She Was A Big Trout

 

I wrapped my week up fishing south with Howard McClure and his buddy Joe - we met at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and headed up the Nassau River to make our first stop at a nice drainage. The two anglers were tossing jigs and mud minnows to the shore line and got some good hookups - they hauled in two keeper sized Flounder and a small Redfish. We moved up the way and fished Twin Creeks for a bit before we moved on. Our nest stop was up at some docks at Seymore's Pointe where we pitched to the pilings. We weren't getting many bites, if any, until Howard said the felt a bump and when it got heavy he expertly set the hook and Big Fish On!  Howard played it patiently and after a good tattle he landed an oversized 20.25" Seatrout, big enough to land Howard in a tie for third place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament, Seatrout Category. Scroll down the right side of this report for standings.

We fished some rocks at Seymore's, had a bite or two, then made our way down to Pumpkin where we drifted the float rigs. On the first pass Joe had a drag ripping bite that quickly snapped the leader  and after that we picked up  a Ladyfish and a hard fighting Jack Crevalle. There as a storm brewing north of us so we headed back to the ramp and called it another great day to be fishing at Amelia Island, Florida.

Finally, A Banner Day

 

It's been a good while that we've had one of those Banner Days of fish catching, but today earned that moniker. I had met the DeNight boys, Jeff and his brother Scott and his nephew Abraham out at Goffinsville Park and we made a quick run down to Broward Island on a tide that was still going out. We set up and began to toss jigs and mud minnows and it didn't take long before they were catching fish. Jeff had a big 26" Slot Red pretty early, then he and Scott teamed up with a "double", catching keeper sized Flounder and Trout, respectively. We dropped down the island with the tide and Scott got hot catching Slot Reds and became the self-proclaimed "Redfish Master".  To top that Jeff had put a few more  

Flounder in the boat and he took the title of "Flounda Man".  Abraham got on the board when he expertly hooked and landed a nice Flounder of his own. 

We fished back down the Nassau and caught more Flounder and more Reds, and tangled with a couple of Ladyfish, then we ended up back at Pumpkin Hill drifting floats. The trio added a Jack Crevalle to their species total, then Scott added another keeper Flounder to the box. He then went long with a drift, way long, and sure enough, hooked and landed the biggest Trout of the day, one that

measured right at 18".  The GPK had  been in contention all day but it was the young angler who took it home - Abraham went long too and when his float disappeared he tightened up and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On!  Abraham played it perfectly, let it run, worked it in, let it run, then patiently brought to the net a nice 24"  8-spot Redfish to wrap things up. We had ended up catching 6 Slot Reds, about 7-8 Flounder with 4 of them keepers, and we had two nice Seatrout in the box, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Big Jacks Show Up

 It was kind of a weird day today - overcast and breezy and the water was chopped up and muddy, but itwas comfortable for the most part with the sun blocked. I had met Glenn and Patti Langford down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made quick run up the Nassau to make our first stop at Spanish Drop where we went with jig rods and mud minnows tossed to the bank...and didn't get a single real bite. After running up to Seymore's Point we fished some dock pilings with some left over live Shrimp and Glenn did outsmart and hooked up and landed a small Grunt.

We then came back down the Nassau and fished Twin Creeks with floats and may have had a nibble or two but no takers. Back up the Nassau we went and fished small point of grass, and again, no takers. It wasn't looking good for the fish catching today! But Glenn and Patti persevered and when we got to the next spot at Pumpkin Hill we got some bites. Patti had her float go under and boy did it take off! She kept that rod bent and worked it in closer to the boat before it made went deep again. She got it close, let it run, got it close, and let it run before bringing to the net the biggest Jack Crevalle we've had on the boat all year.  Then Glenn had drifted close to a grassy island and when it went under Glenn tightened up and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On! This fish was ripping drag right off and it boiled up and we knew it was a big Redfish. Glenn worked it slowly to the boat and it came in steadily until it saw the boat then it made a few strong dashes to deeper water. But Glenn kept the pressure on and soon landed a nice 26" Redfish. Patti had another huge battle with an even bigger Jack Crevalle before we  moved on.

We fished around the corner, down the bank, then back at the Tourney Red spot before we called it day and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Flounder and Finally Some Slot Reds

 Short report today...did a "double" then an AIGA meeting this evening, reporting late...

I fished with Steve and Carron Frost this morning on a tide that was coming in. We fished the outside of
Tyger with jigs with minnows and shrimp, had no real luck, then ran up the Jolley and fished the "bank", then further up to Snook Creek. Along the way we had some pretty decent action, catching some small Flounder, small Seatrout, and small Jacks. The highlight was when Carron went into a small "cove" with a good cast and had a hookup, as she was bringing her keeper sized Flounder to the the net, Steve went to the same hole and BAM! He had a hookup and reeled in is own keeper Flounder. We caught a few more Trout, with one of them being of keeper size, and ended the day with a total of 7 Flounder caught. 

The afternoon trip had Brian Roach, his son Mike and his friend Mark - we again ran up the outside of Tyger and worked the bank with jigs -Mark "knocked the skunk off" when he landed a nice Flounder. We moved around to Jolley Bank and worked it and here Brian had a hard thump and set the hook. He battled a big Flounder to the boat - it measured right at 19" and put Brian in the lead of the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). 

And then the bottom fell out! Boy what a rain - we could see it coming from the west and it drenched us good! But it passed after a while and the wind calmed and it became very pleasant to fish. We ran up the river to JC's spot and worked the exposed oyster beds and it paid off - Brian hooked and landed a nice 22" Slot Red, then Mike followed that up with a big 21" Slot Red of his own.  It was a long day but we caught some fish so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Nice Breeze and Pleasant Fishing

 I kicked off the week with a trip out of the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp after meeting Chanterelle and John Damer and their daughter Ava early this morning. We eased out of Eagans Creek then made our way up and around to the Jolley River where we made our first stop at Tyger Cut with plans to drift float rigs and live shrimp and mud minnows on a tide that still had about an hour and a half of coming in.  Ava kicked things off with the hot fishing rod - she hooked up and brought to the net a fine Croaker, then she battled a hungry Seatrout to the boat. John hooked and landed a Trout while we there, and we had a few more good bites before we moved on. After dropping back to Jolley "bank" and working it pretty good- we had another Trout and a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, then John had a bite - it bumped is bait, then came back and BAM! big fish on! The drag was ripping and the big fish put up a good fight - it had John scrambling from stern to bow and back to stern - the ladies cleared the deck and the fight settled in for a tug of war, which John eventually won when he landed a big 4' Bonnethead Shark for photograph and release.

Back at the outside of Tyger we fished the first of an outgoing tide with the float rigs, had some nibbles, but no takers then we crossed over the creek and worked that bank. Again, just a few nibbles, but then John had a good hookup - he expertly played it the net and landed a hefty keeper sized Flounder.  We moved back up the island and fished a large drainage and here all three anglers got in on the action. Chanterelle hooked and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle and a hungry Seatrout - Ava put another Trout in the boat, then John added another keeper sized Flounder to the box. We'd had a nice breeze all day, there had been some action here and there, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Recipe of the Month: An 1870's Recipe for Oyster Fritters

 I was reading a book, The Big Oyster by Mark Kurlansky - it's a very interesting story about the history of oysters and oystering and oyster houses in New York City beginning when native Americans lived there, then the Dutch, then the British, and finally we Americans. There are many recipe's in the book and when I reached an easy one I decided to make it, but first the back story from the book...

"Juliet Corson was born in the Roxbury section of Boston in 1841 and opened the Free Training School for Women at age thirty-three, before she learned how to cook. She hired a French chef, thought to have been the celebrated Pierre Blot. Two years later she was living on St. Mark's Place in Manhattan giving cooking classes in her home. She called her classes the New York Cooking School and had one thousand students a year. In everything Corson did, she addressed social conscience. The New York Cooking School tried to charge enormous fees to the rich while asking only a nickel a lesson for the middle class. The poor could attend for free. When New York's economy declined in the 1870's, she self -published controversial pamphlets such as "Fifteen cent dinners for Families of Six" and "How can we live if we are moderately poor". One of her numerous cookbooks, titled Meals for the Million: The People's Cookbook, has eight oyster recipes including this one for oyster fritters, a popular inexpensive dish because it could be made with the smallest, lowest-grade shucked oysters:

    The oysters should be examined for bits of shell, and their liquor strained (I used two 8oz containers of oysters (Pacific) from Winn Dixie. They were huge! I cut them into quarters) 

    Then make a batter by mixing two cupfuls of flour, the yelk [sic] of one raw egg, a tablespoon of salad oil (I used Olive Oil), a dust of cayenne pepper, and sufficient oyster liquor to make the batter just thick enough to sustain the drops from the mixing spoon; (the liquor from the oyster containers was not enough to make the batter so I added some whole milk)

    Plenty of fat should now be heated until it is smoking;(I used about 3" of peanut oil, heated to 375 degrees). The white of the egg should be beaten stiff and gently stirred into the batter when the fat is hot, together with the oysters, either whole or chopped, and it should be put in the hot fat by large spoonful, and fried brown; the fritters when done should be laid on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease (I used a paper towel) and then served.

