Target fresh water but watch the weather

*Target fresh water but watch the weather*

JIM SUTTON

**The St. Johns River and area lakes:** The good news is that the shrimp run has apparently not ended. They showed up again in both the Green Cove Springs area and down around Lake George. A guide on the big lake said netters are catching near limits of big shrimp around Welaka. He says the shrimp are being pinned in down there by the tides.

In Green Cove, one guy went to the city pier earlier in the week and threw his net, hoping to catch bait shrimp. He ended up with a 5-gallon bucket in less than an hour. There was an even better report from a shrimper working from his boat around the bridge.

And a guide on Dunn Creek reported that he been catching 15-20 pounds off his dock at night. These shrimp are an odd mixture of small, medium and large specimens.

Some early reports of speckled perch are coming in from Orange Lake especially, but also from Crescent and Lochloosa. The fish are deep still and on structure.

The bluegill bite is the hottest thing going. And the reports are of some big fish. One group of charters fishing out of two boats Tuesday put 171 on ice, though Im told the crew was unfamiliar with the term “cull.

Same thing is happening on Lake George where small hybrid stripers are all over the lake. Theyre catching them by the dozens, but these are what the guide described as “corn cob-sized. Theyre legal, but…

**The Intracoastal Waterway:** Fishing good in the brackish water. Water temperatures have fallen back into the low- to mid-70s, which gets the fish friskier. The tides have been abnormally high, which is allowing anglers to fish flats and spartina grass that would normally be dry. And the wads of finger mullet have thinned out, making reds a little hungrier than the past several weeks  albeit a little tougher to find.

The big push has been by the speckled sea trout. Guys are reporting catching as many as 30 on an outing, though few are legal sized  the fish, I mean.

There are lots of rat reds down south from Devil Elbow to Bing Landing. The fish being caught north at Palm Valley are more slot-sized. The fish around town are mixed.

Baby bluefish are moving in through the inlet. They can be both aggravating and expensive, eating up your live bait supply.

I havent gotten a photo or a single report from a sheepshead angler, but the bait stores are running dry all over. Elaine, at the Vilano Bait Shack, ordered 15,000 this week, after going through her 10,000 allotment in two days again last weekend. So apparently somebody catching them, or just feeding them  which is what I tend to do.

There are still predominately oversized redfish on the south jetties and under the bridges.

The black drum bite has been good. The bridges are the place to find them as well  especially at Vilano.

Flounder are tough to find, but working docks  or what left of them after Matthew  with finger mullet or mud minnows might be the best bet.

That brings up something you need to heed. There is still a lot of floating wood and other flotsam out there, breaking free from where they hung up originally after the storm. These can cause some serious lower unit issues and possibly some injury issues to you as well. Pay attention out there. If youre running wide open you wont see them in time.

**The Atlantic:** The whiting fishing is picking up, along with pompano, in the surf. The county pier at St. Augustine Beach has had some pretty good fishing this week for both species, plus sheepshead, drum, redfish and a few flounder.

There were zero reports outside the inlet this week. Today and Friday it looks fishable, but not for the weekend because…

**The weather:** Seas Saturday will be whipped up to 5 feet by northeast winds of 20-25 knots. It will be a little better Sunday, but not enough to make a trip out there advisable.

**Calendar:** The Ancient City Gamefish Association Pink up the Spots tournament is Nov. 19 out of Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor. There is both a grownup and junior competition. For all the info go to [acgfa.com][1].

Remember to send in your photos to the email below. It always feast or famine on them and this week were going hungry.

**. Contact him** at [email protected].

[1]: http://acgfa.com/