In Search Of Flounder

 

Yesterday we were just trying to catch a fish and ended up catching two nice Flounder. Today we had a special request to catch a Flounder and it was nip and tuck there for a while! I had met the Mitchell family - Ryan and Christina and their two children Lucy and Ryan IV out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp with a tide that still had about an hour or so of going out. We headed down to the Spanish Drop area and set up at a large outflow and began tossing jigs and shrimp.  It wasn't long before these anglers were catching fish. (Most of the time the adults did the casting and catching but then handed them off to the First and Second Mate to do the reeling in). We had a string of "junk" fish, but fun to catch - Ladyfish and Jack Crevalle.

When the tide changed we moved down the bank a bit and began fishing
some exposed oyster shell and sure enough, we had some good bites. Both Ryan and Christina reeled in a couple of feisty Redfish. Ryan picked up a couple of hungry Seatrout then they landed a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum to tally an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Seatrout and Drum.

We followed the tide in and ran around to Broward Island, fishing deeper with the jigs, and picked up some rather large Mangrove Snapper then a couple of more small Red's. Then Ryan had a "bump", hooked it up, and worked to the boat. Sheepshead to notch the "Grande Slam". After moving down the island we fished a small bend and here, after a long wait, Christina got her Flounder - a Super Grand Slam!

We finished the day back at Nassauville catching Mangrove Snapper and got enough for the family to take home and make some Snapper Taco's, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Kids Time To Shine

 

I wrapped the week up today fishing with two guys and their excited kids. I met Charlie Moye, his son Gray and his buddy Bo and Bo's daughter Blakely down at the  south end boat ramp early. It was a beautiful morning and a great time to get some kids out on the water fishing. We made run up thru Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill and set up along a flooded marsh line and started drifting floats and live shrimp with the current. We had a couple of quick "pecks" that stole our baits then their was a loud ripping noise and Charlie had a big one on! He was getting quite a lot of encouragement and coaching from both Gray and Blakely and he was up tot he task! I saw that his reel was getting thin so we "backed down" on the hard fighting fish as Charlie caught up to it then the battle was on. Charlie worked it patiently to the boat, let it run when it wanted to, worked it back, and eventually landed a nice 4' Bonnethead Shark. Boy what a fish!

We came back to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large drainage, had a couple of bites, but no takers, then moved around to some rocks and set up to fish close with the float rigs. There was an explosion of excitement from the kids when the  dads began catching Mangrove Snapper. They put a good handful in the box and swopped off letting the kids catch and reel in some of their own. I was real impressed how they worked the kids in to the fishing experience. Both Blakely and Gray took turns netting fish, catching fish, supplying bait and "coaching" up their dads.

After getting a good dinner's worth of fish, we moved down the way and switched to jigs for the first time of the day and caught another good handful of the Mangroves.  Our last stop was down at Spanish Drop n hopes of bigger fish but all we hooked up was a couple of high flying Ladyfish and a  hard fighting Jack Crevalle. But it had  been an eventful day and we had some good action for the kids so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Had To Work For 'em But We Caught 'em

 When I saw the weather last night I was a little concerned about rain, but when I woke up this morning the forecast was a bit better. There was some wind that was going to pick up as the day went along but it was definitely fishable! I met Bob Miller and his fishing partner Lee down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. There was just a slight breeze of 8mph and an ugly horizon south of us but I checked the radar and it all looked good for where we were going to be fishing. We ran up the intercoastal and dipped into Jackstaff and then into a smaller creek to fish a large marsh run out. The duo of anglers were tossing float rigs and live shrimp and getting good drifts and.....not a bite!

We crossed back over to Jackstaff, worked a bank with the floats for a bit, then switched to jigs and shrimp and we did tangle with a couple of high flying Ladfish, and a Catfish. Not a good start!

After running thru Horsehead and down to Spanish Drop we

stayed with the jigs and baited them up with some Mud Minnows. This helped out the "catch ratio". Lee hooked up and expertly landed a keeper sized 17" Flounder that went in the box. We eased along that bank and another and both anglers caught a feisty Redfish or two. The wind was picking up a bit  so we made the run up to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and here we caught a handful of Mangrove Snapper, a small Trout, and a small Sea Bass. 

