The Good News...

...we are about 60 days from the arrival of Spring and some really good fishing!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

All's been quite on the fishing front the past few weeks.  Cold weather and holiday preps have been limiting the ability to get out and fish.  It's looking like a warm up this weekend but it's family time!  I do hope to start the new year off right with some New Years day fishing on a few of the local bridges.  Anyone up for the Matanzas bridge on Sat 1/1?

Have a very blessed Christmas and be safe!

Ed

Water Temps 12-15 03:30

Ft. Pulaski, GA             48.2
Fernandina Beach         48.4
St. Augustine                52.9
Cape Canaveral           59.0
Ft. Pierce                     No Data
West Palm                    72.5
Port Everglades             69.3

Guess what I found???

Gotta hand it to NOAA to come up with a product like this.  One stop shopping for tides in every body of water in the country in one place!!!

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=198

Tides, Weather and Tackle Manufacturers

Seperated tides and weather links into their own category on the lower right tab.  Added a tackle manufactures link list bottom center.  

Water Temps 12-14 02:40

Ft. Pulaski, GA                48.7
Fernandina Beach            49.5
St. Augustine                   53.4
Cape                               60.1
Ft. Pierce                        No Data

In the last six days we've seen the "Big Chill" hit our water temps.  From SE Georgia to St. Augustine the drop has been over 7 degrees; while it Cental Florida it's been 4 degrees.

Noone is out there fishing because of the cold.  Hoping for a not so windy day with reasonably moderate temps to hit the pier or an inshore bridge.  Sheespshead must be here in force.

Spotty Dog Tackle (U.K.)

I've been doing my homework on Tackle Retailers in the U.K. that ship internationally.  It seems Spotty Dog tackle is outstanding.  Not only do they have a good reputation for service but their prices are outstanding.  I've been comparing prices on the Century TT LD and the Akios Shuttle.  Places like Gerrys are charging $470 US just for the rod shipped; which is $80-$90 more than Spotty Dog and North East Tackle.

Spotty is the only one that offers discounts not only on the shipping cost but also on product costs.  The rod and reel combo together (shipped) runs (in US dollars) $736 through Gerrys, $661 at North East and $613 at Spotty.  The current exchange rate is $1.585 US to the Pound.

Looks like Spotty Dog is the place to shop.

Water Temps 12-13 02:05

Ft. Pulaski, GA        51.8
Fernandina Beach    52.7
St. Augustine           55.2
Cape Canaveral      61.9
Ft. Pierce               70.7

Unable to get down to the Cape this weekend. My son had some sort of stomach virus. Time to turn my attention to the Sheepshead and Black Drum.

Pompano & Water Temps

Given the things we've seen during this fall run I beleive we can now safely say Pompano can be caught in water Temps from 77 degrees all the way down to 54 degrees. However, you'll probably find the highest concentrations of Pompano in water temps in the mid 60's (65-69).

Another key lesson learned is distance from shore. Have always known they prefer cleaner water, however it looks like long casts will produce the most Pomps (75 yards plus). And that's both on low and high impact beaches. If you're fishing for Pomps most of the time you'll need a rod of 11' or more preferrably married to a conventional reel (Penn Squall, Penn 525, Abu Rockets, etc...)

Another note, I've yet to find any reviews of the new Penn Squall. From what I've heard however, I beleive its a streamlined, better quality product than the 525Mag.

Cape Canaveral Trip 12-10-10

Right now "everything" looks great to hit the Cape on Friday. Air Temp will be 70 and winds will be light at five out of the northwest. Will probably hit half the incoming and half the outgoing tide with High-tide about noon. Mother-Inlaw is excited about the trip. Hoping to put some Pompano in the cooler and on the dinner plate!

Tracking the Sinker

Found these videos on Aliencasters Youtube channel.  Pretty cool.
 Gives you a pretty good idea of the trajectory and distance on a power cast.

Water Temps 12-08-10 01:45

Ft. Pulaski, GA            55.4
Fernandina Beach        56.3
St. Augustine               59.0
Cape                           64.4
Ft. Pierce                     No Data

The Akios Shuttle (656 SCM)

Hooked-Up on the Pier and Surf site brought my attention to this reel.  Top quality but very, very nice looking.  Yes, we fishermen do buy gear just because it looks good.  Just like women buy a purse just because...however, for us it does have to be useful to what we're doing!

 Here's the link to the review:
http://www.fishing-tackle.co.uk/akios-shuttle-656-scm-sportcast-latest-multiplier-reel/

Water Temps 12-7-10 03:55

We just hit the 50's.

Ft. Pulaski, GA              57.2
Fernandina                    56.8
St. Augustine                 61.0
Cape                             No Data
Ft. Pierce                       72.9

Two New Links

Added two new links.

The first is a conversion chart under Fish Hunting Links on the lower left tab.  Sometimes we need to do conversion from ounces to grams, etc.  This is a quick link.

The second is a Rod review section.  It's on the left side of the footer.

I'll be adding a Reel review section on the right side of the footer and the first review will be on the new Penn Squall.

Also, the Penn 525Mags are now on sale for upwards of $50 off around the net and I suspect at local tackle shops also. It is being replaced by the Squall.

Water Temps 12-5-10 23:45

Ft. Pulaski, GA          59.7
Fernandina Beach      61.2
St. Augustine             63.3
Cape                         No data
Ft. Pierce                   74.5

Interesting to note:  The difference in water temp between Ft. Pierce and Ft. Pulaski.  That's 15 degrees separated by about 360 miles and a 6 hour drive.  Take a six hour drive spend a weekend and get into some warm water fish.  Sounds like a plan!

Expanding the Site

I love fishing.  I love the enjoyment it brings and the challenges it presents.  I love sharing my experiences and the things I've learned through the years.  Those are the reasons I started this blog.  This site will always be about the joy of fishing.  However, I'd like to expand the site.

My vision is to develop a full blown website that is a resource to other fisherman whether they are beginners or old salts.  To become a resource with information, a video library, stories, latest news, links, pictures, alerts to deals on gear, a how to archive, conditions and results on whats being caught. That's the reason for the donate button on the left, we need to add equipment and other resources to achieve that.

Again this site will always be free and about the joy of fishing.  The button is simply for anyone who wants to help achieve the goal of expansion.

Tightlines!
Eddie

Water Temps 12-2-10 03:25

Ft. Pulaski, GA           62.4
Fernandina Beach       65.3
St. Augustine              65.7
Cape                          No Data
Ft. Pierce                   76.8

Expecting a drop down into the low 60s/High 50s in about 2-3 days.  Lets see what happens.

Water Temps 11-30-10 00:00

Ft. Pulaski, GA             63.7
Fernandina Beach         67.1
St. Augustine                69.3
Cape                            No Data
Ft. Pierce                     77.0

Temps have remained steady since the last drop; however a major cold front is in store for tomorrow.  In the next few days expect to see another dramatic drop in water temps.

Surf Tackle Plan

1)  13' Century Tip Tornado LD
2)  Abu Chrome Rocket
3) 11' Tiralejo  (MH, Fast, 3-6oz)
4)  Abu Chrome Rocket
5) 11' Mojo (MH, MFast, 3-8oz, 13.6oz)
6) 13'__" Zziplex
7)  Abu Blue Yonder

Pairings:
13'  Century - Blue Yonder
11' Tiralejo - Chrome Rocket

13' Zziplex - Blue Yonder
11' Mojo   - Chrome Rocket

Black "Drum" Friday at Matanzas! 11-26

With my daughter in town for Thanksgiving was planning to take her to Canaveral after the Pomps, but I was not wanting to make the two and a half hour drive.  I did hear that the Pomps were on fire at Playalinda with people limiting out on consecutive days.

