Tough Fishing Continues

I've poled three other Captains and gotten the same answer: Fishing (catching) is kinda slow right now.  Most all blame it on the transition of the weather, winter to spring, and I tend to agree. We pushed yesterdays trip to 10:30am with plans to fish an outgoing tide. I met John Stevelinck and his two sons Johnny and Jake down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp and we headed up the intercoastal and into Jackstaff to make our first stop at a large outflow. Within a minute or two Jake had a bite which took his live shrimp then Johnny had a bite and hooked up with a nice hungry
Seatrout. You can't get a better start than that can you? Although we had a nibble or two, we had no more takers we crossed the creek and fished a bank, easing along with the trolling motor, and casting to the marsh grass. The wind was already a problem but these anglers were making excellent casts, but to no avail, we had no takers. We ran through the marsh and over to some docks at Seymore's Pointe with hopes to be out of the wind, but it was blowing too much out of the east and made things difficult. Johnny hooked up with a big Trout on a  jig and shrimp, had him the boat, and just before I netted him, he threw the hook. But Johnny went back and picked up another Trout. We fished the docks thoroughly and later Johnny found a nice feisty Redfish to land. Both the elder John and young Jake were making pinpoint casts and doing all the right things but it appeared it just wasn't going to be their day. We made a run down to Broward Island and here the wind was blocked and it made for some comfortable fishing, finally. We worked the logs and the drop offs and Johnny found one more Redfish, a "4-spotter" before we called it a day. We did see dolphin, Osprey and a pair of Bald Eagles and picked up a few fish, making it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

We Had a Plan

I've did two "Amelia Island Back Country Fishing" presentations this month - one for the FWC Women's Fishing Clinic and the other for the Ocean Club members out at Amelia Island Plantation - and one of the first bits of advice I give is to have game plan ready before each fishing trip. We were blessed with a beautiful day yesterday but the wind was forecasted to be a steady 12 mph with even higher gusts. I always tell people that anything over 10mph is going to be a pain in the rear, and over 15mph - we should pick
another day. So today we had a plan! I met Tony Stubits and his son Troy up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp and with the wind blowing out of the west, we made a run over and up Lanceford Creek and sure enough, when we arrived, it was like fishing on a pond. The two anglers worked the dock pilings with jigs and live shrimp at the very bottom of an outgoing tide and even though they were makin excellent casts, we found only one hungry Seatrout. We bounced up and down the docks making the best of the calm waters, then made the long run back and up the Bell River to another set of
docks. Again, we were sheltered from the wind which made it comfortable to fish the pilings thoroughly, and we picked up a Trout or two and keeper sized Flounder. The wind had died just a bit so we ran around to the back side of Tiger Island and although we had no shelter, it was noticeable that the wind had slacked so we were able to fish the pockets along the shoreline. It wasn't long before Troy had a hookup and, FISH ON! We could tell the way the drag was ripping that this was a big fish. Troy kept the pressure on - we thought the fish got into the logs - but he pulled him out and worked him patiently to the boat. After a good battle Troy landed the fat 26" Slot sized Redfish, boy what a fish! We continued to fish - Tony landed a nice feisty Redfish then hooked up and landed Black "puppy" Drum, which gave the anglers an Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam of Seatrout, Flounder, Redfish, and Drum. Troy went back to his "honey hole" and picked up a nice 17" keeper sized Seatrout. So even though we had some wind to contend with, we had a plan, and it paid off with a good handful of fish and some nice keeper sized ones, making it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Bucket List and Trout

