Two Slams and a Tarpon Fight

I was back to work today, fishing with the Yeager boys - dad Keith and his two sons Reece and Renner - meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park early this morning and heading over to Tiger Island to fish the first of an incoming tide. All three anglers began pitching jigs and live shrimp to the bank and although the first area didn't pay off, the second one did! Reece had made an excellent cast to a stump and BOOM! Fish On!  Reece played it perfectly and soon landed a nice Slot Redfish. Minutes after that Keith did the same, putting another, almost identical Red in the boat. Then we
had another hookup and Renner was on the rod and he too played it perfectly and landed a nice fat Redfish.

We worked up and down the bank, caught a few smaller Reds, a few Croaker, then Reece caught a keeper sized Flounder.  We then ran up to the Jolley River and began working the "bank" - Keith and Reece were sticking with the jig but Renner switched to a float rig off the stern and it payed off! He had a young Bonnethead chase his bait down, which he caught and landed expertly, then he put

another keeper sized Flounder in the boat.  The anglers landed a good handful of smaller Reds, and most were copper colored. Keith put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat then both Reece and Renner landed Trout, giving them both an Amelia Island Back Country Slam.

We made the run back and thru Tiger Basin and around to Bell River and began fishing a marsh point with float rigs. After getting a Trout or two, and running low on shrimp, Keith switched to a

Gulp Shrimp, Natural color. He was drifting the grass line when both saw his float disappear then line and float zipped to deeper water. I saw a fin or two and thought for sure it was a shark but then an 80# Tarpon came flying out of the water - BIG FISH ON!  And the 14# leader didn't break!  All Keith could do was hold on as we turned the Anglers Mark towards the fish and hit the JackRabbit button on the trolling motor remote and we began to chase him, trying to take in line on the Shimano Stradic 2500. Although the Tarpon came to the surface a couple of times, it stayed deep and slowly took line up current for the most part. I had the misconception that Keith might be able to wear it out but after a 25 minute "fight", sure enough, the big fish came out of the water and snapped the leader. Now that was surely a great way to wrap up some fun fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.