The cool weather has really cooled the Gulf fishing. Jeff at Half Hitch reports that those heading out are catching their share of amberjacks. He says they are hitting everything from live bait, to cut bait, to jigging spoons. It seems as if the better fish are being caught off the taller artificial reefs in 80 to 150 feet. The Bridge Spans seem to be holding jacks, but there are not a lot of them working around the Blown Up Barges. Capt Jeff, Someday Lady is still reporting catches of triggerfish using light tackle and cut squid. He works reefs in 60 to 100 feet. He also reported a legal grouper every now and then. Capt Mike, Born to Boogie is still finding black snapper (gray snapper) around the Bridge Spans. He is chumming the up. He suggests if you are not making your own chum to try the Double Strike chum. He just hangs it over the back of the boat up current of the reef. The Dan Russell Pier reports 56 degree water and not a lot of fish being caught. They did say that a few flounder and some oversized redfish have been hooked up.

Capt. Jeff, First Light, reports a few bluefish working around the pass. Stan Cooper reports that the sheepshead are starting to gather up in the bays. He is seeing a lot of them when he is working the flats. He suggests using light line and live shrimp. He has found some pretty good sized school in East Bay. Capt. Terry, Reel Fun reports that the sheepshead are also starting to gather around the rocks at the jetties. Like Cooper, he feels that the best bait are live shrimp. A lot of the time, he strings the live shrimp on a

Ron at Half Hitch reports that the recent clod snap has slowed down the Gulf fishing. He did day that the charter boats and those going out were reporting amberjack and triggerfish. He also said that the cold weather did turn on the speckled trout fishermen. He reported that a lot of shrimp and bull minnows have been sold. Capt. Mike, Born to Boogie charters, reports that they are finding the amberjack around reefs in 90 to 130 feet. They are having the best luck with the big jacks when using live baits. Some of the other charters are using big diamond jigs and plastic grubs with good success. Capt. Jeff, Someday lady, is still reporting good catches of triggerfish. He said to use light tackle and cut squid on reefs from 60 to 90 feet. He did advise keeping the baits above the reefs if triggerfish are the target.

In the Bay, Capt Buddy, BoxFull, reports some excellent catches of speckled trout in the Steam Plant Canal. He had one customer who used a fly rod and tipped his fly with a piece of small shrimp. He said the shrimp did make a difference. He also advises that everything in the canal is catch and release. Capt. Jeff, First Light, is still finding some bluefish and sheepshead around the pass. Capt. Don, Southern Fly, reports that the speckled trout are up in the canals and the Intracoastal Waterway. He suggests using live baits or Rat-L-Traps. The report from Howell Tackle in St Joe is that they are catching some good trout and hybrids in the St Joe Canal. They suggest using Rat-L-Traps or plastic grubs.

With the fishing slow, the conversation came up again about Spanish mackerel in the Bay. Capt. Phillip Money, Sure Catch feels as I do, that some Spanish spend the winter in the bay and get active during February before the main migration. He has caught small Spanish mackerel during the winter when using a gold hook rig for pinfish around the bridges. Beverly at Half Hitch will be quick to tell you that it is way too early to be looking for the Spanish. She did report that a lot of the captains and fishermen are still talking about a lot of amberjack over structures from 70 to 150 feet. The bigger jacks are hitting live baits. Use just enough weight to sink the bait and let it slowly drift through the schools of jacks above the reefs. Capt. Buddy, BoxFull, advises that if you are looking for vermilion snapper or even a grouper, use heavier weights to get your bait through the jacks.

Capt. Jeff, Someday Lady, is still finding the triggerfish working over reefs in 80 to 125 feet. He says that cut squid and light tackle are the secret to getting a box full. He did say that if he started getting into amberjacks, he would move to another location. Capt Mike, Born to Boogie, has been working the chum bag and locating a few black snapper around some of the bridge spans.

Capt. Terry, Reel Fun, reports a lot of trout working the steam plant canal. He reminds fishermen that it is a catch and release area only. He has been having luck on both plastic grubs and live baits. Capt. Don Southern Fly, reports the trout have moved into the Intracoastal Waterway. Many of the old timers are already starting to troll 4 inch curly-tailed worms on jigs heads. When they locate a school, they mark the area and then cast to them. Those working the ICW with live shrimp are finding a few small hybrid bass. Presnells Bayside Marina on St Joe Bay reports most of the action has been in the St Joe Canal. Try plastic grubs or Rat-L-Traps for the trout and hybrids.

