Fishing Question

[KenFSU]

Quick question for you guys:

I've never been terribly into fishing myself, but my Dad really enjoys it. He used to take my brother and me bass fishing as kids at this little freshwater lake down in Fort Myers where I grew up. Anyway, he's coming up next weekend and we were thinking of taking him fishing. I'm looking for a nice little (public) freshwater lake where we could take him around Jax. Even better, a place where we could rent a little john-boat for the day. Do any parks around here offer such a thing?

Thanks a million.

[stjr]

If you don't mind dodging seasonal T-storms, you could access the river or intracoastal at numerous boat ramps.  Mandarin has at least two, at San Jose/Goodby's and Mandarin Park.  Also, our state parks offer some great choices.  See, for example, Guana River Preserve south of Ponte Vedra for both fresh and salt water fishing. 

You might want to also consider a kayak.  Amelia Kayaks may be able to help with rentals and fishing tips in their area.

Also, try calling Black Creek Outfitters or Strike Zone Fishing for some more ideas or connections.

[blizz01]

While a little south of JAX, Whitey's Fish Camp on 220 still rents "rear deck" small motor Jon boats by the hour in Dr.'s Lake as well as Kayaks.  You can rent canoes into Black Creek at the foot of the Black Creek bridge (@ the bait & tackle shop) on 17 south.

http://www.whiteysfishcamp.com/index.htm

If you really want to provide a tour, try these guys:
http://www.dockholidayboatrentals.com/

[Ocklawaha]

If you don't mind dodging seasonal T-storms, you could access the river or intracoastal at numerous boat ramps.  Mandarin has at least two, at San Jose/Goodby's and Mandarin Park.  Also, our state parks offer some great choices.  See, for example, Guana River Preserve south of Ponte Vedra for both fresh and salt water fishing. 

You might want to also consider a kayak.  Amelia Kayaks may be able to help with rentals and fishing tips in their area.

Also, try calling Black Creek Outfitters or Strike Zone Fishing for some more ideas or connections.

Try the Rodman resevoir off sr-19, it's on the OCKLAWAHA RIVER and there is a lake with a dam that backs up water and 20,000,000 fish. You know Palatka and Crescent City are the BASS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. There is a cool fish farm display near Welatka, free and pretty darn nice.

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Another great and I mean GREAT spot for Drum  is a deep hole just northwest of the Port Orange Bridge in Daytone Beach. As a teen fishing guide I've even led Canadian Sports TV to this spot. Five or ten minutes of high tide, just before the runout, this place is incredible.

North of the Port Orange Bridge, on the west side of the channel. How many Drum can you count? Ask the locals for the drum hole, and be there 30 minutes before peak tide.  

OCKLAWAHA

[Fallen Buckeye]

Seeing as I am from a land locked state (I'll give you three guesses which one) I'm still trying to get a grip on what's fresh water here and what's not. I know you can catch a lot of saltwater fish on the St. Johns, but are the tributaries like the Cedar and the Ortega freshwater or is it still brackish? I live right on the Cedar, so it'd be nice to be able to hop down to the river after a rough day at work for a couple hours of fishing. All my gear and tackle is for freshwater though and I really don't know squat about saltwater fish.

[KenFSU]

Thanks guys!

I massively appreciate it.

Will definitely be looking into all of them

[tashi]

You might also want to check the state of the algae bloom if you are fishing on the St. Johns River. They have issued a health warning about the toxic level of the algae bloom.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=42679

[Ocklawaha]

Seeing as I am from a land locked state (I'll give you three guesses which one) I'm still trying to get a grip on what's fresh water here and what's not. I know you can catch a lot of saltwater fish on the St. Johns, but are the tributaries like the Cedar and the Ortega freshwater or is it still brackish? I live right on the Cedar, so it'd be nice to be able to hop down to the river after a rough day at work for a couple hours of fishing. All my gear and tackle is for freshwater though and I really don't know squat about saltwater fish.

