When we talked last night we agreed to touch base this morning as to whether we really wanted to get out and fish with forecasted rains. And when I launched it was dark and stormy and pretty much stayed that way the entire day - all around us - north and south and east and west - but we never got wet! I had met William and Dara Blalock up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made our way over to Tyger Island and set up on a corner of grass just as the tide started out.
We didn't know it at the time, but Dara's first cast was to set the tone for the rest of the day. BAM! She had a hookup on her float rig and mud minnow! She worked it to the boat and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. They had a few nibbles after that, then we drifted down the bank with the tide and we were beginning to think that first fish "jinxed" us but we hit a pocket and William reeled in a keeper sized Flounder, then both he and Dara caught a handful of Redfish, one of which was a small Slot sized. Things were picking up.
Working around the corner we found that if we fished the back side of some grassy points, where there was a bit of current, we'd get fish. This duo of anglers caught another few Redfish, two were in the Slot, and they caught a good 4-5 Flounder, one of which was keeper size. We switched to jigs and minnows and caught fish along that entire bank. The bite seemed to be best on the higher outgoing tide.
Our next stop was around at Jolley Bank, Dara fishing the stern with the float rig and William fishing the bow with the jig - and it appeared that the jig was the trick - William put a few Redfish in the boat, and another Flounder. We ran up a ways and fished a point with the floats and caught a couple of Seatrout, then further up the river we fished a large drainage. Here, Dara got hot with the float rig, drifting it long to a bend and "rift" in the water and BAM! Redfish. Bam! Redfish. Bam! Redfish. William was on the bow and picked up another keeper sized Flounder (William was the Flounder King today).
That last spot was pretty good for action and it was going to be hard to top but little did we know we were in for a 'Grande Finale"! We made our way around to the MOA, and set up down current and almost immediately began to catch fish. Dara was hitting the top of the oyster bar with her jig and shrimp and was catching one Redfish after the other. William followed her to the bank and caught a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum, then went deep and caught a keeper sized Seatrout. Then both anglers were catching Redfish. I think we had at least three "double" hookups. We fished until we ran out of bait then William put a little piece of shrimp on for "one last cast" and BOOM! Big Fish On! William played it perfectly and after a good battle landed a nice 25" Slot Redfish.
We had a good handful of keeper sized fish but most were thrown back and a only a few kept for dinner. and as we headed back to the ramp, we finally had a sprinkle but we still counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We gambled with the weather forecast today - it was calling for winds up to 16-17mph and when I launched the skies were ugly with storm clouds. I was meeting Douglas and Cindy Bailey and their son Dylan up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and we had decided that we'd give it a go and hope for the best, and I'm glad we did!
After running up the creek we set up current from a dock and pitched jigs and shrimp and minnows back to the pilings. Dylan got hot early and put a good handful of small Mangrove Snapper in the boat and then they hooked and landed a small Grouper! Then Douglas had a strong bite, set the hook and, Fish On! Douglas played it patiently and after a good battle landed a nice Slot Redfish. We fed a bunch of "baitstealers", too, while we were there.
We then made a run down the intercoastal and fished some rocks and here Douglas found a hole that had some feisty Redfish that he handily hooked up and brought to the boat. Then we had a good bite deep and as it ripped drag and we knew we had another big Fish On! Dylan was on the rod and did outstanding keeping it out of some structure that was behind us. He worked it slowly away from them but not too forceful and when he got it out deep; we know we had 'em. Dylan played it expertly and eventually brought to the net a Slot sized 22" Redfish.
After running thru Horsehead we found a dock to fish out of the increasing wind and again, this trio of anglers caught small Mangroves, but one of two were of keeper size. Cindy hooked up an landed a hungry Seatrout and Dylan added a Sea Bass to the catch. We then ran around to Nassauville and fished between two docks and again caught Mangroves, with Cindy putting the biggest of the day in the boat. Douglas was fishing deep but then hung up on some bottom and when he pulled it off, BAM! A big fish hit his bait. Douglas kept the pressure on and worked it up to land a big 21" Gator Trout, boy what a fish. He also added a small Flounder to his catch.
After fishing some rocks with float rigs and getting a couple of more Mangroves, we ran thru Jackstaff and fished some flooding marsh grass with the floats. They added a couple of more feisty Redfish to their catch total then we headed back to the ramp, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Today we caught Mangrove Snapper, Pinfish, Grouper, Seatrout, Flounder, Redfish, Ladyfish, Jack Crevalle, Bonnethead Shark and Needlefish - and almost the Kitchen Sink! I had met Jon Beall and his son Brian up at Old Town Bait and Tackle, and after running over to Lanceford, we fished a dock on the very first of an incoming tide with jigs and live shrimp. Just like I thought, they began to get "nibbles" on every cast and managed to hookup and land the Snapper, Pinfish, and a small Grouper.
We then made the run around to Tyger and fished the logs and here we had some success. Brian hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout, then a small Flounder, then a nice keeper sized Flounder. They also picked up one small but feisty Redfish.
After running up to the Jolley, we turned into the current and fished the "bank" with float rigs and the live shrimp. They were getting good casts and good drifts and it paid off with a handful of Redfish catches. Brian added another Flounder to his catch, then had something big take his bait and, Fish On! The drag was ripping as it headed south but Brian kept the pressure on and soon turned it, brought it back to the boat, then followed up current for a bit, then settled in for a game of patience. After a good battle Brian landed a nice Bonnethead Shark. And then followed that up with an even bigger one.
Further up the Jolley we fished a bank and got into some Ladyfish, then finished up fishing a point. Jon had some good battles with Ladyfish and Jacks and put another feisty Redfish in the boat. We had some good action under some dark skies but as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
A Keeper Slam! I fished again this morning, meeting Glenn and Patti Lanford up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We made a short run up the creek and fished some dock pilings with jigs and live shrimp - the tide had been coming in for about an hour. Glenn made short work of knocking the skunk off when he hooked up and landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum - the first I've seen in months. Pattie had a Red to the boat but it threw the hook, then Glenn brought in another feisty Black Drum.
We made a way over to the Jolley River and fished the "bank", first with jigs where Patti fought to the net a feisty Redfish, then we switched to float rigs and picked up another couple of Redfish. They tangled with a couple of Jacks and Lady fish. After moving around to the outside of Tyger we went back to jigs and this did the trick. Glenn had a strong bite, hooked it up, and patiently fought
to the net a nice sized Flounder that measured right at 18". Both he and Pattie caught a few more smaller Flounder along that stretch. This duo of Nassau Sports Fishing Association anglers were looking for a "Slam" of Redfish, Flounder and Seatrout (to keep) and although we had a "slam" of sorts caught (Black Drum, Flounder, and Redfish), we only had one in the box!
Back up the Jolley we went to fish a flooded point of oysters. The bite started off slow and I was getting a bit worried but then they began to get bites. Pattie caught a feisty Redfish, then Jacks and Ladyfish, then a couple of Seatrout, then Glenn reeled in a nice 17" Seatrout, and then another 15'5" keeper sized Trout. So we ended up with the Flounder and Trout but were missing the Redfish for the "in the box Slam", but as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
The mornings are getting nicer - Fall is in the air! I met Stephen Googe and his son Graywolf up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle shop this morning and we headed over to Tyger Island to try our luck fishing the "logs" on a tide that had been coming in for about 2 hours. We were pitching jigs and live shrimp, and a few minnows, up to the bank and fishing it slow. Both angles were getting "bumps" and finally Stephen had a strong one, hooked it up, and landed a hungry Seatrout. Just minutes later Graywolf got in on the action and expertly set the hook on a fish and then worked it to the net, a nice Croaker!
We ran around to the outside of Tyger and fished a large drainage. We could see Mullet getting busted and it wasn't Stephens 2nd or 3rd cast when, Big Fish On! Stephen worked it to the boat patiently, let it "dig" deep a few times, worked it up, and brought to the net a Big 21" Flounder, boy what a fish. We then worked back into the current and it was Graywolf's turn to fight a Flounder. He got a nice one all the way to the boat but then, BAP! The leader broke. Ouch! Minutes later Stephen had a good thump, set the hook, and brought to the boat a feisty Redfish.
