Fishing Log

 

 

 

Friday, Dec. 11, 1998 - Snagged a couple of big yellow jacks at dawn, on a green jig.  Threw (a castnet) on a school of mullet, and caught a good one, about 2-3lb.  And picked a seabass at the west end of C-2 on a live finger mullet.

 

Dec. 12, 1998 - Caught a nice seabass on a live mullet from C-2 East.  Gave the whole mess above to Collins, and bought him a nice Shimano reel to put on a rod that's almost as old as he is.

Dec. 22, 1998 - First yellowmouth trout of the season, and a nice one (16 inches), taken during lunch, from the flat side of C-2, on a live mullet.  Slight NE wind.   

Fishing Log

   



jack crevalle

October 8, 1998 - 5 or 6 jacks crevalle taken on jigs near the surface, at the middle of Bravo Pier, just before dawn.  One was very large and gave me a 5 or 10 minute fight.

November 19, 1998* - Two flounder taken on jigs at C-2 West, and the Fox cove, both fish between 15 and 16 inches.  I've been out of the fishing business since I broke 3 ribs in the shower, Oct. 24.  (Slipped in the claw foot bath tub and fell over the rail) Just now able to sleep in a bed again.

 

 Cooked both fish for Kathy and Joanne (sister-in-law) tonight.  Shook fillets on a zip lock bag with curry, onion, garlic, & oregano with oil, then blackened them outside in a cast iron skillet.  Served them with saffron rice and Greek salad.  Good Stuff !!

 

The fish were taken on avocado, metal flake 'Mr. Whiffel' grub tails on a red, 3/8 oz. jig head.  Wind NE.

 

 

November 19, 1998* -  19 inch flounder (not weighed) taken at B/C corner (or) C-1 west, with a black and clear 'Mr. Whiffel' metal flake grub tail, on a red jig head.  Gave the fish to Dorothy (my mother). 

*The same date for two different entries here, one of them has to be wrong.

November 27, 1998 - A good day.  Tons of roe mullet in Fox Cove today.  Harvested about 50 pounds with a cast net.  One measured 22 inches and weighed an eyelash shy of 4 pounds.  Gave some to Wally, and smoked the rest.  Also got a big flounder at the same spot, on an avocado 'Mr. Whiffel' plastic grub tail on a red jig head.  The fish measured 26 inches (?) number smudged) and weighed 7.20 pounds on the digital scale @ B&M Bait & Tackle.

November 28, 1998 - Fished with Champ Kauffman from his boat.  We caught 7 very nice sheepshead in the lea of the South Jetty, fishing close to the rocks on an incoming tide.  Wind NE.

  

Fishing Log

 

Aug. 29, 1998 - 18 inch, 2 pound, 4 ounce flounder taken at the west end notch of C-2, by the USS Kennedy. This flounder was barely hooked in a very thin spot in the lip, and fought much better than any (much bigger flounder) I've caught in a while.  It was remarkable that I landed him because he was also very shy of the landing net.  I plan to give this one to Dorothy (my mother), as I still have the top half of the flounder taken Aug. 24, to cook tonight. Security has closed the piers to fishing during a heightened security alert.*  I also released a little spotted seatrout some prankster had put into my bait bucket, after emptying it of finger mullet.

 

*following the Islamic truck bombings of two US Embassies in Africa:  https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-embassies-in-east-africa-bombed

NOT GOOD

New memo from base command:  All piers have just been secured for fishing for security reasons.  The rumor is that this will be in effect for from 6 months to two years.  The only sanctioned fishing will be done from the jetties, and any fish taken from the piers will have to be done on the 'QT.'

 

 

**This will become a pattern that will last for years.  Terrorists always seem to plan their attacks for September, ruining the flounder season on base, with security concerns, every year.

Monday, Sept. 14, 1998 - 2 pound, 5 ounce flounder (over 18 inches), taken right under the nose of the security police, at the west end of C-2, on a metal flake, 'Mr. Whiffel' jig, with a pink tail and a white head.  Fun Stuff!!  Needed the help of a stranger to rig the landing net.  High tide with a mild NE wind.

