December Fishing Forecast

Sight fishing season is here so grab your polarized glasses a casting platform or stepladder and start looking for schooling reds on your favorite flat. Go ahead and sleep in as sight fishing doesn’t get good till late morning, if wind is not a factor, keep the sun to your back and when a school is located approach with stealth. Using a push pole or trolling motor on a low setting will get you within casting distance, when close enough to the school look for the lead fish or pick off the reds located on the outside of the school. Small soft plastics like Fish Bites Extreme paddle tails, small spoons or an Exude Dart work best for schooling reds.

Fly fisherman will bend a rod with any small natural color fly that mimics any small shrimp pattern. A Flats Bunny, olive being one of my favorite colors is my first choice of fly followed by Merkwans.

Rat reds, Black Drum and dink Trout to just keepers will be taking over all the creek holes and thumping any jig and soft plastic combo. Live shrimp with a bb split shot and Daiichi 1/0 circle hook or a Slayer Inc. Jighead and shrimp combo is the live bait alternative for trout, black drum or reds if artificial is not your thing.

Sheep head are another sight fishable species located during first of incoming tides on oyster beds on the flats or around bridge and dock pilings. Best baits are fiddler crabs matched with a Daiichi 1/0 Octopus J hook hands down but shrimp will do in a pinch. During high tides look for Sheepheads in the Palm Coast Canals, most fish will be feeding on the barnacles that are on the seawalls and docks.

November fishing report

Creek bends, shallow flats, Inlets, docks and creek mouths. What do these areas have in common? Flounder, it’s that time of year when water temperatures (68 degrees) dictate flounder activity and the annual flounder run starts.

It’s fairly simple fishing as using a ¼ ounce Slayer Jig head with a finger mullet or mud minnow slowly dragged across the bottom. Other simple rigs consist of using split shots or an egg sinker (fish finder rig) and 14 inches of leader with a 3/0 Daiichi D16Z Octopus wide hook. For artificial applications any jig head and soft plastic combo (FishBites Paddle Tail) works well in deep water areas. Spoons, soft plastics and hard baits fished on shallow sandbars will produce flatties as well.

Flounder strikes or “thumps” as I like to call it are very distinct to other inshore game fish. When fishing for flounder patience pays a great part after feeling the “thump”. Flounder will grab a hold of your bait and sit on the bottom till bait stops moving around and that’s when the flounder will turn mullet or mud minnow around and swallow it head first which will initiate the second “thump”. Many “Old Salt” flounder anglers know the importance of feeling for flounder on the line by slowly lifting the rod tip to make sure the flounder is still attached to the line and then give some slack for about a minute before setting the hook.

Trout fisherman will get their limit and more using float rigs at Matanzas Inlet with shrimp being the top bait. The last 2 hours of outgoing tide and first of incoming is the locals preferred time to fish. Topwater plugs by BiteABait, Rapala or Mirrorlure can catch the biggest trout looking for a bite in the shallows or ICW drop offs at creek mouths. When the bite slows down on top switch gears to diving plugs like a MirrorDine or curly tail grubs with a ¼ ounce Slayer jig.

Redfish will start to huddle in masses and seek the warmth of oyster beds during afternoon high tides. Long casting spoons or jerkbaits will produce. For scattered redfish live or cut mullet on a fish finder rig tossed around points, creek mouths or oysters will do the trick. During low tides look for reds cruising shallow mud banks with their backs out of the water chasing small grass shrimp. Matching the hatch (live shrimp) or a FishBites shrimp on a weedless hook tossed in front of a belly crawling redfish will result in a catch.

