Big Redfish Starts and Big Trout Ends Amelia Island Fishing Trip

We got in another Amelia Island back country fishing trip today during this great Memorial Day
weekend when I met Chandler Bailey and his son Philip down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp for a half day of fishing on the first of an incoming tide. We made the long run around to Broward Island and set up to fish with jigs and live shrimp and minnows. Both anglers were making excellent casts but we fished to no avail. We moved up and down the island, fished under the Bald Eagle, fished the logs, fished the run outs, but no bites. Ouch.

I had planed to run back to Spanish Drop but as
we were running by Pumkin Hill I noticed that the oysters were flooding and there was a lot of activity so we pulled up, switched to float rigs, and began to ease along the  bank. Philip was fishing out the stern and as he drifted his bait up near the oysters, BOOM!. Big Fish On!  This fish putting up a furious fight but Philip was up to the task and brought the brute to the boat and landed a big Oversized 28.5" Redfish. Boy what a fish to "knock the skunk off".

We then continued on to Spanish Drop, fished a marsh grass bank and then it was Chandler's turn to catch the big fish. He had a hookup and although his fish tried to stay up by the bank, Chandler worked it out, fought it to a standstill ,and brought it to the boat, one that measured in the Slot at 21". We photographed and released it (too). We drifted down the bank working our floats up close and then Philip had the strong hookup. This one took off to Jacksonville but finally Philip slowed it down, wore it out, and landed a 4' Bonnethead Shark.

Back to Pumpkin Hill we went and stayed with the float rigs.  Chandler got hot and landed a keeper sized Flounder (released), a feisty Bluefish, then he set the hook on something pretty big. After playing it patiently, Chandler landed a big 19" Seatrout, big enough to move him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2020 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  And with that, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Capt. Lawrence Piper is a back country light tackle, fly fishing guide based out of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and specializes in Redfish, Seatrout, Flounder, Black Drum, and Sheepshead. If you’re looking for things to do a fun family outing or a day out with your angler friends,  then plan a Charter on The Anglers Mark.