Decided on Ft. Matanzas and arrived at 11am right at high tide.  Used a spread of five rods, all baited with fresh shrimp and frozen sandfleas.  The action wasn't bad.  My daughter wound up with a lady fish and dink whiting.  My wife and son both got there first black drum.  I wound up with a bull whiting and Pompano.  The Drum were caught in close on fresh shrimp; 7' rod with 2oz weight and 8' rod with 3oz weight.  The Pomp and Whiting out far 11' rod with 6oz lead and 10'6" rod with 4oz lead.

Whats going on in NE Fl

People are out fishing and catching!  Lots of whiting to be had both throw-backs and keepers, from St. Augustine to Fernandina.  The blues are still out but not as plentiful; yet larger ones are being caught in the southern areas.  Only a few Black Drum so far, a few Sheepshead and the Reds are still undersize.  A few keeper Pomps have been caught as well.  I wonder if more people were using crab for bait would the Drum catches go up, the water is certainly cold enough.

My plan is to hit Ft. Matanzas on Friday instead of heading down to the Cape with a spread of six rods.  Going to use iced lived shrimp, blue crab halves, fleas and clam for bait.  I believe some Pompano will remain in the area until the water temps take another dive.  Not yet hearing of Pomps being caught at Canaveral yet.

Going to spend the next couple days gearing up.  Time to make a few more size 1 bottom rigs.  Need to clean out and reorganize the tackle bag.  Also have to go to Strikezone and get a top guide replaced and do a little reel maintenance.  A couple reels still have mono on them.  Two will remain the same because I recently changed them out with Big Game Electric blue.  The other has Steel Blue Big game on it that is frayed.  I'll replace that with Sufix Tri Hi-Vis.

I recently heard about Cyber-Monday which is the on-line version of Black Friday.  If you're looking for new fishing gear you may want to check out the on-line fishing retailers early Monday.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Tight-lines and enjoy the good fishing!

Water Temps 11-19-10 04:30 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA                  64.9
Fernandina Beach              64.4
St. Augustine                     66.9
Cape                                 No Data
Ft. Pierce                           77.0

Sheepies are Here!

While at B&M picking up bait I noticed a 7-8lb Sheepshead sitting on ice next to the fresh shrimp.  The guy told me one of the owners had caught it that morning at the Mayport Jetties.  Sheeps are here!

Hanna's Whiting Hunt

Hit Hanna Park lot 1 with the little ones.  Just wanted to get out and fish, but also had heard the Whiting bite was off the hook.  Wouldn't have minded filling up the cooler.  First line in at 1:30 about two and a half hours into the incoming tide.  Water clarity was o.k. not great but it shouldn't interfere with catching.  Surprised the seas were so calm not a real chop but steady waves about 2 ft.  Winds out of the North 5-10.  That part of Hanna is normally high impact with lots of cuts and holes.  It's been so long since there was a really good storm it's completely flat.  Not, cuts, no troughs nothing.

First fish was caught on the 7' rod which was in maybe a foot of water.  Blue.  Oh, no, here we go again! Catching was slow and I was very happy the next fish was a 14" whiting.  Things are looking up!  Well, over the course of the next three and a half hours we caught a dozen whiting with only one more keeper.  The rest were babies barely able to make the rod dangle.

Finished up at 5pm.  Bait was shrimp though Idid buy some frozen fleas for the trip south next week from B&M Bait and Tackle.

Water Temps 11-18-10 02:45 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA              64.9
Fernandina Beach          65.1
St. Augustine                 68.4
Cape                             No data
Ft. Pierce                       77.4

Trip Planning

Hoping to get out today and hit Hannah Park, have not been there in a while.  Hopefully the Blues fest has subsided and I can get some whiting and drum.

Here's the plan for the next few weeks:
Wed  11-17:  Hannah Park
Fri     11-26:  Playalinda Beach
Sat    12-4:   Jax Pier
Fri     12-10:  TBD
Sat    12-18:  Playalinda Beach

Water Temps 11-17-10 02:30 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA               65.5
Fernandina Beach           65.1
St. Augustine                  67.6
Cape Canaveral             No Data
Ft. Pierce                       76.5

Water Temps 11-16-10 02:05 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA          64.6
Fernandina Beach      64.8
St. Augustine             67.3
Cape Canveral          No Data
Ft. Pierce                  74.7

Blue Fish Blitz

We've been inundated with blue fish all over the area recently.  If you go to the surf and toss in a spoon you'll probably catch several.  Few of us have probably seen the big blues blitz including me.  So to my bucket list I've added a planned adventure to get in on it sometime.  Hope you enjoy and plan a trip up North sometime!

Blues Festival 11-13-10

Left home with little man about 6 for Ft. Matanzas.  We would have arrived at 7am but on SR 206 when we hit Rt 1 we discovered the bait shop there on the south corner is no more.  It was replaced by a used tire store.  Up Rt 1 we went to the Avid Angler to get bait.

Finally arrived at Matanzas and had our first line in about 8am.  Then the blues showed up and continued to show up.  We deployed four rods two short and two long.  The short one 8' & 9' put bait in only about 6-9 inches of water.  The 11' and 10'6" rods put bait in about 9" - 2 feet of water.  It was low tide and a long way from the water line to deeper water.  The blues kept showing up.  Finished with 6 blues one whiting and a 3" under slot red that went back.  Was hoping for some slot reds and keeper black drum.  Started feeling run down just before arriving there and decided to pack it in at 10 am.  On the road at 10:30 with some fish to clean.

Probably going to shut it down until the day after Thanksgiving and travel then to the Cape.  Going forward I'm probably going to put the Surf rods up and hit the piers and bridges a few times to try for some Sheeps and Black Drum.

Pompano Fishing Tackle Plan

Long Range:
13'4  AFAW Match Rod       - Abu Blue Yonder
13'6  Century Tornado Sport - Abu Blue Yonder

Short Range:
10'6  St. Croix Mojo      -   Abu Chrome Rocket
 To be determined          -   Abu Chrome Rocket

Water Temps 11-11-10 22:50 PM

Ft. Pulaski, GA             No Data
Fernandina Beach         65.8
St. Augustine                 68.5
Cape Canaveral            77.0  (Off Shore)
Ft. Pierce                     73.9

Water Temps 11-10-10 05:55 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA                         No Data
Fernandina Beach                     63.5
St Augustine                              68.2
Cape Canveral                          No Data
Ft. Pierce                                  73.8

Trip Planning

The fast approaching holiday season wasn't approaching as fast as I thought it was.  Didn't think I was going to have this weekend free, but I do...so guess what I'm doing!  Plan to hit the Surf with my son and daughter on Friday and my son and I on Sat.  Planning to use fresh shrimp, clam and crab for bait and maybe a little cut mullet.

Water Temps and Tidbits 11-9-10 02:50 AM

Water Temps
Ft. Pulaski, GA                  No Data
Fernandina Beach              63.9
St. Augustine                     67.6
Cape Canaveral                No Data
Ft. Pierce                          73.9


Reports
Not a lot regarding the Pomps, few have been caught on the Jax Pier over the weekend.  Further south in St. Augustine, Flagler and Daytona the Surf and Piers are on fire with catches of everything from Weakfish to Reds, to Flounder to big Whiting and plentiful big Blues.

I do expect the reports of Black Drum, Sheepshead and Bull Reds to pick up quickly.  If you can get out this weekend and throw some large baits (fish heads) in the Surf along with lots of crab halves and knuckles.  If you're fishing on a pier you also might want to try jigging with some fiddlers.

