Summer Time Amelia Island Fishing

I do think summer is almost here, based on the variety of fish we're catching. I met Domenic and Victoria Ferrelli down at the Atlantic Seafood dock on the very last of an outgoing tide and we popped over to fish an exposed oyster bank at the mouth of Bell River. The two anglers were tossing live shrimp on jigs and although they were making excellent casts, we only picked  up an ugly Sea Robin.

We made run around to Tiger Island and began to fish as the tide started in. Victoria caught a hungry Mangrove Snapper then we had a good bite and, FISH ON! Domenic commented that it wasn't very big but when the drag began to rip he changed his mind! At one time I thought the big fish was going
to get up in the logs but Domenic kept the pressure on and worked him out to deeper water and after a good battle, landed a "Tournament" sized 26.5" Slot Redfish -with 10 spots! Boy what a fish! We worked the bank thoroughly and later Victoria had a good bite. She worked it to the boat and landed a hungry Black "puppy" Drum.

We ran around and up to the Jolley River, fished the "bank", but had no real bites, then moved further up the river. Both Domenic and Victoria put a couple of Bonnethead Sharks in the boat, a couple of Jack Crevalle, another Black Drum, then Domenic wrapped things up with a nice 22" Slot Redfish. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

More Like a Soccer Match

Boy what a pretty morning we had today! Just a tad bit cool running to the first spot, not a cloud in the sky, and only a slight  breeze that helped keep the no-seeum's away. I had met Dale Steinkamp and his nephews Parker and Chaz down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and after the safety orientation, made the long run around to Broward Island to take advantage of the first of an incoming tide.

Except that the tide was still going out when we got there! All three anglers were tossing mud minnows on jigs to the shoreline and all three began to fill "bumps" on their baits. It was the older angler, Dale, that "knocked the skunk off" when he patiently let the fish take his minnow then he slowly set the hook and, fish on! He worked it to the boat and landed a nice keeper sized Flounder. Dale quickly proved that his technique was no fluke when he boated a 2nd, a 3rd and a 4th keeper sized Flounder - the biggest being around 18".  The guys were drawing comparisons to the Patriot/Falcons game as Dale pulled way ahead in the "catch" total. We worked up and down the island, had a bite here and there, then made a run back down the Nassau River to fish some still exposed shell banks.

With the water being so clear we actually saw two Redfish cruising the shallows but just as we were making our casts a big Bonnethead rushed out of on outlet and scared them off. We fished some docks at Seymore's Pointe but had no bites then ran back to Pumpkin Hill where Parker put a nice Black Tip Shark in the boat. But other than that, Team Young Angler was about to have concede to the more experienced guy in the boat. We ran out of time and called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida!

 But wait! On the way back to the ramp we passed a spot that had been occupied earlier and with some bait still in the boat, we "put time back on the clock" (just like a soccer game) and stopped to fish. All three anglers began to get bites, then Chaz hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. Then he and Parker had a double hookup and both landed  Snapper. Chaz made another cast and when his float disappeared and his drag began to sing, we knew this was a bigger fish. Chaz played it patiently and soon landed a nice 21" Slot sized Redfish. He later picked up two more keeper sized Snapper and with the added time, took bragging rights for biggest fish of the day!

Making a Meal with Mangroves

You may have noticed I haven't reported trips the last week or so. That's because the couple of trips that I had around Shrimp Fest there wasn't much to report, other than not much biting in the back water. I hear the big bull Reds can be had out at the jetties if  you're in to that kind of fishing, but the backwater, coupled with high winds, has been kinda tough.

 But I fished yesterday with some regulars, Dennis Brizzi and his buddy Hal, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park early morning. We made a quick run over to Pumpkin Hill, set up along some oysters and began to ease along the bank, tossing jigs and shrimp on the first of an incoming tide. Although conditions looked right and the shell banks looked enticing, we only picked up a couple of high flying Ladyfish.