We tried fishing down along Nassauville but the boat wasn't holding so we dropped back and fished some more dock pilings. Bob was hot on the stern, doing battle with the Mangroves and putting a keeper in the boat now and then. Lee pitched deep with a jig and shrimp and hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout.  These two anglers had to work for their fish but after a half day of fishing they had a mice "mess" of fish in the box so as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Where Did The Drum Come From?

 I fished with Hugh and Jan Hunter today. who were visiting the island and celebrating their much deserved retirement. Although the weather forecast called for about a 60% chance of rain, we planned to go anyway! I met them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and we headed north and west, over to the Jolley River and set up alongside some exposed oyster beds on the first of an incoming tide. We eased along the bank, pitching jigs and live shrimp with Jan on the bow and Hugh taking up the stern. At first I thought we were in "Croakerville" because that's all we caught the first few fish that came to the boat. Then Jan had a strong hookup and after playing the fish patiently, she brought to the net a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. Then her and Hugh traded catches and landing a handful of Black Drum. Then the both put a couple of feisty Redfish in the boat then Jan added a keeper sized Seatrout to the catch.

We ran further up the Jolley, switched to float rigs and now we were in "Baitstealerville" - perch and more perch and small Mangrove Snapper.  With no big fish biting, we ran back, around the Tyger Island and up in behind them to fish the logs. Jan pulled out another Black Drum and we had numerous bites. As we drifted along, pitching to the bank, and now around at the marsh grass, Jan had a strong bite and her drag ripped, Fish On! But within secondsd, Fish Off! Ouch. But only a cast or two later she had a another big hookup and this one she worked to the net to land a nice 17" Seatrout.  After running thru and over to the Bell River we set up alongside some flooded shell beds. Hugh found a hot spot off the stern and put a couple hungry Seatrout in the boat, then Jan, who had put a nice cast up behind a grassy island, had her float "bob", then sit there. After a while she reeled it in and seemed like she might have an oyster shell. But the "shell" started pulling back and she realized she had a fish on. Jan worked it slowly to the boat and we netted a Flounder to give the couple an Amelia Island Grande Slam of Redfish, Seatrout, Black Drum and Flounder. 

We wrapped up fishing over at Lanceford Creek, fishing the last of the incoming tide and finished things off with a couple of small Jack Crevalle bites then we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Recipe of the Month: Crab Imperial

 By Julie Rothman with the Baltimore Sun: "A classic Maryland-style crab imperial should have very few ingredients and requires minimum seasoning. It is the crab meat that is the focus of the dish.  When working with crab meat, take care not to pull apart the lumps of meat and always use a fork when combining your ingredients. Never break apart or mash the crabmeat." 

Robert Shoffner writes:  "the accepted wisdom of the region(Maryland) : Crab cakes were to crab imperial what meatloaf was to prime rib. Considering crab imperial a superior dish to crab cakes reflects an understanding that the sweetness of jumbo lump crab is best appreciated in the simplest preparations. "

When my mother-in-law, Jean Hanna passed away, my wife found in her cupboards a set of milk white Glass Bake crab dishes, made by McKee Glass Company. They came in the white, clear, and red. Here's an article about the crab dishes and there is also a Deviled Crab recipe! Maybe we'll make that another month!  We stored them away for years but decided to break them out to re-create the classic Crab Imperial!  I "googled" Imperial Crab and picked the Phillips Company recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb Jumbo Lump Crab Meat

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 egg

1 tsp Seafood Seasoning

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 oz Hellmann's mayonnaise (I read somewhere that Hellmann's is good for baking)

1 tsp melted butter

Combine all Crab Imperial ingredients (EXCEPT THE CRAB MEAT) in a medium mixing bowl and whip until smooth.

In a seperate mixing bowl, add the crab meat and pour Imperial mixture over crab meat.

Blend all ingredients together by tossing very gently in order to avoid breaking delicate crab lump meat.

This recipe filled eight (8) of the Glass Bake crab dishes perfectly! Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.

Imperial Topping:

3 oz Hellman's mayonnaise

1 oz half and half

1/2 tsp seafood seasoning

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Pinch of paparika

1/4 cup shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese

Combine all the topping ingredients (EXCEPT THE PAPRIKA AND SHREDDED CHEESE) in a medium mixing bowl and whip until smooth.

After the Imperials are finished baking, remove from oven and switch oven to broil.

Top each dish of crab with the imperial topping. Sprinkly some paprika on each, then add some of the shredded cheese. 

Place in broiler to finish off until cheese has melted and Imperials start to brown. DON'T  WALK AWAY FROM IT! KEEP AN EYE ON IT!

Serve with toasted baguettes or crackers.

 

I Called It A Shark

 Boy was it a hot one today! By the time we got back to the dock I was drenched with sweat, but for mostof the day it was fairly nice and a great one for fishing. I had met Mark Dennis and his friend Greg and Greg's teenagers Jacob and Carter out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. The tide was high but almost at a standstill so we ran over to Pumkpin Hill and began working a grassy bank with float rigs and live shrimp. They were getting a bite or two but it was Carter who "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch. We fished that stretch, then down one more bank before we moved on.

Our next stop was over at Nassauville where we switched to jigs and shrimp and this got the action going. We began to get Mangrove Snapper bites and everyone joined in on the catching. They also caught a couple of small Sea Bass. A number of the Snapper were small but we did get a good handful of legal ones to throw in the box. We broke one of the basic rules of fishing, "don't leave fish to find fish" but we wanted some bigger fish, so we moved on. 

After a short run down to Spanish Drop we set up off a large marsh run out and man was there a lot of bait moving. We picked up a couple of Stingray's then Jacob had a good "bump". He set the hook and worked it expertly to the boat and landed a nice 17" Flounder. Greg battled a Bonnethead Shark for a

few minutes then Jacob picked up another feisty Redfish. When Greg had another strong hookup the big fish dug deep and I mistakenly called it "another Shark". But Greg didn't care and battled it from bow to stern, keeping the pressure on as it went deep behind the boat. I still thought it was a shark until it boiled up between the boat and the bank and we saw that beautiful copper color- Big Redfish On! Greg worked it patiently and soon brought it to the net - a bulky 25.5" Slot Redfish. Boy what a fish.

We had burned through a lot of bait at the Mangrove spot and we eventually ran out, but the bait fish were still at the run out so we dropped back and

tossed a net and got a couple dozen nice finger mullet, then we move up to another drainage and fished it to wrap things up. I had commented that we hadn't seen a Trout earlier so it was nice to see Mark hookup off the stern in deeper water. He played it patiently and brought to the boat a nice keeper sized Seatrout to round out the team's Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Flounder and Seatrout and with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Perseverance or Was it the Red Hooks?

 We're having some really nice August mornings although it does get heated up as we get closer to noon, and today was no exception. I had met Bob Miller down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made the long run up and around to Broward Island to fish the first of an incoming tide. However, when we got there, the tide was still going out so we eased down to the other end and fished a large outflow with jigs and live shrimp. Bob did pick up one nice feisty Redfish before we moved on.  We made a stop up on the north end and fished it with jigs as the tide came in - the perfect time to be there, but to no avail.

We came back to the Spanish Drop area, fished a flooding oyster bed with float rigs and mud minnows then switched to jigs and worked a large runout, but again, to no avail. After hitting one more spot we moved up to Seymore's Pointe and fished some dock pilings and here we did pick up a Croaker and small Mangrove Snapper.

The tide was up pretty high now so we followed it back down

to Pumpkin Hill and set up to drift floats down a long grass line. I had just got in an order of Eagle Claw 3/0 circle hooks in Red color - hooks I used to use but haven't been able to find in a long while.  Bob drifted long and picked up a couple of small but feisty Redfish then he had s strong bite and fish on!  The way it was fighting and ripping drag I guessed, "Slot Redfish"!  Bob played it patiently and slowly worked it to the boat and when it came to the net we saw that it was a huge Seatrout!  We netted it and it measured right at 23" - big enough to move Bob into 3rd place in the Angler's Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout category (scroll down the right side of this report for a link to standings). Boy what a fish!

