Welcome to Fish Whisperer Charters in Jacksonville, FL! Seas have been cooperative lately allowing for a few trips in my boat offshore to local reefs and wrecks for immediate gratification of seabass, porgy, snapper, sharks, etc. What has really made me happy is the quantity of menhaden along the beach now. My clients this weekend were in disbelief at the amount of bait, birds, & predator fish in the area and we enjoyed every minute of it. Tarpon are rolling around and the size of the jacks is scary within the pogie pods. Occasionally, though, there are nice surprises of great eating-size black tip shark & monstrous bull reds! (TTPs - Tactics, Techniques, & Procedures) While baiting up for an enjoyable day, I'll fish the bait pods using a jig relative to the current and water clarity and a knocker rig of 3ft fluorocarbon, 1/2-1oz weight, & 3/0 hook secured with a uni-loop. So far, the knocker rigs have scored more strikes than jigs but if the sharks are heavy, then I'll break out the Teflon leader, 80lb braid, and let the clients wear their arms out! The key is to fish the breaks around the pods, not the middle of them because predators will dart through the middle, confuse & scatter the bait, then feed on them on the outskirts. Catch em' up and stay safe!