Fishing Roundup | Good Time Charley's got the blues, and they're monsters
Dr. Seuss wrote about blue fish.
We’re here to talk about bluefish.
Big difference.
Very big, actually, especially this year it seems.
“There are always bluefish around, but these are colossal.”
So says our favorite surf-fishing guru, Marco Pompano, who sent along a picture of a fishing buddy two-handing a 13-pounder he pulled from the waves this week. Check out the size of that blue, and consider that the state record is just over 22 pounds!
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It’s not just the surfsiders who are going toe-to-toe with these beasts, but the inshore folks, too.
“The cool water pushed them into the river,” says Capt. Billy Pettigrew. “They migrate down from the North every year, eating the larger finger mullet. You can catch them almost anywhere, from Flagler all the way down to Mosquito Lagoon.”
That’s right, even you can catch them. Not sure who coined the phrase — “I had to hide behind a tree to bait my hook” — but he was probably talking about bluefish, who rival the jack crevalle for aggression and hunger, but taste a wee-bit better.
“The good thing about them is they’re aggressive, and you can throw big plugs for them — spoons, diving plugs, and even topwater,” Capt. Billy says.
Also, live bait, dead bait, cutbait … the piece of jerky that fell on the ground? Doesn’t matter. How's this for a lack of culinary discretion: One of the blue’s favorite grab-n-go meals is smaller bluefish. You heard me.
They’ve also been known to eat through a leader, so if you were truly targeting them you’d likely go with wire instead of mono or fluoro. Then again, who targets bluefish?
Most seafood connoisseurs tend to shy away from anything where the prep directions begin with, “bleed the fish asap and pack in ice …”
Are bluefish good to eat? We wanted to find out why some people consider this a trash fish! We caught these blues a few weeks ago out of the surf and decided to give them a try!https://t.co/fG508GaD9w pic.twitter.com/QYGF92K7Ze
— We Go Fishing (@Wegofishing1) October 7, 2020
If you filet and eat a bluefish, you’ll definitely know you’re eating fish. That’s the nicest way to put it. Marinating and cooking with acidic accompaniment (lemon, lime, etc.) helps a bit. Yes, a bit.
But smoked and paired with cream cheese or sour cream for a fish dip? There’s no better dip. That’s right, smoke ’em if you got ’em.
Any proper fishmonger will keep all the blues (and jacks) he can get, smoke them to make dip, and price it just high enough to make you consider making your own.
Lastly, remember, the daily bag limit is three blues, and minimum size is 12 inches. And remember what we said about wire leaders? Keep your fingers out of the blue’s mouth, Stumpy.
Halifax/Indian River
The wacky winter weather pattern makes it a game of hit-and-miss up and down the intracoastal.
“Conditions have been crazy. Beautiful weather one day and absolutely terrible the next,” says Capt. Jeff Patterson (Pole Dancer charter). “We’re supposed to have a rainy beginning of the year, and along with the coldest time of the year, it’s going to make things tough.”
On a couple of the better days, Capt. Jeff says the sheepshead and black drum are still hanging thick around docks and bridges, and a recent trip south to Mosquito Lagoon uncovered a bunch of redfish and enough trout to make things interesting.
To the north, way up around Highbridge, the good days have also been good.
“The redfishing has been good in the back-country, and lots of small snook are in the mix,” says Jeff Muller (Yellow Dawg bait shop). “Over on the ocean, there’s been a good number of pompano and big whiting, with some black drum and seatrout.”
On the Fly
Our wintertime fly-fishing ace, Geno Giza, has escaped Pennsylvania again and wasted no time in reintroducing himself to the snook, trout and all others in the southern part of Volusia, particularly the river side of Canaveral National Seashore.
This week he was joined by Jake Villwock, a fellow fly anger and guide from Pennsylvania. The highlight was a 30-inch snook Jake caught on a hand-tied shrimp pattern. Geno's Clouser Minnow brought in a 29-inch snook.
"It was a memorable outing," Geno says. "Over 50 fish caught and released, and all on hand-tied flies."
Offshore
Discretion is the better part of valor, they say.
But it does look like Sunday might provide safe and reasonable passage through the inlets and out to the bigger fish.
After that, however, it’s looking rough again.
Surf
The familiar refrain applies beachside, too: The good days are good, the bad days are bad.
On the good, limits of pompano (six, by the way) are going on ice, while reds and the aforementioned big blues are providing some fun.
Also, lots of sharks. Even more than the norm.
“It’s ‘Sharknado’ out here,” Marco Pompano reported midweek. “I just lost five lines and sinkers.”
Between all that, he bagged a top-of-slot redfish, so it wasn’t the worst trade-off in angling history.
Flagler
In the intracoastal, it’s mirroring the Volusia County conditions — one good day, two bad days, and rarely vice versa.
Beachside, “our water temps are hovering between 60-62 degrees,” says Cathy Sanders (Fishin’ Girl surf charters).
Pompano will gladly do a drive-thru for sandfleas, etc., on their way to warmer waters, but Cathy says most catches these days seem to be black drum, whiting and blues.
“As for bait, they seem to be biting fresh dead shrimp and Fishbites — clam, shrimp and sandflea flavored.”
St. Johns
Another reminder for the annual Berkeley LaBaw Memorial Speck Tournament next week (Jan. 13-14, Saturday-Sunday) on the St. Johns, with launches from Highland Park Fish Camp the ramps at Whitehair Bridge.
Captains meeting is Friday at Highland Park, there are possible cash prizes on the end of those hooks, and you can get all the info you need on the tournament’s Facebook events page.
Meanwhile, Highland Park debuted a New Years Eve speck tourney last weekend. Nathan Peterson and Doug Cooper teamed up for the win, while Donnie McCormick flopped the heaviest speck on the scales.
Needless to say, crappie season is alive and well up and down the St. Johns and its popular lakes.
Hook, line and clicker: Send us your fish pics
We want to see your most recent catch. Email your fish photos to ken.willis@news-jrnl.com.
Please include first and last name of angler(s), as well as type of fish (we're occasionally stumped). All are included with our online fishing report, and some occasionally make the print edition.
Do I need a fishing license?
You can find all the license info, including exemptions, on Florida's Fish and Wildlife Commission website: MyFWC.com. But the basics are: No: If you're 65 or older, 15 or younger, you don't need a license. “Probably” Not: If you're fishing with a licensed guide or charter boat, both of which often purchase commercial licenses that cover their customers. Yes: Most everyone else, including visitors from other states. Yes: Even if you're a shore-based angler (shoreline, dock, pier, bridge, etc.), and even if fishing with a shore-based guide. However: The shore-based license is free . . . But: You still need to register for that free license.
Where do I get a license and what does it cost?
Many bait shops sell licenses, as do the bigger retailers (Bass, Dick's, Walmart, etc.). Florida's FWC uses a third-party site for buying or renewing fishing licenses: GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. The cost: $17 for an annual license. Don't forget: Whether you're fishing fresh or saltwater, you need the specific license. Freshwater and saltwater licenses are both $17 annually.
I’m here on vacation, do I need a license?
Yes you do, and they're also available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or certain bait shops and big retailers. Cost: $17 for three days, $30 for seven days, $47 for a year. Also: Non-residents need to purchase that license even if they're just fishing from shoreline or shore-based structures. (Florida residents need that license, too, but they're free.)
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Brutish bluefish; plentiful St. Johns crappie | Daytona Fishing Report