Monster Red on Worst Weather Day

 Today had to have been one of the worst day's weather-wise that I've fished in a long time. We had checked the forecast and saw that by mid morning their was a 64% chance of rain but those Weathermen are notoriously wrong, right? Not today! I met Todd Johnson and his fishing buddy Patrick Davis down at Sawpit Creek on a tide that when we reached Nassauville, would just be starting to come in . When we reached our first spot we tossed jigs and live shrimp to some dock pilings but only produced two "aquarium" sized Seabass. 

As we motored to the next stop we began to get sprinkled on and for the rest of the day it either sprinkled or drizzled, or drenched us. And just  when we were rejoicing that we had very little wind. the "No-See-Ums" hit us with a vengeance. I had them in my eyes and swallowed a good handful. I thought for sure we'd get fish at that spot but had not a nibble. But we eased down a bit and fished the bank with the jigs, caught a few "feisty" Redfish  when Patrick hooked up and his drag began to rip I knew he had a big one!

Boy what a battle!  This fish was not coming in and I began to worry that it might be TOO big. He played it perfectly, battled it from starboard to port and back again, and then did it again, and when he finally got it to the surface we saw that it was a huge Redfish. I had trouble getting it into the net and had to try a 2nd time! After landing the fish it measured right at 35" which moved Patrick comfortably in the lead in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. 

After moving down the bank even more and turning into the current, we fished back a ways and just as we were about to leave Patrick put a perfect sized 24" Slot Red in the boat. 

Our next stop was up the Nassau, fishing a creek with the jigs. As we worked along the bank I began to wonder if this spot was going to "skunk" us. But once we found a tree to pitch under we found the "honey hole". Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam we caught fish. Todd put a keeper Slot fish in the boat and caught and landed a few more that were in the slot. Then Todd, trolling behind the boat, had a THUMP and then his rod bent and Fish On!  Todd worked it patiently to the net and landed a nice 17" Flounder, big enough to kick off the Bragging Rights in that Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). 

We were soaking wet, and had gnat bites all over our hands, but as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Epic Battle Leads To Bragging Rights

 

I had the Wytiaz's fishing today, Frank and Joanne, and we met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. After running up and around and into the Jolley River we turned into the current at the "bank" and began fishing back to the pointe with float rigs and mud minnows on a high and still incoming tide.  The two anglers were making excellent casts to the grass, letting it drift along the marsh line and in just a while we had hookups of small Seatrout and Ladyfish. Then, after Joanne had got a cast close, I heard her drag begin to rip and, Big Fish On! And boy was it a battle! This fish was doing its best to stay up in the grass and over the oysters. It boiled up a time or two, then I saw a huge tail and confirmed it was a massive Redfish!  Joanne hung with it and began to work it out from the edge and when she got it out deep I felt sure we had it. She kept the pressure on during numerous runs, worked it close, let it run, then after a long and epic battle, brought to the net an oversized 35.5" Redfish, big enough to move Joanne into a solid lead in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category. (Scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!

We then moved up the river and set up a point and drifted the float rigs and had a quick flurry of catches- Seatrout, Jacks, and Ladyfish. Joanne added a keeper sized 16" Seatrout to the catch. We moved further up the river and fished back into the current and here Frank got hot, real hot!  He caught a couple of feisty Redfish up close to the grass, then Joanne added one, then Frank had a strong hookup and, Fish On! He played it perfectly, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish. 

The tide had come to a standstill so we ran back to the outside of Tyger and fished a point as the now outgoing tide swept by. Again, we caught a couple of small Trout, small Reds, then a small Flounder, then Frank put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat and an 18" Seatrout.

