Kids and Sharks

 

We had a beautiful June morning today when I met Paul Johnson and his kids Henry and Grady up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. Sunshine and just enough  breeze to make it pleasant to fish the back waters of Amelia Island. We eased out of Egans Creek and made our way over to the outside of Tyger Island and set up off a point of grass to drift float rigs an live shrimp on the first of an outgoing tide. It didn't take long before we were getting fish. After a huge fish rolled on Henry's bait, he later hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. Then Paul hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish then a small Flounder. All three anglers tangled with high flying Ladyfish. 

We moved across the way and where we picked up a couple of more Trout. Our next stop was up the Jolley River, where we fished another point briefly and here Grady got on the board with a nice Seatrout catch. Further up the Jolly, at Snook Creek, Henry had a strong bite and when his drag began to rip we knew he had a big Shark on. Henry played it patiently and after a good battle landed a big Bonnethead Shark. We caught more Ladyfish, a keeper sized Flounder, another small Redfish, then it was Grady's turn to battle the big Shark. She fought it valiantly and after a good battle landed another Bonnethead Shark.

Around at the MOA we caught a couple of small (really small) Redfish then we made our way around to Bell River to fish some docks. Paul put a Catfish in the boat and Henry wrapped things up with a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum catch. And with that, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Count it as a Slam

 I fished with John Cipriani and  his fishing buddy John Givens this morning, and after meeting them out
at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp we made a quick run around to the other side of Seymore's Pointe with plans to drift float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been going out for about an hour. John was tossing the flat rig and had a few good bites before he hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper and at the stern, John G. was throwing an 1/8oz jig with a rootbeer Gulp Shrimp with a chartreuse tail. He said he had just made a cast and the minute it hit bottom a nice fish picked up and, Fish On!  John played it perfectly and soon landed a Slot sized Redfish.

We then ran thru Horsehead and fished up a small creek with the floats. We were seeing some good movement and had a couple of fish "tail" out in front of us but we had no takers. After jumping over to Poteat Cut and fishing a point, to no avail, we made the run back thru Horsehead.

Our next stop was down at Back River where we fished floats long and here John C. put a hungry Seatrout in the boat, and then, over at Spanish John G. hooked up and battled a feisty Jack Crevalle to the net. We fished one stretch of now exposed shell then moved up the Nassau and fished a drainage before making the run back to some docks at Seymore's. Here we played with the Mangrove Snapper, a couple of which were of keeper size, then we landed a small but fun to catch Flounder that rounded out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam.

We finished up the trip fishing between a couple of docks at Nassauville. Again, we caught a couple of Mangroves and then John C wrapped things up with another Flounder catch. Although we had to work for what we caught, we did catch! And so, as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

The Bite Warmed Up a Bit!

 I wrapped my week up fishing with the Portfleet's, Tim and Lori and their daughter Danielle. After meeting them early this morning down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp we ran up the Nassau River to make our first stop at Spanish Drop on a tide that had one hour to hit bottom. All three anglers were tossing jigs - Danielle and Lori baited with live shrimp and Tim fishing with a mud minnow. That first spot didn't produce nary a nibble so we moved on up to a large drainage. Danielle had made an excellent cast to the mouth of the drainage and almost immediately, BOOM! Fish On! She played it expertly to the boat and landed a feisty Redfish to "knock the skunk off".

We moved on up to Twin Creeks and fished the very last of that outgoing tide and here Tim had the strong hookup. He worked it to the boat and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle. Danielle valiantly battled a Shark for a long while then it was Tim's turn to battle one. He patiently played it and after  long fight, brought it to the boat for pictures and release. Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's and here the trio played cat and mouse with the Mangoves. All three caught them and contributed to the dinner box. 

Our next stop was down at Broward Island and boy was it pretty! Not much wind today and it made it easy to work along the edge pitching. We had a few good bites and then Danielle took advantage of one of them and hooked up and landed a nice 17" keeper sized Seatrout.

