Good Variety, Good Fish at Amelia Island

 Although it was a bit overcast this morning, it made for a great day of fishing with only a slight breeze blowing. I had met Jonathan Valdez and his father-in-law Dan out at the Goffinsville Park on an "almost low" tide -it was still going out, so we went down a ways and fished between two docks with jigs and live shrimp. Both anglers had a "bump" now and then but it was Jonathan who "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and battle a large Catfish to the net. We had a Salt Marsh Mink sighting there, too. 

We then ran down to Broward Island and set up to fish the still outgoing tide, under the watchful eye of a Bald Eagle. Both anglers were getting good casts to the exposed drop off and when we bot between two logs the action commenced. Dan hooked up  and when his drag began to rip we knew it had a bit of size. While he was battling that, Jonathan hooked up and brought to the net a feisty Black Drum. Dan patiently played his fish and soon landed a Slot Sized Redfish. And shortly after that he caught a keeper sized Seatrout.

After fishing Broward we made our way back to Seymore's Pointe, then down to Spanish Drop where the duo tangled with high flying Ladyfish and Jack Crevalle. Then Jonathan, after just switching to a float rig and live shrimp, had his float disappear. He tightened up the line, lifted his rod and let the hook set and Fish On! Jonathan expertly brought it to the net and landed the feisty Redfish.  As we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Double Up On Shark

What a great Shrimp Fest weekend we had, and back to "work" today, fishing with Emily Rutt and her husband Joe. I met them early up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and we headed out of Eagans on a beautiful morning on a tide that had been coming in for about 2 hours. We made the run up and around to the Jolley River, turned into the current and began to fish the "bank" with live shrimp and jigs.

Both anglers were getting good tosses  then Joe hooked up and battled to the net a high flying Ladyfish. Emily hooked up and had to the boat a small Sea Robin and Joe had another brief encounter with a Ladyfish. We ran up the river and fished the outside of Snook Creek then eased inside where, sure enough, they had some serious drag ripping fights with shark - the first was a double - Joe was up on the bow, Emily was back on the stern, and their sharks were headed in opposite directions!  That makes for some exciting times and it was for a bit until Emily's broke off, then shortly after, Joe's broke off too.

But just a short while later Joe hooked up and had a good fight with another shark and this  one he brought to the net for photograph and release. Emily had one more encounter with a big shark then she felt a good bump, set the hook and expertly landed a keeper sized Seatrout. After a photo, we released it to be caught another day.

We came back to the outside of Tyger Island and trolled the edge of a Jasper Beach with the jigs and mud minnows, thinking we might pick up a flounder. We think we had one good "bump", then a couple of times the "Ladyfish King" tangled with more Ladyfish, then we continued on over to Bell River. 

From then on we were fishing float rigs and live shrimp. We might of had a nibble once or twice but no takers. We fished Soap Creek and up in Lanceford then headed back to the dock counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Same Fishing Hole

 I fished with Ross and Rob Gibbs today, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early., We made the run  up the intercoastal and dipped into Jackstaff, and into a smaller creek then set up outside a drainage on the first of an outgoing tide. This was the same exact spot where I fished yesterday and we had gotten a nice keeper sized Seatrout and I was thinking, "maybe again"!  And sure enough the guess paid off - Rob had his float rig with live shrimp disappear  and after he caught up to it, he lifted his rod and "fish on"!  Rob brought it to the net and landed a nice 18" Seatrout to start the day!

We had a couple of bites but no takers until Ross had a strong bite that started ripping drag and heading south and BAP!, Fish Off!  Then Rob hooked up and landed a small but feisty Jack Crevalle. We moved over to Poteat Cut and fished a stretch but had no luck, then we ran thru Horsehead and fished a large drainage there. We did have some bites but no takers so we moved down the Nassau. 

Our first stop was at Twin Creeks and here we switched to jigs and shrimp. Rob hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout and when we moved own to another drainage, Ross hooked up and landed another.  We fished Spanish Drop for a bit then made another run, this time up the Nassau and into a little creek. The duo of anglers worked it thoroughly and although the conditions were perfect, we had  no bites. 

Back to Seymore's Pointe we came to fish some docks and here they sharpened their skills dueling with Mangrove Snapper. Some they won, and some they lost.  We made one final stop back at Sawpit  where they picked up a couple of baitstealers. Ross did have a good fish on for a bit, one that was putting a bend in the rod but it threw the hook to send us on our way. But as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Down To The Wire

 Boy what a blow we had yesterday with steady winds up in the 20's and gusts even higher -glad I wasn't fishing! But sure enough, the wind died thru out the night and we had a glorious morning greet us when I met Mark and Jen Woodard and their daughter Lilli down at the Sawpit Creek Boat ramp. We made a long run up the intercoastal and dipped in to Jackstaff and then into a smaller creek and set up at a drainage on the first of an outgoing tide to pitch float rigs with live shrimp. Right off Lilli had a bite but it wasn't a taker then shortly after that Jen yelled, Fish On!  She played it expertly to the boat and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout.

