Squeezin in a Trip

 We've had rain and wind all week and trips had to be cancelled or rescheduled but we were able to squeeze in a trip today before tomorrows expected high winds (again).  I met Laura and Alex Winter out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early and although it was nice and sunny the NE wind was already picking up a bit. We fished between a couple of docks at Nassauville then ran thru Horsehead and around to Poteat Cut and set up fishing some exposed oyster beds on the last of an outgoing tide. Laura "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Jack Crevalle catch. But even though both anglers were getting good casts, we had only nibbles after that. 

We fished the mouth of Jackstaff for a stretch then made the run back thru Horsehead to settle in at some docks at Seymore's Pointe to fish jigs and live shrimp on the first of the incoming tide. Alex got on the board when he hooked up and landed a fat Mangrove Snapper and just as we netted it Laura had a big hookup. She was fishing from the bow and this fish took her around the stern and was putting a big bow in her rod and as the drag ripped we felt like it was a pretty nice fish. Laura came back to the stern, shifted from port to Starboard and then followed the fish back up to the bow where we eventually netted a big Jack Crevalle, boy what a battle!

After running down to Broward Island we fished it briefly on the incoming tide but that NE wind had picked up and was kicking our butts! We ran further up the Nassau and into a creek where we were sheltered. Laura was making pinpoint casts and it paid off when she caught  feisty Redfish. But even though it was outstanding conditions, we had no more luck so we buzzed out of there and made one more stop at the mouth of Pumpkin Hill. 

We'd switched to float rigs and live shrimp and were drifting them down a marsh bank and after Alex had gone long his float disappeared. Alex caught up the line, lifted the rod and let the circle hook set and, Fish On!  He played it patiently and soon brought to the net a Slot sized Redfish. And only minutes later, we did the same thing - this fish was putting up a good battle and I was thinking "big Trout" but when it came to the surface we saw it was small Bonnethead - fun to catch - but it went back. The wind was really kicking now but we had braved it all morning and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida