These will be short - it's getting late and I've got a trip early tomorrow...
I fished with Cal early today, meeting him out at Goffinsville Park boat ramp for a fishing trip and then a tour of the area - he's a new property owner and wanted to check the river out. We hit Twin Creeks down the Nassau and drifted floats with the current - Cal caught on to the game early and knocked the rust off his cast in no time. We had no bites, just nibbles, so we moved on. Over at Pumpkin Hill we hit paydirt.
Cal was getting excellent drifts and it paid off. He began to get keeper sized Seatrout, one of which was right at 20" - all fish caught on this trip were released. We caught a good number of fish before we moved on to the tour - we visited Broward Island, Seymore's Point, ran thru Horsehead and over to the Intracoastal, then down to Nassau Sound and the bridges before making our way back up the Nassau and to Goffinsville Park. It was a great day to be out fishing and touring the waters of Amelia Island.
This afternoon I fished with John Raker and his mother Betty, after having a lunch of cold pizza! It was an afternoon of quality over quantity! The tide was going out so we motored across the way to Back River and found an outflow to fish - John caught a small Redfish and Betty picked up a small Trout. Over at Twin Creeks we went to jigs, didn't get much, so moved down to a drainage where Betty perfected the "Betty Twirl" - a technique where she spins in the rear seat, brings the rod over her head, and the battle is back on! She expertly landed a bulky 25" Slot Redfish! Back at Nassauville John hooked up and landed a nice 19" Flounder (out of season) and down at Broward he followed that up with another Flounder, this one right at 16". We finished up the day north of Broward, working a bank. John caught a feisty Redfish and then a hungry Seatrout then Betty finished things up with another Slot Redfish, this one measuring at 23". We had some good fish caught this afternoon so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Boy what a beautiful morning! I met Bob Kossman and his friend Shelly down at Sawpit Creek early this morning - that time change makes it perfect for these cool mornings. We ran up the intracoastal, turned up the Back River and made our way around to Pumpkin Hill - set up today where the sun's glare wasn't so much in our eyes and it paid off. We had a good Trout bite - most of them undersized, but I think we did get one keeper sized. We moved around the corner, drifted our live shrimp on that last of an incoming tide, and had another couple of Trout caught. We then moved up the Nassau and fished a "pocket" with the float rigs and just as the tide came to a halt, BAM! Big Fish On! Bob was on the rod and fought it valiantly. It was ripping drag up in the shallows but then it came to the boat and Bob had to quickly take th slack up, then it ran under the boat and it was nip and tuck there for a while. But Bob stayed with it and eventually boated a 7-spot 25" bulky Slot Redfish. Boy what a battle!
We then made our way down the Nassau and around Seymores Point and set up at a large drainage. I was hoping for the best - this spot has NOT been producing, but today was an exception. Shelly picked up a keeper sized Seatrout after a good drift, then she hooked up and battled a hard fighting keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum to the boat, which made it an Amelia Island Back Country Slam for the boat. We tossed back a handful of smaller Seatrout before we moved on.
After running thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point we drifted that stretch of grass with the floats and caught another couple of Trout, one of which was of keeper size. Back over at Jackstaff we finally switched to the jigs but didn't get much, other than a small Ray. Our last stop was back over in the Nassau River, specifically Twin Creeks and here we had a good flurry of Trout catches and then Shelly boated the first Flounder of the day-14" but out of season, but still it made for a Grande Slam! We had sunny skies, the wind never was a real issue, and we had a good mess 'o 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.
I fished Friday to wrap the week up - it was a bit cool when I met Willam and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsville Park. We made a good run down the Nassau and thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point to make our first stop and I'm glad I had my heavier North Face on! The tide was still up so we went with float rigs and worked the grass. Not much was happening but Dara did pick a up a feisty Redfish to "knock the skunk off". We came back to Jackstaff and pitched to a large outflow. Dara said she saw some movement up in a pocket of grass, made a cast and missed, but she quickly went back to it and BAM! Another feisty Redfish was caught.
