Aerobic Fishing

The Creswell family was in town, visiting Amelia Island from the Houston area, and scheduled a backcountry fishing trip on The Anglers Mark today.  We left the Atlantic Seafood dock with no clouds in the sky and with temperatures in the mid 60's, heading up the river to fish the outside of Tiger Island on the first of an incoming tide.  There wasn't a whole lot of breeze and the anglers were able to toss their live shrimp under floats to the flooded oyster beds.  We fished the area for a while and had no real bites.  We moved on around to the mouth of Tiger Inlet and anchored and fished the float and shrimp rigs again, to no avail.  Courtney and Morgan were not to be deterred and broke into an impromptu Aerobic session to liven things up!  We ran up to Jolley River and fished a creek runout where Courtney broke the ice with a small but hungry Seatrout..  The little guy didn't have any friends along with him so we made one last stop in the area over at "The Mother of All" spots.   We may need to change the name because nothing was biting.  I was beginning to wonder what was going on as we made a long run back to Lanceford Creek with the oysters beginning to show.  We switched to jig and shrimp rigs and it wasn't long before Morgan hooked up and had a good fish on the line, FISH ON!  She played the fish perfectly and we soon netted a 19" Flounder.  We made another stop at some dock pilings and here things heated up.  All four anglers began to catch feisty Redfish (rounding out and inshore Slam) and then Morgan put the bread on the table with a large 26" Slot Redfish!  We fished until the shrimp ran out then called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Triple Double

Cary Sorensen was my fishing partner yesterday, visiting Amelia Island with the same group on business from Saturday's trip.  Boy what a change in weather from the previous day!  It was in the low 40's and even though the forecast had called for 5-10mph winds, it was blowing 10-15 out of the west.  With that in mind, we made a change of plans and ran up Landsford Creek to get out of the wind and fish in comfort!  Our first stop was at Oyster Bay and after anchoring we tossed some live shrimp on jigs up to some dock pilings.  It was only a few minutes when UMPH! FISH ON! and we had a battle with a big fish on our hands!  Unfortunately, the fish got  up in the pilings and broke us off. Ouch.  We continued to fish and Cary was putting his bait right at the pilings and it paid off.  He hooked up with some feisty Redfish, one in the Slot, and played them perfectly to the boat.  After about 5 Redfish the bite came to a complete and noticeable halt so we pulled anchor to head up Lanceford, still thinking about the big one that got away and wondering if we had missed our chance at a big fish.  We dropped our anchor south of some dock pilings and began to fish them and the adjacent oysters as the tide continued to come in.  Little did we know that we were in for some serious fast and furious fish'n and catch'n!   WUMPH!  FISH ON!  Cary hooked up and fought to the boat a nice Slot 26" Redfish!  WHUMPH! FISH ON! A Slot 23" Redfish.  WHUMPH! WHUMPH!  We've got a double!  A 25" Redfish and a Rat!  We got another double!  A 26 1/2" Redfish and a 23" Slot Red.  We were catching and releasing and catching Reds until I noticed that I was actually breathing hard trying to keep up with the excitement.  We ended up catching (7) Reds in the 23" to 26" range, a few smaller Reds, but still in the Slot and a whole "mess" of Rat Reds.  Boy what a day.  The sun had come up and warmed us, along with the fish catch'n, and we wrapped it up, calling it one of the best days of Amelia Island fishing!

Dinner for 5

Jeff Bailey and Mike Rugen were visiting Amelia Island on business and scheduled a backwater fishing trip on The Anglers Mark. Saturday.  We left the Atlantic Seafood dock at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marine at 7:30am and boy what a beautiful day it was.  The day started out with a cool mid-50 temperature, no wind, and gradually warmed to the high 70's.  We headed up to Tiger Island to fish the downed logs, starting our 1st pass on the south end, tossing quarter ounce jigs with live shrimp up to the shoreline and bumping them back real slow.  The tide had just started back in and it wasn't long before Mike hooked up and battled a feisty Redfish to the boat.  He picked up another in the Slot a while later so we dropped the anchor and began to fish in earnest.  Mike had the hot rod early and caught another couple of Reds but Jeff persevered and after both anglers lost shrimp to a "nibbler", Jeff hooked it up and pulled in a keeper sized Sheepshead and then added a couple of Redfish.  After the bite slowed we pulled anchor and thinking that we may have missed a Red or two, we went back to the south end of the island and made a pass.  It was a good thing we did because soon Jeff's rod bent and drag ripped, FISH ON!  This Redfish was bigger and was taking drag and Jeff had a battle on his hands.  He played the fish perfectly and after a couple of passes around the stern of the boat, we netted and nice 24" Slot Redfish!  After another Red or two we moved on to the outside of Tiger to fish the now flooding oyster beds with float rigs and live shrimp and the anglers immediately began to catch Seatrout.  Almost every cast produced a bite and every other produced a catch!  These Trout were in the 12"-14" range and we probably could have sat there another couple of hours catching fish, but we were looking for something bigger.  We moved to the south of Rayonier and with the water now completely covering the oysters, were able to fish a grass line where Mike picked up our final Redfish. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Number 7 and 8 on a Fly Rod

I had a free day to fish before a weekend of "work" fishing so I launched The Anglers Mark this morning at Atlantic Seafood and ran up to Jolley River to, "Get away from it all"!  The sun was just up, it was cool, but comfortable with a sweatshirt, and there was very little breeze.  The tide had been coming in for a couple of  hours but the oysters were still showing so I started easing along the bank tossing a jig and shrimp to the oysters.  I worked a good 75 yards of bank and had no bites!  What's with that?  My next stop was at some pilings on the outside of Tiger Island and again, no bites.  I moved in to behind Tiger Island and began trolling against the incoming tide, fishing in and around the downed logs and tree stumps and...FISH ON!  I picked up a slow biting, but hard fighting Redfish.  After my second hookup I dropped the anchor and began to catch Redfish after Redfish and was having so much fun that I switched to a fly rod and after a few casts and strips, had a hookup.  I went back and forth between the spinning rod and the fly rod.  A few of the Reds were in the smaller range of the Slot but most were 16"-17".  My next stop was on the outside of Tiger where I anchored and fished some flooded oyster beds with live shrimp under a float.  I wasn't there long before the float disappeared and I had my first Trout of the day.  The Trout were plentiful and I probably could have stayed there for a couple of hours catching 12"-14" Trout but I was hoping for a few a little bigger.  My final stop was at Temptation Cove which was like glass with the light breeze coming out of the south blocked by a land mass.  I tossed one float rig over near the marsh grass and one out behind the boat over some oyster beds and soon found it was difficult to man both rods!  The Reds were up near the grass and each time I got my bait up close the float would soon began to start moving sideways then disappear and ...Big Fish On!  The drag ripped out and a couple of times I could see the grass moving as the big Red tried to escape but I worked them in and netted them.  Out behind the the boat, Trout were biting and this time I had a few get over the 15" mark which was kinda nice.  A disabled military veteran neighbor had hinted about wanting some fresh fish so after the day was done I dropped him off a fillet of Redfish and some Trout fillets.  What a great day to be out on the water!

Big Talbot Island/Sawpit Creek Boat Ramp Closed Temporarily

The boat ramp and adjacent parking lot at Big Talbot Island at Sawpit Creek will be closed at least through January 9th for erosion stabilization work.  I assume that one of the things they are fixing is the sinkhole in pavement down near the ramp.  What's the chances of them putting in another floating dock on the south side of the ramp?  That would be nice wouldn't it?  To follow the construction schedule click here!

Angler Gift Samples

Here are a few samples that are available for last minute Christmas gifts for the angler in your life!  I have a whole lot more in stock so contact me and I'll send you pictures of the entire stock. I've got a whole bunch of flasks, a few journals, a couple of money clips, and a fly wallet.

Nice Boat for Sale

For Sale, 1998, 17.6 Key West Stealth, flats boat, fully rig, Very Clean. New 2011, 115 Mercury Opimax, less than 80 hours, 3 year warranty, mounted on a 6 inch offset plate, with a spare SS 4 bladed pop. Motorguide Trolling Motor, 82 pound thrust Great White, 24 volt system, with a quick release mount. Power Pole, 6 foot, with new upgraded mounting bracket. Optima Batteries, 4 New 2011, Size D-31, cranking and trolling. Stiffy Push, Pole, 21 foot. New 2011 HumminBird # 560 death finder. 98 LoadMaster Boat Trailer,with I-beam aluminum construction, torsion axel, new tires, aluminum rims, and spare tire.


$10,500.00

Please call Capt. Russell Tharin at ph # 904-4914799.

Hunkered Down Redfish

Joe Lukasik and his family were visiting the Jacksonville area for over this Thanksgiving week holiday so Joe and his two teenage sons, Alden and Christian, took in an Amelia Island backcountry fishing trip on The Anglers Mark this morning.  We met at the Atlantic Seafood dock in downtown Fernandina Beach at 7am and headed down the Amelia River to fish the still flooding oyster beds and marsh grass with some live shrimp under floats.  The wind was blowing pretty good so we anchored and the anglers pitched their rigs up near the marsh grass.  Alden was the first to hook up with a hungry Seatrout then Joe caught one, too.  They went back and forth catching a few Trout with Joe landing a nice 19" one.  Christian was feeling a little left out but not for long!  We had a cork disappear and when Christian grabbed the rod the drag ripped out and the fight was on!  He battled the fish for a while then all of a sudden the fight came to a halt.  We even questioned whether Christian even had a fish in the first place!  His line was tight but wasn't moving and Joe and I both wondered aloud that maybe he was just hung in the oysters.  Well, he was hung but the fish was still attached, hunkered down tight in the oysters.  Soon he came out and the battle was on again!  Christian played the big Redfish perfectly and brought it to the net to be measured at 26", in the Slot.  Later we fished Lanceford Creek in three spots and picked up a Trout or two then tried behind Tiger Island where there seemed to be an armada of fishing boats, then we headed over to Eagans Creek to get out of the wind.  The anglers picked up a few more small Trout, then we made our last stop at some flooded oysters on the outside of Tiger Island on the first of an outgoing tide.  There wasn't much going on until Joe's float was yanked under and then he too had a fish fight on his hands!  He worked the fish in and to the net and we measured another nice Slot Redfish.  The anglers perseverance had paid off and helped wrap up another great day of fishing on Amelia Island!

Sand Gnats for Breakfast

Ted and Bonnie Simendenger were visiting their daughter, Gracie and other family in Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday and took in an Amelia Island backcountry fishing trip on The Anglers Mark this morning.  Although it was a cool, there was no breeze at all and when we anchored at our first stop in Lanceford Creek, the sand gnats soon found us.  But these anglers were game and we fished the area for awhile, picking up some hungry Seatrout on live shrimp floated over the flooded oyster beds.  We moved to fish some of the Lanceford docks and it with the first cast we had a good Redfish hookup and Bonnie fought the fish perfectly to a waiting net.  Then Gracie's float rig disappeared and the drag ripped out, FISH ON!  She played the fish expertly and after a good battle, brought a Slot sized 23" Redfish to the net for pictures and release!  The anglers picked up a few more Redfish and Ted added a few keeper sized Seatrout to the catch, but the gnats had overcome any fear of the bug repellant and Skin-so-Soft and we were all covered with the swarming critters!  It was almost unbearable so we pulled anchor and left fish biting at this great fishing hole!  We made a long run up to Jolley River and when we arrived we found that there was a nice breeze and NO GNATS!  The shoreline looked real fishy with the oysters now exposed but the anglers worked an entire bank with their jig and shrimp combo with no real bites.  We tried a creek run out and had no bites but on the next stop we found some good Redfishing!  Ted was the first to hookup and he played the fish perfectly then all three anglers got in on the action, catching 7-8 more Redfish.  At one time both Ted and Bonnie had a fish on and then Ted and Gracie had the double hookup, making for a great way to wrap up a day on Amelia Island waters!

Deep water Redfish

Andy and Katrina Herrin were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this week and included an Amelia Island backcountry fishing trip on The Anglers Mark.  I met Andy and Katrina at the Goffinsville Park and Boat ramp yesterday afternoon at Noon and we immediately made a run to Broward Island to catch the first of an incoming tide.  When we got there we found the tide was still trickling out so we started easing along the bank from the north end, against the tide, with the anglers pitching their jig/shrimp combo to the bank.  Although Andy did have a strong bite, the fish didn't hookup and we had no other good bites until we reached the sound end of the island.  The tide started back in so we anchored out from some tree limbs and Andy tossed a deep Trout rig up beyond the limbs and let the float drift with the current and, FISH ON!  He played the fish perfectly and brought the feisty Redfish to the net.  Andy had found a hot spot because for 30 minutes he could duplicate the same method and usually get a hookup.  In addition to a few smaller Reds, Andy boated two Slot sized keeper Redfish and a couple of nice 18" Seatrout. Both Katrina and Andy had some of the smaller Trout, too. We trolled the  south end of the island for a little while and had no real bites, so we made a run to Seymore's Pointe where Andy added a keeper sized Sheepshead to the well.  Our day ended over at "Bubblegum Reef" with Katrina catching Seatrout until we ran out of bait, and with that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on the water!