Rodeo Redfish Win!

 I don't do a lot of tournaments, mainly because it takes a different mindset to be successful, but as the saying goes, "even a blind squirrel can find an acorn" once in a while! Yesterday Team AnglersMark won the biggest Redfish category in the Nassau Sport Fishing Association Rodeo! I was fishing with friends Chris Bremer and Brian Parent - we met early down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and launched at 6:30am with a ton of live shrimp and mud minnows and we made our way up the Nassau River to make our first stop at Twin Creeks on a high and incoming tide. We were all drifting float rigs, mixing the bait between the shrimp and minnows, but I don't think we got a real bite. We then ran down to Pumkin Hill where I've been getting some nice Redfish the last couple of weeks and we drifted that edge. We were all joking that if it was a "Garbage Tournament" we might place because we were catching Jacks and Ladyfish and Catfish the entire day. But both Brian and Chris had some nice hookups and landed keeper sized Seatrout to go in the box. Unfortunately, there wasn't a Seatrout category in the tournament!

We moved down the way where we've caught Reds in the past, but not lately. We have caught some huge Trout there recently and I was hoping we'd at least get one for the box, but after a good handful of drifts I was thinking "time to move", but then a big fish hit and Fish On! It was a team effort, Brian cleared the deck, Chris manned the net and after a a good battle we brought to the boat a THICK 25.5" Redfish. Boy what a fish. Due to its length, I thought it might place but surely not win -surely a 26.75" fish would be brought in, right?

We fished back thru Horsehead over at Poteat Point and picked up more trash fish and small Trout, we fished back in Jackstaff and picked up another Slot Red for the box, then we came back thru Horsehead and fished Middle River, then we fished back down the Nassau with jigs, picking up some smaller stuff, here and there.  Brian did hookup and expertly play to the boat a keeper sized Flounder which we planned to enter in the Flounder Category. 

The earliest Check In was at 2pm, up at the City Marina, so we headed north and made a stop at the bridge where we fished with the jigs. I thought I had a huge Flounder on, but my hopes were dashed when I brought to the surface a big old Toad Fish - another junk fish to go with our others! After trying to get in a small creek and thinking it might be too shallow, we made one last long run around to the outside of Tyger in hopes for a bigger Flounder - we'd been catching them there all week. I had my eye on the bank, but not on the depth finder and....right up on a mud bank we ran! Brian said I was kicking up a rooster tail of mud 20' high! Oh  Lordy, we were stuck! Luckily the boat was still floating somewhat. Chris balanced the boat out with his weight while Brian and I got out -Brian pulled and I pushed and we backed the boat off the mud... and called it a day! That was a sign! We ran back to Check In and weighed that big Slot Red in - 6.2lbs and it turned out to be the biggest brought to Weigh In for the Tournament.  Boy it was a long day but we went home with First Place in the Redfish Category!

It Could Have Been Called....

 ...the Dara Flounder Show! She put three keepers in the box and had a couple of other "shorts" during our
fishing trip today. I had her and her husband William and father Bob fishing with me today and we launched from Old Town Bait early with some gloomy skies, but hardly no wind and with a tide that was still coming in, we made our way over to the outside of Tyger and fished the whole stretch with mud minnows and live shrimp on jigs. Dara picked up two keeper sized Flounder along there - Bob added a small Flounder and a Catfish, then we had another Catfish and a small Flounder or two. 

We moved around to the other side of Tyger and fished the first of an outgoing tide with float rigs. The trio picked up another Jack Crevalle then William had a strong bite and a little bit of drag ripping. He played it patiently and brought to the net a nice Slot Redfish to add to the box. We then moved across the way and worked a couple of banks with floats then we dropped back around the corner and switched back to the jigs and this paid off when Dara hooked up with her biggest Flounder of the day - she expertly eased it to the net and landed another keeper sized Flounder. 