NOTE: I probably wouldn't make this again, Hah!  As the book alludes to, it was a good recipe for poorer folks, so they could have filled up on flour we had a difficult time tasting the Oysters.  If I was going to make another fritter, I think I'd google a Cajun style recipe - one that had more flavor, and made with Corn Meal. Or maybe just lightly batter the whole oyster and fry it so you get the oyster flavor and texture. 

Vintage Fishing: Gadabout Gaddis

 Way, Way, Way back, before cable and before streaming there was an angler  Roscoe
Vernon "Gadabout" Gaddis. who flew his plane around the country in the 1940's and 50's and 60's and fished. He took along a camera man and when he got back to his shop he'd voice over the film and produce the Flying Fisherman show for television.

He was so popular that fishing tackle companies collaborated with him to get his endorsement on their tackle These were some of those  lures with the Gadabout signature:

Coincidently, JW Lures out of Jacksonville, Florida also worked with Gadabout to sell this lure pack, note that they were going to donate some of the proceeds to Florida United Methodist Children's Home...

Gadabout  worked with author George Sullivan to write a book about his fascinating life as a pioneer in the fishing/television industry..

Here's a short video of one of is trips..

New Lucky Hat

 I was back to work today, fishing south with John Foreman and his SIL Chase and grandson Nate. We left the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early, running up the intracoastal, then up the Nassau for a quick stop at Spanish Drop where we turned into the current and worked jigs and mud minnows slowly on the bottom. We weren't getting much action and when we reached a mud drainage I wasn't expecting much but then Chase hooked up BIG!  His drag was ripping - the other two anglers cleared their lines and the fight was on! Chase played the big fish perfectly - he worked it in, let it run, worked it in, let it run, and slowly brought to the net a big 26" Slot Redfish!

We bounced down that bank hitting two or three drainages and mixed in a couple of Jacks and Ladyfish then Chase had one of those funky "thumps" - he set the hook and patiently landed a nice 18" Flounder to go in the box. And shortly after that, John had let his jig fall deep and he had a "thump, thump" and Fish ON!  The way it was making the drag rip I was thinking "small Redfish" but when John brought it to the net it was a fat 18" Seatrout with a lot of fight!

We then made a run up the river to Pumpkin Hill and switched to float rigs, drifting them long with the current. The trio of anglers tangled with some Jacks and Ladyfish, but no keeper fish, so we moved around the corner and let the current ease us along the flooded marsh grass. Chase had gone up to a submerged oyster bank with a cast and although distracted, he saw that his float was gone so he quickly caught up to it and, another Big Fish on! Boy what a battle! Chase fought it valiantly and soon subdued the big Oversized 27.5" Redfish and after photographs, we released it. 

Notice I haven't mentioned Nate's name?  Nate was making good casts and getting good drifts, but the fish were ignoring his bait. I noticed he was wearing a new hat and even commented that maybe he should have worn is "lucky" hat. But Nate didn't fall for it, and persevered! We hit a couple of small grassy islands, then came back around to stretch of grass that has been good to me and continued to drift those floats. Nate was staying diligent and when his float disappeared, he tightened up his line and let the circle hook set and, another Big Fish ON! (note, this fish was caught about 5 foot from where we got the Tournament winning Red Saturday!). Nate fought the big fish furiously, and despite the coaching he was getting from the three of us, he brought it to the net and landed a "tournament sized 26.5" Redfish- the biggest in the box! And Nate had a new lucky hat!

We made our last stop over at Jackstaff and worked a bank with the jigs and here John finished things up when he hooked and landed a keeper sized 17" Flounder. We had to work for them today, but we had fish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Get the Forecast!

 If you visit this Fishing Report regularly, or just like to be kept aware of what's going on, what's biting, new regulations, etc., and you are NOT getting the monthly newsletter, then you're missing out on the Report, The Forecast and al the news!

 The newsletter goes out once a month, usually the first Tuesday of the month, unless there is a holiday, then typically Wednesday. You don't get daily or weekly Emails, just the monthly news! There will be a "fishing report" and a "fishing forecast" along with other interesting tidbits, usually related to fishing,

Send me an Email and I will add you to the list!

Rodeo Redfish Win!

Check presentation

I don't do a lot of tournaments, mainly because it takes a different mindset to be successful, but as the

saying goes, "even a blind squirrel can find an acorn" once in a while! Yesterday Team AnglersMark won the biggest Redfish category in the Nassau Sport Fishing Association Rodeo! I was fishing with friends Chris Bremer and Brian Parent - we met early down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and launched at 6:30am with a ton of live shrimp and mud minnows and we made our way up the Nassau River to make our first stop at Twin Creeks on a high and incoming tide. We were all drifting float rigs, mixing the bait between the shrimp and minnows, but I don't think we got a real bite. We

Chris center, Brian on right at weigh in

 then ran down to Pumkin Hill where I've been getting some nice Redfish the last couple of weeks and we drifted that edge. We were all joking that if it was a "Garbage Tournament" we might place because we were catching Jacks and Ladyfish and Catfish the entire day. But both Brian and Chris had some nice hookups and landed keeper sized Seatrout to go in the box. Unfortunately, there wasn't a Seatrout category in the tournament!

The Pig Fish!

We moved down the way where we've caught Reds in the past, but not lately. We have caught some huge Trout there recently and I was hoping we'd at least get one for the box, but after a good handful of drifts I was thinking "time to move", but then a big fish hit and Fish On! It was a team effort, Brian cleared the deck, Chris manned the net and after a a good battle we brought to the boat a THICK 22" Redfish. Boy what a fish. We called him a "Pig" - he had a big hump at his tail like it had been broken  years ago, so he grew think instead of long! But due to its length, I thought it might place but surely not win -surely a 26.75" fish would be brought in, right?

We fished back thru Horsehead over at Poteat Point and picked up more trash fish and small Trout, we fished back in Jackstaff and picked up another Slot Red for the box, then we came back thru Horsehead and fished Middle River, then we fished back down the Nassau with jigs, picking up some smaller stuff, here and there.  Brian did hookup and expertly play to the boat a keeper sized Flounder which we planned to enter in the Flounder Category. 

The earliest Check In was at 2pm, up at the City Marina, so we headed north and made a stop at the bridge where we fished with the jigs. I thought I had a huge Flounder on, but my hopes were dashed when I brought to the surface a big old Toad Fish - another junk fish to go with our others! After trying to get in a small creek and thinking it might be too shallow, we made one last long run around to the outside of Tyger in hopes for a bigger Flounder - we'd been catching them there all week. I had my eye on the bank, but not on the depth finder and....right up on a mud bank we ran! Brian said I was kicking up a rooster tail of mud 20' high! Oh  Lordy, we were stuck! Luckily the boat was still floating somewhat. Chris balanced the boat out with his weight while Brian and I got out -Brian pulled and I pushed and we backed the boat off the mud... and called it a day! That was a sign! We ran back to Check In and weighed that big Slot Red in - 6.2lbs and it turned out to be the biggest brought to Weigh In for the Tournament.  Boy it was a long day but we went home with First Place in the Redfish Category!

Chris on left, Nik on right

Note! There was a "back story"! Chris's son Nik, owner of Amelia Island Bait and Tackle, was fishing on another boat, so we had a little bit of a competition in that regard. Chris said one of his goals was to "just beat Nik". We did have the biggest Redfish but Nik and his team brought in THREE big slot Reds, with one of them placing 2nd in the Redfish Category, and they had the biggest Flounder of the day to take first in that Category. It was a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

These photos were provided by Michael Kanik, High Exposure Visuals,  thanks Michael!  If you every wanted to capture the memories of that family fishing trip, or maybe what could be the last fishing trip with your parent, or teenage kids - have it professionally produced by High Exposure Visuals! 

It Could Have Been Called....

 ...the Dara Flounder Show! She put three keepers in the box and had a couple of other "shorts" during our
fishing trip today. I had her and her husband William and father Bob fishing with me today and we launched from Old Town Bait early with some gloomy skies, but hardly no wind and with a tide that was still coming in, we made our way over to the outside of Tyger and fished the whole stretch with mud minnows and live shrimp on jigs. Dara picked up two keeper sized Flounder along there - Bob added a small Flounder and a Catfish, then we had another Catfish and a small Flounder or two. 

