A cold thermocline drove west to the beaches about a month ago, and it has yet to recede. The beaches and surf are normally full of baitfish, specifically menhaden shad. This year, anglers can't seem to buy a baitfish on the beach. Fifty miles to the south and fifty miles to the north, the beaches are loaded with bait. The water temperature is five to seven degrees warmer there.
It is amazing what a five degree temperature difference can make. Most weekend anglers would not notice the difference, except that they can find no fish! But, that five degrees sends baitfish looking for warmer water, and of course, the bigger fish will follow them.
Locals are wondering if we will see a beach run of kingfish this year. The cold water showed up at the exact time the bigger kings start their spawning along the beaches. Did they move north and south to spawn, or are they simply riding it out over offshore reefs and wrecks waiting for warmer water? Only time will tell.
The winning fish in last week's BellSouth Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament came from 130 miles to the south. The aggregate winner's two fish came from over twenty miles offshore. That means that the kings are out there - just not reachable by the smaller boats.
The last time this happened, the big kings showed up in August and stayed on the beaches through September, after the big tournaments had finished. Local anglers, including me, caught some of the biggest kings we ever caught, some of them within a stone's throw of the beach. Let's hope that same thing happens this year!
