We Got One Big One!

 

It looks like today may be the only day we get out this week (hopefully the winds die down later in the week - we'll see). This morning I meet Ed Birkett and his fishing partners Paul and Gary down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We had pushed the start time to 8am with plans to fish the first of an outgoing tide. After running up the intercoastal we dipped into Jackstaff then eased in to a creek and set up at large drainage. The trio of anglers began tossing float rigs and live shrimp to the mouth and I was encouraged when Ed hooked up fairly quickly and brought to the boat a hungry Seatrout. Shortly after that he had a strong bite that ripped drag - it did seem to "boil" a bit on the surface and we were thinking "Redfish" but as he battled it to the boat and we saw the downward "tug, tug, tug" we changed our guess to "Jack" and sure enough, that's what it was. Fun to catch, but we threw it back. All three anglers had some good bites but no real takers, so we moved on.

After running thru Horsehead we made a stop at Seymore's Pointe and tossed to an outflow and had good action. The Mangrove Snapper are still here!  All three anglers caught keeper fish - they worked thru the small ones but ended up with 6 keeper fish in the box. Our next stop, after running down the Nassau, was at Spanish Drop where we worked the bank with the floats. Both Paul and Ed had strong hookups with what turned out to be feisty Redfish -small but fun to catch. 

Back up the Nassau we went, around to Back River where we fished a stretch with the floats and here we had really good action. Gary was on the stern and caught a couple of the Reds, Ed was midship and caught a few of the Reds, Paul was at the bow and caught a good handful of the Reds. They were all just undersized until Paul had one of those drag ripping bites. He played it perfectly, following it down from the bow then he applied the pressure, worked it in, and landed a bulky 25.5" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish!

They caught a good handful of the Reds there, and a couple of Seatrout, and luckily, a small Ladyfish! We were running low on bait so we slicked it up and iced it down for the next stop. After running back down the Nassau we set up at another drainage, switched to jigs tipped with cut Ladyfish and worked the bottom. Gary got a Flounder right off the bat, then added another couple of Redfish to his catch total. Ed and Paul added a couple of Reds then we headed back to the ramp, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Recipe of the Month: Citrus Shrimp Tacos

This recipe comes from Olive Amelia, and establishment in downtown Fernandina Beach, 206 Centre Street It was very flavor able-I think I'll be prepping my shrimp "just to eat" with this marinade! Check out their Recipe page for ways to add more flavor to your meals..

Get ready to elevate Taco Tuesday to a whole new level with Citrus Shrimp Tacos! Bursting with bright flavors and fresh ingredients, these tacos are a fiesta for your taste buds.

Shrimp Marinade:

• 
  1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined
  
•  2 tbsp. Olive Amelia Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil
•  2 tbsp. Olive Amelia Key Lime Balsamic Vinegar
•  3 tbsp. Salt Sisters Key West Seafood Rub

Avocado Mash:

• 1 – 2 avocados
• Dash of sea salt
•  2 tsp. Olive Amelia Key Lime Balsamic Vinegar

Avocado Mash Directions:

1. In a bowl, mash the avocados.
2. Sprinkle salt to taste and drizzle the Olive Amelia Key Lime Balsamic Vinegar.
3. Mix together.

Slaw Ingredients:

•  2 tbsp. Olive Amelia Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil
•  2 tbsp. Olive Amelia Key Lime Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 cups purple & green cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
•  1 tbsp. Savannah Bee Orange Blossom Honey
•  3 tsp. Salt Sisters Key West Seafood Rub

Slaw Prep:

1. Combine and allow it to marinate for a few hours or overnight for the best flavor!

Directions:

• Prepare your shrimp by patting them dry with paper towels.
•  Season shrimp with the Key West Seasoning, Olive Amelia Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil, and Olive Amelia Key Lime Balsamic Vinegar.
• Marinade shrimp for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours.
•  Heat 2 tbsp. of Olive Amelia Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the marinated shrimp to the pan.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Assembly:

1. Warm tortillas for the best results.
2. Take a warm tortilla and spread the avocado mash.
3. Place your shrimp, then top with the slaw.
4. Finish with chopped cilantro.

One bite and you will be picturing yourself on an island in paradise!

Big Reds In The Backwater

 You may have noticed that hurricane Milton messed me up last week - 4-5 canceled trips! But I was back at it today and what a way to come back to work! My theory is that the fish are "gorging" themselves, getting ready for winter - the fish catching today was on fire - hands down the best trip I've had all year!

I had met Ann Mastroserio and her fishing crew Dave and Rich out at Goffinsville Park on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours and after running thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point, we set up and drifted live shrimp under floats. Dave had the hot hand early, picking up one hungry Seatrout after another. Ann and Rich joined in catching a few then all heck broke loose! Rather than go into the gory details, this is how the morning went - recorded all the big fish....

