Warming Trend Brings a Better Bite

It's been slowly warming this week and the water temperatures are following - the first of the week we  had 57 degree back water temps and today it was up to 64. I had met Marchelle Duncan down at the Sawpit Creek ramp early this morning and we headed up the Nassau all the way to Christopher Creek with plans to fish some dock pilings on the last of an incoming tide. Marchelle was tossing a jig and live shrimp and making excellent casts as we worked around a deep bend but it took fishing some marsh grass in some
shallow water to get a bite, but a good one it was. Marchelle  hooked it up and landed a nice feisty  Redfish. We made one more pass and picked up another Red before heading out.

Our next stop was around at Seymore's Pointe and here things heated up, fishing flooded oysters on the first of the outgoing tide with float rigs and live shrimp. I think the first cast produced a Seatrout and from then one we almost expected a bite on each drift. Right when I thought the bite was done the float would disappear
and Marchelle would be reeling in another. A few of these Trout were fat and keeper sized, but all fish caught today were released.

When things finally slowed we fished some more docks with floats, then more docks with jigs, and we did pick up another Red and a keeper sized Flounder to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam. We could see some rain clouds building and it was time to go so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Shark!

I also did an afternoon trip today, fishing with David Shuford and his two kids Allie and William. We left the north end boat ramp and headed over to Eagans Creek - the wind had picked up - and fished some dock pilings with jigs and live shrimp on the last of an outgoing tide. It only took a short time before both David and Allie had put some fat Seatrout in the boat. Then William had  good bite, his drag ripped, and William had a nice fish on. He worked it patiently to the boat and landed a nice feisty Redfish. We picked up a couple of more Trout, then made a run up to Bell River.

We got up there as the tide was about to turn and it may have been on David's first cast that he caught another Trout. Allie added another to the catch and so did William. Then Allie had a big bite and FISH ON! This was a big fish!  She fought it for a while then David took over and patiently played the fish. And patience it took because it stayed on the bottom. I was thinking "surely a Drum" but when it finally came to the surface we saw that it was a Black Tip Shark - the first of the year! David worked it to the net and after pictures we sent it home. David added a keeper sized Trout to the
catch before we left.

Our next stop was "Jolley Bank", fishing the incoming tide with jigs and shrimp and minnows, but we had no bites, so we made one final stop at Tiger Island where William "Redfish" landed another Red Drum to wrap things up, and make it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

The Hunt For Fish

We had a another Amelia Island beautiful morning today for a our Spring Break visitors!  I met the Chou family, Edgar and Stella and their kids Catilyn and Conner up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and we then made a run over to Bell River to fish a flooding oyster bed on the last of an incoming tide. All four anglers were getting their casts up to the grass line but we had no real takers.

Our next stop was around to the outside of Tiger and after we set up over some flooded oysters we began to drift our floats and live shrimp along the marsh grass. Young Conner had let his drift a good 20 feet from the grass when he realized that his float was gone! He lifted up, began to reel, and the circle hook set and, Fish On!  He cranked him in and landed a nice fat Seatrout to "knock the skunk off"!  We fished that stretch, crossed over and fished a large outflow, then ran around and fished some flooded oysters in Lanceford, hit some docks in Lanceford (and caught only a baitstealer) then headed back to fish Tiger logs. The wind had picked up and we had company - four boats total with another scouting for a slot to fit  in!  We had to fish it  hard and it took a mud minnow to produce a nice Redfish that Catilyn handily reeled in.   It was a beautiful morning but the fish catching was kinda tough, but it still was a great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida

Bookend Slot Redfish

We had another beautiful day today when I met David Traul and his son Andrew up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp this early this morning. The tide was high and had just begun to go out so we slipped over to Tiger Island and fished the outside over some flooded oyster beds. We had only been casting for a short while when we saw Andrew's float begin to bob and go against the current! When it went under Andrew set the hook and, FISH ON! When it boiled to the surface we knew it was a nice sized fish. Andrew kept the pressure on, fought it valiantly, and soon landed a
Slot sized 20" Redfish!

