I'm loving the fall pattern weather we've been having. The Bulls have started the big move and they are stacking up thick in the Inlet right now. The bite is slower in the usual haunts around the Little Jetties and Marker 25 areas. You can still get them there but the bite is slow and the bottom machine is marking far less than we had been previously. Personally, I'm all about it! I haven't been able to get away from the Bull Reds with so much of my business being geared towards fishing for them. Not everybody gets to catch them though and I get a lot of visitors from other parts of the state that want to check these monsters off the bucket list.
I've started to focus more on Slot Reds and Sheepshead now that things are cooling off somewhat. The Sheepshead are definitely here and in solid numbers. They are biting pretty good in the Inlet albeit, so are the annoying Blennies. If you can sit out the by-catch, you will get some nice Sheepshead. In a few more weeks, we should start seeing far less of them. I'm hoping for a good cold front to come in and drop the water temps.
The Sheepshead are thick in other places where you can target them with less Blenny harassment. The bridges in the ICW as well as Nassau Sound are holding fish right now. You have to work through the smaller fish to make a limit happen but people are getting it done right now.
The slot Red bite is really hot right now. Both the Big Jetties and Little Jetties are holding good numbers of Reds. They are averaging 26 - 28 inches and 7 - 9 pounds. We have been catching them on live Mullet and cut Mullet. Blue Crab normally work too but not lately. With the Mullet run happening, the fish are dialed in on them. Load up on Mullet and pitch them up against the rocks and hang on! You can put them on a Jig head or a Carolina Rig and stay hooked up consistently. My buddy Jordan fishes for them nearly exclusively on a jig head and wears them out all day long in the Inlet. Ill start going that route myself soon as I get back my trolling motor. I had to drop it off for repairs. I recently found out that there is an authorized Minn Kota TM repair shop in Mayport. It's off of Levi Road. Charlie over at TMS is great but the drive is painful being near the beach. Here's the address and phone number: Fish307, 115 Levi rd, AB FL, 32233. 904-859-0966
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Danny Pardue