Fishing Log

June 3, 2001 - Released a small flounder taken at C-2-E.

July 5, 2001 - Caught a medium sized Spanish mackerel last week, several small sea bass, and several small sand perch at C-2-W.  Released everything but the mackerel which I took over to my Dad's house, along with a bread bag full of big, white shrimp tails which I got in exchange for some electrical work I did for neighbors, Richard and Patty Yows (shrimpers).

July 5, 2001 - Caught some trash fish and small flounder, but nothing for the table.

July 20, 2001 - Still just trash fish and small flounder, but no fish for the table.  Sold a few ribbon fish to Rusty at B&M Bait and Tackle @ $2.00 each (for kingfish baits).

July 25, 2001 - Yesterday I spotted a 6 to 8 foot tarpon resting idly in Foxtrot Cove, just below the surface of the water, a few short feet from the seawall where I was standing.  It was amazing, I could see every scale on his back.  Big barracudas, manatees, and large sea turtles are a common sight in the Navy basin, but the size of that tarpon took my breath away.

July 26, 2001 - Wind SSW - Snagged a respectable size (17 inch) flounder working a jig along the bottom at C-2-West, then raided the ice machine at North Florida Shipyards for a bucket of ice.  Took the fish to a dinner party hosted by the Caroline and Richard Forbis.

August 13, 2001 - I've been releasing small flounder and trash fish all week, but during the first of the outgoing tide today, I caught an 18 inch and a 13 inch flounder which I kept.  Stuffed the small flounder with crab meat, green onions and mushrooms, for my mother, and blackened the big fish in curry seasoning for Kathy.

August 16, 2001 - Caught a few ladyfish and a fat 17.5 inch flounder, but got run off by base Security right after I put the flounder on the hill. 

Fishing Log:

May 15, 2001 - High tide at A/B Corner, wind out of the SE.  Hooked a large lady fish and several jacks and blues, with many of cut-offs near the surface.

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 - Small spring flounder are back in the basin.  Lost or threw back several potato chip flounder before and after work.  Kept one 14 incher.  All fish were hooked at Fox Cove on jigs.May 23, 2001 - Kept one 18 inch yellow mouth trout, taken at C-2-W on a jig.

May 24, 2001 - Caught a 19 inch flounder at C-2-W on a jig.  Stuffed and baked it as a covered dish for Tyler Greenwell's party.  

May 25, 2001 - 14 to 15 inch yellow mouth trout taken on a jig at high tide, at C-2-W.  Wind ENE.

May 28, 2001 - 14 inch croaker taken on a jig at high tide, at B/C Corner.

May 29, 2001 - At the top of an incoming tide during my lunch break, I took a 15 inch flounder on a jig at Foxtrot Cove.  

May 30, 2001 - Landed a 20 inch flounder at C-1/C-2 notch.  Both fish taken on a 3/8 oz. jig head and a clear 'Christmas tree' soft plastic twisty tail body.  Broke my rod, but gave the fish to sister Connie - a happy girl.

May 31, 2001 - Kept a 15 inch flounder and a croaker taken on jigs during high tide, at C-1/C-2 notch.  Put them into a ziplock bag with the fish I caught May 28 & 29, to marinate in a curry lime juice mix. 

Fish Log

March 30, 2001 - Hooked 2 small bluefish at Charlie-1-East, before work, and released both.  I'm surprised I haven't caught more yellow mouth trout yet this year.  Should be catching coolers full of them by now.

April 11, 2001 - Caught a blue and a jack at C-1-E, during my lunch break.  Released both fish.

April 12, 2001 - Hooked and released more bluefish.

April 15, 2001, Easter Sunday - Fast action on the surface using (and losing) many soft plastic jigs: 1 small flounder, 2 nice Spanish mackerel, a pompano, a jack, a blue, and many cut-offs by who knows what.

April 27, 2001 - I took 3 very nice yellow mouth trout (all 17 inches or more) on jigs, during an incoming tide, at Charlie-2-West, just before lunch.  The second trout hit so hard, I thought I'd hooked the large jack which followed the trout up to the surface.  Gave 2 of the trout to Jessica.

Sunday, April 29, 2001 - Hooked a bluefish on a jig, just before high tide, at C-2-W.  Gave it away.

Monday, April 30, 2001 - Picked up and released a blue and a jack at C-2-West just after lunch, before high tide.  Also hooked something big under a submerged cable (also @ C-2-W).  It pulled off a good 20 feet of line before it broke off.  A redfish ??  

    

 Fish Log

Nov. 30, 2000 - We're working long hours on the ships.  The bait mullet have disappeared and I've gone back to using the soft plastic jigs.  Caught and released 6 croakers.  Smoked some mullet for making dip during the holidays.  Commercial mullet fishermen have invaded the basin like a swarm of locusts.  The flounder run seems to have ended and a few yellow mouthed trout have shown up with the brisk cold snap this week.

