Big Fish Starts the Day

Under overcast skies this morning, I met Don Myers and his wife Susie down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp to do an Amelia Island back country fishing trip as part of Susie's birthday celebration.  We ran up the Nassau River to fish Bubblegum Reef on the very first of an incoming tide and weren't but about 10 minutes into the fishing when Don hooked up and, FISH ON!  This was a big fish and was not planning on coming to the boat!  But Don patiently worked the fish and after a battle from the bow to the stern and back to the bow, we landed a big 33" oversized Redfish that put Don squarely in the the lead of the

Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish category (scroll down right side of this report to see standings).  Later, Susie hauled in a nice hungry Seatrout.  We made a stop at Seymore's Pointe where Susie caught a feisty Redfish then we made a run to Broward Island where the "catching" heated up.  Both Susie and Don caught feisty Redfish then they landed a Slot sized one, too.   The anlers picked up aSeatrout and Sheepshead to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam and after making our last stop in Christopher Creek to pick up one last Red, we headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Discovering a New World

Boy what a gorgeous day out on the water!  The Deltuva family, Tony and Lynn and Andrew were in town for few days and took in an Amelia Island back country fishing trip on The Anglers Mark.  We met at the City marina and headed up river to fish the middle of an incoming tide.  The structure was still showing so we baited up some jigs with live shrimp and fished the bottom slow.  Lynn was the first to hookup and she had a good battle on her hands.  But she played the fish patiently and we soon netted a nice keeper sized Black "Puppy" Drum.  Andrew followed that up with a feisty Redfish then Tony rounded out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam by catching the sneaky, keeper sized Sheepshead !  We fished some flooded oyster beds and Lynn stepped the catch up to a "Grand Slam", landing a hungry Seatrout!  Moving to another flooded oyster, the anglers caught a couple of  snapping Bluefish before we headed over to Cumberland Island to view some wild horses.  We cruised Ft. Clinch and Old Town Fernandina as we were running to our last spot and as we rounded the river bend, there was  Columbus coming to discover America!  The replica ships were coming up the river to dock at Fernandina for a few day stay!  That was a great way to wrap up a day on Amelia Island waters!

Marlin Perkins Would be Proud

After two days of some serious rain the front finally moved through, just in time for me and Kurt Powell and his son Davis to get in some Amelia Island back country fishing yesterday afternoon.  There was a little more breeze than I liked and it stayed overcast but as the wind died the fish catching picked up.  We tried a couple of spots in Lanceford Creek with a high and outgoing tide and barely had a nibble.  We then made a short run to Tiger Island and as we pulled up Kurt spotted a majestic Bald Eagle perched in a tree top.  I almost wanted to start singing "America The Beautiful", but it would have ruined the moment, and possibly the whole trip!  The tide was down somewhat so we fished our jig/shrimp combo's slowly on the bottom and began to catch fish.  Davis knocked the skunk off by landing a feisty Redfish then we all joined in, picking up a Red here and and a Red there.  Later, Kurt landed a keeper sized Seatrout that he caught out deep, and he also caught a Sheepshead to round out the duo's Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, and Sheepshead. Davis wasn't going to be outdone and put a Weakfish in the boat to complete the "Grand Slam".  We were seeing Jellyfish and Ray's floating by and had a couple of sightings of the resident Atlantic Saltmarsh Mink, which are being studied by the FWC.  As the afternoon wore on Kurt again pointed out something in the water and it looked to be a fairly large Alligator swimming up current away from the island.  Although I've seen gators over in Beach Creek at Cumberland Island, I've never seen one on our side of the river.  We picked up a few more Redfish then headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Back in the Saddle

I had engine issues on my Tuesday trip and ended up hauling The Anglers Mark to the repair shop.  But I had the boat back Friday morning and luckily Paul and John Landahl had the paitence to wait on me and the boat to squeeze in a fishing trip before they headed back to Chicago.  We met down at the Atlantic Seafood dock at 1pm and headed up Lanceford Creek to fish the last of an outgoing tide.  Paul was working a jig and shrimp in deeper water and picked up a nice Seatrout.   When the tide changed we made a run around to Tiger Island and our "catching" picked up.  Both Paul and John caught a few Seatrout and we had some nice feisty Redfish.   Later we hit Jolley River then the Bell River where John landed the final and biggest Redfish. It sure was a beautiful day and a great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Knocked The Socks Off

