Things Picked Up

We couldn't ask for any prettier weather to be out on the water here at Amelia Island. And with just a slight breeze, the sand gnats are held off!  I had met Bob Blalock and his brother and sister in laws -Tommy and Martha -out at the Goffinsville Park this morning and with the tide still going out we decided to fish some dock pilings first thing. We were using mud minnows and I think that may have suppressed the drum bite. The anglers were  making excellent casts and although the bite was slow, Martha knocked the skunk off with
a nice Redfish catch. Bob followed that up with a small Trout catch.

We bounced over to some exposed oysters, fished the edges and at one point saw and heard some Redfish feeding across an oyster peninsular. At one time we saw a big Redfish tail and boil, but we just couldn't get in range to even keep up with their movement. The tide was about to hit bottom so we made a move, and boy was it a good move!

We ran down to Broward Island and fished the logs - the tide was still going out but we caught some fish. Martha put a very large Trout in the boat, an followed that up with another keeper sized one. Then Bob got in on the action and landed a Slot Redfish. Tommy finally had a strong hookup but after  brief battle it found its way under a log and BAP! Fish off. Ouch. We worked along the bank, picked up a few more fish, then moved further up the island as the tide started back in. We caught some smaller fish then Tommy had a bite and, BIG FISH ON! Luckily, this fish came out deep and all Tommy had to do was keep the pressure on, which he did perfectly. The big fish ran deep and long a few times but Tommy was up to the task and eventually landed a big, 26.5" "tournament" sized Redfish - this fish had some "shoulders"!

We continued to fish and Martha added another keeper sized Trout then Bob, using a Temptation Bait fluke, landed a very large Seatrout. Although the day started slow it finished big and made for another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

In-De-FENCE-able good catching day

Wow what a pretty morning we had today! Zach Peyton and I launched up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early this morning and the water was like glass. We left the dock and skimmed across the river to make Tiger Island our first stop. The tide had just started in so we began tossing jigs and live shrimp to the pockets and it didn't take long before we were hooking up. Zach quickly knocked the skunk off with a nice feisty Redfish catch then we were both landing fish. We had a few that "pulled the hook" and I kinda wonder if those weren't Sheepshead. A couple of them were

big enogh to force their way away from the boat and into the downed limbs.

But we had enough action to make up for it and after a good handful of the smaller Reds, Zach landed a nice keeper sized Slot fish. We worked the bank thoroughly, landed a small Black "puppy" Drum, then headed back to Eagans Creek to fish some dock pilings. It was somewhat strange - we had no bites (other than baitstealers) but when we moved to the other side of the dock we began to pick up fish.  Again, a very good flurry of Redfish catches, and one or two that broke off on the pilings, then we landed a nice keeper sized Black Drum.

When that bite slowed we made the run up Bell River, fished some more docks, then made one last stop in the Jolley to fish some float rigs along a  now flooded oyster bank. Zack picked up another Redfish and I landed a small Seatrout. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Low and Incoming The Best

We got a jump on the low and incoming tide this morning when I met Alan Woodcox and his buddy Willy out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. When you launch there your ready to fish within minutes! We made the first stop around at some docks at Seymore's Pointe. The guys started tossing jigs with live shrimp to the dock pilings and it didn't take long before Willy had a strong hookup and, Fish On! But this was a smart fish and it immediately wrapped around a piling and....Fish Off! Ouch! But Willy went right back to
the spot and hooked up again. He landed a couple of nice Redfish with one of them of keeper size. Alan was fishing deeper and put a Seatrout in the boat.

We fished a couple of more docks then bounced around to fish some rocks back towards the ramp. This was deep water but we had switched to float rigs with 3" leaders-they had to be right up near the rocks and it did the trick. Both anglers landed feisty Redfish, another was a nice 20" Slot fish, then Willy put a big 26" Slot fish in the boat. 

When the bite slowed we made a run down to Broward Island and fished the downed logs. The bite had slowed but we still had a handful of Reds and a couple of Trout caught. After fishing some flooding ouster beds we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Hot February Fishing Leads to Grande Slam

I fished again with Frank Boehm, his buddy Jack Severson and their friend Tom, this tome meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. It was fogged in when we left the ramp but we took our time and eased up the Intercoastal, turned into the Nassau and made our way around to Broward Island to catch the first of an incoming tide. We baited up our "Walleye Rocker" jigs with live shrimp - these jigs have extremely good hooks, are brightly painted, and are streamlined to bounce over bottom structure - and it wasn't long before we were catching fish. Jack was catching Redfish on the

bow, Tom was catching Redfish on the stern, and they both added a Seatrout and a Black "puppy" Drum to garner an Amelia Island Back Country Slam.

We worked the bank for a good 75 yards and boated a handful of Reds with a few of them being of keeper size. One of the Trout was a keeper. We were joined by two majestic Bald Eagles.  Our next stop was back at Seymore's Pointe. Frank had been holding back, letting the other guys enjoy their day, but finally he decided to join

in and put a couple of nice Reds in the boat along with another Trout. Tom added a keeper sized Black Drum.