Thursday, Sept. 17, 1998 - 23 inch flounder (just under 5 pounds), taken on a live mullet at B/C corner near the tugs, about low tide.  A sailor came by to help land the fish with the net.  It started out slow, but got very active at the surface.  Will give this one to Dorothy too, to cook any way she wants





Fishing Log

 

 

Mayport seafood boil

 





#1-0 to 2-0 kahle hook

July 22, 1998 - Hooked up with Cdr. Chun and Capt. Gaudio at the Jetties.  I'd watched Conrad land 5 oversized reds last Monday (July 20), and was not surprised at his 30 inch red today.  He also put the Captain on two big reds that were both lost, one due to knot failure.  Capt. Gaudio finally got hooked up with a 5 to 6 pound black drum that I helped him land.  I got skunked.

 

Conditions were Excellent:  Dead high tide at dusk, with a slight SE wind.  Used 3 to 4-oz. bank sinkers* on 'head boat' rigs, with #2-0 kahle hooks, and half a blue crab for bait.

Sputnik sinker

*The new 'Sputnik' sinkers will usually cling to a sandy bottom in a strong current, better than a bank sinker will.
 

 

July 23, 1998 - A shrimp boil at Marine Science Center, for members of the Waterfront Partnership Committee.  Gerald Pack donated a box of big white shrimp for the shindig, and Tyler Greenwell found a big gas fired pot with a cullender from Parson's Restaurant.  We cooked corn on the cob, new potatoes, and sausages in Old Bay seasoning, then blanched the shrimp last.  It all turned out very well.  John Meserve, Captain Gaudio, Councilman Leggett, the Mayor of Atlantic Beach, and some enthusiastic members of the 'Mayport Colored Community' (an organization) all showed up.  A really nice neighborhood party !

 

July 26, 1998 - We cooked out hamburgers and black drum at Kathy's mom's house.  Using a folding grill basket, we basted the fish with olive oil, Greek seasoning and rosemary that Kathy brought back from her trip, then fired it over flaming hot coals 'til the skin began to char and the flesh turned from pale white, to a burnished yellow around the edges.  GOOD STUFF, everyone liked it.



Fishing Log

 

 

August 3, 1998 - 3 flounder taken on live finger mullet, at high tide, from the notch at the East end of C-1.  The fish were all small to medium size: 13, 17, and 18 inches, with the largest weighing just over two pounds.

 

August 4, 1998 - Another 17 inch, two pound flounder taken on live mullet, also from the East end of C-1 at high tide.

August 5, 1998 - Took a 17 inch, two pound flounder on live mullet, from the West end of C-2 at high tide.  I cooked fish for Kathy yesterday, blackened flounder in an iron skillet outside, with Greek seasoning.  Had leftovers for lunch today.  Have also been tasked to catch enough flounder to feed Kathy's party guests for tomorrow night.  No problem.

August 24, 1998 - Netted a 3 pound, 19 inch flounder, taken on live mullet from the East end of C-2.

August 26, 1998 - Landed a 15.5 inch flounder at A/B corner.  Gave it to Dave Fisher.
 

Fishing log

 

 

July 3, 1998 - Medium sized jack at B/C corner

 

July 14, 1998 - Hooked a small flounder at the west end of the C-2 notch.  Used no landing net and lost same - big deal.  The air and water have been so hot that the fishing has been BAD.  Rain and on-shore winds finally came 2 days ago with Kathy's arrival. (back from Greece?) 




Black Drum

Monday, July 20, 1998 - Made two sorry throws with a 6-ft. bait net, between the USS Boone and the USS Underwood, and managed to cull four nice mullet from about a dozen I picked up.  They were feeding in the fresh water discharge from the galley garbage grinder.  Had planned to grill them for Kathy, but picked up a 6 pound, 12 ounce black drum, fishing from the river side of the South Jetties, using halved blue crabs on bottom rigs, flung several hundred yards into the river, with a new 15 foot rod.

 

Redfish

Conrad Chun was there and caught 5 reds that ranged from about 27 to 33 inches, all nice fish.  I slipped from the rocks and lost my glasses in the river.  Kathy had to bring me an old pair so I could drive home.  I kept the drum and gave the mullet to Stoddard Andreu. 

Optimal conditions for this kind of fishing are a high slack tide at dusk (to keep the bait on the bottom) and a slight south wind to keep the line straight.

Tuesday, July 21, 1998 - Brought 6 blue crabs (for bait) back to the same spot I fished yesterday.  Caught a 33 inch (est. 14-lb)* redfish on my second bait that I gave to Tyler Greenwell, to blacken for the French and Spanish exchange students staying at his house.  They were all impressed by the size of the fish here. Tyler plans to serve the fish with boiled corn on the cob, new potatoes, and a mess of big shrimp donated by Gerald Pack of Safe Harbor Seafood.

