Pulled One Out In The End

 I wrapped the week up today fishing with Chuck Butler and his sons Trey and Trent, meeting them out at Goffinsville early this morning on a tide that had been coming in a few hours. We headed down the Nassau and set up to initially fish jigs and minnows to the bank, but we had no luck. We then switched to float rigs and worked along a bank and after Chuck had let his float "go long", he had a take - he cranked up the slack, lifted his rod and let the circle hook do its jog. Chuck worked to the boat a fat Seatrout. 

We then moved back up the river to Twin Creeks and fished that stretch for a while, then made a run back up the Nassau to fish a flooded point at Pumpkin Hill and this did the trick. After a few drifts the fish began to bite - the trio of anglers caught a small Redfish, a small Seatrout and tangled with bookoodles of high flying Ladyfish. Trey hooked up with something big which he played perfectly for a few minutes but eventually the big fish headed south and parted the line. Later, it was Trent's turn to have a nice fish on - this one for sure a Redfish - it rolled up in the grass, over the oyster beds and as their nature, probably buried it's nose in the shell and cut the line. After fishing the other side of the point, we moved on. 

Our final stop was back at Seymore's Pointe fishing a dead high tide and right off the bat the anglers were dueling with Mangrove Snapper. The Snapper won a bunch but the anglers boated a couple of nice sized ones. Then we had a good hookup off the stern, but over near the shore. Trent was on the rod and worked it patiently to the boat to land a nice 20" Slot Redfish. After tinkering with the Mangroves a bit more, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Epic Battle Leads To Bragging Rights

 

I had the Wytiaz's fishing today, Frank and Joanne, and we met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. After running up and around and into the Jolley River we turned into the current at the "bank" and began fishing back to the pointe with float rigs and mud minnows on a high and still incoming tide.  The two anglers were making excellent casts to the grass, letting it drift along the marsh line and in just a while we had hookups of small Seatrout and Ladyfish. Then, after Joanne had got a cast close, I heard her drag begin to rip and, Big Fish On! And boy was it a battle! This fish was doing its best to stay up in the grass and over the oysters. It boiled up a time or two, then I saw a huge tail and confirmed it was a massive Redfish!  Joanne hung with it and began to work it out from the edge and when she got it out deep I felt sure we had it. She kept the pressure on during numerous runs, worked it close, let it run, then after a long and epic battle, brought to the net an oversized 35.5" Redfish, big enough to move Joanne into a solid lead in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category. (Scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!

We then moved up the river and set up a point and drifted the float rigs and had a quick flurry of catches- Seatrout, Jacks, and Ladyfish. Joanne added a keeper sized 16" Seatrout to the catch. We moved further up the river and fished back into the current and here Frank got hot, real hot!  He caught a couple of feisty Redfish up close to the grass, then Joanne added one, then Frank had a strong hookup and, Fish On! He played it perfectly, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish. 

The tide had come to a standstill so we ran back to the outside of Tyger and fished a point as the now outgoing tide swept by. Again, we caught a couple of small Trout, small Reds, then a small Flounder, then Frank put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat and an 18" Seatrout.

Our final stop was around the corner, fishing a sand bottom for Flounder, but Frank found another nice Slot Redfish, this one measuring right at 21".  They landed another small Flounder and Seatrout before we headed back to the dock and as we made the run, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Good Practice

I fished with the Averbuch crew this morning - Jared and his son Max and Cutler and his son Harvey. We
met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and headed north up the intercoastal then turned into Poteat Cut to fish a point with float rigs and mud minnows on an outgoing tide. It didn't take long before Harvey "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout.  We worked that bank thoroughly then moved on. 

We made a quick stop over in a creek off of Jackstaff and here the dads let the young anglers have the floor and they wiped it - catching a good handful of feisty Redfish and Max added a hard fighting Jack Crevalle to the catch.  After running thru Horsehead we made our way down to Back River and fished an edge and although it looked fishy, we had no real bites. 

Down the Nassau we went, down to Spanish Drop and turned in to the current and worked the bank with jigs and minnows. When we got to a corner Cutler lit up, catching a couple of the Reds and a couple of Seatrout out deep. I didn't expect it but the wind picked up! We were getting buffeted pretty good so we ran up to Seymore's Pointe and got some relief and here the anglers added handful of Mangrove Snapper to the catch, and we also supplemented our bait by cast netting some nice finger mullet.

Our final stop was around at some rocks at Nassauville and here the anglers perfected their craft, dueling with the Mangrove Snapper. The Snapper would "win" about 6-8 times but the anglers would pull one out on occasion, getting good practice quickly setting the hook. But boy was it hot! We had caught some fish and a we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Early Bird Gets the Fish

 It's been the norm all week - the fish are biting early, up until about 9am, and then the bite fall off, and the
same happened today. I had met Tim and Crystal Hanley up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made a run down to Lanceford and set up current from some dock pilings to toss jigs with live shrimp and mud minnows on an outgoing tide. Crystal was fishing shallow while Tim was fishing deep and deep paid off when Tim hooked up and expertly brought to the boat a big 19" Seatrout. They added one small Redfish to the catch before we moved on. 

