OUTDOORS

Jacksonville Fishing Report is back, and you will be, too, when weather improves this weekend

Christopher Hong
chong@jacksonville.com
Florida Times-Union

Before we get into this week’s fishing report - spoiler alert: there isn’t much of one thanks to the weather - I’d like to explain my prolonged absence from the sports section.

No, my bosses didn’t place me on administrative leave or fire me for cause.

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Although I wish the fishing report was my only responsibility at the newspaper, I earn my living covering the Jacksonville City Hall beat. Those of you who read the other parts of this paper know why I’ve been busy lately. For those who don’t, google “JEA investigation.”

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

For the last few weeks, many of us have been working to put a little more venison in the freezer or hitting the road in search of waterfowl. The deer rifles are back in the safe, and the decoys will soon be hung up for the year. Now, we can focus on getting our lives back in order or fishing -- at least until turkey season gets here. (Only 59 days, y’all.)

A week ago, people were heading offshore and sight-fishing redfish in board shorts. Then a gale provided Florida a cruel reminder: It’s still January.

“The fishing was so good,” said Capt. Chip Wingo, who headed up to Georgia for some small game hunting and turkey scouting after the weather foiled his charters for the week.

The weather should start losing its edge by the weekend. Saturday’s forecast calls for north, northwest winds between 10 to 15 knots. The winds will drop to 5 to 10 knots on Sunday, although seas are expected to remain a sporty 2 to 4 feet inside 20 nautical miles and even chunkier further out.

Inshore

Although you can catch reds and trout all year, inshore anglers live for winter. The water turns gin-clear. Redfish school up into marauding gangs. Low tide in the marsh becomes the stuff of dreams.

Tony Bozzella is an outdoors Renaissance man, but winter in the backcountry is his time to shine. On a recent trip, he guided Mark Laborte and Chris Himebauch to 40 redfish, including two dozen upper slot fish. His clients also caught legal black drum and trout. They fished Hannah Mills on the last of the outgoing tide and first of the incoming using quarter-ounce jigs and shrimp.

Wingo is finding plenty of reds in the creeks, especially near deep holes at low tide. He said trout fishing has been great, especially for the yellow-mouthed variety. Wingo has been catching both species with white curly tail plastic baits using a slow hop-and-stop retrieve on the bottom.

Capt. Ron Schurr said the reds have been doing everything they’re supposed to.

“Colder water temperatures have the redfish school up in really good numbers,” he said. “They’ve been harder to find, but once you find them, there are usually a lot.”

Schurr said he’s been focusing on deeper holes in Hannah Mills and Clapboard Creek using quarter-ounce jig heads with shrimp or mud minnows. This method will produce redfish and trout.

Capt. Jeff Wansor has been fishing the creeks and catching lots of reds. He’s finding plenty of rats and some slot fish, as well. He’s catching black drum in their usual haunts -- creek bends and holes -- and he’s also found a decent flounder bite.

Wansor’s flounder success isn’t an anomaly. Wingo caught a 6-pounder near the Beach Boulevard bridge last week, and he’s heard others are catching them, too.

Offshore

There was a brief window to head offshore last week. Chris Rooney went 2 for 3 on wahoo. By the looks of social media, there were plenty of cobia and bottom fish caught.

Monday’s marine forecast is calling for light offshore winds starting Sunday. Let’s hope that forecast is extended for at least a few more days.

Everythingelse

I wasn’t able to get a freshwater or surf fishing report.

Expect better next week. And if you have one yourself, you should send it to chong@jacksonville.com.