Northeast Florida is running hot and humid, with the usual late-July mix of glassy mornings and violent afternoon thunderstorms. The nearshore king mackerel bite has been the most dependable thing going, and the jetties are producing consistently on the early tide.
What’s Hitting
King mackerel are the headline, feeding well on the nearshore reefs and around the bait pods just off the beach. Redfish are holding at the St. Johns jetties and in the creek mouths, with slot fish and some bull reds mixed in. Tarpon are rolling in the river mouth and off the beaches at first light. Mangrove snapper and flounder are on the jetty rocks and the ICW bridges. Sharks are thick everywhere — expect to lose baits.
Where to Find Them
Kings are on the reefs in 40 to 70 feet and anywhere you find pogy schools within a few miles of the beach. Redfish are on the north and south jetties on the last of the outgoing and the first of the flood. Look for tarpon rolling in the Mayport area and off Little Talbot on calm mornings. Flounder are on the jetty rocks and around the Sisters Creek bridge pilings. Trout are in the creek mouths off the Intracoastal early.
Tides & Conditions
Post-full-moon tides are strong through midweek. Water temps are in the mid-80s inshore and low 80s nearshore. The St. Johns is dirty after recent rain, which has pushed fish tighter to the jetties and the cleaner ocean-side water. Morning is the window — the sea breeze and storms shut things down by early afternoon.
Tackle & Tactics
Slow-troll live pogies on stinger rigs with light wire for kings; a 5/0 lead hook and a treble trailer covers short strikes. Redfish at the jetties want a heavy jighead with a paddletail or a live mullet fished on the bottom with 40-pound leader. Flounder take a Carolina rig with a live mud minnow slow-dragged along the rocks. Tarpon are a live pogy on a 7/0 circle with 80-pound fluoro.
Local Intel This Week
The Sisters Creek ramp, Mayport ramp, and the Palms Fish Camp ramp are the main public launches for jetty and river access. Fish are concentrating at the inlet and on nearshore bait pods rather than up the river this week. Redfish, flounder, and king mackerel all carry size and bag rules — check current FWC regulations and seasons before keeping any fish.
This Week’s Tip
When you find a pogy school and the kings will not commit, drop a live bait deep with a small trolling sinker instead of keeping everything on the surface. The bigger fish sit under the school and rarely come up to the flat lines.