfect day here: http://captdaves.blogspot.com/2008/03/312-fishing-with-don.html )

And the cool thing as you can see by the wind speed and direction, I get to do the same thing the rest of the week….or at least I hope not.

I get a real chuckle when when all is going right and someone on my boat says, “Damn, Capt Dave, this must be so great. You get to fish all the time, be out here on the water, catching fish…..”

I usually respond with a famous line from the movie “SOMETHING ABOUT MARY”. When the character Whoogy, played by Chris Elliott says to Ben Stiller,“Each day is worse then the next”.

Confusing reply, huh? That makes no sense at all, right? Kinda like the statement/question that I was just asked.

Have not a clue what Tuesday will bring. But right now it’s 7:15 pm on Monday. And the wind is still blowing very hard at my house. Over 20 knots!

Here’s another helpful business clue: If ya wanna make a million dollars in the fishing business, first start with 2 million.

OVER & OUT!

3/15 – Jacksonville Group Charter

www.captdaves.com

904-642-9546

  

3/15 – Group charter

Had Mike Bosshart and 5 of his buddies out on Saturday, doing a two boat charter. Three on each boat. Ya’ know what the forecast was, right? Extreme high winds in the afternoon? So we had planned to leave at sun-up, 0730 hrs.Myself and Capt Bryan were there at the dock at 0630 hrs in the water and ready to go. Bryan said, he was up this morning at 0430 hrs….I wasn’t that un-sleepy. I was up and ready at 0530 hrs. Figuring that was early enough to get all ready and to the bait shop, and then to the ramp in case there was massive crowds, being it was a SATURDAY.

So as we sat waiting, I get the call…..”Dave we won’t be there till 8am.” Bryan gave me the look, as I told him the news. “well, I guess their eating into their fishing time, Dave” he said.
It was planned to just be a 1/2 day charter. (remember that)

So the guys pull up and come down to the dock. And I get my three fellas and take off. We were not only on a time line as it was just a 4 hr trip, but we were also on a “tide” time line also.
Having the falling tide till about 10am. And the higher the water, as it fell the better for float-rig fishing. That’s what I’ve done with Mike and one of his buddies in the past……many years ago with great success.

So I anchor up fast and go through the details, Bryan falls in behind me. Now my plans were to bottom fish that falling tide, since I’ve had such good BIG FISH success lately.
The other boat immediately starts catching Bluefish, And Yellowmouth trout. We, on the other hand never loose a bait from less than 50 yards away. I try it for a 1/2 hr and then say, “Lets go try and catch a bigger fish.” My guys seem willing. And we move to “NEAR” where I sat on Friday, but of course our late departure now has people out there and on the spot already.

EARLINESS, to the dock will always have you in a better position with your guide and possibly because if it’s a weekend the ability to get on a spot before it’s covered up with everyone else.

So we anchor as close as I could to the area while not doing what others do to me.
The current is running hard, and we catch some whiting, and Seabass….basically small bothersome fish, but do manage a 14″ Seabass, then here comes the clear-nosed Rays. The ultimate in junk. We lost our only big fish as it comes to the boat, probably a whopper Sheepshead, like I caught the day before. I helped by setting the hook on it and the fish was ripping drag. But somehow as Bob reeled it in, it came off the hook.

The guys had a rough night last night, and were all sitting around and laying on the bow deck. But Bob was attentive and as we caught the second junker ray, and said “shouldn’t we move.” So I re-anchored and it didn’t matter, because the SW wind was now honking about 15 with 20 knot gusts. And let me tell ya, it wasn’t 80 degrees as they said it would be, where we were.

Feeling the HEAT, I pulled up and moved away from the jetties,. and shouldn’t have. Bryan came by earlier and said all had stopped where he was but they ended up with a bunch of Yellowmouths, one Speck and one Sheepshead and Blues. Obviously, they weren’t where I was when I tried float-rigging. Or I wouldn’t have tried to bottom fish for a big fish.