We continued to "do the drift" and BAM, another fish on. Bob expertly brought it to the net and landed a 20" Trout. With the new rules, this one had to go back! We fished that edge for a while and caught another couple of feisty Reds and a small Trout. After easing around the corner and drifting by a pointe, BAM! Fish On!  Bob brought it in and it just came in under the 19" mark so in the box it went. The sun was up and the heat was on and time was out so we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Pre-Back To School

 I had fishing with me today a trio of students, trying to get in one more vacation before they start hitting the books! I met Cooper Sims and his friends Nathan and Adam down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and we made the short run up the Nassau River with plans to work the run outs and oyster beds with live shrimp. We started with float rigs and first cast picked up a Ladyfish but after that we had a lull. Then Cooper hooked up and reeled in a feisty Redfish and that got things going. 

Adam put a couple of Flounder in the boat, one of which was of keeper size. Nathan added a couple of feisty Redfish to the catch then Nathan hauled in hungry Seatrout. Then it was Shark Time! Cooper had a strong bite and when the fish took off like a freight train, we knew it was a shark. Cooper was patient and worked it patiently, letting it run when it wanted to, then working it back in. I missed the first grab of the dorsal but Cooper kept that pressure on and gave me another chance! Eventually I was able to haul it in for pictures and release.  We also boated three Stingray's along that stretch.

Our next stop was up at Seymore's and here all three anglers tangled with some Mangrove Snapper, with each adding to the box for a seafood dinner tonight! We were tossing float rigs and shrimp there and ended up putting 8 in the box.  We moved down the way and switched back to jigs, tossed up to the bank, and caught another handful of smaller Snapper and a small Seatrout. 

The last stop was down at Broward Island, fishing the jigs. We picked up a

couple of Croaker, a small Sheepshead, a couple of small Reds, then Nathan had a big bite and, Fish On! Nathan played it expertly and brought to the net a 19.5" Slot Redfish, and boy what a golden, copper colored fish it was! We had put a bunch of fish in the boat, it was a beautiful day and as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be out on the water fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Hitting the Spots With the Tide

 

The weather forecasters predicted hotter temperatures but  this morning we were blessed with somewhat overcast skies and a slight breeze so the heat didn't get on us until late in the trip. I met Bruce Newkirk, his sons Tyson and Garrett and Garretts girl friend Kerri out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. The tide was still going out for an hour so we made our first stop down at the Spanish Drop area and began fishing with jigs and mud minnows. There was a lot of bait action and fish busting the  bait up near the shore so it wasn't long before these anglers began to catch fish. Tyson "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch, then everyone was catching them. Unfortunately they were no bigger than 14"!  Kerri battled a 3' Bonnethead Shark to the boat and Garrett followed that up with a big Redfish fight, one that Redfish won as it broke off right a the boat.

We moved up he way just a bit and fished a marsh run out and again, they were catching those feisty Reds, picked up a trout,

then Tyson hooked up and smartly landed a nice 19.5" Flounder, boy what a fish! We then ran up and fished some docks at Seymore's Pointe as the tide started back in. Here Bruce had the hot rod and put a handful of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the box. We fished around the corner with float rigs and boxed another couple of Mangroves, then followed the tide down to Broward Island. 

Garrett got a couple of Flounder, Tyson added a keeper Sheepshead, and Bruce added a few more Mangroves to the catch. We made one last move, down to the other end of the island and here it was Tyson's turn to tangle with a sizable Red, and again we had a break off! Ouch! But we had a good box full of fish so as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Bait Management-Net Princess-Future Biologist

She can take her pick, but young angler Lenora has a bright future ahead of her when it come to fishing! Her mother Marnie Bird and her Uncle Dave met me down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning and we made the run thru Middle River and around to Pumpkin Hill to set up along side some flooding marsh grass. Marnie and Dave began tossing float rigs with live shrimp to the bank and letting it drift with the current.  Lenora was already managing the bait buckets of live shrimp and mud minnows. Marnie "knocked the skunk off" when she hooked up and battled a hard fighting Bonnethead Shark to the boat.  Only minutes later, Dave, who had made an excellent cast to the point of some grass, had a hookup and, Fish On!  He played it perfectly and brought to the net a 21" Slot Redfish (with 8 spots). He followed that up with a big Bonnethead Shark catch of his own. 