Being in the area, we made a quick stop down at Broward Island and set up outside a large marsh runout. The two anglers were still tossing the jigs and within minutes Dennis had a hookup, called it "small", then his drag began to sing! It was a big fish. He played it patiently and eventually landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish.


Dennis had his spot picked out, went back to it a few times, had a good bite, but no take, then he had another hookup and landed a nice keeper sized Flounder.  We moved up a ways, tossing jigs forward and letting them bounce back with the current and found a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, then a fat keeper sized Seatrout that Hal worked to the boat.

Our next stop was back at the Horsehead area, fishing a now covered oyster bank, looking for Reds. The two anglers were tossing float rigs with a short leader along the oysters and began to pick up Mangrove Snapper. They've been getting bigger over the last month and these were of keeper size. I had one strong hookup that I felt like was a Redfish but within in seconds it dashed across the oyster bar as drag was ripping and cut itself off. Darn it!  After getting a good mess of the Mangroves, we made one last stop around at Seymore's Pointe and limited out on the Mangroves (5 a piece). With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Against The Wind

We had a really nice morning today when I met Rob and Shannon Holbrook and their daughter Ginny up at the north end boat ramp. The tide had only been coming in for an hour so we made the short run around to Tiger Island and set up, tossing jigs and live shrimp to the shore line. As we fished we could see the wind picking up and blowing by the island. These anglers were making excellent casts to the  pockets and it was young Ginny who "knocked the skunk off" with the first catch of the day, a feisty Black "puppy"
Drum.  Minutes later Rob had a thump the minute his bait hit bottom and he worked in a keeper sized Flounder. Although the conditions were right, the bite was slow so we ran out and around and up into Jolley River and fished the incoming tide at large creek inlet. We had a few nibbles, but no takers then as we worked around a point Ginny had her float disappear and she hooked it up perfectly, landing a hungry Seatrout. We fished further up the Jolley, had a nibble or two, then ran around to Bell River and fished some docks. Again, just nibbles. Our final stop was back towards Fernandina on the Bell and one of Rob's first casts produced another Seatrout. After leaving Tiger Island most of the trip was spent dealing with the wind. It was fishable but the wind made things difficult. These anglers were up to the task and made the best of it and we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Slot Reds Big Trout Good Variety

With forecasted winds this afternoon getting up to at least 18mph, Wayne Hackett and I agreed that it'd be best to fish this morning, so that's what we did!  The good news is that I've been having some good luck fishing that high and still coming in tide which is what we had today. I met Wayne and his dad Harold down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp and we made the quick run up the Nassau River and made a stop at some flooded oyster beds with plans to toss float rigs and live shrimp to the marsh grass. The two anglers started right off making excellent casts and it wasn't long
before we got a few bites. Wayne put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat and another smaller one. We bounced down the river and Harold had a good fight with a feisty Jack Crevalle. Then Wayne had a strong hookup and after a patient battle, landed a 20" Slot sized Redfish. We inched down the bank, had a fish or two caught, then when things slowed to a halt we cranked the big engine and ran down to Christopher Creek to fish some shallow, flooded oysters.  Harold picked up a Trout, then battled a Black Tip Shark. Then Wayne had a strong bite and worked in a big 19.5" Seatrout.
And as quick as the bite started, it quit! We ran around the bend and fished with jigs and shrimp. Wayne picked up a keeper sized Flounder to round  out their Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Seatrout, Redfish and Flounder, then it was Harold's turn to have the big bite. He played it patiently and perfectly and soon landed another Slot sized Redfish. We picked caught another small Trout or two then headed back, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

