fishing

Nassau County anglers will have to contend this weekend with high seas, super high tides and extreme muddy water due to the after-effects of Tropical Storm Fay. Hopefully, you or your boat did not experience any wind damage due to Fay.

For the offshore anglers, once the seas calm and the water clarity clears, you can expect excellent fishing. The water temperature should be back to normal for this time of year and the bait should return after a few days to enhance our bottom and live bait trolling.

As cooler water temperatures remain along our beaches, inlets and offshore, anglers need to change their fishing tactics to reap the benefits. If the predicted weather forecast comes through with northeast winds, these conditions should bring our water temperatures back into the normal range of 83 to 85 degrees.

Offshore anglers are usually live bait trolling this time of year, but with the lower water temperatures they have switched to bottom fishing all week and they are having excellent results. Grouper and snapper are being caught at most of your favorite inshore reefs. Further offshore, at the Brunswick and Elton bottoms, snapper, grouper and large numbers of beeliners are being caught. Live cigar minnows and sardines will work best when bottom fishing the local reefs and wrecks. Be on the lookout: there also have been large numbers of cobia in these areas, also.

The cooler-than-normal water temperatures are once again the topic of conversation amongst our local anglers. The dreaded thermacline has once again lowered our water temperatures almost 10 degrees below what the temperature should be this time of year.

The lower water temperatures at the inshore offshore reefs have all but shut down the slow trolling with live bait. If you are wanting to make the trip to the inshore reefs, I would plan on bottom fishing. The snapper and grouper fishing has been good this week with grouper being caught up to 20 pounds within the 15 mile range. Live cigar minnows, Spanish sardines or pinfish will be the baits of choice when bottom fishing with live bait. Barracuda and a few cobia are still being caught at these locations slow trolling; the kingfish have left for warmer waters. TW, HH, RL and FC are a few of the many reefs that have been holding summer bottom species.

The surf temperature for Northeast Florida should hover around the mid to high 80s but that is not the case; our surf temperature is in the middle 70s. This is significantly cool for this time of year. Hopefully, the predicted easterly winds will help to bring our water temperature back to normal.

If the water temperature continues to be in the 70s, this condition will affect whether we have live bait in our area for local anglers who are planning on entering the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish tournament next week. The junior angler event will be Wednesday and the tournament will occur Thursday through Saturday, July 26.

We have been experiencing a typical summer weather pattern; hot and muggy with afternoon showers. The heat has not deterred our local anglers, along with many visitors, from fishing our waters this week.

Surf fishing remains a great choice to wet a hook. It’s inexpensive, with not much fuel expense involved. Whiting, small sharks, sand trout, weak fish, blues and the occasional pompano have been reported from the surf this week. Fresh shrimp will definitely be your best choice for enticing even the smartest of fish when surf fishing.

The anglers fishing the Amelia By the Sea pier have reported an excellent week, with whiting, sharks and trout at the end of their hooks.

Our local anglers are reporting the action is heating up along with our summer temperatures. There is plenty of live bait available at the buoy line, reefs, wrecks, jetties and the backwater. The arrival of the bait means plenty of action when slow trolling, bottom-fishing or live-baiting.

The backwater anglers can expect flounder, trout, reds and puppy drum at the end of their hooks, but I would try to be on the water early in the morning or late in the evening. Live shrimp, mud minnows or finger mullet will work well for bait for the live-bait angler.

The topwater action continues to be good, especially fished over or around the oyster bars holding bait.

Our local anglers’ catches continue to heat up from our waters, whether from the surf, jetty, offshore or the backwater creeks. The water temperature is now in the lower 80s, giving the angler the best action early in the morning or later in the evening.

The Nassau Sportfishing Association’s Kingfish Tournament of Champions began Friday morning. Local anglers were in search of the elusive pogy pods this past week to use for bait in the tournament. The pogies have temporarily disappeared from our beaches. This left many of our local anglers to purchase those expensive live blue runners and goggle eyes which are trucked up from South Florida. The live blue runner and goggle eye can be purchased at the boat ramp for approximately $120 a dozen.

Southeast winds are predicted for this weekend, giving the anglers who choose to surf, backwater or offshore fish excellent results. All week we have experienced southerly winds during the mornings and a strong sea breeze kicking in for the afternoons and evenings. This is your typical summer pattern.

The surf anglers have been seeing plenty of action from whiting, pompano, blues, jacks, small sharks and the occasional sea trout. Fresh shrimp, clams or sand fleas will do a great job for bait while you enjoy your day on the surf this weekend.

The Fort Clinch State Park finger jetties have been producing flounder caught with mud minnows or finger mullet. The first few hours of the incoming tide has been the tide to fish the fort for flatties. Flounder, trout and reds have been reported from Amelia Island State Park, feeding the rips around the point. Finger mullet, shrimp and mud minnows will all work well fishing this area. The George Crady Bridge State Fishing Pier has been producing whiting, puppy drum and sharks. The Amelia By the Sea pier anglers have been reporting puppy drum, sea trout, flounder and sharks this week.

Atlantic menhaden, or pogy, play a significant role in our marine ecosystem. Whether you obtain pogy this time of year can make or break your fishing trip.

Pogy are an important resource for Northeast Florida anglers.

They are also an important resource for our poultry industry for feed and many farm-raised fisheries. Did you know the omega-3 oil suggested for use by your physician comes from menhaden in many instances?

While fishing the inshore waters of Lansford Creek with Capt. Jim Tucker, Mike Price hooked into a big red of approximately 40 pounds on a jig and trout rod. After a half hour fight, the fish was revived and released.

Southerly winds not only bring us warmer water temperatures, but the long awaited bait pods. We have experienced absolutely gorgeous fishing weather this week.

Surf anglers can expect plenty of whiting, small bonnet head sharks and black tips, ladyfish, pompano, blues, Spanish mackerel and trout while putting their hooks into the water this weekend. The high tide falls around 6:02 a.m. and again at 6:37 p.m. today.