By Captain David Lifka
mail@floridanewsline.com
Even though we are still early in the summer season, fishing in the St. Johns has been pretty good. Keeper reds have been on docks from San Marco to Switzerland Point. The croaker bite has steadily been on the increase with some decent size to them. Yellowmouth trout, now referred to as Weakfish, are showing a little early, but should increase in numbers and size as the summer increases.
Weather — as in rain — remains the biggest determining factor of how this year’s fishing will turn out. For most of the spring, salinity levels for areas of the river have been very high. That has helped saltwater species of bait and fish work their way farther south a little earlier in the year. When too much rain occurs, salinity levels fall, pushing those same species of bait and fish farther north up the river.
With the exception of heavy drenching tropical systems, normal summer rainfall is usually all we need to sustain decent salinity levels for a good fishing and shrimping season. If a tropical system does happen to pass through, usually the earlier in the summer the better, as the river still has time to recover and return to a more favorable brackish salinity level.
Fishing the river for these summertime species is usually pretty easy. Look for a point, sand bar, marker, hole, ledge, or other boats. A 1-ounce egg sinker in front of an 18-inch leader with a small 1/0 hook is a simple and effective rig. Local live or dead shrimp should be your first bait of choice, followed by cut bait (croaker or mullet). Live bait (shrimp or finger mullet) on a float rig should be your preferred method for fishing docks unless you are really good at casting artificial baits.
Fishing Report: Croaker bite is on the increase. Marker 18 at Green Cove Springs seems to be the most popular spot once again. Area bridges, (Buckman, Doctor’s Lake, and Shands) have been providing mixed bags including reds, stripers, and an occasional drum or flounder.
Whether you catch one, some, or none, the family time spent fishing will last a lifetime.
Email your Catch of the Month photo to catchofthemonthpictures@gmail.com. Be sure to include the name of the person(s) in the photo, the name of the person who took the photo, the type of fish and date and location of the catch. We will select a photo each month for publication
Photo courtesy Andy White
Two-year-old Drew catches his first catfish, which hit a small white jig in May 2020 on Lake Beluthahatchee.