After moving around to Jolley Bank, we switched to float rigs as the tide was already covering the oysters. Again, we had dozens of "bait stealing" bites but when we got to a point we hovered with the Minnkota and got a few drifts in. Stephen hooked up and landed another feisty Redfish, and a small Jack, then he had a strong hookup and this one was pulling drag! Stephen played it expertly and eventually landed a nice 21" Slot sized Redfish.
We then ran up the river to see if we could get Graywolf a Shark. After pulling into "Snook" Creek we switched back to jigs. They caught a couple of small Croaker, a small Seatrout, then they had two drag ripping battles with Sharks, but alas, the Sharks won!
Our final stop was back down the Jolley, fishing a pointe and it was a Grand Finale! They teamed up on a couple of small Seatrout, a couple of Ladyfish, a big Jack, and a Huge Seatrout that was at the boat before it threw the hook and swam off. I could almost hear it laughing at us! Hah! But we had had some good action and the weather was perfect so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I finished up my week fishing with Dale Bullard and his fishing buddy Cotton after meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We had a live well full of mud minnows as we headed up the Nassau River on a tide that had been coming in a few hours. Someone was at Spanish Drop so we continued on to Twin Creeks where we turned into the current and fished it with jigs. We had a few bites but no real takers so I began to let the boat drift with the current and we did end up catching a Catfish and a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.
We fished a dock with the jigs for just a few casts, then then ran down to Pumpkin Hill and switched to float rigs and let them drift long. The two anglers picked up a couple of high flying Ladyfish, a couple of Mangrove Snapper, and a hungry Seatrout. We moved around the corner and picked up a couple of more Ladyfish and another Seatrout.
After fishing between another couple of docks at Littlefield, we ran thru the marsh and fished a stretch. They caught a feisty Redfish and another Trout along there, then we spotted some "tails" up in the flooded marsh which was cool to see. I tied on a weedless spoon and we eased up into the marsh but those fish were wary and quickly sunk and disappeared. The weather had been outstanding all morning with a slight breeze and not too hot temperatures and we had some good action, here and there so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I fished with the Stein girls today - Ellina, Emily, Liz and Erin - meeting them early down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. In addition to getting a break and visiting Amelia Island, they were also helping Erin celebrate a birthday! We ran up the intercoastal and turned into the Nassau and made our way up to Spanish Drop where we turned into the high, incoming tide and began to drift float rigs with live shrimp, and eventually mud minnows. I noted that the water temperature was 83.5 -still hot-still summer.
Sure enough, these lady anglers began to get bites and tangled with high flying Ladyfish, hard fighting Jack Crevalle, and we got to see a Bonnethead Shark track Erin's bait down and take it and, Fish On! Erin played it expertly and reeled to the net the Shark which was photographed and released.
We ran down to Pumpkin Hill and fished a stretch and again had some good action catching feisty Redfish, hungry Seatrout, Ladyfish, Jacks, a nice Mangrove Snapper, a big Bluefish, and a Croaker. We made a stop at Littlefields, switched to the jigs and caught a good handful of Mangrove Snapper, then made our way thru Horsehead, switched back to floats, and here Ellina picked up the biggest Redfish of the day, played it perfectly to the boat, and landed it for a photograph.
We ended the day with a .....Needlefish catch! Hah! But as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida
Judging by the amount of Ladyfish we caught today, and the variety of Jacks, Mangroves, Sharks and Pinfish, I'd say it is still Summer! I had met Bob Kossman and John Suebert down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and we headed up the intercoastal and then up the Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill to set up along some flooding marsh grass on the last of an incoming tide with plans to drift float rigs along the grass. We were using live shrimp (the bait shop was out but I hear they were getting some today) and although the shrimp got bites on almost every drift, we had to deal with the high flying Ladyfish. Bob did battle a big Jack Crevalle to the net, which is always fun. After fishing around a point, we made a run over to a large drainage at Seymore's Pointe.
Both anglers were getting good casts and good drifts as the tide started out here and they picked up a handful of small Mangroves and then they each landed a couple of hungry Seatrout. We ran thru Horsehead and fished another drainage and here Bob battled a big Bonnethead Shark to the boat for a photograph and release. John had his float disappear slowly and after he reeled up and let the circle hook set, he patiently brought to the boat the first Redfish of the day. And again, both anglers picked up a couple of Seatrout.