Buckeye, unless it has changed in the last XXX (I'll never say) years the "official line" was the Main Street Bridge (the blue one downtown). You will find everything below that (which means NORTH of that because the river flows NORTH) to be quite brackish. In my experience the Trout River is only good for Rays, and they are only good for the sport of catching them. Watch that damn tail! We used to clip the tail spike off and drive it into their heads...there are millions of the lil' bastards.
It is generally safe to fish or swim in the fresh water South of downtown - which is UP RIVER. Be very aware that morning and evening are gator feeding hours, and also that BULL SHARKS can live in fresh water and will often be 100 miles up river so their off-spring can live more or less predator free, until big enough to go to sea. They account for most of the shark bites but are generally NOT man eaters and after a taste will swim off to find something they like better.

That fishing hole in Daytona Beach on the Halifax River, make SURE you check depth as soon as soon as you leave the channel. Most of the Halifax is oyster beds and even exposed oyster beds at extreme low tide. Learn to read the channel markers, get a chart of the river at a marina (there is a good one east of the Port Orange Bridge, also just north of the bridge on Peninsular Drivel, Daytona Beach Chris Craft Marine). You will find that the depths are quite shallow and the oysters will rip the bottom right out of a boat if you hit them at speed. DO NOT walk on them without deck shoes, they will cut you to ribbons.

With this information you will be okay in any of our salt marshes, have fun boyz...

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

Seeing as I am from a land locked state (I'll give you three guesses which one) I'm still trying to get a grip on what's fresh water here and what's not. I know you can catch a lot of saltwater fish on the St. Johns, but are the tributaries like the Cedar and the Ortega freshwater or is it still brackish? I live right on the Cedar, so it'd be nice to be able to hop down to the river after a rough day at work for a couple hours of fishing. All my gear and tackle is for freshwater though and I really don't know squat about saltwater fish.

Over the years, the salinity in the St. Johns has increased some going south of Downtown.  At any given time, a lot has to do with the amount of rainfall, tides, time of year, location, etc.  A few years ago, during a very dry summer, we had thousands of jelly fish in the river off of Mandarin but I have never seen before or since. On any given day, you may get fresh or salt water species in much of the St. Johns.  That's part of the fun of fishing it.

Guana River has fresh water above the dam and salt water below it.  Take your choice based on which side of the road you are on.

By the way, don't rule out shore fishing.  There are lots of public shore lines, bulkheads, piers (e.g. Jax Beach), bridges (e.g. Nassau  Sound), and docks (e.g. Mandarin County Dock or Mandarin Park) you can fish from.

[Fallen Buckeye]

Thanks for the info.

[Jason]

Another great and I mean GREAT spot for Drum  is a deep hole just northwest of the Port Orange Bridge in Daytone Beach. As a teen fishing guide I've even led Canadian Sports TV to this spot. Five or ten minutes of high tide, just before the runout, this place is incredible.

North of the Port Orange Bridge, on the west side of the channel. How many Drum can you count? Ask the locals for the drum hole, and be there 30 minutes before peak tide.  

OCKLAWAHA

I know the spot Ock and should scald you for blabbing the drum hole secret to the outsiders! 

Just kidding.  I grew up in Daytona Beach and spent many Saturday mornings fishing the bridge and usually came home with at least a bucket full of drum and catfish.

As far as state parks go, try out Faver Dykes south of St. Augustine at US1 and I95.  Great park with canoe rentals and a shore line dock along the marshes.  Very quiet and pristine and good fishing at times.

The other spot I'd recommend is the north jetties at Huguenot State park (Across the river from Mayport Naval Station).  I've caught some nice Sheepshead on the rocks.

[Captain Zissou]

Buckeye, don't let Ock scare you with his talk of Gators and Bull sharks, I think he's full of bull....something else.  In the Ortega and Cedar rivers I would watch out for gators only at dusk and dawn and only South of the Timaquana bridge on the Ortega and North of Blanding on the Cedar.  No gators in the St Johns north of Julington Creek. 
I can't speak for the sharks, but after 13 years of swimming all over the river (once paddled on a surfboard from San Marco to Ortega), I have not encountered a shark. 
Just don't bother the manatees during mating season!!

[stjr]

No gators in the St Johns north of Julington Creek. 

Captain, this is 99% the case.  I have seen a couple of gators over the last 10 years off the north shore of Mandarin Point.  And, I would guess some could hang around Goodby's Lake.  Never say never. 

[Captain Zissou]

I thought about Goodby's right after posting. That, if anywhere, is the most likely place for a gator to be lingering.