After running back and around the Tygers we pulled up at Jolley "bank" and began to work the exposed oysters and almost immediately Crystal began to get bites. She hooked up and landed a handful of feisty Redfish. They added a Jack to the catch then Tim had a strong bite and when we heard his drag began to rip we  knew it was of some size. He played it perfectly and let it tire itself out and eventually brought to the net a Slot sized 22" Redfish.

We moved further up the Jolley and fished thru Snook Creek. Tim was tossing to the bank and Crystal was fishing a bit deeper - she hooked up and landed a small Seatrout then shortly after hooked up and landed a fat keeper sized Seatrout.  After fishing the MOA unsuccessfully we motored around to the Bell and fished some docks and boy was it hot! The temperature, not the catching! After fishing just a bit we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Some Flatties Early

 I fished with Mark Smith this morning and he had along with  him his fishing buddy Dan. We met out at
Goffinsville Park and headed down the Nassau River to the Spanish Drop area and then turned into the outgoing current to pitch jigs and mud minnows to the exposed shell bank. I kinda thought we might get some Flounder at the drainages and sure enough we did. Mark had a good hookup, worked it slowly to the boat, and landed a nice 18" Flounder. We had a another couple of small Flounder then it was Dan's turn to hookup and land a keeper sized Flounder. 

But I was expecting some Redfish along that stretch and they never materialized. We moved up and fished another drainage, landed a couple of Catfish, then moved on. We fished some docks up at Seymore's and lost a whole bunch of minnows to what I suspected were small Mangrove Snapper (Mark did hookup and land one). 

After running down to Broward Island we worked a bank on the last of an outgoing tide there and Mark did find a wayward Redfish to add to the catch. We had some nice weather, a good bit of breeze and with a couple of keeper Flounder in the box, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Good Flurry Early

 

We fished out of Goffinsville Park today when I met Frontis Clark, his daughter Tiffany and granddaughter Breille early for a morning of Amelia Island back country fishing. After setting out a trio of crab traps, baited with dead Pogies, we ran down to the Nassau to Spanish Drop and began tossing jigs with live shrimp and mud minnows to some exposed oysters on the last of an outgoing tide. As we worked along the bank they had a few nibbles, but no takers and I was beginning to wonder when....BAM! They began to get fish!  

Tiffany started it off, catching a couple of feisty Redfish, then a Seatrout, then Frontis caught a few of the Redfish. Breille was coaching them up! We had a good flurry midway up the bank, then a bit slack, then as we reached a corner the bite started again. Tiffany had a strong bite, hooked it up, and played to the boat a really nice Flounder to round out her Amelia Island Back Country Slam.

After running back up to Nassauville, we paused between two docks and fished the bank with jigs, and landed one small Flounder. We ended the day down at Broward Island, still fishing with jigs and Tiffany added one more Snapper to the catch. After pulling the crab traps (good to know we werent makin our living at crabbing), we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator. 

Girls Rule, Boys Drool

 Crazy how big fish just come out of no where!  I fished with Marty and Cathy Siciliano again today, but met them down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp with plans to fish south. We made a long run up the Nassau (it almost feels like you're going to Tallahassee) and up to Broward Island and set up fishing with a tide that had just a few minutes to hit bottom. I had Marty and Cathy throwing jigs with Mud minnows and live shrimp, first to a drainage, and then as we drifted back to the bank and fishing down thru some rough bottom and it paid off. They picked up a couple of small but feisty Redfish and a Bonnethead Shark. 

Then the current changed and just after I had turned the bow into the incoming current, BAM! Cathy had a strong hookup off of the stern. It boiled up and I called it a Redfish". Boy was I wrong! Cathy worked it to the boat and eventually landed a huge 22.75" Seatrout - a fish big enough to move her into sole possession of First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category.  But Cathy wasn't finished. We fished just a dozen yards or so and BAM! Another Big fish on! She fought it valiantly and worked into the net an EVEN BIGGER Seatrout - this one measuring right at 23"! Boy what a fish! (scroll down the right side of this report for Bragging Rights standings).

All fish caught today were released.

We worked that bank for a while, then moved on up to ways and fished, then moved on.  Our next stop was up at Pumpkin Hill and here we switched to floats and the live baits, drifting them long with the current. The duo of anglers picked up a couple of Jacks and small Seatrout. After moving around a point and fishing that side they caught a good handful of hungry Seatrout, fishing along the current line. 