We fished over at Poteat Cut briefly and again, John (the Redfish King) put another Redfish in the boat, and we then tangled with some more Ladyfish. Back thru Horsehead we went, back to Back River, and set up to drift the floats. The Redfish King found another couple of Reds drifting off the stern while Bob caught Jacks and Ladyfish. One of John's Redfish had 13 spots!
Our final stop was down at Spanish Drop, now fishing with jigs and shrimp. John was hooking up with small but feisty Redfish on almost every cast, but he mixed in a nice Jack Crevalle catch. Bob finished things off with another Shark battle -t was "foul hooked" which made for a tough fight, but Bob was up to the challenge and brought it to the boat for a quick release. We had had some good action most of the morning so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
...but just a fish battle! I had met Jack and Karina Drinkard, newlyweds, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning and after running up the Intercoastal and dipping in to Jackstaff, we drifted with the last of an outgoing tide, tossing jigs and live shrimp. I think the "demo" cast produced a bite and a small Seatrout which Karina expertly reeled in.
We worked along that bank until the tide changed and picked up a hard fighting Jack Crevalle and a solitary Catfish. After running thru Horsehead we made our way down to Spanish Drop and began to fish into the incoming current, sticking with the jigs. The new fishing team hooked up and landed a couple of feisty Redfish, another Jack or two, and tangled with a couple of Ladyfish. Then Jack had a strong hookup up near the bank and when it made a big run I was thinking "big Redfish" but then, after a good few minutes it settled to the bottom and it had me guessing Shark.. but it never made that long run. I was hoping for a massive Flounder but it would have been huge! Jack couldn't have been more patient and fought it expertly, working it slowly, letting it run deep, and working it up again. Finally, after a good thirty minute battle, he was able to bring to the net a huge Stingray which we photographed and released. Boy what a battle!
We went back to that stretch and fished it again and here Katrina brought in dinner - a keeper sized Flounder and a keeper sized Seatrout. We then ran down to Broward Island and fished it with jigs where they added a couple of Mangrove Snapper to the catch and we finished the day drifting floats at Pumpkin Hill, catching some huge high flying Ladyfish. We had some good action thru out the day and as we headed back to the boat ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I had the day off and decided to get in some "fun" fishing before we had to batten down the hatches for the approaching storm. After be first in line at the Amelia Island Bait and Tackle for some live shrimp, I headed down to Sawpit Creek boat ramp, launched, and ran up the Back River to hit a flooded point in the Nassau. Tossing float rigs and the live shrimp on the last of an incoming tide, I hit the Ladyfish jackpot! Every cast - BAM! The first couple of times I got excited when the float went under but then I got complacent.
Fishing the point, the tide was so high my float was drifting the wrong way but when it went under I reeled up a bit of slack and let the circle hook set and when it bent the rod a bit I thought, "well great, a nice little Redfish". I even remember giving complete slack as I reached behind the Yeti to grab the catch net but when I lifted the rod up I saw a huge Seatrout! I got that line tight quick! And got that net under it and landed it - a big 21" Seatrout!
As the tide started out I fished a couple of more spots with the floats and picked up some small Mangroves and Jacks, then moved down the Nassau and switched to jigs and shrimp and picked up a couple of small Seatrout, a couple of small Redfish, and then a big Bonnethead Shark. Moving further down I fished the back side of a submerged "bar" and caught one small Redfish after the other. I'd had a fun day of fishing and had dinner for the evening (see next report) so as a I headed back to the ramp I counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Whenever I've seen this on a restaurant menu I tended to shy away from it because I didn't know what it was! Donna Givens sends this tasty recipe in, via her husband John, angler, who I run in to at the bait shop on occasion. It's easy to prepare, doesn't need a whole lot of ingredients and as mentioned, very tasty! Thank you Donna! I "fun" fished today and lucked up on this 21" Seatrout so the fish was FRESH for this recipe!
Makes 2 servings
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds(toast on stove top: 1 T butter, almonds - watch it! Be careful not to burn!) I did this first and set aside.
2 Trout filets
1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Salt and pepper both sides of Trout, then dredge in flour, shake off excess.
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
Heat in non-stick pan on medium heat a few minutes on each side until opaque white. Set cooked filets aside.
I wrapped the week up today fishing with Chuck Butler and his sons Trey and Trent, meeting them out at Goffinsville early this morning on a tide that had been coming in a few hours. We headed down the Nassau and set up to initially fish jigs and minnows to the bank, but we had no luck. We then switched to float rigs and worked along a bank and after Chuck had let his float "go long", he had a take - he cranked up the slack, lifted his rod and let the circle hook do its jog. Chuck worked to the boat a fat Seatrout.
We then moved back up the river to Twin Creeks and fished that stretch for a while, then made a run back up the Nassau to fish a flooded point at Pumpkin Hill and this did the trick. After a few drifts the fish began to bite - the trio of anglers caught a small Redfish, a small Seatrout and tangled with bookoodles of high flying Ladyfish. Trey hooked up with something big which he played perfectly for a few minutes but eventually the big fish headed south and parted the line. Later, it was Trent's turn to have a nice fish on - this one for sure a Redfish - it rolled up in the grass, over the oyster beds and as their nature, probably buried it's nose in the shell and cut the line. After fishing the other side of the point, we moved on.
Our final stop was back at Seymore's Pointe fishing a dead high tide and right off the bat the anglers were dueling with Mangrove Snapper. The Snapper won a bunch but the anglers boated a couple of nice sized ones. Then we had a good hookup off the stern, but over near the shore. Trent was on the rod and worked it patiently to the boat to land a nice 20" Slot Redfish. After tinkering with the Mangroves a bit more, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I had the Wytiaz's fishing today, Frank and Joanne, and we met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. After running up and around and into the Jolley River we turned into the current at the "bank" and began fishing back to the pointe with float rigs and mud minnows on a high and still incoming tide. The two anglers were making excellent casts to the grass, letting it drift along the marsh line and in just a while we had hookups of small Seatrout and Ladyfish. Then, after Joanne had got a cast close, I heard her drag begin to rip and, Big Fish On! And boy was it a battle! This fish was doing its best to stay up in the grass and over the oysters. It boiled up a time or two, then I saw a huge tail and confirmed it was a massive Redfish! Joanne hung with it and began to work it out from the edge and when she got it out deep I felt sure we had it. She kept the pressure on during numerous runs, worked it close, let it run, then after a long and epic battle, brought to the net an oversized 35.5" Redfish, big enough to move Joanne into a solid lead in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category. (Scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!
We then moved up the river and set up a point and drifted the float rigs and had a quick flurry of catches- Seatrout, Jacks, and Ladyfish. Joanne added a keeper sized 16" Seatrout to the catch. We moved further up the river and fished back into the current and here Frank got hot, real hot! He caught a couple of feisty Redfish up close to the grass, then Joanne added one, then Frank had a strong hookup and, Fish On! He played it perfectly, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish.
The tide had come to a standstill so we ran back to the outside of Tyger and fished a point as the now outgoing tide swept by. Again, we caught a couple of small Trout, small Reds, then a small Flounder, then Frank put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat and an 18" Seatrout.
Our final stop was around the corner, fishing a sand bottom for Flounder, but Frank found another nice Slot Redfish, this one measuring right at 21". They landed another small Flounder and Seatrout before we headed back to the dock and as we made the run, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
I fished with the Averbuch crew this morning - Jared and his son Max and Cutler and his son Harvey. We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and headed north up the intercoastal then turned into Poteat Cut to fish a point with float rigs and mud minnows on an outgoing tide. It didn't take long before Harvey "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. We worked that bank thoroughly then moved on.
We made a quick stop over in a creek off of Jackstaff and here the dads let the young anglers have the floor and they wiped it - catching a good handful of feisty Redfish and Max added a hard fighting Jack Crevalle to the catch. After running thru Horsehead we made our way down to Back River and fished an edge and although it looked fishy, we had no real bites.
Down the Nassau we went, down to Spanish Drop and turned in to the current and worked the bank with jigs and minnows. When we got to a corner Cutler lit up, catching a couple of the Reds and a couple of Seatrout out deep. I didn't expect it but the wind picked up! We were getting buffeted pretty good so we ran up to Seymore's Pointe and got some relief and here the anglers added handful of Mangrove Snapper to the catch, and we also supplemented our bait by cast netting some nice finger mullet.
