Quick Start With The Trout

 We had a beautiful morning today when I met Barrett and Jo Blank and their son Jean out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early this morning. The sun was just coming up as we motored down the Nassau River, down to Spanish Drop, and began fishing a large marsh run out at almost dead low tide. Bait was getting busted as the trio of anglers made their first casts and wouldn't you know, it, BOOM! Fish On!  Boom, Fish On! Both Jean and Jo had hookups and after working them to the boat we netted a couple of nice Seatrout. Barrett, not to be outdone, had a quick hookup, too. Another Trout brought to the boat. We worked along that bank and caught a handful of more Seatrout, had a "drive by" by a Bonnethead Shark, then Barrett had a strong bite, a hookup, and expertly landed a keeper sized Black Drum.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island and here Jean got hot - he caught and landed a couple of Mangrove Snapper, one of which was of keeper size, then, after losing is bait to a nibbler, he was ready this time and BAM! Set the hook and big fish on!  Jean played it patiently and soon landed a nice keeper sized Sheepshead.  After fishing another spot at the island to no avail, we ran back to Nassauville and fished between some docks, but only got some nibbles.

Back to Pumpkin Hill, now fishing float rigs on a flooding tide and again, only
some nibbles. Although we had had some good action early, the fish must have decided to go in and watch some football! But it was a beautiful day and as we headed in we counted it as another great day 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. 

Welcome Mat

I was back to work today, this time fishing with Steve and Carron Frost after meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made a short run up the Nassau River and stopped to fish a large marsh run out with jigs and live shrimp. The tide was at dead low and we noticed we had not much of a current and the fishing was slooooww. But the duo did catch a wide variety of "junk" fish - High flying Ladyfish, Jack Crevalle, Shark and Stingray. Then the tide and current changed, started back in, and we were catching small but feisty Redfish, one after the other. It was a bonanza! We fished it until the bite slowed then moved on.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island on the first of an incoming tide. Both Carron and Steve caught and landed a feisty Red, then Steve had a strong hookup and the battle was joined! This fish was ripping drag and making those deep digs and we felt sure it was an ice Redfish, but then it wrapped itself on a submerged log and the line went tight. But Steve was up to

the task, kept light pressure on it, and sure enough the fish came out and, Fish On! Steve worked it to the boat and landed a nice 22.25" copper colored Redfish.

We moved down the way, easing underneath a Bald Eagle, then set up fishing. Steve put a couple of small Reds then he pitched up into a cove. He had a hit but not a taker. Then he went back to the same spot and BAM! :He had a hookup. This fish was fighting differently and sure enough, when he brought it to the net, it was very nice 16" Flounder. 

After crossing the river se switched to float rigs and tangled with a big Jack Crevalle and an even bigger Bonnethead Shark. 

We were getting low on bait and low on time but had one more stop left in is. After getting set we these anglers switched back to jigs and shrimp and in no time they were tangling with some Mangrove Snapper. We'd lose 4-5 shrimp then catch a fish and ended up with a good handful of keeper fish. Carron had made an excellent cast off to one side and she said she had a strange bite, and a hookup. She worked it slowly to the boat and Steve was the one that saw a huge maw of a mouth. Carron brought  it to the net and landed a huge 23.25" Door Mat of a Flounder! Boy what a fish! And big enough to move her squarely in to 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report to see standings). And what a fish to wrap up a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Recipe Of The Month: Mangrove Snapper Quesadillas

 I had a couple of days off and had been talking to Carol about how we have been catching MangroveSnapper so she put in to take a fun fishing trip. We fished an incoming tide and it was a bit slow, although we did catch a couple of small Seatrout and a small Redfish. Then, as the tide got up, we made the short run to a Mangrove Snapper fishing hole and tossed jigs and shrimp and sure enough, they began to bite. We stayed long enough to get our limit then headed in with plans to make some Mangrove Snapper Quesadillas:

Mangrove Snapper Quesadilla

 -makes 4 Quesadilla’s

(5) Mangrove Snapper = 10 fillets

Bag of vegi-slaw

 Remoulade sauce

Jar of Salsa

Sour Cream

Quesadilla rounds

Cajun Seasoning

Shredded Mexican cheese

Butter or olive oil for frying

 

Clean and check for bones in Snapper filets. Season lightly with Cajun seasoning.

Heat butter or olive oil in cast iron skillet. When hot, fry Snapper filets for a few minutes on each side until done.

Ladle Remoulade sauce down middle of Quesadilla round. Lay 2-3 Snapper filets over Remoulade sauce. Spread sour cream. Layer vegi-slaw. Ladle Salso. Sprinkle Mexican cheese. Roll up and eat. Have napkin handy.

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. 

Bar Set Kinda High

 

We wrapped the week up with a beautiful August morning-sunshine and just a slight breeze.  The tide was still coming in when Bob and Kathy Miller and I had made the run from Sawpit Creek up to Pumpkin Hill. After the GPS caught and I set the anchor the two anglers began drifting live shrimp under floats, going long down the flooded grass bank. Each of them had a "nibble" or two, with floats disappearing but no hookup. But on about the third or fourth drift Kathy's float went down and stayed down. She "caught up to it" by cranking in the slack, lifted her rod and set the circle hook and, Fish On! The fish made a couple of short runs so I knew it was a nice fish but I didn't know how nice! Then it took off down the bank, ripping drag and running out the line. We started backing down as Kathy reeled in the line to build up some insurance, then the fish would dig deep and the drag would begin to rip. It was a great battle and Kathy played it perfectly, despite the unwarranted "coaching" Bob and I were giving, and she finally brought to the net a big Oversized 29.5" Redfish, boy what a fish! After pictures we released it to swim off, back to the deep.

We fished another bank and here we had a "double hookup". Bob had drifted his float down the grass line and when it went under he set the hook and patiently played to the boat a nice 18"  keeper sized Seatrout. While he was reeling that in, Kathy got on to another big fish, this one a Shark. I knew right off what it was as it took off, heading to Georgia. But Kathy knew what to do now and kept the pressure on, working it slowly to the boat and landed a nice 3' Bonnethead Shark.

Our next stop was around at Seymore's Pointe where the Bob put a nice keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the boat. We had nibblers aplenty but no takers so we came back around towards Goffinsville and fished between docks, switching to jigs and shrimp. Here the duo teamed up to put a good handful of Mangrove's in the box. After moving down the way we switched back to floats and here they finished out their limit (10) on the Mangrove Snapper.

The final stop was down at Twin Creeks, fishing jigs. It was getting hot and the bite had slowed but Bob had one more fish left in him. He hooked up with something nice - a fish big enough to make his drag rip. Bob worked it in slowly, let it run when it wanted to, then brought it to the boat - a 2' long Black Tip Shark. Where we were at the breeze was blocked and we had the weekend calling so we headed in and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Bait Me Up

 

I wrapped up my week today fishing with Garland Clark and Suzanna Braun, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We actually had few clouds as we left the dock which bode well for a forecasted hot day! After a short run up the Nassau River we eased up to a large run out and boy was it loaded with bait. And boy was it getting "popped" by game fish! The two anglers began tossing jigs and live shrimp and minnows into the fray and it wasn't long before they were catching fish. A lot of fish! We could see big Redfish backs as they busted the bait and Suzanna, exclaimed, "Bait me up!"  They caught a handful of feisty Redfish, some Seatrout, Jack Crevalle, Catfish and Ladyfish. 

There were a couple of highlights - Suzanna battled a hard fighting Jack Crevalle to the net, Garland wore out a four foot Bonnethead, then they teamed up, almost at the same time, hooking up with some big  Redfish. They even had to "do the dance", passing each other as they traded stern and port on the boat, but they both kept the pressure on. Suzanna put her fish in the boat, a Slot Redfish then shortly after Garland put another Slot in the boat. That was crazy!

We fished that stretch for almost two hours! There was no need to leave because we were catching fish, but when it slowed, we move on up to try some docks at Seymore's Pointe. The first stop didn't produce anything, but the second one produced a good handful of Mangrove Snapper, a number of which were of keeper size. Suzanna also had a hard fighting fish on which we thought might be a huge Snapper, but it turned out to be a 14" Grouper!

Our final stop was down at Pumpkin Hill and we down to a handful of finger mullet that I had caught earlier. They were both getting nice drifts but we had no takers so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Relationship Building

 

After fishing today, my guests and I came up with a new "service" that I could add, "Relationship Building"!  I had met Russ and Denise Kesel early this morning up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and they had along with them their son Noah and his girlfriend Alysa. The tide had been going out for about an hour so we skipped across the river to the outside of Tyger Island and began fishing  an edge of grass as the current flowed around it. It was the new girl, Alysa, who "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Redfish catch. Then Denise, who was casting out of the stern, caught and landed a hungry Flounder. We were getting bites and I would have liked to have fished it more, but the tide was already down enough that the engine was bumping bottom so we moved on. 

