Red Drum and Black Drum

Robert McCarthy and his son Evan met me down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp yesterday morning.  Boy was it a pretty day!  The water was like glass as I ran up the Nassau River to fish the Horsehead area on an incoming tide.  The anglers were tossing 1/4oz jigs with live shrimp and soon found that they had to work through the pesky bait stealers so common this time of year.  They caught plenty of Croaker, a few Jacks and then Evan had a good hookup and a good battle.  He played the fish perfectly and soon landed a nice keeper sized Black Drum.   He seemed to have the knack for catching the Drum because he landed a couple of

more.  We made run around to Jackstaff and fished the marsh grass, again using jigs even though the tide was up.  The anglers picked up a couple of feisty Redfish then Robert hooked up and this one was a bigger fish.  It bent the rod and ripped the drag but Robert played it patiently.  When it rolled up we know we had a nice Red.  He worked the fish to the boat and w netted a nice 21 1/2" Slot Red!  Later, Evan had a similar hookup and this one was even bigger.  He fought the fish for a good while, we saw it roll up a couple of times and knew it was a a BIG oversized Redfish.  But this wiley fish had been around for a while and when it saw it's chance it through the hook and the battle was over!  Later, Robert had a big hookup too, but this fish ran strong and deep and we knew right off it was a Shark.  He played the fish from bow to stern and back and when we got the big Bonnethead to the boat we broke it off and got back to fishing!  We made a run to Broward Island, picked up a couple of more Croaker, fished Jackstaff one more time, then headedin, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Big Shark and Big Trout

Mike Maron was visiting Amelia Island again this year with his family and set up an Amelia Island back country light tackle fishing trip.  This year there were so many family members that wanted to go fishing he set up a 3/4 day and split the trip between to groups, 3 hours each.  I met Mike and the younger group - his daughter Libby and son Troy at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp at 7am and we headed up fish the Horsehead area as the tide was coming in.  We had live shrimp and dead shrimp as bait, tossing jigs to the grass line.  The anglers worked through a bunch

of Croaker, small but feisty Redfish and Mike had a big battle with a 3'+ Bonnethead Shark.  We made our way around to the Nassau River and caught a few keeper sized Snapper.  Troy landed what I think was the biggest Croaker I've ever had on the Anglers Mark and Libby caught a very nice 18" Seatrout.  We dropped  Libby and Troy off back at the dock and picked up the second crew midway through the trip.  Mike's oldest daughter Haylia and her friend Amelia and then made a run up to Broward Island.  Even though we had to brave some stinging rain along

the way it helped cool us off to get the fishing going!  Here, Haylia added a very nice 20" Seatrout to the box and Amelia hooked up with a keeper sized Flounder.  The anglers also added a couple of more Snapper to the catch and a feisty Redfish.  We made a stop at the "twins" on Nassau River and had a good flurry of bites, catching more Snapper, a small Black Tip Shark, a couple of hungry Seatrout and Mike hooked up and played and even bigger Bonnethead to the boat.  Our last stop was back at Jackstaff where we picked up another nice Croaker and some Jack Crevalle's.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

She THINKS She Has a Fish

TJ Mahan and his wife Melissa were in town again this past week and took in another Amelia Island backcountry fishing trip on The Anglers Mark.  This time they brought along TJ's brother Harris and Harris' daughter Kelli and we met at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp at 3pm Wednesday afternoon to get in some late afternoon fishing.  We headed up the Amelia River and eased into Jackstaff as the tide was just covering the oysters on an incoming tide.  We had a mixture of mud minnows, finger mullet and shrimp for bait and were tossing 1/4oz jigs to the grass line.  TJ got the "skunk off the boat" early by catching a nice Flounder then all the anglers were working through the pesky Croaker.  During one of these bites Kelli announced that she "thinks I have a bite"  and as her rod bent double and the reel's drag began to sing we all knew that this was a BIG fish!  She fought the fish from stern to bow and back and her uncle TJ stepped in to help her out, showing her how to keep the pressure on with the rod and lift and reel and after  great battle we were able to land a nice 28 1/2" oversized Redfish!  Boy what a fish! We snapped some pictures, made sure the fish was revived,

and sent him on his way.  Shortly after Melissa hooked up with something big, too!  This big fish ripped line and we soon figured out that it was a Bonnethead.  Melissa played the fish patiently on the light tackle TFO Spinning Gear and after a good fight, landed a big 36" Shark.  We made a run around to the Nassau River where TJ put a nice 21 3/4" Slot Red in the box.  The anglers also had more Croaker and Jack Crevalle.  Our next stop was at Broward Island where TJ had something big to the boat but we never got a chance to see it, then Kelli added a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  Our final stop was back at Jackstaff on an outgoing tide.  We had more Croaker, a Catfish, then Harris hooked up with a final big fish, FISH ON!  He patiently played the fish, working him in slowly, and after another long battle, landed a BIG 29 1/4" oversized Redfish!  And with that, we called it a day!  Another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Hot Times in the Marsh

