Tuesday Night Flat Bridge 7/8

Arrived about an hour after the storms passed, so I was almost sure to have the bridge to myself. Sure enough that was the case around 10:00PM. I had already netted my bait the night before so I was ready to go. I had a small selection of live mullet, mojarra, pinfish and mud minnows. About a dozen baitfish all together.
Current was outgoing and not moving very fast, so I started on the southside of the bridge. Couldn't get a hit though, so I crossed over to the north side. Lost something after it hit my bait on the bottom. Dropped it down where I lost it, and it hit my bait again. It just would slowly move along the bottom. I waited a few seconds before trying to cross it's eyes but again, it came unbuttoned. Couldn't get another hit after that, and now the current was starting to roll faster. Crossed back over to the southside and caught 2 flounder that were 12" each. One flounder was on mud minnow and the other on finger mullet. Also caught a couple butterfly rays. They always fool me into thinking it's a big flounder on my line!

5 FT Sandbar Shark! Personal Best on my Birthday!

Yesterday (July 7th) was my birthday, so for my birthday I wanted to catch a shark! Accompanied by my buddy Zack, we left early and arrived just before dark. It was lowtide with a SW breeze, surf was less than 1.5 feet. We got lines in the water by 9PM. Sat down for 5 minutes I'd say, and BAM BAM, something had taken my bait already. It wasn't running just yet, I saw the bite and picked up the rod. I felt a shake shake motion so I reeled in the slack and set the hook. As soon as I set that hook it took several yards out for the first time. My drag is still loose at this point, so I'm figuring out the best drag pressure to fight this thing. I tighten tighten and now I start gaining some ground. It starts coming towards me and I'm pulling it in with the waves. It's pretty tired I think cause it wasn't swimming as hard anymore. Got the shark on the beach and immediately began the process of hook removal. Hook was deep into the jaw, couldn't get it out without ripping it's jaw off with pliers. So I called out for my bolt cutters. With ease I had the hook chopped in two pieces and the shark was free from the line. Measured it and it was exactly 5 feet long, my personal best and longest shark! I'm assuming it's another sandbar shark. My buddy was taking photos on his iphone while I released the shark. Pics came out a little blurry but thats okay. I have a short video that Zack recorded when I first beached the shark.

Sunday Night Flat Bridge 7/6

Went to the bridge last night but first I had to net some bait. Went to a couple boatramps in New Smyrna that typically hold baitfish. Got a couple mojarra, about half dozen small mullet, a greenie and a pinfish. Finially around midnight on the flat bridge and immediately caught a 12" flounder on the live greenie. Good start! Continued to fish for about an 1.5 hours, got a small ladyfish on a mojarra, 3 butterfly rays that kept taking the mullet, a FAT 12.5" football on a live pinfish, and then a 13.5" flattie on the last mojarra.
Live bait is now the key to catching numbers of fish. I use two rods, each tied with 20lb fluorocarbon leader and a size 2 Owners K Hook. Usually I drop one down next to the light pole, while I slowly walk the other rod trying to find a bite.

Grand Slam Flat Bridge! Early Morn 4th of July

Had a bunch of live bait leftover from previous nights so I went back to the bridge Thursday night to finish off the livewell. Armed with a dozen small pinfish and a few small mud minnows, I arrived around 10PM. Since the tide was still outgoing, I first worked the southside of the bridge with gulp swimming mullet but without a hit. I then crossed over and tried the northside without a hit. It's almost 11PM now the tide change is running late. Seeing how the bridge isn't producing, I decided to leave for the new ramp to shake off the skunk. Pulled into the new ramp parking lot and started working the honey hole. After the third cast I heard the sound of a manatee surfacing for air. Party pooper! So much for that, I left that spot since it was dark and I didn't want to snag a manatee. I had my castnet with me so I walked down to the actual ramp to see if I could find any mullet or mud minnows. Threw my net and got some mud minnows right on the ramp. I was getting ready to leave to try another boat ramp when I looked over and saw the candy shop was open, it was 30-40 small 2.5" to 3" finger mullets swimming in a few inches of water. Only problem is they were down by the rocks and trees. I was willing to risk it at this point, so I climbed down and creeped up on them so my shadow wouldn't scare them. One quick toss and I got about 15-20 finger mullet in the net. Woo! Change of plans, going back to the flat bridge....
So now I'm back at the bridge and it's past midnight, happy 4th of July! The tide is now incoming and there's one spot open on the northside. Hooked a mullet threw the eyes and dropped it to the bottom, as soon as it hit bottom I get a hit and it's a 14.5" trout! I was able to get two rods baited with live mullet on the bottom, one on each side of the light pole. Got another hit from a strong fighter and my personal best 12" mangrove snapper! Then I get another 9" mangrove. By now I noticed one rod hasn't moved in about 15 minutes so I go to check the bait, when I pull up I noticed something heavy and it's a fat 13.5" flounder on the hook! I catch alot of flounder that way actually, sometimes they just don't move after taking the bait. I continue fishing and catch another 10.5" mangrove, another 13" flounder, then a 11.5" mangrove, and then another 11" flounder. It's now 2am and I only have a few mullet leftover, they were just chewing them left and right. I ended the night catching a 13.5" trout and a small ladyfish.
EPIC night on the bridge. Total tally last night was 10 fish of 4 different species. All trout were released, only kept the 2 bigger flounder and 3 of the keeper mangroves.
2 trout
3 flounder
4 mangrove snappers
1 ladyfish

Wednesday Night Flat Bridge / New Ramp 7/2

Hit the bridge and started with gulp swimming mullet in pearl white but no hits. I switched spots and no hits. Crossed over the bridge to try the "honey hole" but again no hits. Switched bait to a watermelon gulp swimming mullet. Crossed back over to the northside and pulled two 12" flounder at the light! Left the bridge to visit the new ramp and pulled another 12" flounder from the bay. All on watermelon gulp swimming mullet.