Our next stop was around at the Jolley River where the two couples began tossing their float rigs up current, baited with live shrimp. We had good action along that stretch, catching a good handful of feisty Redfish. Russ expertly battled a big Bonnethead Shark and Noah and Alysa had a "double hookup" where each landed a nice Redfish. Noah had something big on for a bit but it got tangled in Alysa's line - eventually it made a strong move and broke off. 

I've seen on multiple trips where friends and couples are fishing and "things" happen - folks get in the way of each other, they get their lines crossed, they get tangled, they hook each other and when out on the boat, you just gotta work through it and have a good time. Noah handled it well and kept on fishing!

We moved up the Jolley to Snook Creek and again drifted the float rigs. and again we had good action. All four anglers were catching fish - feisty Redfish, hungry Seatrout, and the ever present baitstealer. We eased along, crossed the creek, worked the cut and had good action along the way. Then, while Noah and Alysa were baiting up, Russ went long and up near the bank, up ahead of the boat and, BAM! He had a hookup. The fish didn't pull hard at first, heading south ahead of the bow, but then it turned and headed north towards the stern and this time it was ripping drag. Russ played it patiently, going from starboard over to port then worked it in slowly to the net. We measured this nice golden Slot Redfish right at 23", boy what a fish. All fish caught today were released.

I had planned to fish the MOA but the oysters were still covered so we kept going around to Bell River and fished some docks. Again, we caught a couple of Reds, a Trout or two, and a couple of Mangrove Snapper.  We finished up fishing Jolley Bank again, this time with jigs and here the two ladies battled for the GPK. Denise had set the standard with an earlier Redfish catch, Alysa boated a 9" Redfish, then Denise followed that up with a 15.5" keeper sized Flounder. We were right down to the wire when Alysa hooked up again but her fish came in just under the 10" mark so Denise took home the coveted award. As we headed in the sun had peaked thru the clouds and knowing that we had some good action fishing, we counted it as another great day to be 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. 

Quite a Mess of Fish

 

Fishing south again today, meeting William Vickers, his son Jeff and son-in-law Jacob down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. After a short run up the Nassau we stopped at Spanish Drop and fished the edges of an shell bank at the very bottom of a dead low. The trio of anglers were pitching 1/8oz jigs and mud minnows to the bank and both Jeff and Jacob had hookups of feisty Redfish. We then moved up the river to a marsh run out and threaded the needle between the bank and a crab trap. Again, they picked up a couple of feisty Reds. Then Jeff had a stronger bite and when his drag ripped, we new he had a bigger fish. After a good battle Jeff landed a nice 19" Slot Redfish. Then it was Jacob's turn to fight a tough fish. After his hookup the fish went deep, dug down, and put up a good fight. Jacob worked it patiently to the boat and and landed a Jack Crevalle.

The tide had already turned so we made the run down to Broward Island, switching to 1/4oz jigs to get down a bit deeper, quicker. The strategy paid off. All three anglers began to catch fish. They each put a couple of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the boat, Jeff landed three Sheepshead, one of which was of keeper size. Then Jacob had a strong bite and when the fish hugged the bottom we thought, maybe a Flounder. Sure enough, when he brought it to the surface, there was a nice 18" Flounder. William got on a roll and landed fish after fish, teaching lessons as he went. Both  Jeff and Jacob had Big fish on for a while, but the fish found there way back into a sunken tree and broke off. Ouch.

We moved down a bit and fished a large runout. Jeff found a couple of feisty Reds and Jacob picked up another keeper sized Flounder. We finished up the trip fishing a large runout around at Seymore's. They added another couple of Mangroves and then William battled a big Jack Crevalle to the net. After pictures and release, we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Long Lost Hat

 If you've ever boated more than few times then you've probably lost a hat along the way. I had met Frank and Joanne Wytiaz down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning and we headed up the intercoastal then up the Nassau to our first spot...but along the way Joanne noticed that her brand spanking new hat had blown out. We turned around and cruised back along our wake with all three of us keeping an eye out, but to no avail. Hat Lost.

We then continued on our trip to the first stop at Spanish Drop, turned into an incoming tide that still had a couple of hours of coming in. We eased along pitching float rigs and live shrimp. Frank picked up a small Catfish then a fat but still hungry Seatrout. Then Joanne had a strong bite and fought a pitched battle with a Jack Crevalle.  We moved down the way and fished Twin Creeks for a bit then moved on.

Our next stop was down at Pumpkin Hill, drifting the floats. Frank caught a couple of small but feisty Redfish then it was

Joanne, again, who fought the big fish. This time it was a 4' Bonnethead Shark. She played it perfectly and landed it for pictures and release. We moved  around and fished a small grassy island. Joanne had made an excellent cast to the grass and when her float disappeared she set the hook and Fish On!  This fish was ripping drag but not making the long run like the shark so we felt comfortable it was a big Redfish. Sure enough, Joanne worked it to the boat and landed a nice 22 1/2" Slot Redfish.

The final stop was down at Seymore's Pointe and here I felt comfortable we'd find some keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. But Frank had other plans. He drifted a 3/4 piece of shrimp along the rocks and, BOOM! Float gone!  He worked it patiently to the boat, and after a few drag ripping runs, brought to the net another 22 1/4" Slot Redfish.  Then he and Joanne played cat and mouse with the Mangroves. Joanne figure out she could let them take the bait for a second or two then set the hook and she contributed to the majority of the "keeper" fish in the box. Then Frank found another big fish, this time it was a 21" Slot Redfish!

We headed back feeling good about the fishing trip, with fish in the box and a seafood feast planned but as we got to the mouth of the Nassau River Frank yelled and pointed - Joanne's hat! It was almost unbelievable, but the hat must have drifted for 2 hours coming in with the tide, then drifted back for two hours and was almost in the exact location that it became missing! What a way to wrap up a good day of 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.

Taking A Bow

 Another beautiful morning greeted us today when I met the Latino family - Pete and Robin and their kids Marin and Jake - down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp.  I haven't fished down there in over a week and was looking forward to seeing how the "bite" was. We made a run up the intercoastal just as the tide was starting out and pulled into Jackstaff to begin fishing a large outflow with float rigs and live shrimp.

First cast -boom! We weren't ready for it - it was the "demo" cast. I think it was a shark and it came rushing right to the boat, turned and BAP! Fish Off. Second cast-BAM! Big fish on, again, another shark. This one Marin fought valiantly and had it up to the boat before again, it made a sharp turn and BAP! Fish off!  We were "0" for two!

But these anglers were up for the game and as we eased along the banks of Jackstaff tossing floats it was Jake who "knocked the skunk off" with nice hookup. He expertly worked it to the boat and landed a nice Redfish that came in just under the 18"

mark.  We fished on and Robin got on the board with a hungry Seatrout catch. Jake was the "Redfish Guy" today and landed another feisty one before we move on. 

The tide was still somewhat high so we made what I thought would be a brief stop at Seymore's Pointe to fish the rocks. I wasn't sure if the Mangroves would be there but it only took a couple of casts to find out! Those floats started disappearing and it was a whole lot of catching going on. Robin was encouraging the family and all three of the others were putting fish on the boat. Marin had taken up the stern and found her own little "honey hole" and put most of the "keepers" in the box, the biggest being right at 12". At the end of the trip she took a bow, knowing she would be feeding the family later!  Both Pete and Jake added some keepers of their own, too. 

Our last stop was down at Spanish Drop, now fishing exposed oysters with jigs and shrimp and minnows. Jake stayed the busiest, catching a feisty Jack, a couple of Reds, and a Stingray. The breeze had kept blowing all morning, we had some clouds to block the sun, and we had some good eating Mangrove Snapper in the box so as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Bringing Home The Bacon

I got to "fun fish" today with my buddy and high school team mate Tony French who had along with him his daughter Katy, recent High School graduate and future Armstrong College Alumni. The two were making a Florida swing before Katy goes off to college and after attending a reunion, that stopped in at Amelia Island for some back country fishing. 

I had picked up some mud minnows yesterday evening so we were able to get out on the water a tad bit earlier, launching at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and heading East for a change - there was very little wind and it was out of the South West, and we had a high tide - so we buzzed around the south end of Amelia and up to the the little jetty that runs parallel to the island.  Unfortunately(or for Katy, fortunately)  the jetty was swarming with porpoises. As the sun was coming up it was a great treat but it didn't help the fish bite one bit.

