The summer pattern is settling in around Jacksonville. Offshore, the king mackerel bite has been the highlight, with fish from the beaches out to the ledges taking slow-trolled live menhaden and ribbonfish. The nearshore reefs and the area around the jetties have held the most consistent action on the cleaner water.
Inshore, redfish are working the creek mouths, oyster bars, and dock lines of the St. Johns and the backcountry, eating cut bait, live shrimp, and gold spoons. Spotted seatrout are holding on the deeper grass and around the bridges, with the early bite the most reliable as the water warms.
Flounder are filling back in around the jetties, dock pilings, and channel edges, and a finger mullet or mud minnow worked slow along the bottom is the proven approach. Mangrove snapper have stacked on the nearshore structure and offer fast action and good table fare.
Out front, scattered tarpon are beginning to show along the beaches and around the river mouth, an early sign of the migration to come. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are blitzing bait pods near the beaches and jetties through the day.
With water temperatures climbing, plan early trips and keep an eye on the afternoon storms. The king bite offshore and the redfish action in the river should both hold steady as June rolls on.
Spots & Access This Week
King mackerel are moving in along the beaches and around the nearshore reefs and the pier, while redfish and trout work the marsh and the lower St. Johns River on the tides. The Sisters Creek ramp at Helen Cooper Floyd Park near Mayport is the prime launch for the river mouth, the jetties, and the nearshore kingfish grounds. The Mayport-area access and the Atlantic Boulevard ramp on the Intracoastal serve anglers working the ICW, the creek mouths, and the backcountry marsh.
Around the jetties, big reds and tarpon will show on the stronger tides, and the nearshore wrecks are holding Spanish mackerel and the occasional cobia.
This Week’s Tip
For the kings, slow-troll live pogies along the beach and around the nearshore reefs and color changes, and keep a stinger rig on to convert short strikes. Work the marsh reds on the higher tides with cut bait or a gold spoon tight to the grass and oyster bars, then follow them out to the creek mouths as the water falls. Summer heat pushes the inshore bite to the early and late windows, so plan around dawn. Confirm current FWC regulations and federal king mackerel seasons before keeping fish.