Quick Start

BJ and Jeannie Craig were back on Amelia Island this morning and this time they brought along their friends Maryann and Tommy Tompkins to fish the back waters of Amelia Island on  The Anglers Mark.  We headed up the Bell River to fish some dock pilings as the oysters just began to show on an outgoing tide.  We were fishing with jigs and shrimp and mud minnows and it didn't take long to get some hookups.  BJ broke the ice with a hungry Snapper then Tommy hooked up with something big and the fight was on!  He played the fish patiently and after a number of runs that put a bend in his TFO Tactical spinning rod, he landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish!  But that was just the beginning because BJ hooked up with something bigger, fought it perfectly, but this big Red finally found its way into the dock pilings and broke itself off, OUCH!  And moments later, Tommy had the same thing happen.  His fish ran deep and I thought for sure that we were in the clear but it too made it's way back to the safety of the dock pilings and , BAP, FISH OFF!  These big wily Reds know how to play the game!  We continued to fish, caught  couple of hard fighting Puppy Drum and a handful of  "baitstealers", then made a run up to the Joelly River.  The wind had picked up somewhat and although it felt good, it had muddied the water of Jolley Bank and we had very few bites except a nice Flounder that Tommy picked up at a creek mouth.  We moved on up the river, fished Snook Creek, hooked up with a Shark for a brief 2 seconds, then headed around to the MOA to try our luck, which  had pretty much run out!  Our last stop at Tiger Island on the very first of an incoming tide produced a hungry Seatrout that Jeannie picked up.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

2 Slot, 3 Slot

Kelly Haggard was in town with some friends of hers and took in an Amelia Island back country fishing charter on The Anglers Mark this morning.  Her and her friends were staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites which is just across the street from the marina and Atlantic Seafood dock where we met. We ran up to the Jolley River and Kelly tossed a mullet pattern topwater lure on the last of an outgoing tide.  She had one really good blowup but the big Trout missed the bait entirely!  We switched to jigs and shrimp and mud minnows and within minutes she hooked up with a feisty Redfish.  A few minutes later she had TFO Tactical spinning rod and we soon landed a nice Slot Redfish.  Moments later she hooked up with another big Redfish which we photographed and released like the others.  We continued to fish an oyster lined bank and caught numerous Croaker, a hard fighting Puppy (black) Drum.  We had an extended battle with a 3'+ Bonnethead Shark then we moved on up the river, fishing the MOA spots with no real bites then back to Snook Creek where we had more Croaker. Our last stop was at Tiger Island and here Kelly reeled in her 3rd Slot Redfish and she also landed a keeper sized Flounder to round out an Amelia Island Slam of Redfish, Drum and Flounder.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!
another hook up and this time her rod bent over and the drag sang, FISH ON!  She played the fish patiently on her

Great Gift from California

Bill Crews received a gift certificate to fish on The Anglers Mark from his daughter who arranged it all the way from California.  He brought along his dad, Willie Crews, and met me at the Atlantic Seafood dock this morning as the sun came up.  There was a nice breeze blowing and some cloud cover which made perfect conditions for some Amelia Island back country fishing.  After my usual safety orientation we headed north towards Cumberland Island and then eased in behind Tiger Island to fish the first of an incoming tide.  Things started slow, but we did get some bites from the pesky Croaker then we had a nice hookup and Willie
landed a keeper sized Seatrout.  Bill picked up a couple of Trout as we fished the downed logs and we also caught a hungry Puppy Drum.  We made a run up to the Jolley River and fished the still exposed oyster beds.  We continued to get the Croaker, but then Bill had a strong hookup and landed a hard fighting Redfish.  The anglers picked up a nice Jack Crevalle then Bill again had a strong bite, but this time the fish fought back!  It bent Bill's rod double and his drag began to sing, FISH ON!  He played the fish from bow to stern and half way back as the fish made deep runs, often going under the boat and back.  After some patient fish fighting we eventually landed an oversized 29" Redfish!  Bill said that it was the "biggest fish I've ever caught"!  That's what I want to hear!  This fish place Bill in 2nd place in my Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish category (scroll down right side of this report for standings)  We continued to fish and then Willie had a good hookup and good fight.  He landed a nice 19" Seatrout that we added to the box.  We made one more stop on the way back in and Willie had some good bites on a float rig and picked up a couple of more Seatrout to wrap the fishing trip up. We headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

