Thank Goodness For The Hot Spot

No one could have blamed us for cancelling today's trip due to the winds, forecasted to be blowing 10-14mph. When we launched I checked and it was already blowing 14!  I had met Scooter Digsby and his two sons Jake and Braden up at the Dee Dee Bartels park and my plan was to head over to Lanceford Creek to fish the last of an outgoing tide. Little did I know, the NE wind was keeping the tide from draining the mud flats and the conditions never got right for some decent fish catches. The three anglers were making
excellent casts to some dock pilings but we had nothing but bait stealers.

I thought running around to and up the Bell River might get us away from the dirty water but it wasn't much better up there. We worked a few docks with jigs and slip floats but had no real bites.

Our next stop was around in the Jolley River but here that NE wind had things kicking. We fished some oysters that were  now exposed
with jigs and a Cajun Float rig and again, no luck.

Our final stop was at old faithful, Tiger Island and this did the trick! We hadn't been fishing long before all three anglers were hooking up. Scooter got hot and put a handful of Redfish in the boat, then gave up his bow spot to his sons and they too began to get fish. Brayden hooked up with something that wanted to rip his drag - it fought hard and stayed down, but Brayden kept the pressure on and landed a nice 18" Black "puppy" Drum. Jake found his rhythm and landed his share of feisty Redfish.

We were using live shrimp but I had lost half my well when the drain plug came out so when we ran out of bait we headed back to the bait house and picked up some mud minnows. When we returned to Tiger the conditions hadn't changed much and the trio picked up right where they had left off. Scooter and Jake were catching Reds but Brayden diversified and tallied his personal "Super Grande Slam" of Black Drum, Red Drum, Seatrout, Flounder, and a wayward Snook! Now that 's the way to finish out another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.