Fishing Report December 2016

5:43 PM jbond352 0 Comments

This is a December Fishing Report in conjunction with www.Jaxpaddlesports.com


The departure of Fall and transition to Winter has been a smooth one on the First Coast. Years past we have had to battle early season cold fronts, strong winds, and higher than normal tides. This year has been different.

Nearly the entire month has been fishable with light winds, fog, and water temps ranging from 62-70, which are ideal conditions for a backcountry fishing trip.  The lighter winds have made long exposed paddles enjoyable and less of a burden.

Launching early to catch the tide

"Glassed out"

Dolphins are a common occurrence in the ICW and St. Johns

Launching two hours before the predicted low of the area you are fishing is a solid strategy for finding fish. Low tide = the same amount of fish with less than half the water.

All of my trips in December were focused on targeting redfish. Baits used were artificials, mud minnows, and live mullet on a "no brainer" rig.

Redfish get feisty and feed aggressively when the water is in the 60s. Redfish this time of year primarily congregate around  drop-offs, oyster beds, and ledges where they are waiting to ambush bait.

Mullet on a "no-brainer" rig

circle hook doing its job

 Here is a small sampling of the fish we have landed this month:

29" over slot

Taking the time to revive the fish after a fight ensures the fish's survival

Wishing everyone tight lines. Be safe out there!

Gearin' Up

2:08 PM jbond352 0 Comments

In October I will be doing the Chattajack 31- a 31.5mile paddle/race through the entirety of the Tennessee River Gorge. 

Spring Break 2016

12:16 PM jbond352 0 Comments

I am fortunate enough to teach in a county that gives the students/teachers the Friday before and the Monday after spring break off IN ADDITION to the week of spring break.

The Friday my break started by wife and I drove from JAX to Ocean Springs Mississippi for the "Battle on the Bayou" paddle craft race.  It was my first ever paddling race and it was a blast! It was also my first time in Mississippi so naturally, being the fatty that I am, I was looking forward to the food....lots of fried food and Bar-B-Q

The scene at the staging area.

Dupont or not to Dupont

5:56 PM jbond352 1 Comments

This will be the second year in a row I took an escape after my band's MPA. It is nice after a busy few weeks to take some time to do something I enjoy that takes a little extra time and money.

On Thursday night I met my BBFL in Lake City (armpit of the south) and we drove to Brevard NC, arriving around 1:30am. This trip we decided to step it up a notch and take a break from camping and stay 3 nights using AirBnB....good choice!

We started riding on Friday, with our first set of trails totally just over 13 miles and climbing over 1000 ft.


Riding in FL can get our butt ready for the pounding, but not much can prepare you for the climbing! It usually takes an hour or so to get the blood flowing into your legs, but once it starts the climbs get easier. Besides a minor tumble these trails paid off with stunning views of NC:







Day 2 started fine, until my bike took a shit. Here is a picture I took of a waterfall before an hour long walk/coast downhill to the car:



And the ride details:



Luckily Dupont State Forest is close to Brevard (14 miles) and we were able to snag a rental bike (sweet $3000 full suspension!) for the remainder of the day. Big shout out to The Hub for their AWESOME and FRIENDLY service to help me out so far from home.

The remainder of the ride was insane, with 1500' of climbing and 2 BIG descents. Here is the ride map/elevation profile:



Brevard/Dupont was a success, and in my top 3 favorite riding destinations I have visited yet (Raccoon Mountain and the McKenzie River Trail are on my list too). As much fun as the $3000 bike was, I can't justify owning one here in flat FL.....Good times!

Family and Friends

4:42 PM jbond352 0 Comments

I have had the great pleasure of taking some of my family and friends in the past 2 weeks. While I enjoy the solitude of fishing, it is nice to share the experience of hooking into a nice fish with people who don't normally get to do that.

I took my co-teacher out, on the paddle board, last Monday. It took my friend a while to get the hang of the board, but once he did it was fish-a-palooza. Although the day was on the slow side, we did bring home a flounder and lower slot red.



This past weekend I took out my step-dad, who is a few times a year fisherman, but a manly man all the way. I rented him a fishing kayak, and we were off!

We fished the outgoing as well as the incoming and got a inshore slam!

 

Also, the tide was VERY low. We almost didn't make it through what I call the "wormhole". It is hard to tell by the below picture, but that kayak is in 3" of water!

 



After the day out with dad I took the afternoon on Sunday for solitude and strictly artificial. It was a great example of perfect conditions and slow fishing...did manage a 24" red though.





I know this has been a terse report, but that ok. Stay tuned for a report on my recent fly fishing endeavors.....yikes!

The Calm Before the Storm

4:18 PM jbond352 1 Comments

The weather in NE FL this time of year is either sunny and mild or windy as hell.

Last weekend I had a chance to experience a 48 hour window of < 5 wind at ALL times and temperatures in the mid 60's.

I started the weekend waking up before 6am and heading to a launch called "Cedar Point".  One of the local guides, Capt Rich Santos, frequents this area and has a fantastic youtube channel showcasing this NE corner of the Timucuan Preserve.