We moved around to the other side of Tyger and fished the first of an outgoing tide with float rigs. The trio picked up another Jack Crevalle then William had a strong bite and a little bit of drag ripping. He played it patiently and brought to the net a nice Slot Redfish to add to the box. We then moved across the way and worked a couple of banks with floats then we dropped back around the corner and switched back to the jigs and this paid off when Dara hooked up with her biggest Flounder of the day - she expertly eased it to the net and landed another keeper sized Flounder. 

Our next stop was up in the Jolley, fishing jigs, then floats, then jigs. Bob caught the only Seatrout of the day - it measured right at 14 15/16" so had to go back.  We'd had our best luck on the outside of Tyger and had a few good fish in the box and with Fish Tacos on our minds, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Young Guns Rule The Day

 We were back down south today fishing out of Sawpit Creek boat ramp - I met Steve Locke, his son
Justin, and his grandsons Elliot and Landon early. We made a good run up the intracoastal, up Middle River and around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up with float rigs and live shrimp and mud minnows, drifting the flooded marsh grass on an incoming tide. Landon, the youngest angler on the boat at 6+years, quickly hooked and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle. Then his grandad had a strong bite and that drag was ripping! The big fish went deep and I thought for sure we had him, but it then made it's way back to the submerged oysters shell and BAP! Fish Off! Ouch! But Landon made up for it - he was just about to reel in when he had a "take" and it was "Fish On"!  Landon fought the big fish expertly and after a good battle landed a nice Slot Redfish. We fished a couple of spots in the area then made a move.

Our next stop was back thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point where we stuck with the float rigs. We had a few good bites but no takers so we moved back over to Jackstaff and switched to jigs and the shrimp and minnows. Elliot was fishing the minnows and had a strong bite and he hooked it up. This fish was no match for Elliot - he worked it to the net to land a hungry Catfish. Elliot had the "hot" rod for now and he took advantage of it - he went back to his sweet spot and it paid off when he had that familiar "thump". After setting the hook, he played it patiently to the net and landed a nice Flounder.

Back thru Horsehead we went and down the Nassau where we fished a few shell beds taht were beginnign to show. Again, it was Elliot that had the hookup over here and it paid off when he landed another Flounder. These young guys had "skunked" their father and grandfather - we'd had great weather, the boys had caught some fish, so as we headed back to the rampwe counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Rebound Down South

 We elected to fish south this morning in hopes for some decent gamefish and the plan produced! Yesterday my anglers worked hard and caught a bunch of fish, but we had a few too many "junk" fish for my liking. I also added 2 dozen mud minnows to the arsenal. I picked up William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsville Park (I launched at Sawpit( and we made a quick run over to Pumpkin Hill to catch the last 30 minutes of the incoming tide Dara was on the stern drifting a float and shrimp long and William followed her off the bow and I think it may have been Williams first or second pass that he hooked up and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle. Dara was out ahead again with William following when we all saw William's line "Zip" back up stream and then his drag began to rip. I had the sinking feeling that he'd hooked up with a Bonnethead, but when it didn't run far my hopes rose. William fought it like it was going to be dinner and worked it to the surface, let it run, came back to the stern and worked it around the engine, then played it patiently - Dara saw that it was a huge Redfish!  He slowly brought it to the net and landed a 28.5" Oversized Redfish, big enough to take third place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish. 

After fishing a point as the tide paused, we then made a run back to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large drainage but didn't get a real bite. We ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point and withing seconds she had a good hookup and as I was landing her keeper sized Seatrout, William hooked up and brought one in. We fished forward a bit and picked up another keeper Trout. We made a stop in Jackstaff and fished a sandy drop off and here Dara had that tell-tell "thump" - she set the hook expertly and brought to the net a nice 17" Flounder,(2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament) William followed that up with a Flounder catch of is own. Back thru Horsehead we went, over to Back River where we drifted floats at a couple of spots. 

We fished some docks at Nassauville and even thought the wind was beginning to kick up a bit, we
made our way down the Nassau and set up at a drainage to fish the now exposed oysters. William had a strong bite, battled it while the drag was ripping, then it was gone! Ouch. But Dara followed with a good cast to the same spot and, Big Fish ON!  This one was ripping drag too and it got back in the current and made a fight out of it. But Dara was up to the challenge and worked it to the boat patiently and soon landed a nice 25" Slot sized Redfish. I didn't know it but while she was fighting her fish William had a Flounder on hold at the side of the boat and it took advantage of the delay and thru the hook! We had some good battles today, had a few in the box, had thrown back a big one so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Scoured The Bottom

 I was back to work today, fishing north after meeting Sal and Ginney Dickinson up at Old Town Bait and
Tackle early this morning. We had clear skies, no real rain predicted, and winds increasing to 12 mph as the day wore on. We made our first run over to Lanceford Creek and fished a large drainage, then a slim island of grass with float rigs and live shrimp, but only had a nibble, if you could call it that. After moving back down Lanceford we set up at another drainage and after a few casts Sal "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and expertly landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout. 

