Captain Vic's Fishing Report

Ahoy there Anglers,

We're ready to start !
Be sure to tune in Saturday mornings starting July 7th, from 6:00am to 8:00am on WOKV Radio, Station 690 AM AND 106.5 FM, for 'Just Fishing' with myself as host along with Captain Mike Darveau. Tune in to hear us talking fishing and boating, tips on how and where, tackle, maintenance, new laws, regulations, best bets & what's happening at the time along with an updated marine forecast of the winds for the day. We're also going to have 'call-in' segments for anglers to ask questions and tell us about their catch-of-the-day. So on your way to the bait shop or boat ramps be sure to tune your truck radios to Just Fishing. You'll be able to hear us from just north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to just south of Orlando, Florida. Let's see if we can help you to locate the big ones and improve your catch!

'In the news:'
FWC CHANGES SNOOK RULES:

  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved changes to snook bag and size limits and harvest seasons during its meeting in Melbourne Thursday, June 14th. New rules reduce the snook daily recreational bag limit from two fish per person to one on Florida's Atlantic Coast, which means a one-fish daily limit on snook will apply statewide. Rules also change the 27-34 inches total length snook slot limit to 28-32 inches in Atlantic waters and 28-33 inches in Florida's Gulf, Everglades National Park and Monroe County waters. In addition, the rules add the first half of December and the month of February to the Dec. 15 - Jan. 31 and May - August closed harvest seasons for snook in the Gulf, Everglades and Monroe County. However, the Dec. 15 - Jan. 31 and June - August closed harvest seasons in Atlantic waters remain unchanged.
  The rules also allow anglers to carry more than one cast net aboard a vessel while fishing for snook.
  "These rule changes are intended to provide additional protection for Florida's valuable snook populations, which are considered to be fairly healthy on the state's Atlantic and Gulf coasts," said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. "However, the FWC believes a reduction in harvest is necessary to help achieve the Commission's management goal for snook and sustain and improve the fishery for the future."
The latest FWC snook stock assessment concluded the management goal of a 40-percent spawning potential ratio for this fishery is not being met, and increasing fishing effort and habitat loss are contributing to the decline. Spawning potential ratio is the ratio of the egg production of mature fish in a fished population to the egg production that would exist if the population were not fished.
The new snook rules take effect in July and will be implemented when the snook harvest season reopens on Sept. 1.
  It's kinda strange that during all of our "Redfish Workgroup Meetings" we were told that the redfish fishery on the Atlantic side was by far, way greater than that of the Gulf side and that the FWC does not want to make "different rules for the same species" from one part of the state to another, (like the other 12 species they already did that on) but now they just keep on making "different rules" for same species quite a bit. Take the different 'new laws' on the snook above. Not only are the Anglers on the Atlantic side going to have different size limits from the Gulf side but different closed seasons too. Why not redfish too? If Northeast Florida's redfish population is so much better than the rest of the state, why make the same rules apply here as where the redfish fishery is in trouble?

Also:
The state of Florida has increased penalties for repeat wildlife violators. Good. The new law increases the severity of punishments for repeat wildlife offenders up to a maximum of $5000 and five years in jail for Level 4 infractions.
Just hunting or fishing with a suspended or revoked license used to carry a $50 fine, court costs and the cost of a license but now will face a mandatory fine of $1000, a five year suspension of all FWC licenses and up to a year in jail. I agree, they need to get tough on violators.
The FWC was even kind enough to send out 30,000 notices to prior wildlife law violators warning them of the enhanced penalties. There is no excuse. If they catch repeat offenders now, hit em where it hurts. In their pockets.

CREEKS:
The creeks are doing better than I've seen them all year so far. We've been catching anywhere from 12 to 28 slot-sized redfish on each trip. You just gotta love it! We have had a couple of days where the wind was howling and we only caught two to three but the weather is looking better now. Flounder have moved in better also. Nice size flounder to 6 pounds are being caught up in the creeks and in the rivers. Spotted trout doing great but, most are small. Keep searching and you can find enough slot-sized ones to invite home for dinner. Jacks are doing good in the creeks but you really have to search for them. The sheepshead should start standing on the oyster beds and waving their tails at you during the higher tides from about June 25th until about July 16th but you'll need to check your tide chart to see whether the higher high tides are during the daytime or nightime. Tarpon are coming into the creeks also. We've been seeing a couple here and a few there.
JETTIES:
Bull redfish have fired up out at the rocks. While my two customers were catching them Monday one of the guys hooked up about a 60 pound tarpon also. We got two jumps out of him and it was exciting for the guys. Can't wait until I have customers who really want to target tarpon and spinner sharks. What a blast! Tarpon are moving in pretty good too. Been seeing more and more when I get out to the rocks. Should be plenty of bull sharks, black tips, spinners, nurse, bonnetheads and sand sharks moving in but I just haven't had anyone who wanted to target them yet. Be very careful of the bull sharks. They're the ones you read about when you hear 'shark bite'. There is actually a couple of black drum here and there still. Plenty of whiting out in the sand just past the rocks and also inside the north jetties along that sandy stretch. A few yellow mouth trout and even a Spanish or two still around. I also saw two kingfish out at the end of the south jetties the other day. Now that was unexpected. Haven't seen any cobia yet.
RIVERS:
Spotted trout along the grass edges with structure underneath on lures and also in deep drop-offs with running current. Redfish along the same areas as the trout on lures. Top waters are a blast with these guys. Yellow mouth trout are biting cut bait better than dead shrimp and I saw a few drum being caught at Dames Point area this past Thursday then saw a few more caught the next couple of days. Bull redfish along the usual drop off areas and alongside channels and current lines in the rivers. Should be some tarpon heading up to the Cove to target along with some nice jacks. Small, no,,, tiny croakers in the river and also some whiting but the whiting are a lot better in size. The croakers are better fit for redfish and tarpon bait.
Check out Stewart Richardson's and his son, Shaw's bull redfish caught in the river. Just a couple of the 7 bulls the two caught and released just this week.

MILL COVE:
Spotted trout are fired up in the Cove. Some nice jacks and 2 to 3 pound ladyfish are schooling up the bait fish at the higher tides. You just gotta love how a 3 pound ladyfish, or for sure, a 12 pound jack, hammers a lure on the surface. Now that's a top water strike! Redfish in the shallow areas in the Cove just before, during and just after the lower ends of the tides as well as up along the grass edges just before, during and just after high tides. I've also spotted a few tarpon here and there in the Cove the past week or so. A few whiting and small yellow mouth trout are taking baits in there also.
SURF:
I'm afraid I haven't heard from my surf fishing buddy lately but the whiting should be all over the beach right now. This time of the year is usually good for them.
With the noreasters lately giving us some higher-than-normal high tides I've been seeing quite a bit of trash that's washed off the shorelines. Let's all help get it out of the water when we see it, please?
Until next time,,,

Tight lines to you all,
Capt. Vic Tison
VIC2FISH & ADVENTURES, INC.
Web site:  http://vic2fish.com/
904-699-2285
P.O. Box 28208
Jax., Fl. 32226-8208
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