WELCOME TO FRANK'S

GUIDE TO SURF FISHING IN FLORIDA

Introduction

Welcome to my home page. I hope you will find my site informative as well as enjoyable. I have dedicated my site to surf fishing because it is an easy way, and more importantly, an inexpensive way to enjoy fishing. Most surf fishermen start out with friends at the beach to relax and try their luck. When good size fish come right up into the surf to eat the crabs, shrimps, and small baitfish (and they usually do), it gives surf anglers good opportunities to hook on to some fish that put up good and hardy fights.

This website will introduce you to the different species of fishes that I have caught from the surf all along North Florida's Coastal shores. Please keep in mind that this site was written by a noviced, but die-hard surf angler. The information here is based on my own experience as well as from the many research I have done and the many friendly anglers whom I have had the opportunity to encounter and share "stories" with throughout my fishing tours. Most of the information here is also general (i.e. gear, tackle, bait, etc..), but it will be helpful to all novice and salted anglers alike.

Knowing something about Tides and Currents and how they affect the feeding habits of the fish will be very helpful. Each fish link below will take you to the different species of fish I have caught in Florida. And for each species, I have written some general information about them, i.e. the basic tackle to use, proven techniques, and the different baits available to test your skills (and LUCK) in catching them.

So, just sit back, relax, and enjoy surfing through my "Surf Fishing Webpage."

A Word About Tides and Currents

On the Atlantic Coast, there are two high tides and two low tides everyday. A Tidal "day" is actually 24 hours; 50 minutes long. During that tidal day, high and low tides are spaced approximately six hours and a few minutes apart. The water level on the beach may change by several feet as the tide rises and falls through each cycle.

Around inlets, the volume of water flowing in and out of the inlet may cause a strong current. At some inlets, the current may continue to flow in one direction after the tide stops running. This can be confusing to the novice surf-caster. You can consult your local tackle shops or any number of internet web sites like Surf Info for information about currents and tides around inlets in the area.

Here is a link and a sample "Tide Chart" for Jacksonville, Florida.

http://www.surfinfo.com/tidepics/jacksonville.txt

Jacksonville Tides - based on Miami Harbor Entrance, Fl.
Offsets:  hloff=0.300000  htoff=64min  lloff=0.000000
   Low Tide:  1999-02-09   10:09 AM EST    0.46
  High Tide:  1999-02-09    3:42 PM EST    2.19
   Low Tide:  1999-02-09   10:33 PM EST    0.11
  High Tide:  1999-02-10    4:38 AM EST    2.28
   Low Tide:  1999-02-10   11:09 AM EST    0.47

My Best Catches

1. Species
   1. Blue Fish
   2. Bone Fish
   3. Flounder
   4. Pompano
   5. Sheepshead
   6. Spanish Mackerel
   7. Spotted Seatrout
   
   
2. Topics for Each Fish Species
   1. Description -Distinguishing marks, common size, color, etc.
   2. Description -Color, distinguishing marks, etc.
   3. General Information -Habits, characteristics, etc.
   4. Distribution -Where to go find these fish.
   5. Tackle and Techniques -What you basically need.
   6. Bait -What to entice them with.

Last Date Modified: 2/11/99
Frank Espanol
[email protected]