We then made the run up the Bell River and when we got up-river we fished between some docks. The duo hauled in a few Catfish, then Ginney hooked and landed a small Sea Bass. After easing closer and fishing back to the dock pilings Sal hooked and landed the ugliest fish of the day, a Toad Fish. We dropped back a few docks and fished them with the jigs and shrimp and found a small Black "puppy" Drum to bite.

Our next stop was around in the Jolley where we went back to float rigs for a bit, then back up the Jolley where we worked an exposed oyster bank with the jigs. Here we landed another couple of Black Drum and tangled with a high flying Ladyfish. Back down the Jolley we pulled up at the "Bank" and fished it pretty good with those jigs and here we had a bit of excitement - Ginney had a strong take that started ripping drag, heading down river. It was all Ginney could do to keep that rod bent - she followed the fish from the bow back to the stern and fought it from there. After a good, patient battle, she brought to the boat a big 4' Bonnethead Shark that we photographed and released.  My plan was to work the outside of Tyger for Flounder as the last stop but as we rounded the corner we were in white caps so we made our way in behind Tyger Island and fished the logs on that last of the outgoing tide. The duo were getting good casts but we had no takers so we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be out fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

A Fish So Big It Warranted A New Bragging Rights Category

 I knew that the Bragging Rights standings couldn't hold - we've had some big fish caught this year but
none of the Categories were headed by sizes that usually win for the year so I knew that sooner or later we'd get a big one. But first, we had a big one caught that I've never categorized - the big Black Drum. I think I've left it out because we could fish for those monsters in April and May and get 40,50, 60 pounders which would be tough to beat. But today we did get a 16 pound drum on my size 1000 reel and boy was it a battle!

I had met Fred and Chad Wammock up at Old Town Bait and Tackle early and we made along run up the Bell River to fish a deep bend with jigs and live shrimp on the last of an outgoing tide. I was looking for Seatrout and the spot didn't disappoint - the duo caught a good handful of them, one of which was of keeper size. . They also picked up a couple of Catfish so when Fred had a strong bite that was digging deep hard I thought for sure it was just going to be a massive Catfish, dang it. Fred stayed with it and patiently wore the big fish out and eventually worked it up where we saw it was a huge Black Drum - so big that we couldn't even call it a "puppy" Drum! It measured 31" and weighed 16lbs on my Boga. I created a "Special Appearance" on my Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Board just for this fish! Scroll down the right side of this report for standings. 

We then made our way around to the Jolley River and fished the MOA, but didn't have much luck there. After crossing over to JC's spot we did better. Much better. We hadn't fished the exposed shell long when it was Chad's turn to have the big battle. This fish was ripping line and when it rolled a couple of times we new it was a big Redfish and boy was it. Chad stayed with it and worked it in patiently and soon landed a 32.25" Redfish, which tops the Bragging Rights Board for Redfish caught this year. 

We fished down at the Jolley Bank where the duo picked up another keeper Trout and a keeper Black "puppy" Drum. After dropping back and fishing Tyger Point with floats and getting another Trout or two, we ended the day back at Tyger logs where they topped off the day by catching a hungry Flounder for a Grande Slam - Seatrout, Redfish, Black Drum, and Flounder. We had a beautiful day, had s few fish in the box, had caught some big fish for memories and so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Scuttlebutt: Sawpit Boat Ramp Again In Dire Straits

 I'm not sure if I make my point clear in the video - I don't have a prepared script. In a nutshell, you'd think from all the news reports about our State of Florida's thriving economy that State could at least maintain the assets that they have, much less provide decent facility for we boaters to access the water. Those access's are severely limited in our area - the Fernandina City marina is hindered by its poor location,  traffic and parking issues. The County's Goffinsville Park is closed for 9-12 months due to poor planning and engineering. The County's Dee Dee Bartels Park is dangerous to your boat and guests due to boat wakes, and once again, the Big Talbot Island State Park ramp at Sawpit is going to pot.