The forest fires south and west of us have stopped, and the wind has shifted to the southeast, clearing the air of soot and cooling things down to the mid to low 90s.

Conrad plans to take Capt. Gaudio and some of the Mayport brass to the hole tomorrow.  They should do well.  Hope they get some slot sized (legal) keepers.

*Estimated by Ray Downey, a neighbor.

 



Fishing Log

 

 

June 12 (Friday) 1998 - Wind shifted to the NE earlier this week, and gave some relief to the heat.  Flounder were taken all week by other anglers.  The wind shifted again, back to the West nd brought back the heat.  I had the Fox Hole to myself this afternoon and landed 2 small flats on a falling tide.  Both fish under two lb. (15 to16 inches) but kept both.  Will grill them this weekend for Kathy.  Most anglers have switched to live bait (mud minnows and finger mullet).  I was assisted in landing my second fish by a 'yardbird' who handled the net very ineptly.  I was lucky I had the fish hooked so well.  He (the yardbird) was astonished that I'd caught two back to back flounder on "fake bait" (soft  plastic jigs).

 

The punishing heat so early in the year, and mostly unabated by the usual afternoon showers, is probably the worst I've ever seen and will keep the water temps high.  I suspect they will breed some very bad hurricanes late this summer and early next fall.

 

George Strait's new 'head' boat' the MAYPORT PRINCESS, is ready to fish but the Coast Guard is holding up his charters with paperwork demands.  Spoke to Kim and she said they'd have to miss the first mortgage payment on the boat.

 

I took a copy of Elizabeth Stark's History of Mayport, by the base for Capt. Gaudio (CO/NAVSTA/MAYPT) and left him another copy for (his Public Affairs Officer, Lt. Cdr.) Conrad Chun. Both, I suspect, will enjoy the booklet.  Conrad has been tasked to write a Naval History of the base.  I will lend him a hand with the project, if he wants it. 

 

 

 

June 17, 1998 -  15 inch flat at Fox Hole (cove) on the high tide.

 

 

 

 

June 19, 1998 - Two casts and two hook-ups at FOX Hole: the first was a small flat that I released, the second was a good fish, about a 19-20 inch flat, est. 3.5 pounds.  Lost him in the landing net.  Falling tide, early morning.  First rain today in what seems like months.

 

June 23, 1998 - Released about a 14 or 15 inch blue at Fox cove, early morning.



Fishing  Log

 

May 29, 1998 - Foxtrot pier, wind SSE, first part of the incoming tide - Kept a 16 inch flounder taken on a black & white Mister Twister tail on a 3/8-oz. chartreuse jig head.  The fish weighed 1.5 to 1.7-lb. (heavier than the one I caught Wednesday)  I sent the spray-butter and seasoned filets to work with Kathy, iced and ready for her to microwave for lunch.

(Lt. Cdr.) Conrad Chun* has been taking flounder for the past week, on 'Mr. Whiffle' jigs.  Retired military 'tourists' staying in the base's RV park, are taking advantage of the good fishing from the rocks.  Yesterday it rained for the first time in weeks.  The end of this May has been one of the hottest I can remember.  Picked up a rod I'd had out for repairs then went back to the base to fish it.  Hooked a big flounder (no weight recorded) but needed help rigging my landing net to haul it up.  Nice fish !

 

* Public Affair's Officer, NAVSTA MAYPORT

 

 

 

 

 May 30, 1998 -  Light SSE wind.  Kept three nice flounder hooked off the end of Foxtrot Pier: two casts, two fish, with a black & white 'Mr. Whiffle' jig (17 and 18-in. each) and the third flounder (14-in.) on a metal flake jig.  Gave the largest fish to Bob Kirk and the other two, to Kay Kaufman.  Two men fishing from the rocks were doing well (first of the incoming tide) using live mud minnows, worked slowly across the bottom.

May 31, 1988 - No wind same bait - Caught a 19-in. flounder at the end of Foxtrot, during low tide.  Took it to Mac (my father).  Lost another flounder about the same size (estimated 2.25-lb.) same spot.

June 2, 1998 - Two flat fish (flounder) yesterday and two more today, all between 15 and 20 inches that weighed between 1.5 and 3 pounds.  All taken on the first 2 hours of the incoming tide.  'Fish Boy Chuck' and his mercenary posse have been taking some 6 to 8-lb. flounder on live finger mullet, and selling them to C&C Fisheries for $2.50 a pound.

