Mixing Fishing and Sightseeing

We had a beautiful morning today, a great one to get in a little fishing and some sightseeing to wrap things up. I met Joe and Barbara Conlon down at the City marina and we headed over to Bell River to fish some still flooding oyster beds with live shrimp and float rigs. And wouldn't you know it, first cast, BAM! Fish on!  That's the way to start a fishing trip!  Joe worked the fish in patiently and landed a nice hungry Seatrout. We fished a grassy point for just a while then moved around to the  outside of Tiger Island and now that the tide had started out we were set up in a
good spot. We had another float go under and this one came in fairly easy. After fishing one more stretch of grass we ran out and toured Fort Clinch then cut across the inlet to the south side of Cumberland Island where we were greeted by a herd of wild horses to view. We eased up the island then into Beach Creek and sure enough, there was a little alligator in his same spot. Can you spot him in the pic below? On the way back we toured the old Pogy Plant and Old Towne then we headed in and counted it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters.

From Nice to Breezy

We were back fishing today after a long stretch of high winds that kept us off the water. Today's forecast started out with about 2mph winds increasing to 12 but it felt like 15+ before the day was over. But the three anglers I had today were all about getting out on the water and wetting a line and that we did! I met Kurt Miller and his friends Bob and Steve down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp and we made our first run up the Amelia River to dip into
Jackstaff and fish some flooding marsh grass on the last of an incoming tide. Kurt was tossing a topwater lure up on the bow and Bob and Steve were using float rigs with live shrimp to fish the edges. We fished a good stretch with no bites so Steve switched to a jig and shrimp and this did the trick when he "knocked the skunk off" by landing a fat Seatrout. And seconds later Bob picked up a Trout of his own, this one on the float rig. We fished that stretch pretty good then moved further up into a creek. Bob found a hot spot and landed a couple of  more Trout, then Steve landed another. A couple of these were in the keeper sized range. We ran through
the marsh and stopped at a dock to fish some pilings with the jig rig. It wasn't long before Kurt had a strong bite and FISH ON!  He played it perfectly but this hard fighting fish had a mind of its own and made a dash to the pilings and sure enough, wrapped around one of them. But Kurt worked the fish carefully, gave it some slack, and it came out, then Kurt applied the pressure as we eased away from the docks. I thought for sure it was one of the Drums - Red or Black, but after a good battle Kurt landed a nice hard fighting Jack Crevalle. The wind had really picked up so we ran down to Broward Island to get some relief and it was like fishing on a still pond. The trio caught a few more Trout beyond the island along the marsh, but we had no real bites around the logs. Our last stop was back towards Seymore's Pointe, fishing an old oyster bed and here Kurt landed a feisty 9-spot Redfish. We fished Jackstaff one more time but the wind was kicking up the mud so we headed in and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

First on a Fly

There was a fog warning this morning on the radio but when we launched it was cloudy but not fog. The wind was forecast to pick up so when I met Mark Deprimo we planned to hit Eagans Creek with a fly rod in hopes of picking up a Seatrout down deep and be out of the wind. Mark was making excellent casts and stripping the fly back slowly, letting it fall down the river bottom, but we had no hits. When the tide  hit rock bottom we ran around to Tiger Island and began to fish the exposed logs as the tide started back in. Mark made a pinpoint cast to the edge of some logs and as his fly slipped
along he felt a thump and a heaviness and, FISH ON!  He worked the small but feisty fish to the boat and put his first fly caught Flounder in the boat. We fished up and down the island, staying out of the now brisk wind, but had no real bites. On our third pass we switched to live shrimp and spin gear and this did the trick. We had a strange and subtle "bump" out from the limbs and immediately knew that this was a big fish. Mark played it perfectly and when the fish took him from bow to stern and from port to starboard, he stayed with it, keeping the pressure on. After a good battle, Mark landed an exhausted 29.75" oversized Redfish, putting him in first place of the Anglers Mark 2016 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish category (scroll down right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish. And it had 25 spots on it which would have made some one very happy to be fishing in the recent Spot Tournament -IF it had been caught about a year or two ago! After fishing the island we ran around to Bell River, fished some still exposes oysters, and Mark picked up a feisty Bluefish and Spotted Seatrout to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Flounder, Redfish, and Trout. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Weeding Out The Dumb Fish