We worked that marsh, had no more bites, then crossed the creek to fish another shoreline and here David hooked up and caught a nice feisty Redfish on the float.We bumped around to the backside of Tiger and fished a runout where a flock of birds were congregated, tossing jigs and dishing the bottom - but no bites.

After a long run up the Bell we stayed with the jigs, tossing them
forward and into the current, letting them fall to the bottom and be swept along and this garnered a few Seatrout. Andrew also caught another feisty Red up near some dock pilings. Our final stop was back at Tiger - the tide was down now- and as we worked along David made an excellent cast to a pocket with a jig and huge mud minnow. I saw the pole bend when the big fish hit, and after David set the hook with a firm "uumpf", the drag began to sing! Boy what a fish. There was a time when we think the fish had foun d some structure, but David kept the gentle pressure and it was free and still hooked.  David worked the fish up off the bottom and Andrew netted it, a "barely legal" 26 3/4" Slot Red to bookend with Andrew's earlier one, makin g it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

A First For Two Anglers

After yesterday's nasty weather we were able to fish today and get in a trip for the visiting Lee family Mau-En and Linda and their two sons Jeremiah and Jodiah.  The winds were very conducive to fishing with just a slight breeze when we launched at the north end boat ramp so we cruised on over to the outside of Tiger Island to fish a large creek outpour on the first of an outgoing tide.  All four anglers were tossing float rigs with live shrimp to the flooded marsh grass but we had no takers. (We actually had zero fish caught today on a float rig).

We ran over to Soap Creek, fished some more float rigs, then stopped by a couple of docks on Lanceford and switched to jigs. At least we had a few "bumps" from the bait stealers. We then made the long run around to Bell River, fished some more docks, and finally, Mau-En had a hookup which he expertly landed - a nice keeper sized Seatrout. But from then on we only had nibblers so we kept on going, around to the Jolley River, switched back to floats with no luck, then we made our final stop back at Tiger.

It was young Jodiah who got hot when had a good bite, set the hook, and reeled in his very first fish, ever, a nice feisty Redfish!  He added another Redfish, the a Black "puppy" Drum then it was Linda's turn to catch her first fish, another nice Redfish.  Jeremiah was making excellent casts on his own but the fish thought it'd be best to get hooked by some first timers today! Jodiah put one more Black Drum in the boat, then Mau-En wrapped things up with a 5-spot Redfish catch. It turned out to be a beautiful day and another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Finishing With A Big Bang

I fished with the Johnson family again this morning - Todd and Debbie and their kids Betsy and

Oliver - meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp with plans to run over to Lanceford and fish the bottom of an outgoing tide.  But Soap Creek was looking pretty good so we dipped in and started tossing jigs and live shrimp to some exposed oysters. I don't think we got a bite!

Our next stop was way up Bell River and this did the trick. Todd got hot quick and put a couple of Trout in the boat, the first being a fat keeper sized fish (we eventually let it go) then Oliver got on the board with a Trout, and Betsy reeled one in, too. We worked the docks up and down and picked up a fish here and there until it appeared the tide was almost at a standstill.

We continued on, making a brief stop at the MOA to no avail, then hit Jolley Bank and fished it from point to creek and again, no bites.

The wind was picking up out of the west and even though there was a good chance fishing Tiger may be a bust, we headed there anyway because the tide was perfect as it had just started back in. Oliver cam alive, landing an "almost legal" Redfish, then a nice Whiting. Todd added a small Black "puppy" Drum to round out their Amelia Island Backcountry Slam" then we had a strong hookup and, BIG FISH ON! This fish was ripping drag and not wanting to budge off the downed logs. But Oliver was up to the task and he patiently worked it to the boat, let it run, worked it to the boat, let it run and eventually landed a 26.75" "tournament" sized Redfish, boy what a fish. Now that's the way to wrap up another great day to be out on the water fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Fish'n With The Birds

Today was a 10 as far as the weather went, clear skies, a slight breeze, cool but warming, and the tide was right when I met Hugh Haston down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We ran up the Nassau and elected to fish some docks on the last couple of hours of an outgoing tide. Although we didn't find any Redfish, Hugh did pick up a couple of Seatrout.

We buzzed down to Broward Island where a couple of Bald Eagles were hanging out and a Crane was stalking bait fish. Unfortunately the current was still ripping but we worked the shore anyway tossing live shrimp or mud minnows up to the bank and letting it bounce back naturally.  We didn't get any bites until the second pass when the current had slowed to a trickle and then we caught a handful of Red Drum with one of them being right at keeper size (we actually put him in the box as a "keeper" then later, after our enthusiasm had died down, re-measured and determine it was just a tad bit short).  Hugh really go the hang of hooking up those Trout and landed another good handful of them with  most being fat and right at 14 1/2".   He also caught a nice sized Whiting that hit a mud minnow!

When things slowed we ran back to Seymore's Pointe, fished some rocks, then wrapped up the day working an exposed shell bank. It was an outstandingly beautiful day an another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Nicer Temps Bring Slot Red

Although it was still cool this morning - low 40's- the wind wasn't blowing quite so much when I met Ken Norton and his daughters Christina and Elizabeth up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp, early.  We crossed over to Tiger Island and fished the logs on the first of an incoming and when Elizabeth had an immediate hookup and landed a nice Seatrout I thought for sure we were in for some good fishing at this spot. And Christina had one on for a short second but after that the good bites were few and far between.

So we cranked the big engine and ran around to fish some docks at Lanceford Creek and here things picked up. Ken started hooking up with feisty Redfish, then he boated a Slot sized fish, and added a couple more "almost keeper" Seatrout. Then Christina found a hot spot and went back to it with excellent casts, threading the needle between two pilings, and caught herself a good handful of Redfish and Trout.

When the bite slowed we ran back and fished Egans Creek bridge
on an incoming tide and although the sun was up, the wind was blocked, we had no good bites. But it had been a beautiful day, we caught some fish, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Cold Then Hot Then Cold

This crazy weather just can't make up it's mind! We get a nice warm spell and just when you think Spring has sprung, a front comes thru and we're back to cooler temperatures...like today! But we had clear skies and yesterdays 32mph winds were forecasted to be 10-12 so I met Cas Hans, Rick Mowery and Don Smallwood (a "shared" trip) up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. The weather dudes were slightly off because it was really ripping out of the north west. I had wanted to fish Tiger Island on the first of an
incoming tide but we thought it'd be too difficult so we made our way around to Egans Creek and fished some nice dock pilings with jigs and live shrimp.

Don "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked and landed a feisty Redfish, then he landed another, then Cas had a big bite, his dragged ripped, and the big fish was in the pilings - to be caught another day.!  But Cas went back in and soon landed a couple of nice Redfish. Both he and Don landed Seatrout - in fact Don seemed to have the "hot hand" most of the morning. 

We worked down the docks, had very few bites, but when we hit an area with some still exposed oysters Don found some more Trout in 6-10' depressions.

Our next stop was over at Bell River where Rick got on the board with a Flounder catch and then a Seatrout catch. The Flounder made it an Amelia Island Back Country Slam for the trio and when we wrapped the day up behind Tiger, Rick landed a Black "puppy" Drum to bump it to a Grande Slam. Rick got hot there at the end and put a good handful of feisty Reds in the boat, and Cas followed suit with a few of his own. The sun was up and had warmed things nicely so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Not Big But a Grande Slam

Another beautiful morning was predicted today when I met Doug Mackle and his longtime friend Kenny up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp. We shot across to Tiger and fished the logs and for the second day in a row, no real bites. We came out to the outside and fished the flooded oysters and here Kenny picked up a hungry Seatrout on a float rig.

We fished some oysters at Bell River with no luck then ran over to Lanceford Creek to get out of the increasing wind and here Kenny landed a Black Drum, Doug added a small Flounder, then Kenny hauled in a nice 20" Slot sized Redfish to

make it an Amelia Island Grand Slam. We fished further up Lanceford, tried Soap Creek (somewhere in there we got another Trout or two) and then ended up fishing Egans Creek on the first of an outgoing tide. Although we didn't get a whole lot of fish, we got a handful and while fishing with long time friends, you can always count it as a great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.