I was timing the trip to end up at one of my Mangrove Snapper holes but as we were passing Pumpkin Hill I thought it might be fun to fish some float rigs, so we set up alongside a flooding shell bank and began to drift floats long with live shrimp and boy did it pay off! Right off Lori hooked up and brought to the boat another 17" keeper sized Seatrout and from then on these anglers were catching fish. We'd have a drag screaming run from a Shark Bite, then another. Danielle hooked up and while her Shark was ripping off to the west, Lori hooked up with a big fish too. As we were getting Danielle's fish to the boat I saw Lori's fish "boil" a few times and knew it was a big Redfish. After Danielle's shark was photographed and released all attention turned to Lori and her epic battle. She stayed patient, kept the pressure on, and eventually hauled in an 29.25" Oversized Redfish, boy what a fish. 

We caught a couple of more Sharks, another Jack Crevalle, and another feisty Redfish before we called it a day, and as we were heading back, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Grassberg Sightings!

 I fished south today, meeting Allen Richardson and his grandson Walker early at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made the run up the intercoastal and around to Poteat Cut to fish jigs and live shrimp on the last of an outgoing tide. Both anglers were getting good casts, we had some nibbles, but no real takers. After fishing one drainage over in Jackstaff, we made the run thru Horsehead and fished some docks at Seymore's.

Walker had the first hookup and a good battle it was! He played the fish perfectly and after a hard fought battle landed a nice Jack Crevalle. And just a short time later, he put a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the boat.  As we were leaving we passed a huge mass of seagrass floating on an incoming tide. I had a friend tell me he had scene one recently up in the Jolley.

We ran down to Broward Island and attempted to fish that stretch but the SW wind was kicking up the mud and we had no real bites. Back to Nassauville we went where we tangled with Mangrove Snapper and ended up putting a good handful of keeper fish in the box.

We finished up fishing Spanish Drop and here Allen finished things off with a feisty Black "puppy" Drum catch. Although the wind was a bit unexpected, we had some action here and there, and Grandad was getting to fish with Grandson, so as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Shark Battles

I did a quick trip this afternoon with Tom Pool and his wife Terri, meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle ramp. We ran over to the outside of Tyger and fished with float rigs on a tide that had been going out for just a bit and it paid off - Tom hooked up and landed Seatrout. We ran up to the Jolley River and fished the "bank" with the float rigs. Tom was getting excellent drifts and again, it paid off -his float slowly went under and he had a hookup!

Tom was playing the fish expertly and I had already grabbed the net  when I saw that it was a nice Redfish and just when Tom said, "I gotta get a picture of this"....fish off! Ouch!

But he wasn't to be deterred. We ran on up the Jolley and fished both sides Snook Creek and each side Tom battled a Bonnethead Shark, landing both of them for pictures and release. We tried our hand with the jigs at the MOA, then at a drainage on the outside of Tyger then toured Cumberland Island, Fort Clinch and Old Town before heading back to the ramp and counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida  

Hot Off The Stern

 I fished this morning with the Keller group- Tom Keller and his son-in-law Andrew and grandson Bryson. After meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp we made our longest run up to the Jolley River and all the way up to the MOA where we set up to toss jigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour. After Tom put a small Croaker in the boat Bryson had a strong hookup and boy was his drag ripping! I was quite impressed how he handled the big fish, keeping his rod up  and working it down as he fought the fish. Bryson battled it from the bow to the stern and from port to starboard and was playing it as patiently as anyone could when....BAP! Fish Off!

We came back a ways to Snook Creek and worked the edge with the jig and here Tom got hot fishing off the stern. He caught and landed hard fighting Jack Crevalle then after a weird bump and setting the hook, Tom brought to the net a keeper sized Flounder. We worked along that bank still and Tom put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat and a large Bluefish.   Then it was Andrew's turn to battle the big shark. He fought it expertly and let it run and wear itself out and eventually landed a nice Bonnethead Shark

After moving even further back to the mouth of the Jolley we fished the "bank", then moved back to that cut thru Tyger Basin where we set up fishing floats and the live shrimp. Tom caught a Jack and another couple of Trout off the stern then Bryson, who had persevered the whole trip, found a Trout hole and caught and landed a couple of fat Trout.