We came back to Seymore's Pointe, fished a large outflow and here Marnie put a hungry Seatrout in the boat, and then a small Mangrove Snapper.  After moving around the corner we got into the bigger Mangroves and the duo began to catch one after the other. Lenora reeled in the biggest one of the day, but she spent most of her time netting her Mom's and Uncles fish! She handled most of them and released the smaller ones back into the river.

After running thru Horsehead we fished the mouth of Jackstaff. Dave was fishing a jig and picked up a couple of feisty Redfish. We then headed back to the dock where I cleaned the Slot Red and Mangroves. Lenora was keen on seeing what was in their stomachs so we dissected those that had their belly's full. Most had our shrimp! Bud one had a minnow! We had a good day of fishing so we counted it as another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Two Slams

 

After a huge rain storm and long showers last night I was wondering how the fishing would be today. Yesterday we had "coca cola" water and I was interested to see what it'd be like today. I met Josh Dees and his son Benny up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and boy what a pretty day it was! We headed right over to the Jolley River and up it to Snook Creek where the duo began tossing float rigs with live shrimp on a tide that had been going out for an hour or so. We had a good many bites  and Josh picked up a hungry Seatrout and a fat Croaker. As we eased along the tide dropped a bit and we could see the oysters so we switched to jigs and things heated up!

Benny put a nice feisty Redfish in the boat and then it was "fish on" for a good hour or so. They caught a handful of those feisty Reds, a couple of Trout, a couple of Croaker and some "baitstealers". I gotta say that this young 9yr old is already an "angler" - he baited his own hooks, removed his own fish,  and netted his dad's fish. He was casting and catching like a teenager!

We came back to the mouth of Jolley and fished the "bank" and

again, we caught fish, one after the other. Both Josh and Benny had caught Reds and Trout then it was Benny he hooked up and landed a Flounder to round out his Amelia Island Back Country Slam. Shortly after that Josh followed that up with one of his own! We actually left fish biting to try another spot in hopes of bigger fish so we made the run back up river to the "MOA" where we set up, the tide still going out. 

Josh found the fish - catching a couple of Reds then he had a strong hookup. This one was pulling a bit more than all of the rest this morning; he handed the rod off to his team mate Benny who expertly brought it to the boat and the net - a keeper sized Seatrout! We fished it a bit more then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Happy 4th of July!

 I wrapped up my week fishing with Stan Jackson and his fishing buddies Wade and Barnie, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early this  morning.  We made a run up to the Jolley River and set up along the "bank" to fish the last of an outgoing tide with jigs and Mud Minnows. In short order we had some action - Stan put a keeper sized Flounder in the  boat and  Barnie landed a keeper sized Seatrout.  Wade added another Flounder to the catch and Stan put a feisty Redfish in the boat.  After fishing further up the river at Snook Creek we made a run back towards Amelia.

The tide had started back in so we dipped in to behind Tyger and fished the logs. It was the ideal time to be there but the fish weren't having it.

We then ran around to the Bell River and set up along side a shell bank. Wade added a Seatrout to the catch and a small Sea Bass. Although we had rain clouds all around us, we only got wet once.  But it was a great way to start a 4th of July weekend so we

counted it as a good day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

June Super Grande Slam

 

After I met Craig and Paige Hungerford and their adult "kids" Reese and Halley we left the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp under cloudy skies, but it wasn't forecasted to rain until later in the afternoon. The tide still had about 30 minutes left to come in so we headed over to Bell River and set up along side some flooded oyster beds and marsh grass. We were seeing some fish busting bait at ambush points and finally Craig had the hookup and catch to "knock the skunk off" with a nice keeper sized Flounder catch. (all fish caught today were released). The tide came to a standstill, we fished it a bit, then moved on. 

