Jim Hammond Fishing report, Jacksonville 12-12

[Fishing Report]

Alex Thomason with one of many nice sheepshead.

Great Sheepshead bait and rig.



The sweltering summer temperatures are over and cool fall temperatures bring a fired up bite.



When the water temperature drops from the 70’s to the mid to lower 60’s you can expect the bite to turn on as the fish get ready for the winter cool water. This is one of my favorite times of the year because it seems that almost every fish is trying to get a full belly before the winter temperatures run all of the bait out of the inshore waters. The giant schools of mullet, poggies and shrimp are all on the move toward the ocean where the water temperature is a little warmer than the inshore waters and this move excites the fish that we target.



Just last week, I was watching a school of mullet that must have been the size of a football field, move down the edge of the river with trout, jacks, blues and lady fish sky rocketing them like a hard rain. When I hear this sound, which is like giant rain drops falling, I have to admit, I get excited as I know there is something nice under the bait fish pushing them to the surface. I enjoy just sitting back and watching the bait shower from the water as a nice trout bust the school. What a site!



This is a good time to toss your favorite lure right in the middle of the action and with a twitch or two you can expect a hard thump and as the line is getting tight, that sound we all like, drag screaming from the reel. WOW, I am getting excited just writing about this.



If you are out in open water, LOOK for the birds. They are pointing the way to bait that is being driven to the surface by predators from below. The schools of diving birds are your best friends this time of the year as rarely wrong as to big schools of fish feeding on the baits they are diving on.



If you are in smaller bodies of water such as creeks or inlets, look on the edges, that is where the bait will be thus that is where the striking fish will be.



The inlets will also be alive as the water temperatures fall. Look for the sheepshead bite to be on as they come in from the ocean to fatten up on all of the little crabs and shrimp that use the inlets breaks or jetties as a hiding place. Crabs, clams or shrimp will usually produce a nice box of these tasty hard to catch fish. This is one species that you “have to set the hook before they bite” if you want to get a hook in them. I like a small # 4 wide bend hook with a small live shrimp feed on the hook. It seems as it takes the fish more effort to get the shrimp off of the hook and this gives me a little more time to react to the bite. I also like to use a small hook with a live shrimp and free line it into the rocks. This is a good way to get the bite but you need to be ready to get the fish out of the rocks or he will do what all smart fish do when hooked. Run under a rock and break you off.



The red fish and drum will be positioned at the edges and end of the jetties waiting on a tasty morsel to fall in their direction. Try a large shrimp, clam, crab or a fat juicy piece of squid, fished on the bottom. I like to put out as many poles as I think I can fish, all with Daiichi 5/0 Circle Wide hooks and set back and wait for a rod to double over. You can also hold a rod but if you are going to do this, use a J style hook. Circle hooks just don’t seem to work well if you set the hook on the bite.



The offshore bottom fishing for grouper and snapper in these parts is usually on fire during January and February, if the weather will allow you to get out. The best results are going to come from wrecks that are close in, say inside of 15 miles, with a lot of good fishing not further than 6 to 8 miles out. If you can catch some live baits, you will have strikes that will separate the rod from your hands if you are not holding on tight. You can also use frozen cigar minnows, spanish sardines or a chunk of fresh cut bait.



Good Fishing



Capt. Jim Hammond

Capt Jim's Fun Fishing Inc.
Jacksonville, Fl
904 757 7550
http://www.hammondfishing.com
jim@hammondfishing.com