The Fish Whisperer

I thought about titling this report, "BOOM, FISH ON!" because when Chip Lobeck and his father-in-law Ron made their first casts to some Bell River dock pilings, it was FISH ON!  Ron hooked up first and had a battle on his hands.  The fish made numerous runs deep, pulling the 10lb braid to its limit but Ron used the TFO Tactical Rod to slow the big fish down.  Then Chip hooked up from the stern and we had double!  He played his fish expertly and soon landed a nice Slot 19" Redfish!  But Ron's battle raged on at the bow of the boat.  He finally wore the fish out and when we netted the beast we found it to be a 28 1/2" Redfish! Now
that's the way to start a fishing trip!  This fish puts Ron in 3rd place in my Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament, Redfish caterogy (scroll down right side of this report for standings) . A couple of casts later Ron had another hookup, another battle, and landed another oversized 28" Big Red.  Just before we left the area Chip had a hungry Seatrout follow his jig and shrimp to the boat and he landed the keeper sized fish.  We made one more stop at another dock, got "skunked", then made a run to the Tiger Island logs.  Here the anglers had plenty of action, landing (4) Flounder, a number of hungry Seatrout, and a number of hungry Snapper.  We also picked up a Ladyfish and two hard fighting Puppy Drum.  As the fishing trip was winding down, Ron was "dialed in" and began to talk or "whisper" to the fish that were nibbling at his bait.  He had a couple of really hard hits, but lost his shrimp.  On his last cast he talked it in and sure enough, BOOM!  FISH ON!  He played this fish perfectly and kept the pressure on as it shook its head and eventually netted a nice fat 19" Seatrout!  With that, we called it a day, another great on to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Hung On The Bottom or Doormat Flounder?

Michael and Ann Austin were in town this week along with their adult daughter Carla and scheduled an Amelia Island back country fishing trip on The Anglers Mark.  The tide had only been coming in for an hour so we headed up to Tiger Island and fished the downed logs with live shrimp and jigs.  Michael had the hot hand early and hooked up with a couple of keeper Seatrout.  All of the anglers were picking up the pesky Croaker when Ann commented that she thought she was "hung up" on a log...but the line started moving up river!  Then here rod bent over double and the drag began to rip out, FISH ON!  She patiently played

the big fish but as it hugged the bottom for what seemed like an eternity.  When she finally brought it to the surface we saw that it was a huge Flounder!  I missed the fish the first time with the net but Ann kept the pressure on and we soon landed the 25.5"  7lb+ doormat Flounder...the biggest Flounder of the year AND the biggest I've ever had on The Anglers Mark!  Boy what a fish! This obviously puts Ann in first place in The Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder category.(scroll down right side to see standings).  We continued to fish the logs, picked up a couple of more Trout, Grey Snapper, and Croaker, then headed up to Jolley River.  We caught a few more small Trout and Carla had a hookup and brief battle with a Shark.  We moved on up the river where Carla caught a fat keeper Seatrout and also a big Ray.  Michael got back in on the action and landed a 2' Bonnethead Shark, then we made a last run to the outside of Tiger where the anglers picked up a couple of more Seatrout to wrap up a great day out on Amelia Island waters!

Manatee Sighting Tops Off Honeymoon Fishing Trip

I had the pleasure of getttig to fish today with newlyweds Joe and Frances Farmer who were visiting Amelia Island for their honeymoon.  We met down at Sawpit Creek and then ran up into the Horsehead area to fish the mouth of Jackstaff Creek as the tide came back in. We started off with topwater lures, had some "spits' at 'em then switched to jig and shrimp combos.  Joe hooked up with a couple of Trout,  and then Frances reeled in a Stingray as Joe had a strong hookup.  We got the ray as Joe played his fish patiently and eventually we netted a nice Slot
Redfish.  We ran around to Bubblegum Reef, picked up a couple more Trout, a Grey Snapper, and a Jack, then we continued on to Broward Island to fish the downed logs.  Joe picked up another Snapper then Frances rounded out the couple's Amelia Island back country Slam by hooking up with and getting to the net a hungry Flounder.  We made our last stop in Christopher Creek, caught another Jack and Snapper then as we were about to leave, Joe spotted a long silouette in the water and as we watched we saw that it was a juvenile Manatee cruising along!  How Cool!  We watched it for a while, snapped some pictures, then headed in, counting it as another great day to spend out on Amelia Island waters! 

