The following Bait Shops Carry

Offshore St. Augustine: Sea bass on inshore wrecks. Grouper, snapper at 21 bottom. Trolling spotty at Stream. Whiting in the surf.

Reports from the south side of the inlet were thin and even the St. Johns County Pier didn't have much to offer. Ron Joiner (County Pier) said that the whiting were hit-or-miss, and didn't really demonstrate a pattern. An example of "hit" was Wally Springstead. Dave Prevatt (Oldest City Bait and Tackle) reported that Springstead fished the planks for a little over an hour on Sunday (around noon) and had 18.

Lots of blues.

2-7-02

The whiting continued to be uncharacteristically shifty. Overall numbers were well under what they were in the previous two weeks but a few savvy anglers still managed catches of 50 or more fish. They were a marked exception, however. Bill Kerr (Hook, Line and Sinker) said that one of the regular sheepshead fishermen made the transition from sheepshead to whiting, noting that the sheepshead had turned off for the week, probably because of the full moon.

2-14-02

The County Pier allows you to get out a little farther and there the whiting catches were somewhat better according to Ron Joiner.

He said that the fish were scattered all along the pier but were in pockets.

A few guys might do really well while others a few feet away did nothing.

Among the better surf reports was the 3.25-pound pompano that Wally Springstead brought in to Oldest City Bait and Tackle.

Prevatt said that a few other pompano were also caught. He didn't say where.The end of the pier was the place to be if you wanted to catch large, over-sized reds.

Joiner said that they returned in good numbers last week, at least in part feeding on the numerous bluefish inhabiting our waters.

"People are crying the blues," was how Sue Glass (Devil's Elbow) put it.

Like students on spring break, the juvenile fish are here by the legions, gorging themselves, raising hell and regurgitating their ingestions when conditions call for it. This has been quite a winter for the blues and they seem to be everywhere.

Unfortunately, they're quite small, but it should be interesting to see if the choppers this year.

2-15-02

Plenty of pompano and Spanish mackerel are in the surf. Pompano schools are feeding on live shrimp. Spanish mackerel are feeding just beyond the surf on greenies and cut mullet. Sailfish are being caught near the Gulf Stream on trolled ballyhoo.

TOP CATCHES -- Gary Hudson caught 25 whiting at the end of the south Mayport jetties Sunday. ... Rocky McKindles and Ray and Roy Washington caught two wahoo to 50 pounds and two blackfin tuna to 30 pounds at the ledge. ...

BEST BET

2-28-02

St. Johns River/jetties: Heavyweight sheepshead hanging at the Mayport jetties, along with some reds, drum. Trout around Blount Island.

Offshore Fernandina: Some sea bass around the reefs, but not much else. Whiting along the beach and at Fort Clinch and Nassau Sound.

Offshore Mayport: Sea bass, oversized redfish on the close-in wrecks. A few nice snapper offshore. Whiting fin surf at Hanna Park.

Offshore St. Augustine: Quite a few sharks, some snapper on bottom in 21 fathoms. A few wahoo, tuna at the Stream. Whiting hit and miss in the surf.

There were big Whiting at the county pier as well acc gto Ron Joiner. Not many but the diehards fished Saturday despite the wind and rain.

3-7-02

Both the Internet and county pier reports put a few inconsistent bites of whiting on the record.

3-14-02

Bob Conroy (Mike's Place) added that campers from North Beach Campground spoke of nice catches of big fish. On the other hand, Bill Kerr said that whiting regulars came in and upped their daily allotment of shrimp from 1/2 to 1 or 2 pounds indicating that they had found the whiting at the Crossovers or County Park on North A1A.

Several had catches in excess of 50 fish over the weekend and into Monday.
Small Blues have been around all winter and this is unusual. In 1985 this happened.

3-19-02

THE BITE GOES ON: For weeks, big sheepshead -- 5- to 10-pounders -- have been the buzz at the Mayport jetties.

3-21-02

Bluefish continued to be just about everywhere. The good news was some of the blues in the Matanzas area were large enough to be considered for the table. Most of the those to the north were only about 10 inches long.

