Replies

• model14 Senior Member JacksonvillePosts: 1,035 Officer

  March 2018 #2

  I am a lousy inshore fisherman, but when I have been successful it has mostly been when I am drifting a live shrimp under an adjustable float. It is a simple way to fish. Adjust the float to keep your bait just off the bottom and out of the oyster beds. Let the incoming tide carry the float. Hope this helps to get you started.

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• captwill_80 Junior Member Posts: 9 Deckhand

  March 2018 #3

  We fish a little further inshore on the St. Johns and a simple jig head with a shrimp bounced along the bottom works for us for trout. We have not had much success with redfish but we are still learning. Two tips for this type of fishing though. Bring several sizes as you may need to adjust the weight based on the tide and depth and bring plenty of them as you will lose a few due to the oyster beds. 

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• Trapper Senior Member In Arlington near the riverPosts: 266 Deckhand

  March 2018 #4

  Our water is dark around here also so I like to use colors they can see for jig heads and artificial bait. The chartreuse color is great for jig heads. The white paddle tails for artificial is a good choice also. The more movement in the paddletail I believe is better then a stiffer action from another similar to it. I bring dark artificials like greens or rootbeer and then the whites and natural colors (maybe a chartreuse tail on one of these). I judge it by water clarity sometimes or just what I feel good about at that moment. Some times if the bite is slow you can try cut bait to help them find the bait in the dark water. I will sometimes nip the fan part off of the shrimps tail for some extra smell when pitching them live if it is slow. And during this part of the year when the water is warming up and they are feeding better, try cut mullet too. This also works well in the winter when it is slower. We have pitched mullet strips around the jetties and done well on the reds and flounder before. You would be surprised at how successful it can be on some days. And lastly I would say is hit spots at the last part of the outgoing and the first of the incoming. The lower tide helps concentrate them in the deeper places that you can find in smaller creeks. The high tide spreads them out into grass and other tougher places to get to. And the low tide helps educate you on the fishes habitat. 

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• Big Eric Senior Member Fernandina Bch.Posts: 266 Deckhand

  March 2018 #5

  Popping cork, short leader and a live shrimp around submerged shell beds. Hiring a local captain to run your boat and catch some tips and know how works too
  

  schmidthappensfishing.com

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• Kayaking_J Fernandina Beach Posts: 17 Greenhorn

  March 2018 #6

   Myself having moved here in January from VA im also slowly learning. 
  
  I recently saw this vid by Capt. Dave:
  
  https://youtu.be/q2zulhtKnfY
  
  Which helped me alot  with float rigs, caught a few trout since trying it and my first red recently as well.  

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