The whole day now was a wash….

I tried an ole spot that used to be a big time Sheepshead spawning area a few years ago. Then moved and watched some guys dabbing some rocks and catching Sheepshead on lite rigs and fiddlers. But for bottom fishing, the tide had now changed, out deep and was coming in on the bottom.

We agreed to try for a few more hours, past the 4 hour limit. But it really didn’t make it any better, for Bryan and his guys or me and my guys. So at 5-1/2 hrs we were back at the dock.

The group seemed to be all excited that they could have a fish fry with the yellowmouth they had caught. Which was not something I was aware of. If I was I wouldn’t have went and bottom fished looking for a big fish, and would have adjusted my float fishing area instead.

So, now we have a 1/2 day charter extended a few hours, on my boat we caught just a few small bait stealer type fish. Kept a few Whiting and the big Seabass. By the time we left it was an hour after we were supposed too, then the wind started, and just one of us got a small window where the yellowmouth were.

Always make your INTENT obvious to your fishing guide. If you want to catch enough fish for a fish fry, even if they are small fish, make that known. DO NOT be late! Always show up early, because I’ll leave at safe light and you may get extra time. I’m not talking be an hours early and stand and stare at me as I launch the boat. But 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time is perfect. Make the Captain Happy, by letting him know what your intent is. I know I’m so early to the dock sometimes friends say, “So your charter’s late huh?” And I say, “No, I’m always early!”

Saturday was a prime example of getting the most out of the tide, and day before the weather came through.

Now it looks like the whole rest of the week will have winds at or above 15 knots. And I have Monday through Friday reserved…..good gawd!
Day after day of windy conditions? Lucky me.

BIG FISH, for Birthday boy!

www.captdaves.com – to reserve your charter call:  904-642-9546      

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3/14 – Matthew the BIG fish Birthday boy!

WOW! What a difference a day can make. A complete 180 from yesterday’s weather, huh?
Left out this morning at 7:30am with Rick and Matthew Sawyer, it was Matt’s Birthday fishing trip.

So when ya have the last of the falling tide in the morning, the Sheepshead spawn going on, a live well full of river crickets (shrimp), a light wind SW wind, and over cast skies. I decided to bottom fish. Because it sure worked on Wednesday when I had Don Zagorski on board. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, RIGHT?

Well, as we sat there anchored up in the river waiting for the bite, the wind would pick up, the skies would darken, and the air temp would grow cooler. Here comes a FRONT. I could just tell, this isn’t like Wednesday, and it surely isn’t Thursdays weather. So we sat patiently and waited.

Remember the only reason I’ll “bait-n-wait” fish, is because it’s been very worth it. And now I’m second guessing myself…..rule #1, go with the gut feeling, and never second guess the gut.

I knew something had to happen, and as I was checking one of the baits I felt a tug, and handed Matt the rod. SHEEPSHEAD, and it was a big momma!

RIVER MULES!
(up to 9.5 pounds)

But the bites were far and few between, and the between were small whiting.

So we just stayed with the plan and kept waiting, changing out baits, paying attention to the current, talked on the phone, and watched Matt fight a queasy stomach. And like a real Trooper, he hung in there.

We then went and did some Float-rig fishing as the tide started to flood on the surface.

The water was choppy with the SW wind which is usually a good thing. And Rick hung the first nice Speck, but it came off at boat side.

And the little bitty Bluefish were everywhere, also know as the scourge of spring time. And were eating all the shrimp. But Rick ended up nailing a nice keeper Speckled Trout.

We kept at it, but the blues were incessant. And I went a pulled my anchor and bent the hell out of it, rendering it pretty useless. We looked around
in the river, and there was no current, and now
was high tide. So we headed in to clean fish.

This time of year, even on a kinda crappy weather day, there’s still some whopper fish to be had.
And that’s why I love the transitional times, Thanksgiving in the fall and Easter in the spring.
Those two holidays….(opps, can’t forget good ole St. Patricks Day!) are my favorites.