That's what Charles Greenman did to the Bragging Rights Tournament leader board! I had met Charles and his son Will down at the Big Talbot Island State Park boat ramp on Sawpit Creek this morning with a baitwell full of live shrimp and we headed up the Nassau River to fish a creek outflow on an outgoing tide.  The oysters were just beginning to show. Will was tossing a live shrimp under a float and Charles was using a jig and shrimp combo up in the creek mouth.  But we had no real bites.  We moved around to fish a likely spot in Jackstaff, had no bites, then ran to the mouth of Jackstaff to fish the oyster lined banks.  Although the anglers felt like they were getting "nibbles", there were  no real bites here, either.  Ouch.  Our next stop was back in the Nassau River and the tide was really getting down.  We hit Bubblegum Reef and this proved to be the ticket.  We had a subtle  bump, an hookup, and Will was able to reel in his first ever Sheepshead, of keeper size.  Shortly after that another soft bump, a hookup and Will landed a nice keeper sized Black "Puppy Drum".    Then Charles got in on  the action.  He had a good bite and set the hook and had a the fish on, but then it really began to pull and we knew he had a FISH ON!  Boy what a battle.  Charles played the fish patiently, even when it got behind the boat and in the current and after slowly wearing him out, Charles landed the 32.25" oversized Redfish to take first place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  We had another strong bite but a quick break off then Charles was at it again.  This fish went from bow to stern then took Charles to the bow, around the trolling motor and back to stern where he eventually subdued the big Redfish and landed it to be measured at 31", another oversized Red!  After one more  strong  bite, hookup and breakoff, we headed to Broward Island to fish the exposed logs, picking up a few feisty Redfish before calling it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Foggy Fishing

We got in some "fun" fishing yesterday, my wife and I and neighbors Carlie and Zach Peyton.  When we got to the Atlantic Seafood boat ramp we found that the whole river was "fogged in" with visibility about 50 yards.  But we launched anyway with navigation lights on and eased up the river to get in some sight seeing while waiting for the tide to get right.  I missed Fort Clinch on the first pass but we eventually picked it out through the fog, then we headed over to Cumberland Island and as we got to the Georgia side, the fog cleared to present a beautiful day!

 There was one sole wild horse at the mouth of Beach Creek and after touring the creek we made a run to Jolley River to fish the very first of an incoming tide.  It was perfect conditions and although we seemed to be getting a few nibbles, we had no takers.  Our next stop was Tiger Island and here we had some good bites.  Carlie got the "skunk off the boat" by catching and landing a nice feisty Redfish, her first ever Redfish.  She then hook and landed up  a keeper sized Seatrout.  Zach and I were playing chess with "baitstealers" but Zach was patient and soon got in on the real action, landing a couple of feisty Redfish.  We watched the sun go down over the marsh then headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Recipe of the Month: Mel's Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

1/2   Cup Crunch Peanut Butter

¾   Cup  Milk

1    Box sugar free/fat free vanilla pudding mix

1    Box sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding mix

1    Fat Free Cool Whip

1     Redi made Lo Fat pie crust

        Semi Sweet dark chocolate for garnish.

Mix peanut butter, milk, and packet of vanilla pudding mix.  It will be soupy then will begin to firm up.

Spread into bottom of pie crust.  Mix chocolate pudding mix per directions and pour over peanut butter layer.  Let it firm up then spread Cool Whip over chocolate pudding mix.  Garnish with gratings of semi sweet dark chocolate.