The wind wasn't real strong but it was blowing almost 10 and with it being cool it was a little uncomfortable. So we ran back thru Horsehead and began to work some docks at Seymore's. I'd pull in and let them fish the docks on either side of us, back out, moved down a dock and do it again. We were on about the 5th dock when William, after having made a great cast up into the pilings, had a strong "thump" and he had a hookup. He worked it at and played it tot he net to land a nice 20" Seatrout. Before I could get it unhooked Dara was hooked up. She brought in another keeper Trout and then for a while they were catching and landing Seatrout. I was huffing and puffing before it was over with! They finished with five keeper Trout in the box.
We moved down the Nassau and fished some drainages with jigs and shrimp and minnows. Dara hauled in a sizable Flounder (out of season) and William battled a what was probably a big Redfish for a good few minutes before it threw the hook. OUCH! It will have to be caught another day! The sun was up, we had some 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.
It was a bit chilly today! So much so that I ditched the fleece and went with the insulated North Face, and I'm glad I did! I met Bryan Roach and his fishing crew William and Shane up at Old Town Bait and Tackle and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made a run down the intracoastal to fish some structure on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours. We went with jigs and minnows and shrimp tossed up close to some rocks. The bite wasn't "on fire" but we did get a big fish - Shane had gone up to the edge with an excellent cast, felt the "thump", set the hook, and patiently brought to the net a big 18" Flounder - out of season but still a nice fish to "knock the skunk off"! Almost at the same time Bryan was battling to the boat a nice feisty Redfish. We fished that area for a while, then ran back to Piney Island and fished some dock pilings, but had just nibbles.
Back at Soap Creek we stuck with the jigs - the oysters were really showing. Brian kicked it off with a Redfish catch, then the trio caught and landed a handful those smaller Redfish, a Seatrout, and another Flounder. We then made the long run back down Lanceford and up the Bell to fish some dock. Shane piut a nice keeper sized Seatrout in the boat. Around the corner and into the Jolley, at JC's Spot we set up and fished some oyster shells with a couple of gaps draining the marsh. Even though the wind was kicking up we still caught a good handful of fish - Redfish, Trout and again, Flounder. One of those Reds William hauled in was of Slot size and then he wrapped it up with another 18" Flounder catch - that was two big ones that had to go back! I think we had 4-5 Flounder for the day. We headed back to the ramp - it was cool but sunny, we had a couple of fish in the box, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
There was no real rain forecasted for today but it misted the entire morning. The horizon stayed foggy and it was a bit cool which made for a dreary day to be out on the water. BUT, the fishing was great! I had met Ray Pinkston and his fishing buddies Jim and Tommy down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and we then made a short run up the Nassau to make our first stop at Spanish Drop with just an hour left on the falling tide. The anglers began pitching jigs and shrimp and minnows to the exposed shell bank but all they got for their efforts was the "tap, tap, tap" of bait stealers. With no fish caught a shadow of doubt began to creep in.
That was short lived though! We moved up at a large drainage with Ray and Tommy pitching to the middle of the drain while Jim worked the back edge and it was Jim who got hot quickly. He caught a couple of feisty Redfish then a good handful of hungry Seatrout, then finally, one that was of keeper size. Up at the bow the fish catching picked up. Ray got hot with the Seatrout and worked thru a good handful of smaller ones to get a good keeper. With Flounder season being closed, wouldn't you know the trio put a few Flounder in the boat, with a couple of them being over 14"! We stayed there for while and caught some fish!
Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's where we got a few nibblers, a bait stealer, and moved on. Down at Broward on the first of the incoming kicked things off again. Tommy came alive! He caught a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum, then a hard fighting 22" Slot Redfish. Jim followed that up with another keeper sized Black Drum and Ray added another 17" Seatrout. Again, legal sized Flounder were caught. After fishing on the south end with an eagle, we made one more stop back at Nassauville.
