What's Happening in Northeast Florida

 

I know that I might have already said that the water temperature is coming up but I really think it is now. It has fluxuated back and forth between the 50's and 60's for months but I HOPE it is on it's way to the 70's.

 

The warmer water temperature will bring in the Spanish Mackerel and Blue Fish and that means a lot of fun and it will be time to get out the smoker.

 

For those of us that like smoked fish, Spanish Mackerel and Blues are some of the best to smoke. I love that mild Spanish flavor with a penetrating smokey flavor generated from a drip pan full of beer and some wet hickory chips. I hope I can make it through this writing without heading toward the kitchen after describing the smoked fish. As I wrote this last sentence, I could smell the hickory chips and my smoker is NOT even going.

 

Now to catch some of these delightful fish.  I have three ways that are most productive to add some Spanish Mackerel or Blue Fish to my fish box. 

 

1.  Trolling: I have four rods that stay rigged up and are only used for trolling for Spanish or Blues and they are 6 1/2 foot medium heavy action Ugly Stiks with Shakespeare Tidewater TL15 reels. These are spooled with Cajun Red Lightning 50 pound test line. Tied to the end of the line is a Sea Striker #1 planer with a 3 to 4 foot section of 30 pound test Cajun Red Lightning leader and to that a Clark Spoon from 00 to #1 in size or a Mackerel Tree Rig.  These are my trolling outfits and are only used for that. This is a great set up when trolling using a planer. As you know or maybe you never have trolled using planers but when the planer is engaged, you will  have a great deal of tension on the rig. This is why I use 50 lb test line on the reel.

Now that you have the rig ready, head to the inlets and lot for the diving birds. DO NOT troll trough the middle of them as you will send the fish down and it might be a while before they come back up or they might relocate. Troll around the edges and you will catch plenty. I like to send my rig out a bout 50 to 70 feet behind my boat. I lock the reel down and put it in a METAL rod holder. When the fish gets on the rod tip will be jiggling. Spanish and Blues have to be 12 inches at the fork and you can keep 15 Spanish and 10 Blues per person.

 

Clark Spoons                                                 Mackerel Tree Rig

 

2. Casting: Casting to fish that are under the diving birds can be a lot of fun and very productive. You can use spin cast or bait cast equipment. From the line on the spool, tie on a 1 to 2 foot piece of 30 lb test Cajun Red Lightning leader then a Gotcha . You will find this lure cast long distances and is a NO BRAINER when it comes to catching fish. Throw the lure into the birds and turn the reel handle.

 

3. Fly Casting: Fly casting can be fun if you have the right STUFF and can make long cast. The right stuff consist of a fly outfit that you can throw about 50 plus feet, A fly that looks like  glass minnow and some extra fast sinking line. Because you cannot make a 100 plus foot cast with a fly rod, it is best of you get up wind and current from the fish and shut your motor off and try to drift into them or use your Minn Kota trolling motor to get you in the right spot. There are several flies available that look sort of like a glass minnow or you can tie your own from a long shank hook, some silver Christmas tree tensile and some lead eyes or round lead wrap.

Glass Minnow Fly from Orvis.com               Cowens Mullet from Orvis.com

 

Anything like these two will work.

 

When your boat is in the right spot, make a cast as far as you can towards the birds. When the fly hits the water, give it a few seconds to sink some and then strip it AS FAST AS YOU CAN. These fish like fast moving baits and will sometimes turn their noses up to something moving slow.

 

Now comes the fun part. You are going to lose some of your baits because these fish have razor sharp teeth. Yes you can use a small piece of wire tied to the bait but you will not get near as many strikes with the wire as with monofilament. One way to keep from losing all of your baits is to check your leader for frays after every fish or strike. Don't be afraid to retie.

 

Now how about some post spawn bass action. I had the pleasure to fish with Cliff Braddock, owner of B&S Trailers last month for some fantastic post spawn largemouth action. We went to Little River Georgia Plantation in Ashburn Ga. and had a great time and caught a bunch of nice fish, well, he caught a bunch, I caught a few.  For the post spawners, you will want to work a bait like a spinner bait in and around the shallows and in the submerged bushes. Cliff did just that to catch this nice five pounder.

Cliff Braddock with a nice 5 plus pound Little River bass

 

 

 

 

James Roney (left) helped my videographer, Scott Aston, land this nice Littler River 10 pounder using the same technique. 

 

Saltwater Inshore Action:

 

We are starting to see a few flat fish, so any day they should move in to the creeks in some numbers. I caught a few dragging a shrimp behind the boat in shallow water the other day and had a few more casting an Exude paddle tail into small creek mouths on the out going tide.

 

I have been catching some very nice trout around the rock piles in the river and on the grass edges. I was using a MirrOlure 52M and a Provoker.  The big numbers should start to show up by the time this is printed. May is generally the start of the trout season in Northeast Florida.

 

The reds are starting to fire off and I have been doing better on the high outgoing and the last of the incoming. I expect this to change when the water warms a little more.

 

The offshore boats are producing real good catches of bottom dwellers on the long trips to deep water and the gulf stream trips are producing good numbers of Mahi Mahi and Wahoo. I am going to try to get out and get a Mahi or Wahoo show this year.