First flattie of July! Tuesday Night 7/1

Drove out to New Smyrna from Altamonte Springs last night. Left around 9pm. The main objective was just to get some live bait that I could keep alive for a couple days at home, mud minnows and little pinfish were the target. Finger mullet would be nice but it's so hard to keep them alive for more than 24 hours. So I get off the SR-44 exit from I-4 and realize I forgot my castnet. CRAP! Luckily there's a walmart on the way. I bought the cheap $20 nylon 4' net. Horrible decision. I should've just went with the mono. That nylon net was so inefficient and frustrating to work with.
Anyway I first stop by the new ramp and hide a minnow trap baited with bread balls and catfood. While I was there I decided to cast a few times. Second cast I get a 11" flounder on the bank. Did a few more casts and left to try the flat bridge. Got to the bridge and the current was already moving in. I fished there for about an hour at three different light poles without a hit. Went back to the new ramp to retrieve the minnow trap, unfortunately, it didn't work or there's no mud minnows in the area. Nothing was in the trap after an hour soak. Its the Frabill Minnow Trap, was only about $8 at walmart.
So I left the new ramp and headed to some boat ramps along North Causeway road. This is where I tried throwing the nylon net a few times but little success. I saw mud minnows laying right there in front of me too. I didn't get very much, 2 mud minnows and a mullet....stupid net. :(
Last throw of the net and it porkchops, so I called it a night lol

Sunday Morning Flat Bridge - New Ramp 6/29

Started another day with hopes of catching the big one. Got up early and left while it was still dark. This morning I decided to begin at the new ramp so I arrived at 6:30am just as the sun was up. Upon arrival I saw my buddy Bob had just beat me to the spot. We talked for a few minutes then he proceeded to the flounder hole. Me and my son went to the boat dock and played around. Bob came back and said nothing was biting but he saw a couple big redfish cruising around. The bugs were so bad though, that we decided to leave and head for the flat bridge. We planned on returning later since the noseeums disappear when the suns up.
So back to the bridge, I setup on the north side and Bob follows behind and takes the south side. He ends up catching 2 small flounder on gulp shrimp. He fished both sides though so he had to work for them. I didn't catch anything at the bridge, only worked a couple lights without a hit. It was getting hot and we needed refreshments. So after a restroom break and cold drink, I proceeded back to the new ramp around 8:30am. By now the sun was up and surely the noseeums would be gone. Turns out I was right, I arrived back to the ramp and no bugs. Started with white gulp swimming mullet but couldn't get a hit, switched to gulp new penny shrimp and caught a 12" flounder to prevent the skunk for the day. That was it. After 9am it was getting super hot outside and the bite shutdown, which is usually the case during the summer.

Saturday Morning Flat Bridge / New Ramp 6/28

Started early this morning leaving the house by 5:30am. Arrived at the flat bridge around 6:30 to see nobody on the bridge. The tide was still outgoing but slow enough to fish for flounder. Tried the first two lights that usually produce for me but nothing. Crossed over to fish the second light pole with live pinfish and caught a 9" mangrove snapper that got a release. Talked to my friend Bob for awhile, he's a local that I met from an online fishing forum. He goes out every morning and dominates the flounder from shore. He caught a 15.5" flounder this morning on gulp shrimp and then he caught a nice jack. I didn't catch anything else at the flat bridge after the snapper, so I decided to switch spots.
Headed to the new ramp and noticed a few spots I didn't see while I was visiting at night. It was daylight so I could scout the area better. Saw a few pathways by the parking lot that led to the bay thats south of the ramp. It's not fished alot apparently because my friend Bob usually does well there. This was my first time trying and it didn't take me long to catch two flounder on white gulp swimming mullet. One was 12" and the other was 11". It had reached 11am and the sun was scortching hot, so I called it a day after that.

9" mangrove snapper on live pinfish


12" flounder on white gulp swimming mullet


11" flounder on white gulp swimming mullet

Tuesday Night Flat Bridge/New Ramp 6/24

Hit the bridge around 10:00pm, and the tide change wasn't until 10:30pm. Around 11pm finially caught a flattie on gulp shrimp but it was too short only 11". Tried gulp shrimp and gulp swimming mullet but couldn't get another hit. After some time the current picked up speed outgoing, so I crossed over to the south side. Storms started to move in and got rained out just before midnight. Got a little wet getting back to the car :)
Decided to drive down to the new boat ramp by the airport on US-1. A friend of mine caught his personal best 22" flattie there. Arrived to see no rain and no storms coming on the radar. Tried the same baits over there but no luck. I was able to net some small pinfish and mojarras right on the boat ramp in 2 ft of water. Pins are really fast and can escape long before your net sinks, so the trick is to throw on shallow water. I like boat ramps because they easily hold little pins, mojarras, shrimp and other small baitfish. It's best to go to these ramps at night. Just recently became interested in catching flounder on pinfish so I'm saving them for another night on the bridge. Pins are really easy to keep alive for days, all they need is constant air.

11" flounder on Gulp Shrimp

Tuesday Night Flat Bridge 6/17

Arrived at 10pm to catch the last 30 minutes of the outgoing tide and then start of incoming. Had to work for em tonight! Fished the Gulp out of that bridge and only got 1 flattie but it was a nice one at 13.75" long. Caught it on white gulp swimming mullet. Pretty quiet night on the bridge. Left shortly after midnight when the current was rolling too fast.