Surrounded by wildlife

I finished up a few errands today and then dropped the boat in at Wilson Neck Boat Ramp, located in the Wilson Neck area of Yulee off of US17s. The ramp is on Gardner Creek which runs out to Nassau Sound so I eased out of the creek and ran West towards US17 and I-95. I've heard of folks catching Stripers up there so I took a couple of my Shimano Stradic 1000's on their 6' rods, rigged with Power Pro braid, Berkley Vanish leader and Sure Catch jigs tipped with Gulp shrimp. I ran all the way up to I-95 and fished the pockets and run-offs on a high, but outgoing tide. I Didn't have a bite. I fished some old wooden pilings at the Railroad bridge - no bites. I eventually picked up and ran east, past Gardner Creek and past Lofton Creek, all the way to Broward Island. The tide was still ripping out so I started on the south end of the island and fished with the current. I had a few small fish hitting a Gulp Swimming mullet - Pumpkin Seed color but no real bites. There was a raccoon on shore hunting for his dinner - looked like he had missed a few meals! Sure enough, as soon as the tide changed and started back in - WHAM- fish on!

The 17" redfish hit the Gulp swimming mullet and I had a good battle to the boat. Shortly after that, I started picking up trout on the same rig. As the sun went down I had another visitor, this one very inquisitive. An otter swam out and circled the boat. Every once in a while he would rise up out of the water and check me out. I also saw a dolphin, a woodpecker and plenty of shore birds.

The sand gnats tried their best to eat me alive.