After a couple of days off due to bad weather we were back at it today, and even though the winds were predicted to be around 9mph, it was rather nice to be out fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. I met Chris Allen down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp early and we headed over to fish the docks at Longpointe on a very extreme high tide. Chris was tossing jigs and live shrimp to the pilings and I could tell right off he was a good caster. He was making pin point shots but we worked a couple of docks to no avail. We made a run up the Amelia River and into Jackstaff and
then off a side creek to set up at a large marsh run out. Chris switched to a float rig and BOOM! Right off he had a nice Seatrout. And then, no more! We worked the bank slowly, tossing the float rig with live shrimp, but had no more bites. We crossed over the creek, fished another bank, switched to jigs, and picked up another Trout or two. After running through Horsehead we found some docks to fish, but before we went with the jig, we tossed the float up to some flooded oysters. This did the trick as Chris got into a good flurry of Seatrout. But he had a Redfish on his bucket list so we switched back to the jig and began to fish the pilings. The first dock produced none but shortly after moving the second dock, FISH ON! Chris played the fish patiently and soon landed his Redfish, one that was just at the Slot size. We bounced up and down the docks and picked up a couple of more Reds, lost one, then moved around the corner to fish the rocks at Seyomore's Pointe. Chris was back to the float rig, letting drift along the rocks, and wrapped up the trip catching his biggest Trout of the day. Of the handful of Trout caught today, a few of them have finally crept into keeper size range. All fish were released today. It was another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Hats and Gnats

Paul Coughlin and I fished out of the Sawpit Creek boat ramp this morning - not such a pretty day - but the overcast sky was somewhat welcome to keep the sun off. Imagine that in February! I've been wondering if we aren't in some sort of transition period with the fish bite. Maybe the warming trend has the fish thinking it's spring and time to move out from the shelter of structure. At any rate, it's been a tad bit slow in the "catching" department - my anglers are working hard and catching fish, but we haven't had some of those "banner" days in a couple of weeks. Also, I'm not a superstitious guy, but I decided to change hats this morning in hopes that it would help!  We ran up the Amelia River and dipped into Jackstaff and started fishing a flooded bank with a float rig and live shrimp. With no real bites half way up the creek, we switched to jigs and shrimp, but had no luck on that either. We made the run through Horsehead and around to some docks at Seymore's Pointe. Sure enough, within minutes, Paul had a strong bite. He hooked up and landed a nice feisty Redfish that was just a hair short of the Slot. He had another good bite, this one bigger at the same spot, but he wiley fish tossed the hook. We worked up and down the docks and with no breeze the Sand Gnats found us and tried to carry us off. But we were up to the challenge and fished the docks thoroughly before making the run down to Broward Island. We fished the bank up close and out deep and but had no real bites until we dropped back north to fish the loggier area and BOOM! Paul had a fish on within minutes of the move. We had a nice flurry of fish catches here - feisty Redfish and one Seatrout. Our last stop was back at Bubblegum Reef where we played catch and release with some baitstealers. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Eaking Out A Redfish

If the last month was any indication of what Spring is going to be like, then we're going to have an outstanding season! It was an absolutely beautiful day today - the water was like glass as Brent Berger, his buddy Bill, and I ran from Sawpit Creek boat ramp over to the docks at Longpointe with plans to fish the pilings on an outgoing tide. The two anglers pitched to the posts with live shrimp and jigs but we had no real bites. We then ran up the Nassau River to fish some more docks, this time a tad bit shallower, and within minutes Brent hooked up and caught a nice Slot sized Redfish. But
he was a loan wolf...we bounced up and down the docks, picked up a Redfish here and there, then Brent put one more Slot sized one in the boat. We ran down to Broward Island and fished the logs but had no real bites. So we allowed the current to drift us backwards with both Brent and Bill pitching up current. Bill go on the board when he caught a hungry Seatrout, then I landed one, then Bill found a nice feisty Redfish up near the bank. We hit a couple of exposed shell beds on the way back but had no takers, but as pretty as the day was, we counted it as another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

The Ideal Day

It was a perfect 10 for the weather day - cool to start with, sunshine, and only a slight breeze, and warming to the 70's. I met Dave Speiwak and his buddy, Dave down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp early this morning and ran up the Nassau River to fish the very first of an incoming tide. Our plan was to follow the tide and hit spots as they got right. We fished Bubblegum Reef first with jigs and live shrimp, but had no real bites, then we jumped over to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and  here we "knocked the skunk off" with a nice feisty Redfish catch. After landing a hungry Seatrout, and fishing the docks thoroughly, we ran over to the mouth of Pumpkin Hill, caught a Trout, then continued on down to Broward Island to fish it as the tide caught up to us. Things picked up here. The two anglers put a few Redfish in the boat, one of them being in the Slot range and they landed a good handful of Seatrout. After fishing a number of spots, we ran back Seymores and fished the docks, this time to no avail. We trolled one flooded oyster bank along the Nassau River and picked up one Trout right off, but had no further bites. Our last stop was back at Christopher Creek. A quick Redfish catch started us off, then another, then we wrapped things up with the first keeper sized Seatrout of the day. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Flounder Begins It. Big Red Ends It.