Least favorite: July 4th, too hot, too many people around.

Take your son or daughter fishing on a birthday

March 6th – River Black Drum

www.captdaves.com - for charter reservations call:              904-642-9546

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March 6th video of Black Drum in River 

Nick, a fishing buddy took this footage (and found the net for me) on March 6th while out trying out Biscayne 8′ bottom fishing rods. As you recall from the report we also caught some whopper spring time Redbass. H-a-r-d = F-I-S-H, we were fishing some seriously hard shell bottom. And when the tide got right, it was all ya wanted….except we wanted less big Reds and more Drum for the fish box.

Nick had the camera running…long before he got into position. We’ll have to work on that next time. I tried editing it out but couldn’t get the edited version to load up here on Blogger.

Either way, we tried. I don’t see video’s on any other local charter sites.

-CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO-

This could be, YOU !

Rigidly Flexible, Fishing!

www.captdaves.com

904-642-9546 – for charter reservations in Jacksonville Florida, aboard the Jettywolf.

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3/12 – fishing with the Don….

Ya know, back many many years ago when I got fired from my dead end J-O-B (because I fished too much and was never there) and slid right into the charter fishing business, and doubled my income and happiness. I thought most charters I’d have for inshore fishing would be a “one on one” guided fishing trip with someone who was all about catching fish, learning, and seeing our waters and it’s inhabitants. Ya’ know, just like you see on TV?

Of course, I couldn’t have been any more WRONG. Most charters are not one person trips, and can be up to 4 passengers only because I limit them to 4 people. But then there’s the rare days, when I have just one person on board. And if that person is a fisherman. It’s magic!

And one of those days was today, with Don Zagorski.

We started out by catching the absolute last of the falling tide. But I told Don, as soon as the current subsides, it’s gonna be game on. So we pitched out live shrimp on some bottom rigs, using my new Biscayne 8 foot rods. And about 40 minutes later the tide slowed and the first Redbass was causing Don to grunt and groan. Heck it was only a 10 pounder pulling from 50 feet below.

Then, came a 6.5 pound Sheepshead…..Don’s dinner fish. Then, not long after came a 12 pounder. Right as the incoming tides current started to flow on the very bottom.

As the bottom current started to push harder and harder, I said to Don, “let’s go float-rig fishing.”

So we picked-up from our deep water fishing and went to a Trout spot. By now the tide was running really hard, and the North West wind was not helping us out. Remember, I was just out on Monday with Nick Watson, and we were knee deep in Trout and Reds at the same locale. So when it’s wrong, it’s all wrong. And I could tell.

The small Bluefish were also a nuisance, so after trying so hard to get it right, mother nature won. And we’ll have to try this again later.

So I motored about 100 yards away out into the deep water again, Don and I pitched out the big bottom rods and live shrimp to the bottom and Don scored this 22 pound Redfish, within minutes. He thought the other Reds pulled!! This fish was twice them. We kept trying for more, but for some reason, that was it. So I made a move, as it was now High Tide. And all we had was
bait stealers.

So, we went back for a look to see if it was worth Float-rig fishing again. The NW wind backed way off, and the water was clean and clear. First cast, Speck! And the yellowmouth Trout were also present and biting. But, the little Bluefish were not gone. And with just enough live shrimp left, Don and I worked over the spot, and caught (1) limit of Specks and (2) limits of Yellowmouth Trout, and tossed back many small ones.

We fished about every single useable shrimp in the well. And teased a brazen Pelican. Then headed back to the dock to clean the catch, or as I call it; “Time to make the donuts.”

From here on out, I have Friday, Saturday, then all of next week prebooked.

I’m interested in seeing actually how many days I’ll either get off, or if I get to do all of these days, how many will be fish’able.

When I get a huge rush of people who want to go because it’s a holiday, inevitably momma nature sometimes doesn’t care about my financial welfare.

R&D, before big week

  www.captdaves.com

(904) 642-9546  8am to 8pm eastern time

  

3/10 – R&D, before big week

Monday mornings….ahhh the serenity! It’s about the only day of the week where I can go anywhere, and do anything and not be waked, anchored next too, or bothered. Because any more, the weekend seem to start on Wednesday’s these days.

So Nick and I went out for some “Research and Development”. As I like to refer to as “by the numbers” we left out at a perfect time, hit one spot, and began the assault on fishdom. I believe I had Trout #1 on cast #1….and when it was Redbass time, I had #1 Redbass on #1 cast! I was HOT!

That 40 MPH wind on Saturday, matched up to the new moon low tide, did me such a favor. On the falling tide, with a west gale wind behind it, flushed the river like an ole Ferguson toilet. So given the first opportunity to get out there, I was more than ready to take a big bite out of my favorite place….ya know, it’s a Jettywolf thang.

I’ll pretty much let the photos say a thousand words…

Nick and I wore out the Speckled Trout & Yellowmouth Trout. And had a whole bunch of small 14-1/2″ Specks, while I was just waiting on that 7 or 8 pounder. But I never found any “Gators”, just Specks to 19 inches. But, 2 weeks ago there wasn’t any Specks around out here. So I was glad to get’em any size for the fish box. And the fat bellied Yellowmouth were ferocious!

Compared to our last trip to the jetties, today was very workable. The winds were light, and I had no plans of bottom fishing until low tide. And it was so nice only dropping anchor maybe 2-3 times. Once for all the trout, and the second for numerous Reds from 27″ to 33″. I said to Nick, “what will it take for me to put you on a Redfish , today?” , because I was ripping them and we were fishing in the exact same spot. And we figured it was the same reason that on our last trip he caught the big Reds, and I didn’t!

I really wanted Nick to get a big Red, so I kept saying “I’ll back off”, so I’d pitch to a different area, but managed to keep on catching them! Like I said, I was hot, for some reason. But then again, I was feeling a little “wolfie”.

The water temp was between 62 and 63 degrees, and I was hoping to see it warmer. But things are really starting to heat-up, anyhow. We saw small Sharks give the boat a swim by. And of course there’s plenty of those Cow nosed Rays swimming the clean water.

Like many days I experience after a big weather event, if ya just let it settle you can bet the next clear day they’ll be on the feed bag, big time.

After our tide was over and the bluefish took over we purposely caught some Blues for cut bait and ran up river and tried bottom fishing for a really Big Redbass, but ran out of time.

So we actually fished a normal day. Rather than our usual marathon. Which was good, Nick was feeling tired and I had things to take care of back at the Ranchero Delux. So we hit the dock and I cleaned all the fish….we had limits of Yellowmouths and Specks, one Sheepshead and one 27″ Red. And we both went home with giant bags of fresh fillets.

It was one sweet day!

I’m jam-up from here on out till the 21st of the month. So lots of reports coming. I may combine days, if I’m whooped at 8:00pm. So multiple days maybe in one post. Either way, STAY TUNED!

Jacksonville Florida’s Best Inshore Fishing!

Jacksonville to Amelia Island Florida, 12 month a year full time fishing guide/Captain. (904) 642-9546

Home page: www.captdaves.com

3/6 – The hunt for big fish in the deep…

Supposedly, today was the last day of the so called “good weather” for the next few days. But, in my mind today wasn’t all that damn good. The forecast was for Northwest winds 10 knots.Which was total BS. It was NE at 10-15. Especially at the jetties! Being it’s just the beginning of March, I guess I could deal with it. But I’m really over N.E. winds.

At the jetties it was just plain aggravating. Since Nick Watson and I were out hunting the deep water for BIG fish. So we didn’t break out a single Float-rigged rod at any time. But I threatened too…I can’t believe I went a whole day with out working my float-rig.

