I was back to work today after help put on our fishing Tournament over the weekend and boy was it a pretty day to be fishing! I met Dave Burkhart and his fishing buddies Robert and Ed up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and we then headed south down the intercoastal and then dipped into Lanceford Creek to pull up to a marsh runout on a high and incoming tide.
I was feeling pretty confident that we'd be catching fish today after a great week last week and then some good catches coming in to the tournament Saturday, but after fishing that first spot with float rigs and live shrimp for 15 minutes and not getting a nibble, I had a gnawing feeling that this might be the day that we might get "skunked".
We ran further up into Lansford, turned into Soap and set up at another marsh drainage, fished it for a bit (no bites), then eased along the bank working it with each cast. Finally, these anglers began to get some bites then they caught a few Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size. We moved on around to some docks off of Lanceford and switched to jigs and this did the trick. Dave and Robert hooked up and brought to the boat some keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum and Ed outsmarted four (yes four) Sheepshead! Then Dave went deep, to 15' of water, and had a strong bite and a battle ensued. He played it perfectly and eventually landed a 22" Slot Sized Redfish. Robert also put two undersized and out of season Flounder in the boat, and released.
Our next stop was up Bell River and I think the first cast with a jig produced a Seatrout. Then they were all catching, with a couple of more being of keeper size, and the biggest, right at 17", caught by Ed. Robert went to some structure and had his shrimp picked up and then his drag began to rip, Fish On! This was crazy. The fish ran hard up the river, then down the river, then up the river, then down the river. It kinda boiled up behind the boat and we all thought for sure it was big Redfish but when it finally came to the surface we saw that it was a Striped Bass (and Ed correctly identified it as a Hybrid). The first Striped Bass ever on my boat! Boy what a fish!
We fished Jolley "bank" for a bit, tangled with another big fish, then headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We had another beautiful day when I met Dennis Ambercrombie and his dad Jay, a Veteran and an angler. Little did we know that today would be one of those "banner" days, and it couldn't have come at a better time with today being Veterans Day! We made a short run from Goffinsvill Park down the Nassau River and set up at a marsh run out. The two anglers baited up and were fishing that drainage with about an hour left of an outgoing tide. I had turned my back to do something and BAM, Jay had a bite on that first cast and we were in for a battle! Jay played it patiently (watch the below video) - it took well over 6 minutes, but he was up to the task and eventually boated a Oversized 32.5" Redfish, a fish big enough to move him into 2nd Place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report and click on Bragging Rights to see standings). Boy what fish! While he was fighting the Red Dennis had a hookup and landed a hungry Seatrout!
We continued to fish that spot for a good 30 minutes and Jay was on fire catching Seatrout out the back of the boat. We then moved down to Spanish Drop and fished some exposed shell banks. Jay picked up more Trout off the stern while Dennis found a couple of feisty Redfish. After that we worked along some shell banks, pitching jigs and shrimp on the very last of the tide until it hit dead bottom.
Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's Pointe and now the tide was coming in and it made a difference. Jay was fishing the stern and hooked up and landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum (all fish caught today were released), then Dennis followed that up with a Drum catch of his own. Then Jay had a slight "bump", set the hook, and reeled in a keeper sized Sheepshead! We had a good, brief flurry at that spot. We ran down along Nassauville and made one more stop and picked up a few more Trout and a small Sea Bass.
The final stop was down at Broward Island and boy was it hot! Right off the bat, Jay began to catch keeper sized Seatrout, most all of them out deep in 20' of water. They picked up a small Red or two then after Dennis had made a good cast to a "beach", BAM! The minute it hit the water he had a big fish on. Jay expertly played the fish, kept the pressure on, and slowly worked it to the surface. I was thinking< "Big Red" but when it came up we saw that it was a huge Flounder! Dennis kept that line tight and eventually we netted a 23.35" Flounder, and we had another Abercrombie slide in to the Bragging Rights Tournament, this one big enough to move in to a tie for 2nd Place in the Flounder Category. Another great fish!