After running thru Tyger we eased around to the outside and fished a grassy point that was "guaranteed"  and sure enough it paid off. We had seen fishing tailing up in the grass - it wasn't a Redfish -then Reese hooked up and worked the fish to the boat - a feisty Black "puppy" Drum. As we netted that fish Paige had a strong bite. Her drag "ripped" a few times but she kept the pressure on and soon landed a Slot sized Redfish. The family

had a Slam of Flounder, Black Drum and Redfish. Then it was Halley's turn. We all saw her float slowly going under' Halley reeled up any slack and as the float headed west she set the hook and, Big Fish On!  She and her dad teamed up for a 9 minute drag ripping battle. They'd work the fish to the boat only to have it take off and strip line. But they were patient and slowly worked it to the boat and landed  big 3"+ Bonnethead Shark, boy what a battle!

We then fished further up Tyger, switching to jigs, and Reese caught and landed a Flounder of his own. Moving around to the Jolley River we eased along he bank, back to fishing float rigs and Craig picked up a fat Seatrout, making it a Grande Slam, then our final stop was around at Bell River where we switched back to jigs. Halley wrapped things up with a a Sheepshead catch which made it an Amelia Island Super Grande Slam - a great way to end a good fishing trip here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Lorna's Spot

 

I met Andy and Lorna Anderson out at Goffinsville Park this morning for a half day of fishing. They had supported the Amelia Island Guides Association's fishing tournament in 2019 by purchasing a gift certificate for a fishing trip, and we really appreciate it!

We ran over to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and began fishing with jigs and live shrimp and it wasn't long before Lorna zeroed in on "Lorna's Spot" and began to hookup with keeper sized Mangrove's. Andy squeeze her out a couple of times to catch a couple of his own. Lorna tangled with and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle before we moved on. 

Our next stop was down at Spanish Drop, still pitching the jigs on the last of an outgoing tide, but to no avail. We moved up to Athens Drop and here Andy got hot off the stern of the boat. Although the fish weren't edible, he caught and landed a Jack, Stingray, Catfish, Ladyfish, and then we did keep a nice Whiting he pulled in. 

We fished down at Broward Island on the first of an incoming tide which is an ideal tide, but the west wind was kicking up and and the water was murky and the fish didn't bite.  After coming back to Seymore's Pointe we set up with float rigs and limited out on Mangrove's, some of them right at 12", which made for a good mess of fish and a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Making Memories With Rain, Minnows, Manatee, and Big Fish

 MANY MEN GO FISHING ALL OF THEIR LIVES WITHOUT KNOWING THAT IT IS NOT FISH THEY ARE AFTER -  Henry David Thoreau

Sometimes the fish don't cooperate on some of our fishing trips but when a young couple with a young angler get a chance to get out on the water and experience some of our "salt life", memories are made none-the-less.  Today I had Caleb and Callie Berryhill and their young daughter Molly meet me at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. There was a 24% chance of rain but we felt sure we could get out and get some fishing in.

After a quick run up the Nassau we stopped and fished a handful of marsh run outs on an outgoing tide but had no real luck, other than a high flying Ladyfish that Callie hooked up and landed. We fished some docks at Nassauville and caught one or two or three small Mangrove Snapper, then we made a run to Broward Island, only to pull up short at Pumpkin Hill as a rain storm passed us by. But it didn't pass us and came right over the top of us, soaking Caleb and I as Callie and Molly attempted to shelter under a rain jacket a beach towel. After it passed, we ran down to Broward, fished it for a good bit, but had no real luck. But Caleb did spot a Manatee hanging out beside a submerged stump which is always pretty cool to see.

Molly had been playing with the mud minnows for most of the day and having a good time at it but the sun had come back out and was wearing on all of us. We backed up to some dock pilings at our last stop and played cat and mouse with Mangrove Snapper then finally, Caleb had the strong bite and, Big Fish On!  He applied the pressure and kept the fish away from the pilings, worked it out to deeper water, then patiently played it to the net - a Big 25.75" Slot Redfish, and boy was it thick!

We had had an eventful day, ended up with a big fish, saw a Manatee, so as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

We Thought Flounder Were the Highlight

 I fished with the Williams family today, John and Mary Margaret and their young kids Hadden and Ruth, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We ran up the intercoastal and dipped into Jackstaff and began fishing the bank with jigs and live shrimp on a tide that still had a couple of more hours to hit bottom.  Trolling along eh bank, the anglers were making excellent casts, working the bottom, and even though we were seeing bait getting busted along the shore, we had no bites.