Hours and hours went by without a single big fish bite on this new moon, tidal day. We just left way too early. And shouldn’t have even bothered going till it was nearer to the low water.

With the jetties being just one aggravation after another; I.E. – Smoking current, wakes from tugs, and stiff NE wind. I decided it was just plain time to leave and go somewhere workable.
Because nothing was going our way out there.

So I ran down river to an old spot. But when we got there, we essentially missed the falling tide current. But, bumped into a fella who stopped us and told me he just found and read this blog, and my web site. Needing some help, since he’s a Gulf Coast fisherman really. Yep, it’s like night and day I’m sure. Between here and there. But on days like today, even the big St. Johns can be a real pain in the ass, even when you know it.

We tried the spot anyhow, and was into the yellowmouth Trout bites fast and furious. I knew they were there, but I had also caught Drum, Sheepshead and Reds here. But not today. So we moved on.

Next spot, about a 1/2 mile away. Serious H-A-R-D = F-I-S-H area. Hard bottom, lots of shell, ledges and rock. But we sat there for what seemed like over an hour before getting a real bite.

I had the idea of bottom fishing in the deep water, because I wanted to use my new 8′ Biscayne rods, that I had built just for bottom fishing big fish, heavy current, with heavy lead.

And man, this 32″ Redbass felt good on them.
Just what I was looking for, “Control in the trenches” with plain ole E-Glass type action and durability. These rigs are not replacing my Loomis backbounce rods matched with my Accurate twin drags, they’re just different for a change.

Well, Nick and I had big plans for Black Drum, and Sheepshead in the deep, swift water. For the freezer. But for a sea trial with the rods, the big Red worked.

At least we didn’t have anyone near us, bothering us, had good current, and could just sit and be happy, waiting for the next bite. Which didn’t take very long.

Nick was up next. The 8 foot rod doubled over into a horseshoe shape, as the drag pulled hard.

I could tell Nick was a bit shocked, usually creek fish don’t pull like this. And Nick spends most of his time in his own boat in smaller water. That’s what is so much fun about dropping into the deep water out in the river.

The fish are bigger!

I almost had to remind myself that yes it’s that time of year again, when the big Reds roam the channel edges. Because I catch myself many times still being stuck in the wintry January, February mode.

Like the top right hand corner on the home page (www.captdaves.com) of my web site states; “Florida’s largest Trophy Size Redfish, April 1st- November 30th”. But yeah, those dates are not etched in stone, either!

Nick’s Redfish was way bigger than mine….pushing 37 inches. He said, “Dave, I believe that’s the biggest Redfish or Fish, I’ve ever caught!” That’s good, I can add Nick to the long, long list of others who have told me the same thing…..

Next it was my turn. So Nick grabbed the camera and was gonna do some video of it.

I could tell it was a good fish, but not like the one Nick just caught. Then it popped up to the surface……”AH HAH!!!!! A Redfishes Ugly Cousin”, a nice Black Drum was at boat side.

Now, things were starting to be worth the too early departure, the jetty conditions, and the second guessing.

“we need about 4 or 5 of these”, I said to Nick.
At least that was my intentions when I got up this morning, and called him. Actually, that’s not true. It was the intention I had yesterday when I emailed him and said, “Lets go fishing Thursday!”

Bait was nothing exotic. Just live shrimp.
And we were starting to run out of the big ones, that I like to use for bottom bait.

We did have to sit through some river traffic. They may get close, but at least this kind of river traffic doesn’t come over and anchor on top of you, or drive by staring at you. Although intimidating, I’ll take this kind of river traffic over what I sat in last weekend!

I waited, then waited some more, to get this photo. These two ships were passing…..

Even though it may look as if they are about to collide. Which actually counter balanced the surge from their displacement that we encountered earlier, from a single passing ship.

The St. Johns River. Never a dull moment.
There’s always someone, or something to watch, or amazed by.

