Where they're biting in the Daytona Beach Area July 06,2007

[BigEarl]

Sorry so late on this report for those of you who take a look every week I'm down at the moment with a BROKEN KNEE and it hurts like hell any way later for me heres the report.....

FAIR

Surf & Piers

Ed Countryman at Ocean's Bait & Tackle said "impressive numbers" of whiting, an 18-inch pompano and a few sheepshead are the catches of the week. "No sign of our run of June mullet yet this year," he said. Sand fleas have also been scarce.

Halifax River

Five-gallon limits on shrimp is the story in the river, Countryman said.

Ike Leary at Granada Pier Bait & Tackle said shrimp are running from High Bridge to Dunlawton and they're running medium to large with a few jumbos down south. Leary said an angler caught a drum off the Granada docks that buried the needle of his 50-pound scale. Big trout are being found deep, he said.

Tomoka Basin area

After weeks of tarpon refusing to eat, Capt. Kent Gibbens guided Duncan Barnes to two 25-pound tarpon in the Tomoka River and they got some "sporty" 4-foot gar to strike up a fight. Capt. Gibbens said the tarpon hit live shrimp and flies. Perhaps the shrimp run has loosened that tarpon lockjaw.

Indian River Lagoon

Capt. John Tarr at The Fly Fisherman said reds are congregating into pre-spawning schools. "I have a feeling they're going to breed a little earlier this year," he said. We're talking 30- to 50-pounders cruising the north end.

Mosquito Lagoon

In Edgewater, Capt. Tarr has enjoyed the thrill of being outmatched on his 9 weight fly rod by 15- to 25-pound snook and 125- to 150-pound tarpon.

Capt. Gibbens said a red and a trout or two are doable, but heat and lots of rain have obscured normally shallow bars in 2 foot of murky water. And even if you find a school, they're tough, he said. Heavy Fourth of July boat traffic has them in a spooky mood. In the south end, Capt. Doug Buchanan decoded a school and hooked two reds that pushed a hand-held scale to 38 pounds. They chose a lure over live and cut bait!

Matanzas Inlet area

Debbie Hogan at Palm Coast Marina said if you can get through the ladyfish the trout are there on the bottom, and some sizeable flounder and legal-sized grouper are hiding out in the canals.

Ponce Inlet area

Capt. Wayne Summer fished Patilla Creek on Thursday and got three snook between 21 and 26 inches, jumped two small tarpon and got small trout -- all on shrimp. Near the jetties, he said reds to 30 pounds, tarpon and grouper to 20 pounds have been caught and Smyrna Creek has been home to some 100-pound tarpon rolling but not striking. Water temps are around 84 degrees.

Offshore

Capt. John Zeller of the Joker II said snapper, sea bass and amberjacks have been treating bottom bumpers well in depths from 100 to 160 feet. He said boats are encountering a bunch of kings from 100 feet in. Capt. Zeller said he got into mangrove snapper on numbers from 90 to 120 feet and found a few cobia following fish getting cranked up.

St. Johns River


Capt. Rick Rawlins at Highland Park Fish Camp guided Sarah Jane Kwilecki, 11, from Ormond Beach with her father, Paul, and Sarah caught 14 bass to 6 pounds, 3 ounces with the majority more than 4 pounds. Capt. Rawlins said bass will hit spinner baits and soft plastics early and weighted worms after that. Plus, blue gill are bedding, he said.

[STARS6]

Thanks for the reports - great job !!

I understand the rip currents up your way are severe compared to Dade and Broward Counties - Any truth to that ?

OLD SCHOOL
STARS6

[BigEarl]

yes very bad this weekend

[Dolphinpier]

Good report as always.

I fished Mosquito in the south end over the holidays and found the reds schooled up on a very shallow flat (1 foot) and they were very eager to hit. Caught four all in the slot in about 20 minutes and then we had company on the flat and the reds left town. Found trout in the south end also in clear water areas about 3 ft. deep. The odd thing about the trout is that they would not hit the normal lures during mid day time. I have no idea why, but I went back to a large topwater from the morning and the bite was on. Was a great day.

Jimmy