Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Knocked The Socks Off



That's what Charles Greenman did to the Bragging Rights Tournament leader board! I had met Charles and his son Will down at the Big Talbot Island State Park boat ramp on Sawpit Creek this morning with a baitwell full of live shrimp and we headed up the Nassau River to fish a creek outflow on an outgoing tide.  The oysters were just beginning to show. Will was tossing a live shrimp under a float and Charles was using a jig and shrimp combo up in the creek mouth.  But we had no real bites.  We moved around to fish a likely spot in Jackstaff, had no bites, then ran to the mouth of Jackstaff to fish the oyster lined banks.  Although the anglers felt like they were getting "nibbles", there were  no real bites here, either.  Ouch.  Our next stop was back in the Nassau River and the tide was really getting down.  We hit Bubblegum Reef and this proved to be the ticket.  We had a subtle  bump, an hookup, and Will was able to reel in his first ever Sheepshead, of keeper size.  Shortly after that another soft bump, a hookup and Will landed a nice keeper sized Black "Puppy Drum".    Then Charles got in on  the action.  He had a good bite and set the hook and had a the fish on, but then it really began to pull and we knew he had a FISH ON!  Boy what a battle.  Charles played the fish patiently, even when it got behind the boat and in the current and after slowly wearing him out, Charles landed the 32.25" oversized Redfish to take first place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  We had another strong bite but a quick break off then Charles was at it again.  This fish went from bow to stern then took Charles to the bow, around the trolling motor and back to stern where he eventually subdued the big Redfish and landed it to be measured at 31", another oversized Red!  After one more  strong  bite, hookup and breakoff, we headed to Broward Island to fish the exposed logs, picking up a few feisty Redfish before calling it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

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