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Black sea bassShoulder seasonCape · Florida
Saint Johns Point
30.40°N · 81.39°W · Cape · Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic tarpon77
- Atlantic croaker72
- Gray snapper72
- Red drum72
- Spot70
- Crevalle jack69
- King mackerel66
- Florida pompano65
- Southern flounder63
- Spanish mackerel60
- Summer flounder60
- Red snapper59
- Black sea bass57
- Greater amberjack57
- Gray triggerfish56
- Little tunny56
- Red grouper56
- Spotted seatrout56
- Weakfish55
- Cobia53
- Black drum51
- Wahoo46
- Sheepshead45
- Mahi-mahi42
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 4 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 575 AM EDT
- Best window
- 7-11 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding4.4 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Saint Johns Point 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 · 5 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
69Tide: FloodingCurrent: 1.3 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
100Wind: 4 kt NPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
43Water temp: 84°F, hotLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.3 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
75Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: 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
Saint Johns Point
- Depth
- 10-60 ftNearest water
- Structure
- Point · Outer · ExposedPoint · drop-off
- 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 Saint Johns Point
Saint Johns Point is a cape in Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth in the nearest water is 10-60 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads point, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker and gray snapper. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel, red snapper and black sea bass. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Gray snapper peak from June 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 tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
- 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.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Mayport Cut Range81
Channel · 2.5 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 81
- Atlantic croaker 76
- Gray snapper 74
4 kt NH 6:47 AM · 4.7 ftL 12:39 PM · 1.0 ft
- Sherman Cut Range81
Channel · 2.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 81
- Gray snapper 74
- Red drum 73
4 kt NH 6:47 AM · 4.7 ftL 12:39 PM · 1.0 ft
- Fort George River78
Gut · 3.5 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 78
- Atlantic tarpon 77
- Spot 73
4 kt NH 6:56 AM · 4.8 ftL 1:15 PM · 0.9 ft
- Fort George Inlet74
Bay · 1.8 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 74
- Atlantic croaker 72
- Spot 70
4 kt NH 6:10 AM · 5.5 ftL 12:29 PM · 1.2 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.