Great To Be Out On The Water

I fished today with Darrin and Laura Myers who were staying at the beautiful Elizabeth Pointe Lodge.  We met down at the City docks and headed north to fish the Jolley River with a few hours to go on an incoming tide.  It was a beautiful morning and the Dolphin were rolling out ahead of us as we made the short cruise to our fishing spot.  I had both anglers fishing with live shrimp under a float and although we had some nibbles, there were no real bites.  I switched them to jigs and shrimp and they picked up a couple of Croaker then we made a move to the Tiger Island logs, fished them thoroughly, and had one Ladyfish to the
boat.  We fished the outside at two different spots with no real bites then headed over to the mouth of Lanceford Creek to fish the very first of an outgoing tide.  Just as the trip was about to end Laura picked up a hungry Jack Crevalle, Darrin reeled in a a small Seatrout, then he again hooked up with a nice, keeper sized Seatrout to wrap the day up.  These two anglers didn't have a whole lot of action but they had great attitudes and you could tell they really enjoyed being out on the water.

BOOM! Topwater Trout!

Today was one of those mornings where the conditions just felt right for some topwater action so when Johan Falkman and his father-in-law Warren Philipps met me at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp we tied on some imitation mullet topwater lures and headed up to Jackstaff in the Horsehead area to fish the last of an incoming tide.  Johan had just made his 2nd cast with his TFO Tactical Spinning Rod and as he slowly "walked the dog", BOOM!  Fish On!  The big trout smashed the lure and it was instant hookup. Johan played the
fish patiently and we soon netted a nice 18" Seatrout.   We continued to work the flooded oyster beds and had numerous blowups, hits and spits and hooked up with a couple of more Seatrout.   Warren switched to a jig and mud minnowcombo and this did the trick for him as he caught Seatrout, Ladyfish, Flounder,  a small Black Tip Shark and then rounded out his Amelia Island back country Slam with a nice Slot Redfish.  We ran around to Bubblegum Reef and picked up a couple more Seatrout and a couple of Jack Crevalle, then moved down to Spanish Drop where we caught a couple of more Trout and a keeper sized Flounder then we made our final stop back in Jackstaff where Johan added an even bigger Seatrout (20"), picked up on the bottom on a jig and shrimp.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!
 

Slam and a Shark

Tropical storm Audrey passed through yesterday and left today sunny with only a nice breeze to fish in.  I met Jeremy Price and his son Aason at the Atlantic Seafood dock early this morning and we headed north with just a couple of hours until high tide.  We made a stop outside of Tiger Island, fished some topwater lures but had now strikes at all.  When we switched to live shrimp under a float things picked up and Aason landed "the poor man's Tarpon", a Ladyfish.  Jeremy added a hard fighting Jack Crevalle then picked up a small Seatrout and another Ladyfish.  Then Aason had a really good bite and he played the fish expertly and landed a keeper sized Seatrout.  And just a few minutes later Jeremy had a good bite too and landed a keeper sized Flounder.  We moved closer to the mouth of Tiger, picked up another Ladyfish, a Jack, and a Seatrout then we made a run up in to Jolley River to fish a small marsh run out with no luck.  Our next stop was Snook Creek and I switched the anglers to a jig and shrimp combo and this paid off because Aason hooked up with something big and the fight was on!  He played the big fish patiently and went from port to starboard on the bow and back again, and again.  The fish made a couple of runs but Aason kept the pressure on and after a good battle we landed a nice 2'+ Bonnethead Shark.  We fished the mouth of Jolley, caught a couple of hungry Seatrout then Jeremy had his float disappear and he too had a good battle, landing a Redfish, just barely under the slot.  This Red gave the anglers an Amelia Island back country Slam of Trout, Flounder and Redfish.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Amelia Island Honeymoon Shark Catch