We waited for an afternoon tide yesterday when I met Dennis and Barb Lockart down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. Although we had just a slight wind, the skies were overcast, but no rain was predicted. We made our first run up the Intercoastal and popped into Jackstaff with plans to fish the outgoing tide with jigs and live shrimp. The two anglers began working the bank and after a short while Barb had a weird bite - FISH ON! She worked it patiently to the boat and low and behold, a nice keeper sized Flounder! That's the first Flounder we've had in weeks. And shortly after that Dennis
had a hookup and he too put a fish in the boat, a hungry Seatrout. We continued on up the bank, had very few nibbles, then crossed over to fish a submerged sandbar, again to no avail. After a quick run through Horsehead we set up current from some dock pilings and fished their bases with the jigs. The first dock produced nothing but not a few minutes after hitting the second one did we have a strong bite. But this fish was smart and wrapped itself around a piling and, FISH OFF! Darn it. Dennis went back to the same spot with an excellent cast and BOOM! Another fish on. He worked the
fish slowly to the boat and we landed an "almost legal" feisty Redfish. This gave the couple an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Flounder, Seatrout and Redfish. They picked up one or two more Reds at that dock then we worked our way down the line, fishing the pilings, but having no further luck. We made a run down to Broward Island which put us out of the wind that had been picking up and boy was it pretty - the wind was blocked, the sun was going down, the tide was getting just right....and the sand gnats swarmed us like a huge cavalry!  Barb picked up a hungry Seatrout on a slip float rig but the bugs were making it just too uncomfortable so we moved down the river and out from behind the land mass. We tried the float rigs, drifting them through some popping bait and with just a few minutes to go in the trip, worked a nice looking exposed oyster bar with 4-5 foot of water along the edge. With just a few casts, Dennis had a strong hookup. This was a bigger fish - the drag was ripping - but Dennis kept the pressure on and soon landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. As we were getting it de-hooked Barb had a strong hookup and again, FISH ON! And this was a big fish. Her's didn't come to the boat so readily, but she fought it valiantly and soon landed a "Tournament sized"  26.75" fat Redfish! Boy what a fish. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Amelia Island Birthday Treat

We had a beautiful day today, albeit somewhat windy when I met Kim Kowal and her husband Mark down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. Kim was surprising Mark with a birthday fishing trip - he didn't know exactly what the gift was until they walked down to the ramp and I greeted them! Now THAT's a birthday surprise! It was blowing about 8-10 already with a forecast of 12mph to come so we headed up the Nassau River and got in behind a land mass at Seymore's Pointe and luckily we had a good tide - the last few
hours of an outgoing tide. We set up current of some dock pilings and Mark began pitching his jig and shrimp combo to their bases and it wasn't long before he had a hookup! He played the fish perfectly and within minutes we had the skunk off the boat with a feisty Redfish. He picked up one more then BOOM! Bigger fish on! This one had the "shoulders" to get back into the pilings but Mark kept the pressure on, eased him out, then wore him down patiently and landed  a nice 22" Slot sized Redfish. And after that? No fish. We moved on down the docks and picked up a Redfish or two, fished another dock and picked up a hungry Seatrout, then hit the initial dock before we left and when Mark put his bait next to a piling it was immediately hit and, another big fish on. He worked it to the boat and soon landed another Slot Redfish. He caught another smaller Red then we ran down to fish Broward Island thinking the tide was about to hit bottom. Nope. The south wind was really pushing the water - it was muddy and rushing out - but we fished it anyway, but had no luck. We went back and fished some docks south of Goffinsville, had no bites, and wrapped things up at Bubblegum Reef. The sun was going down, the fish had quit biting, but as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

