Summertime Fishing in Putnam County, FL
Your Guide to Reeling in Trophy Bass, Panfish, and Shrimp on the St. Johns River with the North Florida Angler C.C. Corey
It’s hot as heck right now here in Putnam County, FL but so is the fishing. The shrimp have invaded the St. Johns River and all the predatory fish are gorging themselves on them. This includes largemouth bass, striped bass, redfish and large channel cats just to name a few! All these fish can be caught using live shrimp caught with a cast net. Use an adjustable slip float rig and fish it around bridges, dock pilings, channel markers and open water shell beds. If you’re an artificial enthusiast, you can throw Carolina rigs, deep diving crank baits and rattle trap type lures. You can also use any shrimp imitations or the new popular urchin type baits. These are great lures to use on the shell beds. Also don’t be surprised if the occasional tarpon crashes the party! They are out there, too!
Bream are still biting well. Fish around brush filled shore lines using crickets and wigglers. Also, if you can get it, try using gar roe. Use it around wooded points in the river where there is good current. Anchor your boat in a likely spot and toss out chunks of it as chum. After about fifteen minutes, start fishing using small clumps for bait. Make gentle cast so your bait doesn’t fall of the hook. Use a couple of split shots, just enough to hold bottom, and a small light wire bream hook. Start off with two rods, but it won’t be long before the action is so fast you’ll only be able to fish with one!
Big channel cats are also a great summer species. Deep outer bends in Dunes Creek, the Ocklawaha River and any deep water structure in the St. Johns are great places to try. Cut mullet, shad and fresh dead shrimp are all excellent baits. Many of these fish will run from ten to over twenty pounds and are some of the hardest fighting fish in the river. Use medium to heavy tackle and fish right on the bottom using a simple slip sinker rig, swivel and a short leader.
Crappie, also known locally as speckled perch, can still be caught. Mainly known as a winter and spring time species, they can be caught in the deeper creeks off the St. Johns. Try fishing around fallen trees, etc. Small jigs and fat head minnows are the top baits. In the St. Johns River, you can catch them around the deeper docks and bridge pilings using live shrimp.
Rodman Reservoir can also be a great place to fish right now. Largemouth bass can be caught early in the morning using top water baits and minnow imitating plugs. Look for schooling bass around the barge cannel and in the stump flats. Another great method is pitching and flipping large plastic worms, jig and pigs and various creature baits around large mats of floating cover. This can produce bass over seven pounds, but if you’re really interested in catching a giant, you might want to try using wild shiners. One of the best tactics this time of year is to free line the shiners and run them far up under the floating mats. You go through a lot of bait using this technique, but it can be worth it as it is one of the deadliest methods to catch a trophy sized bass! Shiners should be hooked above the anal fin to get them to swim under the cover. Also, heavy tackle is a must if you want to have any chance of dragging that trophy out of her underwater lair.
Nice sized bluegill, shell crackers and crappie can also be caught from these floating mats. Use a potato rake to make small holes in the cover. This will stir up small grass shrimp, minnows and other little goodies that the pan fish love to feed on. Then, using a cane pole or bream buster rod, drop a grass
shrimp on a small hook or a small jig through the opening, and hang on. Don’t be surprised however, if the occasional bass comes along and breaks your line! The Ocklawaha River is another great place to try during the summer. Largemouth bass will be schooling near the mouths of creeks. Best lures will be minnow imitating plugs, top waters and plastic swim baits on jig heads. But again, if you want to catch a trophy bass something eight pounds or larger, your best bet is a wild shiner fished below a cork or free lined.
Another fun fish to catch in the Ocklawaha is the chunky little war mouth. These tasty little pan fish can be caught fishing near undercut banks back in some of the side creeks. Use a cane pole or a bream buster rod with a small float, a couple of split shots and a small hook. Fat head minnows will be your best bait.
Alright guys, that’s all I have for now, so get out there and enjoy the fantastic fishing our area has to offer! Follow me on YouTube, The North Florida Angler, and on Facebook at C.C. Corey. If interested in a trophy bass charter, I can be reached at 1(386)916-9615. Tight lines and good fishing everybody!
There are so many great fishing spots along the St. Johns River in Putnam County that you may need to stay a few days to try them all. For information on where to stay and what to do while you’re in town, download the Visit Putnam FL app for Apple or Android.