Tossing to a drainage and working it out paid off. Some more Trout were caught and then a nice sized Weakfish to top the box off. Also caught today were a couple of small Sea Bass, a Bluefish, a Catfish, and a Toadfish. Although the day was nasty with the weather, we had caught a bunch of fish, had a few in the box so as we headed back to Sawpit we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I've got a short week with prepping for the AIGA Inshore Classic - Captain's Meeting tomorrow 6pm at Old Town Bait and Tackle. We had a bit of wind to deal with today but my anglers, Mike and Sharon Conlon were up for the challenge with support from their pup Foxxy! We met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and eased out of Eagans Creek to make our first run over to Lanceford Creek where we set up alongside a grassy/shell island with plans to drift float rigs and live shrimp (and a few mud minnows) on a tide that had been going out a couple of hours. Both anglers were getting good drifts and it paid off - Mike had his float disappear - he caught up the slack, lifted his rod and let the circle hook set and Fish On! Mike played it expertly and after a good battle brought to the net a nice 23" Slot sized Redfish. Dinner in the box! Not a bad way to knock the skunk off, right? We kept at it and just a few minutes Mike had another hookup and....another Slot Red. They had their limit in the first 15 minutes of fishing.
We fished around the corner at David's house, had no luck, then made along run back down Lanceford, uip the Bell and to some docks where we switched to jigs and shrimp, and minnows. It wasn't on fire but the duo caught a handful of Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size. Sharon got in on the action and caught a couple of those Trout.
On around the corner, and down the Jolley River, we made another stop at a bend in the river with some exposed oyster shell and here we got busy catching fish! They caught a handful of Redfish, three of which were in the Slot, a handful of Seatrout, two of which were of keeper size, and a nice keepable Weakfish. One of those Redfish Mike had hooked up and was bringing in and I realized that Sharon had a fish on too - we had a "double". I quickly netted Mike's Redfish, tossed it on the deck, then went to Sharon who we realized had a Big "Doormat" Flounder - It measured right at 20" - a great fish but unfortunately, out of season! After fishing the MOA for a bit on the last of an outgoing tide we made the run around Tyger and back to the dock, and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Islnad, Florida.
It's almost downhill when your first fish of the day is an oversized Redfish! I had met Scott Carter and his father-in-law Gary down at Sawpit Creek late this morning - we wanted to take advantage of some warmer weather and an outgoing tide. It was at the top of the tide when we arrived up at Pumpkin Hill and set out float rigs as the tide eased to a stop. I was hoping for Seatrout, and expecting them, but we had no real takers. We moved around a point and again drifted floats (slowly) and when Scott's float disappeared and his drag began to rip we knew it was a big fish. I'm about 50/50 on my guesses lately and I guessed this one wrong -"SHARK, I called it". Boy was a I wrong. This fish went long and deep and back again, ripping drag. Eventually we saw it was a huge Redfish. Scott worked it in and landed the 32.5" Oversized Redfish and put himself in a three way tie for First Place in the Anglers Mark 2025 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings.)
We made our next stop over in Nassauville and switched to jigs and here Gary came on strong! He hooked and brought to the boat a Flounder, then probably one of the biggest Weakfish I've ever had on the boat, and then a small Sea Bass. Scott put a couple of Flounder in the boat, one which would have made "keeper" if it wasn't out of season, then he thought he was hung up on the bottom, but it moved! I saw his rod as he worked it in and it bounced every once in a while. Scott kept the pressure on and sure enough, when it came to the surface, we saw it was a Door Mat! The big Flounder made a couple of runs when it saw the boat, but luckily Scott kept that pressure on, and eventually landed a 25.5" Flounder, a fish that blows him right into the Bragging Rights lead for that category. Boy what fish. Note that Scott had the biggest Flounder last year, too!
We hit a couple of drainages down the Nassau, tossing the jigs, had some nibbles, caught an undersized Redfish and enjoyed the sunshine, then we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I was back to work today - it was a pretty day but just a bit windy. I met Dan Streitz and his sons Dan andDavid down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp. The wind was blowing around 10mph and expected to get up to about 12, so fishable, but challenging. And these guys were up to the challenge! We made a run up the intracoastal, kept left and went up thru Back River, and then around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up alongside a bank that still had an hour or so of the tide to hit high. Drifting float rigs with live shrimp, the trio had a nibble or two, then first fish on, and it was a big one! Dan Sr. was on the rod and that drag was ripping, what a great way to start a trip! Dan played it perfectly, worked it in and wore it out and soon landed an Oversized 29.5" Redfish. That's the way to make a statement to knock the skunk off!
