September is the month that we turn the corner on exhausting heat,

But, it is also a time when you can boat plenty of freshwater fish if you follow

a few important points.

     Because it is so warm during the day, it is important to start your fishing trip

very early.  Your first three hours will usually be the most productive.  Also, with

water temperatures ranging in the eighties, fish don’t move as fast as normal.  So,

slow your retrieve down – be more patient.  Look for shad bait activity, especially

at ambush spots like points, mouth of creeks, and where channels diverge.  Target

areas where there is a significant drop from the pad line out.

    Fishing the St. Johns River and connecting lakes, there are some lures, plastic baits,

and live baits that you can count on to catch bass and bluegill.

    The Devils Horse (100 series) in various colors is a top notch surface bait.  We

Usually remove the front spinner and trade out the weak hooks for Gamagatsu trebles.

Work the lure slowly, gently popping the eye downward so that it throws up one

little bead of water, mimicking a needle fish nipping the water with its bill.

Sometimes the bass strikes are not vicious, instead, they will take it down from

the back.

    Culprit and Bass Assassin worms in 7.5 inch dark colors are a standard plastic

bait that yields good bass catches.  Generally rigged Texas style with 1/8 oz bullet

weight and a laser sharp hook.  Gambler’s 4 inch Cane Toad and Ugly Otter are

heavy chunks of rubber that can be cast without weights and therefore will ride a

little higher in the water on the retrieve.  All these baits are good in heavy cover like

lily pads, hydrilla and eel grass.  Dark colors are preferred in the tannic waters.

    Of course, we can never leave out live bait as a great method for catching bass.

Wild river shiners are very popular with guides and sports alike.  They account for

many trophy size lunkers and are easy to fish.  Use a weedless hook and allow your

bait to penetrate the cover and attract a bass that has receeded from the light.

    Bluegill are a great warm weather fish and can be found in abundance on the

shell beds during full moon or shore lines of rivers and creeks any other time.

    Crickets, live worms and 1/32 oz Beetle Spins are always popular and

Productive baits for the feisty bluegill and shellcracker.  But, we want to mention

Another deadly method.  Accarde Tackle makes a 211 Bream Killer with a #6

hook that works great on a fly rod.  Black, chartreuse, and yellow are the best colors.

They have long rubber “legs” that are very attractive to panfish.  Even if you don’t

have a fly rod, rig a 14 foot cane pole with 16 feet of 10 pound mono and “sling”

the killer to the edge of the bank and pop it back slowly. 

August is no doubt one of the hottest months of the year! That being said, it is important to start out early. The first 3 to 4 hours after sun up are going to be the most productive time during the day.
   Once it starts getting hot bass will retreat to deeper cooler water and the St. Johns River is a great place to find largemouth bass. The main channel of the St. Johns River between marker 46 to marker 26 hold lots of great bass cover such as downed trees and large areas of spadderdock lily pads with a good average depth around 13 feet. Try this area using crank baits and dark colored plastic worms.
     Panfish like bluegill, warmouth and shellcracker will continue throughout the month of August. Depending on the moon phase and bedding partners, you will find the fish in lakes or along the banks of the river. Try pitching crickets along the edge of cover and tree tops early in the morning and late afternoon. The Norris Dead River is a great stretch perfect for this method.

 June is a great month for pan fish and bass fishing on the central St. Johns River. Artificial baits such as rattle traps, fast moving shallow running crank baits and spinner baits will produce good bass catches this month. When the weather warms up, switch to dark colored plastic worms or deep running crank baits on the drop offs on the main St. Johns River.
    Keep an eye out for threadfin shad which are abundant this time of year and are easy to catch using a small cast net. You can also use a small wild shiner, either way, be sure to use a light wire hook so not to weigh down these fragile baits.
     Summer months are known for bluegill, shell cracker’s and limits of pan fish. When the fish are not bedding pitch crickets or worms along the shoreline using light line and a small float. Artificial baits will also work. Try using a 1/32oz beetle spin against tree tops and shoreline cover. Four to five days before the full moon locate bedding areas in Lake Woodruff and target shell beds as the fish begin to prepare for the spawn.
     Ask us for a free map and we will highlight productive fishing areas. To have a productive day of fishing, it is important to start early before the weather gets too hot.

We’re hoping to continue our strong Speckled Perch season throughout the month of March. We’ve already have had a record breaking speck season with big limits coming in from Lake Woodruff and connecting water ways. This month all methods will be productive at various times of the month depending on moon phase, water temperature and water levels. Most productive time for the month should be around the new moon on the 11^th.  March we will also start to come into to all of our spring and summer pan fish season, such as bluegill, warmouth and shell cracker. For panfish pitch crickets or minnows up against tree tops and vegetation.
     This month is a great time for Bass fishing on the main St. Johns River. Artificial baits like top water lures and spinner baits will be productive. We could see some schooling activity in open water if water temperatures rise high enough. Look for pods of threadfin shad coming to the surface, this will create a feeding frenzy for bass. Use any lure that mimics the action of threadfin and you will have success.  

   Predicting Speckled Perch catch will be on fire for the month of January! With an already consistent season of speck fishing for 2012 we should see another great month out of January.  This month the specks will be preparing for their spawn and that will result in quality size specks for fisherman. During the spawn specks will move closer to the bank making the cork and jig method most productive. Use a small cigar shaped cork with a speck jig tied 1 ½ to 2 feet deep, cast toward the bank or cover and retrieve with a sharp jerking motion. Later in the month trolling will also be productive. Popular colors for jigs include blue and silver, yellow and chartreuse, and pink.
     For Bass, use wild river shiners fished under an egg shaped bobber approximately 2 ½ feet deep. Fish under floating vegetation and wait for a strike. Some early spawning activity will occur this month in and around spring fed areas.  Artificial bait can be effective this month too. Top water lures in early morning and plastic worms casting to the pads or flipping in the grass mats to get largemouth Bass.  The St. Johns River and Lake Woodruff have been a choice location for some real trophy size largemouth’s in the month of January.