3-28-02

Spanish should hold in the area of at least several weeks and will likely have some bigger fish joining them as the spring ages. Favorite lures thrown or trolled usually consist of something silvery or colorful. New anglers quickly learn that soft-bodied lures are a waste of time and money because the mackerel and bluefish make short work of them, whereas 00 Clark spoons are a popular piece of metal that have a proven history.

Whiting had a hard time getting into the game early because of dirty water and rough seas, but by Sunday and Monday things had improved considerably the length of the county. A few more pompano also checked in at the County Pier. Joiner added that Spanish, whiting and pompano weren't the only visitors to the pier. He saw large manta ray swimming the zone and heard from several anglers of sharks. At least one report put a shark over six feet cruising the area.

4-4-02

Offshore St. Augustine: Spanish mackerel around St. Aug inlet and near the county pier. Sea bass close in; grouper, snapper at 21 fathoms. Whiting, bluefish in the surf.

Spanish mackerel schooling around area inlets and along beach; a few being caught in St. Johns River and the waterway. Gotcha-type plugs and trolled spoons are favorites for catching Spanish.

Whiting and pompano reports took a turn for the better and could be the anchor for this Saturday's Surf Fishing Seminar.

From what I can gather, the incoming tide was best with the higher water being better than the low.

Bill Kerr (Hook, Line and Sinker) said that he finally heard some nice reports from the Vilano Pier to go along with the expected reports from the North Beach surf.

The whiting were pretty good sized at the County Pier and several anglers reported pompano with net laces - necklace marks caused by gill nets -- on them.

The Spanish mackerel bite continued at the County Pier, St. Augustine Inlet, and the sandbars off the beaches.

Surprisingly, there were no reports of the Spaniards from the Vilano Pier.

There were bluefish there, and they like to run together at this time of year.

Sue Glass (Devil's Elbow) checked in with the first of the big blue reports this year.

4-9-02

TOP CATCHES -- Fishing from the beach with live and cut bait, Rick Winn and John Freeze reported catching three redfish early Saturday and Sunday that measured 47, 43 and 41 inches at Vilano Beach just inside St. Augustine inlet. ... Gary Hudson caught a dozen Spanish mackerel and 30 whiting Thursday at the Mayport jetties. ...

Consider the catch made Saturday around the jetties by Calvin Johnson and Angelo Baggs. They caught three 60-pound black drum, a 35-pound drum, 63 whiting and two sheepshead. Now that's having your string pulled.

4-11-02

Inshore south of the St. Johns River: No big numbers of trout, but many of ones being caught are legal size. Redfish, flounder scattered in creeks. A few Spanish mackerel in waterway.

St. Johns River/jetties: Spanish mackerel have backed off a bit at Mayport jetties. Jetties still holding big drum, sheepshead, many bluefish. Trout in river if you can find clean water.

Offshore Fernandina: Offshore has been too rough to fish. Big drum around the jetties and off the beach. Sharks, whiting and bluefish just inside St. Marys inlet.

Offshore Mayport: The King Neptune had a fair day north of Mayport yesterday on snapper, grouper, sea bass, but offshore reports have been few.

Offshore St. Augustine: Spanish mackerel around St. Aug inlet. Big bluefish along the inlet rocks. A few more dolphin showing at the Stream. Surf reports have been sketchy.

I saw one nice sheepshead while walking the Vilano Pier, but was told it was slow fishing. Earlier, there were some nice bluefish and a few whiting. On the other hand, Karen Miles (Devil's Elbow) reported that sheepshead fishing was good at the Matanzas Bridge where Mark Ondik of Pennsylvania availed himself of the bite. Trout also co-operated at that bridge and the two south of there. As an example, Ralph Olivett caught two that exceeded 4.5 pounds.

The County Pier had slow stretches interrupted by some excellent catches. Dave Prevatt (Oldest City Bait and Tackle) reported that Wally Springstead fished three days and caught 150 whiting. Ron Joiner (County Pier) added that although there weren't many pompano caught, those landed were nice size. He went on to say that sail cats had moved in but were preferable to the bonnet head sharks that had been a mainstay. He also said that there were some big sharks cruising the pilings.

