As of June 27th the Florida Forest Service is reporting that rainfall for the month has averaged from 6.88” to 13.76” throughout Flagler County. That’s a lot of rain but it’s about half of what some areas of the state have experienced. Because water levels will be higher than normal due to the rain and wind boaters need to pay special attention to their surroundings when out on the water for about the next week. There will probably be a lot of debris floating around in the ICW, i.e. dock parts trees, tree parts etc. so proceed with caution.


Fishing will also be somewhat affected by the rain and high water. The high water can make it difficult to find fish because it gives them a lot more water to venture into. Salinity levels also decrease due to the influx of freshwater. This becomes a big problem if you fish with live shrimp bought from a tackle shop because they are use to high salinity levels. If your lucky you’ll get 2 to 3 casts out of a live shrimp before it dies. River shrimp have begun to appear in cast nets of those that throw them so try locating your own. These shrimp are very hearty when it comes to our water conditions.

The fish themselves are not all that affected by salinity levels. Fish such as redfish, trout, snook and tarpon can live in very low salinity levels. Tarpon have a special bladder that allows them to gulp fresh air and breath it. At Bass Pro Shops in Orlando you can see freshwater and saltwater fish living in the same environment in the large fish tank they have on display.

Before all the rain settled in the fishing was just turning good. People on my boat were getting legal size redfish, trout, flounder, and mangrove snapper. Jacks, ladyfish and even some ribbonfish were also being caught. Most of the fish were on live shrimp and some on artificial baits. Most of the redfish were caught in shallow water fishing a live shrimp under a popping cork around oyster bars.

I like to use the weighted larger size white and orange popping corks, about 2 bucks at your local tackle shop. They give you more casting distance and are easier to see in the water because they sit upright. They are also easy on easy off and you can easily adjust the depth you fish the bait. Because of the ease of use it allows you to go from live lining a shrimp to bobber fishing without cutting and retying. You can also use them to fish cut bait. Give them a try next time your out.

The fishing was on the slow side for about a week following the full moon. The full moon created higher tides than normal which makes it much harder to find fish. The good news is that the action has begun to pick up again now that the moon is subsiding. Trout, redfish, flounder, jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snapper are all biting. Even some fish that are not normally caught in the ICW have been brought to the boat. Which fish might that be that have been caught you ask? Well I’ll tell you.

Let me start by telling you that in 20 plus years of fishing the ICW and backwaters I have never had a Tripletail brought to my boat. All that changed this past Monday. I had Al and Becky Jacquay from Indiana on board for a ½ day trip and had them fishing with live shrimp. The first spot we stopped they had a couple of small trout and a few jacks. We then moved on to the next spot when Becky hooked into a fish that put a wicked bend in the rod. At first glance I wasn’t sure whet kind of fish it was. As it tired and came to the boat I couldn’t believe she had a Tripletail on. We got it in the boat, snapped a few pics then put it on ice for Becky and Al to have for dinner. Later on in the day Becky also landed a Ribbonfish, also not a common catch in the ICW. What’s next a Great White??

I still haven’t seen any tarpon in the ICW or canals that I fish but I do expect to start seeing them soon. I also haven’t heard of any in the surf. I do however expect to see them with in the next week or so. They usually appear when the first sea turtle nest hatches and the first nest hatches next week. Also, as schools of Menhaden start showing up the tarpon will be with them as this is one of their primary food sources. Hope you’re geared up and ready for them.

The flounder bite in the ICW should start to really turn on in the next few weeks. More fish should be caught and the size of them should start to get bigger.

It’s also a good time to start hitting the dock lights at night for nonstop trout action. Look for dock lights that are close to the water for your best action. The closer the light is to the water the more bait it attracts. The more bait the better your chances of finding fish.