I'll be making a couple trips south to the Cape over the next month.  Still after Pomps and Bull Whiting.

Water Temps 11-8-10 05:40 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA              64.2
Fernandina Beach          62.2
St. Augustine                 68.2

Water Temps 11-7-10 05:00 AM

What an amazing difference:

Ft. Pulaski, GA            63.8
Fernandina Beach        65.3
St. Augustine                68.3

Water Temps 11-5-10 00:05 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA           70.5
Fernandina Beach        71.6
St. Augustine               73.9

We were in a period of gradual decline in water temp.  Looks like now were in a steep decline.

Water Temps 11-04-10 03:25 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA             71.2
Fernandina Beach         71.4
St. Augustine                75.9

Wednsday, Thursday & Water Tems 11-30-10 02:40 AM

If you can get out and fish either of those days I highly recommend it.  Perfect Pompano conditions.  Overcast skies, not a lot of wind, early afternoon high tide, great water temps. I think if you can get out to a flat beach, Talbot, Altantic, Jax, Crescent, Matanzas you can run-into the Pomps.  I can't hit it until Friday and by that time the best tide will be very late in the afternoon.

Water Temps
Ft. Pulaski, GA         72.1
Fernandina                72.5
St. Augustine             75.4

ABU Rocket Reels

Going to be switching my inventory over to mostly Abu Rocket reels.

Level Wind
Green Rocket      -  6500CS
Pro Rocket          -  6500CS
Chrome Rocket   -  6500CS & 6500CT
7000iCS Rocket  - 7000iCS
Pro Rocket Red   - 7000i
7000C3i              - 7000C3i

Non-Level Wind
Blue Yonder         - 6500C3CT

Water Temps 11-2-10 02:35 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA             73.4
Fernandina Beach         74.3
St. Augustine                75.6

Water Temps 11-1-10 03:35 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA            73.4
Fernandina Beach        74.8
St. Augustine               75.7

Fall Pictures

The Cats Meow

Wanted to get out and fish Atlantic beach on Friday but got called to do something else, so I put a lot of stock into getting out the with family on Saturday and fish all day.  As usual we got a late start and didn't get to Vilano until about 10am.  Several people were already there and very little was happening.  Another lesson learned for me the best tide to fish the surf at Vilano is outgoing.  Incoming will drag your weights towards the inlet.  Not wanting to wait for the 2pm change in tide and definitely wanting to get on some fish packed it up and headed north to Guana South aka "The Rockpile".  Have always come away with some fish at the Rockpile.

Got to Guana two hours before high tide.  Very steep drop right at our feet.  I'm guessing the depth at about 5 feet.  My wife spotted a dorsal fin in that first trough.  The sharks were in extremely close feeding.  I spotted it.  If you were to walk to the waters edge and reach your hand out you could have touched it, it was that close!  It's probably what happens on these beaches when people get shark bite playing in that deep first trough.  Later in the day we caught half a whiting.  Yep, bit clean through by a shark. 

First line in was the 7' Shimano Saguaro with the Spheros 6k and almost immediately it was bending over.  There was definitely a rhythm to the day.  A couple blues and a couple whiting followed by a half dozen hardhead catfish.  Then a couple blues and a couple whiting followed by another half dozen cats.  Yes, the water was dirty but it started to clean up towards the end of the day.  That's when we started catching 14" whiting.  The bite was almost non-stop, which is why the bones are aching today.  I was able to get three of our four rods rigged and into the fight for the first couple hours, then finally the fourth.

Finished the day at 4pm with 8 whiting and 6 blues on shrimp and clams.  It was a very fun day, especially being out there with the family.  Everyone caught fish and had a blast.  Plan to hit it again next Saturday with my son, probably at Ft. Matanzas, but we may go north to Talbot.

The short answer to which area is going to be fishable on any given day I believe depends primarily on tide for that area and time of year.  Vilano seems to always be a problem on the incoming tide.    It's an inlet.  Yet I've never had a problem at Matanzas on the incoming tide and it's an inlet.  The majority of the summer and spring the currents weren't a problem.  Jax beach, Hannah Park, Talbot Island, fall currents seem to run rampant.  I'm going to build a chart to keep track of it and sort it all out.  That will reduce getting into situations where I've set up in a place that's unfishable due to current.

Water Temps 10-29-10 02:00

Ft. Pulaski, GA           76.3
Fernandina Beach       77.2
St. Augustine              77.5

Though the sun plays the biggest role in water temp, I'm guessing by the end of next week we'll see a significant drop in water temp; high 60's to low 70's because the ambient air temp is going to be in the low 70's for much of the week.  Lets see what happens.

If your hunting Pomps flat beaches are your best bet, gives them a place to feed.  Atlantic, Jax Beach, Crescent Beach, Ft. Matanzas.  I'm planning to meet up with a friend tomorrow and fish Atlantic beach on the outgoing tide.  Wanted to hit the incoming but family duties come first.  North winds 10-15 tomorrow on the outgoing I'm expecting the current to be ripping again.  If that happens I may hit the Jax Pier for awhile.  I might call it an early day and get ready for Saturday.  Saturdays forecast calls for very little wind, low 70's temps and sunny.   Saturday the plan is to hit it bright and early with the entire family.  Haven't decided if I'm gonig to hit Vilano or Ft. Matanzas yet.  Vilano would be a nice easy day being stationary; looking for whiting and drum.  Matanzas would be a hard working day moving south to north looking for Pomps.  Probably won't decide until I'm loading up to go.

There are several theories out there about what the Pomps are doing.  One thing for sure they are moving fast.  There are reports of catches as far south as Cocoa Beach already.  Some say it will be a short duration migration right through the area.  However, when I caught my first one in Fernandina there were still reports of catches as far north as Hatteras N.C. That's a lot of ground to cover.  If you haven't gotten off the couch yet might want to hurry.  Tight Lines!!!

Water Temps 10-27-10 23:55 PM

Ft. Pulaski, GA            76.1
Fernandina Beach        76.6
St. Augustine                78.4

Water Temps 10-26-10 23:00

Ft. Pulaski, GA                 75.2
Fernandina Beach             75.9
St. Augustine                    78.1

What's Happening 10-26-10

Looks like things have calmed down up north in the Carolinas.  Not much bait in the water and only reports of a few Pomps and Whiting with mostly blues and spot being caught.  There are reports of keeper Reds and small flounder in the inlets.

In Florida most of the Surf action has been cold.  However, there have been reports that the ocean piers are doing well with lots of Pomps, Whiting and Blues being caught, with just a few Spanish and Reds mixed in.  If your looking for Pomps it looks like the place to be is moving south.  Not a lot of bait out there to keep them foraging in a particular area.  I plan to hit Guana South and Vilano this weekend.

I would definitely fish the incoming tide when possible and if you can't find any sandfleas bring along some clams.  4oz Sputniks were not holding in the currents on the outgoing tide and 6oz was being dragged as well.  Also if you can I'd fish the inlets with crab looking for Red and Black drum.  Good luck this week! 

My Favorite Line

A couple years ago I bought a new reel and got it spooled at Strikezone.  Archie put on Sufix Tritanium Plus.  I'd heard it was very popular with the N.C. fishing crowd so I thought why not, lets give it a try.  It is a copolymer line which is very different from monofilament. Monofilament is a single line, that has significant stretch in it.  It is also not very abrasion resistant.  If you reel in after a day of fishing and were to let the line glide over your fingers you'd feel nicks in the line in the places it rubs the bottom.  To maintain the integrity of it's strength you'd have to change it out several times a season.