First Red Big Red

Young Harrison Davis was chomping at the big to get out on the Amelia Island back waters this morning so when he and his dad Glen met me at the dock we wasted no time heading north on the first of an incoming tide.  It took only a few casts to hookup with a nice fish and Harrison reeled in his first Redfish ever!  What a great way to start out a fishing trip!  Then it was Glen's turn and this was a Big fish!  His rod bent double and the drag sang, FISH ON!  He played the big fish patiently and with Harrison on the catch net, they soon landed a nice 24" Slot Redfish!  Harrison had declared it a "catch and  release" day so all fish caught were returned to be caught another day.  From then on the anglers were getting bites and landed a good handful of Seatrout with one measuring to 18", placing Glen on the board of my Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  Harrison had quickly gotten the hang of the jig fishing and caught a few of the Trout and then caught and landed a Weakfish, something we haven't seen in a while. We also had a sighting of the resident Atlantic Salt Marsh Mink.  After the bite slowed we made our way around to another creek and Glen immediately began to catch fish, first a feisty Redfish then BOOM, a Big Redfish!  This fish took Glen from the bow to the stern and back and under but Glen worked the big fish like a pro and won this epic battle!  Harrison was on the net again and hoisted in the big 26.25" Redfish, putting Glen on the board of the Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category.  Glen ended up having the biggest fish but Harrison put more variety in the boat, landing Redfish, Seatrout, Weakfish and a hungry Black Drum.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters.

Setting the Bar High

Bob Brumback and I debated about fishing this morning with weather reports calling for a good chance of rain and winds to gust 10-15mph.  But we figured we could get some fishing in before the bigger storms passed through so we met at the City marina and headed out with a baitwell full of live shrimp on the very first of an incoming tide.  We made our first stop and after I pointed out some pertinent landmarks, Bob made his first cast, a perfect one, and BAM!  FISH ON!  He played the big fish patiently and after some deep runs landed a nice 26.25" Redifsh!  Now that's the way to start a day!  He continued to fish and had hookup up after hookup.  His first four fish in the boat three slots and one oversized at 28", which put him firmly in the lead of my Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament, Redfsih Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  Bob picked up a couple of "feisty" Redfish then the Seatrout turned on and we landed a good handful of them with most 15"-18" long.  Then Bob had a strange bite and caught a keeper sized Sheepshead that rounded out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam.  After adding another keeper sized Sheepshead and a few more Trout, we headed over to a new spot where the big Redfish bite continued. Bob caught big Red after Big Red and had another handful of the "rat" Reds.  We kept track of the big ones and ended the day with a count of 8 Slot Redfish and one oversized Redfsih which set the bar high for future anglers on The Anglers Mark!  All told we probably had about 30 fish and all were released to be caught another day!

HOT Amelia Island Fishing in February

A list minute trip proved to be successful this morning and with the temperatures getting up well into the 70's the fish catching was red hot, too!  I had met Didier De Bruyne at the Atlantic Seafood dock early this morning and we headed north to fish some structure as the tide was coming in.  Didier was tossing live shimp on a jig, fished on the bottom slowly and it wasn't long before he began to get bites and then hookups. He boated a nice keeper sized Seatrout early then a whole handful of feisty Redfish then a very nice keeper sized Sheepshead which put up a nice fight.  Then he had even a stronger bite and the battle was on!  Didier played the big fish expertly and eventually we netted a nice big 26.25" Redfish!  This fish put Didier into a tie for 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  We continued to fish and continued to put them in the boat, adding a few more keeper sized Seatrout, another handful of smaller but feisty Redfish, another Slot Redfish (22") and a few more Sheepshead with one of those being about 20".  As the tide got up the bite slowed so we ran around to Lanceford Creek to fish some flooded oyster beds.  Even though it was absolutely calm and peaceful we had no real bites on our live shrimp under floats, so we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Big Red Tops a Slam

I had the opportunity to fish this afternoon too, and met Jerry Itzkoff and his friend Steve at the City marina at noon to fish the first of an outgoing tide.  We went slightly up Bell River and fished some flooded oysters with float rigs and live shrimp, but had no real bites.  Our next stop was outside of Tiger Island, again fishing float rigs, and again no bites!  We move on to deeper water and switched to jigs and this did the trick as Jerry picked up a nice fat keeper sized Seatrout.  We continued to fish the structure and had a few bites but then Jerry hooked up with a BIG fish, FISH ON!  He said it was just a subtle nibble but this fish was putting up a fight.  Jerry played the fish patiently and after an extended battle we netted a "Tournament Red", measuring in at 26.25"!  Boy what a fish! This fish put Jerry into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament(scroll down right side of this report for standings).   After fishing the area a little longer we made a run to fish Jolley Bank but had no real bites.  Our last stop was at some docks in Bell River and after getting one bite, Jerry hooked up and put in the boat a feisty Sheepshead to round out his personal Amelia Island back Country Slam.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