Catlin and Lesley Stults are staying at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge  here on Amelia Island for their honeymoon and took in an Amelia Island back country fishing trip on The Anglers Mark this morning.  It was overcast but we had very little wind and a high outgoing tide so we headed up to the outside of Tiger Island and fished with top water lures.  The anglers were getting numerous "spits" at the lures and Lesley hooked up with a hungry Bluefish and a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.  Catlin had a couple of
huge hits but they didn't "hook"!  We made a run up to Jolley River, fished with the top waters briefly then switched to live shrimp under a float.  It wasn't long before both Catlin and Lesley had caught a few Trout.  We ran further up into the river and fished a large creek with jigs and shrimp and Catlin caught a couple of Trout then both anglers rods bent and their drags began to rip, FISH ON!  We had a double hookup!  Lesley was on the stern fighting a big fish and Catlin was on the bow fighting one, too!  They were going 'round and 'round the boat - Lesley's eventually broke off but Catlin was able to land his 3 foot plus Bonnethead Shark.  And shortly after Lesley hooked up again!   She played this fish patiently and after a long 6 minute battle (It took me a while to turn the video on) she landed an even bigger Shark!  We fished further up in to Jolley, had some good bites but no takers, made our last stop at Tiger Island, then called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Amelia Island Honeymoon

Kaitlyn Stover started her marriage off right by arranging an Amelia Island back country fishing for her new Hampton Inn and Suites located just across the street from the dock where I picked them up this morning at 7am.  We headed up to the Jolley River and began to fish a flooded oyster banks with topwater lures and live shrimp under a float as the tide moved out.  Travis did have a big blow up at his lure but the fish just didn't "hook"!  Although we had a few nibbles on the shrimp and picked up one Croaker, we moved on up the river to the MOA (Mother of All) spots and here we found some action.  Travis was the first to hookup,

fishing a jig and shrimp slowly on the bottom and picked up hungry Seatrout.  Then he hooked up again and again, landing keeper sized Trout.  Kaitlyn got in on the action and reeled in a few keeper sized Trout, too.  Then we had a strong hookup and the drag began to rip out, FISH ON!  Kaitlyn slowed the big fish down then handed the rod over to Travis who worked the rod and reel combo patiently to wear out the fish.  It took a few tries for me to get this big Bonnethead in the boat, but eventually we did and snapped some great pictures. Travis later caught a coupe of more hungry Trout then picked up  Sheepshead.  We moved back down Jolley, fished a great looking oyster bank then made a quick run to Tiger Island where we landed three keeper sized Flounder.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters.
husband Travis.  The couple are staying at the

This is NOT a Tall Fish Tale

It was almost dead low tide when Jay Gyer, his father-in-law Fred and I left the City marina this morning to head over to the Tiger Island logs.  We began ease along the bank from the south end of the island, pitching jigs and live shrimp to the fully exposed logs.  Fred hooked up with a hungry Seatrout and shortly after Jay's line went taught and even though it appeared he had an oyster clump or loose tree limb - it pulled back!  He fought the fish to the surface and we netted a keeper sized Flounder. 
Then Fred hooked up and it too stayed deep -didn't fight too much at first-but when the fish got close to the boat it began to bull deep down.  Fred had a huge fight on his hands as the fish went around the boat and pulled deep again and again.  But Fred was patient and eventually we landed a 7 1/2lb 24" Sheepshead!  Boy what a fish-the biggest I've had on my boat in long while.  We made a run up to Jolley bank, fishing the first of an incoming tide and Jay picked up a Puppy Drum while Fred landed another couple of Seatrout.  We fished further up into Jolley with no real luck then worked our way back to fish a small creek.  This time Jay had a strong hookup and his line ripped from one direction to another then went deep and then ripped back again - SHARK ON!  He played the big fish patiently and a after a lengthy battle on light tackle gear, we netted a 36" Bonnethead Shark.  We made one more stop then headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Big Trout Makes the Trip

