Thank Goodness For the Big Fish

We had another beautiful morning today with only a slight breeze when we launched at Sawpit Creek boat ramp. I fished with Howard McClure and his longtime friend Wayne and we made our first stop way up at the junction of Pumpkin Hill and the Nassau - fishing the last couple of hours of an a high incoming tide.

The first spot produced just a bunch of "baitstealing" bites so we eased up the bank and set up along a flooded marsh line. These two anglers were getting excellent drifts but we still were not getting any takers, other than the
persistent nibbles. Then, as Howards float and live shrimp drifted by a grassy peninsular, something rolled and chased his bait then took it and, Fish ON!  It was pulling drag and trying to get up into the shallows with oysters but Howard kept the pressure on and worked out to deeper water. In the meantime, Wayne allowed his float to take the same drift and, just as we got Howards big Slot Redfish (26.5") to the net, Boom! Another big fish on! Wayne's fish ran, and ripped drag, and ran, and ripped drag, but Wayne pulled  him out of the weeds and fought 'em to a standstill. He worked it to the boat and we netted a nice oversized 28.5" Redfish which we quickly photographed and released. Those were two really nice fish, caught in the same spot, in about 4' of water over some shell.

We fished Christopher Creek where Howard did battle with a huge Jack Crevalle, made some casts at some tailing Redfish in the spartina grass, then came out and fished Seymore's Pointe docks, and Spanish Drop grass. Although the bite was kinda slow, we did pick up a couple of jacks, a Seatrout, a Ladyfish, and some of those ever present bait stealers. It was a nice day and great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.