After fishing Twin Creeks with the floats and catching another Jack or two, we finished up fishing at Spanish Drop where Cathy tangled with a Ladyfish and Marty battled a huge Shark. As most know, I use very light tackle and those Sharks tend to win the battle, as this one did, but Marty gave it the best that you could do. And with that, we headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelai Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat opoerator.

Full Moon Fishing

 Crazy how a full moon gets people talking...and seems to affect the fishing. At 7:30 t his morning when Marty and Cathy Siciliano and I made it to our first spot - the "bank" of the Jolley River, Marty pointed out the still visible  full-ish moon. We had ran from Old Town Bait and Tackle and had a tide that had been coming in for a couple of hours, but it looked like it was already high!

Marty and Cathy began to toss float rigs and mud minnows up to the grassy bank, drifting over oysters. We worked along that bank and Marty picked up a keeper sized Seatrout and a Jack Crevalle. (All fish caught today were released). We then made our way up the Jolley and fished the mouth  of Snook Creek and here Marty picked up a couple of feisty Redfish in quick succession. We fished that stretch for a bit then moved back down the river to the mouth of Tyger Creek. 

Here, Cathy had "gone long" with a drift and at great distance, had her float disappear - she tightened up her line and let the circle hook set and, Fish On!  Cathy worked it patiently back to the boat and brought to the net a huge Catfish - the biggest fish of the day!

We came back around Tyger and fished the outside with the tide still coming in and this turned out to be the "hot spot" of the day. Marty caught another couple of Redfish, one of them being of Slot size, and another Seatrout while Cathy hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. 

We fished a point over in Bell River, ran up Lanceford and fished  a grassy island (which was almost covered), then we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Gradually Put Together a Mess

 It's great to see a grandmother taking her grandsons fishing!  I met Cindy Gray and her two grandsons Alex and Henry, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We made a quick run up the Nassau River and turned into the incoming current to fish a flooded bank. We started out with jigs and minnows, fishing a deeper drop of the river, and we did have one big bite - it took the line, headed under the boat, and was gone!  We then worked along some flooded shell, now tossing float rigs and minnows, but didn't have much action. 

After dropping back to Twin Creeks, we fished the float rigs and here Alex put a small Jack in the boat then Cindy hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. One in the box! We then made the run down to Pumpkin Hill and drifted floats long, not having much luck, then we fished around the corner. Cindy put a big Jack in the boat, Alex caught a couple of small Seatrout, and Henry got on the board with a Pinfish landing. 

We came back to fish some rocks at Nassauville and after a cast or two Alex had a big bite, battled it to the boat, and landed a huge Mangrove Snapper.  Two in the box! Henry was fishing the same general area and when he had a good bite I thought for sure it was another big Mangrove.  But as Henry worked it to the boat it seemed to get bigger!  He played it perfectly and brought to the net a nice 19.5" Slot Redfish.  Three in the box!  This trio of anglers began to work those rocks vigorously, playing cat and mouse with the Mangroves, and ended up with numbers Four, Five, Six and Seven in the box.

We finished up around at a large drainage, drifting floats around a point and on Alex's first cast, BOOM! A nice Mangrove Snapper, Eight in the box!  Alex finished it off hooking up and landing another keeper sized Seatrout, number Nine. We left them biting and headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. He is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator. 

Representing With Bragging Rights

 

I was out at Goffinsville today, meeting Kenny King and his fishing crew, John Raker and John's mother Betty early this morning. We had a bait well full of mud minnow, electing to go with no shrimp today, and we headed over to Pumpkin Hill to make our first stop on a tide that still was coming in for another 2  hours. We set up alongside a flooding shell bottom and drifted floats long - it took a good handful of drifts and I was beginning to wonder when Betty had a her float taken under. She slapped the bail shut, cranked her slack in and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On! Betty battled it to the boat and brought to the net a huge 22.25" Seatrout, a fish that moved her in to a tie for First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category. Scroll down the right side  of this report for standings. 

We continued to fish and picked up another small Trout or two, a couple of nice hard fighting Jacks, a small Catfish, and a small Mangrove Snapper. After moving around the corner and fishing a stretch of flooded grass, Kenny had a good hookup, played it patiently, and brought in a keeper sized Seatrout. And just minutes later he had a strong bite. This was a big fish and Kenny played it perfectly. When he got it to the net we measured a 19.5" Seatrout, boy what a fish. But with the new rules, it had to go back!

After running thru Horsehead we fished a good looking stretch of marsh on the first of an outgoing tide. There were fish popping and rolling and moving but we managed only another Jack and a Ladyfish.  Back thru Horsehead we went, back up Nassau to Back River and fished some pockets and here John had the big bite. When it ripped some drag and boiled up near the grass we knew it was a big Redfish and sure enough, after a good battle, John brought to the net a nice 22" bulky Slot Redfish. The sun was up but so was the breeze and we had some nice fish in the box so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.