Young Dan followed that up with a big bite of his own. He fought the fish expertly and I was thinking "another big Redfish" but as he worked it to the net we saw that it was a big hard fighting Jack Crevalle. Moving around the corner we drifted those floats long and it paid off. David got on the board with a hungry Seatrout catch, then the other two got in on the action and landed a good handful of the Trout, one of which was of keeper size.
When the tide was changing back at Nassauville, we came back and fished a large outflow at Seymore's Pointe - had some nibbles, but no takers, so we continued on thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point where we worked that bank thoroughly and picked up another Trout, and a ....Catfish, and a small Flounder. Our final stop was back over in Jackstaff, fishing a "cut" that has newly opened. this spot has paid off in the last couple of months - out of the 5 times we've fished it at least 4 of them have produced a decent fish, and today didn't disappoint! We switched to jigs and the shrimp and in just a few casts we had a strong hookup Dan Sr was on the rod (again) and by the way it was pulling we knew it was big. I saw it come to the surface and saw it was a big Gator Trout. Dan kept that pressure on and worked it to the net and landed a big 22" Seatrout -big enough to put him in 2nd Place in the Anglers Mark 2025 Bragging Rights Tournament- Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). And to top it off, Dan sandwiched that big fish with a keeper sized (but tossed back due to closed season) Flounder to round out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam. We had met the challenge of some wind, put some good fish in the boat, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I was a little concerned when I checked the weather last night for todays fishing trip. It called for a bit of wind at 11mph, rising to 16mph as the day progressed. But when I killed the alarm and looked at it again over my yogurt and granola it had dropped down to 8mph, rising to 14mph. I met Will Hacker and his step father Doug up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp as the sun came up and we eased out of Eagans Creek and made a run over to Lanceford Creek to fish a grassy spot on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours. The two anglers were getting nibbles and more nibbles on their float rigs and live shrimp, but no takers. We moved on over to seawall and pitched to it and here they "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch.
We then dropped back to Soap Creek and fished an oyster island. Doug was casting up alongside the island while Will went in behind it and both tactics paid off. Doug put a good handful of hungry Seatrout in the boat and Will picked up another Redfish or two. But once that tide got down to where the shell were really showing the Reds turned on - both anglers began to catch Redfish, one after the other. Most were undersized but Doug put a couple of Slot sized fish in the boat. We probably could have stayed there for another hour but we were blowing thru out bait!
After a long run back down Lanceford, then up the Bell, we set up between two docks and switched to jigs and shrimp. Will got hot on the stern of the boat and caught a handful of Seatrout and another Red, and a 16" Flounder (season closed today for a month and a half!) Then he had a stronger bite and battled to the boat a big 18" Seatrout. We made our way further up the Bell, into the Jolly, and stopped at JC's spot and now that predicted wind was kicking! I went right to the "honey hole" and it paid off - the duo caught a handful of small Redfish, then Doug had a strong bite and this one was ripping drag, Big Fish On! As he fought it Will yelled, "fish ON!" and he too had a big fish hooked up. Doug patiently played his to the net and landed a nice 23" Slot Red - I netted it, dumped it on the deck, then ran up and netted Will's - a Big 22" Seatrout! This puts Will in 2nd Place in the Anglers Mark 2025 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings) We fished and caught more RedsIand a Black Drum for a Grand Slam) until we ran out of bait, then moved to artificial Z-Man baits and caught one more Redfish. I asked the guys how many Reds they thought we caught today and it was a consensus - "30 Redfish!"
