It looks like I wrapped my week up before our annual Shrimp Fest, fishing with Harry Purnell and his fishing partner Terry. We met down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and headed up the intracoastal, then up the Middle River and around to Pumpkin Hill to catch the last of an incoming tide. I had high hopes for this spot, knowing that some big Trout had been biting lately, and after Terry hooked and landed a Trout on his first or second drift, I was feeling good about the choice. BUT, so much for that - both anglers were getting good drifts along the flooding bank - we tried two other banks in that area, but no more fish. After motoring back to Seyomores Pointe and fishing a large drainage on the first of an outgoing tide, to no avail, we cut thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point and stayed with the float rigs. Here, Teddy, fishing off the stern, hooked and battle a huge Ladyfish to the net, then he went back in and had a good bite - he let the circle hook set and Fish On! Teddy played it perfectly and soon landed a big 18" Seatrout. He added a couple of smaller Trout to his catch on that float rig.
Harry was fishing the same runs with his float but the fish were ignoring his bait! We made a move over to Jackstaff and fished a flooded sand bar, this time switching to jigs, and this made the difference for Harry - he felt a hard thump on the bottom, hooked it up, and brought another large Seatrout to the net. He was "on the board". After running back thru Horsehead and down to Littlefield we stayed with the jigs. Harry was fishing off the stern and caught a hard fighting Jack Crevalle - the first of the year, and after we moved over to Twin Creeks he hooked and landed a "barely not legal" Flounder - it was 13.75" - nice but just a tad too short. We had to work for our fish today, but we had two nice fat Trout in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florda.
...a combined report from Friday May 1st and today, May 5th, with the 60th Annual Shrimp Fest squeezed in between! Friday I fished with Chris Pyle and his friends Byron and Nick, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We hit a number of spots fishing mostly floats and picked up Catfish, Ladyfish, Seatrout and Nick got his first Redfish. Chris battled a large Jack Crevalle that took him around the boat - he played it patiently to the net for photograph and release.
Today I fished with Bob and Jana Grimm, meeting them up at Old Town Bait and Tackle. We motored out of Eagans and made a run over to Lanceford Creek. Jana had a bit of action catching a small Black Sea Bass and a Toad fish but then she hooked up with something big. It wrapped almost immediately but Jana stayed patient and worked it out. We pulled the boat out into deeper water and the battle continued Jana fought it like a pro, letting it run, working it in, letting it run and she said she could feel it tiring, then BIP - the fish was off! It didn't break, it just came off. OUCH!
We hit a good number of other spots, fishing jigs and live shrimp most of the time and again - Toad Fish, Ladyfish, and Catfish. Jana did outsmart and hookup and land a keeper sized Sheepshead, photographed and released. Both days were beautiful, we had just a big of action, but heading back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
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.
We launched this morning down at Sawpit under some really eerie skies -dark clouds as the sun came up- we were expecting rain but luckily never got it! I had met Todd Johnson and his son Oliver early and we made a short run up and over to Spanish Drop n the Nassau, turned into a tide that had been coming in for a few hours, and began tossing float rigs and live shrimp. We worked the bank up to a drainage and as we got there the two anglers began to get fish. Todd was on the stern and had his float disappear and the drag started ripping then Oliver's float sunk and Fish On! We had a double! Both anglers moved around the boat as needed, working them in slowly, and then landed a Jack apiece, right at the same size.
We continued to work the bank and when Oliver's rod bent and his drag began to rip and the fish kept going I was thinking "shark"! We had to chase the fish for Oliver to catch up his line - he worked it in, let it run, worked it in, and after a good battle landed what I think was the biggest Jack Crevalle of the year, and maybe ever, caught on the Anglers Mark.
As we reached a point of grass Todd was casting beyond it and letting his float sweep around and this paid off with numerous feisty Redfish catches. He picked up one nice keeper sized Seatrout, then battled a big Red (it was a one sided battle - the fish bulled up into the grass, wrapped itself, and broke off) Ouch. We then ran over to Pumpkin Hill and drifted the marsh grass where Oliver hooked, battled, and landed a 3' Bonnethead Shark. We fished three other areas there around Pumpkin Hill, but had nary a nibble.
Needing some action, we made a stop between two docks at Nassauville and here they tangled with the Mangrove Snapper. When we left, the score was about 20-5, the Mangroves winning, but we had those five in the box. We jumped around to Seymore's Point, drifted the floats, and picked up one more keeper sized Mangrove, then finished up over at Poteat Pointe. The weather had actually been great, we had some good action early and late, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
First day back after Tropical Storm Debby passed thru...I met Dennis Fritz, his son Doug, and grandsons Ethan and Spencer, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made our way over to the Nassau River, ran up it a bit, and made a stop at Spanish Drop on a tide that was almost at the bottom. Fish the banks with jigs and mudminnows and live shrimp, it was Doug, fishing off the stern, he "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch. He followed that up with a keeper sized Flounder (all fish caught today were released).
