Nor Easter Coming

 I thought we were due for another beautiful day today and as it stared out it was just that, clear and not too windy. But boy were we in for a blow as the day went on! I had met Greg Raecker up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park before sun up with plans to try some fly fishing mixed in with spin so we headed over to Tyger Island and checked a handful of spots out for tailing Redfish as the sun was coming up. Although the water was plenty high enough, we only saw one tail and that was just for a brief moment. 

So Greg set up at the stern of the boat and blind casted in shallow water for Seatrout with a shrimp pattern. That can get real tiring quick, so we

switched to live shrimp under a float and that did the trick. Greg "knocked the skunk off" with a keeper sized Seatrout catch. We worked along a grass line and picked up another keeper Trout.  After crossing over the creek and fishing the float rig we found that the wind had picked up a bit, so we decided to make a run over to Lanceford Creek and find some shelter.

We fished up in Lanceford with the fly gear and spin gear and boy was it perfect conditions -sunny and zero wind! But the fish didn't cooperate, we didn't get a bite fishing a stretch of grass, and then "Millie's Spot".

Our next stop was over in Soap Creek and now the tide was going out. In quick succession, Greg put three Seatrout in the boat. We eased up to a small oyster/grass island running parallel to the bank and Greg's first cast produced a feisty Redfish. He went back to the same spot and had a another, bigger bite. This one was ripping drag and staying up at the bank. I knew there was an oyster outcrop between us and the fish and sure enough, the fish found it and, BAP! Fish Off!  But Greg went back, this time on the outside of the island and picked up another Trout, then went back to the "honey hole" and caught another Redfish. 

By this time it had become overcast and the wind had really picked up. We headed back to the dock, bucking the wind and the waves, but we had squeezed in some good fishing so we counted it as another great day to be out on the water here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Pompano In The Backwater

 

I fished south today, meeting Joe and Karen Szkardnik and their fishing buddy Bruce down at the Sawpit Creek boa ramp early for a backwater day of fishing here at Amelia Island. We made our longest run up the intercoastal, turned left into the Back River and run over to the mouth of Pumpkin Hill to set up fishing with float rigs on the very last of an incoming tide. Karen had the hot hand first when she found a couple of hungry Seatrout long, past a grassy island. 

We eased around the corner and fished a grassy island, picked up another Trout or two, then Joe tangled with a Bonnethead Shark which we photographed and released, then he added a Bluefish to the box. Our next stop was back at Seymore's Pointe, fishing just north of a dock as the tide had started out and here Bruce got on the board with another Seatrout catch.  We fished between a couple of docks, drifting the grass, then move on. 

Our next stop was down at the Spanish Drop area and here we switched to jigs. Bruce found a feisty Redfish then Karen hooked up with something big that boiled as it was hooked, then headed north. Karen's drag was ripping as she inched to the bow of the boat then, BAP! Fish off! Ouch. But Karen was not to be deterred, pitched her jig up into the mouth of a run out, let it bounce down the bottom and had a hookup. When it flashed near the surface I guessed "Jack Crevalle" but when I netted it I saw it was a keeper sized Pompano - the first ever I've had caught on the Anglers Mark!

We moved down the way and fished a stretch where the shell was beginning to show and here we had our hottest action of the day. Karen and Joe began hooking up with feisty Redfish, then Joe put a Slot sized Red in the boat. Karen landed a Whiting. Then it was Bruce's turn for a big fish. He had a strong bite, set the hook, and expertly played to the net a nice 24" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish!

We finished the day back at Seymore's Pointe, had a few bites, caught a Mangrove and a Perch, then called it day and as  we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

A Good Flurry

 I fished again today with Bob Blalock who had along as his guests his in-laws Tommy and Martha. We left the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp as the sun was coming up behind us and headed over to Tyger Island to try our hand at fishing the logs on the first of an incoming tide. All three anglers were getting good casts as as we worked the bank. We picked up a handful of "bait stealers" before Bob finally put a barely legal Seatrout in the boat. 

We then made the long run outside of Tyger, down to the Bell, up into Lanceford and then we eased in to Soap Creek with plans to fish an exposed oyster bed. Bob and Wanda stayed with the jig and shrimp combo but Tommy switched to a float and drifted long out of the stern. Tommy found a hot spot back there and caught one, two, three Seatrout one after the other.  But Bob and Martha were getting good

casts and they found a good flurry of action, catching feisty Redfish on each cast. After working that bank until they quit biting we moved on. 

