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. 

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.

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! 

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. 

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. 

Breakout Day

 The way the bite has been non-existent lately I was even more worried when I stepped out this morning
and saw an almost full moon. But I've been thinking that the bite has to turn sooner or later and why not today? When I met Steve Locke and his fishing buddies Jason and Todd out at Goffinsville Park I did give them the sad news of poor fishing lately, but they ignored it, thankfully! We made our first run down the Nassau and pulled up at some structure on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour and we went with jigs and live shrimp and minnows.

Todd was new to the boat but he didn't waste any time - he hooked up with a hard fighting fish and expertly landed a Slot Redfish. Steve hooked and landed a keeper sized Seatrout and Jason added a
feisty Redfish to the catch. Then it was Todd's turn again - he said it was "just a nibble" but when that drag started ripping he knew it was a Big Fish. That fish dug deep and headed south - Todd followed it to the stern of the boat keeping that pressure on it - he went from starboard to port and back again, working it up as it dug deep time and again. Finally, after a good battle, Todd brought to the net a nice 26" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish! We fished that stretch for a while, picking up another couple of smaller Reds, then we moved on.

Our next stop was way up the Nassau, where we pulled  into a small creek and worked the bank. We got a couple of small Reds then Jason hooked up and expertly battled a nice 5 spot Slot Red to the net. Steve then had the big battle - he was working in smaller confines as his fish ripped drag-I was worried that it would surely find a log to wrap itself, but Steve kept that pressure on and worked it out away from the bank and soon landed a fat 25" Slot Redfish, another big fish for the day!

Our final stop was back down at Seymore's Pointe as the tide was ebbing, fishing floats. All was quite until a strike almost snatched the rod out of Todd's hands. It ripped some drag a bit and I was thinking "small Redfish" but as he brought it to the boat we saw that it was a big Seatrout, one that measured right at 20.5",and with the new regulations, had to go back. But it was big enough to move Todd into first place in the 2026 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). After a few weeks of poor fishing, we had caught some quality fish today so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Cruised To a Good Finish

 Another beautiful morning greeted us down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp when I met the "Crane Island Boys" -Dick Conley, David Gray, Henry Ross and his son Stephen. The gnats were swarming us at the ramp but after that initial run they weren't too bad. We eased up to Spanish Drop and worked the exposed shell bank on a tide that still had about an hour to hit bottom, tossing jigs and live shrimp - we worked that bank thoroughly but didn't get much more than a nibble. We then moved up the river a couple of hundred yards and hadn't been there more than a few minutes when David, fishing on the bow, had a hookup out deep and Big Fish On! That drag was ripping! The rest of the guys cleared out as he came from the bow to the stern and fought the big fish to a standstill, then brought it to the net - an Oversized 27.25" Redfish, boy what a fish! We moved further up the river to Twin Creeks and tossed it to and again, David had the hookup. This fish was ripping drag but after that Oversized fish it was no match for David and he expertly played the 20" Slot fish to the net.

Our next stop was up at Littlefield where we fished deep. Stephen and his dad were on the stern and
they had the hot rods here. They both put a handful of Seatrout in the boat, one or two which were of keeper size, then Stephen battled a deep digging Black "puppy" Drum, and won the battle to land the keeper fish. We then made our way around to Seymore's Pointe and fished some dock pilings as the tide started back in. At those pilings I think the only fish caught was another nice keeper sized Black Drum by Stephen, but David caught a Trout or two out deep. We then worked along the some docks, pitching as we went and got another Trout or two with some keepers mixed in.

The final stop was down at Broward Island where the CIB's caught another handful of Trout, a couple of small Reds, and Dick rounded out the "Super Grand Slam" by catching a small Flounder (the first I've seen in months) and a Sheepshead, added to the Black Drum, Redfish and Seatrout for the Super Grand Slam. We had started slow but built to a good finish and had a good mess 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. 