Copolymer is two lines blended into one.  It is thicker in diameter than monofilament for the same pound test.  In my opinion it has significant advantages over mono which is why it costs almost twice as much.
 A friend of mine introduced me to Flying Fisher which is a much less expensive co-polymer line.  I didn't like it primarily because I thought it was very slick and gave me problems tying knots; so I gave the rest of the spool to my friend.  I didn't have the same experience with Sufix Tri.  It was just as easy to grip and tie knots with as any mono I've used.  However, once it was time to change line I didn't give the Sufix Tri another thought.  That is until recently.

Someone on one of the forums asked a question about line.  Wanting to know the answer  myself I did some research.  I found the characteristics of a copolymer line make it more abrasion resistant than mono which is a plus.  However what attracted me the most is it's virtual lack of memory.  With mono when your getting started or wrapping up for the day and your line jumps off the spools it's a hassle but not such a big deal.   Where copolymers pay big dividends is when you go to cast.  Having near zero memory means when you cast it is going to pay-out truer resulting in greater casting distance.  Mono wants to coil up back into a circle; copolymer doesn't.

I'am a big fan of conventional casting reels which are all about distance.  Using a copolymer increases that distance.  When the tide is 3/4 out and I can't get to the bar yet to cast, a conventional reel can usually reach the area the fish are.  When the water is dirty in-close and you need some distance to reach cleaner water usually a conventional can get there.   Co-polymers help that effort.

Archie was able to get some Sufix-Tri 14# chartruse in 1/4lb spools.  If you need something he's the man to contact at Strikezone.  The other thing I'm pretty keen on is being able to see the lay of my line going into the water.  To me it adds to the fun of fighting a fish in addition to helping you quickly eye if a fish has taken the bait and moved towards the beach.  The chartruse proved to be excellent in allowing me to quickly locate the line and follow the movements of the fish.  It's almost twice the price of mono but I believe well worth the investment if distance, lack of memory and visibility are important to you.

Sufix Tritanium Plus in Chartruse is now my line of choice.

Water Temps 10-26-10 03:05 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA               73.6
Fernandina Beach           74.8
St. Augustine                  77.0

Abu Garcia Blue Yonder vs. Penn 525 Mag

My first conventional casting reel was the Penn 525 Mag.  It was recommended as a starter reel for someone looking to try "the Darkside".  Conventional reels are considered the darkside because if you don't cast them right they will "blow-up" creating a tangled birds nest that has to be cut away and re-spooled.
I enjoyed it tremendously, even though I would get blow ups occasionally.

Then I saw a video by a group from the U.K. who solely love to cast conventionals.  The video was set to music and showed them casting different conventional reels on various long rods.  The shots included close ups of line spooling off the reel and the adjustments they'd make while the lead was in flight to increase distance.  Wow, I thought.  That is soooooo cooooool!!!  At that point I wanted to graduate from a reel with magnetic cast control like the 525 to a pure conventional reel.   I was told to go with a Blue Yonder.   So I trudged into Strikezone and got one, I didn't want to wait on ebay.




I've truly enjoyed the Blue Yonder.  I've got it paired with a 11' Lamiglas Surf King and use 6oz of lead on it.  If I were to change the lead I'd have to dial in to for the weight.  I bought the Surf King to use as much lead as possible.  I wanted to be able to get to clean water if needed and possible during the Pomp migrations.   It is rated 3-8oz, but six seems to be the sweet spot on it.  There are definite differences between the two reels.  I've found on the 525 if you accidentally bump the mag slider or the tension knob just a little you can throw it off enough that when you cast you will probably encounter a blow up.  The easy answer is to check the mag setting prior to each use.  But who remembers that?  Normally it's rig up, bait up and go!

There are two knobs, one on each side of the BY, that control your cast.  The knob on the opposite side of the handle is dialed in to the weight you are using.  The knob on the handle side is dialed to the spool.  You have to cast and adjust and cast and adjust until you have it dialed in to either just before you get a tiny amount of fluff or no fluff at all.  Fluff is considered line that rises off the spool during the cast.  The more fluff the higher your likelyhood of a blow-up.

I cannot remember if I've ever had a blow-up with the BY.  The only time I've needed to re-dial it in is after I've taken it apart to clean, oil and grease, which is not the case with the 525.  To make sure you're still dialed on the 525 you need to check the settings and make an easy practice cast to be sure you're in the ball-park.  It may not have won any distance casting competitions like the 525 has, but it is less of a hassle to keep dialed in.  I can just rig and bait and go.

It also has enough power to handle a 5 ft approximately 50lb Spinner Shark, which I didn't think it would; but I did land one on it.  For my money and enjoyment I like the BY over the 525Mag, which has been discontinued.  The Penn Squall has replaced it.

Water Temps 10-25-10 01:00 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA          73.6
Fernandina Beach      74.1
St. Augustine             77.0

Optimal Times to Fish Talbot Island

The fish have been hottest about an hour or two into the incoming tide.

10/28 - Thurs  -  8am
10/29 - Fri      -  9am
10/30  - Sat    - 10am
11/1   -  Mon   -  12:30pm
11/2  -  Tue    -   1:30pm
11/3  -  Wed   -   2:30pm
11/4  -  Thurs  -  3:30pm
11/5   -  Fri     -   4:30pm

11/11  - Thurs  -  8:00 am
11/12  - Fri      -  8:25 am
11/13  - Sat     -  9:25 am

11/15 - Mon    -  12:30pm
11/16    Tue     -  12:45pm
11/17 - Wed    -   1 pm
11/18 - Thurs   -   1:50am
11/19 -  Fri      -  2:40 pm
11/20 -  Sat     -  3:22 pm

Current Analysis

Got the first Pomp almost two weeks ago on 10/9 in Fernandina.  Daytime water temp then was about 77.5 degrees.  Current daytime water temp now is about 76.8 degrees.  That's only a .7 degree cooler difference. 

I suspect the Pomps are not hard charging back to Florida but taking a very leisurely stroll because of the very slow drop in water temps over that time.  What does that mean for anyone chasing them?  Get as far north as you can.  Don't expect it to be easy to find them, but the ones you do find should be in the area for a while.

They are still being caught in very good numbers in the Carolinas.  Additionally the Bull Reds have shown up from Hatteras Island NC to Jekyll Island, GA.  If you want to go after them get north and throw some fish heads (whiting, mullet, etc) or crab halves on a 6/0 or bigger hook.

Water Temps 10-21-10 03:00 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA         74.1
Fernandina Beach     76.3
St. Augustine             75.4

Water Temps 10-20-10 03:45 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA           74.1
Fernandina Beach       76.1
St. Augustine              75.6

Dirty Currents 10/14 & 10/16

On Thursday continued my quest to load up the cooler with good sized Whiting and keeper Pomps.  Fished American beach just off Lewis st. on Thursday from 1-4pm hoping for that loaded cooler.  Started on a falling tide.  The first thing I noticed was the water clarity was bad with a tiny bit of sargassum on the retrieve.  Was still hoping the long rods would be productive and they were; just not with what I was looking for.  Everything was out beyond the last bar.  Used two rods long and two rods short and the short rods yielded nothing.  A guy about 100 yards north of me was wading out to cast and he reported only one nice blue.  The Blues are definitely closing in on twenty inches.  They're big!  The long rods would eventually land a nice blue before the Sharpnose took over.  Caught four Atlalntic Sharpnose between 18 and 24"  The strike even for such a small creature gives the impression you've hooked into a slot red or keeper black drum.  They are definitely feisty.  Not the day I was looking for but getting some decent pullage was still fun!

