Drum Roll

 I was out at Goffinsville Park this morning where I met Mark Dennis and his brother David early for abeautiful day of fishing the back waters of Amelia Island. We were not far from some docks so we eased over to them and set up current with plans to fish jigs and live shrimp to the pilings as the tide swept our bait up under the docks. It was only minutes when Mark hooked up, battled the fish, and landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum.  From then on we were catching fish.

I tried my hand at "guessing the species" as the duo caught fish - David had a strong hookup - it didn't really run, but stayed on the bottom so I called "flounder". Nope, it was a big Jack Crevalle. Then David had another bite, Big Fish On! This one ripped some drag and tried to get back under the dock so I called "Redfish". Nope, Big Black Drum.  Then Mark got in on the action again with another hookup.  I called "Black Drum" but after successfully playing the fish to the net he landed the first Slot Redfish of the day. I had struck out!  We ended up catching 5 nice Black Drum, the Slot Red, the Jack, and a

handful of smaller Drum.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island. Here, David put a hungry Trout in the boat but it was nothing like yesterday. We moved down a bit, fished some logs, and after Mark had made an excellent cast to the downside of the current, BAM! He had a hookup. Mark worked it patiently to the boat and landed his 2nd Slot Redfish. We moved back to our original spot, fished the bottom with jigs, and David added a keeper Trout to the catch. Somewhere along there Mark added a Trout to round out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam.

We fished back at Nassauville at a couple of places, switching to float rigs at the last spot where we had a couple of bites but no takers, then wrapped the day up down at Spanish Drop. The sun was up and the temperature had warmed but we had a live well full of fish so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Bumping the Bragging Rights

 

We had another beautiful morning when I met Jeff Parr and his girl friend Elizabeth down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp today. We made the long run up and around to Broward Island to take advantage of the first of an incoming tide down there, and it paid off.  In short order, Jeff was picking up small but hungry Seatrout on the bottom with a jig and live shrimp. He had put a few in the boat when Elizabeth had a stronger hookup, and after a brief battle, landed a keeper sized Seatrout. 

We had two. TWO big fish on but both found the submerged tree, wrapped, and BAP! fish off! We continued to fish, picked up a few more Trout, then moved on down to fish under the Bald Eagle. Down there we only found some logs, but we fished it thoroughly. Before we headed out we made a stop at our where we had started, and still licking our wounds from the two breakoffs, fished deep. When Jeff hooked up and his drag began to rip we were thinking it was another one of those big fish, but this one was a bit more manageable so I was thinking,

"smaller Redfish" But as Jeff brought it to the surface we saw that it was a Big Seatrout and after netting and pictures we measured it to be right at 21", big enough to move Jeff in to 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

Our next stop was back at some docks at Seymore's.  We fished there, then Twin Creeks with floats, then after short break we eased in to Christopher Creek and went back to jigs, but to no avail. Next was Pumpkin Hill fishing floats, then back to Seymore's to fish the beginning of an outgoing tide. With no bites, we fished between two docks with jigs again and here Jeff put a nice 16" Flounder in the boat. 

Down at Spanish Drop Elizabeth got hot and landed a feisty Catfish then a hard fighting Jack Crevalle. We had started hot early in the morning, had a lull, then wrapped up catching some nice fish so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

The Needle Moved

Unfortunately the last few days we've had some higher flood tides with the full moon and those have been occurring in the morning during our trips and that had made for some tough fishing. Monday we picked up a handful of Trout, yesterday we just had a couple, but today the needle moved to the better, just a wee bit.

I had met Barry and Matt Shelor down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we headed north and west, up the Nassau. The tide had been coming in for an hour or so and our first stop was at some docks to fish the pilings before it got too high. Both anglers were tossing jigs and live shrimp and were getting a nibble here and there but no takers. I eased the boat up to the dock and let it lay up against the pilings while they jigged down along side them. This paid off when Matt had a hard hit. His rod was between the pilings but he kept the pressure on and boated a nice keeper sized Sheepshead.(All fish caught today were released). Barry added a small Seabass before we moved on. 

