Scraping Out a Win

 The forecast for this morning started off with a nice breeze of only 7mph but increasing to 12mph,temperatures in the mid 40's...and they were right! I met Michael and Jean Fry up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park for a planned half day of fishing. Unfortunately, live bait is hard to come by right now. I had seen Amelia Island Bait and Tackle's Facebook post "no live bait" last night, but luckily I had a few live shrimp and a few live mudminnows left over from last week. I did stop by AIBT and pick up a pound of frozen shrimp for back up. We left the dock and headed over to the outside of Tyger and fished with float rigs on the last of a high and incoming tide(this tactic right now is almost laughable - the water temperature was 53 this morning and the fish are just not going to be shallow-but I held out hope). We didn't get a bite. 

I ran thru Tyger, over to Bell, back down to Lanceford, up Lanceford and in to Soap Creek. We pulled up at a larger marsh runout and tossed float rigs, this time letting them drift with the current - it worked last week - but not today.  We then fished some docks along Lanceford with jigs and shrimp. The duo had a couple of nibbles and Michael snagged a "baitstealing" Perch. 

The wind had picked up as forecast (they got it right!) so we plowed thru the NE winds back to Eagans Creek, idled thru past Tiger Pointe Marina and the Olde Towne Bait Shop and picked out a bend in the creek to toss jigs and shrimp and AIBT Contender "Christmas Tree" grubs and finally, this did the trick. Both Michael and Jean had hookups. They played their respective fish and landed a pair of hungry Seatrout. Jean added one more Trout, the biggest of the day. We had given it a good "college try", fished till the end, and picked up a few fish so as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

One Final Flurry

 

We had hardly any breeze when I fished with Bob Kossman and his visiting daughter Samantha yesterday morning which made for some pleasant fishing. And the 9am start to take in a late morning high tide was an added bonus! We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and headed up the Nassau River and made our first stop at a large marsh run out with the oysters juts beginning to show as the tide started out. The two anglers were pitching jigs and a few live shrimp left over from my Wednesday trip(evidently they are hard to come by with the water temperatures being so low). Although we didn't "tear them up", Samantha did "knock the skunk off" when she hooked up and boated a hungry Seatrout. I noticed the water temperature had risen one degree to 55 today!

We ran over to Nassauville and fished some rocks, deep and I thought for sure we'd get fish, but no, not a real bite. We then moved around to Seymore's Pointe and fished some dock pilings. We did have a couple of "takes" but no hooksets(I think one of them may have been a hard-mouthed Sheepshead). But as we eased along the docks pitching, Bob hooked up and landed another
couple of Seatrout. 

After making the run down to Broward Island, the tide still going out, we worked the bank, pitching up current. We had the pleasure of fishing right under the "eagle eye's" of a pair of Bald Eagles (always neat" and here we had a good flurry of hookups. Both Bob and Samantha landed a handful of the Seatrout, caught in about 20' of water, and Samantha put two feisty Redfish in the boat. One of those had 12-spots and if legal, would have been a money winner in our Redfish Spot Tournament!

The trend held - cold water equals caching Trout deep on the bottom and the last flurry of catching, and under the watchful gaze of the Eagles made for another great day to be out on the water fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Trout On The Bottom

Kinda cool this morning! But the skies were clear, the sun was coming up and there was very little wind.Sean Pattwell and I had to move today's trip due to high winds on Friday and rain on Tuesday so we were chomping at the bit to get out on the water. As I ran to the first spot up the Nassau  River I noticed that the water temperature was 54 degrees. We pulled up a marsh run out on a tide that had been going out for a few hours and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp up to the mouth of the drainage, then let the current take the offering across the river bottom. We were fishing in about 12-15' of water, and had no bites.

We dropped back and fished a bank with exposed shell, working along the edge, now in about 10-12' of water but after working it thoroughly, we had not bites. OUCH.  Our next stop was up at the rocks along Nassauville, now pitching into 14' of water and letting the bait fall down thru 25' and this did the trick. Sean began to hookup out deep and catch Seatrrout. Although no fish were kept today, a couple of them were nice and fat and of keeper size. Sean also picked up one Redfish in the bunch.