First Fish, Most Fish, Biggest Fish, Smallest Fish

I had met Jeff Kantor and his wife Melinda, along with their daughter Shona and her husband Travis down at the Atlantic Seafood dock this morning to get in some Amelia Island back country fishing.  We had a tide midway from coming in so we headed north to fish some structure while it was still visible.  It happens a lot in the spring but it really helps when the "demo" cast with the jig and shrimp pics up a fish and that's what happened today!  Melinda worked the nice fish in, a keeper sized Seatrout.  From then on we had a good number of hookups with both Jeff, Melinda and Shona putting feisty Redfish in the boat.  The anglers jockeyed for position to hit the "hot spot" and we caught fish for about an hour and a half.  Travis finally elbowed his way in, had a few good bites, then, FISH ON!  This was a larger fish that didn't want to be caught but Travis played it perfectly and after a good battle we netted a 19.75" Sheepshead, which rounded out the groups Amelia Island Back Country Slam! This fish also put Travis in 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category (scroll down right side of this report to see standings).  After picking up a couple of more Reds we moved out to fish some flooded oyster beds and Jeff caught the last two Seatrout of the day.  We all commented that each could claim title to "First Fish,  Most Fish, Biggest Fish, and Smallest Fish"!  We wrapped up the trip by touring Cumberland Island to see the wild horses, made a stop by Fort Clinch, and watched as a submarine was escorted into the channel.  What a great way to wrap up an Amelia Island fishing trip!

Slot Redfish Makes the Day

We rescheduled Saturday's afternoon trip to this morning due to wind issues.  I met Nick Peet and his girlfriend Julia at Atlantic Seafood early this morning and even though it was somewhat chilly, there was only a slight breeze and not a cloud in the sky.  We hit "Temptation Cove" south of Rayonier on the last of an incoming tide but had no real bites on live shrimp under a float then we headed up Lanceford Creek to fish some flooded oyster beds but again, no real bites.  Moving back up the river we fished  a couple of docks with jigs and shrimp then eased along a grass line, back to tossing float rigs in 4' of water.  With almost two hours into the fishing trip and no real bites I was  glad to see Julia's float go under and her rod bend - we got a fish!  Whooeee!  Julia played the fish perfectly and as I was about to net this keeper sized Trout, Nick hooked up and he had a fish on, too!  Nick worked his bigger Trout to the boat and we netted it for a "double Trout" picture.  We made a run around to Tiger Island, fished some more flooded oysters, then moved into Tiger Basin to switch back to jigs and fish on the bottom.  I think Nick's first cast produced a nice feisty Redfish!  And on his 2nd cast, boom!  Redfish.  Julia elbowed Nick out of the way and put her bait up near the structure and in a few short seconds, FISH ON!  This was a bigger fish and took some patience to work it in and Julia did great.  After a good battle we netted a nice 21.5" Slot Redfish, Julia's first ever.  This fish moved Jilia into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfsih Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  We continued to fish the area and in addtion to the anglers catching a few more of the Reds on jigs and shimp, Nick picked up one on a weighted chartreuse plastic shrimp.   The sun had warmed things up as we headed in, so we counted it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Three Casts, Three Redfish