We then ran back down to Spanish Drop and fished the jigs along a covered shell bed. Barry was fishing the stern and his bait was out deep when, BAM! Big Fish On! Barry played it patiently and after a good battle he landed a big Jack Crevalle.  After moving down to Twin Creeks and drifting the bank with floats and Shrimp, Barry picked up a keeper sized Seatrout.

Our next stop was down at Pumpkin Hill, fishing the marsh grass with floats. We didn't have much luck until we rounded a corner and Matt had made a perfect cast to a fishy spot and BAM! Float Gone. Matt worked it to the boat and landed another nice Trout. Barry went to the same spot and caught another Trout just a minute later.

We fished Broward Island under the watchful eye of an Bald Eagle then came back and fished some docks at Nassauville to no avail. Back around at Seymore's, fishing floats as the tide started back out, Matt had a strong hookup and as his drag began to sing, the big fish headed west, and kept going! It was shallow water with a bunch of oyster "humps" and sure enough, BAP! Fish Off. That was some late day excitement!  After a run thru Horsehead and fishing one more spot, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Expecting a Good Day

 

Boy (or Girl?), what a beautiful day we had this morning when the sun peeked up over the horizon like a newborn greeting the world when it first open's it's eye's!  I had met David and Meghan King down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we had slightly cool temperatures, sunny skies, only a slight breeze and great expectations of a good day out on the water here at Amelia Island. We headed west thru Middle River and over to Pumpkin Hill and set up along some flooding marsh grass to fish live shrimp under a float.  We had made a few passes when David's float disappeared and he had a hookup. David played it perfectly and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout to "knock the skunk off".  We worked that bank and had some more bites but no takers so we moved around the corner, fished it a bit, picked up another Trout, then moved on.

Our next stop was around at Seymore's Pointe, fishing a corner of marsh. The two anglers were making excellent casts but we 

had no takers. After fishing between two docks, we moved on, and made the run down to Twin Creeks. The wind had picked up a bit and we weren't getting a good lay so we moved on down to Spanish Drop and worked the bank, this time switching to jigs and shrimp. Just as we were about to leave Meghan had a hookup. She worked it patiently to the boat and landed a fat Seatrout. 

Next, we fished along Nassauville, tossing jigs deep and here Meghan caught another Seatrout and the "ugliest" fish of the day - a Toadfish! We moved back to some docks at Seymore's and wrapped things up with a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum that David put in the box.

We started the day with great expectations - we didn't "load the boat' but it was a beautiful day, we caught some fish so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Wakeup Call

 We had a pretty morning today when I meet Steve Carbonneau and his buddy Sean down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made the run up the intercoastal and dipped in to Jackstaff to fish a large marsh run  out with float rigs just as the tide peaked at its highest. The duo of anglers had only been fishing for just a bit when we had a wakeup call!  Steve's float disappeared, his drag began to rip, and Big Fish On! This fish just kept going! It headed for the stern the it went from port to starboard, but Steve followed it right around, ducking under Sean's rod, then kept the pressure on until he brought it to the boat, a nice sized Jack Crevalle.

We crossed the creek, worked the bank, and picked up a couple of hungry Seatrout, then we ran thru Horsehead and fished an ambush pointe. Sean got on

the board and landed another Seatrout. After fishing Spanish Drop for a while, then Nassauvile rocks where we picked up a keeper sized Trout, we came back to some docks at Seymore's and here Sean hooked up and landed keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. 

Our next stop was down at Broward Island, still fishing and outgoing tide. The rising wind was blocked just a tad but it was blocked here but unfortunately the fish didn't get the message and refused to bite. After fishing back at Nassauville  rocks one more time where we got a small Weakfish, then we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

15-16mph Winds But We Prevailed

 Boy what a beautiful morning to make use of your Christmas present! Brian Crawford's wife Eileen had set him up for a fishing trip for Christmas and he planned the trip for today and brought along his old college buddies, Ted and Scott. I met them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and although it was clear, cool, and sunny, the wind was kicking a bit. But we were ready to fish so we headed north and west, up the Nassau River and made our first stop at Spanish Drop to toss float rigs with live shrimp to the marsh grass on the first of an outgoing tide.  It was Scott who got hot early, boating a couple of Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size (released). Then Ted got in on the action and landed another hungry Trout.

