Tied For First

I thought it was the biggest Redfish of the year but when I got in I saw that it was tied for first for the biggest Red! Not bad, though! 

I had met the Minnesota boys - Jack Severson, Frank Boehn and Jack's son Joe and daughter-in-law Alicia down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this misty morning and we made a quick run over to the Longpointe docks where we had picked up a couple of keeper Seatrout the other day. But the Trout didn't cooperate today so we continued on up the Nassau River and made a stop at a marsh run out, pitching jigs and live shrimp up current and letting it slide down the

river bottom with the current....to no avail.

Our next stop was up at some dock at Seymore's Pointe. We fished one dock with jigs on the last of an outgoing tide - didn't get any bites - then moved down to the next one. FINALLY, young Joe hooked up and knocked the skunk off the boat, landing a keeper size Black Drum. He quickly followed that up with a feisty Redfish catch. Then Jack put a hungry Seatrout in the boat, so we had a brief flurry of fish catching.

We made the run down to Broward Island, stuck with jigs, and picked up a Trout here and there. Frank put one in the boat, Jack caught one on a plastic grub, and Alicia nailed a small Perch.  We eased down the island and set up to the very last of the outgoing tide with these anglers making excellent casts but the bite was non existent. I had just noted that maybe we should moving on when Joe hooked up and FISH ON!  And a big fish it was!  Joe kept the pressure on and worked it out from  the bank and away from the logs. Once he got it out it dug deep and got back into the current and it was an epic battle to see who gave in first. But Joe was up to the task, played the big fish patiently and eventually brought it to the Frank's waiting net. It turned out to be a 30.75" oversize Redfish, big enough to tie for first place in the Angler's Mark 2020 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish! We took some photo's and released it unharmed.

Our last stop was along the rocks of Nassauville - the tide hadn't quite turned yet - we got no real bites- so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.