Ann -24"  Slot Redfish  

   Rich - 21.5" Seatrout (ties for third biggest this year on the Bragging Rights board)                                       Dave - 26.5"  "Tournament" Slot Redfish                                                                                                            Rich -17" Seatrout                                                                                                                                            Dave- 28.5" Oversized Redfish                                                                                                                        Dave-25.5" Slot Redfish                                                                                                                                Rich - 23.25: Slot Redfish                                                                                                                                        Ann - 30.25" Monster Oversized Redfish                                                                                                    Dave - 23" Slot Redfish                                                                                                                                     Rich - 28.25" Oversized Redfish                                                                                                                       Ann - 25.75" Slot Redfish                                                                                                                            

There were numerous "rat Reds" caught during the day, a handful of hard fighting Jack Crevalle's caught, Dave got a Slam by putting a small Flounder in the boat and Rich got his Slam with a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. Crazy great fishing day here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Big Jack Makes the Day

 We launched this  morning down at Sawpit under some really eerie skies -dark clouds as the sun came up- we were expecting rain but luckily never got it!  I had met Todd Johnson and his son Oliver early and we made a short run up and over to Spanish Drop n the Nassau, turned into a tide that had been coming in for a few hours, and began tossing float rigs and live shrimp. We worked the bank up to a drainage and as we got there the two anglers began to get fish. Todd was on the stern and had his float disappear and the drag started ripping then Oliver's float sunk and Fish On! We had a double! Both anglers moved around the boat as needed, working them in slowly, and then landed a Jack apiece, right at the same size.

We continued to work the bank and when Oliver's rod bent and his drag began to rip and the fish kept going I was thinking "shark"!  We had to chase the fish for Oliver to catch up his line - he worked it in, let it run, worked it in, and after a good battle landed what I think was the biggest Jack Crevalle of the year, and maybe ever, caught on the Anglers Mark. 

As we reached a point of grass Todd was casting beyond it and letting his float sweep around and this paid off with numerous feisty Redfish catches. He picked up one nice keeper sized Seatrout, then battled a big Red (it was a one sided battle - the fish bulled up into the grass, wrapped itself, and broke off) Ouch.  We then ran over to Pumpkin Hill and drifted the marsh grass where Oliver hooked, battled, and landed a 3' Bonnethead Shark. We fished three other areas there around Pumpkin Hill, but had nary a nibble. 

Needing some action, we made a stop between two docks at Nassauville and here they tangled with the Mangrove Snapper. When we left, the score was about 20-5, the Mangroves winning, but we had those five in the box. We jumped around to Seymore's Point, drifted the floats, and picked up one more keeper sized Mangrove, then finished up over at Poteat Pointe. The weather had actually been great, we had some good action early and late, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Mangroves Reds and Manatee

We did a mid morning trip today, meeting at 10:30am - High Tide up at Nassauville. I met James Tuten,

his brother Robert and Roberts daughter Katie down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made the 15 minute run up to Semore's Pointe where we went with float rigs and live shrimp on the first of an outgoing tide - it was high!  It didn't take long before Robert "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. We dueled with those Snapper for a bit before we moved on. 

After running thru Horsehead we made our way over to Poteat Pointe. The tide was right, just starting out, but the wind had picked up as forecasted and it was blowing right in our face. All always say, when fishing floats, "get a natural drift in the zone"= we were getting the drift but the wind was blowing our baits away from the grass - we had no real bites. We then made our way over to a creek off of Jackstaff and worked it with the floats, again, no avail.

Back thru Horsehead we went, up the Nassau, and to some docks at Nassauville where James and Robert went to jigs and shrimp and Katie stuck with the float rig. She went to the rocks, making excellent casts and it paid off when her float disappeared. She lifted the rod and let the hook set and Fish On!  Katie worked it to the boat expertly and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. We stayed there until we got bored, boxing 10 keeper sized Mangroves, then moved on.

A short jump over and we were fishing Back River with floats. The tide was right but the drift was getting pushed off. We moved across the river and fished a bend and this did the trick. The current was strong enough to keep their baits up near the grass and it paid off with a good handful of feisty Redfish catches. While we were fishing we had a few small Manatee meander by, going downstream, then back up until they were hanging out right by the boat. 

We had had a beautiful weather, mostly sunny, and even though we had to deal with the wind, as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Fly Casting 101 Group Casting Lesson

 I finished up a 2nd "Fly Casting 101" casting session last week and it went pretty good! 