Come on Spring!  When Cheryl and Richard Freshour and I left the dock this morning at 11am the water temperature was 49!  But we had some good sunshine and very little wind.  We made our way north to fish the outgoing tide.  The oysters hadn't started showing but both Cheryl and Richard started off tossing jigs and shrimp, fishing the bottom real slow.  On Richard's first cast had a nice hookup with a feisty Redfish!  2nd cast?  Hookup!  3rd cast?  Hookup!  You can't hardly beat a start like that.  That's not only knocking the skunk off the boat but giving it a good boot in the rear, too!  From then on both anglers had good hookups with feisty Redfish.  Cheryl hooked up with one and this time the drag sang, FISH ON!  She played the big  fish patiently but it was a wiley old fish and eventually found some structure to cut the line, OUCH!  But later, Richard had a  big one and the fight was on!  He played the fish from the stern of the boat, to the bow, and back to the stern.   The big fish ran deep and hugged the bottom but Richard kept the pressure on.  After a long battle Richard subdued the beast and we finally netted a Big 26.75' Redfish!  Boy what a fish!  This fish put Richard firmly in 1st place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament, Redfish Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings).  Not long after this fish was releasead, BOOM!  FISH ON!  Another Big Redfish!  Richard again fought this fish to the net, a nice 26.5" Redfish!  We continued to fish the area and picked up a few more feisty Reds then Cheryl landed the only two Seatrout of the day, caught in 30' of water, on the bottom.  We hit a couple of more spots but the bite was over so we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

We Got a Double! A Triple!

When you've got February days that are forecast to get into the low 70's and with only slight breezes, what do you do?  Go Fishing! This morning I met Mike and Ann Austin down at the City marina along with Mike's sister Susan and her husband Tom.  We headed out of the marina with sunny skies, no wind, and a tide that had been dropping for a couple of hours.  Our first stop was up Lanceford Creek and the anglers were tossing live shrimp n 1/4oz jigs.  It took a little while but the bite turned on.  Tom knocked the "skunk" off the boat by hooking up and landing a nice keepr sized Sheepshead.  Both both Ann and Susan and then Tom added some fiesty Redfish to the catch.  We relocated and Mike's rod heated up as he landed two nice Red's.  Tom was fishing deep and it wasn't long before he put the first Seatrout that we've had in a couple of weeks into the boat.  We made a run around to Tiger Island and here the anglers had good catches of Seatrout.  Most were caught deep in 25'30' of water, on the bottom.  At one point Susan yelled, "I got a bite", then Ann added "me too"!  We had a double hookup but as they were fighting their fish, Tom yelled, "fish on"! And we had a triple hookup!
What a great way to wrap up a beautiful fishing day at Amelia Island, Florida!

From Fog to Fish

Who would have thought we'd have such a beautiful afternoon just a few days from one of the worst stormsthat hit the southeast in years?  I met Michael Purser and his wife Robin at the Atlantic Seafood dock this afternoon with plans to fish the outgoing tide.  With only a slight breeze and temperatures in the 70's we headed north and surprisingly, we had to navigate some dense fog to get to our first spot - a marsh outflow just outside of Tiger Island.  The anglers started off tossing live shrimp under a float on water like glass, but had now real bites.  We then attempted three new spots but the recreational anglers were out in force

this beautiful day so we ran way back into Bell River to get some solitude.  It took lot of casting but Robin and Michael's patience paid off when Robin hooked up with a nice feisty Redfish that was just under the Slot.  A little later she put another one in the boat, identical size.  But the third time was the charm and we all knew this fish was big!  Robin worked the fish patiently (and despite Michael and my coaching) soon landed a nice Big 21.25" Sheepshead!  Boy what a fish!  Both the Redfish and Sheepshead put Robin in the standings of the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We made a couple of more stops then headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Recipe of the Month: Lo Country Boil

I was asked to cook up a pot of Lo Country Boil today for a group of 25!  I don't know if the temperature got over 40 today so it was some great comfort food to sit down to.  This was one batch:

4      T  Old Bay Seasoning

2     Cap fulls Zatarains liquid seasoning

1/2  Stick butter

8      lbs small red potatoes

3      16 oz smoked sausage (fully cooked)  cut into 1 inch pieces

4      Medium Onions quartered through root stem

10    Ears corn,  halved

2      Lemons  quartered

4      lbs shrimp

(This actually took  about 1hr 45 minutes from when fire was lit till done.  Maybe because it was so cold outside!)

Add water,  seasonings, butter,  to large pot of water filled half full .                                   

Bring to a rolling boil.

Add potatoes and sausage, lemons and cook   10-15  minutes                                               

Add Onions ,  cook  5 minutes                                                                      

Add corn,  cook    10 minutes                                                                                                    

Add Shrimp,  cook 3-5 minutes.  Don’t overcook                                                                

Drain and serve.