That wind was over 14 as we headed back - there were some serious white caps and we got sprayed a few times as we made our way to the dock, but we had caught a bunch of fish, had a few in the box, so we counted it as another great day fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
After almost a weeks' worth of windy and rainy weather, we had a beautiful one today! I had met Hank Prolog and his fishing buddies Ron and Harry down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and with the tide almost at the bottom, we ran up the intracoastal and then up the Nassau to make our first stop at a nice drainage with plans to pitch jigs and live shrimp. NOTE, even though it was right at low tide, the oysters were barely showing,
Although we didn't get anything real big today, these anglers stayed with it and it paid off with some good action, here and there. We fished along the Nassau a few spots, then ran down to Broward and fished the last of the outgoing there, then up the river to a small creek, then back out to Pumpkin Hill where we switched to float rigs and the shrimp. We lost count of the small but feisty Redfish we caught - I guessed 8-9 Reds, and a small Trout, a small Flounder, a small Black Drum, a Catfish a handful of "baitstealers" and a small Sea Bass, then finally Ron hooked up and landed a keeper sized Black Drum for ceviche!
It had been a beautiful day and we had some action so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I was back down at the south end today, fishing with the Soper Team - Larry and his sons Garrett and Dustin. We left the Sawpit Creek boat ramp as the sun came up and made a long run up the Nassau to make our first stop at Broward Island. The tide still had a few minutes of going out so we set up on the south end and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the edge. It wasn't long before Larry "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up an landed a feisty Flounder. We were thinking that was pretty good! We saw some bait getting smashed over by a drainage so we worked over that way - Garrett had made a good cast to a point and BAM! That drag was ripping! Garrett kept the pressure on but all he could do was hold on to that 6'6" rod with the Florida Fishing Products size 1000 reel, spooled with 10lb braid. The big fish rolled a couple of times then dug deep out into the river but Garrett stayed with it and worked it to the boat to land and Oversized 29" Redfish, boy wat a fish!
After moving up north and fishing a couple of spots, and right before we left, Larry had a good "bump" and set the hook on a nice feisty Redfish. We then made our way back down the Nassau to Twin Creeks where we stuck with the jigs and shrimp. Larry stayed with the hot hand when he hauled in a keeper sized Flounder to go in the box. We moved down to another drainage, fished it for a bit then moved further down to Spanish Drop and switched to float rigs. We had some good action at a point of grass, getting a small Red, a keeper sized Seatrout that Dustin hauled in, and a couple of Ladyfish.
Back up the river we went, staying with the floats and this paid off. Dustin had a strong hookup after
getting a good drift along the grass and patiently worked to the boat a nice Slot Redfish. Garrett battled a Bonnethead Shark to the boat for photographs and release, and Dustin had another battle with a big Red, but alas, it was not to be! Fish Off! We wrapped the day up over in Jackstaff, working the bank with the floats, and fiddling with baitstealers and Ladyfish. But we had a good morning with great weather and had a few fish in the box so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Boy what a pretty day we had...sunshine, just a slight breeze, and mild temperatures. I had met Brian Ahrens and his sons Henry and Oscar down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp on a tide that had just started in. We made a long run up the Nassau to make our first stop at Broward Island - it was a gamble but it paid off! Oscar had gone in first with a cast and Henry followed him in...Oscar must have "chummed him up" because Henry had a good bend in his rod and his line began to rip and Big Fish On! Henry played him perfectly and after a good battle landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish. Skunk off the boat! Early!
We caught a few fish at that first spot - Oscar reeled in a feisty Redfish and Brian hauled in a keepable Croaker. We moved down a bit and fished then moved further down the island. Henry went off the stern and had a weird "thump", hooked it up and brought to the net a keeper sized Flounder. We caught a couple of more fish there - Croaker, and a small Redfish, then moved on.
Back down at Spanish Drop we worked a bank with the jigs, had a few nibbles, but when we switched to floats we got good action. The trio caught Jack Crevalle, Bluefish, Seatrout (these fish were fat but just undersized), and another Flounder. We then moved upriver to Twin Creeks and drifted the floats and it was Oscar's turn to get the big (and keeper fish). He hooked up and expertly landed another keeper sized Flounder. Brian battled what I thought was a Shark by the way it ran, ripping drag, but as he wore it out and brought it to the boat we saw it was a big Jack Crevalle.