No wind for a change! Whoooee! After weeks of aggravating wind, the flags were laying limp when I met Gary Elder, his sister Karen and her husband Jim down at the City marina. It was a right at low tide so we ran north up to Tiger Island and caught the first of the incoming, fishing with jigs and live shrimp. It didn't take long before the fish began to bite. Karen put a nice keeper sized Seatrout in the boat then Gary added a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. They picked up a few more Drum, a couple of small Trout, then
another keeper Trout, a small Flounder, then Gary landed a nice Slot sized 24.5" Redfish, all of them evidently not too smart, according to Jim. When the bite finally slowed we ran around to Bell River and fished some slip float rigs deep. Jim figured it out early and put a couple of fat Trout in the boat. Gary stayed with the jig and landed another Trout fishing deep on the outside of some docks. Our last stop was back near Tiger fishing with Cajun Thunder float rigs up near the flooded grass and Jim found some more Trout to wrap up another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

We had a great morning forecast today so I met the Fields family, Bob and Amy along with their two daughters Page and Clare, down at the south end boat ramp with plans to fish the first of an incoming tide. We ran up the Nassau River and made our first stop at Bubblegum Reef. We had two anglers on the bow and two at the stern tossing live shrimp and jig combo's to the river bottom and dragging them slowly back. Our first bite was a slight "bump" then FISH ON! Page had the rod and she worked the big fish patiently to the boat and soon landed a nice 17" Sheepshead. We fished until
the structure covered then moved over to fish some docks at Seymore's Pointe. All the anglers were making good casts to the dock pilings and when Page yelled, "I've got a fish", we could tell it was a good one by the way her rod was bent. She fought the fish furiously and landed another 17" fish, this one a fat Flounder. The wind had picked up and was rocking us pretty good so we ran down to Broward Island and it was like fishing on a pond! We had another slight bump and young Clare got on the board when she worked in a hungry Flounder. Bob was fishing  patiently and persistently and he found a few Seatrout to add to the catch then Amy wrapped it up with a nice keeper sized Sheepshead round out another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters.

Persistence Kept The Skunk Off

We had a beautiful day to fish yesterday evening -sunshine, balmy temperatures, but a bit breezy. I had met Adam Castelucci and his two sons Andrew and Alex, down at the Atlantic Seafood dock and we headed up Bell River to fish an outgoing tide. I had two of the anglers drifting deep slip float rigs and one of them tossing jig - all fishing with live shrimp- and although we had few bites, we had no takers. We buzzed around to fish the Jolley River and boy was it a low tide. I don't think I've seen it that low. We fished some seriously exposed oysters and again, a few bites, but no takers. Our next stop was around at Tiger Island, but the tide was down so low we couldn't get through the entrance. We made a short stop at Eagans Creek then ran back to the marina to pick up Adam's wife, Angie. Waiting for the tide to turn and come back in, we did a tour of Old Towne, the Pogy Plant, Fort Clinch and Cumberland Island then we crossed over to fish the backside of Tiger. The conditions were actually pretty good as the island was blocking a now Southerly wind. In just a short while Andrew had a strong hookup and FISH ON! Boy this was a big fish!  Andrew was doing everything right, keeping the pressure on, but...FISH OFF! It had thrown the hook!  That happens.  So I'm thinking, "here we go". We fished up and down and up and down but only had a nibble here and there until finally a hookup. Young Alex fought the fish in and landed a nice, fat Speckled Seatrout to knock the skunk off!  Whoooeee!  Although it was a slow day of fish catching it was still a great day to get out with your family and spend some  time on the Amelia Island waters fishing.