We moved up a quarter mile, fished Twin Creeks but the 15mph wind was pushing our drifts off. We continued on up to Seymore's Pointe and fished between two docks, slightly shielded from the wind, but had no luck. 

Our next stop was around the corner and here the NE winds were blocked and it was like fishing on  pond! Brian decided to cash in on his Christmas present and after tossing a jig and shrimp up current, BAM! He had a strong hookup. This fish was pulling hard, ripping drag, but Brian kept the pressure on. I was thinking some sort of Drum but as Brian worked him to the surface we saw it was nice sized Jack Crevalle. Scott picked up a another Trout or two, then

Brian was back in action, BAM! Another big fish. This one was pulling deep and true to form, after Brian had expertly worked it to the boat, he landed 20" Black "puppy" Drum.  Ted was working up on the bow and hooked up and landed the biggest Seatrout of the day, a big 18"+ fish.  Not to be outdone, Brian, working the stern, had another big bite and, Big Fish On!  This one was really pulling deep and ripping drag, and then it got back in the current and it was a battle. But Brian was up to the task, played it patiently, and eventually landed an Oversized 31.5" Redfish, boy what a fish! This fish moves Brian into 2nd place in the Angler's Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings)

We ended the day back fishing some docks at Seymore's trying to stay out of the wind that had picked up a notch then we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Walleye Chop

 I was fishing today with Lee Riter, hailing from Wisconsin, and I met him up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park for a half day of fishing on an outgoing tide.  We made our first stop on the outside of Tyger Island, pitching jigs and mud minnows to a marsh runout but had no luck. We moved around to Jolley Bank, fished the oysters that were just getting exposed with float rigs and again, no bites. We move up to Snook Creek, switched back to jigs and here Lee "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout Catch. We fished a bit around the corner and moved on. 

Our next stop was over in Bell River, tossing jigs and minnows up current and letting them bounce with the current, to no avail We moved up to some docks and switched to some left over shrimp I had from yesterday and this did the trick. We began to get bites and then Lee had a good hookup, fought it patiently to the boat, and landed a feisty Sheepshead. We caught a handful of those (mine tended to be the smaller ones - you gotta be good!) then we made a long run back to Fernandina.

Our last stop was back at Tyger, fishing shrimp and jigs on the bottom on the first of an incoming tide. We had a strong hookup, and Fish On! Lee was playing it perfectly - the drag was ripping but Lee was keeping the pressure on, had him for a minute or two, then....gone. The hook came out. OUCH. But we weren't stymied. The wind had picked up and created a "Walleye Chop" and we caught some nice fish. Lee put a nice Black "puppy" Drum in the boat (big enough to begin to lose it's stripes), a big Weakfish, and a big Seatrout, which wrapped up an Amelia Island Grand Slam of Seatrout, Sheepshead, Black Drum and Weakfish and as we headed out, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Two Slot Reds To Start The Day

 I fished with the Gandler family today, Brian and Laura and their adult sons Mike and Bill, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. There wasn't a whole lot of breeze but the bugs weren't too bad as we made our first stop at Spanish Drop on the Nassau. The oysters were about half showing so we went with float rigs and live shrimp, tossed up near the bank. We could see bait and fish working the bank and it was only a matter of time before Brian had a hookup and, Fish On!  He played it perfectly and patiently worked it to the net to land a nice 20" Slot sized Redfish.

Mike had switched out to a jig and was fishing out the stern and he had a hookup. He was getting a good pull but he stayed with it and soon landed a feisty Bluefish. Up front, Bill had a hookup - another nice fish. We worked it to the boat and landed another 20+"  Redfish. 

We later fished the  docks at Seymores, then we motored down to Broward where Brian caught a hungry Seatrout. We fished back at Nassauville, then made a tour thru Horsehead to wrap up another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Super Duper Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam

 I fished south again today, meeting Bill Main down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp @ 10:am, dead lowtide. We made the short run up to Seymore's Pointe and fished some dock pilings and made quick work of getting the "skunk" off when Bill hooked up, played perfectly and landed a feisty Redfish and nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum, back-to-back. 

