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.
