Two Guys Fish'n and a Redfish Battle

I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with Cy Gray this morning, and a beautiful one it was. We left the Fernandina Beach City Marina at 7:30am with only a few clouds in the sky, very little wind, and the temperature already over 60. We made a couple of stops, anchoring to fish the oyster beds and marsh grass with live shrimp under a float rig but had no real bites. We eventually ended up behind Tiger Island and with the land mass blocking the breeze that had picked up we had a great setting for our first fish, a nice Sea Trout. Cy had cast his float rig up near the bank and as soon as it hit it was taken under; he set the hook and reeled the fish to the boat and net. We moved on to Lanceford creek and tried some docks, picking up more Trout, fished the Rayonier warehouse, then moved on south of Rayonier, trolling the marsh grass, pitching the float rig to the shore line. We hooked up with something big that took the bait like it was out for Sunday brunch, slow and easy, but when it realized that it was hooked the fight was on! Cy played the fish beautifully, allowing it to run, ripping drag, enough that I thought I may need to chase it down, then up to the boat, and then it bulled away for another run. On about its third visit to the boat the big Red decided another tact and went under the boat, but Cy was ready and dipped the rod into the water deep until the fish came back out and kept the pressure on. We eventually netted the nice 26" 7lb Redfish, snapped some pictures, and watched it swim back to the deep when we released it. Cy commented that the fish may be out of the "slot" next year and may get to live a long and happy life! We headed to the dock, counting it as a great morning to be out on the water!