North Florida Panfish Fishing
North Florida is an excellent location and destination to travel. If you are looking to adventure in old Florida, there is nothing like the St. Johns River region. Florida Fishing in this beautiful area is also abundant. Generally the bass fishing is phenomenal but this season it shut off. North Florida Panfish Fishing has picked up and you can catch some of the tastiest treats.
a href=”/fishing-guides/florida/capt-steve-niemoeller/”>Captain Steve Nieomeller is a professional and is highly knowledgeable of this incredible waterway. Pete and Will were traveling to Florida and wanted to get out on the water. Pete was traveling from Texas to meet up with his friend Will. Will just moved to the Villages and wanted to land some Crappie and Copperhead breams. The St. Johns River. was the best place to get the job done.
South Moon Fish Camp was our meeting location in the quiet town of Astor, Florida. If you are looking for Old Florida with a New Vibe, visiting West Volusia would be an excellent option. Pete and Will have fished this area in years past but haven’t had much luck.
Sometimes the best thing to do to experience an area more in-depth is to hire a local expert. Captain Steve was one of the best and knows these waters very well. Unfortunately, weather and conditions can always play an integral factor. On this fishing charter, the wind was blowing. Luckily there are many places that you can hide and get out of the wind.
All pan fish love to live under the mats, especially crappie or speck. Copperhead bream also have the same effect. It is awesome to be able to catch multiple species like this in one trip. Pete and Will were having an amazing time catching them up.
The method of fishing is like ice fishing. You have to make a hole in the Hiason Mat and jig or drop your bait through it. Allowing it to either sit or work up and down, will promote the best bite. Pete and Will caught several quality crappie and bream. You cannot beat putting over 15 in the boat. It was a highly productive day on the water.
Captain Steve is looking forward to fishing with Pete and Will again in the future. They will be back for more of this incredible fishing action on the St Johns River. We will let them know when the bite is even better. Our goal is to always let the customer have the best time possible.
Bluegill and Bream on the St. Johns River
Historic St. Johns bluegill field note: During late-spring bedding periods around the Astor section of the river, Capt. Steve Niemoeller found bluegill and copperhead bream concentrated in quieter, protected areas. Light tackle made the most of these fish; a 4-pound-test ultralight setup paired with crickets or worms presented over active beds produced steady action.
The durable lesson is to slow down and look for protected spawning areas when North Florida panfish are bedding. For species-specific identification and fishing information, see our Bluegill guide. For the wider regional system, compare the St. Johns River, Lake George and other waters in our North Florida lakes and rivers guide.
Historic St. Johns Panfish Field Note
Historic full-moon field note: On a St. Johns River trip, Capt. Steve found bedding bream active around a full-moon period even though dirty water made the beds difficult to see. Crickets and worms produced fish once the productive area was located. The durable lesson is to use moon phase as one clue, then confirm bedding activity with fish behavior and local water conditions rather than relying on visibility alone.
For all your Florida fishing needs, whether fresh or salt water, contact us here at Bass Online and we will get you hooked up on an adventure of a lifetime!
If you enjoyed this post with Captain Steve Niemoeller about North Florida Panfish Fishing, you might also enjoy this fishing report from the same area.
For current river conditions, check our St. Johns River fishing reports. For a complete river overview, use the St. Johns River fishing guide; to compare Lake George, the Ocklawaha, Rodman and other nearby waters, see our North Florida lakes and rivers guide.rnrnDon’t forget to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
Captain Steve Niemoeller is a full-time Professional fishing guide and Licensed Master Captain. Primarily servicing the fresh water lakes of the St Johns River, Lake George, and Lake Monroe. He also guides on Harris Chain and Lake Toho. He also has great success on Ponce Inlet and Mosquito Lagoon in saltwater catching Redfish and other species. Learn more at
Central Florida Fishing