Fun Amelia Island Fishing

The low tide was scheduled for around 1:50pm so Frank Bioteau and I planned to meet at the City marina at 1pm to get in some Amelia Island back country fishing.  It was cool enough for a light jacket but there was very little breeze and the sun was breaking through some slightly overcast skies as we headed out the marina and ran up Lanceford Creek to fish the exposed oyster beds.  It was a good pick because we hadn't been fishing long before Frank began to pick up some feisty Redfish.  He encouraged me to join in so I picked up one of my light spinning outfits and began to catch some fish too.  We had a good handful of Redfish and a Trout or two before we picked up and ran around to Tiger Island to fish the first of an incoming tide.  Again, feisty Redfish and a couple of Seatrout.  Frank added a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum and  I had a a couple of keeper sized Sheepshead -rounding out an Amelia Island Back Country Grand Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, Drum and Sheepshead!  We made a run up to the Jolley River where we picked up a couple more Redfish and Seatrout then made  our last stop on the big loop at Bell River.  Again, Redfish and Seatrout.  By this time the breeze had dropped to almost nothing making the water almost like a mirror as the sun began to go down.  What a fun fishing trip and a great way to spend the day out on Amelia Island waters!

Beautiful Day and Big Sheepshead

Boy what a storm we had last night!  The rain came down in buckets but when the sun came up it was cool and sunny with just a slight breeze.  I picked Jim Gaddy up at the Ritz Carlton, boat in tow, and we headed down to the Sawpit Creek boat ramp, launched, and ran up the Amelia River and in to the Horsehead area to fish an outgoing tide.  The oysters were just showing so Jim started off tossing a live shrimp under a float but quickly switched to an artificial jig and then alternated between that and a jig/shrimp combo.  As the sun rose higher we knew it was going to be a beautiful day out on the water.  We fished the banks of Jackstaff as the water dropped and had no real bites then we made a run over to the Nassau River, fished a spot, and also had no real bites.  Our next stop was down at Broward Island which we fished a good hour as the tides swept the shoreline.  Jim was quick on the rod and did pick up a couple of pesky "baitstealers".  We made a run back east and began to fish the now exposed oyster beds.  Jim commented that he had a weird bite then his rod bent double, FISH ON!  He played the fish patiently as his drag sang and when it came to the surface we saw that it was a BIG Sheepshead!  Jim worked the fish to the boat and even though the fish looked defeated, he was playing possum!  As I went to net the fish it made one last dash and BAP, Fish Off! Ouch!  But we weren't to be detered.  Shortly after that we had another weird bite and again the rod bent. Sure enough as Jim worked it to the surface we saw it was another Big Sheepshead.  This time we made sure the beast was subdued and after netting it we measured it to 21.25", a very nice Sheepshead!   As the tide came in we worked the rocks at Seymore's Pointe and caught 2 feisty Redfish. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

First Fish and Most Fish

The weather only got better today as the day progressed.  After an early morning fishing trip I met Harold Blanton, his son-in-law Roger and Roger's daughter Amanda at the Sawpit Creek Boat Ramp and again headed north to fish the Horsehead area.  We made our first stop at Bubblegum Reef and Amanda quickly knocked the "skunk off the boat" by landing a hungry Seatrout for the first fish of the day.  The anglers continued to fish and had to work through some pesky bait stealers and just when I though that this spot was going to be a bust, BOOM!  FISH ON!  Harold's rod was bent double and his drag was singing.  This big fish stayed deep and  was all fight but Harold patiently played the fish.  He had to go from bow to stern and back but he kept the pressure on and after an extended battle we finally landed the largest Black Drum we've landed of the year - a 25" 15lb Black Drum!  We made a move to Broward Island to fish the first of an incoming tide and here all the anglers began to land fish.  Amanda had a nice Redfish and so did here dad, Roger.  They caught Seatrout and more Reds and then Harold landed another keeper sized Black Drum.  After catching a few more fish we made a run to the Jackstaff bank and now the light breeze had dropped to no breeze making the water like glass as the sun crept downward.  The anglers were fishing float rigs now and picked up a few more Seatrout.  We tallied up the count and it appeared that Amanda had caught the most fish during the trip, too!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

