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