Ponte Vedra Beach Fishing Report
April 7, 2017
Ponte Vedra Beach Fishing Report
INSHORE – Now that the Spring patterns have set in we aren’t really seeing any surprises or huge changes into this week. Redfish continue to be the most prominent fish in the area. They are feeding well and aren’t too picky about what they take. If you are able to bring some Mullet along, this is generally a good bet however Shrimp or similar artificial will work as well. Bigger fish can be caught towards St. Augustine. Generally we see Spotted Seatrout going hand in hand with many Redfish catches. Black Drum and Sheepshead are slowly heating up but they haven’t fully fired up just yet. Sheepshead are taking the usual baits as they hang out on structure. Anglers are also avoiding the Sharks that have been putting up an aggressive fight in the Atlantic Beach area. They are a lot of fun to fish for but can be annoying when they’re not the target of your bait, or should we say, their bait. Bluefish and Pompano are running the beach. Blues aren’t picky about what they take, you can throw anything from artificials and spoons to live bait. As Cobia move in following the rays anglers are fully embracing the Spring bite.
OFFSHORE – The offshore bite has been a bit hit or miss this week due to the recent wind and weather, which seems to be nothing new for anglers in this area. When you can make it offshore, rest assured you won’t have to go too far out. Dolphin have moved closer in and can be landed on the troll. Most anglers are focusing on the nearshore bottom bite as it is a bit more consistent. Limits of Sea Bass are easy catches along with a few bycatches of Cobia mixed in.
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A big THANK YOU to this week’s Pro Report contributors -A.C.Charters Inc, B & M Bait & Tackle, and Avid Angler! Find their contact information on the Pro Angler App!
Pro Angler Team
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INSHORE – The Sheepshead bite is pretty good inshore. Under docks and bridges are the best place to find them. The Reds (Drum, Red) are around however there are more good sized Black Drum (Drum, Black) swimming inside. The Trout (Seatrout, Spotted) are on the edge of shell bars. They are small but biting well. There are also Big Bluefish are in the river.
OFFSHORE – Red Snapper (Snapper, Red) are on the bottom but are catch and release. Cobia aren’t far from the beach. Vermillion (Snapper, Vermillion) are appearing in the middle grounds close to 100 feet. The numbers are consistent. Enormous Bluefish are swimming about 10 miles offshore and are up to 15 pounds. A few have been caught inshore in the river as well. Way out the Mahi (Dolphin) bite is on fire. Wahoo are still around and Blackfin (Tuna, Blackfin) are biting well at the ledge. Sailfish (Billfish – Sailfish) have been sighted during the day going after Ballyhoo on a fast troll.
BAIT REPORT – Menhaden are being found from the beach.
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March 24, 2017
Ponte Vedra Beach Fishing Report
INSHORE – There has been a nice variety of fish swimming inshore this week, with the most prominent bite coming from Sheepshead and Black Drum. If you are heading to the jetties, beaches, rivers or reefs you will have no trouble hooking up to either of these fish as the numbers are outstanding from Fernandina to Palm Coast. The KBY reef in particular has produced well.
From the surf we are seeing Pompano and Whiting running towards Atlantic Beach. They are swimming shallow so your best bet is to stay inside the rocks to find them. Inshore, the Trout are making a scattered appearance and if you are looking to target them the last hour of the outgoing tide will be the key time to fish. Flounder are just beginning to show up in bigger sizes along the shorelines towards St. Augustine. It looks like Spring has a great fishing season in store for us!
OFFSHORE – The weather was finally nice enough for a few days offshore this week. A bit of residual wind is still hanging around however the fish are hungry and ready to bite. This past week anglers were doing really well on Wahoo offshore. The recent tournament in St. Augustine has produced good numbers while high speed trolling at about 20 knots or trolling Ballyhoo during the day.
The bottom bite has been a bit more consistent in terms of landing fish. Red Snapper are providing good catch and release action. Triggerfish are also swimming the bottom. A bit closer in, Cobia have also been landed as anglers jig them up off the bottom as the water isn’t warm enough to cast to the rays yet.
For more fish slamming info download the Pro Angler App for hundreds of locations that provide you with more of thousands of GPS Hot Spots, local Pro Reports, What’s Biting, Tide & Weather data along with many more amazing Pro Angler features.
A big THANK YOU to this week’s Pro Report contributors – Leaders & Sinkers Bait & Tackle, B & M Bait & Tackle, and Avid Angler! Find their contact information on the Pro Angler App!
Pro Angler Team
March 17, 2017
Ponte Vedra Beach Fishing Report
INSHORE – Despite the unfavorable weather anglers in the area are still finding the typical, seasonal fish hanging around. When you can find a weather window there has been a surprisingly decent bite as Black Drum are really beginning to turn on. As usual, structure will be holding your best fish which is also good news as you can typically find some shelter from the wind around these spots. Creeks, jetties, holes, inlets, towers, bridges and the Sounds are going to be your key locations when targeting Drum from Fernandina to St. Augustine. Bait setups have been nothing new, and anything that has been successful so far this Winter will continue to produce into this week.