We came back to the outside of Tyger, ran thru to Bell and fished a couple of spots (Tom got a Jack over here too), then we wrapped up back at the outside of Tyger where Andrew finished off the trip with another Bonnethead Shark catch. We had had some good action and had a couple of fish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted  it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Wrapping Up With a Slam

I finished my week up fishing with Howard McClure and his fishing buddy Joe. I met them early this morning down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and even though we had some forecasted winds to get up around 14mph, we were eager to get out into the backwaters and get some fishing done. After making a 15 minute run up the intercoastal, thru Back River on a high and incoming tide, and around to Pumpkin Hill, we set up to drift float rigs. And the first casts paid off! Joe was on the stern and had a good bite, lifted the rod, and set the circle hook. He was playing it to the boat when Howard had a hookup on his first cast! Joe landed his, a hungry Seatrout, and Howard landed his, a feisty Jack Crevalle. 

Shortly after that Joe had another hookup. This fish was ripping some drag and fighting somewhat like a Redfish, but then it got out deep and began to shake and when Joe battled it to the surface we netted a big Jack Crevalle. We fished Pumpkin Hill pretty good, moving around a bit, getting a few bites, then we made a run around to Seymore's Pointe.

Again, tossing float rigs, drifting them by a grassy point, the two anglers had a few small bites, but no
takers. We ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Cut and fished into the wind. We had had not real bites and I was beginning to wonder when Joe, fishing off the stern and up near some flooded marsh grass, had his float slowly go under. I was already thinking "Flounder" and as Joe worked it to the boat It was confirmed, a nice 16" keeper sized Flounder (all fish caught today were released). 

We jumped over to Jackstaff and fished a large drainage and here it was Howard's turn to battle a nice Jack Crevalle, which he did expertly. Then he went back with a cast to the grassy point of an island and we both saw something hit  his bait with a vengeance and his float disappeared sideways and, Fish On!  Howard played the big fish perfectly and after a good battle landed a Slot Sized Redfish to garner this duo of anglers an Amelia Island Back Water Slam. 

We finished the day back at Nassauville, out of the wind, and getting some good "Mangrove Snapper Action". Again, all fish were released today but they had probably 6-7 keeper sized Mangroves they could have kept. They're getting bigger as the water warms. We had had some good action and as we headed back to the ramp we co8unted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

A Few Nice Surprises

 

Today was one of those windy, dreary days when you just hope you catch a fish with the tough conditions considered. I had met Brian Roach and his son Michael and friend Lee down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and as we were running to our first spot the wind was already kicking a bit. But we made our way around to Pumpkin Hill and set up to drift float rigs and live shrimp along the bank. All three anglers had good drifts but we had no real takers. We eased up to a point of grass ad fished the other side and drifted back and it wasn't long before Lee "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up ad landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout

After moving down a to a grassy island that just had the tips of grass showing on a very hide tide, we had few nibbles, but no takers....until Michael had made an excellent cast over to some far marsh grass. When his float disappeared he quickly caught up the slack and let the circle hook set and, Big Fish On!  I have to admit I didn't intentionally mean to slur the fish but at first I thought it was a small Shark. Michael kept the pressure on as the big fish took him from the bow up to the stern and around as it ripped drag heading East. He slowly worked it in and when I saw a tail thrash the surface my "guess" of a shark  began to look pretty  bad. The big fish came to the surface a couple of times and all we could see was a tail and then I became more confident it was a big Redfish! Michael confirmed that when he brought to the net an Oversized 28.5" Redfish, boy what a fish!