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October fishing report

Look to bail from your skiff and wade during fall flood tides that produce tailing redfish on flooded spartina grass flats. Finding the right day for flood tide fishing takes nothing more than looking at your tide charts and looking for tidal ranges that peek over a 5.4 or better. Time is of the essence as most flooded flats will only stay flooded up to an hour unless the winds are blowing. Red fish that are found tailing in flooded grass are gorging themselves with fiddler crabs, mud crabs, shrimp and other small critters. Light tackle spinning rods with 20 lbs leader are the norm along with 8-9 weight fly rods. Live or artificial baits can be used (just make sure it’s weedless) popular baits are soft plastic Fish Bite jerkbaits, Exude Fan Tail Shrimp or any shrimp or crab fly with a rattle. You can poll or wade to these fish with the only requirement is being stealthy. A long cast and slowly dragging the fly, bait or artificial is the proper presentation.

Sheephead continue to thrive under docks and along seawalls in the residential canals. A live fiddler crab on a 1/0 Daiichi j-hook pegged with a bb split shot is a bait that will not be refused. Most sheephead can be sight fished as the stripes are dead give away when seen lying sideways and feeding on the oysters that collect on the dock pilings or seawalls.

Look for water temperatures to start cooling off a bit that will bring trout to the surface for early morning topwater action. Flounder will start making their yearly march to Matanzas inlet during the fall mullet run. A fish finder rig baited with a finger mullet is best when targeting flounder. Its last chance for Tarpon around the Inlet and just outside the breakers on an outgoing tide. For Tarpon I like to rig with a 13/0 Daiichi circle hook and a the biggest mullet I can find. I will troll the mullet just up current of the crashing Tarpon and just outside of mullet schools.

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Upper to over slot redfish will hold in the surf and around Mantanzas inlet when bait is available. Use a fish finder rig with 2oz. of weight, Daiichi 3/0 circle hook and a finger mullet to locate fish. For the big bruisers head to a deeper inlet like St. Augustine and soak halved crabs, pogies or mullet and hold on. 7/0 Daiichi circle hook and 6-8 oz. of weight is the rig most commonly used for Bull Redfish.

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September Flood Tide Report

September has brought us high waters that flooded the Spartina grass which produced epic tailing Redfish opportunities for the fly or spin fisherman.

Redfish were giving themselves away by flagging you down as they rooted out shrimp, crabs and snails that were buried in the ground. Slurping sounds and their backs coming out of the water were also dead give always of redfish in the area

This type of fishing is accessible by wading or very shallow drafting skiffs that can be poled quietly. Lures, flies or live bait can be used but presentation is key. Weedless rigs is a must so I recommend a Slayer 4/0 Penetrator hook with any type of crab or shrimp lure like Exudes Fantail shrimp or crab.

Fly fisherman can use any crab or shrimp pattern that has a rattle in it and make sure to tie on a weed guard.

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August Fishing Report

Pogy pods are on the beach and rolling and crashing tarpon can be seen shadowing pods. Free lining a pogy on a Daiichi 13/0 circle hook on the outside of the bait pods should produce silver kings. Other catches on the beach will include Sharks, Blue fish and big Jacks. For back country tarpon an early start is a must and free lining a live shrimp or small pogy tossed in front of a rolling tarpon should get their attention. Make sure to sharpen the hooks for best bet hook ups.

Redfish will be cruising creeks and the flats at low tide looking for shrimp, pogies and mullet, look for the wakes and redfish pushing onto the banks. High tide reds can be caught hanging over oyster beds and along grass edges. Big breeder Redfish will be lurking the deep waters of the area Inlets, cut pogies or crabs on a Daiichi 7/0 circle hook with enough weight to hold bottom will put a big bend in the rod.

Flounder are fired up and caught all day along grass edges where baitfish are found. Low tide creeks, residential canals and docks are holding flounder that are easily fooled by jigs and mud minnows slowly dragged along mud banks.

Snook will be worth a shot along Bridges, residential canals, docks and rock piles at night and first light, live pinfish, croakers or select shrimp will fool linesiders into the boat. Spoons have worked well as well soft plastics like a Fish Bites Jerk Bait and Slayer hook combo.