Tried the spot I've been spying on Saturday on the south end of Amelia Island, called the South Access.  It's a city created path right in the middle of all the condos.  There is a steep set of stairs to climb that put you on the path, which is only about 5 feet wide.  There's a fence to the left of the mostly shallow sand path that's about 150 yards long.  There are shrubs to the right with a fence elevated behind them.  At the end of the path there's an over hang of branches followed immediately by another set of stairs that will put you on the beach.  It is a well maintained area.  The sand has been bulldozed back to provide a breakwall for excessive high tides.  Either it was recently bulldozed or not a lot of people trample it.  Based on what I saw I believe people just leave it alone.

My family and I were the lone fishers from 9am to 3pm.  I also don't think there's a lot of fishing activity there on a regular basis.  Unfortunately the current was ripping otherwise I believe it could have been a productive day.  4oz sputniks were not holding at all and the 6oz  would stick most of the time and the other times it would drift slowly south.  The winds were 10-15 out of the North which probably helped create the current.  Fished about an hour of the outgoing and only caught four dink whiting.  The rest of the day was spent struggling with the current on the incoming tide. Caught another huge Ray and that was it for the day.

If you're traveling light it's a good place to go and fish.  You do have stairs to climb up and down.  I have a wheelez cart and it was not too difficult to pull it up and bounce it down the stairs.  If you only have a pier cart you'll definitely need help getting it up and down.   There are locals passing by all the time, since it sits in the middle of a group of condos, but they were all friendly and not too terribly interested in what you are doing.

It is also in eye shot of Nassau Sound, which makes it a spot you can probably get the occasional Red and Black drum.  I've got some pictures I'll post later.  Happy Hunting!

Water Temps 10-19-10 01:00 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA       74.3
Fernandina Beach   75.9
St. Augustine           75.2

Water Temps 10-18-10 02:00 AM

The good news is that the water temps are now in the zone where the catching should be great!

Ft. Pulaski, GA       74.7
Fernandina Beach   75.6
St. Augustine          74.8

The bad news is where in the time of year where the winds are going to play havoc on water clarity and current.  We'll have to pick our days to fish more carefully based on the forecast.

Water Temps 10-14-10 04:25 AM

Ft Pulaski, GA         77.0
Fernandina Beach    77.5
St. Augustine           77.4

It's on Fire Up North

The catching appears to be on fire in the Carolinas.  With cooler fulls of fish being taken by anglers from Hatteras on down.  Spot, Whiting, Pompano and Blues are lining the dinner plates as the fall migration gets into full swing.  Catches of keeper Red and Black drum are being mixed in as well as Bull Red hookups starting to pick up as well!  Not much longer and Florida will be experiencing the same heat!

Water Temps 10-13-10 02:00 AM

Ft Pulaski, GA         77.0
Fernandina Beach    77.7
St. Augustine           77.5

Beautiful days are keeping it warm.  However, the earth continues to move away from the sun so either way it'll cool off.  Just may take a little longer.

Notes from last weekend

1. Sofar the incoming and high tide have been where it's at.  The bite has died on low tide.

2. Alot of nice cuts and troughs in the Surf.  Although I've caught the most on distance casts there should be action in close.

3. Gotta hit the sandfleas hard in the spring when they are abundant and store them for the fall when they are scarce.

4. Learned the difference between copolymer and mono line.  Very anxious to give Sufix Tritanium another try, because of the lack of memory and improved castability.

5.  Truly looking for the bite to get hotter and hotter in over the next 3-4 weeks.  I anticipate a stretch of time where an angler can catch dozens of keepers in a short period of time.

Water Temp 10-12-10 01:15 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA        77.0
Fernandina Beach    77.7
St. Augustine           77.4

Looks like the clear skies have heated up the water a few degrees.

Water Temp 10-10-10 23:00

Water Temps

Ft. Pulaski, GA       76.5
Fernandina Beach   77.7
St. Augustine          77.9

Welcome Home!

Got the party started Friday at American Beach.  First line in one hour into the outgiong and nothing was happening.  The sea looked pretty good at first blush.  As the waves crashed onto the beach I saw nothing but blue-green.  Finally as we approached low tide I hooked up to a hardhead.  What?  Taking another look at the sea I could tell why.  It was dirty and I was shocked.  Nowhere in the forecast did I see anything about sustained east winds.  But there it was dirty as could be.

24 hours makes a big difference.

Packed the family up and made a breakfast stop at Dennys. Arrived at American Beach about an hour before high tide.  Set up a 9' Tica Dolphin short and the 10'6" Dolphin and 525 long.  Went about 60 yards south and set up 11' Lami and Blue Yonder long and 9' Dolphin short.  Everything was happening on the northern rods.  All keeper whiting and one bull whiting on the 525 long.  Short rods produced a lone lady fish and that was it.  Repositioned the southern rods with the rods to the north and then it happened. Pompano!    The 11' Lami went slack, telltale sign, I raced to the rod and raced to catch up to the hard charger making for the beach!  I think my yell woke the rest of the neighborhood.  16" measure to the fork!  Just as I was getting my picture taken the 525 bends over.  As I begin the fight it's obvious what it is.  It runs then stops, runs and stops; ray; a big one cause I'm not able to get him in quick to rebait my other rods for Pomps.  Finally I get him to the beach, get him cut loose and the bite dies.  A couple missed hits and that's it.

The fall run is here and it's gonna get better!  Just wish I had some more sandfleas!

Water Temp 10-8-10 21:00

Ft Pulaski, GA      75.4
Fernandina Beach  77.2
St. Augustine         77.5

Water Temp 10-8-10 00:45 AM

Ft. Pulaski, GA       75.0
Fernandina Beach   77.2
St. Augustine           75.9

Water Temps 10-7-2010 0001 AM

Ft. Pulaski GA     75.4
Fernandina, FL    77.5
St. Augustine,FL  75.7

Water Temps 10-6-2010 1:00 AM

Ft. Pulaski GA       - 76.8
Fernandina Beach  - 78.3 (offshore)
St. Augustine         - 76.6

Tracking the Pompano 10-5-10

Looks like undersized Pomps have shown up in NE FL.  Reports of catches from Vilano to Jax Beach.  Water temps are almost where they need to be to catch keepers.  The Fernandina weather bouy is reading 79.0 degrees water temp.  The St. Augustine bouy is actually showing 76.8  and up in Ft. Pulaski GA it reads 76.8 also.  Georgia anglers should be out after them now!  Anyday now and here in NE Fl we'll be able to put 'em in our coolers!  Happy Hunting!

October Plan

American Beach
Date             Sunrise          Tide
10/8            7:24am         3:46 PM    Low
10/9            7:25am         10:37 AM  High

10/16          7:30am         10:13 AM Low

Talbot Island
10/22           7:34am         8:17 AM High
10/23           7:35am         8:57 AM High

10/29           7:40am         7:11 AM Low
10/30            7:42am        8:16 AM Low

Tempting

Several years ago I was introduced to Sharking by a group that loves the sport.  I soon discovered it's a very popular sport all along the east and gulf coasts.  Most will fish at night.  Most will "yak" their baits out a few hundred yards in a kayak.  Every type of shark is caught from just a couple feet long to huge 12-15 ft monsters.

