Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 11:54 AM
Subject: Fishing report for Jacksonville, Amelia Island and Ponte Vedra Beach Florida for 01/19/03
Can You Say BRRRRRRRR?
What is with this weather? I am ready for summer. Well, if you are like me, you are probably under the covers with the electric blanket turned to high trying to keep warm. It looks like we are going to have at least another week or so of this cold before it gets any better, so I have found a list of things to do to be sure that I am ready when the ice melts and it is time to get back on the water.
All of us have little things that we need to be doing but just have a hard time getting motivated when you have to wear 4 layers to go outside. But, these things do need to get done and I am going to help you. No, I am not coming over and lend a hand but I will at least get you started with the same list that I have posted in my garage.
Lets start by taking all of your reels and breaking them down for a good cleaning, oiling and while we ware at it lets get some fresh line on the spool. After I have removed all of the line on the spools, I like to start by taking all of them off of the rods and putting them in a big plastic try or bucket. I them get out my big can of WD 40 and get to it. I like to get all of them good and soaked with this before I start taking them apart. Now, I am not talking about completely disassembling them, just taking off a few pieces to get them cleaned on oiled. After I get them all wet with WD 40, I take them out one at a time and with one of my wife's good towels, wipe each one off.
On the spinners, I then take out the screw that holds the bail to the little arm that closes it. There is a bearing in there that needs to be cleaned and lightly oiled or greased. I then take off the side plates and squirt some oil in there and then oil the handle. I then put all of the parts back together. I then squirt some more WD on the entire reel and lightly wiping it down. Leave a little film of WD on the reel as it will help keep the salt water from eating your reels. After I have done this to all of the spinning reels, I start on putting new line on each. I like to spray a little WD on the spool before I start putting on the line. The inside of the spool might not see a good cleaning for a while and the WD will help it from corroding. If I am spooling mono on the reel, I squirt a little WD on the line as it is being put on the spool. This helps to lubricate the line and helps to prevent line twist. I have been doing this for years and it does not seem to hurt the line. If you are using Power Pro you can do the same thing.
Now that you have all of you spinning reels cleaned and a good fresh spool of new line, go ahead and squirt some WD on a rag and wipe down the rod guides before putting the reel back on the rod.
Now for your bait cast style reels. Some of these are pretty dad burn intricate and can pose a problem to the novice when trying to disassemble them. The problem that I had the first time that I took a big offshore reel apart was, as I opened up the case, some parts that were attached to a spring, jumped out of the case and flew across the room. When they landed in the carpet, they buried down out of site, so I had to get out my metal detector to find them. Now if you think you might have this problem, you can take the reels to Thrifty Bait and Tackle on Cassatt Ave 786-9080 and let the guys that do this for a living clean your reels.
Now lets work our way back to the boat. If you have a trolling motor, I squirt some WD or some other product like this in all of the places where the motor has parts that move. You might also squirt some sort of sealer water displacer on all of the electrical connections. I have a MotorGuide and on the shaft there is a joint. I like to squirt some grease in this joint and using my fingers, mash it in good so it gets all the way in the bearings.
I start by checking my safety equipment. Check your fire extinguisher, life jackets, throw ring, whistles, horns and flares. If any of the dates are getting ready to expire, go and get new ones now. What a pain in the behind it would be for the man to stop you and GIVE YOU A TICKET. Or worse, you are on your way to your favorite spot and you get stopped and he says go home until you get it fixed.
Check your anchor line for frays and remove a little line from the end if need be.
Take all of your tackle trays and sort them out and clean the contents. Plano has new trays that have some real good snaps and o-rings that keep the water out. The snaps on these new trays are real strong and keep the lid pressed firmly into the o-ring. I just took all of my old ones and replaced them with these new and better ones.
I then move to the console, where all of my electronics are. I take all of the connections apart and clean them with a dry cloth then squirt some white grease in all of the connections both on the unit and on the plug. I do this with my Bottom Line recorder, Shakespeare VHF radio and anything else that might be up there.
I then work my way to the batteries. I check all of the connections and if any are crummy looking, I cut them off and put on new ones. If they look okay, I take them loose from the battery, clean them, apply some grease and put them back on the battery. I do the same with my Dual Pro battery chargers.
I also check each nut, bolt and screw in the boat, to be sure they are all tight. As you ride around all year, some of these have a way of working back out of the holes or becoming loose.
Look at your bilge pump and be sure it looks good and there is not a big wad of fishing line all wrapped up in it.
Now that I am done inside of the boat, over the side I go to get on the trailer. Check and grease all of the wheel bearings and while you are down there check the tire air pressure.
Now is also time to do your once a year spark plug replacement and drain and replace the oil in your lower unit (foot). You might also want to take your prop off and check the seal behind it. If there is any fishing line on the shaft remove it. Before you put the prop back on be sure to squirt some crease on the shaft.
Your motor will have a few grease fittings and now is a good time to put new grease on all of these parts.
Now that you have cleaned, re-spooled, lubed, greased, tightened and replaced all of the parts on your boat it is time to get on that tackle box. Check all of your plugs to be sure you have sharp hooks. Go thought the tackle box and clean it out. Get rid of all of the crummy stuff that you threw in there in there last season. Now is a good time to take inventory of what you will need for the new season. I hear Thrifty Bait and Tackle on Cassatt Ave has a real good selection. You can even take your tackle box in there and Mike or Doug can help you fill it back up.
Now lets get to some fishing reports:
Whiting in and around the inlets are cooperating. Try a fresh piece of shrimp or a piece of Fishbites, fished on the bottom.
The jetties are producing some fair catches of sheepshead, black drum, redfish and a few seabass. If the water gets any colder, expect to see some cod or some other north Atlantic species move in.
Offshore, when you can get out has been producing nice catches of seabass and vermilion snapper.
The creeks are slow.
How would you like to go fishing with Capt. Jim?
For charter information please call me at 904 757 7550 or email me at jim@fishingwithjim.com. Don't forget to watch my TV show, every Tuesday at 7pm and Sundays at 8:30am on cable channel 7 in Jacksonville, Clay County and the Beaches and Thursdays at 7:30, Saturdays at 1:30 p.m., Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m pm on channel 22 and 2 in St. Augustine and St. Johns County.
Remember mom and dad, spend some time with your sons and daughters taking them fishing and you will not be looking for them come Friday and Saturday nights, as they will be home in bed waiting to go the next day.
Don't forget to check out my website for other information on fishing this area, the products that I use and charter info at www.fishingwithjim.com/ or www.hammondfishing.com.
Good Fishing
Capt. Jim Hammond
904 757 7550
jim@fishingwithjim.com
http://www.fishingwithjim.com
http://www.hammondfishing.com
This report is brought to you by 