We worked along the bank, back to the original point where we had begun the day at and as Brian released his bail to get a longer drift, he had a hookup and brought to the net another keeper sized Seatrout. A short run over to Seymore's Pointe where we fished a large drainage as the tide started out produced nothing but a few nibbles. Then, thru Horsehead we went and around to Poteat Cut, but again, no real bites.

After running thru Horsehead we fished a point at Poteat Cut, than came back to Jackstaff and fished some drainages. Brian  had made a good toss to the mouth of one of those drainages and when his float disappear he lifted the rod and let the circle hook set. It was a strong fish but wasn't putting up much of a fight and we found out why when Brian brought to the net a big 20" Flounder! This fish moved Brian into a tie for First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Flounder Category(scroll down the right side  of this report for standings).

We finished the day fishing some docks with jigs and shrimp and rounded out a good box of "keepers" with Mangrove Snapper catches. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Neck and Neck

 

I fished today with Don Bickel and  his brother-in-law Doc, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. The tide was still coming in for  just a few minutes so we made a quick run over to Pumpkin Hill, "anchored" and began to drift float rigs with live shrimp. My "demo" cast produced a bite that I wasn't ready for but subsequent drifts produced some action. Each angler caught 2 fish - Jacks and Ladyfish and Seatrout They continued for a while to "tally" their catch and they stayed neck and neck the whole day.

We came back to Seymore's Pointe as the tide started out and fished a large drainage with the floats and even though they had a few nibbles, there were no takers. We ran thru Horsehead and around to Jackstaff and fished another drainage and here we had zero nibbles! But these anglers were not to be deterred! After a quick jump over to Poteat Cut we had just set up to fish a pointe and they caught fish. Doc put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat and followed it up with a Jack Crevalle catch. Then Don had a strong hookup that was tugging hard and ripping some drag. When it "boiled up" I declared it a Redfish but after Don patiently played it to the boat he landed a Big 19" Seatrout, boy what a fish!

After running back thru Horsehead we fished Twin Creeks for a bit and here Doc put another Jack in the boat. We worked the bank forward for about 20 yards and Don had another big bite. He fought it to the net and landed a Slot Sized Redfish (all fish caught today were released). And shortly after that he landed another Jack(we guestimated we had about 6 today)

Our final stop was back at some docks at Nassauville where we added to the catch one more Seatrout. As we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Tripletail Surprise

 

After a long weekend off with the Memorial Day holiday I was back at it today when I met Tom Jenkins with his son Braden and friend Steve, with his son Zach. We met early up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp, eased out of Eagans Creek, and made our way over to the outside of Tyger on a tide that had been going out for about 2  hours. That first stop we drifted float rigs and live shrimp and did pick up a couple of small Seatrout.

We then motored on up the way and stopped briefly at a large drainage to toss jigs and mud minnows in hopes of a Flounder, but it was to no avail. Continuing on around to the Jolley, we worked the "Bank" with the float rigs and here Tom found a feisty Redfish (with 5 spots). They caught another small Trout or two and a couple of Croaker.

After running further up the Jolley, we made a stop at Snook Creek and here Braden finally woke up! He hooked and expertly played a nice keeper sized Seatrout to the net, battled a Ladyfish or two, and then battled a surprising Tripletail to the boat!

We continued on up the Jolley and fished an exposed oyster bank, now tossing jigs, and here Tom put another 5 spot Redfish in the boat, slightly undersized, but still fun to catch. With time running out, we hit one more spot, the MOA. Steve had made a good cast with the jig and live shrimp and when his hookuip began to rip some drag we knew it had some size. Steve played it perfectly and soon landed a nice 19.5" slot sized Redfish. Then Steve, fishing a bit deeper, had a good "thump" he played it patiently and brought to the net a big 22" Seatrout, a fish big enough to move him in to 2nd Place in the 2023 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

Zach had been making excellent casts all day long and had a handful of small bites - he got to feel a good battle for just a bit before the fish finally broke off - it just wasn't to be (I wonder now if he had his lucky hat on?) The sun had shown most of the day, we had just a little bit of breeze and as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.