Chip's Coastal Charters

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Chip's Coastal Charters

Providing anglers & outdoorsmen with the most immersive charter fishing experience in North Florida.
(8)

07/23/2024

The name of the game so far this summer is versatility. You’ve gotta be able to adapt in this industry. Fish change their patterns, Mother Nature throws curve balls and the environment fluctuates. I just listened to a the other day and their guest had two quotes that resonated with me: “Fish the moment, not the memory. Don’t be bitter, be better.” Just because you’ve been successful in the past utilizing certain tactics or targeting productive areas doesn’t mean that will continue. The natural world is dynamic. It is not a constant. It is a variable. You can either adapt to the moment or continue to struggle. I’ve chosen the former.

Tarpon are doing something different this year. That’s just the simple truth of the matter. We are not seeing large numbers of northbound migratory adult tarpon along our beaches. Whether they have continued north, gone deep or haven’t quite filled in they simply are not settling into their usual summer pattern. We do have tarpon in town, but they are extremely structure oriented thus far and are more than likely composed primarily of resident populations that have moved from inland haunts. They are mid range in size and require long periods of “baiting and waiting” to get your bites. Can you get them doing this? Absolutely. But, I’m a beach guy. I want to stalk them shallow, watch them move and sight cast to feeding schools. Don’t misunderstand me, I will be spending more time inshore and along the jetty working those fish. I fully intend to adapt to what they’re doing. But, I’ve also started gravitating towards other fisheries in the meantime.

The blue water is calling my name. Slowly but surely I’ve been punching further offshore to target pelagic species to fill the tarpon void. And I’ve honestly been enjoying the change. Instead of covering 40+ miles of beach looking for just one happy school of tarpon I’ve been pointing the bow east. Kingfish, tuna, snapper and cobia have been willing to keep my clients and I busy. I learn something new every time I go and get to broaden my experience as a captain.

So, yesterday instead of fishing the memory, I fished the moment. This resulted in some great cobia.

07/15/2024

Second time inside of a week I’ve come across a late season manta holding cobia. Both times the fish were super aggressive and jumped anything I put in front of them. Needless to say the fellas from were thrilled to watch this cobia peel off the ray and garbage can a live pogie.

07/14/2024

The beach p**n haven’t been easy as of late. Lots of structure bound fish, heavy SE winds and a lack of bait early in the season has the big migratory tarpon scattered. But, with some persistence I was able to find an absolute unit with return client Brett. Hopefully the remainder of the season will experience a typical weather pattern and an abundance of bait to hold fish along the beaches.

07/13/2024

Mules only baby. 20 pounder for me and a 15 pounder for

Positives: Beautiful weather and sea conditions, moderate crowds on the numbers, plenty of heavyweight snapper on the structures and, from what I can tell, a safe and drama free day among the local fishing fleet.

Negatives: A one day snapper season. Absurd. Out of touch. Just plain wrong and everybody except NOAA knows it. had them frenzied up top on poppers. hand plucked a possible state record on fly out of a large school swimming at the back of his boat. Nearly every captain I know limited out in just a short time of fishing. The red snapper population is as healthy as it’s ever been. NOAA just refuses to admit it and the offshore fishing community is losing patience with their ignorance. It’s time for state regulation. LET US FISH!

07/02/2024

There’s a lot of great trout fisherman in the southern states… and then there’s Jay. To those of you participating in the heavy hitters tournament, good luck. You’re gonna need it to catch the “Doc”. He’s leading by a staggering 16 pounds and is averaging nearly 9 pounds per fish including a 10 pound trout and a 11.5 pound behemoth. That’s bananas. The only guy who could catch Jay at this point is Jake Runyan and he’s gonna have to figure out a way to stuff a 5 pound dumbbell in a trout.

06/29/2024

Tarpon refused to play so we switched gears and found a few other willing participants. I’m hoping that the arrival of a “normal” weather pattern will pull bait back to the beach and allow a wave of silver to settle into our coast.

06/28/2024

Palm Valley Circa 1995: My first redfish.

I can still remember almost every detail surrounding the catch. It was an early morning low tide and I stayed the night at the Wallis’s place on the river so I could join John and his dad Mike on their boat. I’d caught a couple fish at this point in my life, but I’d never seen a low tide in the back country. It was like visiting another planet, something I didn’t know existed. There was fog hanging over the water, exposed trees and oysters on the bank, shrimp and minnows darting across the surface… it was mythical. I can still remember the excitement I felt taking it all in for the first time.

Mike is a North Florida legend and was one of the most skilled fishermen I’ve ever known. He told me the night before how redfish tend to tail and back their way through the shallow water. I can remember his house was like an outdoorsman’s paradise, there were mounted ducks on the walls, a massive redfish over the fireplace, an office with flies and tackle scattered about. Every time I visited his home I felt like I was one step away from being on an adventure. That feeling I had is so hard to put into words these days. It’s nostalgia mixed with excited anticipation, maybe even a recognition of purpose. I knew then this was something I wanted to be a part of.

We launched the skiff and eased our way down the bank, silently and cautiously. I can remember someone saying, “That’s one right there.” A cast was made and the rod was handed to me with a redfish on the other end. That was the moment, that’s when the fishing bug got me. I’ve never been able to leave the salt since. I have an office just like Mike’s with fly rods on the wall, a vice on a desk and flies laying at it’s base. My home, like his, has become a reflection of my passion and the natural world that I hold so close. Mike tragically passed a few years after and I never got to spend as much time learning from him as I’m certain I would have.

To the Wallis’s: Thank you for this memory. And thank you for showing a kid the opportunities that the marsh can provide. Rest in peace, Mike.

06/21/2024

Buggy-whip season has arrived. The tides are swelling and the grass is alive. If you’re looking to sight fish some tailing reds now is the time to reach out. Flood tides provide one of the best opportunities to target redfish on fly and ultra light tackle. Tailing, tipping, backing, slurping, crawling, crashing, swirling… they do it all in the grass. Come experience one of the most pure “spot and stalk” fisheries North Florida has to offer.

06/14/2024

After some killer days fishing nearshore/offshore for kings and tarpon the winds have turned hard onshore resulting in deteriorating conditions. So, I had to call an audible and head to the backcountry for some protection. After a morning catching a handful of small trout we boated this large 7 lb female using a soft plastic paired with an jig head.

I received a lot of comments that this is an exceptionally heavy fish for this time of year. Although this is somewhat true keep in mind that trout spawn through the summer and fall as well as the spring. They do tend to become skinnier during the hotter months due to a peaking metabolism that utilizes their calorie intake to lengthen and grow their body. This often results in long skinny fish during the summer months. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t occasionally come across rotund spawners that are carrying swollen egg sacks. The “spawn window” typically lasts from late February through October. Either way, it’s always a good idea to practice catch and release with these breeders They’re responsible for replenishing our stocks and just because they aren’t spawning as often as they were in the previous months doesn’t mean they won’t be in the near future. Let ‘em go, let ‘em grow, keep our inshore fishery thriving.

06/07/2024

You should call me… just saying.

06/04/2024

8 pounders, 7 pounders, 6 pounders, 5 pounders, 4 pounders… John put in his time this season and ended up with a straight flush. From February to April this man visited twice a month for multiple trips each time. His F-150 probably has more miles on the odometer inside of a month than yours has in one year. COMMITMENT.

05/30/2024

Me: “Distance is key, most of these larger fish are going to stay off the boat 20 to 30 yards out or more. They’re smart and can feel my boat if we’re too close. Make long casts and if you don’t get your eat within the first half of the retrieve reel the plug back in and poke it back out there. You’re wasting time fishing close to the boat so send it way out and cover some ground.”

A few moments later an 8 pounder proceeds to inhale the twitch bait two feet off my trolling motor…

Me: “I know nothing.”

In reality, it’s fishing. For every rule I have or suggestion I give there is always an exception. Nothing is ever set in stone and sometimes random acts of predatory behavior happen. The only concrete fact of fishing: “You can’t catch ‘em on the couch. If the lure is in the water it can be eaten.”

05/28/2024

I met Shultz 10 years ago when I won the Jax Kayak Classic. He watched me catch my personal best trout that day and since then we’ve had some pretty epic trips together. This past week he watched me catch my personal best cobia. Hand feeding this thing boat-side was badass. We also continued the balckfin streak with a nice one on the flat line. Good times bud.

05/28/2024

No bait on the beach? No problem. Nothing a Sabiki and a few trolling plugs can’t fix. If there’s anything I’ve learned fishing the beach it’s that you’ve gotta have a backup plan. Sometimes the pogies disappear and leave you hanging. When that happens you can either pack it in and go home or improvise. We decided on the latter, pushed offshore and found some smoker kings.

05/26/2024

Migratory pelagic trifecta: tuna, cobia and kingfish. Hell of a day offshore of North Florida.

05/23/2024

This is by far one of the coolest formations I’ve ever picked up on side-scan sonar. A “tarpon donut”, or a subsurface “daisy chain”. For the past 5 years I’ve been committing my attention to electronics and bettering my ability to read the sonar. Your electronics see what you can’t. It’s X-ray vision for the water and gives you an edge while looking for fish that aren’t on the surface. This past week I spent a few days on the water alongside looking for tarpon in the Gulf. Side scan technology is by far one of the most effective tools for locating tarpon deep in the column. Anyone can spot a rolling school of tarpon, but seeing them beneath the surface gives you the advantage of knowing they are there before they reveal themselves. Two minutes after locating this school I was hooked up. The dirty water of North Florida is slowly becoming a little more clear with advances in fish finding technology.

05/15/2024

“I don’t fish much, maybe a couple times in the last few years. I’m just here to learn and hang out with my friend.” Two hours later he’s on to the biggest trout of his life.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a novice beginner I can work with your skill set and teach you how to throw artificial lures more effectively. Anyone who has fished with me has heard this line come out of my mouth: “I can never guarantee you will catch the fish, but I can guarantee you will be a better angler stepping off my boat than when you stepped on.”

An open mind and the ability to listen is all you need to catch the fish of lifetime.

As always, the fish was caught on artificial and was released for conservation purposes.

05/13/2024

8 lbs of trout for one of JSO’s finest. Good times fellas, best of luck on the tournament circuit.

As always, the fish was caught on artificial and was released for conservation purposes.

05/11/2024

It’s not everyday you can punch offshore in a 22 foot bay boat in North Florida and find monster blackfin tuna. Gaffing this fish solo with the leader wrapped in a down rigger cable was sketchy, but I got it. Definitely one of the coolest catches I’ve had on the boat so far.

05/07/2024

“You turn my 7’s to 9’s”

Part 4

11:30 am
Another heavy hookset and another immediate violent reaction. Surface blowups, huge head shakes, sustained runs, long bright flashes in the water… these are the things every trout angler wants to see. It’s why these guys drove all the way from North Carolina to fish with me. Some guys will go their entire life and only see one 7 pound fish or one 9 pound fish, let alone two of each inside a 2 hour period. But, that’s exactly what happened. We were in the right spot at the right time and the window was wide open.

Jacob made it through the chaos and found himself holding yet another 29 inch 9 pound trout. At this point we were all a little bewildered, shocked by the size of the fish and the consistency of the bite. All we could do was smile and give each other high fives. This is as good as it gets. We weighed, photographed, videoed and released the trout for our fourth submission to the heavy hitters tournament.

Moments later, as if on que, Mother Nature decided she had given up enough of her bounty and a large storm unleashed torrential rains on us. We sat soaked and laughing while 30 knot gusts battered the skiff and my bilge pump spewed gallons of rainwater out the side. In typical Florida fashion, it was over in minutes, leaving us with sunny skies and completely still winds. And, just like that, it was all over. We couldn’t buy another bite. The conditions had changed. The fish had fed out. The window had closed.

In 2 hours of fishing we landed over 32 pounds of trout. Two 7 pounders, two 9 pounders and a handful of medium sized fish in between. Jacob and Austen caught their personal best trout each. I broke a push pole, fought 25+ knot winds and got whacked by a nasty little squall. I learned about my fishery, gained a few more pieces to the trophy-trout puzzle and left with some valuable lessons.

As they say, “All in a days work.”

05/07/2024

“You turn my 7’s to 9’s”

Part 3

11:15 am
Same spot. Same floating twitch baits. Same result, but bigger. Much bigger. Not even 15 minutes after Austen released our second 7 pound fish of the day he was tight again. However, this fish was different. When you’ve been trout fishing long enough you can tell right away when you’re into a true giant. The strike is like running into a brick wall. The lure comes to a dead stop with immediate weight loaded onto it. The fight is always violent and they’re incredibly hard to turn when their body weight is on the high side. This fish had all the telltale signs of an upper echelon trout.

Austen was excited to say the least when he saw a 29 inch 9 pound beast surface at the end of his line. And so was I. More than the catch itself, I was excited about what the fish were telling me: The bite is wide open. This doesn’t happen often with big trout. They are “window feeders” and pick strategic time frames to feed within. They’re smart, cunning fish that will not arbitrarily or continuously eat. Everything has to be perfect for a wide open feed. It’s rare to see and this kind of consistent action from large trout is something to be appreciated. I was relishing the moment.

Again, we weighed, photographed, videoed and released the trout for our third submission to the heavy hitters tournament. We barely had time to process what just happened before Jacob came tight to another monster fish.

05/07/2024

“You turn my 7’s to 9’s”

Part 2

10:30 am
At this point we drifted a good ways down the flat from where we originally contacted the fish. It felt like we left the school behind. So, I motored back to our starting point and decided that instead of drifting I would stake out on the push pole to hold us in position. The wind was howling out of the south and as far as I could tell these trout should be working from north to south into the current. My thought process was if I can just tie off and wait, the boat would remain quiet in position and the school should continue transiting through us.

As I approached our “sweet spot” I jammed the pole into the mud and hung on. The pole flexed hard, started to bend and SNAP!! It completely broke in two about 4 feet from the tip. Awesome. $1300 down the drain. I dropped the trolling motor, pushed back to where the end of my pole was sticking out of the mud and jammed what was left of the other half back into the bottom. I successfully tied off, retrieved the broken portion of my push pole and we began fishing again. As before, it didn’t take long.

11:00 am
Fish on. This time Austen hooked up. Another 7 pounder just as angry as the last. With this fish three things were becoming clear to me: 1) These trout were in a spicy mood. They were blowing up on the hookset, breaching the surface with big head throws and were stripping large sections of line against the drag. 2) They were schooled up in this flat. Two 7 pounders caught a few yards from one another is no coincidence. These are the breeders and they have chosen to be in this flat with one another. 3) I’ve seen this exact scenario before. Two years ago in a different location I found a huge gathering of large breeders sitting in a shallow sand flat during a stiff south wind. I didn’t move then and I won’t move now. I made the right call staking out. It may have cost me a push pole, but letting those fish come to me was the best way to present twitch baits in a high wind situation.

The fish was documented and released for our second submission to the heavy hitters tournament. But, Mother Nature wasn’t done showing off yet.

05/07/2024

“You turn my 7’s to 9’s”

Part 1

9:30 am
We were grinding. Fluctuating water levels had the fish on the move and patterning the bite was proving difficult. They were here one minute and over there the next. They were liking this presentation now and looking for something different tomorrow. The water was being pulled down and the fish were responding by swimming and changing their habits. But, I had two anglers that understand gator trout and the nature of trophy hunting I explained the current state of the fishery to them fully: “The fish are here, we’ve seen some excellent bites. However, the depth is super skinny and we are going to have to cover some water to figure out what they want to eat and where they want to be.”

The phone buzzed, I look down: “Dirty 30 Alert! Get here now!” I was off and running one mile south to where a friend of mine just stroked a 30 inch fish ( thanks ) The wind was blowing 25 knots out of the south straight down a shallow sand flat. The depth wasn’t going to allow for a sinking plug, so I tied on two floating twitch baits that would stay off the bottom achieving a proper presentation. I’m wasn’t certain exactly what area of the flat the fish were holding so I put down the trolling motor and began a drift. It didn’t take long.

9:45 am
Fish on. Jacob connected with an angry 7 pound fish. The trout came to the rail after a quick fight and we found ourselves with the first fish of the day. We weighed, photographed, videoed and released the trout for our first submission to the heavy hitters tournament. It was a good start, but little did we know how crazy the rest of the day was about to get.

