I was back to work today when I met John Raker and his
mother Betty out at Goffinsville Park early – it was overcast, misting rain,
and wind was predicted to reach 14mph before the end of the trip. But we were
up for fishing so we headed across the river and drifted some float rigs with
live shrimp and although it wasn’t “on fire”, John did pick up a feisty
Redfish.
We went down the river to Twin Creeks and switched to jigs
and worked the bottom, then we moved down to another drainage and fished it
good, all to no avail. The water was muddy and I was thinking this might be a
bust. But after we had turned into the outgoing current down at Spanish Drop
and made a few pitches to the still submerged shell bank, John had a slight
“bump” – he tightened down and set the hook and Big Fish On! John played it
patiently as it dug deep up the river then got into the current and went down
river. After a long battle on that size 1000 reel, John netted an Oversized
28.5” Redfish!
Our next stop was up at Nassauville, fishing some docks and
I think it was first cast with the jig and Betty had a strong bite. She worked
it slowly to the boat – it was staying deep, and not making any runs and sure
enough when it came to the surface we saw it was a massive Flounder. Betty kept
that pressure on and brought it to the net – a monster 24.5” Flounder which
blows the doors off the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournaments Flounder
category, boy what a fish. And only minutes later, John was up on the bow
fishing a drainage and BAM! He had the same hookup. He worked it in slowly and
boated a huge 21.5” Flounder and moved into 2nd place in the
Bragging Rights Tournament!
We fished down at Broward Island with the jigs on the last
of an outgoing tide- John found a good
handful of Seatrout and a smaller Flounder while Betty found a Redfish hole off
the stern – she put 5-6 in the boat, a couple were right at 17,5”. They ended
the day with two keeper Trout for “Trout Tacos” and went home with some
Bragging Rights, and as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another
great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island.
Carol and I took a long week up to north Georgia with a wedding in Athens, Georgia the first weekend, then north of Blueridge for a few days, then back to Atlanta for the "Game". NOTE: It's Monday morning and Florida just turned the ball over, AGAIN!
While up in the mountains we set up a drift boat fishing trip with David and Becky Hulsey of Hulsey Fly Fishing and we had a absolutely great time. David and Becky were very efficient -they couldn't have been more professional in their communications from initial contact and leading up to the day of the fishing trip with emails about the trip, how to get fishing licenses, waivers and directions to the meeting place, then a phone call the day before. We met at a parking lot outside of Blueridge - David had already launched his drift boat - and followed him to drop off his truck and trailer at the "take out" point, then made the short drive back to his boat. David provided all the gear and advised that we probably would not have to leave the boat so we didn't need waders and boots.
The water was "down" due to draught conditions and on occasion David had to get out and push and reposition the boat over shallows areas, but we had plenty of opportunity to fish. Carol was on the bow and decided to give it a try - her first time actually trying to fly fish and wouldn't you know it, she was the one to "knock the skunk off" when she hooked up and landed a beautiful Rainbow Trout - her first ever fish on the fly! David had set up the 5w rods with a WF Floating line with a indicator "grasshopper" type fly about 6-8' down the tapered leader, then a "dropper" off that with a small midge-like fly. Most of our casts were up current, not too long, then we'd let the indicator drift and if it "bumped", set the Hook!
I was down in the count by catching a small Creek Chub but eventually got on the board, catching a few more of those Rainbows. I tangled up a few times -managing those leaders with two flies caused me some difficulty, but David was a very patient guide - he expertly untangled and got us back to fishing in no time. After a 4 hour trip down the Toccoa River, we eased over to the bank and David hauled out his drift boat and as we headed back to the cabin we counted it as another great day to be fishing in the north Georgia mountains!
I wrapped my week up today fishing with Robert Stettner and David Vice out of Goffinsville Park. We met early on a tide that had just started out so we ran around to a large drainage at Seymore's Point and drifted float rigs and mud minnows, and had a bit of action - they picked up a handful of Seatrout then we moved around to some more grass and I think the first cast Robert had a hookup and boated a nice keeper sized Trout.
We then ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point and drifted the floats and picked up a Trout or two, then came back to Jackstaff and fished "the bank" and
again, more Trout. We crossed over to a point and fished it -more Trout, then we ran back thru Horsehead and up the Nassau where we set up along a grass line -more Trout! Up to Pumpkin Hill where I think we may have finally gotten skunked, then back to Nassauville where we switched to jigs and had good action. They added a keeper Trout, then David hooked up with a big one - he played it expertly to the net and landed a big 21.75" Seatrout, big enough to move him into a tie for 3rd Place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). This also puts David "on the board" in three of the four Bragging Rights categories - it might be a first!
Robert hooked up and patiently landed the first Redfish of the day, we caught a few more Trout and left 'em biting before we hit one more spot, back at Twin Creeks. We worked from there and back up the Nassau and here David put another Redfish in the boat.
It's getting more common now - I'm fishing with folks for probably the last time which is very bittersweet but we had some good laughs, told some stories, and reminisced about past trips and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida
Another beautiful day (it looks like this weekend is going to have terrible weather), but today, sunny, cool, and a slight breeze. I met Garland Clark and his friend Suzanna down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we ran up the intracoastal to Poteat Point with plans to drift float rigs and live shrimp and minnows on a tide that had been going out for about an hour. Garland was fishing off the stern and he began to pickup Seatrout right off. He had to deal with some bait stealers fishing with the shrimp but he expertly caught those Trout. At least one of those was of keeper size (all fish caught today were released). Suzanna got on the board with a Trout catch of her own before we moved over to Jackstaff.
We fished a large drainage over in a creek offshoot, then moved back to Jackstaff and switched to jigs. Joanna had a strong bite, she set the hook and patiently played a nice feisty Redfish to the boat. Garland was pitching off the stern, over a submerged sandbar and hooked and landed a handful of Trout. We ran thru Horsehead and over to the Nassau River and fished Twin Creeks with the jigs, then moved down to a large drainage and here the duo caught a handful more fo the Seatrout. After fishing some dock pilings up at Seymore's Pointe where we picked up another Trout, as small Sea Bass and a Flounder that Garland reeled in, we moved on.
Our final stop was on a bend in Middle River, drifting the floats again and here, again, more Trout were caught! There's a bunch of Trout in the river right now and with the good weather, as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
After a few months of meager Seatrout catches we had what I would call a "banner day" of Trout catching! I met Alex and "Birthday Girl" Lauira Winter out at Goffinsville Park (the ramp is closed but the dock is open) and we motored across the river to fish some drainages on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours(although the oysters were still not showing) and the duo caught a good handful of Trout, one of them being of keeper size. All on float rigs and mud minnows.
We then made our way down the river to Twin Creeks and fished it with float rigs, then jigs, with the minnows and had only a few nibbles, then we moved down to another drainage and pitched to it with jigs, to no avail. Our next stop was up at Nassauville, fishing between some docks and this did the trick. They almost immediately began getting hookups - all of them Seatrout, and most of them legal - 15-16", but Laura did hook and expertly land a big 18 7/8" Trout - the biggest fish of the day! When we got to Ten we moved on, making the run way up the Nassau to a small creek.
Here, Laura did have a strong bite, we saw the fish roll,but sure enough it was right by a downed log and it new enought to wrap itself and after a brief battle, BAP! Fish off. We came back down to Broward Island and tossed the jigs again and here Laura had another strong bite - she set the hook and patiently played to the boat a feisty Redfish. And with that, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
5 trips this week, all five with absolutely beautiful weather! Today I met Bob Kossman and his friend Shelley down at Sawpit creek and after running up the Nassau River we set up to fish at the very last of an outgoing tide with jigs and live shrimp and mud minnows. That first drainage produced nothing - they were getting good casts but nary a nibble. We ran up to Seymore's and fished some dock pilings and picked up one miniature Mangrove Snapper, then we came back to Twin Creeks and worked it good. Shelley finally got the skunk off the boat when she hooked up with a float rig and landed a nice Flounder (out of season) then Bob picked up a feisty Black "puppy" Drum then they both boated a couple of feisty Redfish. We had a fish or two on that may have ripped some drag but they expertly "threw the hook"!
We then made the run down to Pumpkin Hill and drifted float rigs with that incoming current. Bob's first drift produced a hungry Seatrout and after that we picked up a handful. We worked that bank then down the other side and got another Trout or two and again, we had some "big" bites that took the bait, one made a huge "roll", then spit it out, OUCH! It had been and absolutely beautiful day, we had some action and so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
If producers were scouting around for a new fishing show they may think of one called "The Michele Show". I fished with David and Michele Dannenfelser this morning out of Sawpit Creek and with a beautiful morning that stayed beautiful all day, we caught fish at most stops and Michele was catching the big ones! We made our first stop at Spanish Drop with the tide just turning -we worked the bank with jigs and mud minnows and live shrimp and Michele hooked up and landed a nice Flounder (the season closes today). She also picked up a small Redfish along there. Then she had a strong hookup and boy was it ripping some drag. She battled it valiantly and after a long tug of war, she landed an Oversized 28" Redfish.
We moved down to a drainage and pitched to it, then we made the run up to Seymore's Point and fished some dock pilings, going with just shrimp here. After Michele hauled in a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum I was thinking sure we'd get a mess of them but that was the only one. We then ran down to a foggy Broward Island and fished the north end, then moved down to the south end and worked it. David hooked and landed a sizable Croaker then we moved up to Pumpkin Hill.
We fished both sides of the point and here David came on strong, hooking up with hungry Seatrout. We had a big fish on at one time but it snapped the leader, but later, after Michele had "gone long" with her drift, she hooked up and landed a nice 18" Seatrout. We made our final stop back at Twin Creeks, tossing the jigs first. I had put on a huge "lobster sized" shrimp on Michele's Jig and after the cast a big fish took and Fish On! Michele stayed with it and fought it to the net to land another Oversized 28" Redfish. David had made a pinpoint cast to the right of a drainage, let it drift naturally across a point and BAM That was a hookup. He played it patiently and brought to the net a nice 17.9" Redfish. We had some beautiful weather and had some pretty good action and caught some nice big fish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Another beautiful day this morning - I met Henry Ross and his fishing buddy John down at Sawpit -we made a long run all the way up to Broward Island and worked a couple of stretches for a bit. John did hookup and land a hungry Seatrout and feisty Redfish. We then made our way back to Twin Creeks and tossed jigs with mud minnows, some dead shrimp (no live shrimp today) and some fiddler crabs. John hooked and landed a small Black Drum, then we moved up to Spanish Drop and worked it with floats, and this did the trick.
We had a good flurry of catching - Redfish, Seatrout, and a keeper Flounder that John hauled in. We then made our way back up the Nassau and set up to fish a stretch of a flooding grass line and boy were we in for some "big fish catching"! At first, we had a couple of misses - one broke off and one came unhooked and I thought we might be missing our window but then John had another strong bite and when that drag began to sing we knew it was a Big One! John was on the bow and the fish was back behind the stern so he had to keep his line up and make his way back. The fish put up a good fight but it was no match for John, he worked him in slowly and we netted a big "tournament sized" 26 7/8" Redfish.
Not long after we boated that fish, Henry was fishing a pocket with a minnow under a float - we had drifted by it a dozen times, but this time another big fish hit and it was Fish ON! Henry battled it patiently, letting it run, then working it in, letting it run, and working it in. Then John hooked up and we had a double! Henry worked his in and eventually landed another "tournament sized" Redfish and John followed that up with a nice Seatrout. We went back to the bank with casts, Henry went long and had another good hookup, and after working it expertly to the boat he landed a big 22" Oversized Seatrout, boy what a fish, and big enough to move in to 2nd Place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
We hit one more spot over at Jackstaff then headed back - it had been a beautiful morning, we'd caught small fish, big fish, a couple of Slams (Redfish, Seatrout, Flounder, and Black Drum) so as we headed ack to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We had another outstanding "big fish day", along with a whole lot of catching. All that rain last week must have made the fish hungry! I met Pete Nolan along with his daughter Tatum and son-in-law Victor down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp as the sun came up. We had the bait! Mud minnows, live shrimp, and fiddler crabs. After running up the Nassau River we made a quick stop at Spanish Drop and pitched jigs and shrimp and minnows into the current. Pete and Victor traded catch for catch, landing Seatrout, a small Red, and some Catfish. We moved down to Twin Creeks and here they teamed up to put five keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum in the well. Victor hooked and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout, then Tatum got on the board with the smallest fish of the day, a Catfish! But she was on the board!
We fished some dock pilings briefly, to no avail, then we motored up the Nassau and fished a now flooded grass line with the float rigs. The first cast and we had a strong hookup and Fish ON! Tatum was on the rod and she expertly played to the boat a nice 23" Slot Redfish, the biggest fish on the boat so far. But she wasn't done - in a the next half hour she hooked up and played to the boat an Oversized 27.5" Red, then a 29.5" Red - those were some hard fought battles. Pete went long with a drift and picked up the 2nd keeper Trout for the day and then as we worked a point Victor hooked and landed two Oversized Seatrout.
We had caught a bunch of fish all day, mostly on shrimp and the minnows. It was a beautiful morning and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I don't think this has ever happened to me in the backwater. After having to cancel 4 trips last week due to the weather, I was bouncing off the walls to get out and fish. I met John Raker and his fishing buddy Gantt Williams down at Sawpit mid morning and we headed up the Nassau to fish some flooded marsh grass on a tide that had been coming in a few hours. We went with mud minnows under a float and that's all it took. Every time I turned my back the drags were ripping, and I mean REALLY ripping! We counted at least 14 hookups with Big fish. This duo landed 10 of them. Three of those were in the upper slot (we had to measure, re-measure, and re-measure), and the other EIGHT were Oversized, the biggest being caught by Gantt, measuring at 31.75", big enough to move him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We fought fish for an hour and 45 minutes. And after that? Nothing! But the pictures can speak for themselves! Click on images to enlarge.