Our next stop was down at some docks on Lanceford and I think it was the first cast to the pilings when we had a hookup. Martha was on the rod and she expertly played another nice Redfish to the net.  The bait stealers moved in and we moved on. 

We stopped at BM3, a marsh drainage and fished the mouth with float rigs and in no time Bob hooked up and brought to the boat another keeper sized Seatrout-the biggest Trout of the day. After fishing a flooding oyster point at Bell River, then some more flooding shell on the outside of Tyger, we headed back across the river and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Georgia Florida Football And Fishing

 Most of my guests this week are in town for the annual Georgia-Florida football game being held inJacksonville Saturday. But today, my two guest anglers were here just for a few days of relaxation and some back water fishing. It just so happened that one pulled for those mangy Dawgs, and one pulled for the mighty Gators! I had met Tom Mathews and his longtime buddy up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early with a forecast of clear skies but increasing winds on a tide that had just started back in. We made a short run over to Tyger Island, slipped in behind it and began fishing the logs with jigs and live shrimp. We had  some nibbles then Tom hooked up and landed a nice keeper sized Sheepshead(all fish caught today were released). They caught a couple of Mangrove Snapper along that stretch then we moved on.

Our next stop was over at Lanceford Creek, fishing some dock pilings as the tide came in and this paid off. Gary kicked it off when he hooked up out deep and brought to the boat a fat Seatrout. Then both anglers were catching Redfish, a couple of
which were right at keeper size. They also caught Mangroves and another Sheepshead to add to the catch.

We moved around to Soap Creek and switched to float rigs, drifting live shrimp or mud minnows back behind the stern, thru a shute. Tom "went long" and when we couldn't find his float, he lifted the rod tip, set the hook, and had a fish on. He expertly brought it to the boat and landed a hungry Seatrout. He went back to the same place and this time when his float went under we thought we had a big Trout. Tom played it patiently and brought it to the net - a small Bonnethead Shark!

We fished further up Lanceford at a couple of spots but had not real bites but as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day top be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

In Search of Trout

 

Boy, those beautiful mornings just keep rolling in! Today I met Garland Clark and his fishing buddy Dennis up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp - it was clear with only a slight breeze, and cool enough for long sleeves but no need for a jacket. We headed south down the intercoastal, skirted Fenandina and headed up the Bell River to make our first stop alongside a grassy point with a tide high and still coming in for a few hours. 

                                                               Both anglers were tossing

float rigs and live shrimp and it paid off when Dennis hooked up and "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch. Then Garland followed Dennis' float with his and hooked up with a keeper sized Seatrout. We worked that area pretty good and before we left Garland found another, even bigger, Seatrout that measured right at 18".

Our next stop was over in Lanceford Creek, fishing the mouth of a drainage and here Garland tangled with something big-it was ripping drag and bending the rod and..BAP! it found an oyster hump and broke off, OUCH! We went further up Lanceford and into Soap Creek and fished a bank with the floats and caught a handful of Seatrout. Dennis had the biggest one for a few seconds - it was thrashing and rolling- and, threw the hook! After continuing on up into Lanceford, we fished a grassy island, had some good nibbles, then Garland finally hooked one up and landed a keeper sized Sheepshead.

The tide had hit a standstill up in Lanceford so we made the run back to Bell, thru Tyger and around to the outside of Tyger to fish the first of an outgoing tide. We had baitstealers and Neeedlefish robbing us blind at the first spot so we crossed over and fished another stretch of grass. The duo caught a couple of Trout on the floats and we picked up one on a jig, fished deeper. We had had a beautiful day for fishing so as we headed in, we counted it as another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Grande Slam on a Beautiful Morning at Amelia Island

Just when I think the days can't get any prettier, we have a beautiful one like we had this morning. I had met Jack Larini and his girl friend Alexa down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp under clear skies and we left the dock just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. After a short run up the intercoastal to dip into Jackstaff we were fishing with float rigs and live shrimp. In short order Jack's float disappeared, he tightened up, and fish on! Jack brought it to the boat expertly and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout (all fish caught today were released). We fished that marsh run out for a bit and Jack added another Seatrout to his catch.

After crossing the creek we switched to jigs and shrimp and Alexa had just made her first cast when BAM, she had a hookup. She worked it to the boat and landed a Flounder (BTW, today starts the closed season on Flounder, thru November 30th). We continued along that bank for a bit, caught another

Trout, then moved on. 

We ran thru Horsehead, around to the Nassau, and checked a minnow trap (empty), then came back to some docks at Seymore's Pointe and fished the pilings with the jigs. Both anglers hooked up and landed a few Mangrove Snapper. Back down the Nassau we went, this time stopping at Twin Creeks. The tide was dropping and I thought for sure we'd have some action but, no, not much of anything.