Chris and Talitha Foster had arranged a fishing trip on The Anglers Mark this morning so I met Chris and their two kids Jacob and Rebekah at the Atlantic Seafood dock down at the Fernandina Harbor marina at 7am and headed up to the Jolly River, getting there about two hours after the tide had been coming in. We started fishing Jolley bank with the oysters still showing, tossing jigs and shrimp and Temptation Bait Ribbed Shrimp.  The young anglers were fishing the shrimp and picked up a couple of hungry Croakers then Rebekah thought she had an oyster clump but it started pulling back!  She worked the fish in and we netted a cool Stingray!  Then Chris started getting hot with the Temptation Shrimp, catching a small Trout, a big Croaker and then a nice keeper sized Flounder.  Rebekah picked up a hungry Trout then Jacob's rod bent over and his drag zipped and we had a battle on our hands.  The feisty fish made a run under the boat so his dad held the line out as I lifted the trolling motor...and the fight was on again!  Jacob played the fish perfectly and we soon netted a nice Bonnethead Shark.  We made a run on further up Jolley, fished a large creek mouth, then ran back to the Tiger Island logs. Here Rebekah  was fishing deep with her jig and Shrimp and had a good bite.  She quietly played the fish as it made strong runs behind the stern of the boat but Rebekah kept the pressure on and we netted a nice big 19" Seatrout!  She landed one more Trout before we ran outside of Tiger,  tried some float rigs, then headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Recipe of the Month: Susan's Amelia Island Seatrout Cakes

This from Amelia Island resident Susan Hitchcock..."This recipe is derived from Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes from when I
lived on Tilghman Island, Maryland.  I used Striped Bass in the original recipe but thought Sea Trout would work fine, and it did!"

Sprinkle Lemon Pepper seasoning on two large Seatrout fillets
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until the fish is flakey.

Roughly crumble in bowl when cooled.  Do not mash - you want to have some large lumps.

Indgredients:
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1 Tblspn Horseradish
1 Tblspn Honey Mustard
2 Tblspns Italian Bread Crumbs
Salt, Lemon Pepper seasoning to taste

Saute  first three ingredients in oil until soft and slightly browned Add to fish.  Add next six ingredients to fish.  Mix together to form 3 cakes.  Dredge cakes in more bread crumbs just to coat  Sautee in Canola oil until brown and crispy.

Serve on French Hamburger roll browned under broiler with Romaine, Tomato and added mayonnaise or remoulade sauce.

NOTE:  Susan is currently the leader in my Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Seatrout category, see the big fish HERE!  She also is an artist and her work can be seen at Wings Across the Water.

Bragging Rights Claimed

Capt Steve Hair and his wife Wanda of Ye Ole Pirate set me up with a group of young men today to fish the back waters of Amelia Island.  We left the marina this morning with the wind already blowing and headed up Bell River to get loosened up with some float rigs and  live shrimp on an extremely high tide - and it was still coming in!  These were tough conditions for back water but these anglers were game and were enjoying just being out on the water.  With the wind blowing, fishing the
float rigs was tough so we made a move to the Tiger Island logs which blocked the wind but we had a half a dozen boats for company.  Using jigs and shrimp, young Michael got things started off fairly quickly by landing a hungry Flounder to get the "skunk off the boat".  A little later his brother Roy hooked up with another fish which turned out to be a keeper sized Flounder.  Although the anglers were getting a few bites we decided to make a run on up Bell River to fish the docks, thinking that maybe the land mass would block the wind.  It didn't.  But we settled in
to fish anyway tossing both the jigs and float rigs.  Justin was using one of the jig rods and he briefly snagged on a submerged oyster bed but then it came off and when it did, ZZZZZZZ, FISH ON!  And boy was it a big one!  Justin played the fish perfectly and patiently as it made bull runs, one after another.  The wind was rocking the boat and I finally gave up on the trolling motor and let the wind push us right up into the grass as Justin fought the fish.  Roy was on the net and as the fish tired he scooped it up to be measured, photographed and released because this big boy was too big to keep - 31" long!  This vaulted Justin into first place in The Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  This fish is also beating last years big Red by 1/2"!    We fished a few docks, caught some "bait stealers" and a small Trout (giving the anglers an Amelia Island Back Country Slam) then headed up to the Jolley River. Fishing a large marsh run out, Chris developed the "hot rod" and picked up a handful of Seatrout jigging on the bottom and eventually landed a nice fat 17" Seatrout.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

OK Folks It's Time To Go....