We covered the equipment - the rods (their different configurations, weights, actions), the reels (the
weights, need for spare spools), the backing (the reasons for it), the fly line (the different types and reasons for them), the leaders, the tippet and the flies - Saltwater, freshwater, trout flies.

After going over the casting stroke and the idea of "loading your rod with the fly line", we moved on to a good horizontal practice drill that you can do in your yard. While doing that we talked about the "5 principles to a good cast".  We then broke out into 3 groups where everyone got to try their hand at the horizontal casting drill. 

From there we moved over to a pond and went over a Roll Cast - easy to learn and it will have you catching fish in just a day of practice. Again, we split up into groups and everyone worked on that Roll  Cast.

Finally, we moved back to the grass and practiced a basic Pickup and Lay Down cast.  I advise all "students" who want to learn to fly cast to "Take a lesson, Read, Watch a Video, Practice.  Then, Read, Watch a Video, Practice. Then Read, Watch a Video, Practice!  Hah!  Just like learning to play golf, or tennis or any other "sport", you gotta practice! But you CAN learn to fly cast.

I provide the equipment for the casting and bring samples of line, leader, and flies and will bring handouts for reading at home. 

Can  you pull 10 people together for a group fly casting session?

$35 per person, 10 people minimum/maximum Contact me  lwpiper@comcast.net  904-557-1027

Recipe of the Month: Blackened Fish with Cajun Cream Sauce

 The recipe calls for blackened red snapper, but I've been using blackened Red Drum - those Snapper are hard to find in the back water!  I picked this recipe up off of Facebook, specifically, the page Cookery Gems:

For the blackened Redfish: 

Melt a stick of butter in a pot                                                                                                                      Pour a few tablespoons of blackening seasoning onto a plate.                                                                          Cut your Redfish fillets in quarters (or thirds, depending on size of fish) pat dry with paper towel               Get a cast iron skillet "white hot" - no Oil in the skillet  

Drag the fillets thru the melted butter, coat with the Cajun seasoning and place in the white hot skillet...        Sear the fillet - you will see the fish cooking, changing from opaque to white. When it is halfway cooked, flip it over and sear the other side. If your guests don't like a lot of seasoning, you can sprinkle the blackening rather than coating it. Remove from skillet and set aside, keep warm.

For the Cajun Cream Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                     2 cloves garlic, minced                                                                                                                                      1 small onion, finely chopped                                                                                                                          1 red bell pepper, finely chopped                                                                                                                      1 cup heavy cream                                                                                                                                          1/2 cup chicken broth                                                                                                                                         1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning (be careful about the amount of salt in it -you don't want too much)                       1/2 tsp paprika                                                                                                                                                     Salt and pepper to taste (again, watch the salt)                                                                                                 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese                                                                                                                                    2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley                                                                                                                                    

In the same skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Saute' the garlic, onion, and red bell pepper until softened, about 5-7 minutes. 

Add the heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir in Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and combines.

Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley

Plate the blackened fish and spoon Cajun cream sauce over the top. 

NOTE!  With the Blackenening Seasoning, the Chicken Broth, the Cajun Seasoning and then the suggested Salt, this can get TOO Salty!  Keep tabs of how much salt is going in - you may want to use some salt-free ingredients.

She's On Her Way!

 Evidently Hurricane Helene is headed to Florida, hopefully passing us by as she hits over near
Tallahassee. But we were able to squeeze in one more fishing trip today when I met the Ahrens, Bryan and his sons Henry, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We headed up the intercoastal, turned into the Nassau and made our way around to Back River where we set up to fish float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been going out a few hours - the oysters were just beginning to show.

All three anglers were getting good drifts up near the grass and it paid off - they began to get feisty Reds, one after the other - they put up a good battle and are fun to catch. I mentioned that every once in a while we'll get a keeper "Slot" fish and shortly after Oscar had a stronger than normal bite. He lifted  his rod and let the circle hook set and when it ripped some drag with thought it might be a bit bigger, and it was. Oscar played it perfectly and brought to the net a 18"+ Slot Redfish.  Not too long after that, after we had moved up to where he could toss between two oyster beds, Oscar and another big bite, this one was even bigger! Oscar played it patiently as it ran deep and back to the stern and after a good battle he landed a nice 24.5" Slot Red.

We eventually moved across the river and fished a big bend, letting the floats drift around it and again, we caught umpteen fiesty Reds. Bryan went long and picked up a couple of hungry Seatrout and when Henry followed him he picked up a small Flounder. There was a commotion up ahead of us so Henry moved to the bow, made a long toss forward and BAM! Big Fish On!  He fought it expertly, let it run, worked it in, let it run and eventually landed a beautiful golden copper 22" Slot Red - they had their limit!