We fished another dock or two then headed down to Broward Island and set up as the tide started in down there. Bill got into a school of small Sheepshead and he out-sneaked most of them, landing a good handful of 10" fish.   We moved down the way, passing under a pair of eagles and fished another drop and here Bill boated a Flounder and a Seatrout to give him a Super Grande Slam of back water fish here at Amelia Island. But Bill wasn't done yet!

We came back to Nassauville, still fishing with jigs and dead shrimp(no live stuff today, other than some minnows I had left over from yesterday -stay tuned-they paid off!) Bill had tossed

his bait up current and had good drifts a number of times and I was about to give up on the spot when, BAM! He had a hookup. the fish was giving a good pull and I was thinking "big Trout" and when it came to the surface I said, "yep", but I was wrong. It was an nice 17" Weadfish and now Bill had a Super Duper Grande Slam! Hah! We continued to fish and found some hard bottom where we were getting bites and sure enough, BOOM! Big Fish On!  Bill played it patiently and soon landed a nice 18" keeper sized Black Drum.

We left that area, fished some flooded shell bottoms along the Nassau with float rigs and those live minnows and after fishing a couple of areas we were just about to leave when Bill had his float disappear. He lifted his rod, took up the slack and let the circle hook set itself and he had another nice fish on. After working it to the boat we netted a nice 17" Flounder. We wrapped it up after that and counted it another Super Duper day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Paid The Price

 We were thinking that rain would be the issue today but it turned out not to be. But with no wind we paid the price as the sand gnats devoured us. But the price was worth it 'cause we caught some big fish, and a lot of them! My morning customer and I had decided to cancel due to 50-60% chance of rain - but the afternoon trip, a trio of college aged anglers who had fished yesterday in the rain, wanted to chance it, so we did. I met Ameera, Jason and Keldrick down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and we headed north and west, up the  Nassau, to make our first stop at some exposed shell beds on the very last of an outgoing tide. The trio were pitching jigs and shrimp and it was Ameera who "knocked the skunk off" with a keeper sized Seatrout catch.  We also had a pair of Salt March Minks patrolling the bank as we fished. 

The tide turned so we ran up to Seymore's Pointe and fished some docks. Keldrick tangled with something big that thru the hook, then Jason hooked up, his drag ripped, and the big fish kept going-right thru the pilings. There was nothing we could do but hope for the best, but hoping did not good and , BAP! Fish Off.  We picked up another Trout or two, hit another dock, found a keeper Trout and a Catfish then moved. on.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island as the tide started in down there. As the sand gnats devourd us (no amount of bug spray seemed to help) Jason found a nice Redfish up by the "beach" then it was l like someone opened the gate. Keldrick hooked up and landed a nice Slot Redfish, then he hooked up again and, Big Fish On!  He played it perfectly, and patiently worked to the net a fat 25.5" Slot Redfish with multiple spots. As we were getting pictures Ameera hooked up and another  Big Fish On! She took the time to turn around and be in Keldrick's photo then went back to battling an Oversized 27.5" fish to the boat as a pair of Eagles watched from their perch. We landed a couple of more Redfish that didn't quite make the Slot, a couple of small Sheepshead and Black "puppy" Drum, and a small Flounder. 

After coming back to Nassauville we set up between two docks with plans to pitch up to a drop off and let our jigs fall. We weren't getting any bites and were just about to leave - Jason had let his jig fall back behind the boat and as he reeled it up, BAM! He had a big hookup. This fish was ripping drag and digging deep and we all were sure it was some sort of Drum. Jason played it perfectly and soon brought to the net a big 24.5" Seatrout! This fish puts Jason squarely in first place in the Angler's Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

We wrapped the trip up over fishing Twin Creeks with float rigs and again had a pretty decent bite of 14" Seatrout taking live shrimp on float rigs as the tide covered the shell bottom. It had been a bug bite'n, fish catch'n day so we counted it as another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida                                    

Fishing With The Eagles

 

I went back south today, meeting Paul Genn and his fishing partner James down at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. The tide still had about 30 minutes of going out so we eased just a bit down the river and set up between two docks to pitch jigs and live shrimp up current, letting it fall down the river bottom. Although the bite wasn't "on fire", James did pick up a nice keeper sized Seatrout.