June 4, 1998 -  Another flat fish (flounder) 18.5 inches, 2.3-lb, same spot and same method.  Wind shifting to the West.

June 6, 1998 - Took another flattie, 3.5-lb., 19-20 inches, at Foxtrot Cove on the incoming tide (about 11-am).  Also lost another earlier in the day.  Broiled a bunch of flounder for Kathy's party, over her new wood-fired Raku (pottery) Kiln.  She called it 'Raku-fired flounder.'  Also smoked a 10-lb. turkey for her guests.  Nice party.  Took some nice uncooked filets over to Dorothy (my mother) the next day.    

    

 

 



May 14, 1998 - I've been getting flounder strikes for the past three days, but have landed nothing of note.  Picked up a 11.5-in. flounder, jigging the west notch C-1, with a light wind blowing just before high tide.  Released it but he fought like a much bigger fish.

May 17, 1998 - 2 flounder at sunrise, on the low tide.  A westerly breeze had the no-see-ums stirred up.  Tossed a toad fish at C-1 East, kept a 16.5 inch, two pound, YM trout and a 14 inch flounder, caught on a jig at A/B Corner.

Grilled the keepers, and served them up with grated parmesan cheese and chopped nuts - Delicious.

May 19, 1998 - Low tide, slight NE wind.  Forgot to rig the landing net and lost a pair of 2-lb. flounder at the west end of C-1. They both fish shook the hook as soon as I lifted their heads above the water.  Nice action on the new Fenwick rod.

May 20, 1998 - Released 2 nice 'Virginia' croakers at A/B Corner.

May 27, 1998 - Just before lunch, wind SSW.  I hooked a 16-in. flounder with a black & white Mister Twister tail on a 3/8-oz. jig head.  Didn't notice tide, but gave the fish to Bob Kirk.

May 28, 1998 - Croaker taken @ C-2 with a pink and white, plastic twisty tail on a .25-oz. red, jig head.  Released same.






 

Fishing Log

 

April 17, 1998 - Hooked a jack and a blue at A/B corner, both a little timid about hitting the jig.  Both strikes occurred on the up-crank, about 10-ft. from the surface.

April 19, 1998 - Picked up a small trout and 2 jacks at A/B corner today, and a small trout at F-2 yesterday.  None of it worth keeping.

April 21, 1998 - Landed a 2.5-lb. jack on a white jig tail @ the west notch of C-2.  Again, the bait was taken about 10-ft. below the surface.  GOOD FIGHT !!!

May 2, 1998, Saturday, 3-pm - Hooked 2 flounder at A/B corner, on a white tailed jig with a pink twisty tail: first flounder, 15-in., 1.75-lb (kept), the second fish was 11.66-in. (released).

May 5, 1998 - A small jack and a blue (17-in. to the fork) @ the west notch of C-2.  Both taken just below the surface on a white jig with a pink twisty tail (.25-oz. head).  Gave the blue to Stoddard.

May 6, 1998 - 2 more blues taken at A/B corner: one on a jig, the other on a Gotcha lure.

 

Fishing Log

 

March 6, 1998 - The yellow mouth trout have returned after an unusually warm and rainy winter.  I caught 3 this morning @ C-1 before work, about 15-in. each.  It's been a long drought on the fishing scene, with virtually nothing since Thanksgiving.

 

Friday 13, March, 1998 - Yellow mouth trout at the bottom of Echo Pier, falling tide, night fishing with Doug Oswald.  Took about all we wanted on white plastic jig tails tipped with a little dead shrimp for scent.  Most of the fish were between 12 and 18 inches.  We threw back anything too small to clean.

March 31, 1998 - Hooked a 14-in. yellow mouth trout at the bottom of Delta Pier, after work (2-pm).  A man was killed and another badly injured (both civilians) in an aircraft elevator accident on the carrier today, between 2 and 5-pm.*
 

April 2, 1998 - Released one and lost one yellow mouth trout at the bottom of E-Pier after dark, action slow.

 

April 15, 1998 - Two bluefish taken on jigs along A-Pier, the largest was 19-in. to the fork of the tail.  Gave them to Stoddard.  Jack crevalle showing up everywhere.  Hooked a big one yesterday that broke my Fenwick rod @ A/B corner.  Dredging has stopped temporarily. Good!! - water clearing.

*https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=101350262