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Fishing Reports

5 March 2025
Welcome to Fish Whisperer Charters in Jacksonville, FL!
Water surface temperatures at the inlet and Mayport area still hovering around 58° on a high tide and 61° on a low. The clarity of the water has been a café con leche color on high tide and medium roast plain on low tide. Scent and slow-moving baits remain the key in cold water so remember to slow things down a bit while fishing. Remember that the air temperature is very different from water temperature, so while you may be enjoying a warm, sunny day, the fish are still cold, and winter rules apply. When you catch one, take a moment and feel how cold the fish is to help you understand how to target them. I’ve still not had very good numbers sheepshead fishing with maybe two or three a trip, but I do expect that to change as warmer water temps approach 63° and above. Trout and redfish have been the targets for now with decent catches. Tide changes will allow slower current during higher tidal coefficients and that's when I seem to have a better redfish bite around the big rocks with shrimp and jigs. For offshore, black seabass and vermillion snapper are box fish with an occasional unicorn like the 25.5" chunky red grouper a client caught this week closer in. My observations out there are in line with inshore fishing in that the winter pattern continues with colder water out to 20nm. There was a lot of “shoot & scoot’ to find keepers and the undersize fish were more aggressive.
TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, Procedures)
Back to basics… There it is. There’s some pressure on the rod tip! I have a fish! The captain told me to raise it up without reeling and keep tension on it, then reel as I lower the rod slightly when the fish isn’t pulling drag. I’ll be able to enjoy the fight and keep the hook connected. Let’s goooo! The result, pure excitement and adrenaline take over as the person points the rod at the fish and begins to ‘spaz reel’ and laughs while maybe talking a bit of trash…then, the fish comes unbuttoned and swims away! It’s as if a pin has poked the proverbial balloon when that happens, and everything is deflated. Hey, no worries, it happens all the time and it’s just part of learning how to fish. Most of the time, we’ll have a laugh after some surprising language escapes the mouths of even the most innocent. We’ll then move on to the next fish while I encourage and reinforce the technique again and at some point, folks start staying connected to the fish and are rewarded with great times. You may not have a hired fishing guide on board coaching you on exactly what to do and when to do it but understanding the technique, related to the type of fishing you’re doing, will maximize your enjoyment. Again, this is going to vary based on the type of fishing being done but rehearsing those tactics in your mind before and during your fishing trip will help tremendously and repetition with a fish on will solidify that. Seems simple, right? Until a fish dumps your rod tip over!  
Hope that helps! If there are ever any questions, please contact me and I'll help where I can.   Catch em' up and stay safe!  Until next time...
Fair Winds & Following Seas,
Capt Kris Kell