The tide was coming to a standstill so we moved around the corner, fished some more dock pilings and here Paul battled and landed a keeper sized 17" Black "puppy" Drum. We fished the docks for a bit and it was James who found a Slot sized 20" Redfish.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island. We fished a couple of areas to no avail then moved down to fish a large marsh run out and this did the trick. We could see something big busting bait - James pulled out a couple of 14" Sheepshead, and Paul landed a couple, too. Then, after an excellent cast to the 'sweet" spot, BOOM! Big Fish On!  James was on the reel and kept the pressure on, and the battle ensued. The big fish rolled a time or two up shallow then got out into deeper water and dug down. But James played it perfectly and soon landed a fat 25" Slot Redfish - boy what a pretty fish. He also put a 9 spot Red in the boat, just slightly undersized.

We worked along that stretch for a while, then moved on up the river to Pumpkin Hill and fished some marsh grass with floats, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Broke Net Flounder Lands Bragging Rights

 We fished up north today after I met Gary Elder, his sister Karen and brother in law Jim, up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp. We buzzed over to Tiger and fished the logs for a bit and did pretty good catching fish - but all of them were small - Redfish, Seatrout, and Black "puppy" Drum on jigs and live shrimp.

After pulling out and making the run around and up the Jolley River we set  up along side the flooding marsh grass and switched to float rigs and live shrimp. As we worked along, bow into the current, Jim made a toss that was "guaranteed" and sure enough, BAM! Fish on. He worked it to the boat and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout. We continued along that bank and when we got to a point of grass where the incoming current was sweeping by, BOOM! Bigger fish on! This fish was pulling deep but Jim kept the pressure on, go it to the boat and as I went in with a quick swoop of the net. BAP! The net broke in half! Landing a big Flounder is always "iffy", even with a net - I grabbed the net portion, (minus the handle) and tried to scoop it - and missed! Luckily Jim was cool, calm and collected and kept that pressure

on and the 2nd or third try I was able to scoop it and get it in the boat. It turned out to be 19 1'/2" and big enough to set the standard as first place in the Angler's Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Flounder Category. 

Our next stop was around at the docks of Bell River. The rising wind was blocked here and it was absolutely perfect conditions, albeit an incoming tide, but we had no real luck until Jim found another keeper Flounder up behind a floating dock. 

We fished back at Bell River a couple of places and finished up on the outside of Tiger. The wind was up, the skies were cloudy, and we had a broken catch net, but we still counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Trout Gone Wild

 I don't know what it was but we had a Trout explosion this  morning! I had met David Michael and his fishing buddies Cole and Kyle down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and with the tide just have started in we decided to make the long run around and down to Broward Island to catch that incoming tide there. And boy did it pay off! First Cast -BOOM! Cole was on the rod and perfectly played a Slot Redfish to the boat. That 's a good start!

From then on the trio of anglers were picking up Seatrout down deep, many of which were (finally) of keeper size. Some were throw backs, but some were rather large -17"-20". We were tossing 1/4oz jigs up to the bank and letting the current drop the jig down along the river bottom. The bite was subtle and you had to be ready! David ended up putting the biggest in the boat, a 20 1/2" Trout, moving him in to first place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament -Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

We came back to some docks at Nassauville and this time pitched the jigs up current, let them fall, and then let the current drop them down the river bottom. Yesterday we had got one keeper Trout at this spot but today we got a good handful of keeper sized Trout.

After moving around to some more docks we switched to float rigs and tossed them up shallow. I was just about to leave when Kyle had something engulf his bait and the battle was on! Kyle worked it to the boat and landed another big Trout - this one 19 1/2", which moved Kyle into 2nd place in the Bragging Rights Tournament! We added one more keeper Trout then moved on. 

Our last stop was thru Horsehead, around to the mouth of Jackstaff, drifting float rigs again. We picked up a slimy Catfish but nothing else, so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Back to "Work"

 

After a couple of days off I was back to work today, fishing with Brian and Peggy Palmer and meeting them first down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. The tide had been coming in for a couple of hours but we tried the bridge pilings with some jigs and live shrimp for just a bit before we headed north and west up the Nassau River to make our next stop at some docks at Seymore's Pointe. Brian was making excellent casts while Peggy "coached him up" but we had no takers.