After running down the Nassau we worked a large drainage with jigs and shrimp and caught more Reds, a Catfish, a couple of Jack Crevalle and then Oscar put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat. We fished a dock at Seymore's where Oscar added a Croaker to the catch, then we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Punching Above Their Weight

 Another beautiful day, maybe the last before this next storm hits!  I met Glenn and Patti Langford up at Old Town Bait and Tackle this morning - the high had just hit bottom as we eased out of Eagans Creek and made our way up and around to the Jolley River. I turned into the "bank" just as the tide line moved past us and the two anglers began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the exposed oyster beds. We worked along for just a bit before Patti "knocked the skunk off" when she hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish. She added a couple of more then Glenn began to get in on the action. When we reached the "hot spot" they really began to put fish in the boat. Most of the Reds were about 16", feisty and hard fighters - they were "punching above their weight" as Glenn described it! 

Lately, when we get into these schools of Rat Reds we'll eventually get one in the slot and sure enough, Patti had a strong hookup and, Fish On!  This one was ripping drag and digging deep but Patti kept the pressure on, worked it to the back of the boat and around the engine and back, and after a good battle landed a nice 21" Slot Redfish. We worked further up the bank, then dropped back down and again put a few smaller Reds in the boat, then Patti hooked up and landed a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum.

We left the fish biting and ran further up the river, just past Snook Creek, turned into the current and switched to float rigs. Both anglers were getting good drifts and again, when we reached the "hot spot", they began to get fish. There were at least three times when I yelled "we got a double" with both anglers fighting fish. Glenn had made a good cast up to a gap in some oysters and after just a few seconds we began to see his float bob, then move up current, and GONE!  Glen reeled in the slack, lifted the rod and let the circle hook set and, Big Fish On! It was ripping and digging and ripping!  Glenn played it expertly, worked it in, and eventually landed a big 25" golden copper Redfish, boy what a fish!

We left 'em biting again! We ran back down the Jolley, fished a point with the floats to no avail, then made our way around to the outside of Tyger and worked the bank on a higher incoming tide with jigs, in hopes for a Flounder. Unfortunately we caught no Flounder but Patti did battle a big Jack Crevalle to the net for release. Our final stop was around at Bell River, fishing another point and here Patti finished things up by battling a 4' Bonnethead to the boat. 

We had had a beautiful day of fishing, had caught a bunch of Reds, had two in the box, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

What A Start

 After last week's high tides and slow fishing I have to admit I was a bit worried about today's fishing but I had to "council" myself - we had good weather forecasted and we had a good tide so we surely would catch fish!  I met William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsville Park early and the forecast was correct - it was a beautiful morning. We made a very short run across river and set up on a wide bend to fish the last of an outgoing tide and as we pulled up we could see bait moving down the bank and getting busted. We had a live well full of Shrimp and a about two dozen finger mullet to "toss at 'em". 

Dara and William made their first casts and BAM! BAM! They began to get hookups. Feisty Redfish were gobbling their shrimp and we stayed catching for about an hour. We did try a couple of the mullet but they didn't seem to want them. We moved up and down the bank and the fish seemed to be in shallower water. Eventually the bite slowed and we moved on. 

Our next stop was down the Nassau where we eased up to a large drainage, switched to jigs, and fished the bottom. William was fishing a shrimp and Dara was fishing a finger mullet and when she felt a "bump" she let the fish have it for a second or two, set the hook and....we thought she had a fish...YES! Fish On!  Dara worked it to the boat patiently and landed a big 18" Flounder. Up on the bow, William switched to mullet and began to fish out deeper and when he got that tell-tell "bump", he set the hook and reeled in a hungry Seatrout. He stayed with that strategy and hauled in another one.  After Dara reeled in another Flounder, this one small, we moved on. 

After making our way up to some docks at Seymore's we fished the pilings. Right off William had a strong bite - he set the hook, had 'em on for just a bit and BAP! Fish off. Ouch. William did hook up and land couple of Mangrove Snapper, one of which was of keeper size. We then made our way down to Broward Island and fished the north end for a bit, then we moved down to the south end and began to work our way north. Just as we reached the "hot spot" Dara put a cast up to the edge of the bank (Note:she had another finger mullet on) and BAM! Right up next to the shore sat a big fish and it took her mullet (and hook) and began to rip some drag. Dara kept that pressure on - it boiled a couple of times and knew it was a big Red. It made it's way to some tree limbs but Dara pulled it out and worked it in and we netted a beautiful golden bronze 25" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish. The duo added another smaller Red to the catch total before we move on. 

We finished up drifting floats at Pumpkin Hill - William got his Slam when he put a feisty Black "puppy" Drum in the boat, then we headed back and called it another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.