St John's between Jacksonville and fleming island

[CanoeBasser]

I'm having trouble catching fish right now I might get 1 or 2 bites all day I've spent a lot of time fishing docks with hardly any luck and have sought out some deeper water with no luck any insight to this area would be great! Mostly around doctors lake and I'm willing to go just a few miles south and to add on I do have a boat with a 60 HP but am usually limited to around 4 hours on the water

[N Florida Mike]

What are you fishing with ?

I use ribbon tailed worms like culprits and Producto tournament worms in red shad, black grape, or black. Dark colored 5 inch senkos too.

Look for lower to the water docks, and skip up under them. There are also lots of wrecked docks from the storms that you can pick apart .I've also caught good fish fishing cypress trees at higher tides, and also they will occasionally be on shell bars feeding on bait fish, esp.bream. If you can find eel grass or pads they will relate to them also. 

I have never done much of the " offshore " fishing out there, but I would try cranks and rattletraps off deep structure, and try the plastics there too.

I would focus on one or two areas that maybe take in a mile of area, and start picking apart the area.. or you can run and gun between docks and other structure with the boat .

I've done well in Drs lake, julington creek,  Around Mandarin ,and the stretch of river down by lake George. The river is intimidating because of its size, but it's basically fishing structure just like you would anywhere else.

 

[TOXIC]

I lived on the river in Mandarin almost straight across from Dr's Lake.  Many a tournament was won in there.  Worth your time to learn it inside and out, it holds some good fish.  Fished some of the Whitey's Fish camp TX's and a Sunday series out of Julington.  My other favorite area was Black Creek.  It's got some real good depth.  Lures....SPRO Aruku Shads, nose weighted Senkos and dropshot.  Keep at it, it takes time up that far North.  

[CanoeBasser]

2 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

What are you fishing with ?

I use ribbon tailed worms like culprits and Producto tournament worms in red shad, black grape, or black. Dark colored 5 inch senkos too.

Look for lower to the water docks, and skip up under them. There are also lots of wrecked docks from the storms that you can pick apart .I've also caught good fish fishing cypress trees at higher tides, and also they will occasionally be on shell bars feeding on bait fish, esp.bream. If you can find eel grass or pads they will relate to them also. 

I have never done much of the " offshore " fishing out there, but I would try cranks and rattletraps off deep structure, and try the plastics there too.

I would focus on one or two areas that maybe take in a mile of area, and start picking apart the area.. or you can run and gun between docks and other structure with the boat .

I've done well in Drs lake, julington creek,  Around Mandarin ,and the stretch of river down by lake George. The river is intimidating because of its size, but it's basically fishing structure just like you would anywhere else.

 

I have fished with a lot of cranks, lipless, senkos, trick worms, and jigs mostly. Also I have looked for shell bars with no luck and really i don't know the first way to find them other than picking upshells constantly by accident 

[N Florida Mike]

Shell bars take time but birds will often be near them waiting for bait fish to appear. Also watch for boat clusters !

I also like fishing  creeks in the spring when the fish are bedding.

I would hang around whiteys fish camp also on Thursday night's if they are still having the tournaments and see what they're biting.

[CanoeBasser]

12 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

Shell bars take time but birds will often be near them waiting for bait fish to appear. Also watch for boat clusters !

I also like fishing  creeks in the spring when the fish are bedding.

I would hang around whiteys fish camp also on Thursday night's if they are still having the tournaments and see what they're biting.

Thanks for the info, is there any other way to identify a shell bar? And would that be the best summer time area to fish given that I find an active one

[sfpalatka]

Locating shell bars can be done with a good fishfinder by using your side scan. Some of them are not vary large. But I have seen them stacked with fish. Most people who fish the St. Johns river know that it is tidal specific. Mainly on an out going tide. I wish I could help you more. Most of my fishing is from deep creek south. Most of the bass fishermen I know will go to their grave with their shell bar locations do to the fishing pressure. I can tell you this too, these bass  may not be at a particular location the first time you fish it. But wait an hour or so then go back and check it again, there is a good chance they will show back up. The same thing applies to fishing sand bars.