Big winds coming this weekend

Big winds coming this weekend
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JIM SUTTON FISHING REPORT

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

The river remains as high as most locals can recall  minus an actual hurricane. The odd thing is no one seems to understand what continues to prop the water up. Weve had little rain, moderate if any northerly winds and the moon has not been a factor for the past two weeks. But the water levels remain way up there. This is preferable to a year ago when some of the area lakes were so low boats could not get in them, and it keeping the fishing interesting.

The river shrimping is, for the most part, dead. Lake George had been the hot spot over the past couple weeks, but guides there say they cant catch enough river shrimp for bait, let alone dinner. It that way all over the river. We should have had at least a second big push of shrimp into the river from the Atlantic, but if they came in, they kept it mighty quiet. We have seen shrimp in the river until late November. And two things seem to trigger their eventual exit  lowered salinity and water temperature. The river temps are abnormally high, in the upper 70s and the salinity is still up. So another big run would not be a surprise, but it would be a great relief.

The panfish bite is very good, especially in the lakes where the higher water has moved fish from scattered areas to concentrate along the shorelines. New worms, grubs and other snacks are available in the flooded swamps that drain into the lake, bringing the buggy harvest with it.

Lake George has been particularly good all week for both bluegill and shellcracker. But most of the lakes and the river are experiencing good numbers of panfish in along the grass lines and lily pads. If you can catch some live river shrimp, the largemouth bass bite has been very good along the shorelines  because that where the panfish are.

Speckled perch are beginning to wake up a little in the river, but the big bites remain in Orange Lake and Lake Lochloosa.

Catfish arent getting a lot of attention from anglers right now, but the commercial guys are doing well, especially on small channel cats.

**THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWA**Y

The same high water is hurting the fishing in brackish water. Most of the guides simply stay home until the tide turns out. But even then, there not much of a falling tide to work. It just not getting low.
The real bump in action this week was the speckled seatrout bite. Theyre thick along the ICW edges, especially near oyster bars and creek mouths. Problem is (if you can call it that) the vast majority are small. Some guides are reporting catching 30 fish and keeping three or four.

But, with the nice breeze and cooler temperatures, it a great time of the year to take out the ultralight spinning tackle, pin on a Lil Fishie or small grub on and eight-ounce jighead and have a blast with the underachieving trout. It really is fun.

This is also an excellent time for those of you who may not have special “spots to fish. Take those same lure, or even smallish diving plug and troll the edges of the ditch about as slowly as you can go. Youre pretty much guaranteed to catch trout, along with some jack crevalle and an occasional bluefish.

The redfish are also running small, from 12-inch rat reds to 17-inch “almosts.

Flounder have left the inlet and seem to be stacking up in creek mouths, along with the reds.

If youre looking for some slot reds and oversized reds, fish cut crab or finger mullet under the pilings of any of the bridges now. The finger mullet are a little big to fish alive. But the big reds like a big hunk of a fresh dead mullet just as well.

The sheepshead bite has been excellent for those dunking fiddler crabs on those same pilings.

**THE ATLANTIC**

There actually were a couple of reports of trolling out in the deep water last weekend. A few sailfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo were caught. But this was in a small striking fish tournament. Most of the charter guys arent willing to waste the time or fuel and are content to put out the bottom rods. Most found some grouper, gobs of illegal red snapper and pink porgies. The beeliner and triggerfish bite was extra good.

A few reports came in from the local reefs and wrecks. Some kingfish are still around and enough cobia were either seen or caught to make you believe that their migration back south is happening. How long they hang around will depend on water temperature and bait. The barracuda and bonito are still out there en force.
Here an interesting fishing story. Anglers on the Jacksonville Beach Pier have been absolutely blistering pompano all week. But almost all the action is going to the guys on the end of the pier, tossing those 13-foot rocket-launchers out past the last bar. One estimated that about 175 yards from the sand.

So all the surf anglers whove been lamenting the lack of a fall run of pompano are wrong. Theyre here, just not where mortal men can reach them. It is still early. Actually, the surf temperatures need to get a good bit colder in order for us to have the conditions generally deemed conducive to good pompano fishing.

There have been scattered reports of whiting in the surf. And this time of year, you can expect a few redfish to hit as well. Im waiting on a photo of what was supposed to be a 56-inch redfish caught in the surf this week on dead shrimp. That would be a really big specimen.

The Spanish mackerel have moved on, as have most of the fish that were jamming both the St. Augustine and Matanzas Inlets last week, including big reds and lots of tarpon.

**THE WEATHER**

Looks rough, with northerly winds blowing at 20-plus knots Friday through Monday with seas forecast at around five feet. Try some bluegill fishing in the river or speckled trout in the ICW.

**CALENDAR**

The Ancient City Game Fish Association meets Tuesday at the St. Augustine Shrine Club, 250 Brainard Rd. Social hour begins at 6:30 p.m., with light food and fish tales. The general meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The junior angler club will be making a banner, sending Christmas cards and collecting goodies for care packages for servicemen deployed overseas. We will be presenting checks to Ronald McDonald House and the Jarad Revels scholarship fund. Elections are next month, theyll be taking nominations for officers and directors for next year. For information call Matt at 904-940-7745 or go to acgfa.com ° .

Jim Sutton provides a weekly fishing report for The Record. Reach him at jim.sutton@stau ° gustine.com ° .