After moving around to Seymore's Pointe and fishing some dock piling to no avail, we made the run down to Broward Island and set up fishing under the watchful eye of a Bald Eagle. The first stretch of fishing produced no bites but then, as the tide began to turn, we began to get bites. Sean had been pitching  his jig/shrimp combo up to the edge, then letting it fall until it was almost directly behind the boat in 20-25' of water and, TAP, TAP, TAP. Sean set the hook and would hookup. I was fishing some too and Sean was getting about 3 fish to my 1 - he was dialed in. These fish were fat and legal but we snapped pictures and tossed them back.

The sun was out, the skies were clear and as we left 'em biting, we headed back to the dock, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

 

 

Great News For Area Anglers!

We've all heard about the re-opening of the bait and tackle shop up at Eagans Creek so I reached out to Amelia Island Bait and Tackle owner Nik Bremer to get the "scoop" on plans for the new Olde Towne Bait and Tackle...

 

What's planned for the shop? Anything new  or different than when it was Leaders and Sinkers?

The concept will be the same, a bait shop.  But we intend on widening the selection of bait options.  The goal is to have the largest selection of live bait in NE Florida, including Shrimp, muds, fids, blue crab, pinfish and croaker.  Inside will consist of last minute items and things that you would need on the water, Terminal tackle, lead, emergency boating supplies, ice, snacks, beverages, few spooled combos, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses and a couple items of apparel to protect our guests from the sun.  

 

When do you plan to open?

The original goal was 3/1, but we have a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done.  So things are looking like 4/1 after we gut it and give it a new face lift including a new roof.  

What are expected hours?

We will have seasonal hours as of now.  But looking like 6am-5pm

 

Will folks still be able to use the boat ramp?

The boat ramp will remain open.  Many of people have asked about it being repaired and that is something that may come in the future.  We are putting our resources into getting the shop up to our standard and will work on other projects as we move forward.

 

Who will be running the shop?

Joe will be moving from Amelia Island Bait and Tackle up to the new location and will run the day to day operations up there.  

 

Will operating the new shop affect the existing shop?

Our current shop will remain exactly the same and will continue to focus on a wonderful tackle selection.

 

Other info

We will be building a fish cleaning station at the dock as an amenity for our paying customers.

 

 

Represent'n

 I got to witness a beautiful sunrise today when I met Jeff and his crew, Jim and Aspen, out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. We had clear skies as we left the dock and headed down to Broward Island. And even though we had a bit of breeze blowing against us out of the south, when we pulled up to the island the wind was blocked and boy was it nice! The three anglers began tossing jigs and live shrimp to the bank and letting it fall along the bottom with the current. It only took a few minutes - Jeff said it was his first cast and retrieve- when he had a hookup. He played it patiently to the boat and landed a nice feisty Redfish. We had good action at that first spot. All three anglers put Redfish in the boat. Aspen had the biggest one on but after a good battle, the fish found a submerged log, frayed the leader and BAP! Fish gone. But Aspen wasn't to be deterred and went back in, Representing a true angler and caught fish. Jim was on the bow and had a strong hookup. He played it expertly and brought to the boat the biggest Seatrout of the day, a bulky 17" fish which we photographed and released(all fish caught today were released).

We eventually moved down the island, fished back into the current, passing under a Bald Eagle as we fished. Jim spotted a Salt Marsh Mink running down the bank, but we had no real bites. After running back to Seymore's Pointe and fishing a few docks to no avail, we moved around to Nassauville and fished a deep (30') drop off. Here, Jeff had the hot hand as he zeroed in on the Seatrout and he landed a good handful. Both Aspen and Jim added to the catch.

The wind had gotten even stronger as we headed back to Pumpkin Hill. My plan to work the now flooding bank, was suspect.  The trio made the best of it, punching their float rigs into the wind, but we had no luck. After fishing a big in Christopher Creek, we called it a day . We had a couple of spots where we had good action so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Beautiful Afternoon For Fishing

 

It rained all morning yesterday so I kept an eye on my Weather app to see what was in store for us to do an afternoon trip. As I pulled  up to the bait shop at noon the skies were still ugly with dark clouds but the forecast called for clearing. I met Barb and Dennis Lockard up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park at 1pm and we headed over to Soap Creek with plans to fish float rigs and live shrimp as the tide fell. It had been going out for a few hours so I knew we wouldn't be on the floats for long!

