Two Slams In The Backwater at Amelia Island

 I was finally back at it today and it was a good one to be fishing! Although it was a bit foggy as we left
Eagans Creek, there was enough visibility to run at half speed. I had Met David and Ellen Capps up at Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp as the sun was coming up and with the tide just starting in, we made our first stop down the river to fish some structure. The tide hadn't really started moving yet and maybe that was why we didn't get much of nibble on our jigs and live shrimp offering. But the spot was in the "plan" and we had to try it as we passed it heading south. 

After running over the top; of Horsehead we pulled up at Seymore's Point and fished some dock pilings and this did the trick. Both anglers were fishing off the stern, pitching up to the pilings and letting the bait fall and it was Dave who "knocked the skunk off" when a Seatrout followed his bait and out and Dave hooked it up. Then Ellen had a strong bite and with the fish digging deep we knew she had a nice fish. Ellen fought it expertly to the net and landed a keeper sized Black "Puppy" Durm. Dave added a couple of more hungry Seatrout to his catch total, then it was he who had the big bite - his drag was ripping and his rod was bent deep - Dave played it patiently and slowly worked to the net a big Black "puppy" Drum. Ellen hooked and released another one of those Seatrout.

We made our around Seymore's and down to Broward where we set up on the first of the incoming tide - normally ideal - but there wasn't much action but after dropping back 40' Ellen hooked up. It was a good battle that Ellen won - she boated a feisty Redfish to round out her Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Drum, Seatrout and Redfish. We moved south down the island and picked up one more Seatrout, then we ran way up the Nassau and pulled into a creek and worked the bank - Dave was on the bow and made an excellent cast and it paid off with a Redfish catch - He had his Slam! Just a bit further he hooked up again and this one was a bit bigger, it was pulling drag and putting a bend in that rod. Dave worked it in and landed a nice Slot Sized Redfish. The duo added one more Redfish along that bank before we called it a day. We had had very little wind, no rain, just a few bugs, and had caught some fish with a few of them being keepers so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island,Florida. 

Worked Up A Slam

 We had a beautiful day today with sunny skies, just a light breeze and temperatures rising when I met Zach Peyton and his son Tyler and their friend RC up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We eased out of Eagans Creek and made a short run over to the outside of Tyger Island where we set up with float rigs baited with live shrimp. We were getting good drifts along the marsh grass on the first of an outgoing tide and were hoping for a Seatrout or Redfish but we had not a nibble. 

We then ran thru Tyger, over to the Bell, down to Lanceford and made our way up it. It looked like there was an Outfitters convention going on at Crazy Mary's - it was surrounded, so we continued on around and fished a grass patch with the floats, to no avail. We fished Dave's Dock for just a bit, then made a short run over to Soap Creek and fished a large runout. I did have one good bite there - I missed it, dang it, then we fished on up the grass line a bit and but had no more bites.

These anglers were up for the challenge - we made a run back down Lanceford, then down the intercoastal to dip in behind Piney Island to fish some dock pilings as the oysters were just beginning to show, and this did the trick. After just a cast or two with a jig and shrimp we had a hookup. Tyler was on the rod - and he expertly worked it out from the pilings and to the boat to land a nice feisty Redfish, one that measured right at 17 7/8", just shy of Slot. We went back to the same spot and just minutes later had another strong bite. This fish tried to get around the pilings too. RC was on the rod nod now and he played it perfectly and brought to the net a nice Slot 22" Redfish. Minutes later, another "thump" and a hookup. Tyler was working it in but it was acting differently - when it dug deep I was wondering just what it was - Tyler worked it up and we netted a nice keeper sized 15" Flounder - we haven't seen a keeper Flounder in a while.

Our next stop was further down the intercoastal where we fished some structure deep with the jigs We had no bites so we moved on. We made a loooong run back up the river, up the Bell and over to some docks where we set up deep and tossed jigs up current. Zach got hot, hooking up a handful of Seatrout which he handed off to the boys to reel in. Those Trout rounded out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Flounder and Seatrout. These guys had to work for them (just like all week), but they stayed with it and had a few fish to take home for dinner so as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.