**FISHING REPORT** Lots of shrimp in the river and ICW

**FISHING REPORT** 8-25-15

Lots of shrimp in the river and ICW

JIM SUTTON

**THE ST. JOHNS RIVER AND AREA LAKES**

It all about the river shrimping right now, and castnetters are blistering them from Doctor Inlet to Welaka.

The reports from Green Cove Springs are saying shrimpers are catching five-gallon bucket limits in a couple of hours off the public piers there. It doesnt seem that one area is any better than the next.

It a little early yet to expect good-sized shrimp, but it only gets better in September. There a full moon Saturday, which should cause a molt, in which growing shrimp shed their shells.

There are also two strange anomalies. Lochloosa Harbor reports limits of speckled perch there all week  ice chests full, they say. This is a full 4-6 months before that should be happening.

On Lake George, both bluegill and shellcracker are bedding and bursting with roe. That should have occurred in
May or June.

Bass fishing really picked up this week all over the region. There so much cool rainwater seeping into the lakes and the river from the swamps, that the lake temperatures are way down and the bass seem to be enjoying it.

In fact, the bite all over the river this week for bass, stripers, flounder, reds, pinfish and croakers was exceptional. The word is, net yourself some fresh river shrimp and fish some sort of structure with a float rig. Something will eat it.

**THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY**

The shrimping in the ICW is where all the interest is now. Most of the action remains in North River, from Guana to the Pine Island area. It about the same as the river, with good numbers of medium shrimp the norm.

Otherwise, there not much new and not much improving. Flounder are getting bigger and the schools of finger mullet youll want for bait are getting thicker.

Trout are scarce. Drum are in the usual holes and on oyster bars. Otherwise it jacks and the occasional Spanish mackerel.

If it was me, and I was hungry, Id probably get a bucket of mud minnows and fish jetties, docks, riprap and, if you can get near one, the cleaning table at a public ramp or pier. The mangrove snapper are getting feisty and fat.

**THE ATLANTIC**

There were several reports of sailfish being jumped and released offshore this week. Some were caught at Nine-Mile reef. The guys of Jodi Lynn charter boats saw one free jumping out by the Intruders, stopped and free lined a couple of pogies off the transom. Two sails blasted the baits in a double hookup. They caught and released both fish.
The kingfish bite continues to be good. Captains Dennis Goldstein and Whit Whitlock got one that tipped the scales at a hair over 50 pounds fishing the beach with pogies.

The cudas and jack crevlle keep you twisting wire. There were no reports of cobia out there, but it pretty sure a few remain.

Bottom fishing has been slow in the shallower water and gets better the deeper you go  120 would probably be a good starting place.

Lots of 8 to 10 pound mangrove snapper are still being chummed up and caught on live bait. Most of the charters are hitting them and topping off fish boxes with vermillion snapper, porgies and trigger-fish.

Surf fishing stinks, for the most part. Short runs of small whiting are moving up and down the beaches. But unless you like bonnethead sharks and sailcats, try something else.

**THE WEATHER**

The weatherman says that Tropical Storm Erika will be close enough to make things unattractive offshore. Saturday he looking at 2 to 4 foot seas with winds from the souteast. Sunday theyll turn from the east at 10-15 knots, but look for seas up to 6 feet  bigger outside 20 miles.

Jim Sutton provides a weekly fishing report for The Record. Reach him at [email protected] °

**CONTRIBUTED Photo :** Captain Whit Whitlock holds a 50-pound kingfish caught Aug. 19 in about 50 feet of water east of the Serenata Beach Club. The fish hit a live pogie. Whitlock was fishing with Captain Dennis Goldstein of Hot Fun fishing charters.