We finished the day down at the "super secret spot" but the sun was up, it was getting a bit warm and the fish had gone on siesta. But as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Boy you can feel that fall weather in the air! It wasn't quite "nippy" this morning but it definitely was a bit cooler which made for a fine fishing day here at Amelia Island. I had met Alex and Kelly Mckinney and their son-in-law Kyle up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp as the sun came up and we headed out of Eagans Creek thinking we'd make our first stop over in Lanceford Creek fishing some docks. We fished it good - all three anglers were getting good casts up under the pilings but all we managed was a measly Catfish.
We came out of there and made a long run back to the Bell River, up it all the way to the docks, and fished that outgoing current with jigs and live shrimp and here Alex hooked up with a couple of hungry Seatrout. Continuing on around into the Jolley, we made a stop at JC's Spot and worked the oysters which were now exposed. Alex stayed hot and hooked up with a couple of feisty Redfish, then he hauled in a rather large Whiting. Both Kyle and Kelly brought to the boat a couple of Croaker that we could have kept but we tossed them back.
After moving over to the MOA, things got busy! Almost immediately we began to get hookups. Kyle found a "honey hole" between the two shell mounds and expertly landed three Black "puppy" Drum, two of which were of keeper sized. All three caught a handful of those feisty Redfish, not quite big enough to keep but fun to catch. At one time Kelly and Kyle had a "double" hookup with both landing Redfish. Kyly hooked up and landed his first ever Flounder. The trio had an Amelia Island Grande Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, Black Drum and Flounder.
Our final stop was over behind Tyger Island, fishing the logs, where they wrapped up catching two more feisty Redfish and Kyle "threaded a needle" between two logs to catch a wayward Seabass. It had been a beautiful day, we had some good action and few 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.
After a long week out in Colorado to see my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids, I was back on the water today with the Bailey boys - Douglas and his sons Anderson and Dylan. We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early then ran up the intracoastal, up the Back River, and around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up tossing float rigs and mud minnows. Anderson jumped up on the stern platform and made an excellent cast to the left of a grass clump - it drifted down along side it and BAM! Float gone~ and it was a nice fish! Anderson played it perfectly and patiently and after a good battle he landed a nice 22.25" Slot Redfish. First Cast of the day!
We drifted that stretch a good number of times and had nibbles here and there, then Anderson, not giving up the stern, went looooong with a drift and had another take -we could tell it was a nice fish when it rolled up. He worked it in slowly and landed another 22.5" Slot Redfish. We then moved up to a point and drifted the other side and Anderson stayed hot. He had made a cast up to the grass, worked it out when it snagged, let it drift and, float gone again. He caught up to it and had the hookup, then brought to the net a nice keeper sized Seatrout.
We fished further down the Nassau, then ran over to Seymore's Pointe and drifted a point of grass, to no avail, then ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point. We worked up the grass then back down and had zero bites, then we came over to Jackstaff "bank" and worked along it. Somewhere amongst those spots we caught a couple of Catfish and Ladyfish but when we crossed over the creek and switched to jigs we finally hit paydirt. Dylan had made a good cast up into the cut - was hopeing for a bite when he got further out but he had a strong bite right when it hit the water and, Fish On! Dylan worked it in on this lighter outfit, let it run, worked it in, then brought to the net another 23" Slot Red - they had their limit! Douglas picked up a Seatrout fishing off the stern and out deeper.
We ran back thru Horsehead and back up to Back River and switched back to floats where Dougals hooked up and landed a nice13 Spot Redfish. We fished between two docks at Littlefield, then made our way down the Nassau. The trio had a few Ladyfish hookups then Douglas added another Redfish to his catch total, then Dylan wrapped things up with two hungry Flounder catches. We had a beautiful morning, had some good 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.
After last week's heat, today's weather was a blessing, albeit kind of spooky - there were storms to the eastof us and storms to the west of us, but we stayed dry and safe the entire morning. I had met William Waldman up at Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made our way up and around to the Bell River, set up along a point of submerged oysters, and began to toss and drift float rigs on the last hour and a half of an incoming tide. William got bites right off - he hooked and brought to the net a handful of hungry Seatrout, a handful of high flying Ladyfish, and a....Catfish.