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July Fishing Report

Pogy pods have continued to show up in good numbers along North East Florida beaches attracting Tarpon to monster Jacks. Tarpon can be seen doing cartwheels and slashing through the pogy pods in a feeding frenzy. Free lining a pogy on a Daiichi 13/0 Circle hook has been my rig of choice, just toss the pogy outside of the bait schools and hold on. Look for huge schools of bruiser Jacks pushing wakes and devouring anything that gets in their way. A live pogy tossed in front of the school will hardly get refused but for more of a challenge test the drag on your fly reel and toss a 4 inch bait fish pattern and hold on!

Inshore Tarpon up to 40lbs. are now settled on their favorite flats and can be seen during dawn patrol rolling and crashing bait. A live select shrimp on a Daiichi D85Z 3/0 circle hook tossed in front of a rolling tarpon is a sure bet.

First light topwater action is a great way to get the day started with Redfish. Have a second rod handy after missed blow ups and pitch an Exude Dart in the area for second chance hook ups. Mud minnows soaked around oyster beds rigged on a popping cork have fooled many Reds this month.

The Flounder bite has been hit or miss but when they show up numbers can be caught on a mud minnow and jig head combo.

There are plenty of small Jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snappers available for steady action to keep the kids interested. A live shrimp on a Daiichi 1/0 circle hook and a popping cork is a great rig to go catching instead of fishing. A deeper cut in the flats around oyster beds or deeper structure like rip rap or sea walls is a great place to soak shrimp with the kids.

If all fails you can always hit the beach and fish behind the shrimp boats for Black Tip Sharks. Just wait for the by catch to be dumpd and within minutes you will be surrounded by plenty of sharks to catch.

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Endless Summer Opportunities

Now that summer is here options on where to fish are endless. If targeting redfish is your thing first light on the flats has yielded some nice slot fish using live bait (mud minnows) or artificial lures like BiteABait topwaters or Exude Darts.

Maybe Tarpon is more your thing and they too can be found on the flats, rolling during first light when winds are calmest. A live select shrimp is a prime choice for juvenile Tarpon or whip out the long rod and place a black and purple toad fly in their path.

When the sun is up and things start to slow down in the skinny head for the inlets where Bull Redish will be roaming the rocks sniffing out a piece of cut something (crabs, mullet or pogies). Don’t feel like battling jetty groupers, continue past the rocks and head for open water where big silver kings (Tarpon) can be seen crushing pogie pods. A live pogie tossed around the schools should entice ole’ bucket mouth into feeding.

Can’t find any Tarpon? No problem start slow trolling the pogies or mullet and see if you can’t find the other King, King Mackerel! Don’t forget to wire up for these toothy critters.

Hey look at that shark, wait it’s a Cobia! That’s right, look for Cobia as they tend to be a bit curious and will show up when not expected so have a rod ready with a large artificial paddle tail. Look for Cobia piggy backing on Manta Rays heading back south as long as the water temps allow (71.5 is the magic number). I

f all fails you can still find huge schools of bruiser Jacks that will test your strength and tackle! Almost forgot, plenty of Spanish Mackerel around as well, trolling spoons or casting plugs will get your live well filled in no time.

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June Fishing Forecast

With warming water and air temperatures its best to fish at sunrise or sunset with topwater plugs to lure in lunker trout and redfish. Make sure to have a jerkbait rigged and ready to go after missed blow ups for second chance hook ups.

Look for high tide redfish along spartina grass edges, on top of oyster beds and flooded grass areas along ICW. Low tide will push redfish to deeper areas in the flats or along ICW shore lines that hold mullet. Best bait for slow days is a chunk of mullet or mullet head on a 3/0 Daiichi D85Z circle hook tossed around oyster beds. Look for over slot redfish around Matanzas inlet when tide goes slack, use a quartered crab, mullet head or live mullet with enough weight to hold bottom.

Flounder will continue to make up for slow days on the flats and creeks while fishing for redfish. Mudd minnows pinned on a Slayer jig head tossed around deeper creek bends will account for most flounder catches. Shallow water flounder will eat gold spoons and spinner baits retrieved slowly just above the bottom.

