Thinning the Herd

We had a beautiful morning today with just a few clouds and a
slight breeze as the sun came up over Amelia Island. I met Rich Fairchild and his adult sons Travis and Troy down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we headed up the Nassau River to make a quick stop at some marsh run outs on an incoming tide. We had a baitwell full of live shrimp and the three anglers began tossing them under floats up current and to the grass line. It was only minutes before Rich was hooking up with Seatrout. Then the tow younger anglers got in on the action and they were all catching. We weeded
through a good handful of smaller fish before we picked up a keeper sized fish and that's how it went for most of the morning. A handful of smaller fish then a keeper. Smaller fish, then a keeper. Once, Travis had strong bite and this fought differently and sure enough, when he landed it we saw that it was a feisty Redfish. We fished the Nassau for a good while then made a long run around to Pumpkin Hill and set up outside some flooding oysters. They immediately began to get bites then Rich had a super strong bite and, FISH ON! He worked the big fish patiently to the boat and
landed a nice, big, 20" Seatrout. This fish slid him into third place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category(scroll down right side of this report for standings)  Troy followed that one up with a big one of his own and again, a handful of smalls, then a keeper. We made one final stop in Christopher Creek and although the bite had slowed, Travis had one good one and again, FISH ON! He worked the fish slowly, letting the rod to the work and after a good battle landed another Redfish, this one in the Slot, making it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.