Good Fishing Day

 I picked up the Stettner crew this morning over at Oyster Bay -Robert and his friends Mark and Kirk. We then made the run over to Tyger Island and set up to fish jigs and live shrimp as the tide started back in. It wasn't long before this trio of anglers were catching fish. They put a couple of keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum in the boat, a couple of small but feisty Redfish, a handful of hungry Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size, then Mark battled to the boat a nice 24.5" Slot sized Redfish. 

After fishing up and down the island for a good while, we made the run around to the Jolley River and fished a stretch of still exposed shell with float rigs and shrimp and then jigs and shrimp, but to no avail. The wind had picked up and our drifts just weren't....drifting! 

A final run around to Bell River did the trick. I was expecting to get Seatrout on the back side of some dock pilings but it was on the front side where Robert found a "honey hole" he had a strong hookup, one that ripped some drag and we knew that if it was a Trout it was a big one, and sure enough, that's what it was, a nice 19" Trout. Robert pulled two three more big Trout out of that same spot before it fell off. After fishing another couple of docks we headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

First Jack of the year

 I was out again today, fishing with Steve Buckley, meeting him down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early.
We've fished north the last two times we've fished together but I wanted to show Steve another "side" of Amelia Island. We ran up the Nassau, all the way to a dock that is under repair/construction and got there before the crew showed up to get in a bit of fishing before the sawing and hammering started up! It paid off - Steve hooked up and landed a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum, a feisty Redfish, and the first Jack Crevalle catch of the year. 

After the construction workers began work we moved around to Nassauville and fished between two docks. Steve had a few nibbles here and there but not much was happening until he had worked his jigs and shrimp out deep and BAM! Nice Fish On!  Steve played it patiently and worked to the surface a big 19" Seatrout.  We then moved down the bank a few docks, fished them pretty good and then the same thing happened. I was thinking "big Trout again" but when we netted it we saw it was a big Weakfish! We'll take it!

The tide had started in so we ran down Broward Island, set up and caught a feisty Redfish, then moved on down the island and worked back and this did the trick. Steve hooked up and landed some small, beautifully coppered Redfish then he battled to the boat a nice Slot Redfish. 

Our final stop was back at Twin Creeks fishing float rigs and this paid off on that higher incoming tide. Steve would make his cast up current, let it drift naturally and BAM! That float would go under. Steve had to quickly pick up the line so the circle hook set and he got most of them! They were small but fun to catch Seatrout and a good way to wrap up another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Grande Slam and a Mess 'a Fish

Another pretty day today, so much so that the bugs were a bit of a problem. I had met William and Dara Blalock and their friend Brian Roach out at Goffinsville Park early - the tide was supposed to be at it's low but it was still going out, so we eased down Nassauville and set up between a couple of docks to fish that last of he outgoing. I was surprised that these three experienced anglers didn't get a bite! But we moved down a few docks and worked them until the tide changed and when it did, BAM! A double hookup on Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size. As we moved down a bit Brian had pitched up between some pilings, worked it out and had that strange 'thump" we're all familiar with. Brian set the hook and slowly worked in a nice 17" Flounder. 

We then ran down to Broward Island and fished as the tide started in. It wasn't "on fire" but Dara did finally "knock the skunk off " the spot with a Slot sized Redfish catch. We moved down the island and worked back and things heated up. The trio added another couple of keeper sized Trout, another couple of small Flounder, then William went off the stern and picked up a hard fighting keeper sized Sheepshead. They also caught a handful of small but feisty and fun to catch Redfish. 

After running way up the Nassau we dipped into a creek and worked the bank back into the current. Not a bite for most of the way and I was thinking the spot was going to be a bust but finally we got into a few fish and added the final Slot Redfish of the day - they had their limit. Our final stop was back at the mouth of Pumpkin Hill where we drifted floats but we had not takers. These anglers had an Amelia Island Grande Slam in the box -Redfish, Seatrout, Flounder and Sheepshead, and a good mess of fish at that, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.