Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Wind and Cold Couldn't Stop These Anglers

 I do believe it was windier and colder today than yesterday - and it just never seemed to warm up, until we headed back to the dock!  I had met Steve Roark, his son-in-law Andrew, and grandson Max up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park early this morning and the wind was already kicking. But we braved the weather and made a run down the intercoastal with a plan to fish some dock pilings on a tide that was going out enough to where the oysters were beginning to show. 

I think it was the second cast when, BAM! Fish On!  And Max was on the rod with his dad providing moral support, they worked it to the boat and landed a nice feisty Redfish. That's the way to start a fishing trip! We fished that dock thoroughly and all three anglers had good bites and got to tangle with fish.
Andrew was getting some good casts up under the dock and it paid off. He had a really strong hookup and when his drag began to rip we knew it had some size. It "boiled" once and I mistakenly called it a Redfish - nope, after a patient battle Andrew landed a big  4lb+ Black "puppy" Drum.  Steve had had a good bite out deep and shortly afterwards an "errant" cast to the general area by Andrew produced a big 18" Seatrout.

The bite slowed so we made the long run up the Bell River and fished some docks on a still outgoing tide, then fished another to no avail, then made a short run over to the Jolley and set up to fish the MOA, again, to no avail. We then ran up the Jolly, headfirst into the wind, and made our way around to Tyger Island to fish the first of an incoming tide. Here, Steve hooked up out deep and landed a hungry Seatrout. Both Andrew and Max  outsmarted a couple of "baitstealers", then Andrew wrapped things up with one more Redfish catch. And as we headed back to the boat ramp, the sun came out and warmed things up so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

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