Our next stop was even further down the Nassau, this time fishing a small outflow, dodging a crab trap and here it was like someone opened the barn doors! Jack found a nice Seatrout drop back behind the boat and began to catch fish., one after the other. It was almost if Alexa couldn't make a cast without catching a feisty Redfish. Then she had a strong bite and her drag began to rip and this one was a big one! As you can see in the video below, she landed the Black "puppy"  Drum despite the coaching she was getting from Jack and myself!  Every once in a while jack would get a toss in to Alexa's Redfish Spot and he'd pick up one, too. I think we stayed at that one spot for over an hour catching fish.

We fished one more spot down the river but the sun was getting up and we were in the mid-day doldrums so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Soupy Morning

 

When I met Jeff and Jess Kamenski up at the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp early this morning the fog had set in to form a "soup" for visibility. We eased way from the ramp with navigation lights on and made our way slowly down the intercoastal and up into Bell River. The plan was to fish live shrimp under float rigs for a bit until the tide got up and we could begin to look for tailing Reds in the grass.

After setting up along side a flooding point of oysters the two anglers began tossing their baits to the marsh grass and were getting good drifts and it paid off with catches of Seatrout, Ladyfish, and a few bait stealers. We then ran thru Tyger and around to the outside of the island and fished some more grass, again getting Seatrout. 

The tide had gotten up so we poked the bow into a likely flooded marsh and within minutes - there was a tail! Both Jess and I kept our eye on it while Jeff readied himself but it went under the

surface and never appeared again. We move around and checked out a number of flats and some of them looked just amazingly fishy, but we saw no more tails. 

As the tide turned we switched back to the floats, fished a grassy pointe, and picked up another Trout, a Croaker, and a Mangrove Snapper. Our last stop was up at "Jolley Bank", working along the edge and again found, you guessed it, Seatrout. Jeff had a couple of shots at some nice big Redfish - one ran thru a grassy island and broke off, the other one was on, played, brought to the boat, seen, and... threw the hook! Ouch.  I called it a "quirky" day, but maybe a better word would be eventful so we counted it as another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Slow But Steady OR He Wore His Lucky Hat

 We had another beautiful morning today when I met my cousin Adam Garner and his wife Patty down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. The sun was just coming up as we turned into the intercoastal and made our way up thru the mouth of the Nassau River to make our first stop on a tide that was still going out. Adam and Patty began pitching jigs and live shrimp and mud minnows to a marsh runout as we eased along. Adam "knocked the skunk off" with a hard fighting Jack Crevalle then went back to an oyster bank and picked up a feisty Redfish. I thought we were going to do pretty good along there but that was the extent of the fish catching. We hit two more spots along that edge, had only a few nibbles, then moved on.

The next stop was down at Broward Island, fishing another run out. We were hearing and seeing some huge fish busting bait up along the shoreline but they weren't taking our offerings. I let the anchor go on the trolling motor so the boat would drift with the current and we worked along the bank and that did the trick. Adam picked up a hungry Seatrout out deep, then went in with

a float rig and got a Mangrove Snapper, adjusted his lucky hat, went back to the jigs and BAM! Big Hookup. Adam played it perfectly, worked it patiently to the net, and landed a nice Slot Sized 21" Redfish.

We moved down the way and fished up near a stump and here Patty honed her hookup skills by catching a handful of Mangroves, one of which was of keeper size, then Adam let his jig slide down the river bottom and out deep he had another strong bite, a hookup, and he landed a nice 17.5" keeper sized Seatrout.

Our final stop was back at some docks at Nassauville. We tangled with the ever present Mangroves and landed a few. Then Adam wrapped things up when he outsmarted a "nibbler", hooked and landed a keeper sized Sheepshead. Although the day hadn't been "on fire" we slowly put together a nice mess of fish so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Feeling LIke Fall

 

We've had a couple of days now where there has been a "nip" in he morning air and you can almost believe that Fall is really here. Except we are still seeing Rosette Spoonbills and catching Sharks and Mangrove Snappers! But it's only a matter of time! Today I met the Tuten trio, James and Joyce and their son William, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp as the sun came up. We made a short run up the intercoastal, in to the Nassau, and pulled up at a big marsh run out. The bait was moving and getting "popped" and we felt like we'd have some good action, and we did. Joyce "knocked the skunk off" with a hungry Seatrout catch and James followed that up when he felt a strange bump - he let it have it for a second then set the hook and boom, he had a fish. James brought it to the boat patiently and landed a keeper sized Flounder.

We worked that bank for a while -Joyce picked up a feisty Jack Cravellle, James picked up another Trout, then it was William's turn to finally get in on the action. He had a strong hookup and when the drag began to rip we knew it was a decent fish. James played it perfectly and brought to the net a 21" Slot Redfish. Only minutes later he hooked up with another and brought it to the net, this one just undersized. After a few more fish, we moved on.

Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's Pointe. It may have been William's first cast and BAM, a hookup. William applied the pressure and got it out from the pilings, then slowly brought it to the net - a 15" Black "puppy" Drum.  The trio added a couple of small Mangrove Snapper to the catch before we moved on. 

We passed under a pair of Bald Eagles as we approached another marsh runout. Just these anglers began to fish we could see a big fish busting bait up near the edge. Both William and James went with their cast and BOOM! William had a big bite then, BOOM! James had a good bite - we had a double!  James worked his in and landed a feisty Redfish but William's fish was a bit more determined. William played it patiently as it got out into deeper water and dug deep but it was no match for William. After a good battle he landed a 24.5" beautiful copper colored Red which was photographed and released.

After fishing one more spot and getting a couple of more Mangroves, we made the run back to Seymore's, thru Horsehead and over to the mouth of Jackstaff where we finished up the day catching high flying Ladyfish on float rigs. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we had had some good action so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Feeling the Chill

After a stormy night we woke up to a chill in the air. Someone told me that yesterday was the first day of Fall and today you could feel it. When I got to the boat ramp early this morning the wind was whipping a bit and luckily I listened to my inner brain "grab your fleece"! I was to meet Greg and Robyn Padgett up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and when they walked up we were ready to go. I had planned on running up to the Jolley River but hat 11mph west wind changed my mind so we headed south and over to Lanceford Creek to set up at a dock and fish jigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been coming in for a few hours.

The duo of anglers had nibbles, one after the other, but we only picked up a few bait stealers and a small Sheepshead. We then moved around the corner to Bolton's Bluff and here Robyn quickly picked up a keeper sized Seatrout on a float rig and live shrimp. (All fish caught today were released). But here was only one so we moved up and fished a small grassy island and here the action picked up. They caught a handful of Seatrout, a couple of
high flying Ladyfish and then Robyn hooked up and expertly reeled in a feisty Redfish. 

We then moved back up the creek, dipped in to Soap Creek and fished a stretch of grass, to no avail. After a brief run back to Bell River we laid parallel  to some more marsh and again, we found some Trout. The tide was almost at it's peak so we buzzed thru Tyger and around to the outside and just as we settled in we we felt the tide change. Bait was streaming by and was getting busted so we drifted out baits right along with it. Greg and Robyn caught Seatrout, a handful of Blues, Ladyfish, and a feisty Black "puppy" Drum.

The sun had come out, the skies had cleared and I was able to take the fleece off! As we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

The Big Trifecta

 Whenever you finish up a fishing trip having caught a 30.5" Redfish, a 23.5" Seatrout, and a 22.5" Flounder, you can feel assured that it was a pretty good day of fishing! That's a pretty big Amelia Island Back Country Slam!

I had met William and Dara Blalock out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early - the cloudy skies covered up the sunrise, but as we left the dock there was a pretty neat Moon Set. We headed over to Athens Drop and began easing along the marsh grass tossing float rigs and live shrimp on a high and incoming tide. We had good action, just not the action we wanted. Dara forgot to "take the trash out" to the can because that's what we caught for the first hour or so -trash:  hard fighting Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish, and even a Catfish. We fished a couple of marsh run outs and did pick up one nice Seatrout.

After a short run down to Pumpkin Hill and setting up bow into the current, the duo of anglers began drifting their floats along the marsh grass and it wasn't long before both were into some fish. They caught a good handful of small but hungry Seatrout, maybe one or two that they could have kept, but didn't, then Dara's float disappeared with a vengeance and, Big Fish On! This fish was heading to Jacksonville and...William had a hookup, and another Big Fish On! The two did the tango, ducking under each other, passing their rods around each other, dipping around the engine, and both stayed hooked up. William brought his to the net first and landed a big Jack Crevalle, then Dara subdued hers and landed a big Oversized 30.5" Redfish, boy what a fish!