Our next stop was up in the Jolley, fishing jigs, then floats, then jigs. Bob caught the only Seatrout of the day - it measured right at 14 15/16" so had to go back.  We'd had our best luck on the outside of Tyger and had a few good fish in the box and with Fish Tacos on our minds, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Young Guns Rule The Day

 We were back down south today fishing out of Sawpit Creek boat ramp - I met Steve Locke, his son
Justin, and his grandsons Elliot and Landon early. We made a good run up the intracoastal, up Middle River and around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up with float rigs and live shrimp and mud minnows, drifting the flooded marsh grass on an incoming tide. Landon, the youngest angler on the boat at 6+years, quickly hooked and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle. Then his grandad had a strong bite and that drag was ripping! The big fish went deep and I thought for sure we had him, but it then made it's way back to the submerged oysters shell and BAP! Fish Off! Ouch! But Landon made up for it - he was just about to reel in when he had a "take" and it was "Fish On"!  Landon fought the big fish expertly and after a good battle landed a nice Slot Redfish. We fished a couple of spots in the area then made a move.

Our next stop was back thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point where we stuck with the float rigs. We had a few good bites but no takers so we moved back over to Jackstaff and switched to jigs and the shrimp and minnows. Elliot was fishing the minnows and had a strong bite and he hooked it up. This fish was no match for Elliot - he worked it to the net to land a hungry Catfish. Elliot had the "hot" rod for now and he took advantage of it - he went back to his sweet spot and it paid off when he had that familiar "thump". After setting the hook, he played it patiently to the net and landed a nice Flounder.

Back thru Horsehead we went and down the Nassau where we fished a few shell beds taht were beginnign to show. Again, it was Elliot that had the hookup over here and it paid off when he landed another Flounder. These young guys had "skunked" their father and grandfather - we'd had great weather, the boys had caught some fish, so as we headed back to the rampwe counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Rebound Down South

 We elected to fish south this morning in hopes for some decent gamefish and the plan produced! Yesterday my anglers worked hard and caught a bunch of fish, but we had a few too many "junk" fish for my liking. I also added 2 dozen mud minnows to the arsenal. I picked up William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsville Park (I launched at Sawpit( and we made a quick run over to Pumpkin Hill to catch the last 30 minutes of the incoming tide Dara was on the stern drifting a float and shrimp long and William followed her off the bow and I think it may have been Williams first or second pass that he hooked up and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle. Dara was out ahead again with William following when we all saw William's line "Zip" back up stream and then his drag began to rip. I had the sinking feeling that he'd hooked up with a Bonnethead, but when it didn't run far my hopes rose. William fought it like it was going to be dinner and worked it to the surface, let it run, came back to the stern and worked it around the engine, then played it patiently - Dara saw that it was a huge Redfish!  He slowly brought it to the net and landed a 28.5" Oversized Redfish, big enough to take third place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish. 

After fishing a point as the tide paused, we then made a run back to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large drainage but didn't get a real bite. We ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point and withing seconds she had a good hookup and as I was landing her keeper sized Seatrout, William hooked up and brought one in. We fished forward a bit and picked up another keeper Trout. We made a stop in Jackstaff and fished a sandy drop off and here Dara had that tell-tell "thump" - she set the hook expertly and brought to the net a nice 17" Flounder,(2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament) William followed that up with a Flounder catch of is own. Back thru Horsehead we went, over to Back River where we drifted floats at a couple of spots. 

We fished some docks at Nassauville and even thought the wind was beginning to kick up a bit, we
made our way down the Nassau and set up at a drainage to fish the now exposed oysters. William had a strong bite, battled it while the drag was ripping, then it was gone! Ouch. But Dara followed with a good cast to the same spot and, Big Fish ON!  This one was ripping drag too and it got back in the current and made a fight out of it. But Dara was up to the challenge and worked it to the boat patiently and soon landed a nice 25" Slot sized Redfish. I didn't know it but while she was fighting her fish William had a Flounder on hold at the side of the boat and it took advantage of the delay and thru the hook! We had some good battles today, had a few in the box, had thrown back a big one so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Scoured The Bottom

 I was back to work today, fishing north after meeting Sal and Ginney Dickinson up at Old Town Bait and
Tackle early this morning. We had clear skies, no real rain predicted, and winds increasing to 12 mph as the day wore on. We made our first run over to Lanceford Creek and fished a large drainage, then a slim island of grass with float rigs and live shrimp, but only had a nibble, if you could call it that. After moving back down Lanceford we set up at another drainage and after a few casts Sal "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and expertly landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout. 