One Fish Per Spot

Well, that's what if felt like today. We had a beautiful mid morning trip set up when I met Nancy and Bill Hohenshelt up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and boat ramp. We made a quick run over to the outside of Tiger and set up at two large creek outflows, tossing live shrimp under floats. Both anglers got a nibble here and there, but no takers, so we bounced across the creek and fished some more flooded marsh grass. Again, we had some good nibbles, and then Bill landed a feisty Bluefish. We then ran out and around and up the
side of Tiger and found another outflow. I switched the anglers to jigs and live shrimp because I new the bottom wasn't rough. Within minutes, Bill had a hookup and landed a nice hungry Seatrout. But no more bites were had. So we continued on around to the Jolley River, fished the "bank" and here Nancy got on the board when she landed another nice Seatrout. We worked up the bank, had a bite now and then, and finally, Bill hooked up and caught a keeper sized Seatrout. We fished further up the Jolley at Snook Creek, had no bites, then hit the MOA. It was the right tide and the conditions were right, fish were popping, but they just weren't eating what we werew offering. We made one last stop back at the logs of Tiger. After getting a few bites, Bill had a strong hookup. He  played the hard fighting fish patiently and soon landed a feisty Redfish. Although we didn't slay the fish, we did have a few catches, so we counted it as another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Battle With A Beast For Bragging Rights

Celebrating his daughter's 16th birthday, Duane Schumaker treated his girls to an Amelia Island Back Country fishing trip on the Angler's Mark. Duane had birthday girl Jasmine along with her sisters Samantha and Savannah "the Legend",  when they met me out at the Goffinsville Park and boat ramp early this morning. We made a quick run around to Christopher Creek and began tossing float rigs with mud minnows (no shrimp available today). It didn't take long before the girls were getting bites with their floats disappearing and within a few tries they got the hang of hooking
up!  Jasmine put the first fish in the boat, a nice keeper sized Seatrout. Samantha followed that up with one of her own then we added a couple of smaller ones. We were fishing the minnows shallow over some flooded oysters and when one float went under and the drag began to sing, we knew we had a big fish - FISH ON! Jasmine was on the bow fighting the fish with her sister Samantha and as their line plowed thru some marsh grass, Duane had a hookup - another big fish on! He and Savannah were battling their fish while the crew on the bow battled theirs - we had
a double!  It took a while but we got the first fish in and netted, which turned out to be 26" and in the Slot and then we got the second fish in, an oversized 28" fish. Now that will wake everyone up! We fished the area thoroughly, had a bite or two, then ran around and thru the marsh to Jackstaff. I eased  up the bank with the anglers tossing their floats but we had no bites. We crossed over to fish a sandbar and began to get fish. Duane was tossing a jig and some dead shrimp that we'd dug out and he picked up a couple or three hungry Seatrout out deep. Then Jasmine caught a hard
fighting Jack Crevalle on the dead shrimp and later, when her drag began to rip on another fish I proclaimed "SHARK". This fish was big and was ripping drag and had no plans of coming to the boat. But Jasmine kept the pressure own and played it patiently. When the big fish got back in the current I released the anchor and followed it down the river. It took Jasmine from the bow to the stern and from starboard to port and back to starboard and back to port as we drifted down the creek. It was a battle of wills and Jasmine won - eventually landing a whopping 34" oversized Redfish and grabbing first place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish! (Scroll down right side of this report for standings). We fished a good handful of spots, picked up another couple of small Reds, a nice Bluefish, a hard fighting Ladyfish, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Morning Fishing's Best

Louis Welch consulted his secret book which told him that today it would be best to fish in the morning, so we did. I met Louis and his brother Kenny out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp and we made a quick run around to Christopher Creek and began
tossing float rigs with live shrimp to some flooded oyster beds on the very first of an outgoing tide. It didn't take long before the two anglers began to hookup and one of the first fish was a huge Seatrout that Kenny hooked up with. It took his bait with a vengeance and was ripping drag, but Kenny kept the pressure on and landed a fat 22.5"
Seatrout - squeezing him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down right side of this report for standings)  Boy what a nice Trout. From then on it was fish catching! Louis fought and landed a 23" Slot Redfish then both anglers were trading Trout catches. Louis added another big 21.5" Trout(tying him for third in the Bragging Rights Tournament)  then Kenny had a strong bite and landed another Slot Redfish. The fish catching was fast and furious for almost two hours, then it went cold. Really cold. We ran down the Nassau River and fished some marsh run outs, picked up a small Redfish and a couple of more Trout, and a couple of Jacks, too. We fished the docks at Seymore's, picked up one more Jack, then ran through Jackstaff to fish it's mouth. The tide was down, the sun was up, and it wasn't morning so we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Battling Fish and Bugs

Today was a "10" according to the weather folks and I agreed with them. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wind was listed as "calm". I met Rick Mowery and his friends Kathy and Don down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning and we headed up the Nassau River, making our first stop at a marsh line that had oysters just beginning to show on an outgoing tide. Don and Kathy were tossing jigs and shrimp forward and up to the bank while Rick followed them  at the stern tossing a float rig and shrimp. It was Rick that knocked the skunk off when he hooked up and landed
a nice Slot sized Redfish. Then all anglers began to battle the first Ladyfish of the year and Jack Crevalle's. There was action going on all around us with fish popping bait and the anglers getting a bite now and then. Things got real calm and the sand gnats began to swarm and we were all heading for the bug spray! Then Don had a strong hookup. He played it perfectly and soon put a another Slot Redfish in the boat. Kathy added another Jack Crevalle and a huge Ladyfish then Don hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. We fished that bank thoroughly, and when the bite slowed we made
the run down to Pumpkin Hill and fished some fully exposed oysters. Although there was a ton of bait movement, we had no real bites. We made our last stop down at Broward Island, fishing jigs, and after fishing two or three spots, Rick wrapped things up when he caught another keeper sized Trout. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Dodging The Manatee

The beautiful days just keep coming! Today I met Greg and Myrna Gray down at the City marina and we made a quick hop over to the Bell River to fish some exposed oysters on the last of an incoming tide. Greg was on the bow tossing a fly rod while Myrna was at the stern pitching a jig and live shrimp. Both were making excellent casts but it took us a while to hookup. Myrna had a couple of good bites on the shrimp then she had a strange one and when she reeled it in we saw that it was a feisty Flounder. When the tide hit bottom
we ran around to Tiger Island and fished the logs. Myrna reeled in a hungry Black "puppy" Drum and Greg battled a Redfish that was right at Slot size. But the bite was somewhat slow, even though the conditions were perfect, so we ran around to the Jolley River and fished the "bank".  There was all kinds of movement along the bank and even though we had bites, we had no takers. We did see a  huge Gar fish swim right up to the boat. We ran further up the Jolley and around to the MOA where Myrna picked up a Seatrout to round out her very own Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Flounder, Black
Drum and Seatrout.  We made one final stop up "Snook Creek", pitching jigs and live shrimp and sure enough, we got Shark bit. After a couple swirled at the boat Greg had a hookup with a large shark that had no intentions of being caught today - it spooled the reel and broke when it reached bottom!  Shortly after that Myrna had a hookup and we could tell this was another Shark, albeit a tad bit smaller. She played it perfectly and during the battle, a big Manatee came and checked us out! It eased right past the boat and under Myrna's line while she was battling the Shark. But Myrna maintained her composure, kept the pressure on, and soon landed a nice 24" Bonnethead Shark. Now that's the way to wrap up another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Quality Fish Makes For Bragging Rights Contender