We had an Osprey obviously watching us!!!
Because when I un-hooked a small Yellowmouth Trout and tossed it over the side, it floated for a minute in the current. And that was a minute too long. It was immediately scooped up off the surface by the watching bird from over head. As if it was just waiting for me to toss it over board.

I was waiting for the bite to drop off any minute, because the current was now ‘coming in’ on the bottom of the river, but still flowing east on the surface. Which most of the time means, “game over, time to move.” But Nick got another shot, when his rod doubled over again in the rod holder.

Another Big Red! And this time I videoed Nick.
But come to find out, I hit the wrong button on his camera and it never took…..Oh Well!

It really wasn’t the operator, but rather the instructor…… 

Looks like Saturday’s charter will have to be a re-scheduled trip. The forecast is for west winds 20-25 knots!!

So I guess today was the last good day for a couple days. Glad I got in my fishing fix.

We had such a slow start this morning, it had me wondering, “were we ever gonna fish fish big enough to pull hard against my new rods??”

I’m glad we did. And so was Nick.

E-MAIL:  Charter@captdaves.com

March, April….

LET’S GO FISHING…with Jacksonville Florida’s, Best inshore charters.  

www.captdaves.com

904-642-9546 for reservations.

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Sheeps in da deeps….March & April to do list.

DO NOT LET ANYONE KID YOU!
You don’t have to hug a rock this time of year to catch plenty of Sheepshead. See that boat dwarfed by the ship passing under the Dames Point Bridge?
He was absolutely killing the Sheepshead, (toss in a few Drum) out there damn near in the channel.
Don’t ask me how I know that.

In my opinion, the jetties get pummeled very hard. And like a reef offshore are only going to hold so many fish at a given time. Sure fish are constantly on the move, but if you could have seen the south tip of the jetty rocks on Saturday afternoon, and then again on Sunday afternoon, like I did you would have seen the same boats anchored there for the entire falling tide both days.

Do not think for a minute that this doesn’t hurt the population there. And how about the constant traffic over head. I know for a fact I have had my Speckled Trout catches diminish rapidly between a Thursday and a Saturday. Do solely to incessant boat traffic, especially in the shallower areas.

Just like an offshore fisherman, the key is; “H-A-R-D = F-I-S-H”. I’ve never heard of someone blasting offshore to spend $200 in fuel, $100 in bait, just to fish out in the middle of the desert over soft sand. Reefs, can be wrecks, ledges, concrete piles, barges, all with hardness that attracts organisms, soft corals, barnacles, and provides places for small little “food” critters a place to live.

Same goes for the river. About the only thing that “progress” has accomplished with all the river dredging, is that it has exposed the natural lime rock “hard bottom” areas. Especially on the edges of the channel. Along with the river’s current, many of these places are no different than the jetty rocks when it comes to a big fat Sheepshead.

Then there’s places that have hard shell bottom. Where are these places? Many of them are just historically good fishing spots, such as under the Dames Point Bridge. A really good sounder/bottom finder will point those areas out to you when you go over them. My machine is a 12″ RayMarine color LCD. When I pass over a hard bottom area the bottom indicated in bright red will be very thick. And when I see a green fuzz just off the bottom I refer to that as just
“bio-mass”. Be it shrimp, plankton, whatever…when I see that green fuzz, in conjunction with a deep red bottom, I’m looking at usually a good hard bottom spot.

That contains LIFE. Which in turn means food, which means FISH. And possibly Sheepshead!

I got to thinking yesterday that I NEVER fish vertically for Sheepshead up and down on the jetty rocks. I float-rig them, and I jig them. But I never sit and dab them. Maybe because I find it boring, I don’t know. But I never do what I see hundreds doing.

But I do prefer to fish in good current, with several rods in the pole holders. Usually with just live shrimp. Getting the right size bank sinker to hold bottom, and utilize a sinker slider, and a short leader with either a small circle hook or something like a wide bend Eagle Claw 1/0. Now I find this enjoyable sometimes. You may have read that I don’t like “bait-n- wait” fishing. But if there’s something to actually catch, as in this time of year. I enjoy just kick’n back and watching a rod tip for a bounce.