We then made the run up the Bell River and when we got up-river we fished between some docks. The duo hauled in a few Catfish, then Ginney hooked and landed a small Sea Bass. After easing closer and fishing back to the dock pilings Sal hooked and landed the ugliest fish of the day, a Toad Fish. We dropped back a few docks and fished them with the jigs and shrimp and found a small Black "puppy" Drum to bite.

Our next stop was around in the Jolley where we went back to float rigs for a bit, then back up the Jolley where we worked an exposed oyster bank with the jigs. Here we landed another couple of Black Drum and tangled with a high flying Ladyfish. Back down the Jolley we pulled up at the "Bank" and fished it pretty good with those jigs and here we had a bit of excitement - Ginney had a strong take that started ripping drag, heading down river. It was all Ginney could do to keep that rod bent - she followed the fish from the bow back to the stern and fought it from there. After a good, patient battle, she brought to the boat a big 4' Bonnethead Shark that we photographed and released.  My plan was to work the outside of Tyger for Flounder as the last stop but as we rounded the corner we were in white caps so we made our way in behind Tyger Island and fished the logs on that last of the outgoing tide. The duo were getting good casts but we had no takers so we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be out fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

A Fish So Big It Warranted A New Bragging Rights Category

 I knew that the Bragging Rights standings couldn't hold - we've had some big fish caught this year but
none of the Categories were headed by sizes that usually win for the year so I knew that sooner or later we'd get a big one. But first, we had a big one caught that I've never categorized - the big Black Drum. I think I've left it out because we could fish for those monsters in April and May and get 40,50, 60 pounders which would be tough to beat. But today we did get a 16 pound drum on my size 1000 reel and boy was it a battle!

I had met Fred and Chad Wammock up at Old Town Bait and Tackle early and we made along run up the Bell River to fish a deep bend with jigs and live shrimp on the last of an outgoing tide. I was looking for Seatrout and the spot didn't disappoint - the duo caught a good handful of them, one of which was of keeper size. . They also picked up a couple of Catfish so when Fred had a strong bite that was digging deep hard I thought for sure it was just going to be a massive Catfish, dang it. Fred stayed with it and patiently wore the big fish out and eventually worked it up where we saw it was a huge Black Drum - so big that we couldn't even call it a "puppy" Drum! It measured 31" and weighed 16lbs on my Boga. I created a "Special Appearance" on my Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Board just for this fish! Scroll down the right side of this report for standings. 

We then made our way around to the Jolley River and fished the MOA, but didn't have much luck there. After crossing over to JC's spot we did better. Much better. We hadn't fished the exposed shell long when it was Chad's turn to have the big battle. This fish was ripping line and when it rolled a couple of times we new it was a big Redfish and boy was it. Chad stayed with it and worked it in patiently and soon landed a 32.25" Redfish, which tops the Bragging Rights Board for Redfish caught this year. 

We fished down at the Jolley Bank where the duo picked up another keeper Trout and a keeper Black "puppy" Drum. After dropping back and fishing Tyger Point with floats and getting another Trout or two, we ended the day back at Tyger logs where they topped off the day by catching a hungry Flounder for a Grande Slam - Seatrout, Redfish, Black Drum, and Flounder. We had a beautiful day, had s few fish in the box, had caught some big fish for memories and so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Scuttlebutt: Sawpit Boat Ramp Again In Dire Straits

 I'm not sure if I make my point clear in the video - I don't have a prepared script. In a nutshell, you'd think from all the news reports about our State of Florida's thriving economy that State could at least maintain the assets that they have, much less provide decent facility for we boaters to access the water. Those access's are severely limited in our area - the Fernandina City marina is hindered by its poor location,  traffic and parking issues. The County's Goffinsville Park is closed for 9-12 months due to poor planning and engineering. The County's Dee Dee Bartels Park is dangerous to your boat and guests due to boat wakes, and once again, the Big Talbot Island State Park ramp at Sawpit is going to pot.