You can't make the days any prettier! Sunshine, slight breeze, mild temperatures and a game plan for fishing! I met Olin Williams up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and boat ramp for a "birthday" fishing trip.  The tide was still going out and I had a "plan" to hit different spots as it continued to drop and then come back in. First, we made a run over to Lanceford Creek with an hour to go in the tide and set up from a dock within casting distance of our jigs and live shrimp. Olin was making excellent casts to the pilings - we worked them thoroughly, then moved on along some exposed oysters teeming
with bait, but had no real bites. We made the run back to the mouth of Bell River and fished some more exposed oysters banks with the jigs and shrimp. We weren't there long when we had a strange bite, not much, then BOOM! Big Fish On!  Olin was on the rod and played the big fish masterfully. It made some long, deep runs, but Olin kept the pressure on. The fish went 'round and 'round the boat and after a good battle we landed a big 29.5" oversized Redfish - big enough to slide Olin into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Now that's a nice fish! We went back to the jigs and shortly after that  Olin had another hookup. Not quite as big, but big! He worked it to the boat and landed a 19" fat Seatrout. Our next stop was around at Tiger Island. The conditions were absolutely perfect. The sun wasn't up over the trees, the tide was low and just creeping in, and Olin was making pinpoint casts to the pockets. And no fish. I couldn't believe it. So we ran around and up into the Jolley, fished a couple of oyster banks with float rigs then the jigs - had no bites, then continued on around to make a pit stop at the MOA. And wouldn't you know it. Boom, Trout. Boom, Trout. Boom, Trout. We had a good handful of Trout then it shut down completely. Our final stop was at some docks on Bell River and I think it was first cast when Olin hooked another Trout (All fish were released today). We found a couple of more out deep then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Working for a Fish Bite

I fished this afternoon, too, meeting the Pleasant family - William and Shannon and their sons Alex and Benn up at the north end ramp at 2pm with plans to fish the first of an outgoing tide. We had live shrimp, Slip Float rigs, Cajun Thunder rigs, and jigs so we were ready! We made our first stop at a flooded oyster bank on Bell River and caught a couple of small Sea Bass. After running up Bell River further we fished some docks with jigs and Slip Floats and this produced a handful of small Seatrout - but  none of the nice
keepers we've been getting. Our next stop was around at Snook Creek in the Jolley River, going to back to Cajun Thunder rigs, and, no bites. We hopped down to the mouth of Jolly, fished the Bank, and caught baitstealers. Our last stop was over at Tiger Island and boy were the conditions were perfect.  The wind was blocked, the tide was fairly low, and the sun was going down. We fished and fished and fished  and finally, Alex put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. It was a beautiful afternoon and although the fish didn't cooperate, it was another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Trout Flurry Wraps a Trip Up

We fished north again today, getting out early to fish the first of an incoming tide. I met Jeff and Jenny Key up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and boat ramp and we made the quick run around to Tiger Island with a baitwell full of live shrimp. The two anglers were tossing jigs and shrimp to the shoreline and fishing them back slowly and it didn't take long before they began to get bites. Jenny got it started when she hooked up and landed a feisty Black "puppy" Drum then she put a keeper sized Seatrout. Jeff added another Drum then we caught a couple of more Trout out deep. Jeff
had made an excellent cast up into a pocket and when he had  a strange bite we all wondered what it would be - and sure enough, it was a keeper sized Flounder. We then ran around and up into Jolley River, fished a flooding marsh line, and I think it was Jeff's first cast with a float rig when he hooked up with another nice Trout. We eased up into Snook Creek where Jeff tangled with a couple of Bonnethead Sharks then we continued on to Bell River to fish some docks with jigs down deep. Jeff figured it out - he was dragging his shrimp so slow it was falling asleep, then, BOOM! He'd have a hookup and land a nice Trout. We caught fish until we got bored with it then made a final run around and to the outside of Tiger. Breaking out the float rigs, I think we may have had one more Trout. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Bragging Rights Trout

I fished north today for the first time this week. It's kinda strange seeing boats out and around! I met Todd Johnson and his son Oliver at the City marina early and we headed north up to the outside of Tiger Island to fish an incoming tide with jigs and live shrimp. We had fished for just a short while when Oliver "knocked the skunk off" with a good hookup. He played the hard fighting fish perfectly and soon landed a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. We had bites here and there then his dad put a Drum in the boat. Just as we
were about to move on Todd said he had a fish playing with  his bait, followed it out to deep water, then it took it with a vengeance! FISH ON! This was a big fish. It was ripping drag so I assumed a Redfish but then it zigged and zagged so I questioned myself. Sure enough, when Todd had patiently tired it out, we netted a big 23" Seatrout, the biggest on the Anglers Mark this year. Todd took over first place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We then made a run up to Jolley River and began fishing a flooding shoreline with the ever rising wind at our backs. Within minutes Oliver's float disappeared and he too had a big fish! Oliver worked him in like a pro and after a good battle, landed a big 19" Seatrout, boy what a fish! We slipped in to Snook Creek, caught our first Shark of the year, then ran around to Bells River docks where Todd jigged up another keeper sized Trout. After another run we went back to the floats and fished some flooded oysters and first cast, BOOM! Oliver had a Trout. After one more stop we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

WOOF! Woof! Woof! Woof!

