July inshore and near-shore fishing report for Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine area waters

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-04-06 AT 08:04PM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-04-06 AT 08:01*PM (EST)[/font]

Summer seems to be flying by as I write this on the 4th of July. Where did June go? The fishing continues to be good in the Jacksonville area waters. The king mackerel are on the beach and reefs, though anglers are having difficulties getting "whole" fish to the boat because of the hungry barracudas, which seem to be everywhere.

Tarpon are being caught occasionally, both at the jetties and chumming the near-shore waters of Nassau Sound, the "Redtops", and the "Desert". I look for their numbers to only increase in the future as the water warms even more. Cobia are still being caught around pogie pods and over reefs.

Redfish have been biting consistently along the jetties. Most of these fish are slightly oversize with a few slot fish mixed in. For example, one of my charters last week caught twelve redfish with eleven being oversize. They are in the creeks and ICW also, but you had better fish early before the water gets too hot and the boat traffic picks up. The evenings can also be productive.

Flounder are biting well in their usual haunts which include around docks and rocks and other ambush points. I like the last of the ebb tide and first of the flood for the flatties. Finger mullet , mud minnows, and plastic or "gulp"type baits all are effective.

Speckled trout are hitting top-water baits and DOA shrimp fished under a clacker float or Cajun thunder or free lined with the current. This is also an early and late game for best results.They like low light conditions. Live shrimp are a hit and miss thing at local bait shops, so you always need a contingency plan when you head out.

Some large jacks are being caught along the beaches near the pogie pods. Black tip sharks are also feasting on the pogies and shrimp boat bycatch. These high flying sharks are like the mako's smaller cousin and give a similar fight. It's usually safest to just cut the leader at boat side with these fish.

Good fishing!

CAPT Bob Cosby -- Captain Bob's Fishing Charters,Inc. [url]http://www.captainbobsfishingcharters.com[/url]