We were waiting for that tide to change so we made a quick run over to Lanceford Creek and stuck with the float rigs - not much was happening other than a Pinfish bite. Back down Lanceford we came, up the Bell and thru Tyger around to the outside of Tyger. The wind had picked up out of the north and with the tide starting out it was really kicking up - felt like we were out at the jetties! The float got a few bites but no takers then we switched to jigs and live shrimp and William, fishing off the stern had a nice "bump" - he set the hook and battled to the boat a nice feisty Redfish.
Our next stop was up the Jolley River where we positioned the boat alongside a grass line at the mouth of a large drainage. William was working the bank - he had to be close with his cast or that north wind would push him off. We saw his bait get attacked and then his float disappeared and Fish On! This fish was ripping drag and heading east! William kept the pressure on, turned him, then battled the fish from the stern, around to port, up to the bow, then back around to port and back to the stern, all the while ripping drag. William was up to the challenge and battled a nice 4' Bonnethead to the boat for photograph and release (all fish caught today were released). Further up the Jolley William had his float slowly go under on a grass point - he caught up the line, lifted the rod to have his circle hook set, and had another good hookup. He patiently brought to the net a keeper sized Flounder.
We fished jigs around in the Bell River, had a flurry of "bait stealing" bites, then made our way back to the dock. Although we had storms north west of us, and storms east of us along the coast of Amelia Island, we had not had a drop so as we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We've all been there before - one of the fishing crew seems to have the "hot hand" and catches most of the fish. Today was the "Jared Show" - I had met Mark Averbuch, his son Jared and grandson Max down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and after making a long run up the Nassau, all the way around to a point of grass at Back River, set up with some float rigs and drifted the already exposed oysters on a tide that had been going out a few hours. Jared was on the stern and seemed to pick up two or three fish right off - a small but feisty Redfish and a couple of Catfish. No big deal, right?
We came back down the Nassau to a large drainage and switched to jigs and live shrimp and worked that drainage good, then moved down to Spanish Drop and worked back up against the outgoing current. This did the trick. Jared put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat, then Mark hooked up out deep and battled a large 20.5" Seatrout to the net. (All fish caught today were released). We eased further up to a submerged bar and just as I hit the "anchor" button, Jared went up to the bar with an excellent cast and BAM! Redfish on. He played it perfectly and landed the first of four Slot Redfish. Shortly after Jared battled a 4' Bonnethead to the boat for photograph and release.
The shrimp were getting nibbled on most casts and we were running low so we made a run up to Seymore's Point and found a huge school of finger mullet and after a couple of tosses we had a baitwell full. Back down to Twin Creeks we went and fished it just as the tide started in and like all week long, it paid off. We "theorized" that the bait was coming down the bank with the incoming current and hitting a pocket where Redfish have been holding all week - Jared put three more Slot Redfish in the boat from that one spot. Max nudged his dad out of the way and had a good flurry of catching feisty Reds. Jared battled another big Bonnethead then he and Max took turns fighting a third Bonnethead.
We had a good breeze blowing all morning, had put some really nice fish in the boat, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I met Nick Nist and his fishing buddy out at Goffinsville Park this morning - we had the last few hours of an outgoing tide so we made a run down the Nassau, turned into that outgoing current, and began pitching jigs and live shrimp to the drainages. We had action, just not what we were looking for - Bonnethead Shark made our drags rip a couple of times. We did get a couple of small Flounder, then we cast netted for some perfect sized finger Mullet. Kinda crazy, but Nick hooked up and landed a nice sized Whiting, caught on a mullet!
We worked that bank up and down, hitting the shell beds and drainages and caught a couple of small but feisty Reds, then we made the run thru Horsehead and fished Jackstaff "bank". We then bounced over to Poteat Point and fished the edges there. I had switched Simon to a float rig and as he drifted it long with the incoming current he began to get fish. One was a hard fighting Jack Crevalle that took him from stern to bow and back again. He played it perfectly and eventually landed a huge backwater Jack. After fishing a creek off of Jackstaff we made the run back towards the boat ramp but as we were running Nick had asked if we were getting any Mangrove Snapper so I pulled up at Littlefield and we went back to the jigs and shrimp.