Talk about a perfect day to be fishing! Sunny skies, a slight breeze, mild temps and two buddies getting out on the water for some Amelia Island back country fishing! I met Dale Bullard and his friend Jim down at the south end ramp and we made a quick run up the Nassau River to set up with float rigs and live shrimp as the tide just turned around and started back in. The two anglers were making excellent casts, expertly working the exposed oysters as we eased against the current, but it took a while to get a bite. Then, Jim had his float disappear and we had the skunk off the boat when he
landed a nice hungry Seatrout. He put a handful more of the Trout in the boat before we dropped down the river a 1/4 mile and started another pass. Dale had just made a beautiful cast up near the oysters, fished it for a while and as he started to reel it in a big fish rolled at his bait. Jim went in with his and within seconds, BOOM! FISH ON! This was a nice fish as it ripped some drag and put a big bend in the rod (see video below) Jim played it patiently and eventually brought it to Dale's waiting net. Boy what a fish!  Then shortly after that Dale had a strange bite - it was a fish - but it sure wasn't pulling like a Red or a Trout. Sure enough, after a good battle, Dale landed a nice keeper sized Flounder. Things seemed to slow after that so we ran down to Pumpkin Hill. I was expecting Trout like we'd been getting the last couple of days but Jim's first cast produced a 9-spot Slot sized Redfish. As we fished along some now flooded oysters Dale told a story about how another guide had a "Boat Dog" that would "woof" when it saw a float go under. Sure enough, the day was wearing on all of us and we began to miss a float go under now and then. I think Jim was watching Dale's float and Dale was watching Jim's float. Anyway, there was a "woof" now and then. Dale's float disappeared (woof) and he had another nice fish. He played it perfectly and landed another Slot sized 20" Redfish.  And finally we picked up a handful of keeper sized Seatrout. After hitting one more stretch, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Tournament Reds and Then Some

We continued to fish from the south end today when I met Gordon Williford and his sons Burton and Sutton down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. I decided to follow yesterday's game plan and fish the flooding oyster beds with float rigs and live shrimp. We set up down from a marsh runout and began to ease along the shore and it wasn't long before Burton "knocked the skunk off" with the fist fish of the day, a nice keeper sized Seatrout. Although we had a couple of more bites, we had no takers, so we bounced down the river and Redfish Spot Tournament!  We continued to fish that area for a while, fished some docks where Burton picked up a Mangrove Snapper, Gordon added the year's first Jack Crevalle, then we headed down to Pumpkin Hill and caught a good handful of keeper sized Trout.  Sutton added a keeper sized Flounder to round out his very own Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, and Flounder. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
tried it again. We had crept up to Twin Creeks and drifted a few times through their mouths when we all saw something attack some bait over the oysters. Sutton was able to get in there first and within seconds his float slid under and, FISH ON! We knew right off that this was a big fish because it was ripping drag and had no intentions of slowing down. But Sutton kept the pressure on and patiently played the fish. The fish took Sutton to the bow and around the Starboard side and back to the Stern then it go back in the current so we removed the I-Pilot anchor and took up chase. After a good battle Sutton landed a nice 26.75" "Tournament Redfish", boy what a fish. This fish put Sutton tied for 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category(Scroll down right side of this report for standings)  We had drifted way down the river and so we just picked up where we left off and good thing we did because in short order Gordon had a hookup and again, BIG FISH ON!  Gordon said it wasn't very big but I could tell the way it was running towards the shallows that it was big. But it was no challenge for Gordon who worked it in expertly and we soon netted another 26"+ Redfish - and this one had no spots - a sure winner in our

