In China they have the year of the rat, tiger, horse and many other. For those of us in Florida this was the year of the HURRICANE. Well, these hurricanes not only rearranged and discombobulated buildings, cars, signs and people but I think they had a very unusual effect on the fish.

I have seen things this year that in my 30 plus years of fishing this area have never seen or heard of before.

Here are some of the weird things that I or my comrades have experienced since the hurricanes.

The ocean bottom fishing has been GREAT all through the summer, when it normally shuts down. Local guides Mark Williams, John Harrison, Chris Holland and more have been having banner catches of snapper and grouper on almost every trip. Sometimes the fishing has been so good that the boat has limited out by 9 in the am and then caught and released several more limits.

In the inland waters several of us inshore guides and recreational fisherman have seen something that none of us nor any of the real old fisherman have ever seen or heard of, 3 to 4 inch long ribbon fish in hoards. That's right hoards of small ribbon fish. About a month ago, I was on my way back to the dock when I made my way around a bend to a deep creek and it looked like jacks exploding on the surface. I thought to myself that it was a little late for jacks in this number to still be here but what the heck. I can't ever remember turning away from fish that were saying "CATCH ME".

I picked out a rod that had a lead head jig with a white and green Sea Striker curly tail grub on it and flung it past the action, the lure not the rod. As I steered my bait into the action, ker-thump, I was hooked up but it did not seem like a jack, unless it was a small one. What the heck, it was a fish and a fish that was very willing to play. As the fish made it's way to the boat, my earlier suspicion that it was not a jack was confirmed. It was a speckled trout about 15 inches long. This was better, trout stacked up like cord wood and exploding on bait that they were driving to the surface. How much fun can a guy have? I made several more cast and on each another trout, some larger some smaller but all willing to tug on the string. I tried to get a close look at the baits that they were feeding on and they looked like giant class minnows but I was not sure that I had ever seem glass minnows that were 3 to 5 inches long and well over an inch wide, so I was not exactly sure what this was. As the boat drifted into the action I was able to get a closer look at the baits coming out of the water and they were ribbon fish. Yeah, acres of 3 to 5 inch ribbon fish. I continued to fish this new found bounty until my customer said "my arm hurts, can we go home now". WHAT, my arm hurts. What is this? This was a phenomenon that you might never in your life see again and you want to go home. Who would guess?

Since that day, I have seen the birds several more times and on each occasion it was like I was attracted to them like a magnet. The thought of being able to on each cast hook up with a nice trout, will attract anyone. As with the first time the birds have not let me down, trout on each cast, sometimes trout from 13 to 14 inches sometimes trout from 16 to 18 inches but each time the birds were right on the money. This action is without a doubt something strange and the only thing that I can suggest has caused this is the HURRICANES.

Here is another strange occurrence that I have nor has anyone that I have talked to ever seen before. Keep in mind I know some old old guys that have fished in these waters for more than 50 years. Schools of shrimp swimming down the ICW. Yes, schools several hundred feet long of shrimp that were monsters. The first time that I saw this, I thought it was a school of bait fish headed my way and I told my clients to wait until they got closer and throw their lures on the outside edges and get ready. The guys did as I asked and as the ripples got close to my boat they both tossed their lure at the school and just like it was supposed to happen, they were both hooked up and both with a nice trout.

As the bait school came close enough tot he boat for me to see them, I liked to wet my pants. It was shrimp and big monster shrimp, I mean shrimp that were 7 to 10 inches long and hundreds or maybe thousands of them.

As a kid with my dad I have caught my share of shrimp using a cast net and on this occasion I was quick to get off of the front deck, get the cast net out and proceeded to do what I know how to do with a cast net and a passel of big shrimp. My customers were concerned about me spooking the trout and I was concerned that I would not be able to get my 5 gallon bucket before they were gone.

I advised them to cast on the outside of the school and I would throw my cast net in the middle of the school. This worked, the guys caught nice trout and I caught big XXXX shrimp. As thick as they were it only took a few more cast and I was sure I had my limit. I put the net down and proceeded to fill up my bucket and I was right, I had a bucket full or the biggest shrimp that I had ever caught. Not long after my bucket was full, the guys had their limit of some pretty trout.

Now, I have caught trout under the birds and I have caught shrimp in the river, icw, the feeder creeks and the monsters that use to be in Guana. But never in my 50 years have I caught monster shrimp and 2 to 3 pound trout under the same birds and I'll bet most or none of you have done both.

Even though we have for the past couple of months had unbelievable trout and offshore fishing, I DO NOT want another year of the HURRICANE.

Now for some local fishing forecast.

Trout in the river, ICW and feeder creeks should be on for this month. Try a 1/4 ounce lead head jig with your favorite soft plastic. I like a Sea Striker curly tail trout grub, white with a chartreuse tail. This lure can be worked slow, medium or fast and if the fish are there they will eat this every time. Flounder also like this lure this time of the year.

Lots of rat reds in the creeks on the falling tides around the oyster mounds. Look for a mound that has deep water next to it. I like a lead head jig and a shrimp. Toss the rig next to the mound and slowly work it back to the boat. You should feel that definite THUMP when the fish picks up the shrimp. Remember, these are small fish and do not have big mouths, so use a small shrimp or a piece of a big shrimp.

The sheepshead have been on fire. Every piling or rock pile has a concentration of these tasty, hard to catch fish on it. Try a fiddler or shrimp on a small jig head or a small hook with a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce egg weight slid down on the hook. Send this rig straight down, let it hit bottom and raise it up a foot or so. If you can do all of this and keep a tight line, you might feel the bite and then maybe get a hook in one of these "I can get you bait before you catch me fish". When you do hook one, you will know as the small ones pull like a 10 pound fish and they eat real good.

The winter time king mackerel run is happening now and if the weather is not too bad they might stay here a few more weeks. Look for 70 degree water and schools of bait fish on your recorder. The bigger sizes Clark Spoons work great or you can use a cigar minnow rig. If you a re really bold you can drag a tree rig but be careful as they will tangle with everything and you will have a big mess.

The snapper, grouper, seabass and vermilion snapper have not slowed in moths. Right now, most are limiting out in a couple of hours and then targeting other species. If you get out there and work hard, you should have your limit of several species and be back to the dock well before dark.

Remember moms and dads, take you sons and daughters fishing and they will not be out getting in trouble come Friday and Saturday night. They will be in bed waiting to go the next day.

This report is brought to you by

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