I am a new angler and really don't know much about fishing, and fairly new to Florida too. I bought a 1990 Grady White 230 Gulfstream walk around with twin 150 carbbed Johnson's for my family and I to enjoy. I had some issues with getting fuel to one engine. Replaced all the fuel and oil line along with the fuel/water separators and went out last weekend. All went well, no more problems. But! We stopped and got 2 dozen live shrimp. It was real windy and I had trouble getting the anchor to hold in the intercoastal. Finally found a spot just north of the Dunlawton bridge just off the main channel that the anchor would hold. It wasn't a good spot, but my 10 year old daughter really wanted to fish! So we baited up. She reeled in 10....I got 1. It was mostly cats, but she caught 2 under 3' bonnethead, a puffer, and a Robin. Shes hooked hard on fishing! As many new people I really don't know where to take her. Im not ready to take a new to me boat offshore yet.
So I want to stay inshore. I was thinking maybe taking her to the Ponce inlet today and or tomorrow. Any tips? Anywhere near there that's any good? Not sure she would like sitting in the rough water of the Jetty either. But we are down for doing some exploring and have 150 gallons of fuel to get us anywhere.
Grady White 230 Gulstream twin 150 Johnsons. Me and my daughter fishing buddy's! Hoping to learn together!
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We try to fish it around slack tides.
You have twins go hit the local hot spot artificial reefs and wrecks out of Ponce.
--Abraham Lincoln
The chartplotter stuff is new to me as well. Still learning that.
I have been looking into hiring a guide. I think that's a smart idea to pick up a lot of knowledge in a short time. I do know of an old school captain that will take you out on your boat for next to nothing because he loves to go. Keep the good spots coming! We are excited to get some hooks wet!
He has a sporty and a twin engine CC
When you see the clouds growing go in.
Hard part is when the weather is turning bad the fish normally turn on.
We will check that out!
If you're fishing with kids, don't waste time sitting off the main ICW channel (shrimp's the wrong bait there anyway). I'd put in at Ponce Inlet (or Port Orange or New Smyrna and then take the quick motor over there), and scout the area for good spots. Boat docks near deep water (the ones just inside the inlet can be very good), creek mouths (of which there are an abundance), mangrove shorelines, oyster beds, drops off sand bars, etc. you will find no shortage of very fishy structure in the area. These spots would be good to hit with kids using shrimp, live mullet, mud minnows, fiddler crabs, or artificials (jigs, spoons and top-waters, especially). When you find the fish, the kids should be able to keep busy. If you don't find the fish, Ponce is a gorgeous area and there are always big manatees, sea turtles, sharks and other interesting sea life and bird life passing by to entertain them. Just mind the traffic - don't anchor near the main channel.
I know I am not being specific with spots, but outside the rare honey hole, one spot is an good as another because the fish move day to day, week to week, tude to tide. Find the right structures for what you're targeting, and move around until you find the fish. If your kids like e fishing, maybe they'll love the thrill of the hunt for the right spot, too.
The plan for this week is to go out at Port Orange and try to net some mullet and flip some oyster clusters over and get some crab. I hope to be able to keep them til Saturday morning. I will also get a couple dozen live shrimp and if I can't get mullet i will buy some mud minnows. We bought a gold and a silver spoon last weekend, but I'm not sure she's up for that much casting. She just learned to cast a spinning reel last Tuesday. I have a fish finder/chartplotter combo, but I really don't know how to use it.
So we will run to the inlet Saturday morning and see what we can find. If you see a Grady with a little blond girl on it reeling up some good stuff, shoot us a wave!