Our final stop was around at some rocks at Nassauville and here the anglers perfected their craft, dueling with the Mangrove Snapper. The Snapper would "win" about 6-8 times but the anglers would pull one out on occasion, getting good practice quickly setting the hook. But boy was it hot! We had caught some fish and a we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
It's been the norm all week - the fish are biting early, up until about 9am, and then the bite fall off, and the same happened today. I had met Tim and Crystal Hanley up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made a run down to Lanceford and set up current from some dock pilings to toss jigs with live shrimp and mud minnows on an outgoing tide. Crystal was fishing shallow while Tim was fishing deep and deep paid off when Tim hooked up and expertly brought to the boat a big 19" Seatrout. They added one small Redfish to the catch before we moved on.
After running back and around the Tygers we pulled up at Jolley "bank" and began to work the exposed oysters and almost immediately Crystal began to get bites. She hooked up and landed a handful of feisty Redfish. They added a Jack to the catch then Tim had a strong bite and when we heard his drag began to rip we knew it was of some size. He played it perfectly and let it tire itself out and eventually brought to the net a Slot sized 22" Redfish.
We moved further up the Jolley and fished thru Snook Creek. Tim was tossing to the bank and Crystal was fishing a bit deeper - she hooked up and landed a small Seatrout then shortly after hooked up and landed a fat keeper sized Seatrout. After fishing the MOA unsuccessfully we motored around to the Bell and fished some docks and boy was it hot! The temperature, not the catching! After fishing just a bit we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
I fished with Mark Smith this morning and he had along with him his fishing buddy Dan. We met out at Goffinsville Park and headed down the Nassau River to the Spanish Drop area and then turned into the outgoing current to pitch jigs and mud minnows to the exposed shell bank. I kinda thought we might get some Flounder at the drainages and sure enough we did. Mark had a good hookup, worked it slowly to the boat, and landed a nice 18" Flounder. We had a another couple of small Flounder then it was Dan's turn to hookup and land a keeper sized Flounder.
But I was expecting some Redfish along that stretch and they never materialized. We moved up and fished another drainage, landed a couple of Catfish, then moved on. We fished some docks up at Seymore's and lost a whole bunch of minnows to what I suspected were small Mangrove Snapper (Mark did hookup and land one).
After running down to Broward Island we worked a bank on the last of an outgoing tide there and Mark did find a wayward Redfish to add to the catch. We had some nice weather, a good bit of breeze and with a couple of keeper Flounder in the box, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
We fished out of Goffinsville Park today when I met Frontis Clark, his daughter Tiffany and granddaughter Breille early for a morning of Amelia Island back country fishing. After setting out a trio of crab traps, baited with dead Pogies, we ran down to the Nassau to Spanish Drop and began tossing jigs with live shrimp and mud minnows to some exposed oysters on the last of an outgoing tide. As we worked along the bank they had a few nibbles, but no takers and I was beginning to wonder when....BAM! They began to get fish!
Tiffany started it off, catching a couple of feisty Redfish, then a Seatrout, then Frontis caught a few of the Redfish. Breille was coaching them up! We had a good flurry midway up the bank, then a bit slack, then as we reached a corner the bite started again. Tiffany had a strong bite, hooked it up, and played to the boat a really nice Flounder to round out her Amelia Island Back Country Slam.
After running back up to Nassauville, we paused between two docks and fished the bank with jigs, and landed one small Flounder. We ended the day down at Broward Island, still fishing with jigs and Tiffany added one more Snapper to the catch. After pulling the crab traps (good to know we werent makin our living at crabbing), we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
Crazy how big fish just come out of no where! I fished with Marty and Cathy Siciliano again today, but met them down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp with plans to fish south. We made a long run up the Nassau (it almost feels like you're going to Tallahassee) and up to Broward Island and set up fishing with a tide that had just a few minutes to hit bottom. I had Marty and Cathy throwing jigs with Mud minnows and live shrimp, first to a drainage, and then as we drifted back to the bank and fishing down thru some rough bottom and it paid off. They picked up a couple of small but feisty Redfish and a Bonnethead Shark.
