All week long we've had beautiful days, today included, but for the most part, we had to really work to get some fish in the boat. But today we had the beauty and we caught more fish! I had met Robert Stettner and David Vice out at Goffinsville Park early and with a tide that had been coming in for about an hour, we made a quick run down to Broward Island and set up to fish jigs and live shrimp. After tossing the baits up close, we let the slow current slide the bait down the river bottom.
David got on the board first with a strong bite, a hookup and after playing it expertly, he landed a nice feisty Jack Crevalle. From then on the two were getting bites and fish. Robert racked up on some feisty Sheepshead, a good handful of them, then he added a "barely legal" Slot Redfish. David put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. We moved down just a bit and added a couple of more Sheepshead to the catch total. After fishing further down the island for a bit, we moved on.
Our next stop was over at some docks at Seymores where didn't get much more than a nibble, then we made a short run down the Nasau to Twin Creeks and tossed some float rigs up current and had it drift across the mouths. In just a few casts Robert was hooked up and it was big! The drag was ripping at the big fish headed north, then it turned and headed out to deeper water. I made the mistake of calling it a shark, because after Robert expertly worked it to the boat we saw that it was a huge Redfish! Robert played it patiently and after a good battle landed a 28.75" over sized Redfish which we photographed and released. Boy what a fish! And shortly after that he went thru another huge battle to land a 3' Bonnethead Shark while David put another Seatrout in the boat.
We fished down at Spanish Drop for a bit where Robert put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat, then headed back over to Back River, fished s stretch, then finished up at Pumpkin Hill. The duo landed a Bluefish, another Trout, then David, after making an excellent cast to a grassy point, had a his float dissapear with a vengeance and Fish On! David fought it expertly to the boat and landed a big 18" Seatrout. After fishing around the corner for a bit we called it a day and headed back to the ramp counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Wow! Cool temperatures today, sunny skies, and almost zero wind greeted us this morning when I met the Szkaradnik crew down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. Joe and Karen and Karen's brother John were eager to get up the river and fish so we headed up the Nassau and around to Broward to fish the first of an incoming tide with jigs and live shrimp. Although we had a few nibbles, and Karen did "knock the skunk off" with a keeper sized Seatrout catch, it was less than I expected. I was bumbed. But we moved down the bank about 40' and BAM! BAM! BAM! We began to get fish. Joe hooked up and played a nice 23" Slot fish to the net, then he and Karen traded catching small but feisty Reds, then Joe had another big bite and the battle was on! He fought the fish patiently working it back in run after run and after a good fight, landed an Oversized 28.5" Redfish, boy what a fish! That moves Joe into 2nd place in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category.
We caught a few more fish then moved down the island and worked back, tossing the jigs, but had no more bites. Our next stop was over at some docks at Seymore's and here Karen added a small Seatrout to the catch, and John had his first action when he hooked up and landed a small Sea Bass. We then came around to Nassauville and fished a outflow and Karen added a small Flounder to her catch, giving her an Amelia Island, Back Country Slam.
Our next stop, after running way up the Nassau, was in a small creek. We worked back into the incoming current and Joe kicked it off quickly with a Redfish catch. We eased along that bank and almost to the end we again to get Redfish bites. We lost two to the downed trees, but both Joe and John added a couple of Slot sized Redfish to the catch.
We had had a beautiful day and had some nice catches so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida
Another beautiful day today! I met Frank Boehm (B-O-E-H-M) and his fishing buddies Jack and Mark and Pat early up at Old Town Bait and Tackle and with a high tide that just started out, we made our way over to the outside of Tyger to fish float rigs with live shrimp. There was a bit of breeze coming from the NE but luckily it hadn't gotten too strong. We had a couple of "takes" but no hook sets and I was beginning to worry that we missed our shot then Jack hooked up played to the net a feisty Redfish to knock the skunk off. He and Frank traded catches then Frank had a good bite, lifted his rod, and BOOM! Big Fish On! We could tell it was big as the drag was ripping. Frank fought it patiently as it went to the stern and under the boat and eventually brought to the net an oversized 28" Redfish, big enough to move in to first place in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament- Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!
And shortly after that Jack hooked up with another big fish. He played it perfectly and soon landed a nice "right in the slot" 23" Redfish. He followed that up with another 18"+ Slot Red. We did pretty good there, adding a few more small but feisty Reds. I think Mark might have had the biggest one on of all but this fish hadn't gotten big without reason - we were in three feet of water and it must have dug down into the oysters and BAP, fish off. Ouch.
We made a run down the river and up Lanceford, fished a grass patch to no avail, then moved even further down the river to fish some structure. The first "demo" cast with jig and shrimp produced a feisty Red, then all four anglers were catching fish - Redfish. After Pat and Mark had put fish in the boat, Frank "BOOM" Boehm had another strong fish. This one was big . Way big. It was digging deep and ripping drag and digging even deeper and....it was off! Dang it! When Frank reeled up it hadn't broke off - the hook had bent! Crazy.
