October’s “Best Bet”
Excellent Flounder Fishing Returns After Record Hurricane Storm Surge
By Terry Newsome
On behalf of our dedicated corporate staff and the loyal readers of Coastal Angler Magazine, we would like to extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by Hurricane Irma. Your road to recovery is paved with volunteers and concerned citizens of our community that truly care. In fact, what makes America the greatest nation on earth is our unyielding commitment to unite as ONE NATION to help our neighbors, our communities and our fellow Americans during difficult times and catastrophic events. Just a few weeks ago, Danny Patrick (Owner and Editor of Coastal Angler Magazine, NE Florida Edition) posted an inspiring message of support to those living in Texas affected by the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Harvey. His message made me proud to be a part of a community that genuinely cares about others and wants to make a REAL difference in the lives of those in need. As fate would have it, just a few weeks later, the entire State of Florida would face a similar catastrophic event. As CNN and other major news reporting agencies began to show the devastating wind damage and floods occurring in Jacksonville, fellow Americans and volunteers throughout our great nation began to “rise-up” to actively and support the families of Northeast Florida! The Law of Reciprocity was proudly displayed for the entire world to see!
RECORD STORM SURGE OF HURRICANE IRMA
Just when we thought it would be years before we would experience another close encounter like Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Mother Nature had other plans! Record-breaking Hurricane Irma reached peak intensity (in the Caribbean Sea near Barbuda) on September 6, 2017 with 185 mph sustained winds (Category 5) and a record minimum pressure of 914 mbar. By early Monday morning (September 11th) the eye of Irma was just southwest of Jacksonville and was generating Hurricane force winds of 86 mph at Mayport! The storm surge at Mayport was almost 6 feet (an “all-time” record for Northeast Florida!) Record flooding in Downtown Jacksonville (levels not seen since 1846,) Riverside, San Marco, St. Augustine, Callahan and beyond caused major damage and resulted in hundreds of people being rescued. With over 10 inches of rain from Irma, residents living on Black Creek (in Clay County) experienced record flooding as well, as the creek crested at a record 28.5 feet! In the aftermath of Irma, 12 million people in the state of Florida were without power and according to the JEA, 288,000 homes were without power in Jacksonville (60% of the city.) We are all extremely grateful for the dedicated efforts of city municipal workers, law enforcement officers, volunteers and the JEA (including “crews” from neighboring states) that helped protect us and fast-track the recovery process.
EXCELLENT FLOUNDER FISHING RETURNS
Multiple reports of excellent Flounder fishing BEFORE Irma were encouraging as local anglers anticipated having one of the best Flounder seasons in last 10 years! However, the Flounder fishing slowed down substantially during the days following Irma. The tides remained extremely high and the salinity levels of the lower St. Johns River were much lower than normal resulting in limited Flounder action. In recent days (as of this writing,) the Flounder fishing from Dames Point to the Mayport Jetties is rebounding significantly as the tides and water conditions are getting back to normal. In fact, I recently had a conversation with Lee Mathis, one of the BEST Flounder fishermen in Northeast Florida. Lee reported that the Flounder are finally returning to their normal “fall-run” feeding patterns. Lee was born and raised in Jacksonville and I have known him for over 25 years. One of my BEST fishing trips ever was with Lee Mathis, as we “limited-out” on 2 to 5-pound Flounder in just a few hours! (On one trip, he personally caught 20 Flounder in less than one hour!)
FLOUNDER FISHING TIPS FROM LEE MATHIS
Lee Mathis is an avid outdoorsman and is truly one of the most talented and versatile inshore, offshore and freshwater anglers in the region. “We are extremely fortunate to live in an area that offers such a wide variety of quality fishing opportunities” Lee explains, “and I really enjoy the challenge of targeting different species of sport fish here in Northeast Florida… but Flounder fishing is by far my favorite!” Over the years, Lee has developed several unique strategies and high-effective methods for consistently catching Flounder. “October is one of the best months of the year for catching Flounder up to 10 pounds” he explains “but November and early December can also be excellent.” During the “mullet-run” bait migration, Lee chases Flounder from the Talleyrand Docks to the Mayport Jetties and prefers to fish just after sunrise when low tide is around 6:00 AM. “I like to catch bait at first light and then fish the incoming tide until about noon… but I have also caught quality fish on the first of outgoing tide as well” says Lee, “and I also try to avoid fishing the extreme tides during full moon phases.” One of the keys to Lee’s success is proper bait selection. “I fish exclusively with live finger mullet ranging from 4 to 6 inches in length. Late in the season when the big Flounder are migrating towards the inlet, I will use 6 to 8-inch mullet” says Lee, “and I catch most of my fish in 6 to 12 feet of water.”
When it comes to Flounder fishing gear, Lee recommends using a 6 ½” Medium/Heavy Action (Berkley Lightning) graphite rod with an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3-6500 reel. He uses 20-pound test (Trilene XL Green) monofilament fishing line with a 25-pound test monofilament leader no more than 6 inches in length (so the live mullet stays close to the bottom.) He employs a simple but deadly “fish-finder” rig with a #7 or #5-barrel swivel, a ¾ to 1-ounce egg sinker and an Eagle Claw 3/0 wide-bend hook. When I asked Lee for the primary key to his Flounder fishing success, he was quick to respond: “The secret to catching Flounder is PATIENCE. Once a Flounder grabs your live bait; let him have it! Keep your line tight with tension and slowly pull him towards you. Many times, you will not feel a bump and think you are hung-up on the bottom. Just be patient, continue to pull the Flounder toward you and be sure to give the Flounder a minute or two before you snatch him!” A special “thank you” to Lee Mathis for sharing his valuable tips on catching Flounder. As always, enjoy the great outdoors and I hope you catch plenty of Flounder this month!
With over 25 years of corporate experience as a writer, director and producer, Terry Newsome has personally filmed and produced over 100 outdoor television shows and instructional fishing videos internationally. He is an avid coastal angler and is a former co-owner of Pine Island Fish Camp on the Intracoastal Waterway just north of St. Augustine, Florida.