Marci and I decided to head out on the kayaks today to do a little exploring. After spending the better portion of the Christmas break lying on the couch together nursing illness, and then returning to work, it was a welcome outdoor experience. I am really amped about fishing the Shad and Crappie Derby this year so really, I was scouting prime locations for when the shad migration makes its way to central Florida. The derby is a yearly photograph and release fishing competition in Florida and while I am not really a competitive fisherman, it gives me some direction in the winter months. We decided to launch from Mullet Lake Park and ended up paddling about 4 miles round trip to Lemon Bluff.
I really had not made any distinct plans, but, it just happened that we paddled up to the spot that C. Boyd Pfeiffer said is the “heaviest spawning” area on the St. Johns River in his book “Shad Fishing” that Marci gave me for Christmas. I was a little bummed to see that alot of the flat shoreline with minimal trees were marked “No Trespassing.” I could see that this would have been a great spot to fish the shad run back in 1975 when Pfeiffer published his book. However, we found a nice spot nearby to stop and have a picnic… the usual treat lately, chicken salad, wheat crackers, and a beer.
Marci and I did find a few spots that might be good for wading, but all in all, it was just a nice quiet day on the water. While I did wet a line, we both agreed that as far as St. Johns fishing destinations go, it’s going to be hard to beat the Jolly Gator further south.
Marci gave me a GoPro video camera for Christmas and it is the perfect addition to our kayak trips. Check out some video from our relaxing day on the St. Johns river today.