Rolling To A Good Week

 After running up Lanceford to Oyster Bay, I picked up Kenny King, John Raker and John's mother Betty
at their dock then we made a long run back down Lanceford, up the Bell and around to the Jolley to make our first stop at the MOA just as the tide started back in. We were fishing jigs and shrimp and in short order Kenny had hooked and landed two Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size. Betty, fishing off the stern in her customary chair, had a nice strong bite right under the boat -she battled it to the surface and landed an angry Catfish. Betty also had a long battle with a big Bonnethead Shark - she and John teamed up on it and landed it for pictures and release. 

We moved across the river and fished a bend of oysters where John picked up a feisty Redfish and a small Sea Bass. Kenny added a small Croaker to the catch list. We then ran down the Jolley and fished the "bank" and towards the mouth both Kenny and John hooked and landed Redfish, one being in the Slot. We went back up the river to Snook Creek and switched to floats. John went up into the mouth of the creek and quickly caught a Seatrout while Kenny put a small Flounder in the boat. 

We ended the day on the outside of Tyger and it was a pretty good ending. Kenny's first or second cast into the mouth of a drainage produced a keeper sized Flounder, then they caught another one or two, then as we eased up the bank Betty had a good hookup and landed another keeper sized Flounder. Another Seatrout was caught then John had a drag ripping bite - he worked it in patiently and landed the biggest Red of the day, a nice 21" Slot fish. It had been a beautiful day, we had a  nice box of fish, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Slammed It at the End

 I fished with Jim Leshinski this morning, meeting him up at Old Town Bait and Tackle early and just as the tide had started in, we headed out of Egans Creek and made our way up to the Jolley River to escape the crowds. After running a ways up the Jolley we made our first stop at the MOA began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the exposed oyster bars. We worked around them back to front, then back and there Jim had a strong thump - he set the hook and landed a nice Seatrout. He went back to the same location and within minutes he had another strong thump and this one put up a good fight. Jim worked it patiently to the boat and landed a nice 18" Seatrout. We fished across the bend at JC's spot, then ran back down the river and fished the "bank" with the jigs. Jim had a huge battle with a 20lb Bonnethead on that light outfit, and boated it for pictures and release -all fish caught today were released.

We came back to Snook Creek and fished that with float rigs and picked up a small Flounder then we
moved back down to Tyger Cut where we had some good action. Jim hooked and landed another couple of Trout, then went long to pick up a big 19"+ oversized Trout, then battled another 4' Bonnethead to the boat. Our final stop was around on the outside of Tyger where we worked along the flooded bank - Jim picked up two more Flounder, one of which was of keeper size, then he had a strong take and got some drag ripping before he landed an "almost legal" Redfish to round out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam. We had beautiful weather for the first three day of this week, had put some fish in the boat today, and so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

New Strategy Pays Off

 

After yesterday's dismal luck fishing Broward Island's downed logs we decided to go a different route and fish shell beds using jigs on the lower tides and float rigs on the higher tides, and it paid off with some good action!  I met John Raker, his mother Betty and their friend Kenny down at Sawpit Creek and after running up the intracoastal, turning up the Nassau River, we made our first stop at Spanish Drop and turned into the current. All three anglers were pitching jigs and live shrimp and about half way up the bank Kenny hit paydirt and hooked up and landed a nice feisty Redfish.  We moved down the bank to Twin Creeks and worked it good and here both Kenny put

two Slot Reds in the boat and Betty added one of her own - we had our limit! Along the way we battled Bonnethead Sharks, Jack Crevalle, a keeper sized Flounder, and high flying Ladyfish. 

We then ran down to Pumpkin Hill and went with float rigs and picked up a couple of Seatrout, battled some more Shark and Jacks and Ladyfish, then John battled a huge Redfish for a good while before it managed to break off. They added a small Black "puppy drum" to the catch total, too. Back up at Bubblegum Reef we worked the bank with the floats and here Kenny had his battle with a big Redfish and this one too figured how to throw the

hook. But we had had a beautiful day, had some nice fish in the box, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Last Minute Big Red

 My computer power cord went out yesterday and I wasn't able to post the trip! I got another cord today so I'm back in business,  here's a brief report from yesterday...

I met Chris Sorah and his dad Ken down at Sawpit Creek on a beautiful early morning and we  made a long run up the Nassau and up to Broward Islands to catch the first of an incoming tide. Bad first pick. The conditions were outstanding - clear skies, almost zero breeze, and a slow incoming tide - you'd think we'd catch fish, right? We didn't have much of a nibble until finally, Ken "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a 17 15/16" Redfish. We ran further up the river and dipped into a creek and fished some downed logs there and this time, not even a bite. The logs and islands just werent working. 