I went out and bought a 12' Ocean Master and Penn 545 reel to have a castable rig for catching sharks from the surf.  It's not gotten much use yet.  Just too busy to put everything together and go catch Sharks.  Then I learned that my Spinner Shark catch last year was a bit more than an accident.  I learned I was fishing in the right spot at the right time (tide and season).  With that new knowledge I decide to give it a shot again since the conditions were exactly like they were last year.  This time I encountered one of those monsters (big enough to make the encounter "no contest').

I know the fall migration is "everything".  All the fish that swim north in summer return to wamer water in the fall.  That includes a seemingly endless list of fish from Whiting to Pompano to King and Spanish Macs, to , Tarpon and Jacks; but it also includes Sharks.  There is only one species of Shark that I know that loves the colder northern waters and that would be Great Whites.

This fall season my primary goal is to catch as many Pomps as I can including a family max in a single day (24).  But given the thrill of that brief encounter and that this is also the season for Sharks to be transiting through our area I'm tempted to bring the Shark rod on my trips.  On the days I want to stay stationary and not chase the Pomps up and down the beach I think I will cast the heavy gear in hopes of latching onto a 6+ foot shark.

If you want to learn how to target sharks these are the guys who are the experts, the Texas Sharkers
http://www.tx-sharkfishing.com/

The Bite is On!

Took a friend of mine fishing.  Had heard from another friend that the bite was hot at Nassau Sound last week.  Things change in a week.  Lots of rain to change the salinity in the river and cooler temps add up to a non-existent bite at the Crady bridge.  Didn't want to get skunked so packed up and headed up the road to American Beach.  It was much more windy than the day before but the water was still clean.  Lots of foam and crashing waves, very "drummy" loooking.  Used day old shrimp, frozen clam and cut mullet for bait.  Started catching almost immediately.  Blues, Whiting, even a lady fish.  Another friend reported catching a small Pomp in South Ponte Vedre.    Most of the whiting are just under keeper with a few keepers mixed in.  No bulls or northern king fish yet.  I expect the bite to remain hot for the next 4-8 weeks with more catches of Black and Red Drum, Bull Whiting, and Pompano later in the week!

Forget the Knife! Always bring the Gun!

Picked Leah up from school and headed out to American Beach.  The goal was to catch a Spinner Shark or two on the long rods and whatever else was biting on the short rods.  The action started out hot and stayed hot.  Surprised to find big blues here so soon.  Caught trout, blues and whiting.  Started at about 1pm and finished at 5pm.  On the long rods I made 50# wire rigs with 6/0 circles.  Was using live mullet for bait.  Wanted pinfish but my spot didn't produce any.  Conditions were blustery and it looked like there should be some Reds out there.  So on one of the short rods I switched from #1 circle's to 4/0 circles and baited with cut mullet and whole shrimp.  On the long rods I decided to switch to whiting heads as bait. 

I am keenly aware there are big creatures in the sea, but for some reason they slip our of my conciousness until I encounter them again; and usually the fight is over before it even starts.  Something powerful latched on to the 12' Ocean Master and 525, with the express intent of taking it out to sea.  I saw the rod go over suddenly and forcefully.  There was no bounce to the rod like there usually is when something big is struggling to take your gear home.  The rod went as far as it could go and the spike started to follow.  The spike was deep.  He had to displace a lot of sand to be getting the spike too.  It was about 40 yards from me and as I started to spriint everything snapped back to twelve o'clock.   That battle was over in 10 seconds.  I reeled it in to discover the wire had been chewed through.  Got a picture but the quality was poor.  The hook was gone.  The 6 foot leader shorter than it was before.  I put the rod back in the spike and stood stunned.  I actually had my guns with me, 10/0 thick J hooks on 135# 7 strand wire.  Just decided that that was more than I'd need for Spinners since I'd caught one last year on 50# mono.  We all know there's always the chance to latch into something more than what you're targeting.   All-in-all it was an excellent day!  The Fish Hunters caught fish and re-learned a lesson.

The Day is Here!

The beginning of serious Surf fishing season.  The plan is to fish hard and fish often over the next 6 weeks.  My primary target will be the Pompano but the hope is to catch a little of everything.  Early afternoon I'll head to Carlucci and sabiki some live pins then head up to Fernandina and see if I can't get a Spinner or two, while also tossing bottom rigs with fresh shrimp.

On Saturday I hope to catch up to a few buddies and fish the sound for Drum and Flounder and maybe some Spanish if they haven't left yet.  Plan to use blue crab quarters, shrimp, cut mullet and live mullet as well as jigging with Gulp minnows.

It's on!

Real Time Bouy Data

One of the keys to planning a fishing trip, going to the right place, bringing the right gear and knowing what to expect is knowing the weather where you're going.  I've added the NOAA near-real time bouy links to the page.  It can be found halfway down on the right.  Hope it helps you land more fish!

Tackle Direct Sale

Tackle direct has a close out sale going on  Close outs happen when the manufacturer discontinues the item, just about the best price you'll get.  Quantum Boca 20 for $80.  Penn Captiva for $30 though I am not a Captiva fan.  Most of it is the high-end stuff.  Pretty expensive $200-$450 range.

http://www.tackledirect.com/

Stalking the Elusive Pompano

They are not easy to find.  They are fast swimmers and are almost always on the move.  Most of us only get a few each time during the migration.  The key is not being stationary.  If we bring a bunch of gear and stay in one spot we may get lucky and get into a school, but generally we'll only catch a few as they pass us by.  You have to travel light and keep on moving until you find the school.  Then keep moving to stay with them.

Where do you start searching?  Look for structure where there is the potential for "shifting sand".  It's been said Pomps are sight feeders who look in the sand for Crustaceans like sandfleas.  If there is a breaker that is crashing and churning up the sand it is uncovering these crustaceans to be eaten by fish that like them.  Those areas of shifting sand are the areas Pompano will feed.  Is there a sandbar being disturbed?  Are the waves crashing into a hole and stirring up the sand?  Is there a runout bringing sand back out to sea?  These areas not only move sand but also the creatures that Pompano love to eat.

Those are the same areas you need to put your bait.  To the left of it, to the right.  Directly in it, just beyond it and just before it.  Cast your baits, wait a few minutes and see what happens.  If you're getting nothing keep moving and try another promising area.

Another thing to keep in mind.  Here in Florida often fish will be right at your feet, especially at high tide.  Take a look at the picture of Hannah Park at the bottom of the page.  Notice there's a sand bar then dark colored water as you move closer to the beach.  That dark colored water is a big hole or trench the surf has carved into the beach.  Once the water rises to allow fish to cross over the sandbar they will fill that hole right up to your feet.  Don't be afraid to cast your bait 5 to 10 feet away. If you haven't already experience it you'll be surprised at the number and size of fish you'll catch right at your feet.

That's why I fish my rods in pairs, one long, one short.  The long rod is an 11-12 footer with a conventional reel (Blue yonder or 525mag) designed to get out beyond the breakers.  It comes in handy during that intermediate tide where you can't wade and the fish can't cross the bar to get in.  It also helps on days when the water is dirty in close and cleaner out to distance.  The short rod is 7-9' with a spinning reel.  Designed to cover the medium to short distance.  If I need to cast 75 yards or 5 yards I can do that with the spinner.


My plan this season is to bring four rods and a cooler on my wheelez cart, with just a very small bag for tackle.  I'm going to bait and cast two rods, one long, one short.  Then move 50 yards and cast the other two.  If nothing on the first set then I'll move them 50 yards beyond the second set.  I'll keep that "leap-frog" going til I either get tired of it or find the school.  Once I find the school I'll park all four rods together and my kids and I will hopefully be pretty busy getting our limit.

Can't wait, the day is approaching!