Jack in the Back (water)

 

Boy what a beautiful day today - it was in he high 60's when I launched at sunup and when it did come up there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Almost zero breeze did bring out the No-Seeums but we had spray for that! I met John Fredericks and his fishing buddy Dan Forsch down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made a quick run up the intracoastal and into the Nassau to make our first stop at Spanish Drop with a tide that was about an hour shy of being low. The two anglers went with jigs and live shrimp and pitched the bank as we eased into the slacking current. We had a handful of nibbles, and actually two good bites that ripped some drag and bent a rod, but they didn't take until John hooked up and landed a keeper sized Sheepshead to knock the skunk off. 

We bumped down the bank, fishing drainages and had bites but no takers, so we moved on. Our next
stop was up the Nassau where we fished between two docks and here the action picked up. Dan got hot fishing off the stern and hooked and landed a handful of Seatrout, caught deep, with one of them being of keeper size. Then he had s strong hookup and this fish was fighting erratically and Dan stayed with it. He worked it in and landed a keeper sized Spanish Mackerel.  We've caught a few Spanish Mackerel over the years, but not many, in the back water. 

Our next stop was around at Seymore's Pointe where we pitched to some dock pilings - the trio fought and landed three Black "puppy" Drum, just undersized. Dan had one strong bite that wrapped around a piling and broke off, boy what a fish! We then motored down to Broward Island and fished a drainage waiting for the tide to turn down there and got some good action catching Seatrout deep again, and one of those was of keeper size.  We worked down the bank as the tide changed and both John and Dan put a Slot Red in the boat after expertly battling them to the net. We had slowly put a nice box of fish together so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Two Fat 24's

 

We had to creep thru the fob this morning, boy was it thick! I had met Doug Brossman and his fishing partner Hank Prolog down at Sawpit Creek, mid-morning, right at high tide. We had to ease up the intracoastal and up the Nassau to make our first stop up at Seymore's Pointe where we went with float rigs and live shrimp, pitched to a large drainage. I was somewhat encouraged, with the water temp at 60 degrees, the two anglers had some decent action catching Seatrout and a couple of small Blues. 

We then ran around the point and up the Nassau and drifted the floats over some shell beds, to no avail. Back down the river we came, to Twin Creeks, and again drifted the floats, with no luck. We briefly switched to jigs and the shrimp, had no bites, then came back up the river to fish between some docks at Nassauville and this did the trick with a handful of Seatrout catches. 

Down at Broward Island we fished deep with the jigs. Doug picked up a small Seatrout at a drainage, then we moved down the island, under the eye of the Bald Eagles and here we caught a couple of Redfish, one of which was in the slot.  After a good run up the Nassau we eased in to our final spot -the Super Duper Lucky Spot, and it fit the bill. The duo almost immediately began to get Redfish. They added four more Slot fish, with two of them measuring right at 24" and they also tossed back a handful of smaller "rat" Reds. Doug picked up a hard fighting keeper sized Black Drum to add to the catch total. 

The sun had come out and the fog was pretty much gone and we had some good action at a couple of spots so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amella Island, Florida. 

We Caught a Bunch

 Another cold and sunny day greeted us up at Old Town Bait and Tackle this morning when I met Bob and William Blalock with plans to fish the last hour of an outgoing tide. We were right there in Eagans so we eased up the creek and found some docks to anchor up current and fish back into the pilings. It was a slow start but it was a good move. The duo pulled a couple of Redfish out from under the  dock, then we moved to the outside and pitched up in there again and boy did this pay off! They caught Redish - the fish did hit hard but they just picked the bait up with a subtle bite - you had to concentrate. There were a couple of small Slot Reds caught then Bob hooked up with what we thought was going to be  big Black Drum by the way it was digging deep, but after a patient battle, he brought to the surface a huge Redfish- we netted it and it measured right at 29.25" - big enough to move Bob into first place in the 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. 

The continued to pitch, and about the time I'd mention moving, BAM! Another big fish. Both anglers hauled in some really nice Black "puppy" Drum (all fish caught today were released). Then Bob had another strong bite and Fish ON!  As he fought the big fish William had a good bite, set the hook, and we had a Double! I didn't know which fish to net first! But William kept his in the water and after netting Bob's 25.5" Redfish, I went forward and netted Williams big Drum. The duo put a few more fish in the boat - Bob guestimated 15 fish, then we moved on. 

