18 Spots On a Redfish

My first trip of 2015 was today with Doug Mackle, his son Doug, and their friend Stan. We met down at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina right at high tide and headed up Bell River with some live shrimp. The three anglers tossed float rigs to some flooded marsh grass but had no takers. We made a run to the outside of Tiger Island, again tossing float rigs, and again, had no takers. We decided to go deep and made a stop at Tiger Island and this did the
trick. Right off Doug Jr. had a good bite, a strong run, but the big fish headed for some downed limbs and broke itself off. But it wasn't long before both Doug and Stan had hooked up again and landed fish. Doug put a hungry Seatrout in the boat and Stan battled a feisty Redfish to the net. For a good hour or so the anglers got bites, catching Seatrout and Reds.  Doug Sr. got in on the action and put a keeper sized Trout in the boat then Stan put a keeper sized Redfish in the boat. We continued to fish the area. moving 40 yards or so, here and there, and Doug Jr. found a keeper sized Flounder to round out the trio's Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Seatrout and Flounder. Doug Jr. had another hookup, another Redfish and this time we saw that he had put a 18 spot Redfish in the boat, a serious "money" fish if fishing in the Spot Tournament. When the bite slowed we made a run up to Jolley River to fish the exposed oysters and even though conditions were right, we had no real bites. But we had a great time in some great weather, another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters!