FISHIN' BUDDIES
INTRACOASTAL
INSHORE INFO
OFFSHORE INFO
SPECIES INDEX
FISHING TIPS
MARINE FORECAST
FLORIDA SALT WATER
RECORDS
RECIPES
In North Florida, when we say intracoastal
fishing we're really referring to a whole area not just the Intracoastal Waterway. This area includes the St. John
river basin, the creeks that slowly turn from salt to brackish to fresh and The Army Corps of Engineer's
Intracoastal Waterway. This area, which is easily accessed from boat or foot, presents what we think is
some of America's most exciting fishing. From doormat flounder caught at the Little Jetties near Mayport Village to hooking a Tarpon while standing on
Vilano Beach Peir, this area produces lots of fun and lots of fish.There are literally hundreds of miles of creek to explore in North Florida. With a canoe or small boat you can travel up the mouth of these creeks (just be sure not to get stuck in the mud at low tide) and experience some great fishing. Red Fish or Red Drum are finally making a comeback after declining numbers forced strict size and limit restrictions. Flounder can be caught anywhere there is a sandy bottom and plenty of mud minnows.
Many of the bridges crossing over the labrynth of creeks in Nassau, Duval and St. John's counties are
a good place to night fish for speckled sea trout. Sheephead can be caught where there is
a build up of barnicals, mussels or oysters, and black drum can be caught with dead shrimp randomly at any of these places.
During the spring Spanish Mackerel run in the intracoastal and in the St. John River and in the summer
it is possible to catch your limit in shrimp with a cast net and some chum.One of the things I like most about living here and fishing here is you don't have to be a millionaire with a 47' Cabo Yacht to do some really great fishing. There is usually plenty of bait to be caught almost an inexhaustible number of places to take the family and fish the day away.