It’s been another nice week on the water along the First Coast, while the temperatures haven’t felt much like fall we’re seeing a great bite both inshore and offshore. This is always a fun time of year to be on the water, as we move closer to winter the fish are packing on as many calories as they can to prepare for leaner days in the months ahead.
Inshore the Sheepshead, Redfish, Drum, and Trout have all been chewing. We will have flood tides the next few days, the water was reaching up into the grass Tuesday evening and working the main banks along the flooded grass with topwater plugs produced steady action for the last few hours of light. You can cover a lot of water by working grass edges on the floods. As the water cools off the fish don’t feed up on the flats as much, they will still feed along the edges. While most local anglers see a flood on the forecast and think only Redfish those grass edges will regularly hold large Sea trout, Flounder, and other striking fish like Bluefish and Jacks.
The Sheepshead have been chewing non stop the last week around the inlets, lots of smaller fish but the action is steady and you’ll find plenty of nice eating size fish mixed in. The fish are schooled up, bounce around until you get bit. If you’re not losing crabs each drop then it’s time to move, once you find the action it’s game on. I talked with Capt. Steve Crowder while he was cutting a pile of fish at the ramp and his crew had found steady action at the jetty using fiddlers. The new Jax Beach Bait and Tackle that’s replaced Rick’s is hosting a month long Sheepshead tournament so if you get a good one swing it by the shop and see how you stack up at the weigh in station.
Offshore the days to fish have been limited but the action has been good. We’re inching towards wintertime Wahoo fishing and there were a few caught during the last window. We trolled for the first time this season after limiting on bottom fish but didn’t have any luck with the Wahoo. The temperatures are dropping and the fish are trickling in. I bottom fished Tuesday and saw more bait and life out past 100ft than the last few trips this fall. The waters still in the mid to high 70s out in 130 foot but there were huge patches of flying fish and lots of Blue runners and bullet Bonita. We saw a few Blackfin Tuna jumping and a school of peanut mahi on some debris.
The coming weekend forecast has taken a turn for the windy side Saturday before tapering off Sunday into a calm start to next week. Monday Tuesday are looking like the next great weather days to head East towards the stream but with a little cooperation from the wind and the right size boat Sunday could be fishable as well. For anyone heading out of the inlet the dredge work has moved East from the Mayport Ramp towards the base. Use extra caution around that area, the large anchor buoys they use are not well lit and sit low enough in water they can be difficult to see especially in low light conditions.
As always wishing y’all tight lines, fair winds, and following seas going into the weekend! If you’re looking to book a charter, submit a photo, or have a report to share reach out to me directly at chris@fishjax.org or visit www.fishjaxcharters.com.
It’s always Wahoo season for Frank Vining and the Walk Thru.
Opmerkingen