Bluefish Bonanza -Don't call me Crabber

 

I fished this morning with Leah and Brian Newsom and their grandson Caleb, meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We put out 3 crabs traps on the way to the first stop, over at Tyger Island, but when we got there we began fishing jigs and live shrimp on an incoming  tide. We didn't have a whole lot of action but we did snag a nice Flounder that Leah and Caleb teamed up to reel in. 

Our next stop was up the Jolley, sticking with the jigs, fishing Snook Creek for a bit, to no avail, then we came out and drifted float rigs down the bank and here Brian had a strong hookup going long and expertly brought to the net a keeper sized Seatrout (eventually released).  We had a few good bites along there then fished back at Tyger Cut with the floats, then made our way back around to the outside of Tyger. 

Here we had good action catching Bluefish, putting a good handful in the boat. Leah did have one bite that took it all -float, leader and hook so we don't know what that was!  We then checked the crab traps with Brian pulling them up and Caleb supervising, but we had no luck. Don't call me a Crabber!  But we had a beautiful morning, had some action and so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

One Hot Spot

 

I wrapped up my week fishing with Bob Kossman and Dale Bullard, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning with a tide that had been going out for a few hours. We made a quick trip around to the old Sawpit bridge and set up to drift slip floats long with live shrimp as bait, but to no avail - we had no bites, not even a nibble.

We then came back to the intercoastal and ran up and across to the Longpoint docks and worked a few of them with jigs and mudminnows. Dale did have one good bite - it took some drag - then was off! Ouch! We continued on up the intercoastal, past Jackstaff, to Poteat Cut and then eased along an exposed pointe an oyster bed and boy was there some activity! Bait was moving and getting "popped" and it didn't take long for these anglers to get some bites. They had a couple of Ladyfish encounters then Dale put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat.  And then we caught a couple of feisty Redfish (one had 12 spots).

Moving over to the mouth of Jackstaff we worked a bank for a bit, then we crossed over and fished a
pointe where we did have a couple of good bites. After running thru Horsehead and down the Nassau to Spanish Drop we fished a couple of stretches of exposed shell banks where Bob got on the board with a feisty Jack Crevalle catch. 

We finished up  dueling with Mangrove Snapper back at Seymore's Pointe and although we caught a handful of them only one of them was of keeper size. Bob did have a good hookup which he successfully brought to the net - a Bluefish which he had plans to go into a Chowder.  We had had good weather, a bit of action, and so as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

High Tides and Low Tides

 It's amazing how different the fishing can be depending on the tides. This morning I met Warren Hearn and his brother-in-law Dave up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We had a tide that was already high and still coming in so we went with float rigs and live shrimp as the tactic. Our first stop was over on the outside of Tyger and almost immediately Warren had a hookup and after expertly playing it, landed a big Bluefish. Then Dave had a hookup, one that pulled a bit of drag, and he brought to the net a big 18" Seatrout. We bounced around all morning, drifting edges with the float rigs  and this duo caught a good handful of Seatrout and another nice Blue.

This afternoon we were fishing a tide that had been going out for a few hours. I had met Kay Hartinger and her partner Sue at Old Town and we made a long run up the Bell to fish some docks with jigs and shrimp. The first spot produced no fish but we got in closer between a couple of more docks and fished back to the pilings. Kay and Sue began to catch fish - hard fighting and feisty Black "puppy" Durm, some feisty Redfish, then Kay put a Slot sized Red in the boat.  We came back to the Eagans Creek area and fished some more dock pilings and  for two hours we caught Redfish, one after the other! Kay added a keeper sized Black Drum, then patiently played a 23" Slot Red to the net. Sue followed that up with a nice 21" Slot fish of her own. When the dust had settled I guestimate we had caught at least 25 Redfish, four of which were of legal size.  But not a single Trout, like this morning! Hah! As we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Chipped Our Way to a Bag of Fish

 I was back to work today, fishing with Darrell Holcomb and his brother-in-law Jim, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We had a high tide that was just starting out when we arrived at Seymore's Pointe and began fishing with float rigs and live shrimp. Both anglers were getting excellent tosses and it paid off with some strong bites, but we didn't have a "take" until Darrell's float had disappeared with a vengeance - he set the hook and, Fish On!  Darrell played it perfectly and soon landed a nice 19.5" Slot sized Redfish to "knock the skunk off". We fished that area them moved back a bit and caught one small Mangrove Snapper.

After moving around the corner to the Mangrove Snapper "honey hole" both anglers began to get bites on the floats and shrimp combo. Once they got the hand of it they were putting on Mangrove after another in the boat. Most were undersized, but the duo managed to "box" eight nice ones, with the biggest being right at 12" that Jim landed. 

We ran down to Pumpkin Hill and fished a marsh bank. Jim had a serious fight with a Bluefish that he handily won, and as we were netting it Darrell hooked up and landed hungry Seatrout. After he went back to the bank we both saw something big swirl at his float, we waited, and BOOM! Float gone. The fish made a short run south then turned around and came back, then went under the boat, then ran west, then went under the boat...but thru it all Darrell kept the pressure on and eventually battled the beast to the net, a nice 3' Bonnethead Shark. After fishing Broward for a bit we ran back to Seymore's to get out of the rising wind.

Her Jim added one more keeper Mangrove to the box and wrapped things up with a Flounder catch which was a great was to end a good day to be out on the waters here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

The Hegler Fishing Team notched an "Amelia Island Backcountry Super Grande Slam" this morning when they boat a Black Drum, Seatrout, Flounder, Sheepshead and Redfish during the trip!  And they added to that catch a whole bunch of other species for a Marine Wildlife education for young Nolan.
We had met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and headed up the Nassau River to make an early stop at Spanish Drop. Although all three anglers were making excellent casts, we didn't have much more than a nibble.

We then ran up to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and here things picked up. Robert's first cast produced a drag ripping run  that continued on thru the pilings....and kept going!  Then he and Rob boated a couple of feisty Black "puppy" Drum, then Rob had a hookup that ripped some drag. Luckily the fish stayed between the pilings and although it was on the other side of the dock, Rob worked it out. The fish made some high flying jumps and we both questioned "Black Bass"?  Hah!  No, when Rob worked it to the net we saw that it was a huge Blue Fish, big for the backwaters of Amelia Island. We fished a couple of more docks then made the run down to Broward Island where the tide was still going out.

Things picked up. Rob and Robert teamed up to land a handful of Seatrout, then they caught a keeper sized Flounder, a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper and a feisty Sheepshead.  Robert finally hooked up with something that would "rip some drag". He worked it patiently to the boat and landed a Slot Sized Redfish. Nolan had been patiently fishing, hanging in there for a 7 year old, and it paid off. He was baiting his own hooks and making his own casts and, BOOM! Fish On! Nolan played the fish perfectly and worked it to the boat to land beautiful copper colored Redfish, boy what a fish.  I think the final fish caught for the day was an ugly 'ole Toad Fish, but with a good variety caught, we counted it as another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.