4-18-02

Jack crevalle, bluefish and Spanish mackerel have one thing in common -- they're not shy about striking a lure or a bait. The aggressive species are in good supply around area inlets.

Offshore Fernandina - Spanish mackerel around St. Marys inlet. Big drum off the beach near the inlet. Wreck fishing was slow the early part of the week.

Offshore Mayport - A few kingfish being caught offshore. Bottom action remains steady for snapper, along with scattered amberjacks, grouper.

Offshore St. Augustine - Quite a few snapper on the bottom and some kingfish, dolphin on top at 21 fathoms. Spanish around St. Aug inlet. Whiting off and on.

BILL SABO
Fishing Columnist

Published Thursday, April 18, 2002

Once the wind calmed, surf fishing took only a modest turn for the better. With continued smooth waters, catches of pompano, Spanish mackerel and flounder should improve.

So far it's been mostly sail cats and bonnet head sharks with a few whiting thrown in for good measure.

Intracoastal waters (ICW) showed some fat flounder and trout but little in the way of redfish.

Drum and sheepshead were decent but not spectacular.

4-21-02 Doesn’t sound good

4-25-02

Spanish mackerel should have been a mainstay but limited to times when the water was clear, which wasn't often, according to Ron Joiner (County Pier). The Barge (a mile off the pier) was better with sheepshead and drum taking center stage.

4-28-02

The struggle continues. We haven't had any rain to generate silt, but the clarity of the inside waters has been compromised by the persistent, and sometimes high winds. They also limited the offshore fishing to larger boats.

Each of the customers had an amberjack to go along with red snapper, redeyes, sea bass, lane snapper, and five cobia.

Owner/operator Gabe Kovacs said that the AJs were particularly fond of white, and blue and white jigs. It was much the same on the Sea Love according to Bill Moore.

He said that they found amberjack at most stops.

Cobia would have been the fish of choice along the beach had the weather co-operated. Choppy conditions made it all but impossible to look for manta rays and cobs near shore and consequently the best cobia reports came from over the reefs. I overlooked the cobia a week ago that Jeff Dry caught.

Tommy Vaughan (Avid Angler) said that the big ling weighed 56 pounds. Cobia (and big reds) are frequently caught beneath pogie pods, but rough water limited any vigil for any that might be moving this way.

Ron Joiner and Ernie Johnson (County Pier) said that the roiled water limited catches at the county planks to primarily catfish, rays, and small sharks.

5-9-02

I spoke with several anglers who tried to get into the reds or cobia but found jacks for the most part. As for the whiting in the surf, they shut down as quickly as they fired up. The cleaner water did bring the Spanish mackerel back to the County Pier early in the morning and into the evenings to those throwing lures. Ron Joiner (County Pier) added that there were more drum at the planks than he had seen in some time. The drum were near the shore with some weighing 9 pounds.

5-12-02

.there wasn't much in the way of action. To the north it was mostly little sharks and catfish, and to the south a few whiting were caught. There were also more Spanish mackerel and trout coming aboard the County planks (County Pier) according to...

It was a tough stretch to get reports the last four days. There just weren't that many.

The offshore was practically shut down because of the wind and the surf didn't fare much better. There was good news near the inlets, however.

5-30-02

6-13-02

Flounder about the only show in town. SA

9-12-02

Nice whiting 1 to 2 pounds

Surf clear, a few whiting her and there. With changes in weather coming, whiting should increase Closer to home, the surf once again played to mixed reviews. Reds of all size, blues of small size, pompano when surf was clear, whiting here and there. With the expected change in weather this week, I believe that a more definitive pattern will emerge. Depending on its strength (a water temperature drop of 5 degrees), the finger mullet will bid adieu and whiting will become more important in the equation.

10-17-02

The county pier was good for big whiting and then mixed whiting as the recent storm took away beach renourishment, giving more space to fish.

10-24-02

Large smacks. Bull Whiting made the news at county pier. Not enough water at low tide to even fish. But high tide put up good numbers. Bluefish and Smacks.

