Think fishing in Jacksonville is only good in the summer? After 30 years as a full-time charter fishing guide, I’m here to tell you the opposite. Fall and winter bring our best inshore fishing of the year.
Why do people think Jacksonville fishing is only good in summer?
Yesterday, as I was backing my “Flat Bottom Girl” into her boat port, I got talking with a guy who is a cable TV salesman. We’ve talked before, a few years ago (yes, I already have his company’s service). Again, he was one of thousands of people I’ve talked to over my 30-year charter fishing career who thought fishing in Jacksonville, Florida, was only good in the summer. W-H-Y do people think that? I just don’t get it.
It’s 110 in the shade in the summer. The fishing is hard, the water is hot, and the species “we” want are harder to come by. This is Florida. True, we’re not “La La Land” Florida in Jacksonville. We all know here that we are just a speed bump on the way to the supposed “real Florida,” places like South Florida, according to all the Northerners, the transient sailboaters, the Canadian trawler fleet, and so on.
October through May is Jacksonville’s best inshore fishing season
As I’ve preached till my face is blue: October 1 through May is our best inshore fishing season. Even the center console “offshore” fishing crowd around here all become “inshore gurus,” because it’s way too rough to get offshore on any given day. (That’s how it is in the charter fishing world. We don’t pick the days. You do.)
Yeah, the cable salesman said, “I ought to go with ya some day. But it’s not good in the winter, is it?” So I had to give this same speech… yet again!
Trade gray skies up north for Florida sunshine
If you live in Illinois, Indiana, Vermont, or New York, there are gray skies day after day. Rain, snow, and the last time you had your own boat in the water was when the water wasn’t solid. And you’re just plain sick of it. Yes, our cold fronts come through more often than in the summer months. C’mon down to Jax. All you’ll need is a fisherman’s best friend, as I call it: a hooded sweatshirt.
Water temperature is the key to winter fishing in Jacksonville
Right now, October 31, 2026, the water temperature is perfect. That’s the key to everything. It’s 68 to 72 degrees, depending on where you are. 70 degrees and below is prime time.
Redfish, seatrout, black drum, sheepshead, flounder, croakers, weakfish, and mangrove snapper are all biting, and they’re all good eaters.
Light tackle, big fun: a fall day on the water
I use the lightest tackle we can for maximum challenge and fun. On light tackle, you’ll sometimes wonder, “What did I get myself into?”
Here’s an example. Yesterday I went out solo. I got a new Daiwa JDM baitcasting reel, made 100% for light braided line, that can cast “grams” versus “ounces.” I figured I’d head out and be back in a few hours. Well, 8 hours later, I was back at the boat ramp!
Speckled trout, redfish, and weakfish one after another
I was catching speckled trout one after another. Not all big fish, but fun on my Old18 ultralight rod and this new reel. Then came the redfish. I made several moves as the tide flooded in, and ended up with my limit of seatrout. I was now catching and having to throw back real nice keepers, 15 inches and better. Great fun on jigheads and soft plastic baits.
Then came some weakfish. I refer to them as the speckled trout’s ugly cousin. They are not as pretty, but they fry up real good too.
When the croakers show up, the bull redfish aren’t far behind
Then some large croakers moved into the area. What normally happens when you’re into a school of croakers? Mr. Redfish, the “bull redfish,” isn’t far behind. First, I hooked a 30-plus-incher on the light tackle. In lots of tidal current, it was one hell of a light tackle battle.
As soon as I released that fish, I picked up my ultralight rod and reel with a 1/8-ounce jighead and soft plastic bait on it. I made a cast in the opposite direction, still in deep water. And to be 100% honest… “I got my butt handed to me on a silver platter!”
My new reel doesn’t hold a lot of line. I guess you could say it’s a borderline BFS (Daiwa’s Bait Finesse System) reel. I went from the port side of the boat, dragged across the stern, around two other standing rods, around the Suzuki 90 hp outboard, and off the fish went. Yep, it was a way larger bull redfish. My tiny spool sang as the drag smoked off line. I watched the line get smaller and smaller on the tiny spool, and I was afraid it was gonna dump my reel! So I thumbed the spool, and the jig broke off the 12 lb mono leader I had tied to my 8 lb braid.
So, is the fishing going on now? Heck yes!
Don’t wait for summer to book your fishing trip
So don’t be like everyone else. Just because kids are out of school in the summer does not mean anything when it comes to fishing in Florida.
What to expect on a Capt. Dave light tackle charter
Two anglers and plenty of room to cast
I run two-person light tackle charters and have been in business as a full-time guide since 1996, 12 months a year, 7 days a week. I don’t pack people in a 20-foot boat like cordwood. We’ll need room. There’s a lot of casting going on, and that means hooks flying through the air.
True inshore fishing is not some large group affair. My “Flat Bottom Girl” is a heavy, all-welded alloy 20-footer built specifically to go in shallow water as well as deep. She’s stable, with loads of ballroom dancing space when you’re hooked up to a big fish. Kids over 10 to 12 can come along on my “one rate covers you” 6-hour day.
We fish the tide, not the clock
Believe me, I’ve never done a half-day trip in 30 years. A half day is 4 hours, and you won’t be happy with that. We always end up staying longer on those supposed half-day trips. Since you picked the day, it only makes sense that we fish the tide. Not all tides are the same, but on the Atlantic coast of America, they run 6 hours. So we fish the tide. You can say “Uncle” any time you want.
Recently, I had two great fishermen on the boat who picked a terrible morning tide on a busy Saturday. It was a full moon, the tide was super high, and we caught loads of fish, but we fished 8 hours! The rate covered them. If it had been some half-day, 4-hour trip, they truly would have been disappointed. They wanted some “take-home fish” and a few massive rod benders, and that didn’t come till the tide got lower at 3 p.m. Because it was a breezy, crowded Saturday, we departed at 7 a.m. so we could actually find a parking spot at the boat ramp.
Built for anglers who want to catch target species
So you can see, there’s a lot more that goes into a successful day than just jumping on the boat and soaking some baits. My charters are not just bait-soaking trips. I actually prefer educated anglers, because they know what a day can be when the effort is put into it.
I’m much happier when we catch targeted species and targeted size fish. You will be too. And the tides matter around here.
Book your fall or winter Jacksonville fishing charter
Ready to beat the crowds and fish Jacksonville’s best season? Call Capt. Dave at (904) 642-9546 or send a message through the contact page. See the details on the Standard Day Charter and the 2-Hour Kids Fishing Trip, and check the FAQs before you go.
Find me here:
Website: https://captdaves.com
Blog: https://captdaves.com/Blogs/
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