Captain Dave Sipler
904.642.9546
captdaves.com
Sticking to "inshore"
Speckled Trout. The bite is still very strong. Yes, the water temps are now a balmy 82 degrees. But, I'm hearing from other Trout "afishionados" that they too are catching really big Trout.
The caliber of Trout lately has been very, very good. When summer comes, the larger Trout are usually the hardest to consistently connect with. You have all those "other mouths" to get your bait through, before a big Speckled Trout even sees it.
Remember, as I mentioned in earlier reports. Take more bait!
I mostly use live bait fish. But that doesn't mean I don't have a few of my favorite artificials on the boat with me at all times. Some "soft plastics" on a jig head, and a top water plug, are my lures of choice.
Simply put… I call it a “Jig-n-Shrimp Combo Meal” and it can be deadly on everything that swims. A sampling of ball jig heads ranging from ¼ to ½ ounce are standard operating procedure for catching every fish that swims the St. Johns River, ICW and the winding creeks.
I'm very much proof that just because it's "summer time" in Jacksonville not everybody instantly turns into a King Mackerel fisherman. Yes, it's very popular with many and I've done my fair share too, over the years. Just like in November, the minute the water temps fall I don’t instantly turn into a Sheepshead Angler. I've learned to not necessarily "chase a bite". Heck, we're still catching a few Sheepshead while fishing the river, even now. And it's June!
During the Summer, there's still plenty to do "inshore". Yes, the tactics and areas change throughout the year. Learning what to do and when should be half the fun.
Really, the best part of Summer should be getting kids out on the boat. No TV, no games, no smart phones, just catching some fish… learning angling and boating skills. That will stay with them for life.