The fishing has been good even though it's been hot. The water temperature has heated up but there are certainly some strange things happening anyway. How about the sheepshead biting at the jetties and in the river? Can you believe the sheepshead is fired up? Now "fired up" during the summer time months isn't like the fall, winter and spring firing up but we've been catching anywhere from 10 to 20 sheepshead in the past couple of weeks. I certainly call that "fired up" for this time of the year.

The Black Drum is another species that fires up during the cooler water temperatures in the fall, winter and spring but we're still catching them right in the middle of summer. Tarpon have been all up and down the rocks at the jetties when the tide slacks off. It doesn't seem to matter if it's high slack or low slack, but they're out there before and after each change of tides.

The oil in the Gulf has finally been stopped, for the most part. I sure hope they keep it stopped so many of the fishermen and women can enjoy their sport as well as make a living over there. I see that NOAA has re-opened some of the previously-closed areas to fishing. That's a relief to a lot of people over there.

CREEKS:

Big redfish in the creeks still. We've been catching them up to 33" this year. They're a blast! Nice slot-sized reds are biting too. The flounder are just starting to pick up now. We're catching a couple here and there when we really concentrate on them, but the numbers are just not there. Everyone has been talking about the same thing, flounder and spotted seatrout. There is a few larger spotted trout in the creeks on the higher tides during the early mornings but after that people are catching small ones. Try slip-float fishing deeper down for more action on the trout.

Black drum and sheepshead are being caught in the creeks also. We've caught some good sheepsheadin the creeks toabout 1 to 4 pounds. The reason we're catching some sheepshead and black drum while redfish fishing is we've been using cut blue crabs in certain areas, and that seems to be the ticket. A few mangrove snapper are in the creeks too. Mud minnows or live shrimp are the baits of choice for this species. Tarpon are moving into the creeks now; we are starting to see more and more of them. Schools of jacks from 2 to 8 pounds will start splashing when they've got the bait schooled up. I love casting top waters to these guys. Check the ICW for some good action on the jacks too.

JETTIES:

Huge redfish, a few slot-sized redfish, black drum, sharks, jacks, tarpon, sea bassand loads of tiny croakersare what's happening mostly out at the rocks now. Redfish from5 to 45 pounds are being caught along with 4 to 15 pound drum.

Whiting in the sandier areas along with some yellow mouth trout and there are a few legal-sized black sea bass at the stones too it's just most of them, hundreds, are too small to harvest.

Check out the tarpon mostly at the turn of the tides when the current slows enough to cast a live pogie or a big live mullet out in front of one. Most of the tarpon I've seen so far are along the inside of the South rocks. In looking for the jacks I like to be out there on the last of the incoming, high and first of the outgoing tides. They'll be splashing water 3' high and the birds will be all over them inside and outside the rocks. Catching and releasing large sharks are such a blast! Pound for pound you won't find a stronger fish to fight. A live pogie or small croaker either soaked on the bottom on the outgoing tide or suspended about 5' under a float during slack water is exciting. You can also free linea pogieout if you're outside the rocks where there isn't as much current.

RIVER:

Fishing is about the same as last month's report with one exception, sheepshead. The sheepshead is biting better than normal for this time of the year, some real good-sized ones too.Whiting, yellow mouth trout, black drum, and big bull redfish are the ticket in the river to bend a rodright now. A cut blue crab will get you a Black Drum or bull Redfish. A dead shrimp can get you some nice dinner-sized Whiting andyellow mouth trout and live shrimp or live mud minnows fished around the dock pilings can get you some nice mangrove snapper. I like fiddler crabs for the sheepshead. I haven't seen any Tarpon in the river but they've got to go through there somewhere to get to the creeks. I haven't seen the schools of jacks I usually see in the river yet.

MILL COVE:

A few spotted sea trout, yellow mouth trout, whiting and redfish in the Cove. I like to check out the reds in the flooded grass during the higher tides and while doing so you can find an occasional sheepshead or two in the grass. The tarpon are moving in the Cove now also, but most of them are still at the jetties. A couple flounder here and there, but looking for them being concentrated is tough. I sure hope the fall flounder run is better this year than last.

SURF:

The surf report I get from Rick at Rick's Bait & Tackle saying the whiting are still doing good along with some nice black drum and redfish being caught in the surf. He mentioned people are catching flounder around the pilings of the Jax. Beach Pier. People are also float-fishing for spotted sea trout and catching quite a few at the Pier. Rick has said they've caught some real nice kingfish right off the end of the Pier this season.

That's about it for now. Please remember to bring a trash bag out with you and bring your trash back to the dock. There are trash cans at every ramp and at every park. Please help keep our waterways clean and trash-free.