We fished the Tyger logs and William picked up one hungry Seatrout but the wind was kicking out of the south west which doesn't bode well, so we ran around to the Jolley, fished some oysters, then finished up over at Bell River. We were blocked from the wind with very pleasant fishing conditions, but the fish didn't cooperate, so we headed back to the dock and counted it as another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Found a Hot Spot

 

Boy what a beautiful morning!  Getting out on the water, sun shining, mild temperatures, and wetting a line - you just can't beat it!  I met Craig Jones and his son Andrew down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning and we made our way up the Nassau River on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour. We ran to some docks to take advantage of that incoming tide and pitched jigs to some dock pilings. The bites were few and far between but Andrew did manage to "knock the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. 

We then ran down to Broward Island and fished the bank with the jigs. I had a good handful of small live
shrimp leftover from Thursday and I had bought a quart of fiddler crabs. Neither caught a fish at Broward!  There was a boat just south of us that we saw catch a couple of Reds, one of them slot - that's never a good 'look" for a fishing guide - to have someone catching fish  within sight! But we worked that bank good, then pulled anchor and ran way up the river (almost to Callahan) where we eased in a pitched the shrimp and fiddlers, and this did the trick.

Both Craig and Andrew began to catch fish - Redfish - they took turns hauling them in. I know we had at least 4 slot fish and a whole bunch of smaller Reds that we tossed back. Most were in one area and we milked the spot for a good hour and a half. We then came back down the Nassau, stopped at Littlefield for a bit, then finished up at Twin Creeks, fishing floats at the peak of he high tide. We had good weather, some good action, 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. 

Back In Action With Some Slot Reds

 We're back! After a month and a half layoff, we were back fishing today, and with a few trips lined up in the next few days I should have some fishing reports.  Today I met Ed and Madonna AndrewLavage down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp - the tide had been coming in for a couple of hours but I thought it wouldn't hurt to make the run up the Nassau to Broward Island and pitch our jigs and live shrimp, and we did just that!  We had a little bit of fog as we ran but it was no hindrance and as we pulled up to the island there was not much of a breeze (we did break out the insect repellent later). Both anglers were getting good casts  btu se didn't get much more than a nibble. We eased down the bank, did the same, and again, not hardly a nibble. We moved down the island, passed the Bald Eagles, fished the bank and....not a nibble. Ouch. So much for a plan. 

We then made along run up the Nassau and eased into a secluded creek, turned into the current and worked back and this did the trick. Ed had the first hookup to knock the skunk off and he expertly played to the net a 17 and 15/16" barely undersized Redfish to the net. We eased along the bank, pitching to the deep edge and Ed noted that the fish weren't aggressive at all - he'd just tighten up, feel the weight, and set the hook. At one spot he picked  up 4 more Redfish, all of them in the Slot size, one of which had 14 spots(eventually released) and the biggest, a 26.25" fish, big enough to set the bar for 2026 Bragging Rights -Ed battled it expertly to the net. 

We came back down to Pumpkin Hill and fished float rigs and did get one hungry Seatrout, then we made our way down to Seymore's Pointe where the tide had started out -Madonna's Spot we called it. Just when I thought it was going to be a bust, Ed had his float disappear- he tightened up and let the circle hook set and Fish On!  Ed played Madonna's Redfish perfectly, let it run, worked it in, and soon landed another nice Slot Redfish, this one measuring a little over 24". Madonna followed that up with a nice fat Seatrout catch to get on the board. After fishing one more spot with the float rigs awe called it a day and headed back to the ramp, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Wrapping Up The Old Year With Some Great Fishing

 We wrapped up 2025 yesterday with some great fishing - although it was a bit cool at 35 degrees as we
left the Sawpit boat launch!  I had met Mark Averbuch, his son Jared and grandson Max early to get a fishing trip in the last day of the year - we ran up the intracoastal, then up the Nassau to make our first stop up at Seymor's Point - I lost my knit cap on the way and paid for it with a cold forehead those first few runs! Although the bite was not "one fire" as we drifted float rigs and live shrimp at a large drainage but Mark, fishing off the stern, did get the "skunk" off when he hooked and landed a hungry Seatrout then battled a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum to the boat. All fish caught today were released.