We all got a couple of "bumps", Nick had a good "thump" and then later we had a strong hookup. Nick played it patiently to the boat and Simon scooped it with the net - a doormat of a Flounder! This fish measured right at 21" - big enough to move Nick into 1st Place in the 2025 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament -Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish. Back at the ramp, we dressed that Flounder for stuffing, maybe with a little bit of Whiting mixed in, and as we wrapped the trip up we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We entered a new era when Steve Locke treated his son Justin and grandson Landon to an Amelia Island Back Country fishing trip. It was Landon's first real fishing trip and today being his birthday, it was time to go fishing with the men! I met them early out at Goffinsville Park and with a tide that still had about an hour to go out, we made a quick run over and thru Horsehead and turned into the outgoing current at Jackstaff "bank" and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp (the hot water evidently is making it difficult for the mud minnows' suppliers). In only minutes, young Landon had the first hookup, and he quickly battled a big high-flying Ladyfish to the boat - his first fish! "Paw" Steve then put in a lengthy battle with a large Bonnethead Shark which he expertly played to the boat for examination and release. Justin hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish. We moved up to a point and tossed the cast net for some finger mullet, then made the run back thru Horsehead and down the Nassau.
Pulling up at a large drainage, we stayed with the jigs. The trio picked up a couple of Flounder, one of which was of keeper size. Landon hauled in Stingray and a Catfish. We moved up to Twin Creeks when the tide started back in. Steve was on the bow and had a shot at the "ripple" and made good on it, hooking up and expertly playing a Slot Red to the boat. He caught a small Seatrout out deep then it was Justin's turn to fight a Slot Red to the boat. As he was battling that fish Landon, after making his own cast to the deep side, hooked up and landed another big Ladyfish.
Our last stop was back down at Spanish Drop where we caught a couple of small Flounder then Justin put a keeper Flounder in the boat. Unlike yesterday, we had a bit of breeze today and it made it bearable. Landon had made it the entire 4 hours, and we had a 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.
What we didn't know couldn't hurt us right? It seems like it's been two months of heat here at Amelia Island but most days we would have a little bit of breeze and/or some cloud cover to keep it somewhat bearable. For about the first hour this morning we had that breeze but then it came to a halt and boy was it hot for the rest of the morning. But the Poon crew(Derek and sons Zach and Tyler) were up to the challenge! I had met them early down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and after running up the intercoastal we dipped into Jackstaff and began to work the "bank" with jigs and mud minnows on the very last of an outgoing tide. Derek got things going early and hooked up and landed a slot sized 11-spot Redfish, then he landed another, then he landed a nice keeper sized Flounder. He had left the boys in a cloud of dust - "all gas and no brakes" as he cruised to a commanding lead in the fish count.
We ran thru Horsehead and down the Nassau to Twin Creeks and again pitched the jigs and minnows. All three anglers caught Flounder (I lost count how many Flounder we caught today), then I noted to Zach that yesterday we had caught a couple of Slot Reds up past a "ripple"- he made a couple of casts and BAM! Redfish on. Zach played it perfectly and after a good battle landed Slot Redfish. After photographs, he went back to the same spot and BAM! Another Redfish on. We fished that area for a good while with the three anglers catching fish - Flounder, Redfish, and a Jack Crevalle. Zach and Tyler were pressing Derek but he maintained his lead and didn't look back - he had a strong bite and that drag was really ripping. Derek stayed with it, fought it for a good while, then landed a Tournament sized 26.5" Redfish, then Tyler battled a 23" Slot Red to the boat. We counted 6 Slot Reds caught this morning with three of them released. Zach also added a nice sized Whiting to the box.
As mentioned, the trio had caught a couple of handfuls of Flounder - two were keeper size. Derek added a hungry Seatrout to his catch total and rounded out an Amelia Island Backcountry Slam. We were out of bait and all of us were wilting, but with a nice box of fish, as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
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