We came back to Twin Creeks on the Nassau, switched to float rigs and drifted the mouths - no luck. We moved down to Spanish Drop and worked that bank thoroughly and this paid off when we got to the "hot" spot - Brian hooked up and landed  a couple of hungry Seatrout.

We headed up the Nassau then, made a stop at some docks at Seymore's Pointe and switched back to the jigs. All three of us were tossing baits - Peggy had a good bite - then shortly afterwards Brian hooked  up. This fish was pulling a bit harder but Brian kept the pressure on, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 18" Seatrout. A few minutes later he had another one one - it was pulling just as hard but this one threw the hook - Ouch! We were getting these on 1/4 jigs, baited with a live shrimp, tossing them up into 12' of water and letting it fall down the drop off. 

We fished Pumpkin Hill for a bit but the wind was not cooperating with our drifts, then fished Christopher Creek to wrap up the day. Although it had been a tad bit slow, the weather was perfect, we caught a few fish, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Recipe of the Month: Chocolate Delight

 So you're invited to that fish fry and you're asked to bring a desert. Are you gonna stop by Publix and grab a box of sugar cookies? A fake cake? NO! Mix up this vintage desert. I found this recipe in my mother's recipe box - it's easy and very good!

Chocolate Delight:

Original Crust

1 Cup self rising flour

1 stick butter, melted

½ Cup chopped pecans

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

 Spray 9x13 dish with PAM;  mix ingredients, spread in dish, bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees  until it begins to brown.

 

Cookie Crust

1 sleeve of Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies, crushed

1 stick butter, melted

½ Cup self rising flour

½ Cup chopped pecans

 

Spray 9x13 dish with PAM; mix ingredients, spread in dish, bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees

 

Let crust cool!

 

8oz Cream cheese (let soften for a bit)

8oz  Whipped Cream

1 Cup powdered sugar

 

Mix ingredients thoroughly and ladle over crust.

 

2  packages of Instant chocolate pudding

3 Cups of milk

 

Mix ingredients thoroughly and ladle over top.

 

8oz  Whipped Cream, (let soften a bit), spread over top

 

Garnish with some chopped pecans and/or  cherries

We Runned and Gunned

 I had the Barton crew again today, this time meeting Brad, and his friends Blake, and Blake down at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. I had checked the weather and it was going to be a nice sunny day, but the wind was going to pick up later in the trip. Sure enough, it did.  Our first stop was way down at the jetties off of the south end of Amelia Island. We started on the outside, pitching jigs then worked our way around to the inside. Although it was not "rough" there were some serious rollers. All three anglers and myself tried our best to steady ourselves while pitching to the rocks and we did get some fish. I think it was Brad and Blake the younger who put into the boat some Bluefish, then we got a handful of Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size. 

We left the rollers, skirted Bird Island (or what used to be Bird Island) and pulled up into the mouth of Simpsons Creek, switching to float rigs and live shrimp, fishing the last of an incoming tide. We had a nibble or two then Brad had a strong hookup. We could tell it was bigger than a Trout, thought it was a Redfish, but it turned out to be a nice sized Spanish Mackerel.

Our next stop was up at the mouth of the Nassau River, again drifting float rigs and live shrimp, and now on an outgoing tide. We got a handful of Seatrout along that stretch. We continued on up into Jackstaff, fished a large outflow, then worked the creek bank, then headed on around to the Nassau River, stopping at Twin Creeks where we had such a good bite yesterday. Not so today. Although we did get a Trout or two, and a slimey Catfish, it was no where near the action the day before. 

Our final stop was down at Broward Island, fishing under a Bald Eagle, tossing jigs. The tide was still high here - we had a couple of nibbles, but no takers, so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Lost a Pound to the Gnats

 Yes, it was another beautiful morning as the sun came up out at Goffinsville Park, but with absolutely no wind  the "no-See-ums" were out to get their pound of flesh!  I had met the better half of the Barton crew - Blake and his son Blake, and Will early and after a quick run over to Pumpkin Hill we were fishing - drifting float rigs and live shrimp down the marsh line on the last of an incoming tide.  Fairly quickly both of the Blakes had hookups and landed Seatrout, then Blake The Younger added another. We worked that area over good then made the run back to Seymore's Pointe as the tide started back out. 