10-31-02

Offshore Mayport: Bottom action has been steady offshore for jacks, snapper, beeliners, a few legal grouper. Whiting, a few pompano in the surf.

Offshore St. Augustine: Trolling has been slow, but snapper remain a good bet on the bottom at 21 fathoms. Still a few big reds at Vilano Beach. Whiting scattered.

Another north-south event was pompano. The numbers weren't overwhelming at North Beach, but Kerr did cite a couple of fish that exceeded 4.5 pounds.

Meanwhile Daryl Lloyd (Avid Angler) worked the surf south of Matanzas for quite a few pompano. He used shrimp and had to contend with sharks for quite a bit of his time and tackle. He added that the area also yielded bull whiting.

Whiting were about the only thing available at the end of the County Pier but the fact that you could fish at all was encouraging considering its length.

Bad weather

11-3-02

Published Sunday, November 03, 2002

After a blistering fall run, the reds were, and are, still here in pretty good numbers but not what they were a few weeks ago. The fish are probably still here since reds don't necessarily migrate region to region but their concentrations changed. Vilano and Matanzas inlets still produced the saltwater ocelots but not in guaranteed numbers. Bill Greif caught and released a 42-inch fish from the surf of Crescent Beach but most of the huge fish came from St. Augustine inlet, the Vilano Pier, or under the few remaining pogie pods. It's only a matter of time until they are over the local offshore reefs.

The surf was less than exciting with a few whiting mixing it up with a few pompano. Bluefish were more abundant as is typical of this time of year.

11-14-02

Whiting also made news but were much more erratic in the surf; any consistency would have to come from the boaters working outside the shore break to 30 feet depth or plying the deeper parts of the inlets.

Nevertheless, numbers were way up and Bill Kerr (Hook, Line and Sinker) described his customers who frequent North Beach as being pretty happy.

11-17-02

One of the bright spots the past few days has been the whiting and pompano—both in good numbers through Saturday. In the past, some of the best Whiting reports came in the xmas season.

One of the few bright spots for the last few days was whiting and pompano. Both were still in pretty good numbers coming through Saturday. The condition of the surf should play a big factor in what happens this week.

The whiting will tolerate -- even welcome -- a temperature drop much better than the pompano. In the past, some of the best whiting reports came during the Christmas season.

11-21-02

As for the whiting, very good reports came from North Beach via the Hook, Line and Sinker, the County Pier and down through Matanzas and Flagler Beach.

Internet reports confirmed whiting catches basically along the surf line for quite a few miles. Perhaps the best part was the relative size of the fish. Most called them bulls.

Sabo

Bluefish throughout the county were coming in at weights ranging 2-5 pounds.

11-24-02

The County Pier has so little water to fish because of the beach renourishment that much of the guessing is removed from the equation.

You can only effectively fish there at high tide -- at the very end.

That would indicate a high tide bite except that the water there is at a low tide depth.

During that time, blues and whiting have gotten much of the attention.

Blues have struck in the surf most everywhere. Still good size fish, too.

Two pounders were the mainstay, three pounders were common, four and fives were making reports.

11-28-02

Instead of turkey leftovers, how about fresh, fried whiting? There are good numbers of whiting in the surf, and a few bluefish, drum and pompano. A few single catches of 60-70 whiting reported.

Bluefish -- plenty around to take up the slack times between other species.

These last few days have certainly been a thankful period for local fishermen. Coming into today it was about as good as it gets -- the weather was terrific, the seas were calm, and the fish were biting.

Unfortunately, conditions have changed since then. Perhaps the best way to approach the last few days is by species. Here they are in no particular order: Whiting -- they were virtually everywhere in the surf. Even the County Pier which has very little water during the low tide gave up fish. It was outstanding during the high tide. For the most part the whiting were described as bulls, with numbers from different sources ranging from 10 to 80.

Personal observations on Surfside Avenue verified the numbers but not the size.

Many of the fish I saw were small. Internet reports placed the best bites at Mickler's, Guana Gate Station, and Flagler County. Karen Miles (Devil's Elbow) said there were also plenty in the Crescent Beach/Matanzas area. Best bites occurred at varied tides according to the reports. This is the time to fish for whiting.

