Fishing Question

[Ocklawaha]

Buckeye, don't let Oc k 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!!

Captain, you've not lived unless you have raced that big gator in the Ortega under the Collins Road bridge! There was another who appeared to be blinded (22 cal?) in the shallows east of the Doctors Lake Bridge in Orange Park. I'm not trying to scare anyone away, hell I've probably swam the whole damn river myself. When I was quite small, living in Ortega, my dad bought me a 12' Jon boat at Sears downtown, Besides Jacksonville Terminal, guess where I spent the other half of my young life? I will confess I have never seen a shark way up the local rivers, but new science tells us that is where the momma Bull Sharks go to have their little ones. Bulls can be as aggressive as Shit, but as I said, if one of us ever does have that misfortune, it probably won't be fatal.

Jason, since I'm on the subject of critters, I will say I have seen LOTS of sharks up the Halifax right in downtown Daytona Beach. I had a 3 - 4' foot sand shark try to take a piece of my thigh with him to his grave once! The story is pretty incredible and I have never gone to speak to a shark expert about it, though I should. We owned the Marina just North of Chris Craft, some Yankee fishermen on vacation caught this damn little shark and decided to keep it for mounting. We tossed it on to ice, covered it for at least an hour. When they were loading up to go home, I went to get it for them. The little sucker was heavy so I had both hands around its body just shy of it's tail. Carrying it upside down until I felt it jerk like it was going to swim off, that's when I realized it's intentions were worse then mine! They got their damn fish, but it was covered in sand and sand spurs when they left.


OCKLAWAHA

[blizz01]

Could be an old wive's tale, but I swear that a 10' Hammerhead was caught & brought in @ Whitey's in the late 80's/early 90's.  I think they even have a picture on the wall - said it was sick or something.  Also, it is not uncommon for rolling Tarpon to be spotted as far south as the Buckman Bridge at certain times of the year.

[Fallen Buckeye]

Gators and such don't scare me. I've already gotten the chance to get acquainted because I'm really into hiking. I almost stepped on an 8 footer in Okefenokee last year. I've learned to be a little more careful where I step since that incident and another involving a rattler. Nothing comes between me and my fish though. lol.

[Jason]

Jason, since I'm on the subject of critters, I will say I have seen LOTS of sharks up the Halifax right in downtown Daytona Beach. I had a 3 - 4' foot sand shark try to take a piece of my thigh with him to his grave once! The story is pretty incredible and I have never gone to speak to a shark expert about it, though I should. We owned the Marina just North of Chris Craft, some Yankee fishermen on vacation caught this damn little shark and decided to keep it for mounting. We tossed it on to ice, covered it for at least an hour. When they were loading up to go home, I went to get it for them. The little sucker was heavy so I had both hands around its body just shy of it's tail. Carrying it upside down until I felt it jerk like it was going to swim off, that's when I realized it's intentions were worse then mine! They got their damn fish, but it was covered in sand and sand spurs when they left.

I've seen then too.  Not to mention the regular dolphin sightings as well.  Bull sharks have a very menacing look to them when they're in the river for some reason.  But out in the ocean I've had no problem paddling around a group of sharks to catch a nice set.  When the waves are good, sharks be damned, I'm paddling out!  Now those damed Man of War are another story.

[buckethead]

To the OP: When you are fishing with dry feet, on a dock, pier or shore, a license is not required.

If you are in a boat, or wading everyone fishing should have a license.

WalMart is one source for purchasing a fishing license.

[bobsim]

 I can add something here. I spend a lot of time fishing salt/brackish water for saltwater species. Recently the saltwater regs. have changed to eliminate the license exemption for shore bound anglers. Currently the law is if you are fishing for saltwater species you need a license. The only exclusions I know of are senior citizen, and fishing from a pier that has a license covering you (Jax. Bch. Pier).
I'm not current on the freshwater regs. but I just looked and did not see the shore exemption.
http://www.myfwc.com/RULESANDREGS/Freshwater_FishRules_index.htm#FISHING%20LICENSE%20FEES
Another thing to keep in mind is that there is no defined boundary for fresh or salt fishing in the Saint Johns River. The regulations are for salt or fresh water SPECIES. For example if you are fishing for largemouth bass in Doctors lake you need a fresh water license. If you are fishing in same location and have in possession a redfish, trout or croaker you need a saltwater license.
I fish in the Arlington area most of the time and 99% of my catch are saltwater species but once in a while I will catch a Striped bass which is a freshwater species so I have a fresh/salt combination license.
like I said earlier I'm not up on the freshwater regs., but it's worth a phone call to your local bait shop before you head out.
Oh yeah, about the earlier posts about gators in the river, I have seen them in Mill Cove, Otters too.

[Overstreet]

............. what's fresh water here and what's not. .......... All my gear and tackle is for freshwater though and I really don't know squat about saltwater fish.

Depends on what the water is that day. Technically it is brackish. The salinity changes daily depending upon many factors like rain, run off, outfalls, etc.

The law believes that you need a freshwater license to keep freshwater fish. You need a saltwater license to keep saltwater fish. Simple logic but a harder problem to define the water. Obliviously you would not be fishing Kingsley Lake (landlocked) with a saltwater license. However, in the St Johns you might catch a croaker next to a large mouth bass.
You will want to spend a little time on this web site.
http://myfwc.com/Fishing/Index.htm
Then I see that Bobsim already talked to you about this.
I can’t help you with bass fishing. I just don’t do it anymore.  There are too many tasty saltwater varieties nearby. 

[Overstreet]

To the OP: When you are fishing with dry feet, on a dock, pier or shore, a license is not required.

If you are in a boat, or wading everyone fishing should have a license.

WalMart is one source for purchasing a fishing license.

Law changed August 1, 2009. Saltwater shore fishermen and unlicensed peirs need a saltwater shore license, approximately $10 after all the service charges. A licensed peir, like Jacksonville Beach Peir, buys a license that covers fishers and charges fishermen fees. Freshwater needs a freshwater license unless other exemptions apply.  Google  My Fwc.com.

[buckethead]

I did not know!


Oops! I plea the 1, 2, 3, 4... FIF!

[Overstreet]

It helps to get a fish id chart and a Law Stick. Walmart has both. They tell you what is what and the slot length limits.

Just about everything eats shrimp. A one or two drop "gulf" rig or pompano rig with a #2 circle hooks will work for most everything you might catch.  Use the smallest sinker that will hold. A two oz to 4 oz most likely.  Peel the shrimp tail and thread the shrimp on the hook. This will catch most catfish, sting rays, yellow mouth (aka weakfish), speckled trout, drum and redfish. You can fish one of these on your bass rods. Think a 7 foot rod with spinner or a 6' bait caster.

Remember with a circle hook you just reel in you DON'T do a Bill Dance hook set. Bill Dance style fishing will only loose the fish and cause you to fall into the water.

Never tried it but Brown's Fish Camp on Hecksure Drive has a fishing dock they charge a small fee for using. There are croaker, yellow mouth, specs and drum in that water.

Guana Dam is a good spot.

Any of these places you need some moving water. Think an 1 to 2 hour before and after tide change.  I prefer low tide. Others like high.

http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/tides09/tpred2.html#FL

[Bewler]

Guana Dam is a good spot.

I'll second this. Guana is a freaking honey hole for drum and reds. Especially if you've got a boat. Any kind of kayak, john boat or canoe will do. If not then the dam works fine as well, just watch out for gators if you're wading around.

You can also catch shark on the saltier south bank.