Amelia Island Fly Fishing Slam

We had a sunny day to greet us this morning, albeit with a slight wind that was expected to gain strength as the day wore on. I had met Cathy Case and here cousin Julie down at the City marina to get in a half day of fly fishing here at Amelia Island and with two 8w fly rods and a 7w rigged up, we headed up Lanceford Creek to fish some flooded grass with a Clouser Minnow tied on a long leader. Cathy was making excellent casts to the grass but we had no takers so we eased back a ways to fish between two docks with an Intermediate line and a shrimp pattern. I think it was Cathy's second
cast when she had a hookup and after playing the fish perfectly, she landed a nice hungry Seatrout. She switched to the 7w which had a floating line but a long 9' leader and drifted her small Clouser Minnow deep, bumping it across the bottom and after a few casts she said she felt a strange "bump" then the line got heavy, then, FISH ON!  She worked the fish to the surface and we saw why it was a strange bite - it was a nice keeper sized Flounder! After fishing that area we made the run to fish Eagans Creek (and get out of the wind) but no fish cooperated here. Our final stop was over at Tiger Island, switching back to the rod with the Intermediate line and shrimp pattern. Cathy made an excellent cast up near a downed log and BOOM! BIG FISH ON! And it was a big one! She kept the pressure on, kept her rod up, but gave it some line as the big fish pulled. When it got back in the current Cathy followed it to the stern of the boat and took the battle to the fish which she soon landed - a Slot Sized 25" Red Fish, boy what a fish! We worked the island from one end to the other then called it a day, another great one to be caching an Amelia Island Back Country Slam!

Trout Bring Us Back

After a slow day yesterday I was looking forward to redeeming myself today! I met Jim Hanger and his son-in-law Steve and grandson Nathan down at the Atlantic Seafood dock. We had a live well full of live shrimp and mud minnows and with the tide getting low and still going out, we made our first stop up at Eagans Creek to fish some dock pilings. The three anglers began making their casts to the pilings and after a short while they began to get bites then hookups. Most of the fish were out deep, on the bottom and
very subtle - a bump, bump, bump and a hookup. Steve got it going with a keeper sized Trout then Nathan hauled one in then Jim got in on the action when he boated a keeper sized Redfish. Then all three anglers were jockeying for position to get their casts up to the pilings and it was a fish catching time for a good while. After putting a few more keeper sized fish in the box along with a bunch of throw backs we ran around to Tiger Island to fish the incoming tide.  We had neighbors fishing but we were able to find some spots to fish.  Nathan added another keeper sized Trout and all three
anglers had fish.  As the fish bite slowed to a halt we decided to head in and count it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Work'n Hard for Fish

We had another sunny day today with clear skies, but somewhat cooler.  I had met Kyle and Racquel Rausch down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp early and with temperatures in the low 40's we were all bundled up and ready to go. We made the first run straight up the Nassau River, picked a dock to fish at Seymore's Pointe and worked the pilings on the very last of an outgoing tide...and had no real bites. We moved to the other side of the dock, fished it for a while...and had no real bites. Ouch! After a run through Horsehead we fished an exposed oyster bank thoroughly
with both anglers making excellent casts to the bank and again, no real bites! What's with this? The wind was picking up and I could see a good chop building out in Amelia River so we ran back through Horsehead and found a sheltered spot to fish the rocks along Seymore's Pointe. I think it was Kyle's first cast, an excellent one right up to the rocks, and BOOM! Fish on!  He played the fish perfectly and after nice battle landed feisty Redfish to knock the "skunk" off the boat.  I think I was happier than he was! But we had no more fish after that. We fished Broward Island briefly but the north wind was kicking our butts so we went over to Christopher Creek where I barely made through the mouth.  This time Kyle found a Redfish down deep and boated it with ease. He had a couple of more good bites, some drag ripped, but the fish threw the hook and after really working the area good, we called it a day, another great one to be out on the water at Amelia Island, Florida.

A Flurry of Fish Catch'n Early

It was cool and "breezy" yet sunny this morning when I met Michelle McGee and her boyfriend William down at the Atlantic Seafood dock.  But we were ready for the cold and after the first run things began to heat up. Both Michelle and William were tossing jigs and live shrimp and it wasn't long before Michelle "knocked the skunk off" when she landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout. Then right after that William hooked up with hard fighting feisty Redfish and after patiently playing the fish, he worked him to the net. From
then on for about an hour the two anglers were catching fish. The landed a handful of Seatrout and about 6-7 total Redfish. We worked the area thoroughly then ran over to Bell River to fish a flooded oyster bank with float rigs and shrimp. After getting no real bites we made a longer run up to Lanceford Creek, fished a marsh lined shore and caught three more hungry Seatrout. Our last stop was further up Lanceford at a grass patch and again they found a few more Trout with William pulling in another, bigger, keeper sized one. The sun was up and things had warmed up nicely and we knew as we headed in that it is was another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island.