Chris Cockerham
904.372.4689
Reel Habit Jigs
As a weekend angler with limited time to focus on fish patterns, many questions come to my mind after multiple days of rain. One in particular that sticks out is where does all this freshwater push our fish. The answer to that question lies right under our nose.
Find the shrimp, find the mullet and our fish will be mixed right in with them. If I’m going to attempt to get out. I will always start at the ocean and work my way up the river. That usually means I'll stop at multiple locations where I've had success in the past.
I don't want to waste all of my time in one certain location but I’m gonna’ cover that area well before I move on.
When you find that fine perfect balance you'll find these fish stacked up.
So, where are the fish? Well, the area that's been most productive for Flounder, has been the Downtown and Blount Island area. Shrimp have been what's holding most all of our inshore species.
Now with all the rain and a drop in temps, look for the run to start up. Mullet and Shrimp have been the go to live baits but you can sure bet Mullet will be the focal point over the next month or two. Look for some big Flounder to be caught in the upcoming days.
Red fish are schooling all along our ICW. Artificial has been on fire so you can target them with your favorite plastics. When spotted, the idea is to throw beyond the fish and bring back into its path without spooking these fish.
Make good choices with your bait presentations and don't spend too much time chasing spooky fish. That said, there's a bunch of hungry fish out there. Top water has been another productive tactic on our overcast days. The bulls are also running in the river so keep that in mind as well!
Again, Flounder are getting bigger! They may still be spread out but the bite is heating up. The beginning of October should be a good one. Keep an eye on the docks along Mayport to Haulover creek. Don’t forget to drop around the Nassau Sounds bridge if in the area. The pressure has been high but the chance to stick a big girl is improving leading up to our mullet run. That thump is addicting so get out there!
Hope you all have a great weekend, be safe out there and I hope to see you on the water!