We moved around the corner, fished some rocks with float rigs and live shrimp and on the first cast Tom had a hookup. He landed it expertly and we saw that it was a keeper sized Flounder, the first of the year for the Anglers Mark (and a Grande Slam for these anglers) then Frank landed a feisty Redfish. Jack was fishing the stern with a slip float, a tad bit deeper, and finally it disappeared beneath the surface. Jack tightened up and when the drag began to sing I thought that maybe his drag was too loose. This fish was pulling hard! But Jack kept the pressure on, fought it patiently, and soon landed an oversized 30" Redfish, a fish that places him squarely tied for first place in the Anglers Mark 2018 Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  Boy what a fish!

We moved on, now that the tide was almost high, and ran back to Christopher Creek, passing an Osprey on the way. We caught a handful of feisty Reds then Jack had another strong bite on the jig and shrimp and, Fish ON!  He fought it perfectly and after a good battle, landed another oversized 27.25" Redfish. Now that's the way to wrap up another great fishing trip here at Amelia Island, Florida.

We Thought The First One Was Big

Finally! A beautiful morning! After a couple of days of nasty weather, this morning was picture perfect when I met Eric Brooks up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. It was right at high tide when we left the dock and headed over to the outside of Tiger with some float rigs and live shrimp. We made our first stop at some flooded oysters and worked the grass line in hopes for a cruising Redfish or hungry Trout. Not a nibble. We crossed over the creek and fished another marsh line thoroughly, tossing up current and
letting the bait drift naturally along the bank and again, no bites.

We began to make a run through Tiger and even though the tide was still really high, we made a pit stop at the logs thinking we could give them a brief shot. I pin pointed Eric where to cast and he did so perfectly..."left of the stump"! It didn't take long and BOOM! Big fish on!  Eric must have been living right because he was way up amongst the roots but he worked the big fish out, kept the pressure on, and landed a nice 25" Slot Redfish! Now that's the way to knock the skunk off the boat!

After getting some pictures he went back to the same spot and again, it didn't take long, Bigger fish on! This one ripped drag just like the first one but it was determined not to come to the boat. But Eric was up to the challenge and after a good battle landed an oversized 27.5" Red. Now that's a nice fish. We released it after getting some pictures and it swam lazily to the bottom. This fish eased Eric into third place in the 2018 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

We caught a handful more of Reds but most were in the 17" size range and then we added a nice 16" Seatrout. When things slowed we ran over to Lanceford, fished some dock pilings, and Eric picked up one more feisty Redfish.  Our final stop was up Bell River where we found we could toss our jig and live shrimp up current, let it go to the bottom, and then just keep the slack out of it and wait for the tap, tap, tap - set the hook and bring another Trout to the boat. It was a beautiful day and we wrapped it up catching Speckled (and sometimes Spotted) Seatrout and counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

From Gloom To Glory

The forecast last night called for cloudy skies but that was an understatement.  I  met Doug Mackle, Stan Jackson and their buddy Matt up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park this morning and the air was so thick with moisture I couldn't wear my glasses! But we were all bundled pretty well so we headed down the river and into the Bell with plans to fish some flooded oysters beds with float rigs and live shrimp. The anglers were making excellent casts to the marsh grass but we had  no real takers.

We ran around to the mouth of Lanceford and fished a grassy island
and even though we did have a nibble, we had actual bites. The tide had been going out for a while so we headed over to Eagans Creek and found some docks to fish. after working three or four with jigs and shrimp and no luck, we finally hit on one that had fish.

Doug got things started when he hooked up with a nice fish and after expertly playing the fish, he landed a slot Redfish. Then all three anglers got in on the action and we forgot about the gloomy weather!  Matt put a fish in the boat, another Slot, then Stan landed another, this one the biggest at 21.5". We caught a good 8-10 Reds and a couple of hungry Seatrout. Although the day started out really slow and gloomy, we ended it on a high note and all was well, making it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

If You Wanna Catch A Seatrout

You're almost guaranteed to catch a Seatrout of you get out and fish these days. I had three straight trips this weekend, including today, where we had good catches of Trout. Today, I met Doug and Ramona Leische and their cousin Mark up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp, early. We made a run over to Lanceford Creek and fished the edges of docks with 1/4 oz jigs and live shrimp (Doug was tossing a fly w/intermediate line, for the love of it!) on the first of an outgoing tide. After tossing the jig/shrimp combo up current,
first cast, boom! Fish On!  Ramona worked it in slowly and landed a keeper sized Seatrout! Now that's the way to start a trip! Later, Ramono put a small but hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum in the boat. 

We fished up and down the docks, tossing to the bank, letting it fall slowly down the rive bottom and had good action catching a number of Seatrout, most just undersized, but we had another keeper along the way.

Doug was one of the better fly casters that I've had on the boat lately and he worked his sinking line diligently. As it turned out, Doug was a retired fly-guide who has fished Idaho, Alaska, Florida, and many points in between. While comparing stories we both realized that we had met Joan Wulff, an icon in the fly fishing community. Ramona shared a photo of Doug in his younger years that he had taken with Joan and Lee Wulff.

After working the docks thoroughly, we ran up to the Jolley River, fished some now exposed oysters but had no real bites. We made our way around to Tiger and joined two more boats fishing the bank. As I set the anchor, here came two more boats - it was a Sunday Boat Show!  Mark had made an excellent cast and it wasn't long before he had a hookup and landed a nice feisty Redfish. It must have telegraphed out that experienced anglers were in the area because that was the last fish we caught for the day! After working the island, a long bank with deep water, and then some more oyster beds, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida