Typically, it’s toward the end of May we first begin to see King Mackerel off our northern Florida coast. The year 2019 has proven to be a bit different as we have already been catching King Mackerel way back in late April. And the King Mackerel fishing has only improved since then, with this past week producing several fish over 40 lbs. Along with the King Mackerel, we’re seeing blackfin tuna, cobia, and even a few sailfish (4 this week).The best bait to use is a live Spanish Sardine, Cigar Minnow, or Menhaden on a stinger rig. I prefer 40 lb, 8-strand braided wire and either a #4 or #6 treble hook. If live bait isn’t available, you can even troll frozen bait such as Spanish Sardines and Cigar Minnows with King Buster Skirts. Stop by Strike Zone on Beach Blvd. Those guys can point you in the right direction on tackle.For May, we experienced a good migration of Dolphin on the blue water trips with several boats having multiple fish trips. Additionally, we’re seeing an above average size on the Dolphin with double digit fish very common. The bottom fishing inside 25 miles has been mostly red snapper with an occasional Cobia. We did catch a few amberjack this week so we hope to see more of them as summer approaches. Outside 25 miles, bottom fishing has been pretty good with Vermilion Snapper, Triggerfish, Jacks, Red Porgy or Almaco Jacks. And, there’s always a chance a Cobia or even a Dolphin will swim by, so have a pitch rod ready to feed them. The shark fishing has also been off the chain with a 4 hour Shark fishing trip producing double-digit catches with fish well over 100 lbs. per trip. The next few days we are hosting many of the members of Jax Boat Club for their quarterly Private Charter… it’s just a great time to go fishing! There are several things to do offshore right now!! 904-502-7408
