No boat, no problem, with land-bound hot spots

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Seems like this time of year every out-of area person with an in-area contact is in the First Coast for a visit. And most want to catch a fish while they’re soaking up some sunshine from their long-winter lack of vitamin D in their home Northern states.

The McNally hut has had numerous such visitors in recent weeks, and one was a hard-charging 17-year-old who believes the sun rises and sets only on bass water.

He was wild about fishing for world-famous Florida largemouth bass. But during his short stay, getting him on a boat was impossible for St. Johns River or nearby Lake George angling.

Since his time in Florida was short, I suggested he try some of the small local ponds at a nearby residential community. He wasn’t overly enthusiastic, but it was his only option. So one morning I trucked him over to a spot, showed him the ponds, made some suggestions as to where and how to fish, and offered some soft plastic jerk baits for lures.

Three hours later, he phoned requesting pick up, and sent via text photos of a chunky 3-pound bass he’d just caught.

I met him at the ponds and quickly learned he’d ripped plenty of bass lips, catching about 30 largemouths, most in the 1- to 3-pound range, but he’d seen some bass much bigger and lost a pair of fish over 5 pounds he broke off in heavy pond grass.

I’d pointed out four or five ponds he could fish, but he’d worked only two, because he was catching so many bass there was no reason to try others.

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He was back at the ponds that evening, and the next day, and the fishing was better, the bass bigger, and his smiles were often and wide when he detailed the action he’d enjoyed from real, honest-to-goodness Florida largemouth bass.

Such small water ponds abound throughout North Florida, and they include several state-run Fish Management Areas, which are managed and stocked for bass, bream and catfishing to the Northeast Florida public.

One of the best is the Pope-Duval FMA, which consists of a pair of old borrow pit lakes west of Jacksonville near Baldwin between U.S. 90 and Interstate 10. The ponds don’t connect, and each has good fishing. The West Pond is about 10 acres, and is a favorite with bass anglers. It’s the spot where a 16-pound largemouth was caught years ago. There are plenty of bass in the lake, and it’s a popular spot.

Just recently, area 15-year old angler Montana Crist caught an estimated 7-pound bass on a live shiner. The following day, she caught a similar size bass, also on a shiner, baits that she had caught herself prior to trying them for bass on the public FMA.

The 13-acre Pope-Duval East Pond has fish feeders, and some of the best crappie fishing of the urban ponds. Crappies are caught around mid-lake brush piles. Bream, catfish and brown bullheads are taken in large numbers, too. Bass fishing is fair.

Other public ponds near Jacksonville include the St. Augustine Road FMA (located south of St. Augustine Road and east of Stetson Road); Oceanway FMA (Jacksonville’s north side, east of Palm Avenue and south of New Berlin Road); Bethesda FMA (located off Capper Road, south of Dunn Avenue, east of I-295, and west of Lem Turner Road); and Hanna Park FMA (in Hanna Park, at Mayport).

Another easy-to-tap fishing option for land-bound anglers, especially out-of-area visitors, is the beach. Surf fishing in recent weeks has been outstanding for whiting, black drum, some redfish, and even pompano, with a few small sharks and bluefish mixed in.

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Hope this post was helpful to you and that you have a very successful trip fishing with your friends and family! Check out the other sections of my blog for more tips on ThebookOnGoneFishing.

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