We fished that spot until we ran out of bait, catching one Seatrout after the other. I remember commenting that IF they had been keeping fish, they surely would have hit their limit! As we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day of catching here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We had another beautiful day today when I met Mark Smith and his future neighbor Dan down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. The skies were clear and the sun was just coming up as we made the run up the Nassau River and around to Broward Island to set up at a large marsh run out with plans to pitch jigs and live shrimp. Dan was on the bow fishing the run out while Mark was on the stern pitching to a small cove and it as Mark who "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch. We worked along that bank and had a pretty good stretch of "fish catching" - the two anglers caught a good handful of Seatrout with a couple of them being of keeper size, then Mark put a Slot sized Redfish in the boat. We worked about half the island but the tide had come to a standstill, so we made a move.
Dan stayed on the bow, fishing the jig, and hooked up with a keeper sized Weakfish then Mark caught and landed another Slot Red, then he had a strong hookup and this big fish stayed on the bottom, Fish On! Mark played it patiently and slowly
worked it up, then it dove deep again making the drag sing. He worked it up again only to have it make more deep runs, but Mark was up to the task and eventually landed an Oversized 29" Redfish, boy what a fish!
We came back to Nassauville, stayed with the jigs, and here they picked up another Redfish, then Mark landed a 15"+ Flounder, big enough normally, but with a closed season, it went back to live another day!
Our final stop was down at Twin Creeks. Both Mark and Dan caught Seatrout drifting floats, then a feisty Redfish. We moved down to Spanish Drop and finished the day catching small but fun to catch Seatrout. As we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Although the storm passed thru over the weekend it left lingering winds thru Monday so Karen and Jerry Thompson and I decided to move the trip to this afternoon, and it was a good move. We only had a slight breeze blowing and the sun was shining bright which made for a very pleasant afternoon on the water hre at Amelia Island. We made quick run over to the outside of Tyger to fish a marsh line as the tide started out. I thought we were really going to take off when Jerry hooked up and landed a fat, keeper sized Seatrout right off the bat. But bites after that were few and far between. We fished there then crossed the creek and fished another couple of spots but to no avail.
Our next stop was up at the Jolley River, fishing a stretch of bank and here Jerry got hot and caught a handful of Seatrout. We worked up and down that bank and picked up Trout. Karen got in on the action and landed her first fish, a Seatrout.
We moved up the river, staying with the float rigs and here Jerry had a strong bite, one that ripped some drag. He kept the pressure on and worked in a nice keeper sized Redfish.
Our final stop was around at Bell River, fishing some docks with jigs. Karen was on he bow and began to hookup with Seatrout. Jerry, at the stern, found one back by some dock pilings. We move down the river a bit and pitched to an old boat ramp and here we found two or three Redfish. It had been a beautiful day and we had caught some nice fish so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
With a big NE storm that passed thru this past weekend, coupled with some "King" Tides, it was all over the news about Front Street flooding. When I launched this morning old dead marsh grass was piled up at the top of the boat ramp at Dee Dee Bartels, and one floating ramp was damaged from the high water.
I met Steve Locke and his fishing buddy Jason early with a tide that had been low at 5:30am, so it had been coming in for almost two hours. We ran up to the Jolley River, turned into the current and deployed some float rigs and live shrimp, working along a bank with the oysters already covered up. We fished for 30 minutes without a nibble and I was beginning to wonder if it might be nice to see a "baitstealer" when Jason hooked up and landed a nice 17" keeper sized Seatrout. He then drifted long off the stern and began to pick up Trout, one after the other, and graciously offered to have Steve come back and join in, which he did. Both anglers caught Trout, one after the other, and most of them were 10-15' from the bank.
Jason was getting another good drift when his float disappeared, he lifted the rod and set the hook and this was a bigger fish. He played it patiently and after a good battle brought to the net a big 20.5" Sheepshead, a fish that puts him squarely in to 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Sheepshead Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
We eventually ran up the Jolly to Snook Creek and fished that bank and this was hot, too. Both anglers caught Redfish with a few of them being of keeper size. They also added another few keeper sized Seatrout.
Our next stop was on the outside of Tyger which didn't pan out, then we ran thru the creek and over to the Bell and set up alongside a grassy pointe where we picked up two more Seatrout. But the bite had slowed considerably and after one more spot we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I thought we were due for another beautiful day today and as it stared out it was just that, clear and not too windy. But boy were we in for a blow as the day went on! I had met Greg Raecker up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park before sun up with plans to try some fly fishing mixed in with spin so we headed over to Tyger Island and checked a handful of spots out for tailing Redfish as the sun was coming up. Although the water was plenty high enough, we only saw one tail and that was just for a brief moment.
So Greg set up at the stern of the boat and blind casted in shallow water for Seatrout with a shrimp pattern. That can get real tiring quick, so we
switched to live shrimp under a float and that did the trick. Greg "knocked the skunk off" with a keeper sized Seatrout catch. We worked along a grass line and picked up another keeper Trout. After crossing over the creek and fishing the float rig we found that the wind had picked up a bit, so we decided to make a run over to Lanceford Creek and find some shelter.
We fished up in Lanceford with the fly gear and spin gear and boy was it perfect conditions -sunny and zero wind! But the fish didn't cooperate, we didn't get a bite fishing a stretch of grass, and then "Millie's Spot".
Our next stop was over in Soap Creek and now the tide was going out. In quick succession, Greg put three Seatrout in the boat. We eased up to a small oyster/grass island running parallel to the bank and Greg's first cast produced a feisty Redfish. He went back to the same spot and had a another, bigger bite. This one was ripping drag and staying up at the bank. I knew there was an oyster outcrop between us and the fish and sure enough, the fish found it and, BAP! Fish Off! But Greg went back, this time on the outside of the island and picked up another Trout, then went back to the "honey hole" and caught another Redfish.
By this time it had become overcast and the wind had really picked up. We headed back to the dock, bucking the wind and the waves, but we had squeezed in some good fishing so we counted it as another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I fished south today, meeting Joe and Karen Szkardnik and their fishing buddy Bruce down at the Sawpit Creek boa ramp early for a backwater day of fishing here at Amelia Island. We made our longest run up the intercoastal, turned left into the Back River and run over to the mouth of Pumpkin Hill to set up fishing with float rigs on the very last of an incoming tide. Karen had the hot hand first when she found a couple of hungry Seatrout long, past a grassy island.
We eased around the corner and fished a grassy island, picked up another Trout or two, then Joe tangled with a Bonnethead Shark which we photographed and released, then he added a Bluefish to the box. Our next stop was back at Seymore's Pointe, fishing just north of a dock as the tide had started out and here Bruce got on the board with another Seatrout catch. We fished between a couple of docks, drifting the grass, then move on.
Our next stop was down at the Spanish Drop area and here we switched to jigs. Bruce found a feisty Redfish then Karen hooked up with something big that boiled as it was hooked, then headed north. Karen's drag was ripping as she inched to the bow of the boat then, BAP! Fish off! Ouch. But Karen was not to be deterred, pitched her jig up into the mouth of a run out, let it bounce down the bottom and had a hookup. When it flashed near the surface I guessed "Jack Crevalle" but when I netted it I saw it was a keeper sized Pompano - the first ever I've had caught on the Anglers Mark!
We moved down the way and fished a stretch where the shell was beginning to show and here we had our hottest action of the day. Karen and Joe began hooking up with feisty Redfish, then Joe put a Slot sized Red in the boat. Karen landed a Whiting. Then it was Bruce's turn for a big fish. He had a strong bite, set the hook, and expertly played to the net a nice 24" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish!
We finished the day back at Seymore's Pointe, had a few bites, caught a Mangrove and a Perch, then called it day and as we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We had a beautiful cool and crisp morning when I met Tom and Mary Lou Stergios up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park. I launched in the dock, saw a lit up shrimp boat motor by, then Tom and Mary Lou and I pulled out from the dock as the sun came up. We made a quick jump over to Tyger Island and set up alongside a grassy point as the tide swept by. In short order Tom had a good hookup on his float rig and live shrimp and he expertly landed a nice feisty Redfish. Mary Lou was fishing off the stern and she followed that up with a nice landing of a keeper sized Seatrout (all fish caught today were released). We worked along that bank for a bit, tangled with a couple of Ladyfish, then crossed the creek and fished another stretch, to no avail.
After fishing a run out on the outside of Tyger with a jig and shrimp, we continued on around to Jolley "bank" and went back to the float rigs. The duo of anglers again caught a few hungry Seatrout. We ran further up the Jolley and fished Snook Creek and this was the hottest spot of the morning. Both anglers caught Redfish with a couple of them being just in the Slot range. They also caught Seatrout. Most of them were just under the 15" limit, but boy were they fat!
We fished on around the corner then continued on around to Bell River and fished some docks with jigs. I was expecting maybe a Black Drum but we had none bite, but we did pick up another Seatrout. It was an absolutely beautiful day and as we cruised back thru the Bell and to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I fished again today with Bob Blalock who had along as his guests his in-laws Tommy and Martha. We left the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp as the sun was coming up behind us and headed over to Tyger Island to try our hand at fishing the logs on the first of an incoming tide. All three anglers were getting good casts as as we worked the bank. We picked up a handful of "bait stealers" before Bob finally put a barely legal Seatrout in the boat.
We then made the long run outside of Tyger, down to the Bell, up into Lanceford and then we eased in to Soap Creek with plans to fish an exposed oyster bed. Bob and Wanda stayed with the jig and shrimp combo but Tommy switched to a float and drifted long out of the stern. Tommy found a hot spot back there and caught one, two, three Seatrout one after the other. But Bob and Martha were getting good
casts and they found a good flurry of action, catching feisty Redfish on each cast. After working that bank until they quit biting we moved on.
Our next stop was down at some docks on Lanceford and I think it was the first cast to the pilings when we had a hookup. Martha was on the rod and she expertly played another nice Redfish to the net. The bait stealers moved in and we moved on.
We stopped at BM3, a marsh drainage and fished the mouth with float rigs and in no time Bob hooked up and brought to the boat another keeper sized Seatrout-the biggest Trout of the day. After fishing a flooding oyster point at Bell River, then some more flooding shell on the outside of Tyger, we headed back across the river and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida
Most of my guests this week are in town for the annual Georgia-Florida football game being held inJacksonville Saturday. But today, my two guest anglers were here just for a few days of relaxation and some back water fishing. It just so happened that one pulled for those mangy Dawgs, and one pulled for the mighty Gators! I had met Tom Mathews and his longtime buddy up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early with a forecast of clear skies but increasing winds on a tide that had just started back in. We made a short run over to Tyger Island, slipped in behind it and began fishing the logs with jigs and live shrimp. We had some nibbles then Tom hooked up and landed a nice keeper sized Sheepshead(all fish caught today were released). They caught a couple of Mangrove Snapper along that stretch then we moved on.
Our next stop was over at Lanceford Creek, fishing some dock pilings as the tide came in and this paid off. Gary kicked it off when he hooked up out deep and brought to the boat a fat Seatrout. Then both anglers were catching Redfish, a couple of which were right at keeper size. They also caught Mangroves and another Sheepshead to add to the catch.
We moved around to Soap Creek and switched to float rigs, drifting live shrimp or mud minnows back behind the stern, thru a shute. Tom "went long" and when we couldn't find his float, he lifted the rod tip, set the hook, and had a fish on. He expertly brought it to the boat and landed a hungry Seatrout. He went back to the same place and this time when his float went under we thought we had a big Trout. Tom played it patiently and brought it to the net - a small Bonnethead Shark!
We fished further up Lanceford at a couple of spots but had not real bites but as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day top be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