We knew the wind would be blowing all morning at 10mph, with gusts, so we had made a plan to try and stay in behind a land mass to get our fishing in, and the plan worked, although we did have run thru the wind to get to where we were going. Our next stop was around at Littlefield where we pitched jigs and the shrimp and all three anglers began to get fish. They found that they had to fish those jigs sloooowww and when they felt a "bump", set the hook. Most were Seatrout just below the size limit but we did have a couple that would have met the size limit. Both Mark and grandson Max hauled in a Flounder each that were right at keeper size. The "baitstealers" began out-competing for our bait though, so we moved on.

After a long run up the Nassau we turned into a small creek and fished a log lined bank and here we found some Redfish. You got to work that bank its full stretch - I was expecting some bites where we started but as we got to the opposite end they began to hookup. I guestimated they caught 10 Redfish, most being right at 17 7/8", but we did get one that was right at 19". The sun had really warmed things up and we'd had pretty good action all morning so as we headed back to the ramp we counted is another great day to wrap up the year fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Christmas Came Early

 After a howling windy day yesterday, today was "picture perfect" - zero winds, and sunshine when I met William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsivlle Park. The sun had just come up, the tide had started in about an hour earlier, so we made short run up the Nassau River to try our luck with jigs and live shrimp at Broward Island. These two anglers are always getting good casts and today was  no exception - they were tossing their jigs baited with live shrimp to the bank and letting that incoming current bounce the bati down the river bottom, and it paid off!  Dara hooked up off the stern and expertly reeled in a hungry Seatrout - the skunk was off!  We worked along the bank for a bit and picked up a handful of Trout, two of which were of keeper size. We moved down to the other end, fished under the Eagles, and picked up another Trout or two, and  one feisty Sheepshead.

Our next stop was way up the river where we found a small creek to dip into and work a shallow bank. Right off, Dara hooked up and landed the first Redfish of the day, then William went in behind a tree hanging over the creek and BAM! He hooked up, then Dara hooked up, we had a "double". They both landed Redfish. We worked along and had another Double hookup or two, then they landed a few Slot sized Reds, then we hit another spot where they put more feisty Reds in the boat It was worth the run  up there!

Back down at the mouth of Pumpkin Hill we switched to float rigs and drifted the bank, on each side of the point, but got not much more than a nibble. Back down the Nassau and around to Seymore's Pointe -we set up on a large drainage and drifted the floats. The tide was just trying to start out and it was slow for a bit, then the duo caught a few feisty Redfish. Then Dara had strong bite and this one was ripping drag. I was worried that it would dig down deep across a visible oyster bed in front of us but she worked it across and landed a bulky 23" Slot Red.  William got in on the action when he battled to the boat a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. We had made a cast and dropped the rod into a rod holder when William yelled "fish" - that rod was bent over and ripping drag. Dara scooped it up and battled another 23" Slot Red to the net. Boy what a beautiful day, and we topped it off with an early Christmas present of a box full of good eating fish, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

The Eighties Are Killing It

 Get up outa that Easy Chair!  Yesterday I had an 83-year old fishing with me and today, another 83-year
old fished on the Anglers  Mark - Betty Raker and her young son John. We met out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early on a tide that had just hit high. We made our way around to Seymore's Point and fished a large drainage with float rigs as that current started out. It started off slow but every now and then we got a bite. Betty started it off with a big battle - she fought and expertly landed a nice 17" Black "puppy" Drum, then she and John both hooked and landed a handful of feisty Redfish. After John landed another Drum, Betty hooked up and battled another keeper sized Drum to the net. 

We ran thru Horsehead and fished a point with jigs, deep, and here Betty brought to the net a small Flounder  - she had her Amelia Island Back Country Slam! We moved around to Poteat Point and fished floats and first cast John hooked an landed a hungry Seatrout - the had a Grande Slam! Back thru Horsehead we went and down to Nassauville, fishing between some docks with jigs, and we stayed busy catching hungry Seatrout - we guestimated about 18 fish caught, all in the 14.5" range, but one was of keeper size. 