Pompano -- fishermen at North Beach and North Beach targeting whiting also found a few pompano. Bill Kerr (Hook, Line and Sinker) said several anglers had three or four pompano to go with their whiting. Meanwhile, boaters fishing the bayfront-inlet area really scored on the premiere fish. Charter Captains Kevin Faver and Dennis Goldstein each put their fares on them. Bob Conroy (Mike's Place) noted that Faver wisely wouldn't say where he found them but he had double-digit catches on Monday and Wednesday.

Daryl Lloyd (Avid Angler) who targets pompano speculated that the cooler water and weather has moved the fish to some of the warmer spots.

12-1-02

12-5-02

Offshore Mayport: Some kingfish have been reported out 20 miles or so. Bottom action has been fair to good when you can get there. Whiting in Ponte Vedra area.

Offshore St. Augustine: Bottomfishing has been good in 100 feet of water and deeper, but few boats have been out recently. Whiting hitting fresh shrimp in the surf.

Fishing was almost as good as last week, which was outstanding. The whiting and pompano bite continued, but without the consistency and size as days earlier. Whiting were the mainstay at the county pier, and were occasionally interrupted by Blues and Pomps.

Whiting and pomps also in demand along St. Aug bayfront.

12-8-02

Published Sunday, December 08, 2002

This has been tough three days to report. The weather ingredients included three of the main deterrents to a successful outing: rain, wind, and cold.

In the surf, catches were not good, but Ernie Johnston (County Pier) reported that there were some whiting sniffing the sloughs during the morning high tide. He also said that recent currents took some of the sand away from the beach, providing a little more water to work with.

12-12-02

Weather was horrible. But there were a few Whiting and pompano.

Ron Joiner (County Pier) noted some drum and legal reds at the planks on Sunday and Monday. There were intermittent runs of whiting as well.

December 13, 2002

Dreaming of hotter bites on a rainy day

JORDAN KAHN, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Cold, gray, damp, blustery skies have us pinned down. The water temperature in the surf on Thursday officially dropped below 60 degrees. (It was 57.) But the fish are stuck. They're down there, and they've got to eat. But we anglers are free to roam in search of hotter bites, and on a rainy day it is a pleasure to let the mind wander Florida's many destinations that make for easy weekend getaways.

12-15-02

By CHRIS WALTERS, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Spotlight:
SURFS & PIERS: Excellent

Al Lamonica from Flagler Discount Bait and Tackle said fishing has been outstanding. Anglers are catching a lot of whiting and legal blues. The surf water temperature is averaging around 65 degrees, still a fishable temperature.

12-22-02

Fishing not good.

12-27-02

St. Johns River/jetties: Sheepshead strong at the jetties, along with a few black drum, red bass and red-tail pogies. Scattered whiting.

Offshore Fernandina: Windy conditions have kept people away, but reports of snapper and grouper have been excellent.

Offshore Mayport: Fishing is good when weather permits. Rough waters, but snapper and grouper are biting. Windy conditions expected for today and Saturday.

Offshore St. Augustine: Lots of sheepshead, along with whiting in the surf from beach and boats.

1-2-03

Whiting made the reports everywhere -- phone calls, radio, and Internet.

There were momentary lapses in particular places and specific times when whiting were not caught but catching was the rule rather than the exception.

The surf, inlets, piers, and anything in, on, or near the ocean were the determining factors. Some places held bigger fish than others and sweet spots were as close as just a few yards from deserts but whiting were there for those looking for them in earnest.

The fish ranged from half-pounders to bulls close to 3 pounds, with the majority falling somewhere in between. The County Pier -- which now has a little more water than it did a few weeks ago -- yielded medium-sized fish.

From what I saw while driving around the last few days, there were quite a few people surf fishing or anchoring in St. Augustine Inlet and its immediate surroundings. This is the whiting time of year.

It is also the birthing time of year for Right Whales and an internet post to Floridasurfishing.com reflected on the possibility of one having witnessed a birth -- and at the very least a sighting -- of a Right Whale just off one of the Guana Beach accesses. The writer said that the event was incredibly close to shore (about 350 yards) and was regaled by birds and porpoises.

1-5-03

By Saturday afternoon that picture was taking a much needed turn for the better. "Tons of whiting" was how Ron Joiner (County Pier) put it at the local planks.

Other reports put them at North Beach, Guana surf, and in the St. Augustine Inlet where boats could be seen lining up in the favorite haunts.

Joiner said the fish were of all sizes, and the bite was consistent as far as he could tell.

'Telling' might have been a problem because few people fished in the mornings when it was cold.

The word from Devil's Elbow was that there were mostly bluefish at the Matanzas Bridge and the reds had moved from the flats to deeper water.

1-9-03

BEST BET

Offshore St. Augustine

Sea bass on local wrecks. Grouper, snapper should be ready to eat at 21 fathoms. Scattered whiting in surf.

Daryl Lloyd avid angler said whiting were inconsistent in the surf, with Bob Browns 52 one day and none the next.

1-16-03 WT53

Mostly small whiting at the piers, big ones few. Saint Aug.

The remainder of the news was about small whiting, whether they be at the County Pier, the surf, or the inlets. Occasionally pockets of big whiting made things interesting but they were few and far between.

1-26-03

I hope you weren't expecting a fishing report today because this is about as minimal as it gets -- very few people fishing and those very few catching nothing.

Undoubtedly, more people will fish as the weather warms but it's hard to say what the catching will be like.

1-27-03

Published Thursday, February 27, 2003

Whiting grabbed most of the attention along the beaches and at the inlets, but they were anything but consistent.

In the surf, the best catches came from those who cast far out or fished outside the break in boats.

For the moment, the sloughs were not the best places to fish. Henry Miles (Devil's Elbow) said that one angler came back to the fish camp with a cooler of fish but he caught them just outside the break at Matanzas Inlet -- not an easy area to fish.

When he had to move back in because of deteriorating conditions, he did not fare nearly as well.

It wasn't so hot at the County Pier either where Ron Joiner described the fishing as "slowed down."

On the other hand, Poe noted that the whiting fleet working the bayfront did quite well.

Jack Niles checked in with a sizeable catch of fish in the 1 to 2 pound category.

1-30-03

2-6-03

2-13-03

Offshore St. Augustine: Whiting at the Flagler Beach Pier, but not much farther north in the surf. Sea bass, triggerfish on the local wrecks. Reports have been scarce from deeper water.

Things started to look a little better by Wednesday. Darryl Lloyd (County Pier) said that the whiting bite Wednesday morning was better than earlier in the week. That wasn't saying much but it was an improvement.

The pier continues to be plagued by too small an area for too many fishermen. Either the beach has to get smaller or the pier has got get longer, maybe both.

2-20-03

Offshore Fernandina: Quite a few sea bass, mostly throwback snapper within 15 miles of the beach. Surf fishing has been quiet.

Offshore St. Augustine: A few wahoo, tuna at the ledge. Sea bass, short snapper on the local wrecks. Fishing from the beach has been slow.

I would suspect that the fishing is much better, too.

Despite the water temperature resisting a rise, the fish have reached the point where they have to eat.

They did such, although more in some places than others.

Generally, sources indicated an improved bite in reds, whiting, sheepshead and drum.

Whiting made the most dramatic move with an overall increase in both size and numbers accented by some brief but significant bites.

Points in case were the County Pier where Ron Joiner reported that the fishing had improved modestly and the fish were bigger.

On the other hand, Dave Prevatt (Oldest City Bait and Tackle) said that he witnessed some excellent catches such as the 60 that went home with two unidentified anglers on Saturday.

They caught them in about two hours.

He went on to say that good reports were coming from Crescent Beach, the State Road 312 Bridge, and Vilano.

I couldn't confirm the Vilano reports on my walks, it looked rather slow, but Jason Bethea (Hook, Line and Sinker) put some nice whiting numbers at North Beach, the Walkover, and the Picnic Tables (North of the Reef and south of Guana).

2-10-03

Generally, sources indicated an improved bite in reds, whiting, sheepshead and drum.

Whiting made the most dramatic move with an overall increase in both size and numbers accented by some brief but significant bites.

Points in case were the County Pier where Ron Joiner reported that the fishing had improved modestly and the fish were bigger.

On the other hand, Dave Prevatt (Oldest City Bait and Tackle) said that he witnessed some excellent catches such as the 60 that went home with two unidentified anglers on Saturday.

They caught them in about two hours.

He went on to say that good reports were coming from Crescent Beach, the State Road 312 Bridge, and Vilano.

2-13-03

2-23-03

2-27-03

St. Johns River/jetties: Redfish in Mill Cove, but some have sores on them. Trout around docks in the St. Johns River. Sheepshead at the Mayport jetties.

Offshore Fernandina: Oversized redfish, sharks, sea bass, a few snapper on the wrecks out to 15 miles. Sheepshead at the St. Marys jetties. Whiting in the surf.

Offshore Mayport: Big sea bass on reefs such as PM-PG and on live bottom in the area. A few snapper in deeper water. Whiting around Mickler's Landing, the Red Tops.

Offshore St. Augustine: Wahoo action has improved at the ledge. Mostly sea bass on the inshore wrecks. Whiting in the surf, and some of them are nice size.

You have to cast far out to reach fish but the whiting grabbed most of the attention in the surf. Slow at county pier.

Whiting grabbed most of the attention along the beaches and at the inlets, but they were anything but consistent.

In the surf, the best catches came from those who cast far out or fished outside the break in boats.

For the moment, the sloughs were not the best places to fish. Henry Miles (Devil's Elbow) said that one angler came back to the fish camp with a cooler of fish but he caught them just outside the break at Matanzas Inlet -- not an easy area to fish.

When he had to move back in because of deteriorating conditions, he did not fare nearly as well.

It wasn't so hot at the County Pier either where Ron Joiner described the fishing as "slowed down."

On the other hand, Poe noted that the whiting fleet working the bayfront did quite well.

3-2-03

Whiting continued to be the main attraction along the bayfront and St. Augustine Inlet although the bite may not be all it's cracked up to be. Before and since the last report, the whiting fleet could be seen throughout most of the day anchored where the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), Salt Run, and the Inlet meet. The reason they were there all day is because the bite was hot and cold. Some might fish for two or three hours and get nothing while others fished a different two or three and loaded up. I haven't been able to ascertain any pattern the best fishing; either there is none or the anglers aren't talking.

3-6-03

Offshore St. Augustine: Reports have been skimpy lately, but there should be wahoo at ledge. Whiting in surf at Vilano Beach and the picnic tables on A1A.

3-13-03

BILL SABO

Published Thursday, March 13, 2003

Upon gathering my reports, it sounds as if the fishing isn't too bad.

On some days it's been quite good.

Ron Joiner (County Pier) said that the whiting bite has been consistent and not dependent on time or tide.

Some of the fish are coming aboard the planks at 17 inches, which is a good-sized whiting.

It hasn't been quite as consistent in other places but Frank Timmons (Sea Love) did report that the Vilano Pier was a good place to be at high tide. He added that sheepshead were a big attraction for several days but did not specify a time or tide.

3-16-03

Published Sunday, March 16, 2003

A number of people I spoke with since then were wondering what might happen with the fishing because of the spate of heavy rains. Judging by the reports, not much. The water looks crummy, and cool north winds have not made it any better in terms of appearance or temperature, but the fish seem to be pretty much ignoring it and doing what they do at this time of year.

Among the things they do: Spanish mackerel show up, big drum move through, pompano stick in their heads, sheepshead run at their peak, wahoo make news offshore and bluefish torment any number of baits.

Much of this is under way but not in big numbers.

Dave Privett (Oldest City Bait and Tackle) also had good reports on sheepshead at the south jetty.

Whiting have been the glue at the County Pier; they have also been the main attraction for the fleet sitting in the middle of bayfront across from the Vilano boat ramp.

