We wrapped the week up fishing on a beautiful day! I had met my cousin Jim Garner, his brother in law Chipper and Chipper's kids Carter and Addie down at Sawpit Creek early this morning and after a quick safety orientation, we made our way up the intracoastal, all the way to Poteat Point where we went with float rigs and minnows and live shrimp. Those shrimp were almost worthless. I had thought I'd "mix it up" with some shrimp - I haven't fished with them in weeks, and now I knew why - the baitstealers had a field day. When later, I mentioned it to my wife she said (you dummy), "even I know you shouldn't be using shrimp this time of year". I could see she was thinking the "you dummy".
Jim "knocked the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch and from then on all four anglers were getting bitesand fish. Jim and Addie found a nice Trout hole off the stern but Carter slipped in there a couple of times to get fish. Chipper was going up current from the bow and hooked and landed the only Redfish of the day. Addie put the first keeper Trout in the boat, a nice 17" fish. We then came back to Jackstaff and fished a sand bar and I was expecting big things - we caught Trout there yesterday, but other than a feisty Black "puppy" Drum that Chipper caught, we didn't get much else.. After running thru Horsehead and down to Twin Creeks we fished the outflow with jigs and the minnows and shrimp, again, to no avail. As there was a lull in the fish catching, we initiated the GPK Challenge - the biggest fish caught from now on would take home the prize! That thing changed hands five times!
The boys were trying hard to suppress their competitiveness, but Chipper set the standard quickly when he boated a 11.75" Seatrout. The GPK changed hands when Jim put a 12.5" Flounder in the boat, then later down at Broward Island Carter had a big hookup - he played the fish expertly and brought to the net a big 17" Flounder - the fish went into the box and the GPK went smoothly into his pocket! But it wasn't there long! His Uncle Jim was fishing off the stern, deep with a jigs and minnow and when he felt a strong thump and after a good hookset, he had a big Fish On! Jim worked it in patiently and landed a big Oversized 20" Seatrout, boy what a fish! We were all thinking that that would surely take the prize but we were mistaken!
Our final stop was at Pumpkin Hill. They picked up a couple of smaller Trout then Carter tangled with a
nice Black Tip Shark and had him to the boat before the leader snapped, then it was Chipper's turn to battle a big fish. He worked it in, let it run, worked it closer, let it run, then brought to the net another Black Tip Shark that measured to the fork at 21.5" and the GPK was his! The back story was that while that Shark fight was going on, and the guys were competing for the GPK, the youngest angler - Addie was quietly reeling in another keeper Trout to take home to feed the family! We had caught a bunch of fish during the trip and had a few in the box and so as we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
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