Trout fishing will be stellar during low light conditions along creek mouths that dump into the ICW. Subsurface lipped hard plugs like the Bite A Bait and soft plastic FishBites Extreme 3 inch mullet jigged in 4-8 ft. of water will entice trout to chew. Night time dock light fishing will be in full swing as long as the water is moving. RipTide realistic shrimp rigged with a Daiichi Butt dragger in a 3/0 pitched up current and let drift through dock lights will fool just about any trout.

Residential canals will be hot spots during for first light tarpon up to 60lbs. A back hooked mullet or live select shrimp pitched in front of rolling tarpon works best or a Exude Jerk bait rigged on a weight less Daiichi5/0 Fat Gap worm hook tossed in the path of a rolling Tarpon and retrieved at a very slow non twitch retrieve.

Schools of jacks are blowing up on bait fish at first light and make a great way to warm up the drag on your reel. A modified topwater plug with no treble hooks and a single jay hook make for an easy catch and release.

Capt. Chris Herrera
386-437-2545
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May Fishing Forecast

Fishing at first light or last light still proves to be successful with topwater plugs. High Rollers 4.25 stick bait in a mullet pattern proved to be the gator trout lure of choice along with High Rollers Rip Roller prop bait for those who cannot “walk the dog”. When the topwater bite tapers off go for subsurface suspending baits like a MirrOdine or lipped diving plugs worked with a stop and go retrieve.

Redfish continue to shadow mullet seeking refuge on top of oyster beds and will be fooled by FishBites Extreme Jerkbaits rigged on a Slayer XXX Penetrator hook . Gold spoons and other bait fish imitators will get the Redfish fired up to bite. If opting for live bait a chunk of lady fish or mullet head resting near oyster beds is hard for a Redfish to resist.

Look for Snook to show up heavy this month, local bridges, docks and seawalls fished at night will produce linesiders. Live select shrimp, pinfish and lipped diving plugs are local favorites when chasing snook but remember to use a minimum of 30lb. leaders to avoid cut offs. Day time Snook fisherman will opt for top water at sunrise and pitching jerkbaits or live shrimp under docks in the afternoon.

Inlets and nearby creeks with hard bottom and a good drop off will hold flatties and doormats waiting to eat a live mullet on a fish finder rig (1oz. egg sinker and Daiichi D18Z 2/0 hook) or mud minnow pinned on a Slayer 1/4oz. jig head. For shallow water flounder try a Slayer inline spinner matched with a FishBites Extreme Paddle tail.

Spanish Mackerel are still hanging around our near coastal waters just outside of Matanzas Inlet. Proven techniques for Spanish is to slow troll spoons or look for acres size schools chasing bait on the surface. Blues, Jacks and Lady fish will be in the mix so make sure to bring plenty of tackle or live bait and most importantly wire leaders.

Capt. Chris Herrera

Spring Break Redfishing

The hot bite that started in February that spilled into March has shown no signs of slowing down into April. Clients this week have been lucky enough to experience large schools of Redfish that are willing to eat artificial or live bait that is PROPERLY PRESENTED. Leading the schools and approaching with stealth was the key to pulling out Redfish from the larger schools.

Catching Reds from smaller schools was a whole different ball game this week. Boat position was the key in order to keep the small school of Reds pinned between the skiff and an oyster bar. A little noise was actually the key to success by using a little technique called “bumping” the fish and “bouncing” the school back and forth catching them in transition.

Elle struggling to hold up her 9lb. Redfish that ate a live shrimp on a Slayer Inc. 1/4 jig.

The following day Culter and his older brother Carlton had a fantastic day catching big brutes like this all day

Since we are at the beginning of the spring mullet run I had Rich and Dean tossing cut mullet with mullet heads on a Daiichi 3/0 D82Z circle hook and small bb split shot being my favorite to another small school of Reds. In an hours time 13 reds were landed and 2 of the smaller ones were invited back to JT’s Seafood Shack for lunch.

Later that afternoon Joe and his son Ben got the worst weather of the day with gusty winds and some showers but that didn’t stop the duo from hooking some nice Reds and loosing one monster Red that new how to work the oysters to get away.