A Fish Here and a Fish There

I also did an afternoon trip today, fishing with Wes Methaney and his wife Mary Beth. The wind had picked up somewhat out of the South East so we made our first stop down at the Rayonier warehouse to fish with jigs on the very last of an outgoing tide. Mary Beth kept up her record of being the first to put a fish in the boat when she landed a hungry Seatrout. Our next stop was around behind Tiger with plans to fish the first of the incoming tide. Boy was it a low tide! We barely scraped across the entrance, kicking up sand as we went but when we got to the deep side of the island we
were able to fish some seriously exposed logs. Wes had quickly got the knack for detecting the subtle bite of the Black "puppy" Drum and landed a couple while were there. We also had a good strong bite and hookup. Wes played it patiently and perfectly and landed a feisty Redfish. Trying to take advantage of the wind block, we stayed behind the island for a while but eventually we made our way out and back to Eagans Creek.  Fishing jigs to the bank, Mary Beth made an excellent cast to a small marsh run out and hooked up with a nice sized Seatrout to wrap the day up.

Bulky Slot Redfish

The winds of yesterday afternoon died down just a bit for today, so I met Jimmy Haverstick and his two sons James and Henry down at the City marina early and we headed out to fish the last of an incoming (and very high) tide. We ran a short ways up Bell River and fished some flooded oyster beds with no luck then we moved around to fish the outside of Tiger Island. All three anglers were tossing float rigs and live shrimp. Jimmy, myself and Henry all saw Henry's float submerge slowly, come up, then go under again and when Henry lifted his rod and reeled, we knew he had the first fish
of the day, an hungry Flounder. The wind was still kirking pretty good so we moved around behind Tiger and fished the logs on a high and outgoing tide, which is very difficult. But we were out of the wind so we did the best we could, and it paid off. Henry tossed his bait into a likely spot and had a strong hookup and FISH ON! He worked hard at getting that fish in and even though it took him deep and from one end of the boat to the other, he stayed with it and landed a big, fat, Slot sized Redfish, boy what a fish!  Later, James had a strong bite and he too had a nice fish on. He played it patiently and soon landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. We fished the area thoroughly then made the long run back up and into Bell River to fish some docks with deep slip float rigs. Although we worked 2-3 docks, up and down, we had no real bites.  Our last stop was over in Jolley River and as the guys wrapped it up, Jimmy picked up a nice keeper sized Whiting. Although fishing was difficult with the wind blowing, it still turned out to be a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Slam Then a Grand Slam

I had the Hardy family this morning - Tom, his son-in-law Bryan and grandsons Jake and Ethan, fishing out of the City marina with plans to fish the very first of an outgoing tide. I set up all the anglers with float rigs, set shallow, and we made our first run up a short distance in the Bell River to fish some flooded marsh grass. We got a few good bites and then Jake "knocked the skunk off" when he landed a hungry Seatrout. After Bryan put another Trout in the boat we ran over to Eagans Creek to fish some docks with float
rigs set deep. We had to work 2-3 docks but we found a Trout here and there. Bryan landed a couple with one of them being a keeper sized 18"s. Ethan was drifting a float closer to shore and when he had a bite he set the hook and had a good fight on his hands. He played the fish perfectly and put a keeper sized Sheepshead in the boat.  We continued to fish the docks, picked up a Trout or two, then headed over to Lanceford Creek to fish some docks. After Bryan found one Trout, we made our last stop at Tiger Island. Bryan was fishing a pocket with a jig and shrimp when he felt
something heavy on his line and as it began to pull back, he set the hook and had the fish on. He worked it slowly to the boat and we netted a nice 17" flounder, rounding out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Trout, Sheepshead, and Flounder. But they weren't finished yet! Tom had been pitching here and there in between the young anglers and he finally had a window to make his cast where he produced a feisty Black "puppy" Drum to make it a Grand Slam and another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Are The Flounder Coming In?