FISH ON!  That's the way our fishing trip ended today - with Kelly Marsteller and her boyfriend Jeff Woodall fishing on  The Anglers Mark in the back waters of Amelia Island.   Kelly and Jeff were staying at The Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown Fernandina Beach so all they had to do was step out and meet me just across the street at the Fernandina Harbor Marina this morning.  We headed up the river and made our first stop on the outside of Tiger Island.  Jeff was tossing a topwater lure and Kelly was fishing a live shrimp under a float.  Jeff had a couple of hits at his lure and Kelly
picked up an angry Jack Crevalle. We moved on around to the mouth of Tiger and Kelly picked up a couple of undersized but hungry Seatrout.  We made a run to the Jolley Bank and here Jeff got on the board with a keeper sized Seatrout, now fishing the shrimp under a float. We ran further up into Jolley and trolled a good looking bank and it paid off when Jeff's float disappeared and he had a good fight on his hands.  He played the fish patiently and we soon netted a big 19.5" Seatrout!  We moved on up into a creek, picked up another Trout or two, then ran back to the mouth of Jolley and fished the first of an outgoing tide.  Kelly caught a larger Jack but other than that, not much more was biting.  The sun was getting hot and just as I had said, "OK folks, it's time to go",  Kelly yelled "FISH ON! and it was a big one!  She fought the fish from stern to bow and back to stern and patiently worked the fish into the net - a big 20.5" Seatrout!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Rusty Hook Trout

George Bowlin was back fishing Amelia Island back country waters with son-in-law Jerry and their friend Ray, all from the Lake Butler area.  We met early at the Atlantic Seafood dock down at the Fernandina Beach city marina and headed up to the Jolley River on the very last of an incoming tide.  The water was high and up in the grass but it was a still as a lake and these anglers were eager to catch some fish.  Ray was the first to hook up catching a high flying Ladyfish and then a hard biting
Blue on live shrimp under a float.  Then Jerry worked a mullet-like topwater over a submerged oyster bed and BAM!  FISH ON!  The Trout had hit the lure furiously and put up a good battle but Jerry brought the keeper sized Trout to the net.  George had been fishing with a red-headed Zara Spook Jr. and wasn't getting any bites so he also switched to a float/shrimp setup and landed a couple of smaller Trout and Ladyfish.  Jerry landed another keeper sized Trout, this one
a little bigger than the first, then we moved on up the Jolley to fish a marsh run-out, but we had no real bites.  We hit the MOA and although there was some fierce feeding up near the bank we had no bites we moved back around to Snook Creek and as we reached a grassy point, BOOM!  George had a ferocious blast at his topwater lure (that may have had some rusty hooks).  This was a big Trout and George played it patiently.  He soon landed a nice 21.5" Seatrout - his first saltwater fish on a topwater lure - and a fish that puts him in 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Seatrout category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  Seconds later Ray hooked up and brought 18" Trout.  We moved back down to the mouth of Jolley and now the oysters were showing.  Ray had good strong hookups fishing the float rig and shrimp - had nice Trout to the boat and then and even nicer Redfish to the boat but they threw the hook as I began to net them. But Ray persevered and when his float disappeared a 3rd time he worked this fish in smoothly and we netted a nice 18" Redfish - the only Red in the boat all day.  We continued to work the bank and the anglers picked up a couple of more Redfish, small Trout and a Jack Crevalle then we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters.

Slot Red Makes the Day

Derek Johnson and his son Dallas along with friend Zack fished with me this morning.  We met at the Atlantic Seafood dock at the City marina at 7:30 this morning and we all commented that the river outside of the marina looked like glass.  The tide had been going out for about an hour so we headed up to the Jolley River to fish a creek run out.  Although we had a couple of nibbles, we had no real bites.  We then fished Snook Creek and Zack picked up a high-flying Ladyfish,  then made the run back to the mouth of Jolley and fished a still flooded oyster bank and here the action heated up.  Zack hooked up with a Seatrout and so did

Derek.  Then all the anglers were catching Blue fish, Ladyfish and an occasional Seatrout.  Then Dallas's rod bent double and his drag began to rip out, FISH ON!  He played the fish patiently and after a good fight we landed a nice Slot Sized Redfish!  We continued to fish the stretch and the anglers added a few more Trout and Ladyfish then Derek hooked up with a hard bite and landed a good-sized Whiting.  We ran up to the MOA spot and although the tide and conditions were perfect, we had no real bites.  We stopped back by Jolley Banks, caught a few more Ladyfish, then headed in,  counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

