- ASTOR MARINE - "A Half Cooler Full" - 24535 Hwy. 40 - Astor, FL - (352) 759-3655 or FAX (352) 759-2312 - Pan fishing is expected to be as consistently good for the next few months as it has been for the last few on Lake Dexter just south of Astor. The successful reports we've heard are all about the same. Enter the lake, shut off your engine, throw a few lines out with your favorite baits on them, settle back, let the wind push you wherever it pushes you - and reel them in! KEN
- BIG BASS BAIT & TACKLE - P.O. Box 690 - Astor, FL - (352) 759-2795 - Largemouth Bass are hitting on wild shiners, spinners and topwater lures on the St. John's River. Crappie are being caught in open water, trolling or drifting with jigs and minnows.
- FISHIN' SHACK - 3514 S. Atlantic Ave. - Daytona Beach Shores, FL - (904) 788-2120 - Fishing inshore for Redfish and Trout will be good and getting better as the weather warms. Black Drum and Sheepshead will continue to bite in the deeper holes along the intercoastal and at the jetties at Ponce Inlet. Whiting and Pompano will be biting sand fleas and clams in the surf and Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel will show as the surf temperature increases. Cobia will show along the beach and just offshore following Manna Rays when the water temperature reaches 70 degrees. Grouper and Snapper remain available along the Triggerfish, Cobia and Seabass on the offshore reefs and wrecks. Good catches of Dolphin, Wahoo along with some Tuna will be made in blue water as spring progresses.
- THE HAPPY FISHERMAN BAIT & TACKLE - 1120A Riverside Drive and LPGA - Holly Hill, FL - (904) 255-1012 - 2 Piers at Sunrise Park - one goes out 340 feet across the street. Ramp for flat bottom boats. 1 Mile-Rose Point Pier. Catching Trout and Snook on live shrimp and dead bait. Fishing License, Assorted Nets and Traps. We accept MasterCard & VISA.
FISHING THE ST. JOHNS RIVER
MONTH BY MONTHBY ROGER S. HARBSTER JANUARY-Big bass hitting on live bait and artifical. Speck fishing is good and the sizes are large. Bream fishing this time of year is poor. The best bass fishing with wild shiners is October through March.
FEBRUARY-This is the bedding month for Speckled Perch (Crappies). January, February and March are the biggest months for Specks, with the full moon being the best time. Fish the covered pads in the lakes and rivers. Fish around brush and trees that have fallen. Where you catch one you will catch several. Specks tend to school in this area. Big bass are still biting if the weather is mild for this time of year. Some bass are still bedding in March and April.
MARCH-Top month for Speckled Perch. Bass are starting to come of their beds. Fish are thin and hungry this time of year and tend to hit worms, lures and most anything you cast at them. Underwater lures are better than topwater lures in the spring.
APRIL-Shellcrackers are doing really well this month and will start bedding with the first full moon. Live worms or crickets, fished in the bedding areas will produce. Take two long poles one in the front one in the back, stick in the bottom and tied to your boat works better than anchors. You might try this technique while shiner fishing for bass. For best bass fishing results while fishing with artificial lures, cast you bait right next to the shore and retrieve.
MAY-Watch for Menhaden this time of year they will trick the schooling bass. For schooling bass fish topwater lures or menhaden. Even small shiners will work. These bass go 1 to 3 pounds and will hit May, June and again in September. The first full moon in May the bream will go on their beds. Live worms are best for bream, fished on the bottom in the bedding areas. Some time the beds are so thick with fish you can smell them.
JUNE-The bedding bluegill and schooling bass are still biting. Early am and late pm will produce the most fish. Work the cover in the lakes for bass and also the drop offs in the river. In the middle of the day when the bluegills are not on their beds use crickets and beetle spins. Bedding bluegills on the full moon and also on the new moon. Use live worms on the bedding areas
JULY-This month is a carbon copy of June. The last for the bedding bream. Fish the deep water drop offs for bass. Use crank baits (lures) fished real real slow. Mud fish and gar fishing can be lots of fun they will hit in the summer when the good eating fish have lock jaw
AUGUST-The hot summer months are slow fishing in freshwater. Fish black bass in the early am and late pm hours. Topwater lures are good. In the middle of the day when the shoreline water is the hottest fish the deep drop offs. Remember "Reel Slow". Fly rodding for panfish in the late pm hours is a lot of fun while using popping bugs. The river is better this time of year when the water is lower in the lakes.
SEPTEMBER-More and more fisherman are finding drop offs to 15 feet for the hot weather fishing. Early am and late pm fish the shoreline lakes and drop offs in the river, during the middle of the day fish for specks (crappies) they will start hitting, buy they are the smaller ones. The action starts to pick up for plastic worms fishing for the largemouth bass.
OCTOBER-The shiner fisherman begin this 5 month trek for the big wall hangers. The big bass will start to hit artificial worms . The speckled perch start hitting in the lakes mostly on trolled beetle spins, and other small lures and spinners. Drifting the little Missouri minnows will produce good stringers, but they are still smaller. The winter months are the best speck fishing months.
NOVEMBER-I feel November and December have produced the most and largest bass the past several years. I have seen bass to 15 pounds 4 ounces. There is no doubt there have been larger.
DECEMBER-Big largemouth bass continue to hit on shiners. Here are a few tips while fishing with these baits. Use cork floats 1 1/4" to 1 3/4", use #5 hook, 30 pound test line at least (heavier line because you will get tangled in pads, brush and hyacinths). Hook the wild shiner through the bottom lip and come out through nostril. Wild shiners will run for cover and that's where Mr. Big Bass is waiting. 6 to 8 inch baits is the choice baits. Larger than that is called a "horse" shiner. These will produce the larger bass if you have patience to wait. Smaller shiners will produce more runs.