Boy what a beautiful morning! It was still a little chilly but only one light jacket chilly! The sun was coming up when I met Scott Alphers, his daughters Sidney and Quinn and their friend Misty, down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp. We headed up the intercoastal, dipped into Jackstaff, and began fishing a marsh run out with float rigs and live shrimp. We had a nibble here and there them Quinn yelled that she had fish on and sure enough, she did! She reeled it in like a pro and we counted the Bluefish catch as "skunk off the boat". As we were getting pictures, Scott reeled one
in, too. We fished a stretch of marsh grass, crossed over and fished another stretch, and here Scott caught a nice Flounder.  Then Misty put a Flounder in the boat and a small Seatrout. Sidney was making excellent casts - probably the best of all the anglers - and she patiently and persistently worked her bait and jig. We then made a run through Horsehead over to the Nassau River and fished some still submerged oysters that produced no bites. We eased up to Bubblegum Reef and it was Misty's first cast when she had a big hookup and, FISH ON!  This was a big fish that was having nothing
of begin caught. It ripped the drag, making run after bull run and I thought, surely a big Redfish or Black Drum. Misty fought it valiantly but eventually the wily fish made it's way for some structure, locked the line down, and broke off, OUCH!  But Misty was not to be deterred, continued to fish, hooked up with a Ladyfish, then landed a nice 17" keeper sized Flounder. Scott had a good bite, too, one that ripped drag for a brief second, then threw the hook. Our last stop was down at Broward Island, and even thought the tide was down, we had no real bites. But it had warmed nicely to shirtsleeve temperature and as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters.

Trout Window Opens

Where did the cold weather come from? Although not frigid, the temperature was down to around 51 when I launched this morning, warranting a vest and fleece jacket for the morning. I was fishing with Dillon Herbert and his friends Eric, Ryan and Ezra who were down enjoying a spring break holiday from their jobs as coaches and teachers. We met at the Atlantic Seafood dock and made our first (cold) run up Lanceford Creek to fish some docks, which happened to be out of the wind. It was ideal conditions and with the
sun getting up, comfortable too...but we had no real bites. We ran back through Lanceford and over to Eagans Creek to fish some dock pilings as the tide changed. The guys fished jig rods until I could get some Cajun float rigs changed over to slip float rigs and this did the trick. Ryan got the hang of it early and put a nice Seatrout in the boat then the others began to get bites. For about an hour and half  these anglers were playing cat and mouse with Trout down deep. Ryan put a big 20.5" Trout in the boat then followed that up with a keeper sized 16" one. Then Ezra hooked up with one,
played it patiently, and soon landed a nice 19" Trout.  He picked up another 17" Trout along the way. Dillon had one of the big ones hooked up that ripped drag and broke the 14# test leader! With time running out, Eric got on the board with a keeper sized Trout landed. The sun had warmed things up nicely and the fishing had picked up too, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing Amelia Island, Florida.

Fishing Before the Storm

I fished this afternoon with Cale Conry, is son Quintin and their friend Ryan - meeting them down at the City marina with plans to fish the last few hours of an incoming tide. We ran up to the outside of Tiger Island and fished some flooding oyster beds. Quintin had the hot rod early, landing a hungry Seatrout and a feisty Bluefish. Cale put a small Trout in the boat and Ryan had a nice fat one at boatside before he "quick released" it. We made our next stop further up the beach of Tiger and here we had a number of good bites but no takers.  After bouncing over to Manatee Cove the
fishing picked up a bit - they had a couple of more Trout come to the boat. We ran through Tiger Basin and over to Bell River, stuck with the float rigs, had a number of good bites but no takers, then made a move to fish some flooded grass in Lanceford Creek. Both Quintin and Ryan were making good, long casts but we had only been fishing for a few minutes when an approaching thunderstorm appeared to be coming too close so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Big Trout Big Reds and Bragging Rights

