Sharks Prove Pesky

We had a beautiful morning and early afternoon to fish today and I had the pleasure to take Jack and Cynthia Holler along with their friend Tammy out on the back waters of Amelia Island.  We met down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp and headed up the Amelia River, ducking in to Jackstaff to fish the very first of an outgoing tide.  I started the anglers out with live shrimp under floats and even though we had a couple of good bites at the first stop, we had no takers.  We moved over to fish "Jackstaff Bank" and this did the trick.  All three started getting bites  and eventually Tammy got the "skunk off the boat" by landing a nice 18" keeper sized Seatrout.  All the anglers tangled with Ladyfish then Jack had a strong bite, his rod bent over, and the drag began to sing, FISH ON!  This fish went around the boat a couple of times but we used the rod to subdue the beast and we eventually surfaced a 4' Bonnethead Shark!  Cynthia then caught a nice hungry Seatrout then Jack did battle with another Bonnethead.  We made a run around to Nassau River and fished a runout, picking up another couple of Trout, fighting another couple of Ladyfish, tangling with another couple of Sharks and landing one undersized Flounder.  A storm was coming up so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

Trout Rule the Day

I fished this afternoon with Margaret Lumos and her friends Diane and Butch on the last couple of  hours of an incoming tide.  The anglers were using jigs and shrimp and mud minnows and both were getting eaten.  We had made the run up to Jolley River to fish Jolley Bank and it wasn't long before Diane had hooked up with a hungry Seatrout.  I believe she caught one or two more then Margaret got "on the board" by landing another keeper sized Seatrout.  All the anglers had tangled with Ladyfish but it was Butch who put the first one in the boat.  Our next stop was up at Snook Creek and we had some pretty good bites with one being what looked to be a nice Redfish, but it threw the hook, OUCH!  We eased around to the MOA and before the GPS in the trolling motor could settle, Diane was catching fish!  She landed one, two then three Seatrout right off the bat!  While she was re-baiting, her brother Butch jumped in and picked up another Trout.  He also landed a feisty little Black "puppy" Drum.  We cast netted for some finger mullet then made the run back to the logs of Tiger and even though the tide was where I liked it, and even though the anglers had numerous bites, we had no takers.  After that, we headed in, counting it as another great day to be out fishing Amelia Island waters!

Katie Teaching Lessons

John Crowley had set up a two boat fishing trip this morning with his workmates and The Anglers Mark hosted John and his friends Katie and Bill.  We headed up to fish the outside of Tiger Island on the last couple of hours of an incoming tide.  The anglers were tossing live shrimp and mud minnows under floats up near the flooded grass, but only had a couple of nibbles.  We then moved around closer to the mouth of Tiger Basin and set up outside of a creek run  out as the tide turned and started out.  Katie "got the skunk off" by landing a nice hungry Seatrout.and added another shortly afterwards. We ran around behind Tiger, fished the logs briefly, then headed up to Jolley River to fish the oysters at Snook Creek, but to no avail.  Our next stop was at Jolley Bank and this did the trick with Katie landing three more Seatrout, with two being of keeper size.  Bothe Bill and John had tangled with the Ladyfish and eventually Bill was able to keep one on the hook and land the acrobatic fish.  It was a beautiful morning and a great one to be fishing out on Amelia Island waters.

Ready for some Football!

I make it a point to try and not talk politics and college football on the boat.  Once in a while I get drawn in but I try and stay away from the topics.  BUT, truth be known I'm a Gator fan, graduating in 1983 from the University of Florida.  With that said, I've been getting Jeff Davis to do repair work on my rods, mostly replacing bad eyes and rod tips.  I visited his booth at a local marine/fishing show and he had a rod in Gator colors so I had him build a custom rod for me.  It's 6' long, medium action with  the split grip and down locking reel seat.  Jeff upgraded the eyes and did some Orange and Blue wraps, added a Gator logo and hand laid my name on the rod.  I added a brand new Shimano Stradic 1000FJ reel loaded with orange 10'b braid.  I'm ready for football!  Contact Jeff Davis at jake401@bellsouth.net to get your custom rod built.  CLICK ON PICTURES FOR CLOSE UPS!   I'm sure he'll do a Dawg or Nole if you ask him to!