Boy was it warm this morning as the sun came up and with absolutely no breeze it got even hotter.  But anglers Daniel and Jo Courchesne and their son Colin were eager to get out on the water and wet a line so we met at at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp on the northern end of Big Talbot Island and headed up the Amelia River to fish the flooded marsh on the last of an incoming tide.  The anglers were tossing live minnows under a float for most of the 1st stretch and had a couple of minor bites then we switched to jigs to get down on the bottom.  This did the trick as Colin
hooked up with a hard fighting Jack Crevalle and patiently played him to the net.  Later we had good hookup and Jo reeled in a keeper sized Seatrout.  We made a move to the Nassau River and the anglers picked up a couple of more Jacks, and also caught a Snapper, Croaker, Catfish and another Seatrout.  We made our last stop at Broward Island and again had some good bites but boy was it getting hot!  These anglers persevered and landed another couple of Seatrout, and with that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Variety Make s for a Fun Trip

College students Emee and Dillon Herbert were in town visiting their grandmother and took in an afternoon fishing trip on The Anglers Mark today.  We left the Atlantic Seafood dock at 3pm and headed up river, making our first stop in behind Tiger Island.  The first two casts produced hungry Croaker and while we were there the anglers added a handful more.  Dillon must have found a school of Black "puppy" Drum because he landed 2-3 three of them then Emee had a good hookup, played it perfectly and netted a nice 17" keeper sized Flounder.  We made a run up to the Jolley River and fished the flooded oyster banks
with float rigs.  Both Emee and Dillon took turns landing a variety fish including a Needlefish, Pin Fish, Snapper, Seatrout,  and Ladyfish.  We went further up into the Jolley and caught a Whiting then Dillon had a strong bite and a BIG fish on.  He played the fish patiently and fought it from bow to stern and from starboard to port.  The big fish made strong runs and ran deep and, FISH OFF!  OUCH!   The big one that got away!  But it was a good battle and a fun fight.  We made one last stop where Emee landed nice little Bonnethead Shark to wrap up a another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

BIG Grand Slam

I had the pleasure of fishing again with Shawn Boggs and his son Jackson this morning.  The river was like glass as we left the Sawpit Creek boat ramp on a high and outgoing tide.  We headed up the Nassau River and made our first stop at a nice marsh run out.  Fairly early Shawn had a good battle with a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, but after that we didn't get much on the float rigs.  But the minute we switched to jigs on the bottom we began to get bites.  Jackson caught a Jack too, then hauled in a hungry Snapper.  Then he had strong bite and his rod bent and his drag ripped, FISH ON!  He played the fish bite pickup.  The anglers caught fish after fish.  All told they probably had 8-10 Croaker, 5-6 Puppy Drum with one keeper sized, and 5-6 Redfish with one just under 18".  We had a big bite and boy was it BIG!  Jackson worked this fish and the fish worked him back!  The fight went from bow to stern and down deep to the bottom and back up again.  But Jackson won the battle and landed a BIG 23" Sheepshead - probably the biggest Sheepshead ever landed on The Anglers Mark!  Shortly after Shawn hooked up and his fish fought and shook.  He kept

the pressure on and landed a big 21" Seatrout!  And to wrap things up he had another hookup, a big battle - from bow to stern and back again a couple of times - and landed an oversized 29" BIG Redfish!  Boy what a day!  Counting the keeper sized Black Drum, the 23" Sheepshead, the 21" Seatrout and the 29" Redfish I'd call that a BIG Amelia Island Back Country Grand Slam!
perfectly and after an extended battle we landed a nice 24" Bonnethead Shark!   We made a run around to the mouth of Jackstaff, picked up a couple of feisty Redfish, a Croaker or Two and then Jackson again had a big hookup.  This fish fought hard and deep and made big runs but Jackson kept the pressure on and after an even longer battle, landed a big 36" Shark!  We ran back to Nassau River as the tide dropped and the oysters began to show and boy did the

Slam and Grand Slam

The weather forecast called for 60% chance of rain this morning but we chanced it anyway and I'm glad we did.  Although we had mostly overcast skies the fishing (and catching) was great.  I had met Steve and Debbie Kraman and their son Seth at the Atlantic Seafood dock this morning at 7am and we headed up to the Jolley River to fish a high and outgoing tide.  I had live shrimp for the first time in a month and half and we were getting bites right off.  We caught a handful of hungry Snapper
then Steve had a good hookup on a float rig. This fish put up a good fight but Steve was up to the challenge and eventually landed an nice 18" Redfish.  We moved up the river to a large creek runout and fairly quickly Seth landed a  keeper sized Seatrout.  The anglers added more Snapper then we headed over to the MOA (Mother of All) spots where they again landed Snapper.  We fished Jolley Bank where Debbie and Seth landed more Snapper and Steve put two Black "Puppy" Drum  in the boat.  Our last stop was at Tiger Island and after fishing  for just a little while Steve hooked up with a hard fighting fish.  He played the fish perfectly and after a good battle we landed a nice 17 3/4" Flounder!  This fish puts Steve tied for 3rd in The Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).   All the anglers added Snapper to the fish count and Seth picked up a Flounder too, to round out his own personal Amelia Island Back Country Slam!  Counting Steve's Black Drum I'd call it a group "Grand Slam"!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Big Variety and a Slot Red

The beautiful mornings just keep on rolling in here at Amelia Island.  Today was another one with clear skies and no wind as the sun came up down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp.  I met the Mathews family, Tristan and Dee Dee along with their young adult kids Tristan and Teresa. We headed up the Amelia River to fish the mouth of Jackstaff with the oysters barely showing on an outgoing tide.  With only a cast or two under his belt,  young Tristan hooked up and fought in a very nice 18" Seatrout to get the "skunk off the boat" early!  His dad hooked up a little later with another keeper sized Trout.  The anglers all began to get bites and landed a number of hungry Snapper then Teresa hauled in a
multi-spot Redfish.  Tristan landed a Flounder to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam and Teresa tangled with a high jumping Ladyfish.  After a few more catches of Snapper we headed around to the Nassau River to fish an old oyster bank.  Almost immediately Tristan hooked up with something very big and had a good battle before it decided to have none of getting caught!   He continued to fish the deeper water and caught a good handful of Snapper.  Dee Dee had a strong bite and landed hard fighting Jack Crevalle.  All the anglers hooked up with Snapper then Tristan the younger had a good hookup and his drag began to rip, FISH ON!  He played the fish expertly and patiently and after  good battle that took him deep  a couple of times, he landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish! We fished the area for just a while longer then made a run to Broward Island where the anglers added a few more Snapper, a nice Stingray and one more Redfish to the fish count.  All fish caught today were released to be caught another day.  With that, we headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Redfish and Snapper Boys

We had another beautiful this morning as the sun came up - very little breeze and Florida sunshine!  I met Coley O'brien and his two sons Brennan and Aiden down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp at 7am and cruised up the intercoastal waterway to the mouth of Jackstaff to fish the last couple of hours of an out going tide.  These two young boys had never fished salt water and werer chomping at the bit to get to fishing! They picked up the spin casting in less than 15 minutes and began to work the exposed oysters along the bank.  Both Brennan and Aiden had hookups with Brennan catching a couple of hungry Snapper and  Aiden reeling in a few feisty Redfish.  Coley added a nice Seatrout to the mix.  We moved around to the Nassau River and had a good flurry of bites, catching another feisty Redfish and more Snapper.  We had a stronger hookup and Coley played a larger Redfish to the boat.  The last fish for this spot was a very large 19 1/2" Seatrout that Aiden caught.  Further north the anglers added a Snapper then we made a run to Broward Island and added another Snapper to the catch.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Amelia Island Boat Tour

David and Sarah Post were visiting Amelia Island this week and brought along their 2 year old daughter Maddie for an Amelia Island boat tour.  We headed out of the Fernandina Beach City marina and headed north to see the sites of historic Old Town and Fort Clinch.  We crossed over to Cumberland Island and were pleased to see a nice herd of wild horses browsing the dunes on the south end of the island.  Heading north, we eased into Beach Creek and as we cruised the shoreline slowly Sarah spotted a small alligator laying low in the water and keeping an eye on us!  We also saw porpoises up in the creek and a black crested woodpecker.  Our next stop was Tiger Island where we again spotted porpoises and we found a large old tree full of roosting Rosette Spoonbills.  With that, we cruised the back alley of Tiger Creek to head back to the marina, wrapping up another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!