I had the pleasure of fishing with Tom Gaslin again and this time he brought along his son, Sam, meeting me down at the Atlantic Seafood dock early this morning for day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. We had a couple of hours before the falling tide hit bottom so we made a run over to Eagans Creek and began fishing deep. Sam got set up on the bow of the boat tossing up current with a jig and shrimp and before we could get Tom going with a slip float rig, Sam yelled FISH ON! His first cast had produced a big
bite. Sam played the fish perfectly and after a good fight landed a nice 19" Seatrout!  Then both anglers were fishing and catching fish and then Tom had strong bite on his deep float and he too had a big Trout, this one over 20". We fished 4 docks, up and down and the duo landed a handful of Trout with another one right at 20" and then Sam added a keeper sized Sheepshead. When the tide hit bottom we headed out and over to the Jolley River, making a brief stop at MOA where we had no bites then we eased back to Tiger Island. We hadn't been there but for a few minutes when Tom had a strong bite. We knew this was a big fish as it ripped the drag on the Shimano reel but Tom kept the pressure on. It was a good fight and Tom prevailed, landing a nice "Tournament sized" Redfish -26"-boy what a fish. They kept tossing jigs and a few minutes later Sam had a strong bite. It was immediately clear that this fish was even bigger! It stayed deep so long that I was thinking it might be a big Black Drum. It took Sam from one side of the boat to the other, but Sam stayed with it and eventually landed a nice, oversized 29.5" Redfish - a beast! Now that's the way to wrap up a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island!  This fish puts Sam in first place in the Anglers Mark 2016 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

Finally a Decent Fish Bite

After about three days of very slow fishing, we had some really good catches to start off the morning. I met Matt McCollough and his two sons Conner and Jake down at the Atlantic Seafood dock early and we headed over to Egans Creek to fish some dock pilings with a couple of hours left in an outgoing tide. A couple of the anglers were tossing jigs and shrimp while Conner tried a Trout slip float rig, fishing deep outside of the docks. This did the trick as he had two good hookups with hungry Seatrout. He switched back and forth fishing jigs and had bites then back to the float rig. We moved

up and down a set of 4 docks and at one Conner had a strong hookup on the jig and we could tell this was a big fish as the drag ripped. Conner played it patiently and soon landed a nice 20.5" Seatrout (placing him in 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2016 Bragging Rights Tournament-Trout Category. Scroll down right side of this report for standings). We continued to fish the docks, picked up some smaller Trout then Jake had a hookup on the slip float rig. Again, we new it was big when we saw it running up current, ripping drag and putting nice bend in the rod. Jake worked it to the boat and we netted another 20" Trout!  Skipping from dock to dock pitching jigs, Conner found another big fish. He was out a little deeper and I thought sure it would be another big Trout but when he got it to the boat and landed it we saw it was a Slot sized Redfish. After that we ran around to the Jolley River and fished the Bank, had no real bites, then made a stop at Tiger Island to fish the logs, and again, nor real bites. After a short stop at the jetties of Fort Clinch we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters.

Fishing Through It

We fished out of the south end today where I met Matt McCullough and his two sons Conner and Jake. We made a long run around to Broward Island to catch the incoming tide and conditions were perfect for fishing. Conner and Jake were doing most of the fishing while their dad "coached them up" and both were getting a bite here and there but we had few takers until Jake tossed is live shrimp and jig up near some logs and a nice fish hit it immediately and, FISH ON! He played the fish perfectly and after a good battle landed a
nice 19" Slot sized Redfish - his first! We continued to fish the area, had a Trout on, then off, then we made a run back to Seymore's Pointe. The anglers switched to float rigs briefly, fished some rocks, then we moved around and fished some docks, going back to jigs and shrimp. Although we continued to have nibbles almost everywhere we fished, the good bite was very slow. But these anglers fished through it and we continued on. Our next stop was back at Christopher Creek, fishing some rocks and docks, but again, no real bites. With time running out we made a dash through Horsehead to fish a marsh run out on the very first of an outgoing tide. This did the trick!  I think Conner's first cast produced a nice hungry Seatrout which he landed easily. Then we had a good flurry of Trout catching with a nice feisty Bluefish to wrap things up. As we headed out we were treated to a Bald Eagle sighting - a great way to end a fishing trip here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Young Angler Lands Big Trout