Thinning the Herd

We had a beautiful morning today with just a few clouds and a
slight breeze as the sun came up over Amelia Island. I met Rich Fairchild and his adult sons Travis and Troy down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we headed up the Nassau River to make a quick stop at some marsh run outs on an incoming tide. We had a baitwell full of live shrimp and the three anglers began tossing them under floats up current and to the grass line. It was only minutes before Rich was hooking up with Seatrout. Then the tow younger anglers got in on the action and they were all catching. We weeded
through a good handful of smaller fish before we picked up a keeper sized fish and that's how it went for most of the morning. A handful of smaller fish then a keeper. Smaller fish, then a keeper. Once, Travis had strong bite and this fought differently and sure enough, when he landed it we saw that it was a feisty Redfish. We fished the Nassau for a good while then made a long run around to Pumpkin Hill and set up outside some flooding oysters. They immediately began to get bites then Rich had a super strong bite and, FISH ON! He worked the big fish patiently to the boat and
landed a nice, big, 20" Seatrout. This fish slid him into third place in the Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category(scroll down right side of this report for standings)  Troy followed that one up with a big one of his own and again, a handful of smalls, then a keeper. We made one final stop in Christopher Creek and although the bite had slowed, Travis had one good one and again, FISH ON! He worked the fish slowly, letting the rod to the work and after a good battle landed another Redfish, this one in the Slot, making it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Almost Like February

A week or so ago we had warm enough weather for me to be wearing shorts and flip flops and the water temperature got up over 70. But we had some cooler temperatures move in and the water temp has dropped down into the 60's and it seems the fish "bite" has fallen off, kinda like what we had in February. My theory is that with the water temperature moving up and down the bait fish haven't decided to move in and the Reds and Trout are confused! They're out hunting something to eat and we're out hunting them! Today was similar to yesterday, we caught a few fish but not much to brag about, and it wasn't the anglers. I met Scott Carter, his two sons Sammy and Benny, and their friend Harrison down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp after lunch and we headed up to Jackstaff to fish an outgoing tide with the oysters already showing. The anglers were tossing live shrimp under floats and after hitting  a few runouts, Scott put a couple of hungry Seatrout in the boat. We ran through the marsh and fished some docks at Seymore's Pointe and here everyone got in on some action. Sammy picked up the first Mangrove Snapper up near the pilings then each of the boys were trying to get their jig and shrimp in the right place, and they each got fish if they were up close. We fished a second dock looking for bigger fish, found none, then ran down to Pumpkin Hill and set up along  a nice oyster bank. Rather quickly, Harrison put a nice Trout in the boat, but there were no more to be had. We fished Broward Island but the water was pretty murky, then we made a long run back to the Longpointe docks to get out of the wind. I rigged up some bottom rigs while the anglers pitched jigs to the pilings and when I got the bottom rigs finished we put them out and in quick succession, we landed a couple of Whiting. We had a handful of fish caught today, but we had to work for them, but it was still a great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Mangroves Moving In

We fished the south end again today -John Alderman and his sons John and Sam. We met early at the Sawpit Creek ramp and headed up the Nassau River and straight to Pumpkin Hill to catch the last of an incoming tide. The three anglers were tossing live shrimp under float rigs and they got bites right off. John Sr. knocked the skunk off when he put a couple of hungry Seatrout in the boat. We fished a good stretch of flooded oysters with a few bites but no takers then ran over to Christopher Creek to fish deep with jigs. Although we had some nibbles, we had no fish so we made our next stop back ast Seymore's Pointe, fishing some dock pilings. There were light bites happening and finally we picked up a small Mangrove Snapper. Later, we had a strong bite and this turned out to be a nice fish.  Sam played it patiently to the boat and soon landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout. One dock down, Sam made an excellent cast to the piling and picked up another Snapper, this one of keeper size.  After fishing Twin Creeks briefly, we headed in and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Like The Masters, The Leaderboard Tightens