High Tide Big Red

I had the pleasure to fish again with Frontis Clark and he brought along his brother Greer and our plans to leave early to have a shot at some fish before the tide got too high on a morning when the setting moon looked full. We ran around and up the Bell River for just a short distance and fished some flooded oyster shells with live shrimp under a float. Frontis knocked the skunk off when he put a couple of hungry Seatrout in the boat. We bounced back to the outside of Tiger Island and fished the floats again, but even though we had a few nibbles, there were no good bites. We crossed over to
fish the outside of Little Tiger and just when I thought there would be no action, Frontis had a strong hookup, one that was ripping his drag, and just as he was getting in to the battle, FISH OFF! Darn it! I was going to head over to Lanceford Creek to fish the first of an outgoing tide but we made a stop at the Tiger logs and boy were the stumps flooded! But these two anglers were making excellent casts to the pockets and after a while Frontis had another strong bite and, FISH ON! He played it patiently and soon landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. We continued to fish - Greer picked up a Seatrout then he had a good bite and RIIIIP, his drag was singing. This was a big fish!  I eased the boat out away from the logs as Greer applied the pressure. The big fish made a few deep runs but Greer worked him up slowly from the bottom and we eventually landed a 26.75" fat "Tournament" sized Redfish. Boy what a fish. We had a good flurry of Trout catching with one of them of keeper size, then ran around to fish some flooded grass in Lanceford Creek. We had no real bites, so we called it a day, another beautiful one to be out on the water at Amelia Island, Florida.

Out of the Blue

Wow! Another beautiful day here at Amelia Island, Florida!  I met Jack Dickens, his wife Julie and his sister Sparkle up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp and we headed out with a live well full shrimp with plans to fish the last of an outgoing tide. At our first stop, we worked some dock pilings and both Jack and Sparkle hooked up and landed some feisty Redfish. We made a long run up the Bell River and fished some more dock pilings but we found our fish our deep. Julie was working a slip float out the back and put a good handful of Seatrout in the boat while Jack and Sparkle tossed  jigs and shrimp up current and they too had some Trout. Our next stop around at the mouth of the Jolley produced no real bites. The tide was right with the oysters showing but the wind had picked up and was blowing out of the south and right down the river. We made one more run around to Tiger Island.  The three anglers were making excellent casts and almost immediately began to get bites. Most were "baitstealers" but they picked up a Trout or two and then, out of the blue, Jack had a strong bite and, FISH ON! We could tell this was a nice size fish with the way it dug deep and bent the rod, but Jack was up to the task and played the big fish perfectly. After a good battle he landed a "not so puppy" 20"  Black puppy Drum. Now that was a nice fish. And shortly after that Sparkle had a strong bite. She too played the fish perfectly and landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. We continued to fish for a while, picked up a small Trout or two, then headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Patience Pays Off

Back to "work" today - fishing with Frank Boehm and his buddy Jack Severson this morning, where we met up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park with plans to fish the last of an outgoing tide. There were no live shrimp this morning so we went with mud minnows and a whole lot of optimism.  Our first stop was over at some docks at Eagans Creek and although these two angles were making pin point casts to the dock pilings, we had no real bites. We made the long run up Bells River and fished some more docks but it was
Frank that found the fish out deep as he was tossing his jig and minnow combo up current. Reeling it in slowly he had a hookup and put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. Then both anglers were catching, Jack followed it up with a Trout then Frank would land one the Jack would follow that up with one. We caught good handful before we moved on to seek bigger fish. Our next stop was at the MOA and although it was ideal conditions, we had no bites. We continued on around to Tiger Island, fished our jigs deep and finally, Frank had a bite and FISH ON! We could tell this was a big fish by the way the drag sang out and with Frank applying gentle pressure, he soon won the battle and landed a nice 26" Slot sized Redfish, boy what a fish! We fished up and down the bank. Jack hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish, then Frank put a keeper sized Trout in the boat, then he hooked up and landed another 22" Slot Red. They had another Red or two then we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Everybody's a Winner