Then the current changed and just after I had turned the bow into the incoming current, BAM! Cathy had a strong hookup off of the stern. It boiled up and I called it a Redfish". Boy was I wrong! Cathy worked it to the boat and eventually landed a huge 22.75" Seatrout - a fish big enough to move her into sole possession of First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category. But Cathy wasn't finished. We fished just a dozen yards or so and BAM! Another Big fish on! She fought it valiantly and worked into the net an EVEN BIGGER Seatrout - this one measuring right at 23"! Boy what a fish! (scroll down the right side of this report for Bragging Rights standings).
All fish caught today were released.
We worked that bank for a while, then moved on up to ways and fished, then moved on. Our next stop was up at Pumpkin Hill and here we switched to floats and the live baits, drifting them long with the current. The duo of anglers picked up a couple of Jacks and small Seatrout. After moving around a point and fishing that side they caught a good handful of hungry Seatrout, fishing along the current line.
After fishing Twin Creeks with the floats and catching another Jack or two, we finished up fishing at Spanish Drop where Cathy tangled with a Ladyfish and Marty battled a huge Shark. As most know, I use very light tackle and those Sharks tend to win the battle, as this one did, but Marty gave it the best that you could do. And with that, we headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelai Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat opoerator.
Crazy how a full moon gets people talking...and seems to affect the fishing. At 7:30 t his morning when Marty and Cathy Siciliano and I made it to our first spot - the "bank" of the Jolley River, Marty pointed out the still visible full-ish moon. We had ran from Old Town Bait and Tackle and had a tide that had been coming in for a couple of hours, but it looked like it was already high!
Marty and Cathy began to toss float rigs and mud minnows up to the grassy bank, drifting over oysters. We worked along that bank and Marty picked up a keeper sized Seatrout and a Jack Crevalle. (All fish caught today were released). We then made our way up the Jolley and fished the mouth of Snook Creek and here Marty picked up a couple of feisty Redfish in quick succession. We fished that stretch for a bit then moved back down the river to the mouth of Tyger Creek.
Here, Cathy had "gone long" with a drift and at great distance, had her float disappear - she tightened up her line and let the circle hook set and, Fish On! Cathy worked it patiently back to the boat and brought to the net a huge Catfish - the biggest fish of the day!
We came back around Tyger and fished the outside with the tide still coming in and this turned out to be the "hot spot" of the day. Marty caught another couple of Redfish, one of them being of Slot size, and another Seatrout while Cathy hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper.
We fished a point over in Bell River, ran up Lanceford and fished a grassy island (which was almost covered), then we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
It's great to see a grandmother taking her grandsons fishing! I met Cindy Gray and her two grandsons Alex and Henry, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We made a quick run up the Nassau River and turned into the incoming current to fish a flooded bank. We started out with jigs and minnows, fishing a deeper drop of the river, and we did have one big bite - it took the line, headed under the boat, and was gone! We then worked along some flooded shell, now tossing float rigs and minnows, but didn't have much action.
After dropping back to Twin Creeks, we fished the float rigs and here Alex put a small Jack in the boat then Cindy hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. One in the box! We then made the run down to Pumpkin Hill and drifted floats long, not having much luck, then we fished around the corner. Cindy put a big Jack in the boat, Alex caught a couple of small Seatrout, and Henry got on the board with a Pinfish landing.
We came back to fish some rocks at Nassauville and after a cast or two Alex had a big bite, battled it to the boat, and landed a huge Mangrove Snapper. Two in the box! Henry was fishing the same general area and when he had a good bite I thought for sure it was another big Mangrove. But as Henry worked it to the boat it seemed to get bigger! He played it perfectly and brought to the net a nice 19.5" Slot Redfish. Three in the box! This trio of anglers began to work those rocks vigorously, playing cat and mouse with the Mangroves, and ended up with numbers Four, Five, Six and Seven in the box.
We finished up around at a large drainage, drifting floats around a point and on Alex's first cast, BOOM! A nice Mangrove Snapper, Eight in the box! Alex finished it off hooking up and landing another keeper sized Seatrout, number Nine. We left them biting and headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. He is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator.
