JimJohnson's blog

Hot, hot and more hot is what our anglers had in store for them in Nassau County this past week.

The prevailing west winds calmed the surf but caused cooler water and high surface temperatures, and caused choppy seas in the morning for offshore anglers.

Local charter captains reported that slow trolling has waned a bit due to the cooler water temperatures, but there was a mixed bag of grouper, snapper, barracuda, kingfish and cobia at the reefs and wrecks. Live cigar minnows or Spanish sardines jigged up along the buoy line or at the wrecks will work best when live-bait slow trolling. Brunswick and Elton Bottoms can expect amberjack, kingfish and dolphin, along with an occasional sailfish.

Talk about a heat wave; we’re in the midst of one of the hottest summers I can remember.

Last weekend was hotter than ever, but the anglers in the Nassau Sport Fishing Association Tournament of Champions were at the top of their games. Bob Johnson and Keith Lane of Leicester captured first place with a whopping, hard-to-beat 48.64-pound kingfish. Congratulations.

Anglers fishing the surf, offshore, jetties or the backwaters have had excellent action this past week. I would expect the same this weekend, with similar weather predicted.

Backwater anglers will enjoy good fishing, especially if looking for action from flounder and redfish. The lower levels of the tide will bring exceptional results when using live mullet, mud minnows or live shrimp for bait along the oyster beds, around docks and other structures, and at the mouths of feeder creeks. These areas are perfect hangouts for summer backwater fishing. Topwater plug fishing will continue to bring hot action early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Anglers bottom fishing in their favorite holes in the Nassau River are reporting redfish, puppy drum, whiting and flounder.

Hot weather and light winds out of the southwest are predicted for this weekend. Local anglers will enjoy excellent fishing offshore at the reefs and wrecks, and in the surf, backcountry and around the jetties. I would plan to get out there early to beat the heat.

Offshore fishing continues to be productive with legal grouper and snapper being caught on the reefs and wrecks. It will not hurt to keep a flat line out while bottom fishing; it’s a great way to land a kingfish or cobia. Kingfish, cobia, amberjacks and barracuda are also being caught while anglers troll the local reefs and wrecks. Live bait has been available using a Sabiki rig. The pogy pods are scattered and you’ll have to work harder to obtain them this week.

Live bait has been abundant, giving reds, trout and flounder plenty of food. So to be successful, you’ll have to get creative with your lures and presentation of live bait.

Offshore anglers continue to have great success bottom fishing the inshore reefs and wrecks. Red snapper, Gag grouper and cobia are being caught, with the best results coming from using live minnows or pogies. Kingfish and barracuda are also being caught when anglers are flat-lining live bait.

Traveling further offshore, dolphin continue to be spotlighted, especially when trolling for ballyhoo. Big game anglers are also picking up a few wahoo, tuna and sailfish. As always, look for the weed lines and large floating debris, which are magnets for bull dolphin.

Excellent weather is predicted for this weekend, so anglers should be ready for good fishing from our banks, piers, surf, bridges and offshore. Calm seas are expected, and the summer weather pattern is here, along with the pods of bait moving up our coastline. The choice is up to you: offshore, surf or inshore fishing.

The dolphin bite is still in full swing at the ledge. Keep an eye out for any debris or weedline on the run to the ledge. The 40-mile bottoms at Brunswick or Elton Bottom should produce all the action you want if you’re trolling for kingfish.

Barracuda, cobia and sailfish will also be possible. The R4 and R5 towers are holding plenty of live bait. Keep a flat line out while obtaining live bait — you never know what will hook up at these locations.

Now is the time to reap the benefits of awesome weather. The predictions look good for this weekend.

Anglers can expect above-average catches, whether fishing inshore or offshore, or in the surf or backwaters. Light southerly winds and excellent conditions for our local anglers are predicted.

Trolling the break at about 70 miles offshore, big game anglers continue to catch dolphin, wahoo, tuna and an occasional sailfish. Brandon and Bob Allison fished the break this past week and boated 15 dolphin and one sailfish.
Green and yellow lures rigged with ballyhoo have been the best colors for catching dolphin, while pink and white were the colors for sailfish.

Once again, the anglers of Nassau County have been confronted by some of the worst possible weather for fishing. Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour just aren’t conducive. There certainly wasn’t much fishing action this past week.

The weather outlook predicted for Memorial Day weekend, however, looks promising for fishing with family and friends.

Offshore anglers can hope for a chance to fish the inshore reefs if the predicted winds of 15 mph out of the southeast occur.

If this happens, anglers fishing the inshore reefs and wrecks can expect snapper and grouper to be at the end of their hooks. Make sure to bring along frozen bait, because the recent rough conditions have scattered the live bait. Boston mackerel, cigar minnows, Spanish sardines or squid should be in your bait box. Cobia should also still be located at the reefs and wrecks, and they will be hungry. Be on the lookout and be prepared with an orange Rapala Magnum, jigs rigged with tails or a large squid. One of those should do the trick.

 This years’s annual Blue Water Shootout was a huge success.

Big-game anglers were long overdue for a beautiful day with awesome big-game action, and the tournament not only had that, but also drew a record number of participants. Capt. Benny Henrix aboard the Heavy Hitter took first place overall.

Capt. Allen Mills, tournament director, reported unbelievable action from the time the lines were dropped into the water. Capt. Don Baker and Dick Butler reported the action was so hot it did not matter what lure you chose to pull. The dolphin bite was off the chart.
Congratulations to all the anglers who participated. Job well done.

Finally, our early summer weather pattern is upon us. Light southwest winds with a hard afternoon sea breeze to cool things off — just what the angler ordered. Be thankful for the beautiful weather we had this past weekend, and for the weather predicted.

Huge pogie pods are being spotted off Cumberland Island and along the buoy line, with cobia, jack crevalle and sharks feeding among them.

Capt. Danny Flynn recently landed 40- and- 50-pound cobia at the jetty by fishing freshly cast-netted pogy on the bottom. Paul Gale also landed a 40-pound cobia while sight-casting with a Rapala Orange Magnum at the buoy line.

It’s hard for me to believe May is upon us; March and April blew by.

The weather predicted is conducive for fishing, whether you are an offshore angler or inshore enthusiast. But don’t forget the Fernandina Harbor Marina boat ramp will be closed for a few days because of the Shrimp Festival.

Anglers making the run offshore can expect plenty of action from red snapper on the inshore reefs, along with a few grouper and sea bass. As always, when anchored at your favorite wreck or reef, keep your eye out for a cobia to pop up and look at you. Even the pickiest of cobia usually can’t resist a live pinfish or pogy.