Who would have thought we'd be fishing in shirtsleeves in February here at Amelia Island? It was a beautiful morning when I met Charlie Bailey and Marge down up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp. The tide was right at dead low so we ran up to Jolley River to fish the "bank" with jigs and live shrimp. Although the conditions were right with a first of an incoming tide, we had now real bites. We came back to Tiger Island and fished the deep water. Finally, Marge "knocked the skunk" off when she hooked up and landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. A while later we had another good bite and
Charlie put a feisty Red in the boat. We ran around to Eagans Creek and fished some dock pilings and here things heated up a bit. Actually, Marge's first cast produced another Slot Red!  And maybe the second cast! Then both anglers were getting bites. Charlie put a Slot sized fish in the boat then Marge followed it up with one that had the most spots for the day, an 8-spotter. We had a good handful of Reds then the bite fell off to nothing. We hit one more dock, had no bites, then ran up Bell River just a short distance to fish some now flooded oysters with float rigs and shrimp.  Just when I thought it was about time to wrap things up Charlie's float drifted close by some marsh grass and won it went, FISH ON! He played the fish patiently and after a good battle, landed  a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum. His next cast went to the same spot and BOOM!  Another big fish on! He battled it perfectly and soon landed the biggest Red of the day, a 21" Slot sized fish. When we tallied it all up, the duo had 5-6 Slot sized Reds in addition to the nice Black Drum. Marge had the first fish, the first Slot fish, and the one with the most spots. Charlie had the biggest Redfish and the most variety with the Black Drum. But the best thing yet was that it was a great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Fishing With The Eagles

We went south today, where I met Roger Pickett and his fishing partner David. We launched from the Sawpit Creek boat ramp at 1pm and headed over to the docks of Longpointe at the very first of an outgoing tide. Roger tossed out a slip float with live shrimp and David pitched a jig with shrimp and BOOM! David hooked up with a Trout on the first cast. Although Roger had a bite on the float, the Trout must have liked the shrimp right on the bottom because David picked up another one as we worked the docks. We then ran
up the Nassau River to fish some docks as the tide move out of the marsh. Both anglers were making pin point casts but the first dock produced no fish. After moving down to the second one, Roger put a Seatrout in the boat then we hooked up with a Redfish that was right at Slot size, and David put him in the boat. We fished down the dock line and back up and picked up a fish here and there - Roger got his Redfish that he was looking for and both anglers landed a good handful of Trout. Although all fish were released today, a few of the Trout were of keeper size. We made a final run
down to Broward Island and although the bite could have been better, Roger landed a couple of Trout with one of them being the biggest of the day, and David wrapped things up when he caught, fought and landed a nice Slot Sized Red. As the sun was going down we were treated to a Bald Eagle sighting - he was watching us the whole time, and with that, we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Low Tide Memories

You would have thought it was spring time for the first day in February, as pretty as a day it was. We elected to leave the jackets in the truck! I met Patti and Michael Cherniawki up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp at 1pm and we headed over to Lanceford Creek to fish some flooded grass with live shrimp and float rigs. Although we worked the area pretty good, we had no real bites. We made a stop at one of the docks on Lanceford and it wasn't long before we were getting bites. The first one was a big fish that didn't want to be caught, and he was smart enough to run through the pilings and
break the leader, OUCH!  But we stuck with it and soon Patti was fighting a nice fish. She worked the fish in patiently and as she was landing it, Michael had  a hookup - we had a "double"!  He played his fish perfectly and they both landed nice feisty Redfish. Patti's had  8 spots and was right at the legal limit. It would be a great fish to catch in next year's Redfish Spot Tournament. We  had a few more bites, then moved on, running up the Bell River to make a stop at some more docks. Here, the two anglers picked up a handful of Seatrout, with one of them being of keeper size. Our next stop was around on the Jolly River, fishing the MOA, but the current was still running a little swift and we had no real bites. We continued on around and into Tiger Basin with plans to fish the island. The tide had gotten low and as we went in we bumped bottom a couple of time but got through and fished. Pattie put a very nice 18" Sheepshead in the boat, they added another Redfish and Trout, and finished it off with a small but feisty Black "puppy" Drum, giving them an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, Sheepshead, and Drum. The sun was going down and we headed back, but the day wasn't over yet! The low tide was extremely low and we had to work our way across the sand bar with the trolling motor. Although we'd stick once in a while,  the now incoming tide we'd eventually give us enough water and we'd move on, and eventually we made it over the bar and headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Recipe of the Month: Cebiche Peruvian

We were visiting Mt. Dora, Florida and had dinner at Mr. Cebiche in downtown Mt. Dora. The chef stopped by the table to answer any questions about the menu and when we told him we liked ceviche, he recommended their Cebiche and offered to give us his recipe! Here it is..

1 lb fresh fish/shrimp/seafood chopped
7-8 limes, halved and squeezed
1/4 tsp salt
1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped finely
 Mix this with the fish. Lime juice should cover the fish. Put in refrigerator and stir occasionally.

1  celery stalk, chopped finely
1/4  orange or red bell pepper, remove all seeds, veins, chopped finely
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp ginger
1 Tbsp milk

Blend this together. When fish has turned from opaque to white, drain about half of the lime juice off. Mix this topping with fish. Garnish with some finely sliced purple onion slivers, cilantro leaves, and avocado. 

See more recipes HERE!

Fun Fishing Friday

 
 
I was able to get out and do some "fun" fishing Friday with my wife, launching at the south end boat ramp on a grey and windy afternoon. We headed up the Nassau River and got in behind a land mass with plans to fish some dock pilings, and with the wind blocked, it was quite pleasant. We had a bait well full of lively live shrimp and we began to toss a jig/shrimp combo up to the pilings. It took a few casts but we were able to hookup with a Slot sized Redfish, which Carol expertly reeled in. We worked the docks thoroughly and caught another Redfish and a handful of
baitstealers. Carol eased in an persistent Blue Crab and also picked up a hungry Seatrout. It was good to get out on the water. As we headed in the skies had an awesome cloud cover.

Casting a Spinning Rod

Here's my two cents worth..

January Grande Slam

...and Ham Samiches! We're being blessed with May weather in January this year and today was no different. I met longtime clients Dale and Kay Bullard down at the south end boat ramp and as always, they brought along a third helping of their famous Ham Samiches! Boy are they good. There made with the motto, "keep it simple" - plain white bread, premium Honey Baked Ham slices, mayonnaise, and Velveeta Cheese slices. But before snacking, we made the run up the Nassau River and with the tide hitting bottom,
we made our first stop at Bubblegum Reef. I haven't been having any luck here in the last few months but the tide was right and I just had to try it out. No real bites, other than a "baitstealer" that Kay expertly caught. We moved up the river to fish some dock pilings and sure enough, there were fish. Kay "knocked the skunk off" when she landed a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum then both anglers put a few Redfish in the boat. We had one big fish hooked up but it was smart enough to wrap itself around a piling and, Fish Off.  We bounced up and down the docks and landed a few more feisty Redfish then ran down to Broward Island to fish the first of the incoming tide. The two anglers had a good flurry of fish catching, landing a few Redfish then Dale began to pickup some hungry Seatrout out deep to give them a Slam. He landed a nice keeper sized Black Drum and while he was working it to the boat Kay had a strange bite and hookup. She brought hers in just a minute after Dale's and we netted a keeper sized Flounder, giving the couple an Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam of Redfish, Black Drum Seatrout and Flounder. We worked up and down the bank and wrapped it up with Dale landing a good handful of Seatrout, caught out deep. With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Quick Start

Wow what a pretty day today! It was dead calm and the water was like glass when I met Ed Boner and  his two sons Nolan and Landon. We made a short run over to Tiger Island and fished the first of an incoming tide with jigs and live shrimp. It was a good move - Nolan's first cast to the bank was hookup and, FISH ON! We could tell that this was a big fish by the way the drag was ripping, but he took his time and played the fish patiently, letting it run when it wanted to run - and slowly worked it to the boat to land a nice 22"+ Slot Redfish! First cast! That woke us up fast! We got
the other two anglers fishing and in just a short while Nolan put another feisty Redfish in the boat. I was thinking, "here we go", but it was not to be. The anglers had a ton of "nibblers" (Landon was the only one with enough skill to hook one) and Ed was able to put a hungry Seatrout in the boat that was right at the size limit. We fished the area thoroughly but had no more fish. The tide was getting up we ran around to Bell River and fished a point of flooding oysters with float rigs, and again, just nibblers. Back to the outside of Tiger and same thing. We made one final run over to Lanceford Creek, fished some dock pilings with no luck, and wrapped up back over the oysters fishing floats and live shrimp. Again, no luck. But it was an absolutely beautiful day and a great one to be out on the water fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Dock Pilings Are The Trick

I wrapped the week up fishing an afternoon trip today, taking advantage of the last of an outgoing tide. After meeting John Tonetti and  his friend Wayne down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp we ran up the Nassau River with plans to fish the same docks that I fished yesterday - where we had an outstanding Redfish catch. After "anchoring" the trolling motor the two anglers began to pitch to some pilings in 10' of water. I think it was the first cast and, FISH ON! Now that's the way to start a fishing trip. Wayne patiently worked the fish in and landed a nice feisty Redfish. John followed that up with one of his on, then they combined for a couple of more. We bumped down a dock or two and again, found fish. They were up under the dock and we lost one or two but we won a few. They landed two Slot Sized Reds and one keeper sized Seatrout, along with a smaller one. The bite slowed so we ran down to Broward Island and fished the very last of the outgoing tide, and had no luck. We made one last stop over in Jackstaff with the sun going down and the breeze easing off - a absolutely great time to be out on the water - but again, no real bites.  All this week the Redfish have been under the docks. It was a great way to wrap up another week of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Beautiful Day. Redfish on Fire.

Wow what a beautiful day! We postponed yesterday’s trip to 10am to take advantage of the first of an outgoing tide. I met the young Isaacson group down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp – Alison and Zander and Nathan and Abigail. We ran up the interoastal waterway and into Jackstaff with plans to fish a large marsh runout with live shrimp under float rigs. The water was like glass as the anglers began to toss their baits…but we had very little action until Alison hooked up and landed a feisty Bluefish. We crossed over the creek and trolled the marsh grass fishing with both float rigs and jigs on the bottom, but had no real bites. After a run through Horsehead we set upstream from a dock at Seymore’s Pointe and this did the trick. Alison put nice Seatrout in the boat then Zander had a bite and, FISH ON! This was a big fish. It ripped drag and took line and I saw it roll up waaaay out in the marsh. But Zander was up to the challenge and applied the pressure and slowly worked it in. This fish was wiley. It ran towards the boat and for few seconds we thought it was off but Zander reeled in the slack and FISH BACK ON! After a good battle Zander landed a nice 26” “Tournament sized” Redfish. Boy what a fish! We continued to fish the area and picked up a good handful of feisty Redfish and another Trout or two, then Zander put another big Redfish in the boat. After a while we bumped down to another dock and the fish catching continued. All four anglers got in on the action. Abigail put a couple of Slot sized fish on the boat, Nathan had a couple, and Alison caught some, too. When the bite slowed we moved down a few docks to “Margaret’s Secret Spot” and BOOM! Fish on. Alison picked up the biggest Trout of the day, a nice 17” one (ALL fish were released today) and then all of the anglers were catching fish.  A good handful of Reds were caught and a couple more Trout with Abigail landing one of those. Again, the bite slowed, and with just minutes to go we moved back to a previous dock and sure enough, caught a few more Reds, a couple which were “slots” and Nathan’s being the biggest! Boy what a day!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

High Tides Low Tides

Boy what a pretty day we had today! We couldn't have asked for anything better when I met Chip and Cori Slaughter up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp at 8am -sunshine and just a slight breeze. We made a run up to the Jolley River over water that was like glass and eased into Snook Creek to fish a very high and just outgoing tide. Chip was at the stern drifting a float and live shrimp back over  some hidden oysters while Cori was on the bow tossing a jig and shrimp up current and then bouncing it on the bottom. We only had
a few nibbles there so we dropped back and trolled a grass line with the float rigs and this did the trick when Chip had a good bite and landed a hungry Seatrout. I was thinking, "here we go", but that may have jinxed us because we had no more bites. We moved down to the mouth of the Jolley, fished the "Bank" both with floats and jigs, but had no real bites. So I'm thinking, "go to Tiger and fish the downed logs", which we did, but had no fish. We'd fished flooded oysters, marsh grass, downed longs and not much to show for it so we made a run around to Lanceford Creek and found some dock
pilings to fish...and that did the trick. Both Chip and Cori caught a handful of Seatrout with jigs down the bottom. On our way out of Soap Creek it was so shallow we had to push the boat over a sandbar, but we made it! And at the mouth we were treated to a pod of 5-6 dolphin cruising by, which made for another great day to be out on the waters here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Less Windy Makes for Better Trip

George and Margaret Isaacson and I made the decision to skip fishing yesterday due to somewhat higher winds and plan to go today, which we did, and it turned out to be a good call. We had slight winds to about 7mph, sunny skies and it warmed up nicely to come out of jackets. We made our first run from Sawpit Creek up the Amelia River and into Jackstaff with plans to fish the bank with float rigs and live shrimp on an tide that had been going out a few hours. The oysters were just beginning to show. Both anglers were making great casts to the bank as we eased along but we had  not takers. We jumped across the creek and fished the deep side of a sandbar with jigs and shrimp and again, nor real bites. After a quick run through Horsehead we eased up to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and presented our jigs and shrimp to the pilings. Again, no fish. Ouch. We dropped down and fished another dock and here we "got the skunk off". You had to have your bait right up next to the pilings and if you got it there, FISH ON!  Both George and Margaret hooked up with a good handful of feisty Redfish and Margaret put one Slot sized fish in the boat. When the bite slowed, we moved down a few docks, pitched up underneath, and BOOM! Redfish on! George had the hot hand early, landing one after the other, then Margaret squeezed in and caught a few for herself. When that finally slowed we fished Bubblegum Reef then made one quick stop at Twin Creeks before we headed in and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Beautiful Day Fishing Amelia Island

You couldn't ask for a better fishing day. I had met Mark Komorowski and his friends Phil and Colin down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp this morning. It was just cool enough for a light jacket and their was just a slight  breeze when we headed up the Nassau River with plans to fish some dock pilings on the last hour of an outgoing tide. It was a good call because the first cast produced a  nice feisty Redfish, which Mark reeled in expertly. We picked up a Trout at that first dock, moved back to another and
things really heated up. All three anglers were catching fish - Phil landed a feisty Red and Colin picked up a couple of Trout out deep. We bounced down another couple of docks, had no bites, then went back to the "hot" dock - and caught more fish. Colin had the biggest fish on - this one ripping drag and digging deep, and Colin had the rod bent, trying to keep it out of the pilings. But to no avail. Those big Reds didn't get big by being stupid! He wrapped around a piling, the line went taut, and BAP! Fish Off! But we were catching fish so it was chalked up as "the big one that got away".  We ran
down to Broward Island, fished some logs, and Mark found some Trout down deep on his jig and shrimp combo. We got a handful of them, another Red, then made one last stop back at Twin Creeks. Colin landed a couple of Trout on a float rig and Phil wrapped it up when  he put one more Redfish in the boat. With that, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Non Stop Action Kicks Off New Year

My first trip back to "work" after the New Year was one of those banner days of fish catching! I had met Chris Niewold and his long time fishing buddy John up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and boat ramp and we had motored over to the Bell River to fish the first of an incoming tide with jigs and live shrimp. Wouldn't you know, the "demo cast" produced a nibble and so I quickly handed it off to John, who gave it a second, then set the hook, and FISH ON! And it was a big one, to!  John played it patiently as it ripped drag and dove deep- he kept the pressure on and let the rod do the work and
after a good battle landed a nice 24" Slot Redfish. First Cast. Big Fish. Now that's the way to start the day! Then both anglers were getting bites. We moved up and down the bank and it wasn't unusual for the to have a "double" going. Chris had stayed with a spot and he too had a strong hookup. His fish was pulling drag but wanted to stay deep and sure enough, after hard fought battle, Chris landed a big 20" Black "puppy" Drum. We caught fish for 3 hours, landing a whole herd of small "feisty" Redfish, with a couple of Slot sized one's to go along with those. They caught a good handful of the Black Drum, with four of them being of keeper size, and Chris found that he could fish deep along the channel edge and pick up keeper sized Seatrout, the biggest being 19.5" - a nice fish. Being that it was such a great day, they both deserve to claim Anglers Mark 2017 Bragging Rights for biggest fish caught, even if it was the first trip of the year! (Scroll down right side of this report for standings). It was a great way to kick off 2017 fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.