05/03/2024

If you’re a mullet and you find yourself looking at two fangs surrounded by a yellow cavern… you’re about to take a “forever nap”.

04/30/2024

Let’s get ready to rumble, or let’s get ready to grumble? Opening day for grouper season starts tomorrow and once again NOAA is tightening bottom fishing regulations on the east coast. It’s getting to a point where it’s almost impossible to harvest a decent box offshore in federal waters. NOAA data collection methods are flawed. It’s obvious. They are out of touch with the fisheries and are causing more harm than good at this point. All of you know I am an outspoken conservationist and am all for protecting fisheries. But, when you have the highest population of red snapper we have ever seen yet continue to claim they are endangered it becomes clear something is very wrong with your data. That, in turn, makes it hard to believe anything else that NOAA does or says. If grouper numbers are in fact down perhaps it’s due to the fact every wreck/reef/ledge/live bottom is being ravaged by red snapper? Sea bass are on the decline, vermilion are becoming harder to find and grouper are being pushed further offshore. This all can be attributed to an overpopulation of red snapper that are eating EVERYTHING and outcompeting other fish species for precious food resources. Something’s gotta give or we are going to lose bottom fishing privileges all together on the east coast of Florida. What are your thoughts?

Pictured above: Solid out-of-season inshore gag grouper caught on artificial and released in Tampa Bay with The west coast of Florida, by the way, has a much longer red snapper season that is more properly regulated which allows other fish species to thrive.

04/28/2024

29 inches 7.25 pounds

We must have found this fish just after she spawned out. Typically a fish this long would weigh 9-10 pounds during this time of year. The difference a belly full of eggs makes is remarkable. Hell of a fish bud

As always, the fish was caught on artificial using a twitch bait and was released for conservation purposes.

04/24/2024

As a guide, I’m in the “people business”. I tell all of my anglers that I provide an experience, not a service. My roles vary from client to client: teacher, entertainer, facilitator, confidant and even therapist. It’s always my goal to catch fish, but every person is different and their personalities are as wide ranging as their needs. Some guys just want to fish hard and focus on the craft. Others are there to decompress, disconnect and commune with the natural world. To them, the fish are just a bonus. This variation allows me to bond with each of my clients in a unique way and gives me the opportunity to connect with some very cool people. This was one of those times. We talked about music, concerts, art, work, family, relationships… we covered all the bases and found out we had quite a bit in common. And (bonus) we caught some great fish including a quality 4 pounder and a flawless 8 pounder. Pleasure having you out fellas. Hope to fish again soon.

As always, all trout were caught on artificial lures and were released for conservation purposes.

04/18/2024

“That’s the one!” 10 pounds x 30 inches

I’ve been uttering that phrase a lot lately. But, the one I’ve been hearing is “Where ya been man? I haven’t seen you in months.” My answer: I’ve been grinding… HARD.

After years of building clientele and sharpening the skill set I’m proud to say I’ve had the busiest trout season of my guiding career. Late nights and early mornings have left me short on sleep, but long on fish.

To my friends: I still love you, I’ve just been unable to do anything besides chase trout. I’ll do my best to touch base soon. To my family: Thank you for supporting me. You have watched me toil to grow my business from the ground up. Thank you for helping me pursue my dream. To my clients: Your trust in my abilities means the world to me. Seeing so many of you hold the biggest trout of your life truly brings me joy. Come back anytime. To my sponsors and partners in local businesses: It’s been a pleasure working together. I look forward to promoting one another as we continue our relationships. And finally, to Megan: I appreciate you keeping me sane during intense stretches of guiding, for talking to me every night before the next trip and for letting me vent after long hours of hunting in the salt. Love ya, beautiful.

As for the Gator pictured above, this ridiculous specimen was just over 30 inches long and weighed a hair over 10 pounds, the “Holy Grail” of speckled trout. What a tank! As always, the fish was caught on artificial lures and was released for conservation purposes.

04/03/2024

Bird of Prey. Raptor. Master Fisherman. If only I had those eyes…

03/13/2024

Word of advice: If you’re thinking about sliding into their DM’s… do it. It’s worth it.

Address

505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra, FL
32082

Website

http://ChipsCoastalCharters.com/

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Tarpon Season 2024

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