We then broke out the float rigs and drifted the flooding marsh grass at Pumpkin Hill and this did the trick. The duo picked up a handful of Seatrout with one of them being of keeper size. Chris had big fish on that I felt sure was a huge Seatrout - Chris played her perfectly but she threw the hook. Ouch. We moved down the way and fished a grassy finger that seems to produce big Trout on occasion and it didn't disappoint! On Chris's first drift, BAM! Big Fish ON! He worked it patiently to the boat and landed an oversized 19"+ Trout. 

We fished back down the Nassau and picked up a Jack or two, and had a big Shark fight, then as we
were about to wrap up Chris had his float disappear and that drag began to sing!  I keep being wrong - I thought for sure it was another Shark, but like Chris said, "it ran hard but not long" and sure enough, when he wore the fish out and brought it to the net - it was a bruiser of a 26" Redfish, boy what a fish, the biggest Red I've had in a while. And with that, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

After the Flood

 

We were off for a couple of days enduring some serious rainfall which was much needed - I talked to a friend that said he had 5" of rain at his house! But we had clear skies today after an early morning fog - I had met Walter Mann and his fishing partner Bobby down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We eased up the intracoastal, made a run up thru Middle River and around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up with float rigs and live shrimp to fish the very last of an incoming tide. Bobby "knocked the skunk off" early with a feisty Bluefish catch and later we picked  up a small Jack Crevalle. We fished around the corner for a bit, then headed over to Seymore's Pointe where we caught the first of an outgoing tide - boy they were getting good drifts, the land mass blocked the breeze and it was almost ideal, except the fish didn't cooperate!

We then ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point where we worked along the bank. Walter had the hot spot off the stern where he hooked up and landed a handful of Seatrout, a couple of which were of keeper size. He also battled a big Bonnethead shark to the boat where we quick released it. Back over in Jackstaff we picked up a couple of more Jacks, then we finished the day up back in the Nassau. The water was muddy from all that rain and the fish weren't' real hungry, but we caught a few and the sun was out so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Recipe of the Month: Seafood Bake

 My wife and I found these two vintage Glasbake dishes in an antique booth at our recent Shrimp Festival and I've been thinking about some sort of "bake" to go in them ever since! I found this pretty easy recipe on the internet...

Blend of the Bayou —Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, Louisiana
 
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. 

Bake: 25 min.
YIELD: 8 servings.
 
 
Ingredients
 
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cans (6 ounces each) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup cooked rice
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 12 crackers)
 
Directions
 
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, cook and stir cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted and smooth.
2. In a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, saute onion, celery and green pepper in remaining butter until tender. Stir in shrimp, crab, soup, rice, mushrooms, garlic salt, pepper sauce, cayenne and cream cheese mixture.
3. Combine cheddar cheese and cracker crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 25-30 minutes.

Read more about vintage Glasbake, Pyrex and Fire King products HERE

See More Recipe's HERE

Quick Start and No Spot

 It's almost shorts weather - the high today was around 85 and I could tell it in my jeans. I had met Pete Nolan and his fishing buddy Jeff down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early but we had to "putter" up the intracoastal due to the fog being so thick. But as we got further up the Nassau River we were able to crank it up and get to our first stop around at Middle River where we set up along a shoreline and drifted float rigs on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours - the oysters were just beginning to show. It didn't take long and we were getting fish - Pete was drifting off the bow and picked up handful of hungry Seatrout. We then dropped back across the river mouth and fished another grass line and here Jeff was

out front and it paid off. He went up to some sparse grass with an excellent cast and there was no debate when that float disappeared. Jeff cranked down on the slack, lifted his rod and let the circle hook set and Fish On!  Jeff worked it patiently to the boat and landed a nice 20" Slot Redfish. Only a minute later, Pete went in to the same spot and BAM! He had a good hookup and expertly played it to the boat. This Red was almost identical in size to Jeff's but this one had zero spots! That's a sure winner in most Redfish Spot Tournaments! We were on a roll. Or so we thought.

Our next stop was down the Nassau where we fished a large drainage with jigs, but to no avail. Then we worked Spanish Drop where Jeff hauled in a Catfish. We fished rocks at Nassauville, dock pilings at Seymore's Pointe and exposed banks over in Jackstaff and caught some small Seabass, a Ladyfish, and a small Jack Crevalle. Although the gamefish didn't cooperate, the flog had cleared off, we had no wind, and a couple of fish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.