We then ran up the Nassau River and began fishing Tony's Bank with jigs and the minnows. Katy got out to hot start and "knocked the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch, then a feisty Redfish catch. She also put hard fighting Jack in the boat. We worked along that bank for a good while, working the bank with jigs and float rigs then moved on. 

After a short run we pulled up at Tony's Dock and fished it with the jigs and here things heated up. We picked up a couple of Mangrove Snapper, then Katy put a another Redfish in the boat. We boated a Shark that chased down a "skint mullet" and then had a brief battle with something big that headed NW, thru the dock pilings and, BAP! Fish off!

Our next stop was down at Tony's Island, fishing the logs. Tony and I each put a small Flounder in the boat then he expertly landed a Slot Sized Red. Later we had another Slot Redfish that we added to the catch. 

Our last stop was back at Tony's Pointe where we wrapped the day up catching our limit of 12" Mangrove Snapper. It was a great day to be out on the water with friends here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Wrapped Up With a Limit

I fished this morning with Matt Pollard and his brother-in-laws Rush and John. We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and made the short run up and over to the Nassau River and began fishing jigs and minnows to the run outs and oyster beds on the last few hours of an outgoing tide. We had numerous takes and a few near misses. Rush tangled with a high flying Ladyfish and John put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. We had a couple of small Flounder before we moved on.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island and boy was the bait getting busted! It was crazy how fish were feeding at the mouth of a creek and down the edges. This trio of anglers were making excellent casts and picked up a few fish - small but feisty Redfish, a small Seatrout, and a Mangrove Snapper. We then drifted with the current, still going out and here Matt had a strong bite, and Fish On!  Matt was real patient with the fish, worked it slowly to the surface, and landed a nice 22.25" Slot Redfish. Only 10 minutes later he had another strong hookup. He played this fish

perfectly and brought to the net a 17" Redfish. Too small to keep, but it had 17 spots! We tossed it back and it will surely be big enough to take prize money home in the  November AIGA Support Our Veterans Fishing Tournament!

We made our final stop back at Nassauville, fishing some rocks with float rigs and in short order, began to catch one Mangrove Snapper after another. We had plenty of bait and all three anglers added to the live well with Mangrove catches and they quickly "limited out".  We headed back, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

I'll Give Up My Switch

 

I fished with the Williams family this morning, Mark and Candi and their son Cash, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park early. We made a quick run around to the Tyger logs and began fishing with jigs and live shrimp on the first of an incoming tide - an ideal time to be there. But the fish didn't get the message. We worked all down the island and didn't get hardly a nibble but finally we had a good bite up between some logs and, Fish On! Young Cash was on the rod and he expertly reeled it in to the net - a nice 16" keeper sized Flounder.

We then ran around to the Jolley River and fished the "bank" with the jigs but

had no real bites so we move further up into the Jolley and switched to float rigs along some flooding oyster beds. Not getting a bite there, we moved into a large creek, anchored, and switched back to the jigs on the bottom and this did the trick. In just a few short minutes Mark's line began to sing as the drag ripped and, Big Fish On!  Mark played it exceptionally well, letting it run when it wanted to, but slowly working it in to the boat. After a good battle he landed a nice 3' long Bonnethead Shark. Just minutes later it was Cash's turn to feel that big fish run. He was holding up nicely but the fish broke off within a minute. After one more of those Shark bites, we moved on. 

Our next stop was over in Bell River. Here, Both Mark and Candi caught Mangrove Snapper, one of which was of keeper size. We had numerous bites there but no more takers. Our final stop was back closer to town. Mark battled another Shark briefly then Candi put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. 

Cash went from learning to cast to casting it "a mile" and made the comment that he might just consider giving up his "Switch" (game controller) for fishing! That in itself made for a great day to be out on the water and fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Before We Knew It We Had a Mess of Fish!

 Boy was it gloomy this morning! There were thunderclouds all around us but the wind was forecasted to hold steady at 11mph so we agreed...let's go fishing! I met Brad Lanier, his father-in-law Jeff, and brother-in-law Will down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We headed up the intercoastal, dipped into Jackstaff then eased on further up into a creek and set up tossing float rigs and live shrimp on a high and incoming tide. We didn't get even a nibble. But we crossed back over to Jackstaff, worked along a bank and began to get some bites. Jeff picked up a high flying Ladyfish then Brad had a really strong bite. He set the hook, kept the pressure on and brought to the net a Big 22.25" Seatrout, big enough to move Brad into 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We continued to work that bank then it was Jeff's turn for the big fish battle. His fish took him deep, headed west, then took Jeff around the boat a few times. But Jeff was up to the task and subdued the fish, bringing a big 4' Bonnethead Shark to the boat for pictures and release. We wrapped stretch up when Brad had pitched a jig forward, hooked up and, surprisingly caught a big Black "puppy" Drum. 

After running thru Horsehead we went around Seymore's and headed down to Pumpkin Hill where we switched back to float rigs.  Brad found a keeper sized Flounder up in some spars marsh grass. Then trio tangled with a couple of Ladyfish then Will hooked up. He played the fish perfectly and as he was reeling in, Jeff hooked up - we had a double. Jeff's came in first, a hungry Seatrout, then Will brought his to the net - a nice keeper sized Seatrout. 

We moved around the corner and fished a grassy island and within minutes of casting Jeff put another, bigger, keeper sized Flounder in the boat. Then it was Will's turn to battle the big fish. He had made an excellent cast, got a good drift and BAM! The line began to sing as the big fish headed out of the shallows. Will kept his rod high the whole while and cleared all the submerged oysters then when the fish got deep Will kept the pressure on and played it perfectly. But, not unsual, the fish made a quick turn and, BAP, fish off! Whoa was us. 

If you're keeping track we had a huge Trout in the box, a big Black Drum, two keeper Flounder, andanother keeper Trout. But this trio of anglers weren't finished yet. We hit the "Mangrove Snapper" honey hole and limited out on Snapper. many of which were well over 12" in size. When we headed in we knew these guys would be eating good tonight so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

From Jacks To Mangroves

 

We had overcast skies today with forecasted winds picking up into the teens but Thompson Kurrie and his group- his son Cord and his friend Thomas -were ready to fish. We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and headed up the intercoastal, thru the Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up along side the flooding marsh with plans to toss float rigs and live shrimp. We had just made the "demo" cast when Thompson's son Cord had a strong hookup and, Fish On!  This was a big fish but Cord was up to the task and fought it valiantly. He worked it to the boat, let it make it's runs, worked it back, and eventually landed a big Jack Crevalle. 

We eased along that bank and fished it thoroughly, got some bites but no takers, then moved around the corner and fished another stretch. Here,  Thomas had a good bite, a good set, and a hookup. Thomas brought it expertly to the net and landed another feisty Jack Crevalle. 

After fishing up in Christopher Creek with jigs, we came back out, ran down to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large outflow, then moved around the corner and began to put keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the boat.  The largest was just a tad bit over 12". That kept the trio busy for a while, then we finished up down the way catching a few more Mangrove on jigs. Even though it stayed overcast most of the day, and the wind had picked up, we still counted it as another great day to be out on the water and 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. 

Count and Double Count

 I had the pleasure of fishing with Alan Reeves again today - with COVID and life, it's been a few years. He brought along his "almost adult" kids, Bryan and Janaya and we met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp for a half day of fishing. After running up the Nassau River we made our first stop at Spanish Drop and began to toss jigs and live shrimp and minnows to the exposed oysters. I think it was Bryan's first cast when he felt a "bump" and he hooked up. He expertly landed a hungry Flounder.

After working that bank and only getting a few nibbles, we move up to Athens Drop and fished it the same way. Janaya had no more than handed her rod off to her dad when he had a strong bite and, Fish On! Alan played it perfectly and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle. 

We then fished some docks at Seymore's Point and the trio began to put one Mangrove Snapper in the boat, one after the other.  I think we had about 7 that were of keeper size. We moved around the corner and set up with float rigs and fished some rocks and in

short time we were catching fish. Bryan came on strong and began to make pin point casts to the "sweet spot" and caught a number of fish. Not to be outdone, Janaya repositioned and began to match her brother in fish caught. Many of these Mangroves were of keeper size so I had to keep counting and double counting to make sure we did not exceed our limit, which we did. 

We left 'em biting and headed back to the ramp and counted it as  another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.