Northeast Hot Spots

Anglers hitting bottom in northeast waters.

"It's grouper time in northeast Florida," says George Strate, who captains the Mayport Princess out of Mayport. "Scamp, gray or warsaw, you'll catch them all within 20 miles of the beach in the 60- to 140-foot depths. The best grouper baits? Frozen cigar minnows, period!"

Becky Hogan, Strate's operations manager for the Mayport Princess, also likes to fish the late fall and winter snapper bite.

"They're closer in November and December," Hogan says. "Closer means less run time, more fish time and less gas. We'll see lots of action as long as the temperatures stay seasonal. It's not uncommon to see big quantities of fish in the 6- to 20-pound range off the ledges and wrecks in late fall."

For beeliners, try a simple dropper-loop rig with a 5/0 long-shank hook over a structured bottom, Hogan recommends. Like Strate, she prefers to bait her hooks with cigar minnows.

Capt. Tony Bozzella, owner of TBS Jigs and Lures, suggests "bumping the BR reef" for snapper and grouper. Bozzella uses "knocker" rigs, weights that slide down to the hook, on 60- or 80-pound monofilament. He uses only 5/0 Owner or Gamakatsu hooks tied to a fluorocarbon leader. "For grouper, step the hook size up," Bozzella says.

Farther east, 35- to 50-pound grouper feed in 150 to 300 feet of water. At those depths, anglers might also find sailfish. Sails leave when the water temperature drops into the low 60s. Troll small blue/white and pink Islander lures to bring the sails up. Also in late fall, an occasional dolphin or blue marlin might grab a lure.

In the shallows and backcountry, redfish prowl the mud or sand flats at low tide. For best results, fish the flats about two hours on either side of the low. Some productive mudflats and bars include Horsehead Creek in Fernandina, Hanna Mills in Jacksonville, the Intracoastal creeks north of St. Augustine and west of Devils Elbow near Matanzas Inlet.

Farther south, Capt. Brian Clancy  targets schooling reds in the Mosquito Lagoon. "These fish run 4 to 10 pounds," he says. "Small jerkbaits and spoons are good bets when the lagoon is mostly grassless. Don't throw into the schools. If the reds are tailing, throw artificials within three feet using a side-armed, soft presentation."

Sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and mangrove snapper also show up during early winter months, Clancy says. Look for them around river mouths and inlets from Daytona through Port Canaveral.

Falling water temperatures force gator trout and big jacks up into the St. Johns River. Fish the bridges, docks and pilings near Dames Point, Brown's Creek and Atlantic Boulevard. In late fall, anglers might land some gators weighing 5 pounds or more.

"We take big trout and good-sized jacks around Reddie Point in the St. Johns River," Bozzella says. "Some of the jacks weigh almost 20 pounds."

DOCK TALK
Dick Michaelson of Jacksonville fished the St. Johns River dock lights for trout with Chan Ritchie one dark night when the dock owner showed up.

"Catchin' anything?" the dock owner asked, looking for his 32-foot Luhrs supposedly anchored in the river.

"You guys see a 32-footer out there, somewhere?" the dock owner asked, hoping the pitch-black night had merely obscured his vision.

"Nothing," responded Ritchie, scanning the spottily lit horizon. Then, Ritchie caught a shadow, a reflection. "More light being blocked than anything," he says.

The dock owner boarded Michaelson's small johnboat, and the trio motored upriver. The big Lurhs rested at anchor nearly a half-mile away. The owner climbed aboard, motored back and reset the hook at his off-dock anchorage. Then Michaelson and Ritchie ferried him back to his dock while the Luhrs owner tallied his luck.

"Missed dozens of docks, some channel markers and a bunch of boats at anchor. Y'all fish my dock anytime," the boat owner said as he climbed his dock ladder. "Seriously, anytime!"

— David Lambert, Regional Editor