After fishing  a large outflow, some dock pilings, then another marsh line with the floats, we made the run down to Twin Creeks and here the action heated up.  Will and  Blake The Older began to get hookups on Seatrout on the float rigs and young Blake having switched to a jig and shrimp, began to catch them too. Young Blake had been keeping "score" but he soon found that it was futile to keep up - we were catching Trout one after the other.

Our next stop was down at Spanish Drop. After fishing some outflows, we eased along a flooded shell bank. Blake the Older had also switched to a jig and shrimp and had made an excellent cast up to the bank and, BOOM! Fish On! Blake played it perfectly and after a good battle, landed a nice Slot sized 20" Redfish. The trio continued on to catch a few more Trout, and Blake The Younger added a Flounder to his catch.  A nice Whiting was added to the box before we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Amelia Island Back Country Super Grande Slam

 I fished with the Owensby crew again today -Kevin and his son Jake, his father in law Doyle, and Doyle's  brother Ron. We met this time up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and on a beautiful morning, headed north and west. Our first stop was on the outside of Tiger and within minutes Jake had "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Bluefish catch. We had another couple of bites and I was thinking, "here we go". But alas, even though conditions were absolutely perfect, we had no more catches. After crossing over and fishing a grass line, and having a big Redfish roll at Kevin's bait,  but no takers.

After running around to Lanceford Creek, we set up outside a nice outflow and got good drifts,  but no takers. We then moved up into Soap Creek, fished it thoroughly, then made a run up to Bell River. Here things finally heated up a bit. 

Ron got on the board early with a nice fat Seatrout catch, then he hauled in a sneaky Sheepshead. The team of anglers added a couple of more Sheepshead, a Black Drum and a Flounder to the mix. We fished along some docks and picked up another Trout or two then moved around to another dock and tried our hand at jigging for some Sheepshead alongside the pilings. 

Our final stop was back towards town and here they added a Redfish catch and a Weadfish catch to round out a type of Amelia Island Super Grande Slam of Seatrout, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Redfish and Weakfish. Although we didn't have a  bunch of keepers we had a good variety and a great day out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Keep Your Bait In The Water

 

I fished Monday and Tuesday in beautiful weather and today was more of the same. After meeting Kevin Owensby, his son Jake, his father-in-law Doyle, and Doyle's brother Ronnie down at the Sawpit Creek, we made a long run up and around to Pumpkin Hill with plans to toss float rigs and live shrimp and minnows on the first of an outgoing tide.  Kevin and Ronnie were on the bow, Jake and his grandfather Doyle were at the stern and all were making excellent casts. But it was Doyle who was drifting long with the current who had the first hookup, a hungry Seatrout.  We worked that area pretty good, then eased back and around a point to fish a flooded shell bank.

As we worked along we weren't getting many bites at all but Doyle had put a good cast up near some exposed oysters. We both saw his float dip, then pop up. Then it dipped again and stayed under and as Doyle tightened up the line, Big Fish On! I didn't realize how big it was - it battled up near the bank for a bit then boiled and ran out to deeper water and the fight was on.

But Doyle was up to the task, played it perfectly and soon landed an Oversized 29" Redfish, boy what a fish!

After running back to Seymore's Pointe we fished a large outflow, sticking with the floats, but had no luck. We then ran down to Spanish Drop and here the action picked up. Kevin and Doyle were on the stern and drifting floats and caught a good handful of Seatrout, a couple of which were of keeper size. Doyle added a small Flounder to round out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Seatrout and Flounder. Then Jake had a hookup, played it perfectly, and landed a nice Trout.

We worked along that bank, hitting 2-3 spots, found one Trout on a jig and shrimp, then fished the docks back at Seymore as the tide had drop. But the sun was up, the tide was hitting bottom, so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Cat and Mouse

 I thought Spring had sprung! But boy was it cool this morning - 39 degrees as I was launching out at Goffinsville Park to meet William and Dara Blalock on the last few hours of an outgoing tide. But it was clear and the sun was coming up to make for a beautiful day so we headed north to fish some docks at Seymore's Pointe with jigs and live shrimp. Dara and William are fine casters and were "putting them on the money" but we had no takers for quite a while. It wasn't until we had crossed the river and fished some exposed shell banks that William finally "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch.