I fished this afternoon, meeting Andrew Wakeford and his son Christian down at the City docks with plans to fish the first of an outgoing tide. We had a baitwell full of live shrimp so we headed up to the outside of Tiger Island and began tossing float rigs to some flooded oyster bars. The two anglers almost immediately began to get hookups. They landed a few feisty Bluefish and put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. We then ran up to the Jolley River and fished a marshline with the float rigs. Although the bite was somewhat slow the duo did hookup with our first Bonnethead Shark
of the year. Christian fought the fish for a good while - it made some good runs after it figured out it was hooked!  But after a good battle we landed a nice 2"+ Shark. We dropped back and fished the mouth of Jolley and here Christian put two Whiting in the boat, one a nice Bull Whiting. Our final stop was around at Tiger Island. We had just started fishing with jigs and shrimp when Christian had a strong hookup and, FISH ON! He kept the pressure on and when I saw the silhouette and thought for sure it was a nice Red Drum but when Christian brought it to the net we found it was a big 21.5" Seatrout! This put Christian in 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2016 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We continued to fish the area for while and after they landed a keeper sized Sheepshead, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Big Red Wraps Up A Monday Morning

Back to work after a rainy Easter Weekend! This morning I fished with Karl Shively and his fiancé Amanda who were visiting Amelia Island and staying at the Amelia Addison House. They walked down to the marina and we left with a brisk west wind blowing, so we ran over to Bell River to fish some docks. Although we weren't tearing up the fish the two anglers had some good action to get them started. Amanda put a hungry Seatrout in the boat then followed that up with a feisty Redfish. Then Karl got in on the
action and boated a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum, then Amanda landed one, too. When the bites got down to "baitstealers" we ran around to Tiger Island to fish the last of an outgoing tide. The two anglers caught a couple of more Trout and Drum, then Karl had a big bite, had it on for a while, then it threw the hook, OUCH! But he was not to be deterred and in  short while he had another, even bigger bite and, FISH ON!  Karl played the big fish patiently and after some deep runs he worked it to the surface and landed a nice 26" Slot Sized Redfish! Boy what a fish! we worked the island real good then made a brief stop on the outside of Tiger before heading in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Tournament Red Big Trout Keeper Flounder

We squeezed in a fishing trip this morning trying to beat the bad weather that is supposed to roll in this weekend. I met Todd Johnson, his son Oliver and his brother-in-law Jeff down at the City marina and we headed up Bell River to fish some oyster beds as the tide came in. There was  no live shrimp on the island today so we tried our hand at live mud minnows. Although we had a few bites, there were no takers so we ran around to Lanceford Creek and set up at "Millies Spot" and here things heated up somewhat. Jeff got the ball rolling when he landed a hungry Seatrout. Todd and Oliver
were getting bites then Todd had a strange bite up near some grass and when it boiled I thought for sure "Redfish". Todd played it patiently and when he got it to the boat we netted a nice keeper sized Flounder! That's the second one in two days so they must be moving in. I think we had another Trout or two then we moved on, running over to the outside of Tiger Island to fish some now flooded oysters. Oliver landed a Bluefish and Jeff did too, then when we moved Oliver made a good cast up to some grass and FISH ON! This was a nice fish and Oliver played it perfectly. After
a good battle he landed a big 18" Seatrout. We hit a couple of points then ran over to the tower, fished some flooded oysters, and Jeff went to the grass and pulled out a feisty Redfish. After working the area for a while we saw a nice calm area with sparse grass growing. Oliver tossed his minnow up near the grass and when his float disappeared it wasn't long before his drag was singing! BIG FISH ON! This fish was ripping drag but Oliver kept the pressure on. It took him from the bow back to the stern and half way back. The big fish boiled a few times and we knew it was a large Redfish. Oliver worked it to the boat and his uncle Jeff netted it - a "Tournament sized" 26 3/4" 14 spot Redfish! Boy what a fish!  After fishing one more spot where Jeff added another Seatrout, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters.