Wow what a pretty day we had today! I fished with Steve Smith this morning, meeting him down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp on the last of in incoming tide. We made a long run up the Nassau River and around to Christopher Creek and eased in thru the shallow entrance with plans to fish jigs and live shrimp to the shore line. I don't think Steve had cast more than a few times when he had his first hookup, a nice feisty Redfish. After pictures and release Steve made a pinpoint cast back to the exact same spot and BOOM!
Another fish on! He played this bigger fish patiently to the boat and we netted a nice Slot sized Redfish. We worked the bank thoroughly, had a couple of good bites, and after one that swiped his shrimp, he went back to the spot and had a strong hookup and, FISH ON! This was a big fish. Steve worked him out from some dock pilings then let him run, ripping drag. After a good battle he landed a 24"+  five spotted Redfish. Now that's a nice fish! The tide was changing so we worked our way out and got thru the cut before it turned to mud. The outside of Christopher was looking pretty good so we switched to float rigs and the live shrimp. We hadn't fished more than a few casts and when Steve placed his rig up near some sparse marsh grass the float disappeared with a vengeance. This was an other big fish. It took Steve from the stern to the bow and around and back to the stern and we both were thinking "Redfish" but when Steve worked him to the surface we saw that it was a large Seatrout. After netting the beast we measured it to 21.5", a fish that puts Steve in first place of the Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We made a run over to Pumpkin Hill and fished some flooded oysters and first cast, BOOM! Fish On. Another nice 18" Seatrout. We worked up and down the bank and picked up one more keeper sized Trout and a couple of smaller ones, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Big Brother Fishing

The Nassau Sports Fishing Association hosted a group of Big Brothers/Big Sisters today and the Anglers Mark was one of the boats that took a few of the groups fishing. We all met at the Amelia Island Marina and got paired up with our anglers - I had Larry and Larrie along with their young Brothers Richard and Daniel respectively. We eased out of the marina and headed south, thru Horsehead and all the way down to Pumpkin Hill to fish some flooded oyster beds on the very first of an incoming tide. Young
Richard "knocked the skunk off" when he landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout. Daniel followed it up with a Trout of his own. Young guys 2. Older guys 0.  But we continued to fish and after a while all the anglers had put Trout in the boat. Richard added another keeper before we headed back into the Nassau River and fished a couple of nice marsh runouts, but to no avail. We then fished some docks at Seymore's Pointe then made our final stop over at the mouth of Jackstaff where Daniel wrapped things up with a keeper sized Flounder. With that, we called it a day and headed back to the Marina for some hotdogs and burgers making it a great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

And After The Blow

We had strong winds and a bunch of needed rain the night before last and it affected the fishing just a tad. I met Wes Methaney again down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and he had his brother in law Steve and nephew Evan with him to round out the team. We made a quick run over to the docks at Longpointe and fished the dock pilings with jigs and live shrimp on an outgoing tide. The first thing I noticed was how muddy the water looked. The anglers had no bites so we ran up the Nassau River and made a stop at some marsh runouts and exposed oyster beds and we began easing along,
tossing to the shell. About halfway up we spotted a huge tail waving at us as a big Red nosed around in the oysters but he would not bite.  We saw it a couple of times, and it may have been a second fish, but they just wouldn't take. Evan finally knocked the skunk off the boat when he caught and landed an angry Bluefish. We ran up the river to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and here both Evan and Wes put a couple of Redfish in the boat. We bounced down to another dock and Steve had a strange bite - he played it patiently to the boat, and landed a nice keeper sized 16.5"
Flounder. This fish put's Steve in first place in the Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings)  Our next stop was down at Pumpkin Hill and here Steve landed a hungry Seatrout. We jumped down to Broward Island and fished up and down the bank. Wes put a couple of Trout in the boat, another Redfish, then Steve caught one too, giving him his own Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Flounder, Seatrout, and Redfish. I  noted that all stops the water was very muddy. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing at Amelia Island, Florida.