That's a Slam

Overcast skies and a chance of rain this morning didn't deter the Bloom family - Michael and Leslie and their adult children Jordana and Warren.  They met me at the Atlantic Seafood dock down at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina early this morning and we pulled out of the marina under grey skies but with very little wind.  The tide had been falling a couple of hours and we made our way up to the Jolley River to fish an oyster lined bank with jigs and shrimp and minnows and crabs and Temptation Baits - basically any thing we could throw at them!  The
fishing started off really well with Leslie hooking up with a hungry Seatrout then Warren caught one, too.  The "Poor Man's Tarpon" - Ladyfish were cruising the bank and Jordana hauled in one, hooking up at boat side.  Both Warren and Leslie caught Ladyfish then Warren had a strong hookup and good battle with a feisty Redfish that we netted, photographed, and released.  Michael was kept busy snapping photographs for a good while there.   We ran up to the MOA spot and although the conditions looked perfect, we couldn't get any fish to eat, not even a 3' Bonnethead that continued to cruise the oyster bed and mock us!  We fished the outside of Snook Creek then headed over to Tiger Island, had no real bites, then made a run to fish the docks of Lanceford where Leslie ensured an Amelia Island Backwater Slam by reeling in a nice Flounder. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Big Trout Come on Strong

It's amazing how the weather can change from morning to afternoon. 
Yesterday morning's trip was beautifulwith very little wind but the afternoon threw a challenge at the Thompson family anglers - Jerry and Karen and their son Steve.  Although it was a beautiful afternoon the wind  had picked up and the tide was high with water still up in the grass and still rising a little.  But these optimistic anglers were glad to be out on the water and fishing as a family and that outstanding attitude paid off in the end.  We fished outside of Tiger Island with lived shrimp under float rigs and although there wasn't much biting,
Steve did pick up an fat and still hungry Seatrout.  At our next stop, on further around the island, again not much biting, tough to cast with the wind, but Jerry hooked up with a keeper sized Trout.  We then made  run up to the Jolley River and fished a run out as the tide started out and again found one loan Seatrout.   We moved up into Snook Creek and fished the bottom with jigs and had a few nibbles with no real bites then we made the run back to the backside of Tiger Island with the tide dropping and the logs exposed.  Karen had been feeling left out but she

persevered and worked her jig and shrimp combo slowly on the bottom and FISH ON!  Boy what a strong hookup!  She played the fish patiently and we soon netted a nice 20 1/2" Seatrout!  This fish put her in 3rd place in my Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Trout category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  This started things off because the fish bite turned on.  These anglers figured it out and they all began to fish their jigs slowly on the bottom in the deep water and began to land Trout after Trout. Jerry was fishing out the stern of the boat and landed a number of fish and Karen put a couple more 17-19" fish in the boat.  Then she hooked up and put a nice keeper sized Flounder in the boat.  Steve got back in the action and caught another 19" Seatrout.  I've always noticed that those anglers who persevere, remain optimistic and have good attitudes tend to have the better fishing trips and this family proved the point!  With a great day of fishing behind us, we called it a day,another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Trout Finder

Amelia Island resident Kimberly Syme had pre-arranged a gift certificate for her husband Brian's birthday yesterday morning and he brought along his son Nicholas and their friend Mason Baker.  Boy was it a pretty day!  With the tide falling and the oysters already showing, we headed straight to the Jolley River to fish the MOA (Mother of All) spots and it wasn't long before these anglers were hooking up.  Mason got it started off early and picked up a hungry Seatrout then the Birthday Guy hooked
up with few that fell in the "keeper" sized range!  Nicholas warmed up his rod and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle.   Then Mason's rod bent over and his drag ripped out on a long run, FISH ON!  This hookup grew into an extended battle with the big fish bulling desperately to the bottom but the very light rod/reel combo held it's on as Mason patiently wore the fish out.  It took me two tries but we finally got the  3 1/2" Bonnethead Shark netted and in the boat for pictures - what a battle!  We moved back down the Jolley,  had few bites then moved further down to Jolley Bank where we worked the oysters thoroughly.  Brian
proved adept at finding the Seatrout but Nicholas had been making some good casts and now it paid off because he was targeting the waters edge where we had seen some movement and had a strong hookup.  This fish put up a good fight and ripped some drag before we landed a nice 19"+ Seatrout for the box!  Both Brian and Mason had hookups with Seatrout, Jacks and Ladyfish - the Poor Man's Tarpon and Nicholas added a keeper sized Flounder.  We made  our last stop at the Tiger Logs and on his last cast Mason patiently worked his jig down along side a log and HOOKUP!  This fish wanted to hug the bottom and turned out to be a really nice 17 3/4" Flounder which placed him tied for first in The Anglers Mark 2013 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder category (scroll down right side of this report for standings.)  With that we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Back Country Grand Slam