One Two Three Slams

The Blalocks -Bob, William, and Dara- were back in town, visiting Amelia Island before attending the Gator Bowl game, and took in an Amelia Island back country fishing trip.  And boy what a beautiful day it was!  Sunny skies and very little wind were forecast and the weatherfolks got it right!  We met at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp at 8am and headed up river bundled tight in warm clothing. We made our first stop at Twin Creeks and fished with jigs, Cajun Thunder floats, and the traditional Trout rigs - and had no real bites on the first of an outgong tide.  I ran around through Jackstaff and the anglers fished some still flooded oyster beds with float rigs - and had no real bites.  We fished the Jackstaff bank and although Bob did pick up a feisty Bluefish we had no other real bites.  Darn it!  We made a stop at Seymore's Pointe and again had no real bites then we made a run to Broward Island as the tide had dropped and this did the trick!  The anglers began to get hookups on their jig and shrimp combo's caching Seatrout and feisty Redfish.  Bob rounded out his own personal Amelia Island Back Country Slam by also picking up a Flounder then Dara matched it by catching a nice Sheepshead.  William wrapped it up when he added a Flounder to get his Slam, too.  It took a few hours of fishing but these anglers were patient and continued to fish  and it paid off, making another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Recipe of the Month: Cheese Ball (Loaf)

This Cheese Ball recipe is a great appetizer for the holidays:

1 ½    packages Cream Cheese

1        tsp Worcestershire sauce

4        Oz. grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1        Tblsp finely crumbled Blue Cheese

¼       Cup celery chopped fine

¼       Cup bell peppers chopped fine

2         Tblsp green onions chopped fine

3        dashes Franks Hot sauce

½        tsp  garlic powder

4         Oz.  pecans, finely chopped (the finer chopped the better coverage you’ll get)

Set out Cream Cheese to soften.  Mix everything thoroughly in a bowl, except pecans.  Chill mixture in refrigerator overnight.  Roll cheese ball in chopped pecans and chill again before serving.  I like to make it a loaf – you get more pecans with each bite!

Making The Most of Lousy Weather

There was a window of opportunity to get out on the water this morning before the rain came through and Dori and Aaron Stibolt were game to get out and give it a try.  We left the marina at 8am with cloudy skies and wind at 10mph and headed north to fish behind one of the only available land masses.  The wind was somewhat blocked and the anglers picked up a few feisty Redfish.  We made a run around to Lanceford Creek and fished a protected creek and here the fish catching picked up as the tide reached it's bottom and began to come back in.  Both Dori and Aaron had good hookups with Redfish.  Dori was fishing a jig and shrimp while Aaron worked a Cajun Thunder float rig.  Aaron was able to add a nice keeper sized Sheepshead to the catch before we called it  day.  As we headed in the rain began to fall but we still counted it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Drum Drum and Drum

I had the opportunity to fish with the Bremer boys again today, Chris and his son Nik.  We knew that it would be hard to top the Christmas Eve trip but these anglers were game and even though we had an overcast sky, we headed north to make the most of an Amelia Island back country fishing trip.  The tide had just hit bottom and began to turn when Nik made his first cast and when I heard the drag rip I knew that he'd knocked the "skunk off" early!  He fought and landed a nice feisty Redfish.  We continued to fish and a little later he landed a very nice keeper sized Black "Puppy Drum".  We made a run around to another creek and here things heated up.  Nik had the hot rod early and landed Redfish, one after the other.  Chris was fishing patiently with his new rod and reel combo (that Nik had given him) and he too began to pic up fish.  He first landed a hungry Seatrout then picked up a Redfish and later landed  nice keeper sized Puppy Drum to round out his personal Amelia Island Back Country Slam on his new rod!  The anglers landed a good mess of fish but when it slowed we made one more stop with the tide well up and covering all the oysters.  Nik picked up a few Redfish but Chris had the big fish.  His new rod bent over and the drag ripped as the big fish strained against the braided line.  Chris playhed it the fish perfectly and after a long battle landed a nice 21" Drum, this one a little past the "Puppy" stage!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Amazing Wildlife Photo's

