by Cap't. Ralph F. Mariano
rmariano@streport.com

Info on Florida Saltwater Fish -Rules and Fishing Tips

Black Drum
Black Drum

Black Grouper
Black Grouper

Bluefish
Bluefish

Blue Marlin
Blue Marlin

Bonefish
Bonefish

cobia
Cobia

Dolphin
Dolphin

Flounder
Flounder

Gag Grouper
Gag Grouper


Gray Snapper

Kingfish
King Mackerel


Mutton Snapper

Permit
Permit

Pompano
Pompano

Redfish
Redfish

Red Snapper
Red Snapper

Sailfish
Sailfish

Snook
Snook

Spanish Mackeral
Spanish Mackerel

Tarpon
Tarpon

Trout
Trout

Wahoo
Wahoo


White Marlin

Yellowtail Snapper
Yellowtail Snapper

Yelllowfin tuna
Yellowfin Tuna

american_shad_sm.gif (2852 bytes)
American Shad

Swordfish
Swordfish 

Greater Amberjack
Greater Amberjack 

 

Friday May 21, 1999

Legislative meddling… Louisiana legislators can’t seem to stop meddling in the boat builder-retailer relationship. First they required manufacturers to purchase the unsold product of cancelled dealerships. Now they want manufacturers to guarantee a dealer’s territory.

Excise tax anniversary… The 10 percent excise tax we pay for fishing tackle will be 50 years old next year. The tax, part of the Sport Fish Restoration Act, has raised $2.6 billion for states to enhance fishing and fish habitat.

Trawl impact lawsuit… A lawsuit has been filed accusing the U.S. government of failing to evaluate the damage bottom-dragging fish and shrimp trawls do to the habitat of bottom species in the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was filed by Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and Florida Wildlife Federation against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. It alleges failure to determine the impact of bottom trawls violates the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

200,000 kids… Hooked on Fishing International (HOFI) estimates that 200,000 U.S. youngsters will participate this year in the Kids All-American Fishing Derby, which officially launches with National Fishing Week June 5-13. Nearly 800 derbies will be held in 50 states. To volunteer or offer support for this vital program, now 13 years old, contact HOFI by e-mail: kidsfishing@usa.net.

 

May 1999

Blue Water Sizzles

    May is arguably the best month for bluewater fishing off Northeast Florida, and a list of significant catches made in the Gulf Stream and nearby offshore haunts last year should give an indication of what's in store this month. Early last May aboard his boat Parts N Labor, angler Chris Bernacki boated a 48 1/2-pound wahoo 22 miles off Mayport. Daniel McDaniel later nailed a 54-pound 'hoo at the HG reef. Catches like this are not uncommon this time of year as warm-water spinoffs from the Gulf Stream move inshore with regularity, bringing with them weeds, ballyhoo and flying fish, and pelagics like wahoo, tuna, dolphin and sailfish. When a spinoff moves over a nearshore wreck or reef, anglers trolling baits for kings, cudas and cobia are pleasantly surprised by the new arrivals.

    Late last May, for example, local fisherman John Petry scored on a 30-pound blackfin tuna while fishing the PM reef. Yellowfins and dolphin typically show this month, too, and we can expect some big boys. A 70-pound yellowfin was taken aboard the Sam IV last May, while fishing the blue waters off St. Augustine. And working the same area, Paul Oklevitch on Hooky landed a 60-pound yellowfin, while Richard Gaskins corralled an impressive 64-pound dolphin. Blue marlin in the 200- to 300-pound class should show this month, too. Last May the crew of the Pipeline out of St. Augustine caught and released an estimated 225-pound blue marlin, as well as a 73-pound yellowfin and 10 dolphin up to 41 pounds. The following week, they caught and released a 350-pound blue and a sailfish, and boated wahoo and a 35-pound dolphin. Charterboat captain Billy Kerr on the Bacchus, out of St. Augustine, guided a party early last May to five wahoo up to 60 pounds, a pair of sailfish and a couple of king mackerel up to 30 pounds. Need any more evidence that May is a hot offshore month?

    Kingfish should begin to show over reefs and wrecks this month, but usually it's not until June when the biggest macks travel the beaches regularly. Tideline rips at inlets may hold a few kings and cobia, but again, that action increases in June. The EF reef was a good bet for kings in the 12- to 20-pound range last May.  Giant jack crevalle should arrive this month, offering rod-bending action around wrecks and at inlets for anglers who want to work out with the 25-pound brutes. Sometimes they're caught in chumlines and by livebait trollers. Daybreak casting with live baits and big plugs around inlet jetty tips is a good way to waylay a hard-fighting crevalle, and they love yellow streamer flies. Last May Richard Chambers scored on a 32-pound crevalle at the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Also at the pier last May was the first-ever recorded catch of a striped bass, weighing almost 10 pounds, caught by Wayne Sammons on a dead shrimp.

    Inlet action can be good early this month for Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Trollers dragging silver spoons around tiderips should do best, especially during falling water. Most of the Spanish will weigh under three pounds, but you can catch bigger ones if you head to the spoil buoy off the mouth of the St. Johns and use live baits like you would for kingfish. And don't be surprised if a king, cobia or big jack shows up. Excellent inshore fishing is available throughout the area this month, chiefly for redfish, but seatrout, flounder, black drum and sheepshead will be in good supply, as well. One day last May, guide Fred Morrow led anglers Alex and Keith Coker to 25 redfish weighing between 7 and 16 pounds at the Mayport jetties. That same day, while fishing with guide John Dyrssen in the Intracoastal Waterway south of the St. Johns River, Billy Crevasse caught 16 seatrout to 3 1/2 pounds, six redfish to 6 pounds, two black drum, a sheepshead and a common weakfish. Not to be outdone, guide Jim Hammond showed anglers Jerry Barrow, Mickey Wiggens and Junior Jordan how to catch fish in downtown Jacksonville by landing four striped bass to eight pounds, 12 seatrout, and a pair of redfish.

 

 

 

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