We buzzed thru Horsehead and headed back east to Spanish Drop and set up parallel to the bank. We had only fished a few minutes when John had a BUMP, and fish on!  He brought it patiently to the net and landed a nice 17" keeper sized Flounder. We worked that bank then moved up to another marsh runout. Fishing that, BUMP, and John had another keeper sized Flounder. We moved up to another marsh runout and, BUMP, John put another keeper Flounder in the boat.  He added one more that was just undersized, then caught a Seatrout before we moved on. 

Our next stop was at some docks in Nassauville, pitching to the pilings. Both Ruth and Hadden had bites, then after Mary Margaret had pitched up between some pilings, BAM, Big Fish On! Mary Margarte was cranking and the fish was digging deep , trying to get to the pilings but Mary Margaret kept the pressure on, worked it out to safety, then patiently played it to the net and landed a big 25.25" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish. We also put a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the boat. 

After running down to Broward Island with just minutes to spare, and trying to avoid a mutiny from the younger anglers, we fished deep and had one strong bite, a fight, and then the fish found the submerged tree and BAP! Fish Off. But we had a beautiful day and caught some nice fish so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

We Needed One of Those Counter Gadgets

 To kick off Memorial Day weekend (thank you all Veterans), I fished with the Beard boys, Russell and William and their friends Cooper and Luke, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early for a half day of fishing the back waters of Amelia Island. We ran up the Nassau and made our first stop at Spanish Drop at dead low and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the exposed oysters. I think it was Luke's first cast and he announced, "got one"!  He played it perfectly and reeled in a hungry Flounder. "That's One".  I didn't know it but the boys had made a friendly wager with their dads who were fishing in another boat out at Nassau Sound as to who would catch the most fish. Stay tuned. We worked that bank, then moved up to Athens Drop, fished it, then moved on.

Our next stop was at some docks at Nassauville and here things picked up. Russell had made an excellent cast up between some pilings and it paid off. He had a hookup, a catch, and landed a nice 12" keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. We had a couple of more then William had a big bite and, Fish On!  He worked it to the boat and landed a 20" Slot Redfish. Shortly after that Cooper had a similar bite but his fish was smarter and headed immediately for the pilings, wrapped it self, and BAP! Fish Off.  We picked up a few more smaller Mangrove's then another keeper, then we moved on. 

After making the run down to Broward to fish the first of an incoming tide, we

fished it a bit but the wind had picked up and made conditions not ideal. We held a council. I asked the guys if their dads had specified how big the fish had to be to count in the "contest" and, no, it didn't matter. We only had so much bait but I felt pretty sure the Mangroves would be biting back at Nassauville so we went with that strategy - to catch as many as we can, even if we blew through our bait. 

After getting settled at the new spot, the anglers began to fish in earnest. It took a few minutes, more than I expected, but sure enough, when they began to bite they caught one fish after another. Cooper had quietly persevered and it paid off. He put a good handful of keeper Mangroves in the boat and all three of the others added some too. It was sort of difficult to keep up with the "tally" - we had  "double" hookups a few times and between that and netting and measuring we needed one of those counter gadgets to keep up with the count.  But all told, counting the Ladyfish and a Catfish caught, we zeroed in on 28 fish caught for the day, and boy what a great one it was to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Double Slot

 

Boy what a beautiful morning we had today! Sunshine, only slightly cool, and only a tad bit of wind. I had met the Acton family, Matt and Terri and their sons Trevor and Eric up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and we made our way over to Bell River and set up at a grassy point with just minutes to spare on a high and incoming tide. Matt was taking pictures while Terri and the young anglers fished and it was Terri who "knocked the skunk off" when she hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout.

The tide hit its highest, we fished it a bit, then made the run thru Tiger Basin and around to the outside oif Tyger Island and went back to the float rigs. The trio of anglers were getting bites but no real takers then Trever had a hookup and, Fish On!  The fish was big enough to be ripping drag but Trever kept the pressure on then Eric had a hookup and we had a Double!  Trevor landed his fish - a 20" Slot Redfish then it was Eric's turn to battle a fish. We played it perfectly, worked it to the boat, and landed

another Slot Redfish, this one measuring 18 1/2" and having 5 spots.