These photos were taken by Nik Bremer, who fished with me along with his father Chris.  You can see more of Nik's work at NikBremer.com
Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Seeing Red(s) on Christmas Eve

Today was one of those mornings when you stand at the boat ramp with 17mph winds blowing and wonder if you shouldn't cancel the trip.  But my guests Chris and Nik Bremer were game for some Christmas Eve fishing so we headed out with our jackets held tight and heads bowed to the wind.  We finally found a land mass to get out of the wind and the two anglers began to cast their jigs and shrimp to the oyster beds and dock pilings.  I think Nik said it was his second cast and BOOM!  FISH ON!  He played the feisty Redfish to the boat and quickly knocked the skunk off the old Anglers Mark.  Shortly after that, BOOM!  Fish ON!  This big Red measured just in the slot at 26.75"!  And that's how the fishing went for the next 4 hours.  Of course Chris was not be out done and he caught and landed his share of Slot reds and the smaller feisty Reds, too.  I counted at least 9 slot Reds landed and we had 2-3 lost to be caught another day.  We lost track of the smaller feisty Redfish caught released.  They also had 7-8 nice Black "Puppy Drum" with 3 of those of the keeper size, landed one nice keeper sized Sheepshead and threw back one hungry Seatrout - all adding up to an Amelia Island Back Country "Grand" Slam of Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead and Seatrout.  The sun was shining, the wind was blocked and the fishing was hot all day so we counted it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Trout Are Down Deep

With the Christsmas holiday fast approaching I was able to squeeze in an early morning fishing trip set up by Shaun Payne who brought along his two brother-in-laws Eric and Cade and his father in law Jay.  We met at Atlantic Seafood at 7:30am after the tide had been coming in for about an hour and headed up to the Tiger Island area to fish with jigs and live shrimp.  The water temperature had risen from 59 of last week to 62 but just like last week the anglers had to fish the jigs sloooow!  Cade knocked the skunk off the boat by hooking up with a nice feisty Redfish.  From then on all the anglers got in on the  action, catching a good handful of Trout, a Blue, a bunch of baitstealers, and another Redfish or two.  The wind picked up or changed directions so we made a fairly long run around to the docks of Bell River and got out of the wind.  It wasn't long before this bunch from Texas were "Guns up", landing Seatrout after Seatrout!  Cade pulled it all together by landing a keeper sized Sheepshead to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam.  When we ran out of bait, we switched to Temptation Bait white flukes with red heads and picked up a few more Trout to wrap up another great day out on Amelia Island waters!

Amelia Island Slams for All

The weatherman said today was going to be a perfect 10 and he nailed it!  I met tom Teasdale and his friend Justin Crandall at the Atlantic Seafood dock at 1pm to take advantage of a falling afternoon tide and we headed up Lanceford Creek to fish the back country on a beautiful Amelia Island afternoonI had planned to fish some docks but I guess some of the local anglers had taken the day off because they were out in full force!  We made a detour to fish some flooded oyster beds but had no real bites so we headed north to fish the Tiger Islands.  This turned out to be the trick because Tom and Justin began to pick up some fish.  We found the Trout down deep and by fishing a shrimp or mud minnow slowly we could entice them to bite. Justin knocked the skunk off the boat by landing a couple of Seatrout then Tom got in on th action.  Justin countered with a feisty Redfish but when Tom had a strong hookup I thought, "Big Red", and the fight was on.  He played the big fish patiently but when it finally came to the surface we saw stripes, and landed a nice Sheepshead!  The anglers continued  to fish the area, picked up more Trout and then Justin landed a sizable Sheepshead, too.  More Reds were caught, more Trout were caught, and a couple of feisty Sheepshead, then Tom had another strong hookup and I thought, "Big Red".  But no, this time it was a sizable Puppy Drum!  The anglers caught fish until they ran out of bait then switched to artificial Temptation Baits and landed a few more fish.  The water was slick as a pond, the skies were clear, and the sun was going down when we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!