Denny Coderre fished with me this morning on The Anglers Mark.  We met down at the Big Talbot Island
State Park - Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning with clear skies and very little wind.  After running up the intercoastal waterway for about 10 minutes we pulled into Jackstaff and began to fish the oyster lined banks on a very, very low tide.  Denny was making excellent casts to the bank with his light tackle combo and although he had a number of nibbles there were no good bites.  We moved around to Bubblegum

Reef and things began to heat up.  We landed a few hungry Seatrout, a feisty Redfish and a handful of Jack Crevalle.  Our next stop was at Broward Island and although there wasn't a whole lot of fish bites we did pickup a nice keeper sized Sheepshead then Denny had a really strong bite that took his jig deep.  He played the big fish perfectly and we soon netted a nice 19" Seatrout!  Later we picked up another keeper sized Seatrout.  We made one final stop at Spanish Drop and here we landed  a nice 17" Flounder to round out an Amelia Island Grand Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, Sheepshead, and Flounder.  We also had another strong hookup with a big Slot Redfish that Denny played patiently as the big fish made a number of runs.  The big Red was flopping at the boat and I was within seconds of netting when it made a final run and through the jig, OUCH!   Many times there is a "big one that got away"!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Workin Hard For Fish

We had a beautiful morning Saturday with so little wind we needed to coat up with some bug spray to keep the No-See-Um's at bay. It was only slightly overcast when I met Bob Brown and his grandson Jack at the Atlantic Seafood dock.  We headed north to the Jolley River to fish an incoming tide with the oyster beds still slightly showing.  At our first spot or two we had very few bites on our live shrimp and float rig's but when we hit Jolley Bank we had a couple of hookups, lost them, but the Bob landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  The breeze had picked up slightly and there were not an more bugs.  We move around to the outside of Tiger Island and here things heated up somewhat.  Both Jack and Bob hooked up at the same time for a "double" - both played their fish perfectly and we netted two feisty Bluefish.   We had hookups to hard jumping Ladyfish and had a brief battle with a Shark that ripped the drag out for a while then quit playing and broke off.  It was a great day for a Grandfather and Grandson to get out on the water and spend quality time fishing here at Amelia Island!

Mack Attack

Today couldn't have been much prettier!  I met the Henson family - Kevin and Jean and their adult daughter
Jill - down at the Atlantic Seafood dock this morning.  It was clear and sunny with almost no wind as we left the marina and headed north up to fish the outside of Tiger Island.  I got the anglers started on float rigs with live shrimp and soon Jean was pulling in an aggressive Ladyfish.  Then Jill got in on the action and landed one, too.  The anglers caught a couple of more Ladyfish then we moved on up to Tiger inlet to fish, but had no real bites.  We made a run way up into Jolley River and fished a run out

where Kevin got on the board with a hungry Seatrout, then we swung back into Snook Creek and held as the tide started out.  I had switched the anglers to a jig and shrimp comb and the action heated up with Kevin landing a nice Whiting and Jean landed a feisty Blue Fish.  Then Jean's rod bent double and her drag began to sing, FISH ON!  And the fish kept going!  She applied pressure with her rod tip and slowed the beast down and soon began the long and arduous task of working the fish in.  But this fish was not going to subdue easily. It made a number of runs but Jean's light tackle held and she patiently played the fish into submission and soon we netted, photographed and released a 3 1/2' Bonnethead Shark!  Shortly after that Jill was working her jig along the bottom when her rod also bent over and the drag ripped out!  This fish didn't make the strong runs like the shark but it did head down underneath the boat.  Jill played the fish perfectly and we eventually netted a toothy 24" Spanish Mackerel - only the second that my guests have landed in the back waters - and with only a fluorocarbon leader!  Kevin picked up another Trout then we headed back to Jolley Bank where Jean landed a fat keeper sized Trout and Kevin hauled in a keeper sized Flounder to add the variety of fish caught by these visiting anglers.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!