Our final stop was around the corner, fishing a sand bottom for Flounder, but Frank found another nice Slot Redfish, this one measuring right at 21".  They landed another small Flounder and Seatrout before we headed back to the dock and as we made the run, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Bragging Rights Bonanza

 Looking at the weather forecast last night I thought for sure we'd be getting wet today. But when I got up this morning it had improved which was great because we were going anyway!  I met Henry Ross and his crew - David Gray, and Dick and Ethan Conley - up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and we headed over to Eagans Creek with plans to fish some dock pilings on a tide that had been going out for a few hours. The oysters were just beginning to show when we pulled up and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the pilings. Ethan was quick to "knock the skunk off" when he hooked up and fought a feisty Redfish to the net

His dad, Dick, hooked up a landed a small but feisty Black "puppy" Drum then short while later he had a strong bite and, Big Fish On!  It was nip and tuck there for a while as the big fish pulled deep up into the pilings. But Dick stayed patient and worked it out each time and when it rolled to the surface we knew it was a big Redfish. Dick worked it to the boat and landed a big 29.75" oversized Redfish - a fish big enough to move him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!

We then made a long run up to the Bell River and fished some docks with the jigs. Nothing much was  happening but David did get on the board with  hard fighting Jack Crevalle catch. We were wrapping up to leave but Henry was still fishing with a mud minnow and had a good "bump" out deeper and fish on!  Henry worked it expertly up to the surface and we netted a nice 16" Flounder. Although not huge, we'll let that set the bar for 1st place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

Continuing on around thru the Bell River we made a stop at the MOA. David was on the bow tossing up current on the very last of the outgoing tide. He had one strong hookup with a fish that was putting a good bend in the rod and....OFF! Dang it!  But just a short while later, David made the same cast and it paid off with a Big Fish hookup. This fish had the room to dig deep and boy did it! The drag was ripping and the fish took him from bow to stern, from starboard to port, and then back to starboard, and back to port. I was laying my money on it being a Bonnethead Shark and luckily, boy was wrong! David worked it patiently up and when it surfaced we saw that it was another huge oversized Redfish, this one measuring in at 34", and big enough to take the lead spot, 1st. place, in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!

We fished the outside of Tyger for just a bit then headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

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15 Minutes of Fame

 Kicking off the weekend early, I met Todd Johnson and his fishing buddy Patrick Davis up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. We made a run down the intercoastal and found some structure to fish with jig and mud minnows on a tide that had been coming in for an hour or so. I think it was Patrick's first cast and as he let the jig bounce down the river bottom, it looked like he may be snagged but, BAM! Big Fish ON!  We were in for a battle but Patrick was up for the task. The big fish dug deep and Patrick kept the pressure on, working it up off the bottom - a Big Redfish - then it would dive deep. That happened a few times before we were able to get a net under it and land an oversized 28.5" Redfish! This fish pushed Patrick into First Place in the Anglers Mark 2022 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!  We continued to fish that spot and shortly after it was 
Todd's turn to fight the big fish, which he expertly did, and landed a "Tourney" sized Red, 26.75" and boy was it a bull! Then  Patrick put a 24" Slot Red in the boat! Crazy huh?

We eventually moved down the way a bit - Patrick added a small Slot Red to the catch, then Todd hooked up and Big Fish On! Hah!  He battled it patiently, keeping the pressure on, and eventually landed a oversized 29" Redfish, to take the lead in the Anglers Mark 2022 Bragging Rights Tournament.....Redfish Category! Patrick's 15 minutes of fame, was over! Hah!  Scroll down the right side of this report for Bragging Rights standings. 

After making a run down the river we eased up in behind a dock and fished the pilings. Again, Patrick's first cast produced a big bite. This fish was big and pulling hard, but it was already around some pilings and eventually the line went tight and, BAP, fish off!  Todd caught and landed a feisty Redfish, then Patrick hooked up and landed another Slot Red. We picked up another couple of fish, then moved on. 

Switching to floats, we fished Soap Creek(no bites), Lanceford Creek(no bites), Bell River(no bites) then the outside of Tyger where Todd finally knocked the skunk off the floats with a feisty Redfish catch. After touring Cumberland Island to see some wild horses, we headed for the dock and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.