Closing in on the Magic Number

I get my weather information form the National Weather Service via NOAA.  I've found the closer you get to the date in question the more accurate the prediction is.  For those of us looking for the Pompano to hit our beaches it looks like the magic date will be around Oct 6-8th.  Air temps are going to take a plunge over the coming weekend.  We'll be going from mid 80's down to the high 70's, with night time temps dropping to the low 60's by Sunday.  The Magic number is water temp and we're looking for 78/77 degrees to start seeing the elusive fish.  Get your sandfleas if you can find them they should be getting scarce next week.  Get your gear ready.  The Pomps are almost here!!!  I'll be on American beach all day Oct 8th and 9th to start my hunt!

Tracking the Pompano 9-27-10

There is excellent news in the weather forecast.  Lots of overcast skies and lots of rain this week!  That means the sun won't be able to keep water temps high.  Noaa is even predicting a day time high of only 79 degrees a week from today!  This week water temperatures from southern North Carolina to St. Augustine remain the same, in the lower 80's.  Air temps in NE Florida will be as high as 85 deg during the day and 70 deg during the night this week, continuing a very slow steady decrease.  Winds will be mostly out of the south 8-15 kts, with a few days of light northeast winds.  Swells will be shallow 1-3 feet.  Expect LOTS of rain!  The rivers and creeks continue to be the hotspots for shore fishing.

Looks like the fishing is good up and down the coasts of the Carolinas and GA.   Lots of Reds from just under legal to over 30 inches.  The Black Drum are making a stronger showing as well.  Just a few Pompano in southern NC.  Sharks galore all over the place.  Primarily Spinner Sharks with a few other species mixed in.

If you want a Spinner target them at low tide.  Throw some live bait or chunk bait (I caught one on a half piece of shrimp on a 2/0 circle hook).  Use about a 4/0 - 6/0 circle hook with about 5-6ft of either 80# mono or 50# 7 strand wire as your leader.  It's best to have as much leader as you can because of the spectacular jumps Spinners make out of the water.  They can easily get wrapped around and part your leader from the main-line.  However, if you're casting from the Surf the longer your thick leader the shorter your casting distance.

I use a 7 turn and 3 inside wrap (modified) albright knot to attach my leader to the main-line.  I use to use a standard 10 wrap albright but it would fail occasionally.  Have not had a failure on the modified albright.   20# test is fine because your leader is the strength of the line.  Spinners normally run parallel to the beach and if that happens let him run with moderate drag.  You'll have to follow him up and down the beach.  If that initial run is out to sea you'll have to pay attention to the line on your spool and "feel" when you'll have to make him turn against the risk of losing him.  Your best hope with a shorter leader is for that circle hook to do it's job and latch in the corner of his mouth away from those teeth.  Also by keeping the line taunt you're hoping he won't get wrapped in your leader.  If he stops jumping and you've still got him the battle is yours.  You'll still have to work him in though.  Give it a try, Spinner are a very thrilling and fun catch!

Hooks

Searched a long time to find hooks that I would like. Tried going the cheap route.  Problem is that they rust too fast.  I make my own rigs and after one use the cheapies were done.  Had to make new rigs.  Owner and Gamakatsu hooks are better quality and don't rust quickly.  I've been able to get almost an entire year out of them.  I prefer the Gami's over the Owners because their Octopus Circle hooks have a little wider gap which helps hook up rate. Especially if you're letting rods just sit in sand spikes.
 
On my double bottom rigs I've always used 2/0 circle hooks, however I'd loose a lot of bites because smaller fish would just steal the bait.  Several months ago I heard that #4 circle hooks are best for whiting.   It is a small hook,  really small bait but great hook up rate.  There is a trade off with that small a hook.  You can't get a big enough bait to entice fish like slot reds and larger drum continuously.  Then there's the matter of fighting that size fish with that small of a hook.

I've now switched to #1 circle hooks to solve both problems of hook up rate with 10-12 inch whiting and slot Reds from the same rig.  It's a light wire hook so you still have to be careful with the bigger fish, but I think it'll do the job well consistently.

I also bought some Gulp Sandfleas in Natural color from Strikezone to try on the Pomps in a few weeks. We'll see how they work.

Anxious

I am not much of a summer Surf fisher here in NE Fl. It's mostly whiting unless you have a watercraft to get off the beach or back into the river and creeks.  I also enjoy "action" when I'm fishing.  Summer fishing is pretty slow.  Unless you use live bait from the surf or target sharks it's not very thrilling.  There's a lot of "wait" time.  In 90+ degree heat wait-time is not very fun.

Have not been able to travel like I want this summer to get into fish like I want to with our other priorities.  So I have not been able to fish as much as I would like this summer.  I was on the pier a couple time trying my hand at King fishing; but even that is a hurry up and wait proposition.

I've been "jonesing" for the fall migration now for a couple months.  In two weeks I get three consecutive four day weekends for the sole purpose of chasing the run.  Fourteen days to go and I'm starting to get worried.  I'm keeping an eye almost daily on water temps and air temps and the needles aren't moving very swiftly at all.  We've droppped from mid 90's to high 80's on airtemp, but the water temp is pretty much the same low 80's.  The greatest impact on water temp is the sun and right now the sun is keeping the dial steady.  It's looking more and more like the run is going to be much later than normal; closer to November than September.

Tracking the Pompano - 9-23-10

Unfortunately there are no new reports.  Looks like everyone is focused on work so we'll look again over the weekend to see who got out and what they got.  In the interim we'll just have to keep an eye on water temps.  We should start to see the scouts in our area when the water temp hits 78 degrees and the schools at 75/74 and lower.

Current Water Temps:
Tybee Island, GA 82
Jacksonville Beach, 83
St. Augustine 83

Part II - Where to find the best tackle deals Online

Online retailers.  There are a ton of them.  There are a few "prominent" chain/franchise retailers that get most of the buisness.  Those are actually the ones to avoid.  Cabelas and Bass Pro are hands down the most expensive when it comes to the products they offer.  If a manufacturer lists a product at a recommended price you can bet that price is exactly where those two retailers will list it.  However, the manufacturer is listing the price to drive customers to the retailers.  Some manufacturers will sell directly to the public and some don't.  They understand their business is driven by retailers selling to local customers.  The local retailer has to have the edge in pricing, which is why that recommended price is set to be higher than the retailers should be charging.  Not at Bass Pro and Cabelas.  They charge as much as they can get away with.  For example Cabelas and Bass Pro charge $160 for the new Shimano Baitrunner 4000D at Digital Dagger and Haddrells Point it's $139. 

On top of the high prices those two retailers also have the highest shipping rates in the industry.  They charge on a "how much you buy" scale.  The more you buy the more you pay to have it shipped.  Most online retailers now charge a flat fee and if you buy at a certain level, usally $100 to $250 depending on the retailer, the shipping is free.  To be fair the high end guys only ship via UPS or Fedex.  The mom and pop outfits primarily use USPS priority mail.  That same Baitrunner D ships from Cabelas for $17 and $15 at Bass pro.  Two Day priority at Digital Dagger is about $8 or $9.  Out of your pocket we're talking $177 vs. $148.  That's a $29 difference for the same product.

One note:  If you want to buy from your local B&T (Bait & tackle) there is no shipping but do consider the sales tax.  Rounded to the nearest whole dollar it's $10 on $140 product and $11 on a $160 product at Floridas 7%.  Don't be afraid to negotiate either, but come armed with the knowledge of what it's selling for at the online stores.  If I were to go into a local B&T I would want to spend no more than $148 on the Baitrunner 4000D but would compromise on $155 because of convenice (I can get it today); and the relationship (I can go to them for advice and information).  So I'd say give it to me for $145 plus tax and you have a deal.  They'll usually agree, especially now in these tough economic times. They have to move product to stay in business. Consider what they paid for the product and what they're selling it for:  How do we know what they paid for it?  You can never truly know but you can get a really good idea by paying attention to prices of items that you notice are discontinued.

When a model is discontinued the price will drop and be at or very close to what the retailer paid for it.  They just want to sell it at cost instead of taking a loss.  The new ones are coming and they can't put the new and old side by side.  Just like buying a car when the new models come in it's the best time to get deals on the old models.  A few years ago Shimano discontinued a bunch of their reels and came out with new models.  I bought the discontinued Shimano Spheros FA which was being replaced by the FB.  It was being sold for $110 I got it for $60. I'm guessing but I believe the actual cost to the retailer was still $5-$20 less than that.  At $110 we're talking 50% mark-up.  There's definitely room to negotiate with your local B&T.

No single retailer offers the best prices across the board.  When you find a product you want definitely shop around.  The online retailer with the best prices on most gear across the board is Digital Dagger though you can't actually order online from them.  You have to find the product you want on their website and either email or call them to place your order.  They are a day or two or three slow in getting your order in the mail but if you can tolerate that then they are definitely a store to check everytime you want to buy fishing gear.

Other retailers that I would shop first are:

Tackle Direct - biggest thing about them is they will probably have what you're looking for.  Don't know how big they are but I can count on them to have it.  Their prices are fair, they will also have unbeatable deals from time to time.  I bought my 11' Lamiglas Surf King from them.  At Lamiglas it's $160 I got it a few years ago for $115 shipped.  Today it's $129 shipped.

James Tackle - the guy is very friendly, someone you'd enjoy fishing with, but sometimes forgetful and slow to do buisness with; but the prices are great.  They will also put your name or boat name on any rod for a flat $15.

East Coast Tackle - first time I ordered from them they were selling out of their home.   Very friendly and top notch service.  Got my rods quickly and it was around Christmas.

Alltackle can "almost" be placed in the same category as Bass Pro and Cabelas, however there are a few products that have substantial discounts.  I'm looking at getting a 12' Shimano Tiralejo Casting Rod for my birthday in April.  Most places are charging $350 plus shipping.  The Alltackle price is $330 shipped free.  Part of that is supply based on what these retailers sell to their local customers.  Limited supply higher price, sell a ton to the local people have a lower price.  Alltackle also has some hard to find items.  They have a highspeed mechanical spooler that is tough to find anywhere else.  If you have a lot of reels and don't want to pay or do the work to have each once spooled alltackle has it in stock (at $950).
Shop around for the gear that you like.  You'll start to find retailers that are more favorable for what you're buying.  You'll also save a bunch in the process!   Hope this helps keep more money in your wallet!

Tackle: Where to get the best deals! Part I

I've bought a lot of gear in my time and being a tackle affecionado I still want to own a little of everything.  For me it's part of the joy of fishing, getting to try a new combo (toy) every now and then.  What I've found  is that you need to first set your sights on what is going to work for what you're trying to accomplish.  For example I had used a Daiwa Emcast Sport 4500 with 33lbs of drag to catch whiting and pomps.  However, I decided to downsize because I wanted it to be a bit more of a challenge.   I switched to a Daiwa Regal Plus 3500 BRI.  It's a smaller reel with less power than the Emcast so it makes the retreive with a smaller fish on actually feel like you have a fish on.  If I hook up with something bigger like a slot Red then some skill is going to be required to land it to the cooler.  The Emcast is still in the arsenal, just relegated to throwing bigger baits on bigger hooks for bigger fish. 

Once you've deteremined what kind of gear you want then it's time to start shopping for the item(s) that will fulfill that need.  I always think quality.  A quality piece of gear will last decades if properly maintained; rinsing it off with fresh water after each use, oiling the external parts regularly then taking it apart to clean and grease the internal components once or twice a year.  That will keep it working and looking like new for a long time.

When I first start my search for gear I go to the manufacturer websites, Daiwa, Shimano, Penn, Lamiglas, St. Croix, etc...  I want to see what they've got in the class I'm looking for and see if any new products have been added.  Once I've narrowed my choice then I start looking at online retailers to find out what they are selling it for.  Cabelas, Bass Pro, Tackle Direct, Alltackle and Digital Dagger.  Once I get an idea of price then I go to Ebay in hopes of buying.  Yep.  Ebay.

On  Ebay I tend to shy away from used items sold by individuals. Generally that's where you are most likely to get taken for the ride your wallet wants to avoid.  I generally look for mom and pop outfits that have sold a lot and products that have the letters "NIB" on what they are selling aka new in box.  If I do buy from an individual on ebay, and I have,  I look for individuals that have sold a lot of items and have high ratings.  If there are negative ratings then I dig deeper to find out why.

The countless 'Mom & Pop' shops across the country are the bread and butter of Ebay.  These are people who own small shops for which they make their living.  They sell by volume on the internet and therefore can offer deeper discounts.  They usually have sold thousands of items on ebay, have great ratings and fair prices.  They either sell at auction or buy now prices.  Do pay attention to the shipping rates. Outrageous shipping prices is one place unscrupulous sellers make a killing.  I've bought from sellers on ebay such as poorfish, catfishsupply and simmons sporting goods.  Simmons just sold two Abu Blue Yonders at auction for $122 and $115.  That reel retails for $150, plus tax ($160).

If you want to buy at auction on ebay the way to do it is by being a sniper.  That's right.  Sniping.  No not taking a rifle and shooting anything from long range but by letting everyone else battle it out for the product unitl the last few seconds when you swoop in out of nowhere and take it.  Lets say you want a Blue Yonder.  Find out what the average retail price is for it.  Lets say it's $150, $160 with tax. Determine what the maximum price you want to spend for it with shipping.  Lets say you don't want to go over $130.  Shipping is $8 you can spend $122 + 8 is $130.  Do not bid on it at all until the very last seconds of the auction.  Yes, resist the urge to even place a small bid on it.  All you will be doing is helping drive the price up and benefiting the seller.  Wait until there is the least chance you can be outbid.  For me it's the last 15-20 seconds of the auction.  If you see the item days in advance put an alarm or something in your cell phone or somewhere to remind you when the auction ends.  Get to your computer about 5 minutes before the auction ends.  Keep refreshing the page often to keep abreast of the time.  When the last 15-20 seconds arrive place your bid.  Put in your maximum.  In our example it's $122, then hit confirm bid.  That took you about 10 seconds to do.  Anyone else waiting to bid won't see your bid until it's too late.  They won't have enough time to react to the new price.  By the time they see your bid and enter a higher bid the auction will be over.

The key to trusting sniping is understanding how the Ebay automatic bid system works.  The ebay system will only spend what it needs of your bid ($122) to win the item.  If the item is now $100 when you bid the system will place your bid at about $102.  If someone else bids $110 your bid will then go to about $115.  This will continue until another bid exceeds your max bid or the auction ends.  Sniping just doesn't give someone else the opportunity to outbid you.  On Ebay most bidders place bids days in advance.  They are just hoping someone else doesn't want to spend more than they bid, which is not the case especially if the current price is way below retail.  With sniping you're just hoping people don't drive the price up to where it won't matter where you buy.  I have made 18 snipe bids on ebay and have only lost once, probably another sniper.  In those 17 wins I've probably saved hundreds of dollars.

Part II will talk about the online retailers I've found whose prices are consistently excellent.