We are starting off 2004 a little different that we started last year. Between Christmas and New Years of 2002, there were king mackerel still being caught from the Dan Russell Pier. Capt. Jeff at Half Hitch Tackle would only say that it most likely would not be that way this year. He said they have not had any king mackerel reports for a couple of weeks. There are still a few Spanish mackerel, but they are getting scarce. Capt. Buddy, BoxFull pointed out that we definitely do not have the bait fish in either the Bay or inshore Gulf that we had last year. But the cold weather hung around longer last year. It seems to already starting to show some signs of warming. Capt. Jeff, Someday Lady, reports that there are still plenty of amberjack and triggerfish working around the structures in 90 to 125 feet. Jim at the Waffle House reports that he is still taking a few flounder from around the buoy markers just outside the pass. He feels that the reason he can get a bait to them there is that it is not around any structure that would hold the red snapper that are also working the inshore structures. He suggests shrimp and bull minnows fished on light tackle right on the bottom. Capt. Mike, Born to Boogie, reports that there are black snapper and vermilion snapper working around reefs in 95 to 130 feet. The big secret is good live bait. Small pinfish have been best.

Capt. Terry, Reel Fun, reports that there are still a few sheepshead and redfish working in the pass. He said that if you try live bait and work the deeper holes to the outside of the pass, you can hang a legal grouper or two. Capt. Jeff, First Light, is finding trout around the mouths of the residential canals. He said that plastic grubs on lead jigheads, rattling crank baits, and live bait are all good. He does advise that if you start catching short trout to try another location. They are still schooling by size and when the water gets colder, it is pretty critical in handling them. He asks everyone to just leave the little ones alone and hunt the bigger trout. Capt. Don, Southern Fly reports that there is a lot of fishing activity in the Intracoastal Waterway just beyond West Bay.

The king mackerel report is that there has not been any king mackerel reports. This was the comment from Ron at Half Hitch Tackle. The Gulf water has dropped to 56 degrees, way too cold for any normal kingfish. Ron also reported that no one has bragged on any Spanish mackerel for the past couple of weeks. He did say the talk was still amberjacks and grouper. Capt Jeff, Someday Lady, reports that there are still plenty of triggerfish working above the structures in 80 to 120 feet. He says that cut squid and light tackle are still the key to getting them in the box. He has also dropped cut bait to the bottom of the structures and picked up some legal grouper. Capt Mike, Born to Boogie reports that those looking for amberjack can look on the same kind of reefs and drop down live baits. He reported that there have been some taken from the Bridge Spans. He does suggest you use the light tackle for the triggerfish and dig out something heavier for the hard fighting jacks. Ricky at Howell Tackle reports that they have had some pretty good reports on bigger grouper being caught out of the 200 to 250 foot depths. He also said many of the fishermen are using electric reels and big baits. At the Dan Russell Pier, the reports are a few bonito, flounder, and bluefish. They also reported some small sharks being caught at night. Capt. Buddy, BoxFull, reports that the residential canals and mouths of the creeks are now holding speckled trout. He and his charters have been staying busy using plastic grubs and

With the Gulf temperatures dropping below that 60 degree marks, both the fishermen and the fishing are cooling off. Capt. Jeff at Half Hitch reports that even the amberjack fishing has been off this past week. He did say that not a lot of boats had been heading out in the winds and chilly air. He did report that those that were catching the big rod busters were using live baits and fishing the reefs in 70 to 120 feet. Capt. Mike, Born to Boogie, reports that there are still some black snapper working around the Bridge Spans. He suggests chumming and using whole cigar minnows with as little weight as possible. Capt. Jeff, Someday Lady reports a lot of triggerfish still working the inshore reefs. He has had his best luck heading to the southeast and looking for reefs in 60 to 90 feet. He says it is important to use light tackle and cut squid for bait. If you try anything else, you will just feed a lot of fish. Capt. Jeff, First Light, reports that there are still a few grouper and sheepshead in the pass. He suggests using live bait and fishing the deeper holes on the outside of the pass for grouper.

