Jacksonville is in transition. The cobia run that defined April and early May is winding down, tarpon are showing up at the jetties and in the river, and the inshore pattern has fully shifted to summer with strong action on flounder, sheepshead, and redfish.
Cobia — Last Call
The spring cobia migration is in its final week or two along the NE Florida beaches. Sight-casting from a tower boat off Jax Beach and Ponte Vedra is still producing fish, but the numbers have dropped off significantly from the late-April peak. Bucktails and live eels remain the top baits.
If you haven’t gotten your cobia for the year, this is your last reliable window before they move offshore and north.
Tarpon — At the Jetties
Tarpon have shown up at the St. Johns River jetties and inside the river. Schools are rolling on the outgoing tide, and live menhaden or large mullet on a 7/0 circle hook is the standard rig. The bite is still building — expect it to peak in June.
Some fish are also being caught in the river itself near the Mayport ferry and the Hart Bridge.
Inshore — Flounder, Sheepshead, Redfish, Trout
Flounder action is excellent right now in the St. Johns and the ICW. Live mud minnows and finger mullet on a Carolina rig in 4 to 10 feet are producing consistent catches with plenty of doormat-class fish.
Redfish are stacked in the marsh creeks of the ICW and along the river mouth. Cut mullet on the bottom and gold spoons in the grass are both working.
Sheepshead are still hitting around the dock pilings and bridges, though the bigger fish have moved out to nearshore wrecks.
Offshore
Kingfish are thick on the nearshore reefs and ledges in 50 to 90 feet. Slow-trolled menhaden and blue runners are getting solid action.
Red snapper season in the South Atlantic is closed (NMFS sets very limited mini-seasons; check before you go). Vermilion snapper and triggerfish are open and biting in 80 to 140 feet.
Conditions
Water temps at the jetties 75–78°F. Bite windows best on the morning outgoing.
Spots & Access This Week
The Sisters Creek boat ramp (Jim King Park) is the go-to launch for the St. Johns jetties and Fort George Inlet, and the Mayport ramp puts you right at the river mouth. Land-based anglers do well off the Huguenot Memorial Park beaches and the jetty rocks for reds, flounder, and snapper, while Nassau Sound and the Dames Point area hold reds and trout in the creeks. The nearshore reefs and wrecks off Mayport are the king and snapper run for the boat crowd.
Tactics & Tips This Week
Slow-troll live pogies on stinger rigs over the nearshore reefs for kings, and net a fresh livewell at the beach before you run out. At the jetties, fish light fluorocarbon and live shrimp tight to the rocks for mangrove snapper, and work cut mullet and gold spoons along the marsh bars of the Intracoastal for reds on the flooding tide. This Week’s Tip: the St. Johns mouth flushes hard on the falling tide — set up at the jetties on the outgoing and let the current carry your bait to the fish stacked along the rocks.
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