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Black sea bassShoulder seasonCape · Florida
French Cape
29.91°N · 81.28°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker78
- Spot76
- Atlantic tarpon73
- Crevalle jack73
- Red drum71
- Florida pompano69
- King mackerel69
- Gray snapper65
- Southern flounder64
- Spanish mackerel64
- Summer flounder61
- Little tunny60
- Gray triggerfish59
- Spotted seatrout59
- Black drum58
- Black sea bass58
- Red snapper58
- Red grouper57
- Cobia55
- Sheepshead53
- Greater amberjack52
- Mahi-mahi52
- Weakfish52
- Wahoo46
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 588 AM EDT
- Best window
- 8 AM-12 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.9 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when French Cape scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
86Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 6 kt NPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
68Water temp: 83°F, hotLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.0 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
55Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
No rule for Black sea bass is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with FWC before you keep a fish.
Species rules here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (3 per day)
- Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Crevalle jack Retention open
- Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
- Gag grouper Closed (No retention)
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (2 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
- Red snapper Check regulations
- Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
French Cape
- Depth
- 5-30 ftSlope
- Structure
- Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing French Cape
French Cape is a cape in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 5-30 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, Atlantic tarpon and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, little tunny and gray triggerfish. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Devils Elbow83
Bend · 12 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 83
- Spot 78
- Florida pompano 71
4 kt NNWL 1:42 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:57 PM · 4.8 ft
- Saint Augustine Inlet81
Channel · 0.4 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 81
- Crevalle jack 76
- Spot 76
6 kt NL 12:35 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:01 PM · 4.9 ft
- Murat Point79
Cape · 9.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 79
- Spot 77
- Florida pompano 70
4 kt NNWL 1:42 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:57 PM · 4.8 ft
- Vilano Point78
Cape · 0.7 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 78
- Spot 76
- Crevalle jack 73
6 kt NL 12:35 PM · 0.9 ftH 7:01 PM · 4.9 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.