Jan. 30, 2001 -  Haven't caught a really nice fish since November.  Big schools of yellow mouth trout should have shown up weeks ago, but unseasonably cold weather may be a factor, nobody else is catching them either.  Bought some fiddler crabs for bait and made a tool for scraping barnacles from the seawall for chum, but no luck with the sheepshead yet.

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 - Finally caught an 8.26 pound sheepshead at C-2-E, on a live fiddler crab.  If someone hadn't helped me rig the landing net I'd have probably lost this fish.  The fish had a gnarly old set of broken teeth that I pulled a rusty hook from.  Was lucky to have landed him.

Feb. 26, 2001 - Caught a 15 inch sheepshead yesterday, and a bigger one (16.5 inches) today, no weights recorded.  Both fish taken on fiddler crabs, during the outgoing tide, from the concrete pier at the Navy's steam plant, on the St. Johns River.

Fishing Log

Oct. 13, 2000 - Full Moon - Took a 16 inch flounder after work at C-2-E, on a live mud minnow, during the low tide (2:51 PM).



Sunday, Oct. 15, 2000 - Caught a 3.38 pound, 19.5 inch flounder at C-2-W, on a live mullet.

Oct. 16, 2000 - Caught 2 flounder at C-2-W: the larger fish (16"), was taken at high tide during lunch, and the smaller fish (14.5"), was taken on the low tide, just after work.

Oct. 27, 2000 - Caught and released a small gag grouper I hooked on a on a jig at C-2-W, then also hooked and lost a big flounder at the same spot.


Oct. 28, 2000 - Took an 18 inch flounder, at dead low tide, on a live mud minnow, at C-2-W.  Also caught and released a smaller flounder at the same spot, using the same bait.

Nov. 6, 2000 - 2 nice (18 and 19 inch) flounder, taken at C-2-W, on live finger mullet.  Both fish weighed about 3 pounds each.

Nov. 7, 2000 - 2 more thick flounder, also taken at C-2-W, on live finger mullet.  The shorter 18 inch (3.75-lb.) fish, outweighed the longer 19 inch (3.5-lb.) fish, by a quarter pound.

Nov. 8, 2000 - Released a small gag grouper taken at C-2- W on a live finger mullet.

Nov. 9, 2000 - Hosted a family birthday party at Hurricane Hattie's,  all the lobster we could eat.  Sent my sisters home with bulging zip lock bags full of flounder fillets.  GREAT FUN.

Sunday, Nov. 11, 2000 - Picked up a 16 inch flounder at C-2-W on a live mullet, then went over to E Pier and caught a cooler full of roe mullet with my new cast net.  Some of them weighed 4 pounds or better. - Beautiful fish.

Monday, Nov. 12, 2000 - A 17 inch flounder taken during lunch at C-2-W, on a live finger mullet.

Nov. 13, 2000 - No fish today, someone emptied my live bait bucket and left it on the seawall. 

Fishing Log
(20 years ago this week)

Sept. 16, 2000 - A long drought and a terrible summer for flounder.  Took a 15 inch yellow mouth trout at C-2-East, just before dawn on a live finger mullet.

Sept. 21, 2000 - The flounder are finally back.  I tossed a 14-in. flounder I caught  before dawn, at C-2-E on live mullet, and kept a 24-in. flounder, taken just before dark, at C-2-W, also on a live finger mullet.

Sept. 22, 2000 - Caught and released a 14-in. flounder at C-2-E, with cheers from sailors on catwalks who'd watched me land the fish during the lunch break.

Sept. 26, 2000 - Released another two, 14 and 15-in. flounder, taken during lunch, on live mullet, at C-2-E.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2000 - Took a 16 inch flounder at C-2-E on a dead mullet.

Oct. 7, 2000 - Took a small flounder after work, at C-2-E, on a small live mullet, during the first part of the falling tide.

Oct. 11, 2000 - Caught a 15 inch flounder at C-2-E, on a mud minnow.

Fishing Log

 

 

vermillion snappers

 

Sunday, July 16, 2000 - Made an off-shore trip on the King Neptune: Travis got a 30 pound amberjack, I got one that weighed 25 pounds.  We also got a nice stringer full of good sized b-liners (aka vermillion snappers).

 

Monday, July 17, 2000 - I jigged up a small flounder at C-2-West.  It measured 13 to 14 inches, but with so much amberjack and snapper to eat, I released it.


ladyfish

July 29, 2000 - Flounder fishing has been slow.  Bought a new $18.00 graphite rod from Walmart and a $35.00 Shimano, 4 ball bearing, spinning reel from Sports Unlimited.  Caught 5 or 6 ladyfish on that new combo at B/C Corner.  The anti reverse gear on my Penn SS 4400 failed again; the design for that reel is a piece of garbage and I'll never waste money on another one.