Well we finally got some much need rain here in Flagler County which seems to have improved the fishing conditions. The rain cools the down the water temperature and adds oxygen to the water in turn making the fish more active. The fishing had been slow up until the rain but on a recent trip after the rain the fish were turned on. On a recent trip this theory that I have about the rain seemed to be true. Latissa Richardson and her husband Woody had fished with me a couple of days after the rain and they lost and landed some big fish.
Fifteen minutes into the trip Woody hooked into a 20 lb tarpon but as luck would have it the hook pulled. Later Latisssa hooked and landed a 30” – 9 lb snook. She also landed a 4 lb trout. Later in the trip she also lost a big fish which looked to be a red over 30”. All fish were hooked live lining shrimp.
One thing I forgot to mention in last months report about live lining shrimp was the use of a split shot. I place a BB size split shot on the fluorocarbon just below the knot that connects it to the Braided line. The split shot keeps the bait down in the water column where the fish tend to hang out. If I’m fishing in an area where the current is really ripping I’ll adjust the size of my split shot accordingly to keep the bait down.

If you like to pier fish this is a good time to get out there and do some King mackerel fishing. They’ve already started catching kings and they will be around all summer. The largest so far this year is a 35.9 lb King. If you wish to learn how to fish off the pier go into the tackle shop and ask Johnny what you need to do. Another way to learn how to fish for them is to go out and observe the guys fishing at the end of the pier.
Inshore, look for trout at night around the dock lights. You’ll also find some snook mixed in with them. Use live shrimp or soft plastic imitations.
Tarpon up to about 40 lbs are also hitting live shrimp. A live pinfish or a mullet under a cork will also do the trick.