The forecast called for increasing winds and with the tide hitting bottom at Nassauville around 9:20, we tried to fish Bubblegum Reef, a spot that had produced some good fish last week, but not today. William did find a hapless Bluefish to boat and release (all fish caught today were released).

We then ran down to Broward Island, passing under the watchful eye of a Bald Eagle and fished the shore as the tide got down to

the bottom. The wind picked up and as I struggled with the boat, and William trudged on with his casting, Dara seemed to thrive. She began to pick up Seatrout after Seatrout. The two anglers found that the Trout seemed to be playing "cat and mouse" with the shrimp - bumping it hard, then coming back and taking it. Once they figured that out they put 4-5 keeper sized Trout in the boat.

We had two nice fish take our baits and rip drag. One, a Big one that Dara hooked, ran for a good bit. She had a good battle but the big fish headed straight for a downed tree, wrapped itself, and broke off. William had made a good cast right up along side a log, BOOM! Fish ON! And BAP! Fish Off as it went right over a long. We wrapped it up after that but the sun was out and we had caught some good Trout so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

The Origins of the name Tyger Island

 I was giving  a boat tour the other day and as we passed thru the inlet between the Tiger's my guest, Bill McKenna asked "why was it named Tiger Island?"

Local lore has it that the island has the highest concentration of Rattlesnakes in North America. I'm not sure who took the survey or even if that's an accurate statement but a couple of years ago I had a customer yell, "there's a big fish back there!"  as I  entered Tiger Basin.  I thought he had seen a Porpoise or a Tarpon roll but he said, "NO, it's swimming on the water!"  I turned around and went back and sure enough, there as a huge Rattlesnake swimming from  Little Tiger to Big Tiger. We snapped a couple of pictures as it slithered up onto the mud bank.

My wife found an old map published in November of 1769 that labels the island as Tyger Island(before that Spanish Maps called it Tigre Island)  So at least that far back the island has been called Tigre/Tyger/Tiger Island. I have heard a rumor that someone probably saw some sort of cat - a big Bobcat or maybe a Florida Panther and called it Tiger Island, but my guest Bill sent me some interesting information he found on Wikepedia.

Evidently the Tyger is an imaginary beast used as a charge in heraldy. From Wikepedia, "It is supposed to have its home in Hyrcania in Persia and its swiftness is supposed to have given its name to "tygris", the Persian word for "arrow", and to the swift River Tigris. If pursued by a tyger, it was supposed to be possible to get away from it by leaving a mirror, which would perplex the tyger. As a result, tygers are sometimes depicted looking in a mirror" .  Maybe some aristocrat with Tyger in their coat of arms named it "Tyger"?  Maybe some drunken sailor saw a mythical beast?

Digging deeper I see that the famous English poet William Blake wrote "The Tyger" in 1794, just a few short years after this map was published. Did William Blake ever visit Amelia Island? And as his ship passed between Tyger and Amelia, he was struck with inspiration? Probably not. But he didn't much care for how the English Monarchy was treating America and  maybe he had gotten a glimpse of the map and maybe he was thinking of Rattlesnakes....

I've fished along Tyger Island (I'm gonna spell it like that from now on) and have never seen a cat of any kind. Of mammals, I've seen a huge Buck Deer, a wild Hog, Raccoon, and Salt Marsh Mink And in the water, Porpoise and Manatee. They're all mammals but I don't think any could be confused with a Tiger. Or a Tyger.  UNLESS, there happened to be an extremely drunk sailor who made the sighting. 

While my grandkids were visiting last August we beached on the East side of Tyger, just across from Old Towne and while the kids were beachcombing for shell I walked up onto a little knoll of woods to "explore". I was quite surprised to see an old brick "cistern"  sunk into the ground. I have heard that the island was used as a quarantine area where those with Yellow Fever were sent to recuperate (or die).  But I also see in Amelia Island Museum's archives the mention of a family that lived there and raised oranges. That's another story for historians to sort out. 

There are plenty of old families that still live here at Amelia Island that surely have more information on Tyger Island - hopefully they will chime in and I will add those to this account. You can email me at lwpiper@comcast.net