Jungle Hut Park Fishing

Jungle Hut Park puts coquina rock and open sand right below its walkover, so you can fish structure for sheepshead and drum and open surf for whiting and pompano in the same session.

• Coquina rock in the surf, with sand troughs between the outcrops
• Rarely crowded, the county says, because the rocks and currents make it poor for swimming
• Paved parking, restrooms and outdoor showers
• Open from dawn to 11 p.m.
• No beach driving: county code bars vehicles from the county's coastal beach

The park is at 125 Jungle Hut Road in Palm Coast's Hammock area, at the ocean end of the road, east of A1A.

• Parking: a paved county lot; the county lists no entry or parking fee
• Hours: dawn to 11 p.m. every day, and county parks do not allow overnight parking
• Getting down: a raised dune walkover ends in a short flight of steps onto the sand
• The county mentions no lifeguards here, and the beach is not one for swimming
• Stay on the walkover: county code bans walking on the dunes except at crossovers

Rock outcrops change the catch here compared with the open sand beaches up and down the coast.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead around the rocks early in the season, pompano and whiting on the sand, bluefish moving north
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting and croaker, Spanish mackerel on calm mornings, flounder along the rock edges
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish, bluefish and crevalle jacks chasing mullet, black drum starting to show near the rocks
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the rocks, redfish in the deeper holes, whiting on mild days

Fish the edges of the rock, not the middle of it, or you will lose rigs all day.

• For sheepshead and drum: a short fluorocarbon leader, a small strong hook (#1 to 1/0) and just enough weight to hold, baited with fiddler crabs, shrimp or pieces of clam, dropped into sand pockets beside the rock
• For whiting and pompano: a two-hook dropper with sand fleas or shrimp cast to the open sand beside the outcrops
• A fish-finder rig and cut mullet for redfish in the fall
• Spoons of 1/2 to 1 oz for bluefish, jacks and Spanish mackerel
• Use 20 to 30 lb line near the rock; lighter line will not survive

There are two high and two low tides a day. NOAA has no open-coast prediction station in Flagler County, and the nearest two bracket this beach: St. Augustine Beach, about 20 miles north, averages about 4 1/2 feet of range and Daytona Beach Shores, about 33 miles south, about 3 1/2, so expect something in between.

• The lower half of the tide exposes the rock and shows you where to cast
• The first of the flood pushes fish into the pockets along the rock
• Northeast wind and swell make the rock dangerous and the water dirty
• After a blow, the churned water near the rocks often holds drum and reds
• Summer: go at dawn

The county itself warns about this beach, so treat the rock and the water with care.

• The county warns of rocks in the surf and strong undercurrents; it is not a swimming beach, so do not wade out onto the outer rock
• Coquina is sharp and slick when wet: wear shoes with grip and watch the swells
• Lightning builds on summer afternoons; leave the beach at the first thunder
• Stingrays and jellyfish are possible in the wash
• Access is by a raised walkover and steps, so it is not suited to wheelchairs or heavy carts

Flagler County lists a short set of amenities at the park, enough for a half-day session.

• Restrooms
• Outdoor showers
• A paved parking lot
• Picnic area
• Pets are allowed in the park
• A dune walkover to the beach, with steps at the sand end
• No bait, tackle, food or lighting is listed, so bring what you need, including plenty of water in summer

• Walk the beach at low tide first and note where the rock shelves and sand pockets lie
• Bring spare rigs: the rock takes its share
• Sheepshead bite lightly; set the hook at the first tap on a crab or shrimp
• Rake sand fleas on the open sand next to the rocks for the pompano rod
• Leave the coquina where it is: county code forbids taking rock from the beach
• Look out for gannets offshore in winter; they give away bait schools

Flagler County Parks and Recreation runs the park, and county code covers the beach.

• County code lists fishing among the public's recognized uses of the dry sand beach, except on privately owned dry sand between 10 p.m. and sunrise
• Vehicles are not allowed on Flagler County's coastal beach
• Removing coquina rock from the beach is prohibited, and so is walking on the dunes except at crossovers
• Park hours are dawn to 11 p.m., with no overnight parking
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; shark fishing from shore needs the FWC's no-cost permit
• Check current FWC rules (myfwc.com) for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything