Pandemonium!

Barbara and Mike Van Beyrer and their kids Bailey and Cooper were visiting Amelia Island from Charleston, S.C. and took in a backcountry fishing trip on The Anglers Mark.   We left the City of Fernandina Beach marina on a rising tide at 7am this morning and headed up the river to the Tiger Islands.  Our first stop found the tide almost covering the oysters so the anglers tossed out live shrimp under Cajun Thunder floats.  It wasn't long before it was pandemonium with hookups happening right and left.  Cooper had the hot rod at first, catching a nice Seatrout and then a Bluefish.  Then Bailey yelled, "I got one" and her drag began to scream, line running out, and out, and out...and POP, fish gone!   But it wasn't long before she had another on and again, the drag screamed as the line ran out.  This time she cranked it in and then Barbara joined the fight and the two of them went 'round and 'round the boat with the rest of us moving bait buckets, nets, seats and rods.  Barbara fought the fish like a pro and after a 15 minute battle we netted a 3'+ Bonnethead Shark for pictures and tossed him back in.  Mike had a number of hookups and then brought to the boat a feisty "poor man's Tarpon" - the Ladyfish.  The anglers had a number of hookups, cut-offs, saw a manna ray, and caught more Blues.  Then Mike had a strong hookup, again the drag screamed, and he had a fight on his hands.  He played the fish perfectly and we boated another Bonnethead.  Cooper wrapped up the catching when he had a good bite and this time it didn't run like a shark, but made it's stand in one location.  He worked the fish in and his dad netted a great 19" slot sized Redfish!  We hit a few more spots, had some nibbles here and there, then called it a day, another great one to be on the water!