Lucky $2 David

I had three generations fishing with me this morning - Aaron Self, his sons Isaac and David and their granddad Charlie Saunders.  We met at the Atlantic Seafood dock at the Fernandina Beach city marina and headed north, making a first stop outside of Tiger Island to fish float rigs with live mud minnows.  We had no real bites but the anglers were just warming up.  Grand dad Charlie let it be known that he had a few $2 bills back at the hotel for the first and 2nd fish brought to the boat and that lit a fire under the younger anglers.  We made a run up to the Jolley River, fished a small marsh run out, had a few decent bites, but  no takers.  We then move to a larger creek mouth and this was the ticket.  Young David earned his nickname "Lucky $2 David" when his float disappeared and a fish fight ensued!  David played the fish patiently and soon landed a nice Slot Redfish! Shortly after that he put a hungry Seatrout in the boat then landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  But the other anglers weren't to be denied and they soon got in on the action.  Isaac persevered and began to boat fish - first a hungry Seatrout then a nice Slot Redfish.  All of the anglers seemed to tangle with  the acrobatic Ladyfish but they all were throwing the hook before we could get them in the boat and get a picture!  We made our last stop back at Jolley Bank and again the fishing was fast and furious!  The anglers caught a couple of more feisty Redfish,  a couple of hungry Seatrout then Grand dad decided to show them how it was done.  He had a good hookup and patiently played his big fish, landing another Slot Redfish!  But Isaac was after the elusive Ladyfish and this time when his float disappeared and sliced through the water he kept the pressure on and quickly reeled in the "Poor Man's Tarpon", a Ladyfish for picture and release.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters.

Two Big Fish

Ron Paxton was visiting his hometown of Callahan and took in an Amelia Island back country fishing trip with his brother Lee, nephew Paul and friend Wade. We met down at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina this afternoon and made a run up to the Jolley River to fish the first of an incoming tide.  The anglers were tossing jigs and shrimp to the exposed oyster bed and I believe Wades first cast produced a strong hookup!  Wade worked the fish patiently to the boat and landed a nice Redfish.  We continued to fish the bank and then Wade landed a keeper sized Seatrout.    Both Ron and Lee had Ladyfish hookups and all the anglers had to deal with the pesky Croaker.  We ran further up the river, fished some more oysters and here Paul landed a nice Seatrout and Ron landed another feisty Redfish.  We fished a small creek but had no real bites then made the run to Tiger Island.  Paul rounded out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam with a Flounder catch and Ron caught one, too.  Our next stop was Temptation Cove on a flooded high tide.  We had a few bites on live shrimp under a float but no real takers.  As we were leaving the Cove we checked out some flooded grass flats and immediately saw tails!  Redfish tails!  One was barely in casting distance but it just wouldn't eat then Paul spotted a different tail only 15' from the boat. Wade dropped his mud minnow under a float near the fish and a minute later we saw a boil near is bait but thought the fish missed it.  Seconds later his float slowly began to disappear and Wade set the hook, FISH ON!  It was a furious, but brief battle - I don't think the big fish knew what had got a hold of him!  Wade kept the pressure on and we netted a nice Slot 23" Redfish!  We checked out a few more flats and saw a few more Redfish tailing but they were too far away to cast to.  After fishing a grass line for Trout we made one last run to the outside of Tiger Island. The water was high, high, high but we had a few minutes to spare.  We had had no bites and most of the anglers had put there rods away when Lee yelled, "FISH ON" and his rod bent double!  The drag was ripping and we could tell he had a big fish on.  Lee worked the fish patiently and eventually we landed the 21 1/2" Seatrout.  This fish placed Lee in 3rd place in The Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout category. Scroll down the right side of this report for standings.  Now that's the way to wrap up a great day of fishing out on Amelia Island waters!

Beginning with a Bang

I fished this morning with Joanne Esch and her friends Frank, Kim and Jim, launching from the Atlantic Seafood dock down at the City marina in downtown Fernandina Beach, and running up to the Jolley River to fish the first of an outgoing tide.  I think it was the first cast when we hooked up with a keeper sized Seatrout and Joanne worked it in patiently to the landing net.  Only a minute or so later Kim caught a high flying Ladyfish.  We had a few more Ladyfish hookups that threw the hook then Jim landed another keeper sized Seatrout then  a nice feisty Redfish.  We fished up a small creek, had a few nibbles, then, hit the MOA spot with no real bites, then ran to Jolley Bank and switched to jigs and shrimp.   It didn't take long for Kim to land another keeper sized Seatrout and Frank put a larger Whiting in the box.  All of the anglers had their share of dealing with the pesky Croaker.  It was an overcast morning but that and the light breeze made it a perfect day to be fishing out on Amelia Island waters!

Keeper Sized Trout

Another beautiful morning and a great fishing day!  I met Aaron Perlstein and his day Mitchell down at Big Talbot Island Park and we headed up to the Horsehead area to fish the first of an outgoing tide.  We had exactly (9) shrimp...and a bait well full of mud minnows and we began fishing with the float rigs.  It wasn't long before Aaron had a hookup and he soon landed a thrashing keeper sized Seatrout.  What a great way to start a fishing trip!  Shortly after that he had another hookup but this fish buried deep then boiled at the grass line - a nice Redfish!  Aaron played the fish patiently and after a good battle, landed a slot sized 22" Redfish!  We fished the bank for a while and when we came to a large creek mouth Mitchell switched to a jig and minnow and it may have been his first cast - BOOM!  Fish on!  He fought the fish from bow to stern and around the engine and eventually landed another big keeper sized Seatrout.!  We worked the bank a second time with jigs and picked up a couple of more keeper Trout then another feisty Redfish.  Our 2nd stop was at Twin Creeks over in the Nassau River and found a nice Ladyfish to battle with.  We then made a run over to Broward Island fished the deep river bottom and BOOM!  Both anglers had a hookup - a Double!  Mitchell boated a nice feisty Redfish and Aaron landed another keeper sized Seatrout.  After Mitchell fought and released another Ladyfish, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

Poor Man's Tarpon

I had the pleasure of fishing with Dale Bullard again, who brought along his high school and college buddy, Steve.  We met down at the City docks yesterday afternoon and made a run up to the Jolley River to fish an incoming tide with jigs and shrimp.  The conditions seemed perfect but it must have been just too hot cause all we did was feed the oysters and Croaker!  We then made a run to fish the logs of Tiger Island and here we picked up a couple of Sheepshead with Steve's being the largest and of keeper size.  We fished outside of Tiger over some now flooded oysters, had no luck then made a move further south and this did the trick.  By this time all of us were just looking for some action and we found it with a whole handful of 24" long high flying Ladyfish.  It was almost non stop action for about an hour with both anglers tangling with the acrobatic fish.  We then checked out some marshes as the tide was supposed to flood and even though there were a few spots that flooded, we saw no Redfish tailing.  One final stop at Temptation Cove produced a few bites and one very good hookup but it just wasn't to be.  We wrapped the trip up, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Grande Slam

I got to fish again with the Moore family again yesterday - Daniel and Donna and their kids Ansley and Landon.  This time we mixed it up, launching from the Atlantic Seafood dock down at the City marina and with picture perfect weather, headed up Lanceford Creek to fish some dock pilings on the first of an outgoing tide.  The anglers were getting Croaker bites when Landon and Daniel finally hooked up,  boating a nice feisty Redfish. A little later Daniel had a strong bite and this fish was ready for a fight!  But he and Landon were up to the task and after a good battle, landed a big 18" Black "puppy" Drum!  We then made a run around to Tiger Island and here Ansley got in on the action, catching a hard fighting Redfish and then a fat keeper sized Seatrout.   Landon followed it by outsmarting the sneaky Sheepshead.   The Moore family now had an Amelia Island Grande Slam of  Redfish, Drum, Seatrout and Sheepshead.  We made a run up into Jolley River, sparred with the Croaker, then Daniel's patience paid off when he boated one more feisty Redfish.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

A Total Team Effort

We fished out of Fernandina Beach today, leaving the Atlantic Seafood dock and heading up to fish the Tiger Island logs on an outgoing tide.  I had Jim and Ronnie Voigt along who were visiting Amelia Island and staying at the beautiful  Elizabeth Pointe Lodge - an easy 5 minutes to the Marina.  Jim was tossing a fly and Ronnie was pitching a jig and shrimp with a spinning outfit.  We fished the logs thoroughly, had a few good bites, but only picked up a single fat Seatrout.  We then made a run up to Jolley River to fish "the Bank" on the last of an outgoing tide and this did the trick.  Jim picked up another hard hitting Seatrout, then a good Slot sized Redfish.  I was thinking "it'd be nice to get a Slam" when Jim hooked up on a good bite.  This fish fought differently than the rest and sure enough when Jim worked it to the surface we saw that it was a 16" keeper sized Flounder, giving these anglers an Amelia Island Back Country Slam.  All fish caught today were released to be caught another day!  We continued to fish the bank, caught another Trout, moved further up the river, caught another Trout, then move on around to the "Mother of All" spots where both anglers picked up Trout.  We made one last stop back at the Bank and after landing a couple of Rays were almost ready to call it a day.  I had tossed a jig and shrimp up near the bank and handed off to Ronnie who patiently fished it when BAM! FISH ON!  She fought the fish away from the oysters then handed it off to Jim who patiently played the fish.  It went deep, back to the stern then back around towards shore but Jim kept the pressure on and we eventually landed a big 26 1/2"  "Tournament" Redfish!  Boy what a fish!  And that was a great way to wrap up a good day of fishing the back waters of Amelia Island!

Ladyfish, Jacks and a Big Red

I met the Moore family, Daniel and Donna along with their two kids Ansley and Landon down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp this morning and we headed up to the Horsehead area to fish the last couple of hours of an outgoing tide.  We were fishing with jigs and shrimp, slow on the bottom and it took a while to get some bites.  It was one of the first days I've seen where there was a lot of bait movement up in the shallows and maybe  the fish had too much to eat!  But these anglers were patient and eventually young Ansley "got the skunk off the boat" and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.  She followed that up with a high humping Ladyfish - the "poor mans Tarpon".  We fished the area for about an hour and half, had some bites, but no real takers, then headed around to the Nassau River to fish Bubblegum Reef.  Again, we had nibbles and luckily Ansley was doing her thing because she landed another Jack.   The rest of us had a good hookup or two, lost them, then Landon reeled in a couple of feisty Croaker.  We then made a run to Broward Island to fish the very last of an outgoing tide and once again, Ansley found a Ladyfish!  But shortly after, Daniel had a subtle nibble, a strong bite, and he set the hook, FISH ON!  He put young Landon on the rod and together they fought the fish away from the tree limbs, out into the deep water, then from bow to stern.  The big fish got into the current and gave a valiant fight but he was no match for the Moore family!  Ansley was "coaching 'em up" and Donna manned the catch net and they soon landed a big 26 3/4" "Tournament Red"!  Boy what a fish and boy what a fight!  The anglers added one more keeper sized Seatrout then we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

Clay Roberts Memorial Fishing Tournament

Plan to fish the Seventh Annual ClayRoberts Inshore Slam Fishing and Junior Angler Tournaments scheduled for Saturday June 14^th, 2014.  Clay's parents Gary and Terry Roberts founded In River Or Ocean (IROO)  in memory of their son Clay.  In River Or Ocean is dedicated to promoting the protection, restoration and rational management of all river and ocean resources, working as a steward of the waterways by providing educational opportunities regarding conservation and responsible use and care of our natural resources for this and future generations.

The ClayRoberts Inshore Slam Fishing Tournament has become a tradition for the fishing community on Father’s Day weekend and is fun for the whole family.
Clay’s two greatest passions in life were being on the water fishing, and spending time with his family and friends. The IROO strives to make sure that Clay’s tournament is an event the whole family will enjoy.  Whether people fish or not, they welcome them to come on out for the weigh-in and enjoy the food from Terry’s Kitchen.  It is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  They hope people will discover the magic that Clay found in our rivers an oceans.

Biggest Flounder to Date

We've had an outstanding run of good weather lately and my Minnesota guests Nick Cress and Marnie Brown were glad to have it!  We met at the Atlantic Seafood dock this morning to take advantage of the first of an incoming tide and headed north, making our first stop behind Tiger Island.  Nick was tossing a 7w and 8w fly rod and was making excellent casts to the exposed bank while Marnie was using a spinning outfit with live shrimp on a jig.  It appeared the fish liked the live stuff better because Marnie had good bites right off and landed a handful of hard fighting Sheepshead.  We worked the island back and forth, had a bite here and there, then had a subtle bite and hookup up, FISH ON!  Marnie played the fish patiently and after a good battle landed a nice 18" Flounder - the biggest we've had all year.  This fish puts Marnie in 1st place in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  We fished for just a while longer, then headed up to Jolley River to fish the Bank.  Nick showed some real persistence with the fly rod, but the fish just weren't taking the flies.  Marnie had bites of small Croaker, caught a few, then we headed further up the river.  Our last stop was in Snook Creek and both Marnie and Nick boated hungry Seatrout.  Nick also caught a very nice Whiting.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

His First Redfish

If yesterday was pretty then today was outstandingly beautiful in the back waters of Amelia Island!  I fished with Ricky Weber, his son in law Patrick and grandson Taylor. We had met at the Atlantic Seafood dock in downtown Fernandina Beach and headed north up to Jolley River to fish the first of an incoming tide.  We fished Jolley Bank with jigs and shrimp, with Ricky putting the first fish in the boat, a hungry Flounder. But even though the anglers had bites the entire length of the bank,  they landed only pesky Perch.  We ran further up the river, fished another bank with jigs, had no real bites, then switched to some float rigs, and BOOM!  Caught fish right off! Crazy.  Patrick had been the first to switch to the float and he picked up a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  Then Taylor tried his hand with the float and he too put a Trout in the boat. Patrick landed a high jumping Ladyfish then Taylor took up a battle with a feisty Redfish - the first that he has ever caught.  We fished a large creek then headed over to Tiger Island to fish the logs on a high tide, which is something I don't normally do.  But the anglers had strong hookups, big fish that bent the rods double and caused the drag to sing, but this fish were wily and found their way back to the tree branches and broke themselves off.  Ricky did have a good hookup and landed a nice keeper sized Sheepshead, giving the anglers an Amelia Island Grande Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, Flounder, and Sheepshead!  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

Most and Biggest

We had a beautiful morning today, clear skies and sunny, a bit cool, but a great day to be out on Amelia Island waters.  I met Verne Murray and his son--in-law Pete down at the City docks and headed up to Tiger Island to fish a tide that had been coming in for a couple of hours.  The anglers tossed jigs and live shrimp to the deep bottom and had a few bites here and there before Verne knocked "the skunk off" by landing a hungry Seatrout.  We continued to fish the area, had some bites but no takers, then headed up to fish the Jolley River and Jolley Bank.  Again, they had bites, this time on float rigs with shrimp underneath, and eventually Verne picked up another Seatrout, this one somewhat fatter than the first.  Our next stop was further up Jolley where we fished the mouth of a creek then we eased into the creek. Verne again landed a Seatrout and Pete was beginning to feel the pressure of a potential "skunk" on the fishing trip!  But no, only moments after he switched to a jig/shrimp combo he had a subtle bite and even though we knew it was a fish it first seemed rather small but then the fish took off, FISH ON!  Now it began to fight, running off the stern for a good 40yards, ripping the drag and putting  a deep bend in the rod.  Then the fish went under the boat, around the stern and back to the bow.  It ran between the trolling motor and boat to where Pete had to pass the rod between the two, but he kept the pressure on and stayed with the fish.  After a couple of more trips around the boat Pete was able to tire the big fish out and we soon netted a 3 1/2' Bonnethead Shark!  Boy what a fight!  We fished the area for just a little while, hit one more spot, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing Amelia Island waters!

Running Boggy Creek

Kevin and Jean Henson were back visiting Amelia Island with their daughter Jill and her fiance Jack and decided to take in the "Florida Swamp" fishing trip where we run way back up into Boggy Creek and fish for Bass and Bluegill.  It was a beautiful morning today when we launched from Nassau Landing and made the run.  The tide was right and although we didn't pick up any Bass both Jill and Jack caught some very colorful "Redbelly" Bream.  This fishing trip is ideal for Fly Fishers who want to experience the "real Florida". The fly rod is ideal for putting a small popping bug up near the cypress stumps or under neath a low lying branch.  Although there is a better chance of catching Bream rather than Bass, it's still a great way to get in some fly fishing while visiting Amelia Island.  I call it "southern Trout fishing"!

Stay at a Holiday Inn

"The Guys" came over from Lake Butler again this year, George Bowlin and his friends Jerry and Ray.  I met them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp this morning and we headed over to the Horsehead area to fish the last hour of an incoming tide.  George was tossing a topwater lure while Jerry and Jay fished float rigs with live shrimp up near the grass.  It took awhile but they finally began to get some hookups.  Ray started it off by landing a hungry Jack Crevalle, and then he put a 2nd in the boat.  Then all the anglers began to catch fish - hard fighting Jack's and high jumping Ladyfish. I guess these two species have arrived in the back waters of Amelia Island.  But one of these three anglers evidently had stayed at a Holiday Inn recently - George - who had switched to a jig and shrimp - and had a big bite, BOOM! FISH ON!  This big fish immediately began to take line, making the drag sing.  It ran out deep then ran back up into the marsh, then headed right to the boat, making George think that he'd lost the fish!  But nope, it was still Fish On!  George fought the big fish patiently, from bow to stern and from starboard to port then landed the oversized 30.5" Redfish!  Wow what a fish!  We continued to fish the area, picking up more Jacks and Ladyfish, then made a run around to Broward Island to fish the downed logs.  The anglers had to work for them but they picked up two keeper sized Flounder, a couple of smaller ones, a feisty Redfish,  and found three keeper sized Sheepshead with Jerry landing the largest one.  We fished until we ran out of bait, then headed in, counting it as another great day to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Flounder Are Here!

I fished yesterday afternoon with Joe Segraves and his son David and it was great to have them back after fishing with them back in 2010!  We first hit some docks up in Lanceford Creek first and even though the tide was right, the water was real muddy from a south east wind.  However, Joe was able to land a keeper sized Flounder and David put a Croaker in the boat. We headed around to Tiger Island and fished the first of an incoming tide.  Here, the anglers picked up a couple of keeper sized Seatrout, four feisty Redfish, two more keeper sized Flounder and a small Black "puppy" Drum which gave them their Amelia Island Back Country "Grande" Slam!  We made our last stop up in the Jolley River and had a good time catching high flying Ladyfish and hard fighting Jack Crevalle along with another hungry Seatrout.  Joe and David had to work for them but between the Flounder and Sheepshead, they had a great meal to take home!

Birthday Fishing Trip

Mike and Steve Johnson took their dad Bud on a birthday fishing trip yesterday morning on The Anglers Mark.  We met down at the Atlantic Seafood dock and headed up to the Jolley River to fish the first of an outgoing tide.  Mike tossed a top water lure while Bud and Steve fished with live shrimp under a float.  Steve got the "skunk off" by landing a hungry Seatrout then Bud hooked up and FISH ON!  His line and float ripped across the water as the big fish headed deep, bending Bud's rod over and making the drag sing!  But Bud was up to the the task and fought the fish patiently, run after run.  He eventually subdued the beast, a 3.5' Bonnethead Shark!  We later fished the MOA then ran back to Jolley Bank and here the action got hot.  Steve landed a keeper sized Seatrout then all the anlgers were catching Jack Crevalle and Ladyfish.  Every once in a while they'd pick up another Seatrout or a feisty Redfish, and added a Bluefish and Whiting, too. Mike added another Redfish and so did Bud.  We made our last stop at Tiger Island and again the anglers were on fire, landing 2 more keeper sized Seatrout, a couple of more Redfish, and two keeper sized Sheepsheads.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Shawn's Bank the Hot Ticket

I had a trip set  up today by Capt. Scott Stewart, fishing out of Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina, with a group here during a conference/business meeting.  We left the marina with Scott and Keli Backes and their friend Shawn and headed straight up to the Jolley River to fish the first of an outgoing tide.  The anglers were tossing live shrimp under floats and after a short while Keli had a strong hookup, FISH ON!  And boy what a fight the fish put up.  It ran strong and hard, away from shore, out from the bank, then dove deep. But Keli kept the pressure on and eventually subdued the beast - a 34" Bonnethead Shark!  Boy, that will wake you up!  We continued to fish and Scott's rod got hot. He landed a fat Seatrout and a feisty Redfish. We fished on up into a creek, then moved around to the MOA but had not luck at either.  Our next stop was back at Jolley Bank, now renamed Shawn's Bank because we hadn't fished long before Shawn started putting fish into the boat.  He started with a high jumping Ladyfish - the "poor man's Tarpon", then had a Jack Crevalle.  He made another cast to the bank and the minute his jig and shrimp hit the bottom, BOOM!  FISH ON!  He worked the fish patiently and eventually we landed a nice 18.5"  Slot Redfish!  Then all the anglers heated up, catching more Jack's, a Bluefish, a Whiting, another Redfish or two, and a handful of Seatrout.  We worked the bank, catching fish, hit one more spot, then called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Patience and Perseverance

That could have been our nicknames today.  And a beautiful day it was!  I had met Chet Johnston down at the City marina this morning with plans to fish the back waters of Amelia Island.  We headed up to the Jolley River to fish an outgoing tide with the oysters already fully exposed.  Chet started off with a float rig and live shrimp and after fishing 40 feet or so, had his float disappear and FISH ON!  He fought and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  But for another 30-40 minutes we had no fish, even though we had a few good bites.
We ran to Jolley Bank and fished it with jigs and shrimp and after fishing for  awhile, Chet landed a feisty Redfish.  So we were getting a fish here and there but it wasn't like we were overheating our reel drags! Our next stop was at Tiger logs and here the drags heated up!  Chet found his own Sheepshead hole, pulling out a couple of small ones then landed a couple of keeper sized ones.  We eased up the bank and got into some Flounder, again landing a couple of small ones and then a couple of keeper sized ones -one being 16.5" which put Chet at the top of the leaderboard in the Anglers Mark 2014 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder category. Scroll down the right side of this report for standings.   With a Trout, Redfish, Sheepshead and Flounder, Chet already had his Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam - but then he landed a hungry Puppy Drum to make it a "Super Grande Slam"!  We put two Jack Crevalle in the boat and a nice whiting, too.  Then Chet hooked up, the rod bent, and his drag ripped - another nice FISH ON!  He played the fish patiently and when it headed to some downed limbs, pulled it out and away.  After a good battle we netted a nice 25" Slot Redfish!  We found another keeper sized Seatrout then headed over to Lanceford Creek to fish some dock pilings.  Here, Chet added another keeper sized Seatrout and caught, landed and released a handful of feisty Redfish.  With that, we called it a day, another great one to be out on Amelia Island waters!

Swamp Life

I fished again today with Cathy Case and her cousin Julie, but this time we went off island to launch at Nassau Landing and run way back up in the swamps of Boggy Creek.  This was an all fly fishing day and we couldn't have asked for a better one.  There was clear skies, balmy temperatures, and just a slight enough breeze to keep any bugs away.  We got far enough up the creek to get into fresh water and cypress trees and Cathy began tossing an 8w with a popping bug.  She had a couple of rolls at it, switched then switched to a 5w with a popping bug and picked up a beautiful Red Belly.  We tried a number of flies and had a couple of hookups on a leach type fly.  Another Red Breast was caught on a popping bug then Cathy had a strong hookup on a 7w with the leach pattern.  This 22" fish put up a good fight and at first we thought it was a Catfish but when we got it in the boat we saw that it wasn't.  I had to do some research but it looks like a Mudfish/Bowfin - not the Bass we were looking for but still a good fight on a fly rod. We continued to fish but the sun had gotten up so we called it a day, another great one to be "off island" of Amelia!