Barb had the hot hand early. Dennis had gotten a good bite that stole his shrimp and Barb's float was following his on a long drift so she let it keep going and BAM! She had a hookup. After expertly reeling it in she landed a nice hungry Seatrout. We found that spot paid off a couple of times. We had a bite or two and Barb landed another Seatrout.

After moving up about 30 yards we fished some exposed oysters, first with the floats, then we switched to jigs and

shrimp. The switch paid off for Barb. She had made a close cast to the oysters and had a hung a bit, but when it came off, BOOM! She had a strong bite. This fish fought a bit more and sure enough, when she landed it, we saw it was a feisty Redfish.

Our next stop was over in Lanceford Creek, fishing some dock pilings. We had a bite or two but no takers. As we drifted outside of a dock, back towards a shell bank, Dennis went in close and finally had a the hookup he was looking for. Dennis played it perfectly and brought to the net another feisty Redfish.

We fished along Lanceford for a bit, waiting for the tide to hit bottom, then made the run around to Tyger Island. We worked up and down the island, pitching jigs to pockets among the stumps. The skies had cleared, the sun was out, and it had turned out to be a beautiful day. Dennis picked up three more Redfish and had a "double" on the third when Barb landed one of her own. 

The day had started out gloomy but had ended well so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be out on the water and fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Last Spot Pays Off

Adopt the pace of nature;

her secret is patience.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The temperature was in the 40's this morning but there were clear skies and very little wind and Sean Pattwell was "game" to go fishing, so we met up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and headed over to Tyger Island to fish some 4' water with float rigs and live shrimp. To be honest, I didn't have a whole lot of confidence in our strategy but it was the only real strategy I could come up when dealt with a high tide. But we Endeavored to Persevere(Chief Dan George). That first stop was real pretty! The sun had come up and was shining on the trees and marsh of Tyger, but the fish didn't cooperate.

We made the run around and up to the Jolly River, fished the mouth of Snook Creek and again, no bites. After running thru the Jolly and around to the Bell, we fished between some docks with jigs and shrimp, deep on the bottom. IF I was a betting man, I would have lost a $1 because I would have bet it, sure we'd catch a fish here. We had one nibble but no takers, so we moved on.

Our final stop was over in Lanceford Creek, fishing some dock pilings. But now the tide had gotten down and sure enough, we began to get some hookups. We reeled in a Black "puppy" Drum, then a Channel Bass (vintage speak for Redfish) then Sean had a good bump, set the hook, and expertly landed a keeper sized Seatrout (all fish caught today were released). We added two more Channel Bass to the catch total. Although the fish catching wasn't on fire, it was a beautiful day and a great one to be out fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

StaYmo Trolling Motor Shock Absorber/Stabilizer

 

After a winter of having boat fiberglass repairs done, trailer repairs done, I also had my Minnkota 112lb Terrova trolling motor overhauled and "tightened" up. I have noticed for years that while running down the river, and especially going over wakes, the trolling motor head has bounced a little too much. I have known that surely that can't be good for it, but I was reluctant to drill (more) holes in my deck and really didn't want another object on the deck and in the way. I you've fished with me you know that I can not stand tripping over something and like to keep my deck clear

After searching the internet I came across the StaYmo Shock Abosorber/Stabilizer. It doesn't drill to the deck, but instead fastens to the shaft of the trolling motor with a Velcro strap. The unit itself has a spring built in and the base is a "suction" type cup. I was worried that the StaYmo wouldn't work because me deck is checkered/non-skid but after trading Emails with them they assured me that it would work, it didn't need to suction.

They come in two sizes so you have to take a measurement of your installed trolling motor (I almost screwed up - I took my measurement with my boat cover on and it pushes my motor down, but luckily the unit I ordered was just right). It has some adjustments by removing a plastic nut and shifting a pin up or down. It's a 1-minute adjustment!

All you have to do after that is strap the Velcro over the shaft and done. While running down the river I noticed the StayMo acted as a shock absorber as we hit waves. 