Three Errors On My Part

I had the pleasure of fishing with Paul Haber again today. This time he brought along his daughter Ann and grandson Sam, meeting me out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp at noon with plans to fish the outgoing tide. We ran over to Horsehead and fished a couple of marsh run outs and we quickly found that Sam had the "hot rod" early. He boated a couple of small Trout then landed a nice fat one. Later, while fishing the corner of a run out, his float suddenly went under and his rod bent. He had a nice fish on. I thought for sure it
was going to be a keeper Trout but when he brought it to the net we saw that it was a nice keeper sized Flounder! (My first error).  We crossed a creek, fished that bank with jigs and shrimp, had very few bites, then ran around to the Nassau River and fished some still flooded old oyster banks. Sam again found a good Trout down deep. We began to think that if their buddy Chamberlin were here there would be some lessons being taught! We tried to fish some docks at Seymore's Pointe but the wind was really buffeting us. Ann had a float rig out the back, drifting with the wind and current
and when it went under I just knew she had a nice Trout (my second error) She worked the fish in and after a good battle, landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.  Shortly after that Paul, who had been persistently fishing the dock pilings with a jig and shrimp, had a hookup. This was a nice fish! He played it patiently and landed a keeper sized 19" Seatrout! This puts Paul in second place in the Anglers Mark 2016 Bragging Rights Tournament - Trout category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings) We finally had enough of the wind and ran down to Broward Island and when we got there it was like an oasis, a port out of the storm! The trio began tossing jigs and shrimp to the bank. Ann put a nice Trout in the boat and Sam added a keeper sized Sheepshead. Then Paul's line went tight, and stayed tight, and I pronounced he had a "log". My third error. Every once in a while it acted like a fish and pulled a little, but I felt sure it was just the "log" drifting in the current. Paul worked it up from the deep as we drifted a 100 yards down the river and eventually we saw that it was huge Stingray!  It was a day of surprises but a great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Slamming a Variety

We waited for a lower tide to fish today, when I met Gardner Knight,  his son-in-law Ronnie, and their friend Dan down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We thought it was a good idea to fish the lower tide to improve our chances at catching a Redfish but the wind wasn't cooperating, being low early in the morning and picking up as the day progressed. But we had sunny skies and mild temperatures so we headed up the Nassau River, eased into Horsehead, and fished some docks on the north end of Seymore's Pointe. The anglers had a few bites here and there, picked up a
small Sea Bass and a small Flounder, then we decided to run down to Broward Island and sure enough, out of the wind! We worked the bank of exposed logs with jigs and shrimp and mud minnows and soon Dan found a nice keeper sized 17" Seatrout and hooked 'em up!  We continued to fish and after Gardner had made a precision cast to the shoreline he had a strong hookup and landed a nice feisty Redfish. Working the logs, Dan saw a nice pocket and pitched to it and BOOM! Fish On!  He played the fish patiently and soon landed a nice Slot Sized 21" Redfish.  Then Gardner caught a hungry
Sheepshead (making it a Grande Slam of Flounder, Seatrout, Redfish and Sheepshead) and Ronnie got in on the action when he picked up a Trout. We ran back to Seymore's Pointe, fished some exposed oysters beds, and the anglers picked up a couple of more Trout with one of them being a keeper size. Ronnie added a Whiting and then to wrap things up with a "Super" Grande Slam, Gardner put a rare Weakfish in the boat!

Surprise Fish

Although the temperature dropped and was in the mid-40's when we launched, the sun was shining and there was almost no wind, so another beautiful day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. I met Steele and Nicole Clayton and their son Cade down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp mid morning and we ran north to Horsehead to fish the first of an outgoing tide. It was only minutes after these anglers began tossing float rigs and live shrimp when they started hooking up and landing hungry Seatrout.  We were able
to stay in one spot and catch fish for a while, then I began to work along the flooded marsh grass. When we got to a nice marsh runout, they began putting fish in the boat again. Then Cade had a weird bite, one that slowly took his bait and float under, then he had a good fight. When we netted the fish we found that it was a hard fighting Tripletail, only the second caught on The Anglers Mark. I checked my archives and saw that the last one was caught in 2011 down at Broward Island. We moved over to the banks of Jackstaff and began easing up current and again we found fish. Nicole and
Steele were still using the float rigs and Cade had switched to a jig rod and all three put fish in the boat. Our next stop was over at some docks at Seymore's Pointe and here the bite was slow but we did pick up another Trout or two. We made the run down to Broward Island and although we found no Redfish, Nicole put a couple of Trout in the boat. Although all fish were released today, the trio tallied about 6-7 fish that were of "keeper" size, another great day to be fishing Amelia Island, Florida.