At both places, catches ranged 20 to 60 fish per person/boat depending on how much time was spent fishing. Size was in the eye of the beholder, but Doug Poe (Hook, Line and Sinker) said that while most fish were about a pound he weighed fish up to 2.5 pounds.

There were also a few pompano brought onto the planks of the County Pier, but it was at Oldest City Bait and Tackle where Dave Privett weighed a 3-pound fish. He said it was caught in the surf near Matanzas.

Some things are universal -- all reported an increase in small bluefish, trout and reds (both large and small).

The bluefish are typical for this time of year and usually run with the Spanish. The trout, which have not had recent successes, are perhaps not as large as one would hope for -- April is the month for big spawners. Maybe that's why the 9.25-pounder that ate dead shrimp made big waves at Devil's Elbow.

3-20-03

Offshore Mayport: Bunches of stringer fish, some legal snapper and cobia within 30 miles of beach. Wahoo, dolphin at ledge. A few pompano in surf at Mickler's Landing.

Offshore St. Augustine: Wahoo in deep water. Some cobia on bottom in 21 fathoms. Sea bass, redfish on local wrecks. Scattered whiting in surf.

3-20-03

Despite a potential-record wet March, the fish are on the move. It was up along all fronts the last few days but most notably in sheepshead, pompano and reds. Whiting remained numerous with a pretty good number of big fish.

From a visible perspective, the water looks terrible because of the nonstop runoff.

Sheepshead, sheepshead, and more sheepshead beat within the heart of the reports I heard. This has been a very good spring for those seeking the Minorcan Delight. Two hot spots have been the Vilano Pier on the northern front and the Matanzas Bridge to the south. Additional attractive sites consisted of other bridge and pier pilings.

Both Frank Timmons (Sea Love) and Henry Miles (Devil's Elbow) spoke of big catches and a run on fiddler crabs. "Sheepsheadmania" was how Timmons put it, and "wide open" were the words of Miles.

Neither addressed the best tide, but I walked the Vilano Pier at low tide and no one was really fishing for them, that would lead me to believe that the bite must have been at high tide.

Tommy Vaughan (Avid Angler) said that his customers found good numbers of medium-sized sheepies throughout most of the region.

There was no discernible pattern to the reds, although Timmons said that an angler fishing for sheepshead south of the pier at a private dock found himself catching reds with fiddler crabs.

He released five that were oversized. Other red reports spread them throughout the Intracoastal Waterway. In short, they're home and moving about.

This was the first consistent week for pompano. There weren't many but there were enough to get everyone's attention. Ron Joiner and Darryl Lloyd (Count Pier) noted five or so coming aboard the county planks between the whiting catches.

This should kill any theory of pompano requiring absolutely clear water. They have to eat too. Internet reports put them at Crescent and Flagler beaches. A couple even made it up to Ponte Vedra Beach.

Lloyd Small and Jimmy Beach (St. Augustine Marina) noted that the 82-pound drum leading the local tourney was probably discouraging other entries but at least one 52 pounder was weighed in Monday by Jay Quigley.

Mike Colee brought in a 51 pounder on Tuesday. The word from Small, Beach and Bob Conroy (Mike's Place) is that the latest full moon precipitated a major bite of big drum in North River. A lot of 20-to 50-pound fish were hooked.

Spanish mackerel are around -- they're hard to get at through the legions of small bluefish, but they are here. St. Augustine Inlet and the County Pier have been gathering points.

I heard very little of flounder but Timmons said last weekend that they hooked and released (mandatory) two sand tiger sharks in the Nine Mile area. They measured about 7 feet each.

3-27-03

Offshore Fernandina: Not many legal snapper in close, but grouper should be showing soon. Redfish at St. Marys inlet. Whiting in surf.

Offshore Mayport: Quite a few snapper more than 10 pounds on partyboats. Sea bass plentiful. Whiting, drum, bluefish in surf at Hanna Park.

Offshore St. Augustine: Snapper, beeliners in 130 feet. Wahoo, tuna at the ledge. Whiting, a few pompano in surf. Lots of pomps in Daytona area.

3-30-03

Published Sunday, March 30, 2003