In the bays, the trout have definitely started moving up the creeks and Intracoastal Waterway. Capt Buddy, BoxFull has been taking his charters to just inside the mouths of some of the canals in East bay and the Cove area. He has had good catches swimming a curly-tailed grub. Capt. Don, Southern Fly, boated an excellent limit with one well over the 20 inch mark using live finger mullet. He was fishing just inside the mouths of one of the feeder creeks going into West Bay. He says the best time is just before the sun goes down when there is moving water. Redfish are scatted and nobody reported finding any. There have been a few hybrids reported in the St Joe Canal working with the speckled trout. The hottest bait in that area is a

Amberjack are all over the inshore reefs. This report comes from Ron at Half Hitch Tackle. He said that nearly all the fishermen who are daring the winds and heading out into the Gulf are encountering the big jacks. He said they are hitting both cut and live baits. Most of the time, those fishing for grouper are having a difficult time getting a bait to the bottom. Capt Jeff, Someday Lady reports a lot of triggerfish working the inshore reefs. He suggests light tackle and cut squid. Capt Jeff, First Light, reports that there is still activity from drum and a few redfish in the pass. He suggests live bait fished right on the bottom. There are still a few flounder being taken off the inshore reefs. The best luck has been around the whistle buoy.

In the bays, the speckled trout have moved up into the residential canals and creeks. Most of those being caught around the mouths are smaller schoolie trout. They are hitting both live bait and grubs. Live shrimp has been effective. Capt Buddy, BoxFull, suggest working a plastic grub in a slow swim about two feet under the surface. Capt Don, Southern Fly, suggests a live shrimp fished without a weight. If there is a lot of grass on the bottom, he uses a small torpedo shaped cork. The redfish are scattered. There have also been a few reports of pompano being caught both in the surf and the bay.

Capt Brian, Dixie Lee, reports that there are still a lot of grouper to be caught by those willing to gather the live bait and head farther offshore. He has been finding them in 160 to 200 feet.

David with Double Strike Chum, was surprised by a school of Spanish mackerel in East Bay last week. He reported that they were hitting live baits and running in the 4 to 5 pound range. He also said that this cold snap this week probably put the end to the Spanish mackerel fishing in the bay. Ron at Half Hitch agreed. He said that they have not been receiving too many Spanish mackerel reports this week. There are still some kings being caught, but most of the action has been triggerfish, amberjack, and a few grouper. A lot of the charterboats are starting to target the big amberjack that are working around reefs in the 100 to 150 foot depths. Most are still using live bait while it is available. Others are starting to go to the heavy diamond jigs and white grub tails. The suggest working the baits above the reefs. Capt. Jeff, Someday lady, reports a lot of triggerfish still working the inshore reefs. He advises fishermen to use light tackle, sharp hooks, and cut squid. He said it usually take his charters a little bit of squid fed to the triggers before they learn the soft nibbling strike. Like the amberjack, they will be hovering above the reefs.

In the bay, Capt. Buddy, BoxFull reports that there are speckled trout working inside the residential canals. He has had three very successful trout trips this week using white grubs and

No Report This Week.

Even with the cold snap this week, the fishing continues to be good for this time of the year. The fishing tales around Half Hitch this week are not about only one species. There are king mackerel, grouper, and a lot of flounder being talked about. The charter boats are still trolling up a few kings going to and from a bottom fishing trip. But the bigger kings are hitting flat-lined live baits when the boat is over the fishing hole. The reports of the more sensitive pelagics like the wahoo and dolphin are only coming from boats who are heading out to the blue water. Capt. Buddy, BoxFull reports that there are some legal grouper being caught inside the 7 mile mark over the smaller structures. He suggests live baits. Capt. Jeff, Someday Lady, reports a lot of good triggerfish being caught around reefs in 60 to 90 feet. He suggests using cut squid and light tackle to detect the soft bite of the triggers. Jim at the Blue Top is still bragging about the flounder he has located just off from the Whistle Buoy. He is using live shrimp and bull minnows. He says the secret to getting away from the red snapper is to get a little farther away from the reef.

Capt. Terry, Reel Fun, reports that the big redfish are still working in the pass. He has reported some keeper grouper being caught. The best baits have been small chofers fished right on the bottom. The cold snap definitely has some of the speckled trout moving. Capt. Don, Southern Fly, advises trying the mouths of the creeks and the Intracoastal Waterway in the West Bay area. There have also been some reports of trout working in the mouths of Robinson and Pretty Bayou. There is a lot of debate about the best baits. Many support using live shrimp or finger mullet. Others swear that a plastic grub bounced slowly along the bottom works best. Both are very effective.