Down at Broward we fished jigs deep and John did find one lone Seatrout, and back at Back River he caught another Trout. Most of the spots we fished today produced at least one fish, some produced a handful, some produced a lot, and the rain had held off so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Zero to Sixty in about an Hour

 Finally, back to work today! And boy what a pretty day it was - sunshine, a bit cool, and no wind, water like glass! I met Frank and Joanne Wytiaz down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp this morning and we proceeded up the intracoastal, turned into the Nassau, and made a short run up to Spanish Drop where we started tossing jigs and live shrimp on a tide that still had a couple of hours of going out. That water was already way down- we could see banks of oysters that I haven't seen in a while, and I was expecting good fishing to kick things off. Boy was I wrong! We worked that first bank and only had a few nibbles, then moved up to a drainage and worked it - as we approached fish "blew out" of there - big wakes and I thought for sure we'd get a couple, but no, not a bite. We then moved up to Twin Creeks and worked that drainage as the tide began to hit bottom and finally Joanne "knocked the skunk off" with a nice feisty Redfish catch. 

We then ran further up the Nassau and fished some docks -the tide was still going out here - and fishing deeper, it paid off. The duo began to get Seatrout catches, one after the other, most in the 14" range, but every once in a while they would get a "keeper" sized Trout. We probably could have stayed there and caught fish but the tide had changed and had started back in and I had a spot in mind so we pulled up and made a short run. We backed the stern up to some pilings and began pitching to them and BAM! Fish On! Joanne had a good fish that was putting up a fight - she played it patiently and soon landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. And from then it was a flurry of action, catching those puppy Drum. A couple were up in the 20" size and about to lose their stripes. We ended up with 6 keeper Drum at that spot, and tossed back a handful of smaller ones.

Down the River we went to fish some structure on the first of an incoming tide. Joanne had the first
hookup but as the fish ripped drag, off it came. But Frank went in there and in short order had the strong hookup -he battled it expertly, letting it run, working it in, letting it run, and then he worked to the net a nice 25" Slot Redfish. We dropped back a little bit and continued ot fish and the duo hauled in another keeper sized Trout, another huge Black Drum, a couple of small but feisty Redfish, a nice keeper sized Sheepshead, and a small Flounder. We had started slow but boy did things take off when that tide changed, so as we headed back to the ramp with a big box of fish we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

It Snowballed

 

A little bit cooler today - 46 heading to the ramp this morning, but clear skies and sunshine for  3/4 of the trip. I met Gregg and Dannie Fitzgerald out at Goffinsville Park as the sun was coming up and with a tide that still had a long hour of coming in, we ran down the Nassau to Twin Creeks and tossed float rigs with live shrimp to the flooded grass line. Dannie was on the stern and she made good use of her drifts, picking up a good handful of hungry Seatrout, most in the 14" range. We then ran back up the Nassau to Pumpkin Hill and drifted the floats and again put those small Trout in the boat until finally, Gregg hooked up and landed a barely legal 15" Trout. But it was legal - I measured it three times!

We then came back to the Seymores Pointe area and fished a large drainage and this really kicked things off. The duo caught Seatrout, almost one after the other, but a couple were up to 17".  Dannie had to tangle with a school of Bluefish, which were fun to catch but we tossed them back. We then dropped down the grass line a bit and again caught fish. Gregg put a handful of small but feisty Redfish in the boat, another 17" Trout while Dannie tried out a jigs fished on the bottom. When that area slowed we moved back up to the original spot and this paid off again! Dannie hooked an landed a nice 16" Black "puppy" Drum, then she expertly battled another big Slot Redfish to the net. They added another couple of keeper Trout before we moved on.