We moved up a couple of hundred yards and fished a drainage and here young Spencer expertly hauled in another feisty Redfish, grandpa eased in a Blue Crab (you gotta be good to catch a Blue Crab), and Ethan, fishing on the bow, tangled with a couple of high flying Ladyfish, "the poor man's Tarpon". We ran down to Broward Island and fished the last of the outgoing tide on one end where we only had one bite, a good one that ripped drag, but didn't take. After fishing the north end on the first of an incoming tide to no avail, we moved on.
Up at Pumkin Hill we switched to floats but before we could even get a good drift on we saw that there was some serious busting of bait going on, with birds diving, and fish thrashing. These anglers began to toss their shrimp and minnows to the commotion, they had a few hits that didn't take, then BAM! Dennis, fishing off the stern had his float disappear. He lifted the rod, tightened up, and Fish On! His drag was ripping as the fish ran west then east then BAM! Doug had a strong bite and boy was it a fish! His fish ran north then south, ripping drag all the way and then we had to "do the dance'". Doug's fish brought him from the bow back to the stern and under Dennis's rod, and back to the stern. Dennis's fish dug deep and then headed around the engine. It was an epic battle but the two anglers finally landed their respective Jack Crevalle's, boy what a battle!
Just a short time later both Spencer and Ethan were treated to their own Jack Crevalle fight. They did outstanding and fought their fish to the net for photo and release. Somewhere in there Dennis quietly hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. And with that, we called it day and as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We did our third windy day in a row today when I met John Cipriani and his brother David out at Goffinsville Park. The wind stayed in the 15-17mph range - I'm about over it! But the Cipriani brothers were up to the challenge so we first headed over to Pumpkin Hill and fished a stretch of flooding marsh grass on a tide that still another hour or so of coming it. Drifting float rigs the duo put a handful of hard fighting Jack Crevalle in the boat.
After moving around the corner we caught another Jack or two but then John hooked up with something strong - he expertly battled it and brought it to the net, a feisty Black Tip Shark. We worked that area pretty good and despite the wind John and David were getting pretty good casts to the marsh line. After running back to Seymore's we fished a large drainage and dueled with what turned out to be smaller Mangrove Snapper.
We then ran thru Horsehead and over to Pompano Point, fished it pretty good, added a small Catfish to the catch then came back over to Jackstaff and fished another drainage, this time to no avail. Back thru Horsehead we went and down to Twin Creeks where we switched to jigs and shrimp and this did the trick. I think David's first cast produced a bite, he hooked it up, and landed a hungry Seatrout. We fished there, further east at a drainage, and then finished up down at Spanish Drop and added a couple of more Trout to the catch total, and another Jack. Then wind had been a challenge, but we made the most of it so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I was back to fishing today after meeting the Hutchens Fishing Team - Dan and B and their daughter Zoey down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made a quick run up the intercoastal, up the Nassau, and pulled up at Spanish Drop and worked the exposed bank of shell at the last of an outgoing tide. Dan and B were getting bites were and there but no takers which left the "skunk knocking off" to Zoey - she had a good hookup and expertly brought it to the boat - a nice keeper sized 17" Flounder!
We moved up the river a quarter mile, fished a drainage and here Dan caught and landed a feisty Redfish. After making our way up to some docks at Seymore's, we pitched to the pilings and here B go on the board by landing a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper and she also added to her catch total with small Black "puppy" Drum catch. Our next run was down to Broward Island, and after making a "pit" stop at one sandbar to toss jigs in hopes for a Flounder, we made it to the island on the first of an incoming tide where Dan promptly hooked up and landed a Slot sized Redfish. We fished that bit then moved down to the other end and sure enough, B hooked up and landed another Slot Redfish.
Our next stop was back at Pumpkin Hill and this saw us some action. Dan, drifting long, had a strong take and when the hook set the drag began to rip! Dan played it patiently, worked it to the boat, and landed the largest Jack Crevalle of the year, boy what a fish! Zoey followed along with her float and BAM! Fish On! She worked it to the net and landed a keeper sized 17" Trout. Dan battled a Bonnethead for a bit and brought it in for pictures and release, then B had her shot at good fish, played it perfectly and added another keeper Trout to the box.
We finished the day over at Twin Creeks, drifting floats and here B had here on Battle Royal with a Bonnethead. She and Dan both caught high flying Ladyfish then Dan added one more big Mangrove Snapper to the box. We had caught a good variety of fish and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
