Weakfish? Sand Trout? White Trout? Yellow Mouth Trout?

Nassau County is home to a special management area for Weakfish. I've found that identifying them is difficult. Now I know why! I found this on line...

There is a difference between the weakfish and the "yellow mouth" trout but that difference may not be determined visually.

Researchers at FWC's Fish and Wildlife Reasearch Institute (formerly Florida Marine Research Institute - FMRI) have recently confirmed the presence of the sand seatrout on Florida's East coast from the St Mary's River through the Jacksonville area down to the Indian River Lagoon. Before this discovery it was thought that the sand seatrout was found only on Florida's west coast. The summary bullet points of an in-house report on a genetic study of the distribution of the weakfish and sand seatrout in Florida are listed below.

1. The geographic and reproductive ranges of weakfish and sand seatrout overlap along the Atlantic coast of north and central Florida.

2. Sand seatrout may be the predominant inshore species of the weakfish / sand seatrout duo in Florida Atlantic estuaries northward to the mouth of the St Johns River.

3. Individuals exhibiting the genetic characteristics of hybrids were identified.

4. Visual identification of these two trout species in the Florida Atlantic, even by experienced biologists, may be tenuous.

I learned from personal communication with the chief scientist on this project that the weakfish of the St Johns River may lose their typical striated color pattern, becoming plain silver colored like the sand seatrout. The hybrid species is also unmarked. Genetics is the only sure way to identify these fish accurately. This poses real potential enforcement problems with regards to bag limits. Please check with FWC Law Enforcement with regards to how they are handling enforcement of the weakfish regs.

Eric Sander
Recreational Fishing Surveys
Fisheries Dependent Monitoring
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
 
And, from the FWC website...

Weakfish Management Zone:

The Weakfish Management Zone includes state waters from the Florida-Georgia line to the southernmost tip of Amelia Island, the inland waters of Nassau County and the St. Marys River and its tributaries east of Highway 17, north of State Highway 200A and north of the Shave Bridge on the Amelia River.

 

Daily bag limit is (1) per person and it can be no smaller than 12" in total length. This Includes weakfish-like fish including weakfish, sand seatrout and hybrids of the two.

 

We caught two today! The tide was extremely high so we had to postpone our start time until

9:30am.  Once we got out fishing, the winds were blowing at 15mph so we had some difficult fishing. But my two anglers, father and son team John and Jack Griffin, stuck it out and picked up a handful of Speckled Seatrout and two of these Weakfish.

 

 

Drum Line

We had a drop in temperature this morning, down in the mid 40's, which made for a cool first run! I had met Randy Allen and his granddaughter Emily down at the City marina early today and we headed up to the Bell River to fish some docks with the tide having been going out for a couple of hours. Randy and Emily were tossing jigs and shrimp and getting a "bump" now and then but we also had a "slip" float out, drifting deep and that was the rig that picked up our first Trout, which Emily reeled in expertly. So both anglers began to toss up current and letting their bait bounce back slowly and they began to catch Trout. They had a good handful of 14 3/4" Trout and one of keeper size. We eased back to another dock, fished it briefly, then ran around to fish the mouth of Snook Creek
with float rigs. Although the wind wasn't blowing hard, it was just enough and right in our faces to make fishing the floats difficult. We switched back to jigs - the oysters were showing anyway - and first cast, BOOM, Randy had a Trout. But after that, we had just a few bites, but  no takers. We back tracked down Jolley and fished the MOA for the first time in months and this did the trick. Randy was on the bow fishing the exposed oysters and BOOM! Big fish on! He played it patiently, working it away from the oysters and when it got deep and back in the current he took his time and worked it in to the net slowly - a nice 20" Black not so puppy "puppy" Drum. After pictures, he went back to the same spot and over and over hooked up with Black Drum, finding a handful of small ones and four more 20"er's. Emily was catching fish too! She was back at the stern and was fishing the back of the oysters and she was catching Redfish and Black Drum (getting an Amelia Island Back Country Slam). She had no problems working the fish in, lifting up and reeling down, and caught many fish like a pro. When the bite finally slowed, we ran around and fished the back side of Tiger Island. The tide was right at the bottom and we were only getting nibbles when Randy had a weird bite. The fish didn't fight too hard initially, then when it wanted to stay deep, Randy applied some pressure then had a fight on his hands! He kept the pressure on and after a good battle landed a 22 1/2" Seatrout to which put him squarely in the lead of the Anglers Mark 2016 Bragging Rights Tournament - Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We fished another pocket or two, then headed in, counting it as another great day for fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Massive Fish Lost