Rolling To A Good Week

 After running up Lanceford to Oyster Bay, I picked up Kenny King, John Raker and John's mother Betty
at their dock then we made a long run back down Lanceford, up the Bell and around to the Jolley to make our first stop at the MOA just as the tide started back in. We were fishing jigs and shrimp and in short order Kenny had hooked and landed two Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size. Betty, fishing off the stern in her customary chair, had a nice strong bite right under the boat -she battled it to the surface and landed an angry Catfish. Betty also had a long battle with a big Bonnethead Shark - she and John teamed up on it and landed it for pictures and release. 

We moved across the river and fished a bend of oysters where John picked up a feisty Redfish and a small Sea Bass. Kenny added a small Croaker to the catch list. We then ran down the Jolley and fished the "bank" and towards the mouth both Kenny and John hooked and landed Redfish, one being in the Slot. We went back up the river to Snook Creek and switched to floats. John went up into the mouth of the creek and quickly caught a Seatrout while Kenny put a small Flounder in the boat. 

We ended the day on the outside of Tyger and it was a pretty good ending. Kenny's first or second cast into the mouth of a drainage produced a keeper sized Flounder, then they caught another one or two, then as we eased up the bank Betty had a good hookup and landed another keeper sized Flounder. Another Seatrout was caught then John had a drag ripping bite - he worked it in patiently and landed the biggest Red of the day, a nice 21" Slot fish. It had been a beautiful day, we had a  nice box of fish, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Slammed It at the End

 I fished with Jim Leshinski this morning, meeting him up at Old Town Bait and Tackle early and just as the tide had started in, we headed out of Egans Creek and made our way up to the Jolley River to escape the crowds. After running a ways up the Jolley we made our first stop at the MOA began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the exposed oyster bars. We worked around them back to front, then back and there Jim had a strong thump - he set the hook and landed a nice Seatrout. He went back to the same location and within minutes he had another strong thump and this one put up a good fight. Jim worked it patiently to the boat and landed a nice 18" Seatrout. We fished across the bend at JC's spot, then ran back down the river and fished the "bank" with the jigs. Jim had a huge battle with a 20lb Bonnethead on that light outfit, and boated it for pictures and release -all fish caught today were released.

We came back to Snook Creek and fished that with float rigs and picked up a small Flounder then we
moved back down to Tyger Cut where we had some good action. Jim hooked and landed another couple of Trout, then went long to pick up a big 19"+ oversized Trout, then battled another 4' Bonnethead to the boat. Our final stop was around on the outside of Tyger where we worked along the flooded bank - Jim picked up two more Flounder, one of which was of keeper size, then he had a strong take and got some drag ripping before he landed an "almost legal" Redfish to round out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam. We had beautiful weather for the first three day of this week, had put some fish in the boat today, and so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

New Strategy Pays Off

 

After yesterday's dismal luck fishing Broward Island's downed logs we decided to go a different route and fish shell beds using jigs on the lower tides and float rigs on the higher tides, and it paid off with some good action!  I met John Raker, his mother Betty and their friend Kenny down at Sawpit Creek and after running up the intracoastal, turning up the Nassau River, we made our first stop at Spanish Drop and turned into the current. All three anglers were pitching jigs and live shrimp and about half way up the bank Kenny hit paydirt and hooked up and landed a nice feisty Redfish.  We moved down the bank to Twin Creeks and worked it good and here both Kenny put

two Slot Reds in the boat and Betty added one of her own - we had our limit! Along the way we battled Bonnethead Sharks, Jack Crevalle, a keeper sized Flounder, and high flying Ladyfish. 

We then ran down to Pumpkin Hill and went with float rigs and picked up a couple of Seatrout, battled some more Shark and Jacks and Ladyfish, then John battled a huge Redfish for a good while before it managed to break off. They added a small Black "puppy drum" to the catch total, too. Back up at Bubblegum Reef we worked the bank with the floats and here Kenny had his battle with a big Redfish and this one too figured how to throw the

hook. But we had had a beautiful day, had some nice fish 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.