Fishing the St. John’s River & Guana LakeHosted by Thrifty Outdoors

Capt. Jim Anderson

Mayport Bull Redfish

Fishing the St John’s River

• Where do I start?• Maps & Charts• Weather & Tides• Tackle & Rigs • Cast Nets• Artificial or Live Bait• Bridges, Docks & Drop Offs

Where Do I Start?

• Narrow down the options.• 10% of the water holds 90% of the

fish.• Solicit local knowledge – tackle

shops, newspaper & magazine articles.

• Spend time on the water

Maps & Charts

• Study maps such as satellite maps, Hot Spot & Florida Sportsman charts.

• Identify points, structure & drop offs.

• Make a list of locations to try.• GPS – Great tool.

Weather & Tides

• Seasonal patterns• Recent weather –rainfall, wind &

temperature• Tides - Fish like moving water. Refer to

tide tables: www.fishfactorchaters.com• Plan the time you want to fish based on

tide & temperature.• Fish the up current side of the structure

Tackle & Rigs

• 7’ medium action spinning rod with 2500 Shimano Stradic

• 7’ medium action baitcaster rod with Penn 930.

• Line – 20lb Power Pro• Leader – 20lb Vanish fluorocarbon• Hooks – 3/0 Octopus, ¼oz jig head

Cast Nets

• Use a good quality net: Hightider, Cracker, Calusa, Betts

• Minimum 6’ with 3/8” mesh• Webbing needed for deep water• Instructional videos• Proper care – rinse, dry & store

Artificial or Live Bait?

• Artificials – Grub jigs, topwater lures, gold spoon & bucktails.

• Live Baits – Shrimp, crab, pogies & croaker

• Where do I find live bait? Doctors Inlet, Mandarin Point, Ortega River, crabbers.

• Be observant – Look for schools of bait on surface and on bottom with fishfinder.

Bridges, Docks & Drop Offs

• Many bridges in our area, all hold fish.

• Anchor on the up current side of the bridge.

• Use a float rig to drift bait back to the bridge. Keep it moving.

• Look for current eddies.• Fish different areas of the bridge

Bridges, Docks & Drop Offs

• Docks – Moving water is the key. • Old docks on/near points are

prime.• Anchor or pitch, your choice.• Drift a live shrimp under dock

using float rig or Cajun Thunder.• Shellbeds near docks hold fish.

Bridges, Docks & Drop Offs

• Drop Offs – study charts to identify steep transitions, channel edges, etc.

• Fish will hold along these drop offs.• Use a fishfinder rig to fish the

bottom.• Float rigs also work well drifting

along the edge of the drop off.

Targeted Species

• Redfish• Speckled & Yellowmouth Trout• Flounder• Black Drum• Sheepshead• Stripers• Channel Cats

Fishing Guana Lake

• Guana Lake is a state park• Managed by the FWC for waterfowl• Know the regualtions: Winter

closure, 10hp engine maximum• Two ramps, Six Mile & at the dam• Shallow lake, no tide, no oyster bars• Best fishing March – November

Guana Tactics

• Artificals – gold spoon, topwater lures, grub jigs, swim shads, bucktails

• Live bait – shrimp, mullet, crab• Look for areas holding bait• Many fish are caught in open water• Work shorelines early and late

Guana Tactics

• Cajun Thunder with live shrimp• Jighead & live or fresh dead shrimp• Look for firm bottom when fishing

baits on the bottom.

Guana Lake 35” Redfish

Guana Lake Gator Trout

Guana Lake Flounder

St John’s Striper

St. John’s Redfish

St. John’s Redfish

St. John’s Channel Cat

St. John’s Black Drum

St. John’s Sheepshead

Questions?www.fishfactorcharters.co

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