I was out at Goffinsville today, meeting Kenny King and his fishing crew, John Raker and John's mother Betty early this morning. We had a bait well full of mud minnow, electing to go with no shrimp today, and we headed over to Pumpkin Hill to make our first stop on a tide that still was coming in for another 2 hours. We set up alongside a flooding shell bottom and drifted floats long - it took a good handful of drifts and I was beginning to wonder when Betty had a her float taken under. She slapped the bail shut, cranked her slack in and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On! Betty battled it to the boat and brought to the net a huge 22.25" Seatrout, a fish that moved her in to a tie for First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category. Scroll down the right side of this report for standings.
We continued to fish and picked up another small Trout or two, a couple of nice hard fighting Jacks, a small Catfish, and a small Mangrove Snapper. After moving around the corner and fishing a stretch of flooded grass, Kenny had a good hookup, played it patiently, and brought in a keeper sized Seatrout. And just minutes later he had a strong bite. This was a big fish and Kenny played it perfectly. When he got it to the net we measured a 19.5" Seatrout, boy what a fish. But with the new rules, it had to go back!
After running thru Horsehead we fished a good looking stretch of marsh on the first of an outgoing tide. There were fish popping and rolling and moving but we managed only another Jack and a Ladyfish. Back thru Horsehead we went, back up Nassau to Back River and fished some pockets and here John had the big bite. When it ripped some drag and boiled up near the grass we knew it was a big Redfish and sure enough, after a good battle, John brought to the net a nice 22" bulky Slot Redfish. The sun was up but so was the breeze and we had some nice fish in the box so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
Back to work today, fishing out of Old Town Bait and Tackle after meeting Joseph Segraves and his son David early. We headed up to the Jolley River - all the way up to a point where I hoped to fish the last of an incoming tide with float rigs and live shrimp. We had excellent conditions with an overcast sky but the current was already at a standstill - Joseph and David made good casts but he float just sat there like on a stagnate pond! We eased along the bank for just a minute or two and Joseph did "knock the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch, then we moved on.
After running back to the outside of Tyger and setting up on a point, the tide and current had started out now and the moved paid off. Joseph was on the bow and began to get fish - small Redfish and some Jacks while David was on the stern and picked up a Jack, then had his leader quickly snapped by a lurking Shark. Then Joseph had a strong bite and when his drag began to rip we knew it was big. Joseph played it perfectly - it ran north, boiled a few times so we new it was a big Red, but Joseph worked it to the boat and landed a nice 21" Slot Redfish.
We fished jigs on the outside of Tyger, at a nice drainage, and here Joseph put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat.
Back up to the Jolley we went and fished the "bank", now on an outgoing tide. Both David and Joseph caught fish - a good handful of those small but feisty Redfish. As Joseph and I had our heads turned watching Davids drift I heard the faint "click" of a float going down, yelled, and Joseph set the hook and again, Big Fish On! This fish tried to run up current for just a second then thought better of it, and came back with the current. Joseph had to crank to catch up to it, and he did, and then the battle was back at the stern. Joseph worked it an an landed an even bigger 23" Slot Redfish.
The duo had a small Flounder catch then David had one of those funky bites, hooked it up, and brought to the boat a keeper sized 16" Flounder to make it an Amelia Island Back Country Slam in the box. After fishing another drainage where we had a few more of those feisty Reds caught, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a back country fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator.
I fished with the Coffey's a couple of weeks ago and we got to talking recipes and Tracy B described what sounded like a good one. They caught some fish and planned to use it so I asked if they could send it to me and here it is..Tracy B Coffey's.....
Garlic Parmesan Crusted Fish
6 Fish filets
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 big cloves of freshly minced garlic
Juice of half a lemon
Parsley
1- 11 x9 baking dish
Step 1- preheat oven to 425. Rub 1 tbsp of oil on fish so the seasoning will stick better and season fish with salt and pepper.
Step 2- on a separate plate combine Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic and pinch more of salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the mixture and press into it so the mixture covers.
Step 3-place the fish in the baking dish and sprinkle a little more of the Parmesan/crumb mixture over the top of the fish. Then squeeze the juice from half the lemon over the top of the fish.
Step 4- bake fish till flaky or 20-25 minutes. The breadcrumbs should be a little browned. Finally, sprinkle some parsley overtop and serve.