We had another beautiful morning today when I met Wayne and Julie Iurillo down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. It was a tad bit cool - light jacket weather - which made for a great day of fishing here in north Florida. We ran up the intercoastal and dipped into Jackstaff and then further up a side creek to set up outside a marsh run out with plans to toss float rigs and live shrimp. Both anglers jumped right in and were making excellent casts and getting great drifts, but we had no real bites. We bounced across the creek and switched to jigs and here Wayne "knocked the skunk off" when he
boated a hungry Seatrout. And shortly after that he had a stronger hookup and when the drag ripped we knew this was a bigger fish. Wayne played the fish expertly and after a good battle, landed a nice Slot sized 20" Redfish. We continued to work the bank then ran around to fish the Nassau River, hitting outcrops of oysters and marsh grass. Each stop we'd pick up a Trout or two and at the last one we hooked up with a nice feisty Redfish, which Julie worked to the boat. Our next stop was down at Broward Island and again, a Trout or two and a bunch of nibbles. We hit some docks on the way back to the boat ramp and hadn't had a bite until Julie said she had a fish. It wasn't really pulling - I even guessed a Flounder - but as she reeled it up it got heavier and heavier then when it came to the surface we saw that it was a huge Seatrout! And when it realized it was hooked it made a huge commotion and BOOM! It was off!  I made a dash at it with the net but missed and all we could do was guess on how big it actually was. Massive was my guess. We hit a couple of more oyster beds on the way back where Wayne landed a Trout or two, and Julie put a Redfish, Trout and Flounder in the boat, to round out her Amelia Island Back Country Slam. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Left The Trout Biting

From aggravating winds the last two days to almost none today.  I met Dr. Paul Wozny and is cousin Andy out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early and we were spraying insect repellant right off to chase off the sand gnats! We headed over to and through Horsehead to fish the other side of Jackstaff with the tide still having a couple of hours of outgoing. Both anglers were tossing jigs and live shrimp in the calm waters and although we had perfect conditions, we were only able to pick up one hungry Seatrout that Andy caught. We
fished that area for a good while then ran back through the marsh to Nassau River and found some exposed oyster beds. Here, they both picked up a couple of small Trout then we bumped up the river a ways and fished a marsh run out. Again, a couple of Trout and one of them of keeper size. We moved on up to Twin Creeks and here things heated up a bit. Both anglers began catching feisty Redfish - 3 or 4 apiece, then Paul had a stronger hookup. He played the fish patiently and soon landed a nice keeper sized 20" Slot Redfish. After the bite slowed, we ran up west of Bubblgum Reef, fished the oysters, but had not bites, so we ran down to Broward Island to fish the very last of an outgoing tide there. We immediately began to catch fish. The Trout were biting out deep and most all were of keeper size. We also picked up a couple of more Reds. We got down to the last of the live shrimp and it was time to go so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Brotherly Love

Again the wind. But not so bad that we couldn't get out and fish today. Just enough to alter the fishing "plan" though. I had met Sherri Rinker, her dad Lee and her Uncle WC down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp this morning and although we had clear skies, there was already a brisk wind blowing. We ran up the Nassau River and fished some exposed oysters on the last of an outgoing tide. WC was first on the board when he put a couple of feisty Redfish in the boat. I soon learned that these two brothers would keep an easy banter going amongst themselves as each
caught a fish or had a good bite! It made the trip real fun because the two could fish and as the day wore on, we picked up a fish here and then a fish there. We bounced up the river to marsh run out and immediately, BOOM! Trout bite. Both Lee and WC had a flurry of catches. We had an artificial grub out the back and as I was netting WC's fish I saw the rod tip bouncing, FISH ON! Sherri grabbed the rod and worked the fish in expertly, landing the day's only keeper sized Seatrout. We continued on up the river, picked up one more Trout west of Bubblegum Reef, had no real bites at the Reef, then
jumped over to some docks. The first set produced on bites but WC found another Redfish, caught on a float rig (we were using live shrimp all day). The tide had changed and started back in so we decided to go back to where we had caught fish earlier in the morning and it was a good move. We hadn't been fishing long before Lee had a strong bite and his drag began to rip. This was a nice fish! He played it patiently and after a good battle, landed the biggest fish of the day, a nice Slot sized 23 1/2" Redfish. And shortly after that WC put the only Flounder in the boat, a keeper sized one at that. We picked up another Red or two somewhere along the way.  We bounced up and down Nassau River and picked up a couple of more Trout then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Good Battle With Oversized Redfish

Back fishing after a good weekend of rest! I met Tom Davis and his brother in law Al down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp this morning and we headed up the Nassau River with some clear skies but breezy conditions. Our first stop was at some exposed oyster beds on the very first of an incoming tide. The two anglers were tossing jigs and live shrimp and it only took a while before Al "knocked the skunk off" when he caught and landed a nice feisty Redfish. Then shortly after that Tom had a hookup but the fish must have came
toward the boat because we didn't think it was much of a fish until it moved on past and began to rip some drag! FISH ON! Tom had a good fish and he played it patiently as it went deep and long. He kept the pressure on and after a good battle landed an oversized 29" Redfish! We worked the bank, picked up another Red, then moved on up the way and fished a marsh run out, but with little luck. Our next stop was at some docks at Seymore's Pointe and here Al put a keeper sized Trout in the boat. We ran through the marsh and fished the other side of Jackstaff and picked up another trout, still fishing with jigs. Tom put a small but feisty Black "puppy" Drum in the boat. We moved further up a creek and broke out the float rigs. This produced another keeper sized Seatrout (all fish were released today).  Our final stop was back at Christopher Creek and although we had a few bites, we had no real takers other than a hungry Mangrove Snapper. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Nine Pound Tripletail

I wrapped up my week today fishing with Jack Dickens and his buddies Wally and James, meeting them down at the Eagans Creek boat ramp next to Leaders and Sinkers. While we were there, we found a likely dock to fish as the tide began to come in. Whoever said that catching a fish on the first cast was wrong because after our first cast produced a keeper sized Seatrout, we caught fish for a good while after that. All three anglers got in on the action, catching Trout, a small Redfish then Jack had a strong hookup and, FISH ON! This was a big fish - it was ripping the drag on Jack's
reel - and I was guessing BIG Redfish. It even boiled the surface a couple of times, then ran deep and strong. But Jack kept the pressure on and when he got it to the surface we saw that it was a huge Tripletail! Then it ran deep again! After a long and patient battle, Jack landed the beast which we measured at 22"+ and the Boga Grip scale showed right at 9lbs. Boy what a fish! After that, both Wally and James put some keeper sized Black Drum in the boat. When the bite slowed we ran around to fish the outside of Tiger Island but had no bites. We fished Jolley Bank, but had no
bites. After running further up into Jolley we found some more Trout, putting a couple more keeper sized ones in the boat. Both Wally and James did battle with some 4' Bonnethead Sharks then we dropped back to the mouth of Tiger Basin and wrapped things up with a few more Trout catches and then we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Fly Fishing Perseverance

I fished this morning with two fly fishers, Chris and Dave, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We ran up the Nassau River and made a quick stop to fish some flooding oyster beds on an incoming tide. One angler set up on the bow and one on the stern and they were making excellent casts to the bank as we eased along, blind casting to likely spots. Just as I thought, these fish would rather have a fresh live shrimp and fly fishing will be tough, but Chris and Dave persevered. They'd get a "bump" now and then, but had no takers. We fished down at Broward Island then back at Seymores Point. Dave took a break and switched to shrimp and spinning gear and picked up a couple of Trout - one of them of keeper size (all fish caught today were released). He also outsmarted a couple of small but feisty Mangrove Snapper. We ran down to Christopher Creek, fished it thoroughly with the fly, then made our last stop back in Alligator Creek. And wouldn't you know it, they had a good flurry of hungry Seatrout taking both of their flies! Almost all of them were at the mouth of a marsh run out, although the tide was almost at its peak of coming in. Although they had to work for them, their perseverance paid off and they succeeded in putting some fish in the boat and made it another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Recipe of the Month: Blueberry Peach Cobbler

6 to 8   cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 8 medium peaches)
1 1/2   cups fresh blueberries
1/4   cup bourbon
2/3   cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
2 1/2   tablespoons cornstarch
1   teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4   cup all-purpose flour
1   teaspoon baking powder
1/4   teaspoon salt
6      tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2   cup heavy whipping cream
Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the peaches, blueberries, bourbon, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add cream, stirring gently just until dough forms. Spoon fruit mixture into a 10-inch cast iron skillet; top with crumbled dough. Sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.   Bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Recipe from Southern Cast Iron cooking magazine.

Bigger Trout

I'm slowly weaning myself off the mud minnows and going to live shrimp now. There's not quite as many "baitstealers" around and the shrimp are staying alive in the live well. I met Todd Billmire and his buddy Tripp Brown out at the Eagans Creek boat ramp Friday morning with the tide still coming in. So we crossed over to the outside of Tiger Island and fished some flooded marsh grass with float rigs and shrimp. Both anglers picked up some small Trout to get things started. We bumped up further north and fished some more marsh grass as the tide started out and here things picked up a
bit. Both Tripp and Todd picked up a couple of keeper sized Trout then Tripp put a Slot sized Red in the boat, fishing over some flooded oysters in about 4 foot of water. We ran up to Jolley, bypassed the "bank" because another angler was already there and ran further up to Snook Creek. Things really heated up here. Todd landed another keeper Trout then Tripp had a hookup. It was fighting like a Redfish but when Tripp landed it we saw it was a nice 20"+ Trout! Now that's a nice fish! Tripp picked up another feisty Redfish, a small Blue Fish, and both anglers added a couple of 17-18" Trout. Then Todd had a strong bite, fought it patiently, and landed his second Slot Redfish of the day. We stopped back by the bank, fished it with float rigs, picked up maybe one or two fish, then ended the day behind Tiger Island fishing jigs. Although we had no real bites here, we wrapped it up and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.