Hard Start Leads to Big Finish

After a good blow yesterday we were back at it today, fishing with Ron and Jan Oblen and their son Ed. We me met up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp for a mid morning start to catch the first of an outgoing tide and after making  a run over to Lanceford Creek, the trio began tossing live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float to a marsh grass line. They were making excellent casts but the fish just didn't cooperate!  We moved out a ways and fished a grassy island, and again, had the same results.
Darn it!  We buzzed back to Soap Creek and fished a large runout that usually produces Trout on the outgoing tide, but again, nothing!

Although the tide was still fairly high, we decided to try our luck at some dock pilings. I was setting Ron and Jan up with some jig rods, but Ed decided to stay with his float rig and tossed it up near the shore and BOOM! Fish on! Ed worked it patiently to the boat and landed our first fish to "knock the skunk" off, and the icing on the
cake was that it was of keeper size!  Ed stayed with the float and continued to catch Seatrout shallow, one after the other. Some were of keeper size and some were just a tad short and went back.

Meanwhile, the two "jiggers' finally began to hookup. Jan caught a nice 16" Black "puppy" Drum then both here and Ed reeled in some "feisty" Redfish. Jan added another keeper sized Drum, then Ed decided to try the jig. On the first cast he had a strong bite, a hookup, and fought and landed a Slot Sized 20" Redfish. He

followed that up with a 18" Black Drum.  After he went back to the float rig, Ed landed the biggest Trout of the day - one that measured 19".  A couple of occasions we had "double hookups" which always make for an exciting time.!

We eventually made the long run over and up the Bell River and with all three anglers tossing jigs now, they all found some hungry Seatrout down on the bottom in about 12' of water.

Our final stop was back at Tiger Island logs and I think it was Ed's first cast and, BOOM! biggest fish of the day on!  He worked it to the boat and landed the final Slot Red - one that measured at 22".  We also spotted a neat Salt Marsh Mink fishing the same waters, which made for a great way to wrap up a fun fishing trip here at Amelia Island, Florida.