Chasing a Float

I fished today with Rick Diggs and his two adult sons Rick and Todd.  We met at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina and headed north up to the Jolley River to fish the first of an outgoing tide with mud minnows and shrimp at a large creek run out.  The anglers almost immediately began to get bites, catching a few bait stealers then a couple of feisty Redfish and tangling with some high flying Ladyfish.  But then young Rick hooked up and this fish was Big!  Rick played the fish patiently and perfectly and when we saw it roll and boil up near the marsh grass we knew it was a big Redfish.  But there's a reason those big Reds got big!  Sure enough, after a good but brief battle, the big fish must have buried the braided line down in the oysters and when it made another run, "POP", and it was gone with hook, line and float!  But then we saw the float moving around at the edge of the grass and we decided to try and track it down, grab it and land the fish.  But as we got close to it the float took off down the marsh grass and we could see it about a foot under the water.  We chased it for about 50 feet then it disappeared.  We decided to continue to fish and keep an eye out for the float.  The anglers picked up a couple of more fish then we saw the float 75 yards away!  We eased up to the float with a game plan:  I was going to get a running start then pull up the trolling motor.  Rick was going to reach down and grab the line and float and Todd was going to net the fish if it came to the surface.  But when Rick grabbed the float it came up with hook and line, and no fish!  We missed him twice!  We fished Jolley Bank and picked up another feisty Redfish then made a stop at Bell River to pick up one more Red before heading in, counting it as another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters!