Are The Flounder Coming In?

Boy what a beautiful morning! It was still a little chilly but only one light jacket chilly! The sun was coming up when I met Scott Alphers, his daughters Sidney and Quinn and their friend Misty, down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp. We headed up the intercoastal, dipped into Jackstaff, and began fishing a marsh run out with float rigs and live shrimp. We had a nibble here and there them Quinn yelled that she had fish on and sure enough, she did! She reeled it in like a pro and we counted the Bluefish catch as "skunk off the boat". As we were getting pictures, Scott reeled one
in, too. We fished a stretch of marsh grass, crossed over and fished another stretch, and here Scott caught a nice Flounder.  Then Misty put a Flounder in the boat and a small Seatrout. Sidney was making excellent casts - probably the best of all the anglers - and she patiently and persistently worked her bait and jig. We then made a run through Horsehead over to the Nassau River and fished some still submerged oysters that produced no bites. We eased up to Bubblegum Reef and it was Misty's first cast when she had a big hookup and, FISH ON!  This was a big fish that was having nothing
of begin caught. It ripped the drag, making run after bull run and I thought, surely a big Redfish or Black Drum. Misty fought it valiantly but eventually the wily fish made it's way for some structure, locked the line down, and broke off, OUCH!  But Misty was not to be deterred, continued to fish, hooked up with a Ladyfish, then landed a nice 17" keeper sized Flounder. Scott had a good bite, too, one that ripped drag for a brief second, then threw the hook. Our last stop was down at Broward Island, and even thought the tide was down, we had no real bites. But it had warmed nicely to shirtsleeve temperature and as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing Amelia Island waters.