If you want to put meat in the box, now is a good time. With the ocean in this area to the point of being closed to any reasonable fishing by our KNUCKLE HEAD government, the inshore waters are the place to find Fun Fishing and a meal or two.

On days that the weather and fish cooperate, you should have no problem coming back with a big box of fish and a whole lot of stretched string.

If you are lucky enough to pick a day that the weather, tides and fish all are in your favor, a limit of redfish, drum and a few nice sheepshead are not out of the question. This can equate to 50 to 80 pounds of fish that can be cleaned and put up for the lean times. If you like to eat fish, now is the time for you to be out there.

In the past couple of weeks my customers that have wanted to keep fish, have been returning tot he dock with catches in the 50 to 80 pound range and none have had a large enough cooler.

Depending on the tide and wind, we have been limiting out on one species and then making a dash to add to the box with another species and on the real nice days, taking the drinks out of the drink box and putting fish in that cooler.

Here are some tips that might help you do the same.

Try to plan a day that the wind is calm and you will be able to fish a low tide.
Head over to Browns Fish Camp on Heckscher Dr and get loaded up on Fiddler crabs, a few blue crabs, dead shrimp and a few mud minnows.

If the weather is with you, head to the jetties on the higher end of the tide and try for some black drum at the tip of the rocks or sheepshead on the edge of the rocks.

The black drum are going to be in water depths from 22 to 55 feet and like current. The baits of choice are cut up blue crabs or a nice big fresh dead shrimp. Squid and clams will also work. You are going to need your bait to be on the bottom and I like to fish more than one rod per person if the tide and wind allows me to do this without giving up all of my tackle. Sometimes that current and wind are such, you can only fish one rod. I also like a 5/0 Daiichi Circle Wide hook tied to about 25 pound test monofilament line. Find a good place, set your anchor, get you bait in the water and wait for the fun to start. You can have 5 drum per person.

If you want to target sheepshead, get right up close to the rocks and either put you anchor down or get on the trolling motor. I good rig for these fish is a 7 foot rod with 20 pound test Power Pro and a 1/4 ounce lead head jig. On the lead head jig, put a fiddler crab and work it in the rocks from 10 to 25 feet of water. Be careful when the big orange tug goes by, that you do not get pushed in the rocks. If you are on your a game, you could end up with 15 of these per person to take home to the frying pan.

If you like whiting and who does not, there have been plenty of them just off of the rocks on the sand and with a small hook and small piece of shrimp, you should be able to flat wear them out. The key is the size of the hook and bait. I like a #4 size hook and a piece of shrimp about the size of the joint on your little finger. A two inch long squid tentacle works real good for bait. For the best results keep your bait on the bottom.

For the creeks, try a live mud minnow or a nice big shrimp on a hook fished near an oyster mound for some nice redfish action. A fiddler crab or a chunk of blue crab also works for these redfish.

With the colder water temperature comes a slow sluggish trout that can still be caught but you are going to have to work your bait very slow. Try a mud minnow, shrimp or Gotcha 4 inch trout tail for best results. I live a moving tide and clear water but as long as it is not to dirty, you can still find a few fish. My best advice is to work your bait slow.

If you just have to fish the ocean, you can still keep your limit of 5 seabass if you are inside of 3 miles. Other than that, try a long trip for wahoo and tuna or bottom fishing for trigger fish.




Capt Jim's Fun Fishing Inc.
17184 Dorado Cir
Jacksonville, Fl 32226
904 757 7550
www.hammondfishing.com
jim@hammondfishing.com