We then moved over to Poteat Cut and fished an edge and within minutes it was Lilli's turn to battle a fish. She fought it valiantly and soon brought to the net a 20" Slot Redfish. Two in the box! We fished back at the mouth of Jackstaff, bumped across and fished jigs on a point, then made a run thru Horsehead and over to Back River to fish a bank with the tide running by, but to no avail.

Back to Nassauville we went and here Mark got hot, putting a couple ofkeeper Mangrove Snapper in the boat. He also landed a Croaker that we could have kept, but we tossed it back. Around to Seymore's Pointe we went to fish some more dock pilings. The "competition" heated up! Jen and Mark were neck and neck with their fish count, catching Mangrove's and small Seabass and they raced to the finish line matching each other fish for fish. It went down to the wire but I think Mark edged Jen by one fish! As we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Bragging Rights Bonanza

 Looking at the weather forecast last night I thought for sure we'd be getting wet today. But when I got up this morning it had improved which was great because we were going anyway!  I met Henry Ross and his crew - David Gray, and Dick and Ethan Conley - up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and we headed over to Eagans Creek with plans to fish some dock pilings on a tide that had been going out for a few hours. The oysters were just beginning to show when we pulled up and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the pilings. Ethan was quick to "knock the skunk off" when he hooked up and fought a feisty Redfish to the net

His dad, Dick, hooked up a landed a small but feisty Black "puppy" Drum then short while later he had a strong bite and, Big Fish On!  It was nip and tuck there for a while as the big fish pulled deep up into the pilings. But Dick stayed patient and worked it out each time and when it rolled to the surface we knew it was a big Redfish. Dick worked it to the boat and landed a big 29.75" oversized Redfish - a fish big enough to move him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!

We then made a long run up to the Bell River and fished some docks with the jigs. Nothing much was  happening but David did get on the board with  hard fighting Jack Crevalle catch. We were wrapping up to leave but Henry was still fishing with a mud minnow and had a good "bump" out deeper and fish on!  Henry worked it expertly up to the surface and we netted a nice 16" Flounder. Although not huge, we'll let that set the bar for 1st place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

Continuing on around thru the Bell River we made a stop at the MOA. David was on the bow tossing up current on the very last of the outgoing tide. He had one strong hookup with a fish that was putting a good bend in the rod and....OFF! Dang it!  But just a short while later, David made the same cast and it paid off with a Big Fish hookup. This fish had the room to dig deep and boy did it! The drag was ripping and the fish took him from bow to stern, from starboard to port, and then back to starboard, and back to port. I was laying my money on it being a Bonnethead Shark and luckily, boy was wrong! David worked it patiently up and when it surfaced we saw that it was another huge oversized Redfish, this one measuring in at 34", and big enough to take the lead spot, 1st. place, in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!

We fished the outside of Tyger for just a bit then headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

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Getting Our Fly Fix In

 We had a beautiful morning forecasted when I picked up Mark DePrimo at the Residence Inn this morning. We made our way down to Sawpit Creek, launched, and made the run up the intercoastal to dip into a side creek up near Horsehead. Mark had wanted to get h is "Fly Fix" in so I had two fly outfits ready, a 7w and a 8w. Mark began tossing the lighter 7w that had a hand tied "shrimp" fly and was getting good casts up to some oyster beds, then he let the current drop it down to about 8' of water. We worked along that bank, had not strikes, then worked the same bank with some spin gear and live shrimp. Mark did have a good bite from a feisty Bluefish. 

After making a run thru Horsehead and down to Spanish drop, we worked another expose oyster bed until the outgoing tide hit bottom. After moving up to some docks at Seymore's, Mark fine tuned his hookset and put a good handful of Mangrove Snapper in the boat.

We then made a long run up the Nassau and dipped into a creek where we worked a tree line bank the fly gear then the jig/shrimp. Man it was beautiful back there! And the run paid off when Mark had a strong bite, set the hook and battled to the net a feisty Redfish. After making the trip back to Sawpit, driving back to town and depositing Mark at the Residence, I counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Tale of Two Tides

 I was back at it this morning, fishing with the Wolfe's - Tim and Laura - and meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. While we were in the area, and with the tide still going out, we bumped around to the old Sawpit bridge and set up current to drift slip floats back to the bridge with live shrimp as bait. It only took a few drifts before Laura "knocked the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch, one of keeper size.  And a little later she picked up another, then she landed the first Ladyfish of the year.

We then ran up the intercoastal, just beyond Jackstaff, and fished some exposed oyster beds with jigs and the shrimp. I was encouraging Tim to toss up near the oysters with his casts but Laura was fishing out deeper and again, she hooked up and landed a few hungry Seatrout. Tim finally hooked up and landed a Seatrout  to get on the board, then tangled with another Ladyfish.