There’s no mangrove snappers yet, the pinfish have backed off a bit, there’s no lil’ croakers to eat everything in sight, and the Sheepshead and Drum are on the move.

The point is that you don’t have to be in that crowd of bumper boats at the end of the rocks to catch some quality Sheepshead. Being that I fish the jetties alot, I could be at the bait shop and people ask me, “been catchin’ the sheepshead out there huh?” And I usually respond, “No not really…..”

You would be so surprised that there’s an entire world of Sheepshead just along some hard bottom areas in the river. And no one fishes those areas. I have tried and still cannot hit all of them. Just as there’s alot of Sheepshead up in the flooded grass at the excessive high tides.

Here’s a spawning brood stock size 11 pounder that wasn’t caught along the jetties but rather in the river, from deep water.

I use shrimp as bait, but do a few things to hopefully make my presentation a whole lot better. I take a big live shrimp. I cut off the tail fins. Clipping them off, not tearing them off.

I then thread my hook through the shrimp from the open tail end, like a rubber worm. Then half way through the shrimps body, I pull the hooks bend out, turn the hook and stick it in the walking legs of the shrimp.

This keeps the shrimp from spinning in the current. I’ve never seen a shrimp act like a Roland Martin as only seen on TV Helicopter lure! Shrimp lay on the bottom, they don’t spin in the current. I think this matters, and never do it any other way.

Hooking the shrimp in this fashion makes the Sheepshead or any fish go through the hook to get the shrimp. And doubles the hook area to keep the shrimp from spinning. On my last charter with the Kossak family, I did this and each and every Sheepshead was hooked in the throat. Because it ate it’s way up the shrimp and into the hook. Meaning a sure hook-up, for a guaranteed catch from the deep water.

Here’s another definite
“spawning” size and colored Sheeps
that I caught no where near the jetty
rocks, but rather on some hard bottom
in the river. At 10 pounds in swift current,
in water from 35-50 feet, you can bet this
fish pulled!

7-Striped Jetty Snappers, aren’t necessarily caught this time of year just at the jetties or off piling. Hard bottom areas that may take just a little more time to find and fish, can be just as productive. And just think, if these areas aren’t beat to death, can ya imagine the size of the “River mule” you could catch??

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To make reservations call 2 weeks to 30 days ahead if you can, from 8am-8pm eastern time to reserve your day aboard the JETTYWOLF boat. A 26′ BlackLab Marine Plate Alloy, center console rigged with the best tackle and fish catching equipment on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville Florida. 

3/1 & 3/2 – St. Johns River weekends

Let’s go fishing!

www.captdaves.com

3/1 & 3/2

3/1 – well it was 80 degrees again, and like an blooming’ idiot I went out on a Saturday. “Holy Walmart parking lot”, Batman. There was just way too many people out on the water for me.

Is it that I am an anti-socialist, I guess so. I really like people, hell I’m in the people business! But what’s that ole saying one is fine two is okay, and three’s a crowd….Now try that with waking boats and people who just don’t care about you, times 1000!!!

But, it’s a tradition. I have to go fishing on the first day of Trout opening. Most of the time I know what to expect. I’ve stood in the wind and rain, been freezing, and due to Small Craft Advisories never made March 1st’s opening day. But this was one for the records books, being it fell on a Saturday. And was damn near if not 80 degree’s on land….a tad cooler on the water. And if they owned a boat, they (Jacksonville) was out fishing.

I gave the opening day a half heart try. I asked a few friends and couldn’t even get anyone to go with me. I went to basically one spot where I thought maybe I’d hit a few Specks. But only caught Bluefish. Watched the lure tossers working the same area and they came up empty too. The tide really sucked. Water movement in the river was really slow on the falling tide with only 2.9 feet of water movement, and the incoming tide was a whopping 2.3 feet. Not what I’d consider being an Epic Trout tide, for what I do and where I fish.

So I went to the jetties and found I couldn’t get near any of my spots there. So I just pulled out my big deck chair, dropped over the 1/2 cider block anchor chucked out a piece of cut bluefish, and drifted off the beach all the out to the green buoy on the south jetty catching whiting.
Then, finally saw and opening and went for it!

I pulled in dropped anchor an in 5 casts of the float-rig had 5 Yellowmouth Trout, and lost a Sheepshead behind the boat. Packed it up and went to the boat ramp.

That was my whole Saturday.

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3/2 – Had Dave Kossak and family out for a morning half day trip. With his 11 yr. old son, and 7 year old daughter and wife. I saw some good things as I explored around on Saturday afternoon waiting my turn to get a anchoring permit to fish my spot. So I had a good game plan for the kids. BOTTOM FISH!

Real easy, but where to do it was the best decision. We left out about 7:30am on another CRAZY DAY, just like Saturday. We went to one spot, anchored up, and was incessantly waked, but the fish were there. And it was I.G. – (instaneous gratification)

I no sooner pitched out a 6oz. bank sinker with a short leadered hook and an impaled live shrimp and we were onto the first Sheepshead. She worked hard on this fish in 50 feet of water (with help from her dad of course) and here hair kept getting caught in the reel as she turned the reel handle.

I never seen that happen before….but she never gave up, and caught the largest Sheepshead at 6.5 pounds. They caught more Sheepshead and even a Black Drum, and a few healthy deep water Seabass that would have been legal a year ago. Mmmm, even 11-1/2″ Seabass have some nice white fillets.

It was tough staying anchored as the inconsiderate’s run down the side of my boat and between us and the jetties. But the kids had a ball I think. And that’s all that mattered to me.

Dave said when we got back and as I cleaned their fish. He’ll have to do this again, as an “adult trip”. He caught a nice Black Drum. And would have liked a Big ole Redbass. So I guess there has to be a next time for that. Good thing we caught some “deep water fish”. Because I was using my new Biscayne Rods I just had built, by Eddie Carman and crew. And since I never really used them on Saturday for their intended purpose. It was a good trial for them. They worked out splendidly. Now, I these rods need a 20 pound Redbass or a 60 pound Drum!

(beware of nice weekends….I know that maybe all you have but as the weather gets nicer and nicer, just let me say; “There’s nothing like a Monday morning at 7:00am on the big St. Johns River…we’ll be left all alone”.)

Capt. Dave Sipler’s Sport Fishing (904) 642-9546

www.captdaves.com

2/28 – Like Christmas Eve!

ONE MORE DAY, till the month of February is over! It’s like Christmas eve for me. I despise February, Election years, politicians, Government intrusion, TV commercials, and 6″ bait stealers.

But February takes the cake. Because my beloved Speckled Sea Trout are closed for harvest in the my part of Florida. And my freezer doesn’t have any of them in it. I finished the last of my stock pile about 8 days ago.Just like this old picture, the cattle man and the Sheep herder are talking, and wishing for some Trout, which is depicted up in the clouds! (or that’s at least how I see the picture)

You’d think I’d just love February
being a “Valentine baby”
and a Aquarius and all.
So what has that all done for me, lately?

I’m more into a stringer full of Specks. Hitting the dock at the end of the day, getting out the fillet table, passing the knives over the stone, and getting busy with some fish cleaning.

Mind you, I don’t mean hackin’, carving, hack-sawing, which is readily done when Sheepshead and even Redfish are in the cooler. I’m talking easy filleting, deboning and skinning which takes maybe 2-3 minutes per fish? To produce a skin-less, bone-less, perfect back strap of meat. That fits perfectly in my big well seasoned cast iron skillet. Fried or even blackened… I love me some T-routz.

Here’s a few pics of some memorable days in the past, and they won’t be the last!