We fished across the creek for a bit, then ran back the marsh and over to Lanceford Creek. Here, Trevor put a Seatrout in the boat then Matt, having took up a rod, had a big hookup and Big Fish On! This fish was heading back to Nebraska!  Matt played him patiently, worked it to the boat only to have it make multiple runs, worked it back, and we saw that it was a 4' Bonnethead Shark!  It was just out of reaching distance when, BAP, it broke the leader and was gone.

Our next stop was up in Soap Creek but we had no bites, then we came back out and fished some docks and this did the trick.  We ended up getting another Trout, and two Black "puppy" Drum, and numerous bites before making our last run over to Tyger logs where we wrapped the day up and headed in to chalk it up as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

It Was a Big Trout

 

When that line is ripp'n and that big fish is digging deep, the first thing you hope for is to "just be able to see  him"!  We had that happen this morning and when the fish came to the surface briefly near the boat and we saw it was a Huge Trout, we all held our breath, and hoped. 

I had met James Driggers, his brother-in-law David Purcell and his nephew Chase out at the Goffinsville Park this morning with the sun having just cleared Amelia Island off to the west. The forecast called for not much of rain but winds were going to increase from 9mph to 12 to 16 as the trip progressed. Our plan was to fish some just exposed oyster beds over in the Nassau first so we headed that way and deployed the float rigs and live shrimp to the edge. We eased along the bank, had a couple of good bites, then finally, David "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch.

We moved up to a large marsh runout and switched to jigs and shrimp. Just as Chase had a good hookup, David's rod bent over and the drag began to sing. Chase worked  his fish to the boat expertly and landed a feisty Ladyfish but David had his hands full on the stern. I was thinking "Redfish?"  No, probably a Jack Crevalle, but as David worked it patiently to the surface, OH BOY, a huge Gator Trout! Then the fish dove and went under the boat and I think we all realized what we could potentially lose!  But David kept the pressure on, brought it back out, played it around the engine, then brought it to the net to be lifted in and measured to be right at 25" - big enough to move into first place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament, Seatrout Category. Boy what a fish! (Scroll down the right side of this report for standings)

Once we gathered our wits, the angles went back to fishing and after James had a made a perfect cast, BOOM! And drag began to sing as the fish ran like a freight train, heading East. But James played him perfectly, stayed with him in a couple of long runs, worked him up off the bottom, and landed a nice 40" Bonnethead Shark-the first Shark we've caught in the back water this year. 

We later fished some docks and got a couple of Mangrove Snapper, fished some more docks and got another couple of Snapper, then finished up down at Broward Island where the trio teamed up to catch a handful of Seatrout and Redfish. The wind had picked up as forecasted but we were able to get some fishing in so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Mixing It Up

 After a much needed day off I was back at it today, meeting Eddie Byrd and his son-in-law Art and grandson-in-law Dan down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. After making the run up and over into the Nassau River we made our first stop at Spanish Drop and with a tide that had been coming in for about 3 hours, began to pitch float rigs and live shrimp to the shore line. We were getting pretty good drifts but had no real luck. 

The shell was still showing so we decided to try our luck at some docks at Seymore's but tossing jigs produced no fish. We move around and switched back to float rigs, had just a couple of nibbles, but then we could see a Sheepshead's tail as it fed up alongside some pilings. We moved in, dropped some jigs and had a hookup. Art worked it in and landed a keeper sized fish.  After fishing around the corner at some rocks and catching a couple of small Mangroves, we moved on.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island, fishing jigs, but no takers. We then moved up to Pumpkin Hill and drifted float rigs

on a still incoming tide and this did the trick. After getting a couple of bites off the stern, Dan went up to a pointe of grass and BAM, he had a fish. Dan worked it patiently to the boat and landed keeper sized Seatrout.  We fished down the way and somewhere in there tangled with a Ladyfish or two, then Art put another Trout in the boat, caught right up beside the grass.

Our final stop was back at Nassauville, fishing between two docks and here we caught Mangrove Snapper non-stop for a good thirty minutes, many of them of keeper size, and the biggest at around 12". We filled the box with those then headed in, counting it as another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

(Note, the Bald Eagle chick at Broward Island has left the nest!)