I had thought I would have to remove the unit at every stop but I decided to just run the shaft locking nut all the way up to where the StaYmo was strapped and operated the trolling motor with the StaYmo still strapped on. It looks a little goofy and I thought for sure the cable would wrap, but I didn't have an issue. The cable already get's caught on the locking nut on occasion so I assume it will catch on the StaYmo, but we'll see.

For me, this was the perfect shock absorber to get. I didn't have to drill holes, it supports my trolling motor shaft, and so far, I can leave it attached. Here's a very brief video running down the river. 

The only place I see them for sale are on Etsy, CLICK HERE

Trout Honey Hole

 After a super cold day yesterday, we had a warming trend for
today and luckily, I had planned to meet Bill Rowlett at 1pm for an afternoon trip and it had warmed to the mid 60's. We met down at the Sawpit Creek Boat Ramp and headed  up the intercoastal to dip into Jackstaff with plans to fish a tide that had been going out for a few hours. We went with float rigs, fishing in about 5 feet of water, and got...nuthin. After fishing a sandbar point with jig rods and again getting no bites, we ran thru Horsehead, over to the Nassau, and down to a large marsh run out.

Bill was making excellent casts with his jig and shrimp combo and letting the current take his bait down the river bottom, but again, not a nibble! We moved up to Seymore's Pointe and fished a couple of docks. Bill had made a good toss up between some piling and the day had been going so slow up until now he and I both thought he was hung on the bottom...but then it began pulling back, and, Fish On!  Bill played it perfectly and after a good battle, landed a nice feisty Redfish, Skunk Off The Boat!

We ran around the corner and down the Nassau to the rocks of Nassauville and fished between two docks. I knew that at the end of one dock there was steep decline in the river bottom, going from 15' to 30' out at the boat. We began tossing our jig and shrimp up to the shallower water and then let the current take it down the decline and BAM! We began to get hookups. Seatrout were laying down there in deeper water and with a subtle bite, they'd take the bait. Most of the fish were in the 14" range but we had a few that could have been "keepers"(all fish caught today were released). It was fun catching them and really took some finesse but Bill was up to the task. I had been fishing a bit also to increase our chances but eventually I was able to put my rod down and watch Bill catch fish. After about 17 fish, they were still biting, but we decided to move on for a change in scenery.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island. I knew the tide would be still going out, not ideal, but we made the best of it, working the bank. Bill put two more feisty Reds in the boat. The sun was heading down and the temperature was dropping, but it was a beautiful day and a great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

 

Boy was it pretty this morning when I came over the south end bridge to drop the boat at Sawpit Creek boat ramp. There was a bit of excitement first - a guy waved me down and said the transport boat that ran employees out to the dredge was bringing in an injured worker and ambulances were on the way. Sure enough, here came two fire trucks and an ambulance. They got the fellow off the boat and into the ambulance and off they went. I was able to get launched and be ready for when the Berquist family arrived - Evan and Laura and their kids Tim and Sasha. 

We made the long run up and around to the Broward Island in hopes of fishing the first of an incoming tide, but it was well up already. But these anglers were ready to fish and began tossing jigs and live shrimp to the bank, letting it go to the bottom, and then letting the current take it along. We had a fished a bit and finally had a nibble and a hookup. Laura was on the rod and expertly brought tot he boat a feisty Sheepshead.

After easing down the island we found a spot to fish under a Bald Eagle and here it was Evan's turn to have the hookup which he played to the boat and landed - a hungry Seatrout. We moved down the way, had some nibbles, then moved on.

Our next stop was back at some docks at Seymore's Pointe. We were getting good casts to the dock pilings and were getting nibbles. I thought maybe more Sheepshead but then Evan snagged one and it turned out to be a baitstealing Perch. We moved on.  After fishing some docks over along Nassauville, to no avail, we made the short run down to Pumpkin Hill. The tide was up, so we switched to float rigs and the live shrimp. By now, Tim was baiting all the hooks and Sasha was in charge of the net. Laura was getting a good drift and had her float disappear but it got her bait. Evan drifted thru but had not luck then Laura came back thru and BAM! This time she was ready, lifted her rod and set the hook. She worked it to the boat patiently and landed another nice Seatrout. Tim had an "eagle eye" and spotted porpoises all around us.

We fished Spanish Drop briefly but the tide had gotten really high and we had no luck, but as we headed in, the sun was shining, the temperature had warmed, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.