After running thru Horsehead and around to Seymore's Pointe we fished some dock pilings and Tim added to his numbers by boating a good handful of Mangrove Snapper. The tide had finally started in and that's when things went downhill. We fished Nassauville Rocks, Broward Island, Twin Creeks and Spanish Drop and only had nibbles. But we had some great weather and had caught fish early so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Rallied at the End

 

If you could have asked for the most perfect day to be fishing, today would have been it! Clear skies, sunshine, just a bit cool, and only a slight breeze - it was a "Chamber of Commerce" type morning when I met Bob Kossman and John Raker on a "share trip" kind of day down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made a long run up the intercoastal, into Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill to set up along a flooding shell bottom on a high and still incoming tide. John was on the bow and Bob was on the stern and they couldn't have had better drifts with their float rigs and live shrimp but all we could produce was a nibble here and there.

We moved around a point, fished it a bit, then dropped back to a flooded grassy island where John quickly "knocked the skunk off" with a hungry Seatrout catch. Whoop Whoop! Skunk off! We fished back around the corner, then made a run over to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large outflow and again, just nibbles. After running thru the marsh around to Jackstaff we fished another outflow thoroughly, but again to no avail. 

Back thru the marsh and down to Twin Creeks where we switched to jigs and shrimp. The duo of anglers didn't get any fish but Bob did have a strong bite right at the boat.

I was getting desperate so we decided to make the run up the Nassau to a small creek where we worked the bank with the jigs and it was a trip ending Rally!  John hooked up and landed a Seatrout, and at the same time Bob hooked up and battled a feisty Black "puppy" Drum. As we worked the bank John picked up a feisty Redfish, then another, then Bob had a a big bite and Fish On! He played it to the net and landed a Slot sized Redfish. We were almost ready to head back to the ramp when Bob had a hookup, a strange fight and sure enough, when he brought it to the net we had a keeper sized Flounder to round out a Grand Slam of Seatrout, Black Drum, Redfish and Flounder and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

New Species ID'd at Amelia Island

 FINALLY!  The weather let up and we were able to get out and fish! Monday: Cancelled, Tuesday: Cancelled, Wednesday: Cancelled, Thursday: moved to Friday afternoon. And so we fished this morning when I met Jeff and Jinny Key up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp, and with a live well full of live shrimp, we made our way up the creek to fish some dock pilings on an outgoing tide. Although it wasn't "on fire" both anglers caught small Black "puppy" Drum and couple of hungry Seatrout. We had at least one big breakoff but then Jinny, after making an excellent cast to some submerged oyster's, had a strong bite and Big Fish On!  She played it perfectly and soon brought to the net a big 20" Seatrout, big enough to move into the 2nd place slot of the 2023 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!

We then made the run up to Bell River and fished some more dock pilings. I think it was our first cast and Jinny had another big hookup. She fought it to the boat and landed the biggest Sheepshead of the year, one that measured at 16" and a fish to set the bar in the 2023 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Sheepshead Category!  Unfortunately the fish was renamed by Jinny a "Goathead" - possibly a new species in our backwater fishery.

After fishing a dock or two it was Jeff's turn to fight the big fish, tossing a jigs to the edge of dock he had a strong hookup and as it dug deep we knew it was a big fish. Jeff fought it valiantly and after a good battle landed a whopper of big Black "puppy" Drum.

We made a brief stop at the MOA, then made our way around to Tyger Island to fish the first of the incoming tide then headed back, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. Jeff and Jinny reported a great Blackened Black Drum meal from Kitchen 251 later in the day. 

Is It Shark Week?

 

I wrapped up my week fishing with part of the Ryan family today, Kerri and Mike and their young son Sean, meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. We made a quick run up to the Jolley River to fish a tide that had been coming in for a few hours and set up into the current to toss float rigs and live shrimp. Our first cast produced a huge roll but it missed the hook! We worked along that bank then eased into Snook Creek and switched to jigs and the shrimp and it wasn't long before we were battling sharks!

Kerri struck first - she set the hook on a Bonnethead Shark and battled it to the net, then after moving out to the mouth of the  creek, Mike had a strong hookup. He battled the fish expertly as it dove deep around the stern of the boat, but then it came back then dove under the hull and BAP! Big Fish Off! But Mike was not to be deterred and shortly after he had another strong hookup. This time he was ready and followed the fish to the bow then back to the stern then around it and patiently worked the fish up so that we could grab it, dehook it and get a picture. 

And shortly after that, another big shark fight! Mike played it perfectly and soon landed it too. We fished the outside of Tyger in search of Flounder then ran back to the dock and picked up daughter Lauren for another hour of fishing. The tide was up but we tried the logs of Tyger anyway with jigs, then made a run over to Lanceford and switched back to the float rigs. 

Sean had started off a little rusty with his casting but as the morning went along he was getting good distance and accuracy. He had a number of good bites but the circle hook just wouldn't take. But he was the "most improved" caster on the boat! We fished Soap Creek for just a bit then headed back to the dock, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.