Mixed in with the Drum have been great catches of Sheepshead. You can find them in a lot of the same areas taking the same setups. Your typical Redfish and Trout have also been hooked into this week, however, the colder weather has set their early Spring bite back a bit. Although Reds are still in large schools, which means when you can hook onto one there are likely a few hanging around. Searching shallow mudflats that are holding heat will prove to be most successful. As usual Trout are swimming the rivers and creeks but if they are your main target you’ll have better luck heading to Nassau Sound.
OFFSHORE – We just can’t seem to catch a break in terms of weather this Spring. Mother nature has been teasing us with a few days of warm weather then hits us with yet another cold front. That being said, the nicer days have produced some Cobia this week. Anglers are jigging for them using either pink/white or chartreuse bucktails. Some anglers are adding a curly tail grub. To their setup for more success. The bite improves as we move South so if we can get some improved weather over the next few days we expect things to really fire up.
For more fish slamming info download the Pro Angler App for hundreds of locations that provide you with more of thousands of GPS Hot Spots, local Pro Reports, What’s Biting, Tide & Weather data along with many more amazing Pro Angler features.
A big THANK YOU to this week’s Pro Report contributors – Leaders & Sinkers Bait & Tackle, Brown’s Creek Fish Camp & Tackle, and St. Augustine Marina! Find their contact information on the Pro Angler App!
Pro Angler Team
March 10, 2017
Ponte Vedra Beach Fishing Report
INSHORE – Although we are eager to see the Spring bite heat up and lead into Summer, the transition period has been a bit tough. With the lack of cold weather, many fish hadn’t schooled up and are still fairly scattered at this point. Redfish and Trout in particular are spread out right from Fernandina to St. Augustine. Numbers of Trout are increasing as we move South however sizes are still small and time will need to be spent finding them. For similar reasons the bigger Sheepshead continue to swim offshore and haven’t moved into the creeks. It’s no surprise that if you are targeting them a Fiddler Crab or Dead Shrimp is the key to a good fish. While Sheepshead are staying outside, warm water temperatures are bringing in an early bite of Flounder in the St. Augustine area. Drum are following close behind and anglers are finding the most success targeting them using a half Blue Crab. Mullet are beginning to show up in creeks and rivers. They are still small however this is a promising sign of a good run in the Spring.
For more fish slamming info download the Pro Angler App for hundreds of locations that provide you with more of thousands of GPS Hot Spots, local Pro Reports, What’s Biting, Tide & Weather data along with many more amazing Pro Angler features.
A big THANK YOU to this week’s Pro Report contributors – A.C.Charters Inc, Rick’s Bait & Tackle, and Avid Angler! Find their contact information on the Pro Angler App!
OFFSHORE – 2017 has been a tough go so far for offshore anglers. Weather conditions continue to keep boats inside, so it has been difficult to gauge a deep water bite when few have actually made it out. Short weather windows have allowed those heading out of St. Augustine to target Wahoo as they begin to heat up with the upcoming full moon. This is also just in time for a few local Wahoo tournaments. As usual, stick with your dark colored lures for the best bite on the troll. Dolphin and Tuna should pick up following some more ideal weather. Closer in, determined anglers may find decent sizes of Cobia. They are not consistent but are a good option if seas are too rough farther out. Anglers willing to head North towards Fernandina can find a decent Sea Bass bite without heading to far off.
Pro Angler Team
March 3, 2017
Ponte Vedra Beach Fishing Report
INSHORE – Jetties and nearshore bottom structure offered some Sheepshead anglers a decent bite while some Flounder started to move back in. Some of the jetties are also hold Bull Reds and Black Drum, there are also a lot of small Redfish around. If Redfish are what you’re after, head down to Palm Coast where they are readily taking anything from Topwater plugs to live bait during the falling tide. The warmer than normal temperatures appear to have put a damper on the Trout fishing for most anglers. Despite the lackluster Trout bite, you can still have a good day of river fishing thanks to the arrival of Flounder. Try fishing Mud Minnows or Gulp on a jighead for them.
For more fish slamming info download the Pro Angler App for hundreds of locations that provide you with more of thousands of GPS Hot Spots, local Pro Reports, What’s Biting, Tide & Weather data along with many more amazing Pro Angler features.
A big THANK YOU to this week’s Pro Report contributors -Capt Jim at Amelia Island Bait & Tackle Shop, B & M Bait and Tackle & Capt. Chris at Palm Coast Fishing! Find their contact information on the Pro Angler App!
OFFSHORE – Reports of successful offshore trips private boats were few and far between from this week. There were a few charters that found Wahoo, Dolphin and Tuna. All three species of fish were caught around 65 miles out. Hopefully next week will provide a few more opportunities to get out.
Pro Angler Team
Hey Anglers!
Reports will be arriving soon!
DISCLAIMER:
Since fishing conditions change from minute to minute we try to keep our reports as updated as possible. Our Fishing Reports are updated weekly on the web along with our detailed App report. If you would like to contribute to the Pro Angler App Fishing Reports, feel free to email your fishing tips and contact information to mike@proangler.us We rely on all contributions to inform us if fishing conditions have changed so we can update the Fishing Reports as often as possible. Thank you and good luck on the water!.
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