Further down the Nassau we went with jigs and the live shrimp, bumping them on the bottom, and got another handful of small Seatrout. The clouds had rolled in but we had fish in the box, some good action, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Weeding Thru Trout For Elusive Redfish

 

I was back to work today after a fine Thanksgiving break - I met Jeff and Ande DeNight and their friend Dan down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. It was cool and cloudy, a little windier than I expected, but that died down a bit as we began to fish. We had run up the intracoastal, then up Back River and over to the Nassau where we set up on a point to drift float rigs on a tide that was almost high. Dan was first in the water and it paid off with a nice Seatrout catch. Jeff followed that up with another Trout catch and we were off to a good start!  We drifted that area, then pulled up and fished down another stretch - had some bites, then we picked up and moved.

Back at Seymore's Pointe we stuck with floats and drifted with an outgoing tide and this did the trick. All three anglers began to get Seatrout. Ande joined in and found a "hot spot" and picked up a good handful of those Trout. The trio weeded thru some small ones but every once in a while we'd get a "keeper" sized fish, the biggest being right at 17".  After running thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point we worked a bank and here Dan, fishing off the stern, caught another couple of Seatrout. Jeff and Ande were making excellent casts forward into a pocket and getting good drifts but they had no takers. Back over in Jackstaff we switched to jigs and fished deep. Jeff had the hot rod, picking up another couple of Trout. 

We then ran back thru Horsehead, back down to Back River, fished a bank with the floats again, then ended our day back down the Nassau fishing the drainages with jigs and the live shrimp. Ande stayed with the float and got a Trout at Twin Creeks. We moved down to another drain and within a minute Jeff yelled, "Fish On" - his drag was ripping as the big fish boiled up. He handed the rod off to Ande to let her feel a big fish and she played the fish expertly, working it in, letting it run, working it in, until she brought to the net a "Tournament sized" bulky 26.5" Redfish, boy what a fish! We had good action with the Trout, some nice fish in the box, and a Big Fish battle so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Thankful the Fish Were Biting!

 Hoping everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Mabry stepped on the boat hoping that we'd catch at least a few fish today, and little did she know that we would have a banner day!  I met her, her father Stephen, her aunt Tessa, and her soon-to-be uncle Andy out at Goffinsville Park this morning right at low tide and by the time we got around to our first stop it had begun to creep in. The fish bite wasn't "on fire" like I had expected but we did get a couple of good fish - I think it was Tessa's 2nd or third cast and BAM! Her drag was ripping. Tessa hung with it, battled it valiantly, and soon brought to the net a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. We soon found out that Stephen and Mabry had teamed up - Stephen would do the "hooking" and Mabry would do the reeling - he hooked up and she fought to the net a hungry Seatrout. We bounced up the river, fishing some dock pilings and here Andy got on the board - he had a good bite, set the hook expertly and in short order brought to the net a feisty Redfish.

Mabry didn't even need that help down at the next spot - the "super secret" one -we had just pulled up
and the whole crew was catching fish. Mabry had a strong bite and at first we didn't think it was such a big fish. She battled it as it ripped drag, worked it up, let it run, worked it up and then we saw that it was a BIG Redfish. Before the fish knew what had ahold of him, Mabry brought it to the net - a nice 26" Redfish! Stephen followed that up with another good hookup - he kept this one to himself and battled it patiently as it came out from the bank and around behind the engine. He stayed with it, wore it out, and landed another big Slot Redfish. At that spot and within 50 feet we caught fish, almost one after another and hit their 4 fish limit, then went over it -I counted 7 Slot Redfish caught!

Mabry, I think, was wore out. We dropped down the way and  worked a bank with the jigs and live shrimp and although it wasn't fast and furious we did have good action catching those feisty Redfish. At one time she did get back on the rod and her and her aunt Tessa teamed up for a "double" hookup of Redfish. Over at Pumpkin Hill we switched to float rigs, drifted with the current, and got another couple of small Trout and a couple of Bluefish. Stephen battled a Bonnethead shark for a bit before it broke off, Tessa battled a Bonnethead before it found its way to a crab pot rope and broke off, but Andy clinched it when he hooked up with a shark and showed it "what for" - he battled it to the boat  and landed a nice 3" fish - the biggest of the day- we photographed and released it. 

Mabry was hungry and it was time to go! We had a nice box of fish, had some really nice weather so as
we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.