We fished that stretch for a while and caught a few more Trout and Ladyfish and a small but feisty Redfish. William had gone up just past a point of grass and BOOM! Float Gone. William kept the pressure on  and had his drag singing. He and I both were thinking "Slot Redfish" but then we saw the big fish roll at the surface and realized it was a huge Seatrout! William patiently worked it to the net and landed a big 23.5" Seatrout, a fish big enough to land him in 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category. (scroll down the right side of this report for a link to standings). 

After moving around the point and fishing a grassy

island and short stretch where we picked up a few more Seatrout, we were down to just a dozen live shrimp and decided to make the short run back to Nassauville where we set up between two docks and pitched jigs and shrimp. Just like we thought, there were some Mangrove Snapper there and the couple boated a few of keeper size for "Fish Tacos" later. Then Dara made an excellent cast up to the base of the rocks, felt the "bump", set the hook and, Fish On! She was real patient easing that big fish up from the bottom, brought it to the net slowly, and landed huge 22.5" Flounder, a fish big enough to land her in 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for a link to standings). And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Fall Back Plan

 It was raining when I launched this morning but let up just a  bit before my guests, Matt Park, his son Joseph, and his dad George met me up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park. I had just enough time to throw a cast net and get some (big) finger mullet to add to our 2lbs of dead shrimp - unfortunately the bait shop lost all its live shrimp to a power outage overnight. We had one strike against us! The rain passed by so we made a run over to Bell River and set up at a marsh point to fish with the tide already high and still coming in.

All three anglers were getting good casts and good drifts and had some bites - George picked up a couple of high flying Ladyfish and then outsmarted some sneaky baitstealing Perch. Matt did have something take his bait, take his hook, and keep going - probably a Shark. We tried to come back to the outside of Tyger but there were some serious rain storms inching in from the coast so we came back thru Tyger, down the Bell, passed a couple of river Shrimpers in Lanceford, and then cut in to Soap Creek, thinking the tide would have started out by now.

Nope, it was still coming in and it was high! Strike Two.

We fished Soap to no avail, other than bait stealers, then moved on up into Lanceford and fished a grassy island and a bulkhead, with no luck, then we made the decision to make a long run down to Nassauville, with Rally Caps turned, and try our hand with the Mangrove Snappers. The Rally Caps worked! As always, it's a challenge to catch those critters but it does hone your "set" skills! But Matt started it off with a 12" Grouper catch! Then we went thru the 2lbs of shrimp, playing Cat-and-Mouse with the Snapper, landed a bunch, and ended up keeping a good handful to 12 1/2".  Although we had to work for them, the rain had held off, we had a father/son/granddad fishing, so we counted it as another great day to be out on the water at here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

It Just Got Better

 

We head a really nice day this morning- there was just a slight breeze and we had a cloud cover for the whole day. The rain showers stayed off to the north of us and it made for a very pleasant day of fishing. I had met Paul Genn and his fishing buddy Jim out at the Goffinsville Park as the sun was coming up and we made the short trip over to the mouth of Pumpkin Hill to fish the first of an outgoing tide with float rigs and live shrimp. 

We eased along the bank, tossing forward and picked up a couple of small but hungry Seatrout and a nice feisty Redfish. We also did battle with a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.  Our  next stop was back at the Spanish Drop area, fishing the mouth of Twin Creeks. It only took a cast or two and BAM! Jim had a hookup. This fish was digging deep, came under the boat, and headed down the river and I felt sure it was a Shark. Wrong. Luckily, Jim played it patiently, worked it up to the surface and to the boat and landed a big Oversized 30" Redfish! Boy what a fish. We did then catch a
couple of Bonnethead Sharks.

After easing down the river and fishing another marsh runout, to no avail, we moved further down and fished another. This did the trick. The tide was down a bit and we were able to fish jigs and shrimp and mud minnows. The Duo picked up a handful of small but feisty Redfish then Jim put a nice 23" Slot Red in the boat.  We also had a couple of Catfish and a small Jack. 

Our last stop was over at some docks at Nassauville with plans to finish the day out catching Mangrove Snapper. Although we did pick up a handful of keeper sized Mangroves, the highlight was Jim's 17" Black "puippy" Drum and then the third big Flounder of the week, one that measured right at 23.25". What a way to wrap up a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida!

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. 

FWC Redfish Summit News You Should Know About

Carol and I attended the first annual Redfish Summit hosted by the Florida Wildlife and Fish Commission (FWC) down in Ocala yesterday. It was a very informative event  and well organized Summit. The FWC, along with their sponsors (Coastal Conservation Association, American Sport Fish Association, Sea & Shoreline Aquatic Restoration and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation) did an outstanding job in welcoming attendees, their presentations, and facilitations of information and discussions. It was truly an eye opening event in more ways than one! I was surprised to receive a nice "bucket" of material - goodies to take home and handouts to read later. The entire Summit was well organized, well run and the agenda ran smoothly. Even a slight hiccup from trying to share a room with another breakout group was quickly remedied with a 3-minute move to a quieter area of our group-NE Florida.

There had to have been well over 100 people attending from all over the state of Florida. Of that large group, there were only 10-12 people representing the NE Florida Region. Of those 10-12 people, I think Carol and I were the only ones from the Jacksonville, Amelia Island area(I could be wrong on this-I didn't pole the others, but from their comments, they seemed south of us). If you are an angler in Fernandina Beach or the Jacksonville area, you really need to be aware of the following comments. If you are a Guide or Charter boat captain, You REALLY need to be aware of  them. 

There were a number of presenters who went over data that they have accumulated over the years, discussing Redfish biology, sustainability, stock assessments and Redfish management, past, present and the future. . (Click on image at right to enlarge) Amazing, eye opening stuff. For me, I have already begun to sense the dire issues down in south west Florida with issues with Red Tide, evidently a natural occurring event but compounded by human/manufacturing waste run off, and all over  south Florida with algae blooms and fish die-offs and fishing pressure. Before the trip I had had a conversation with my Ft. Myers cousin where he described miles and miles of dead lobsters during his last visit to the Florida Keys

But here in NE Florida, specifically at Amelia Island, we've had a relatively great fishery. But are the issues heading our way? According to the sentiment of the other 8 NE Florida attendees who reside just south of us in St. Johns County and Flagler County, yes, our fishery is declining. I was somewhat surprised that they were struggling to find Redfish. I know I track each trip that I do and most of them I rate as "average". Once in a rare while we will have a bad trip, and a few times in the month we will have an outstanding trip, but I haven't noticed a downward trend in our catch rates.

After the main presentations and after lunch we broke out into smaller groups and of course, we were in the NE Region. I have no idea what the much larger, south Florida and west Florida regions talked about. BUT, I was actively engaged in our NE Florida break out session. After all discussion we 11 attendees were asked take some Red Dots and rate what of the issues, comments, suggestions were most important to us. We could put one dot on each item, or 3 dots or all 10 dots on each item if that was really important to us. I took some pictures of the comment/issue boards and you can see for yourself what issues garnered the most "dots".  The top issues NE Florida attendees "voted" on were Declining Numbers, Increasing Fishing Pressure, and Water Quality. Again, most of these NE Florida attendees were south of us. I spoke personally to a few of them and they attested to the difficulty of finding Redfish to catch. I haven't experienced that here at Amelia Island, BUT I can surely see the increased pressure. I told Carol one day recently that "if I fish 6 trips a week, 4 of them have either just moved here or they're looking to buy". The boat ramps have gotten so crazy on weekends that I quit booking trips on Saturday and Sunday (I probably will pick up weekends this Fall and Winter). Sooner or later the fishing pressure will surely begin to affect our fish stock. I really hope we never see the poor water quality and fish die offs that our south neighbors are experiencing.  Again, you can "click" on the image to enlarge it.

Now for the really good stuff! As you see on the image the left (click on to enlarge), the overwhelming sentiment of the 11-12 people representing the NE Florida group "voted" to change the limits on Redfish to (1) per angler. Don't like that? You should have been there. FYI, I actually voted for that, too. If I have 4 people on my boat, I really don't like killing 8 Slot Redfish, but that's just my opinion. I take a fish home once in a while and don't begrudge others, but taking home fish to feed the neighborhood with a fish fry is a time gone by. Maybe I'm just getting old. But there were some suggestions proposed that I thought  were "off the wall", fringe, restrictive regulations, see the below, right image. This is where those of you that have interested in our fishery need to step up and participate. As you can see most did not garner any real support: Closed Season, Reduce Vessel Limit to 1 (can you imagine the march on Tallahassee?) Artificial Lures Only, Catch and Release Only(a 2nd march on Tallahassee?). But I don't laugh as much about that when I know there is a Catch and Release order right now for Redfish down in the South West area of Florida. Still, I've had a long sinking suspicion that there is a growing demographic of folks that are "anti-angler" who would rather we don't fish at all. I've seen internet videos of altercations between anglers and anti fishers and I've experienced first hand 

conversations with those that I sense would rather we not be taking fish from the sea. You need to be aware of this. Read that again. You need to be aware of it. 

And then there were comments related to Guides and Charter Boat Captains. Readers need to know that there are over 60 guides and Charter boat captains working out of Amelia Island. A third of those are strictly "off shore". Many do the jetties and rivers only. Many like myself, stay inshore/backwater. Some try to stay on the flats and a good number do tours and sightseeing trips. There's a good number that are "full time" with fishing as their main income, then there are others that have other jobs and use charter fishing as a way to fill in.  There are Guides that have retired from previous careers and now use fishing as supplement income- and because they love to fish! Each year there's a few new Guides added to the list, and then there are a handful that don't make it businesswise, or retire, or move. That  said, with over 60 it's a competitive small business we are running and with  over 60 of us, that's a substantial economic impact. As I commented at the Summit, the market will determine whether these Guides make it as a business here at Amelia Island. The State doesn't need to limit it. If the Guide can't run a small business, doesn't brand or market his service correctly, or doesn't produce a good product, he/she will eventually be out of business. BUT, as with the growing "anti-angler" sentiment, there is (and probably always have been) an anti-Guide sentiment. This was very evident at the Summit.

As a side, it's amazing to me sometimes how the every day angler will blame we Guides for their issues. I see it at the boat ramp daily. I'll be tied up at the dock, with plenty of space for another boat to come in, and they will get angry because I'm in THEIR spot. I've figured out that THEIR spot is the only place that they feel comfortable bringing their boat to. If they need to dock in any other location, they're not experienced enough to maneuver their boat to that location so they get angry at we Guides rather than learning to operate their boat. 

I see on my boat every day that experienced anglers tend to catch more fish. Even with that, there's always a chance of having a bad day. And there's always a chance that an inexperienced angler will have a good day and catch the fish of a lifetime. Either way I try to do the best job I can to ensure that all guests have a good time. THAT SAID,  just because some anglers aren't catching Redfish doesn't mean they aren't there! Don't blame it on the Guides if you're not caching fish, especially here in our area.  The way I understood one of the presenters data, the stocks in NE Florida are looking really good. My last few trips we have had handfuls of small "rat reds" caught, once in a while a Slot or two, and each week a few oversized Redfish. All in all, a good average bit of fishing.  I guestimate that half of my customers release all their fish. Many of my guests will keep  few to take home and throw others back that they could have legally kept. And then I will have a few that want to catch and keep and take as many as they can. Like I told the scientist at the Summit, "I rely on you folks to set the rules as to what is sustainable and healthy for the fish population", so if the rule is 2 Reds per person, 18-27", then that's what I'm going to go by and allow on my boat.

In the above image you can see some of the suggestions that were brought up. I was the first to speak and gave my opinion on the first three. I didn't have an issue with 1) Reducing Bag Limit for Anglers On For Hire Trips. As I already mentioned, keeping and killing 8 Redfish on 4 person trip is an overkill in my opinion. It's rare that happens on my boat, but it has happened. Our Florida fishery is under severe pressure and sustaining our Redfish stock and keeping our fishery healthy is important. We Guides have to balance providing a good product to our customers, keeping in mind that we can't place the stock in dire straits. The days of "filling the cooler" are slipping by (there were days when the old timers put EVERY fish in the cooler, and kept all the huge Bull Redfish they could keep). Truth be told, most of the Guides I know would rather throw most fish back. 

2) Limited-Entry License. This is where I opined that the market would limit the number of  Guides and Captains. There will always be Captains that get in on a shoe-string, and some will make it-it's their dream, but many will fall by the way side. That particular item evolved into Item#4 - Increase requirements for Captains/Guide license. I mentioned to the group that our Amelia Island Guides Association requires all of its Guide Members to provide proof of Liability Insurance, their US Coast Guard License, and their FWC License. I joked with Carol on the way home that it might be kinda nice for the State to take over the responsibility of gathering that information-as the Secretary/Treasurer of the AIGA it's like pulling teeth to get all the paperwork in! My biggest concern, spoken at the breakout session, was that established Guides and Captains would use the State to limit their competition with more and expensive regulations. I've seen it done, here at Amelia Island (see the $1500 fee that the City of Fernandina charges Guides to launch at the Marina). I understand the need for Liability Insurance and can't imagine a Guide business not having it. Again, if they don't, and something happens, they'll be out of business soon. In my opinion this idea came from some Guide(s) that  wanted to limit competition. Are they wanting to limit licenses? I can still remember here in Fernandina growing up there was one man that held all the Liquor Licenses and thus owned all the bars. What a limit on competition that was! Can you imagine the back room dealings as to who get's a Captain's License?

3) No Bag Limit For Captain and Crew. As I mentioned at the Summit, I already do this. I don't count in the "take" on my boat. It's only been the last few years but I quit counting my self so I wouldn't have a problem with this becoming an established law. 

Solving Issues was another topic. This image is hard to see as it was stuck on window. But as you can see down at the bottom, #6 is Improved Access to Law Enforcement and was a popular, and voted on suggestion. That was basically a suggestion of a better "hot line" or Text Line to alert FWC officers of illegal harvesting.  This was not necessarily to be used to bust an uneducated (that was a topic) angler who happens to have a 17.5" Redfish, but those that have 13 undersized, Slot and Oversized fish in their bucket. You can read the other suggestions that came up but didn't garner much support. 

Items that did have a lot of support (I suggested #9) was to have an FWC "Ambassador" program where anglers could get certified by the FWC on some of these conservation, management, stock assessment issues - basically talking points, then be available to speak at fishing clubs, association, etc. in order to educate the public on where we are with the stocks, go over the rules and regulations, etc.

Note that item #10 had some support. This idea would create some Public Service Assistants, kina like a Public Service Officer in a police department. These PSA's wouldn't have arrest or citing capability, but they would be the eyes and ears (and possibility as Ambassador's?) for the FWC at boat ramps, etc. 

That's a long read! Thank you for hanging in there. IF you got down to this paragraph note that there will be Public Workshops thru-out the State of Florida on these very topics in October. Our area is scheduled for  6pm Tuesday October 12th, at the Southeast Regional Library 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville. 

As we get closer and they put links up I will post them.

If you think you would like to have some input or don't like what you've just read, then it behooves you to attend and let you opinion known. It was my observation that these FWC staff members are trying to take in as much observations, information and opinions as they can from the public, and then take into account all the scientific data that they have collected then make recommendations to the Commission and ultimately the law makers who set the rules. I mean, that's all they can do, right?  You might have an entirely different outlook or opinion than I do and that's fine. But don't be bitch'n if you haven't at least spoken up and let the FWC know how you feel!  You can also make public comments to the FWC HERE.

Shark Fights and Nice Redfish

 We kicked the week off fishing down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp today when I met Doug Mackle and new residents Scott and Sandy Winstead for a half day of fishing. It was slightly overcast and we had a breeze of 8mph blowing which made for a good day of fishing. We headed up the intercoastal and dipped in to Jackstaff, turned into the current and began tossing float rigs with live shrimp on a mid-tide and incoming. I was a slight bit worried when I saw the "fullish" moon early this morning but the worry was all for naught - within minutes the trio of anglers were getting bites. Sandy kicked it off with a nice Mangrove Snapper catch then Scott and Doug joined in on the action catching a Ladyfish, feisty Redfish, Catfish, Jack Crevalle and Mangrove Snapper. 

Doug had made an excellent cast, up into a drainage, right beside a grassy point and when his float disappeared and the drag began to rip we speculated Shark or Big Redfish. This fish hung close, dug deep and when it boiled up we knew the answer - Big Redfish!  Doug played it patiently, worked it to the boat and brought to the net a nice 27.75" oversized Redfish, boy what a fish! Shortly after that he tangled with a big 4' Bonnethead Shark, won the battle, and we netted, photographed and released it.

We then ran thru Horsehead and down to Pumpkin Hill and set up at a marsh point. Sandy and Doug were drifting long down one side and Scott was drifting down the other. Sure enough, after passing a jut out of grass, BAM, Scott had a hookup. He expertly worked it to the boat and landed  a keeper sized Seatrout (photographed and released). He went back to the same spot, getting a good drift and BAM! Big Fish On!  I thought for sure it was going to be a Redfish but as it ripped drag off we both concluded, Shark. But it was a fun catch and after a good battle, Scott brought him to the net. 

The tide was at its peak so we ran over to Christopher Creek and fished the bend with jigs. We had been talking about some Snook catches we had in the past and there is a particular spot where we've caught 3-4 of them. Sandy had a shot it, then Doug had a shot at it, then Scott went in and BAM! A strong hookup.  This fish was pulling drag and as Scott applied the pressure I was thinking, "could it be a Snook?" Nope. Scott worked it to the boat and landed a beautiful copper colored 21" Slot Redfish.

Our last stop was down at Sawpit Creek. The wind had picked up, the sun had come out and the heat was coming on. Scott tangled with another Shark but this one wound itself around a crab pot and eventually broke off. But we had had a great day out on the water so we counted it as another good one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.