Our last stop was back at Tyger fishing jigs and here Pat got hot with catching Seatrout down deep. Frank added one more Redfish before we called it a day, and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it a s another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I had the Wytiaz's fishing today, Frank and Joanne, and we met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. After running up and around and into the Jolley River we turned into the current at the "bank" and began fishing back to the pointe with float rigs and mud minnows on a high and still incoming tide. The two anglers were making excellent casts to the grass, letting it drift along the marsh line and in just a while we had hookups of small Seatrout and Ladyfish. Then, after Joanne had got a cast close, I heard her drag begin to rip and, Big Fish On! And boy was it a battle! This fish was doing its best to stay up in the grass and over the oysters. It boiled up a time or two, then I saw a huge tail and confirmed it was a massive Redfish! Joanne hung with it and began to work it out from the edge and when she got it out deep I felt sure we had it. She kept the pressure on during numerous runs, worked it close, let it run, then after a long and epic battle, brought to the net an oversized 35.5" Redfish, big enough to move Joanne into a solid lead in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category. (Scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!
We then moved up the river and set up a point and drifted the float rigs and had a quick flurry of catches- Seatrout, Jacks, and Ladyfish. Joanne added a keeper sized 16" Seatrout to the catch. We moved further up the river and fished back into the current and here Frank got hot, real hot! He caught a couple of feisty Redfish up close to the grass, then Joanne added one, then Frank had a strong hookup and, Fish On! He played it perfectly, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish.
The tide had come to a standstill so we ran back to the outside of Tyger and fished a point as the now outgoing tide swept by. Again, we caught a couple of small Trout, small Reds, then a small Flounder, then Frank put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat and an 18" Seatrout.
Our final stop was around the corner, fishing a sand bottom for Flounder, but Frank found another nice Slot Redfish, this one measuring right at 21". They landed another small Flounder and Seatrout before we headed back to the dock and as we made the run, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.
I fished with Chris Sneed and his fishing partner Chuck this morning, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early on a tide that had been coming in for a few hours. There was almost zero wind so we made our way around the south end of Amelia to fish the small jettu while we were in the area. There was another boat on the north end so we stayed on the south and tossed jigs and live shrimp and even though they reported some "bumps" we had no takers.
After running up the Nassau River we stopped at Spanish Drop and worked the flooding shore line with float rigs and the shrimp. The sound of drags ripping as this duo hooked up and battled Bonnethead Shark is still ringing in my ears! We had more than a handful of shark fights. But finally, Chuck had made a good toss to the grass line and as his float slowly went under he lifted his rod and let the circle hook set and Fish On! Chuck brought it to the boat and landed a respectable Flounder for the box.
We fished Twin Creeks and beyond and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, then we made the run around to Pumpkin Hill to drift the floats long on the last of that incoming tide. Again, Shark fights were the norm, but Chris did pick up a Seatrout on a pointe. Then, finally, some more drag ripping, but this fish stayed up close to the bank and when it boiled, we knew it was a big Red! Chris played it patiently and after a good battle landed an oversized 28.5" Redfish, boy what a fish!
After moving around the corner Chris had another hookup and I would have bet money it was a Flounder by the way it bit and fought. But as Chris worked it to the net we saw it was an uncommon Tripletail!
After that we fished Seymore's Pointe and caught a handful of Mangrove Snapper, a handful of Catfish, a couple of Ladyfish, a grunt, and a Jack Crevalle. It wasn't uncommon to hear those drags ripping so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I wrapped my week up fishing with the Portfleet's, Tim and Lori and their daughter Danielle. After meeting them early this morning down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp we ran up the Nassau River to make our first stop at Spanish Drop on a tide that had one hour to hit bottom. All three anglers were tossing jigs - Danielle and Lori baited with live shrimp and Tim fishing with a mud minnow. That first spot didn't produce nary a nibble so we moved on up to a large drainage. Danielle had made an excellent cast to the mouth of the drainage and almost immediately, BOOM! Fish On! She played it expertly to the boat and landed a feisty Redfish to "knock the skunk off".
We moved on up to Twin Creeks and fished the very last of that outgoing tide and here Tim had the strong hookup. He worked it to the boat and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle. Danielle valiantly battled a Shark for a long while then it was Tim's turn to battle one. He patiently played it and after long fight, brought it to the boat for pictures and release. Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's and here the trio played cat and mouse with the Mangoves. All three caught them and contributed to the dinner box.
Our next stop was down at Broward Island and boy was it pretty! Not much wind today and it made it easy to work along the edge pitching. We had a few good bites and then Danielle took advantage of one of them and hooked up and landed a nice 17" keeper sized Seatrout.
I was timing the trip to end up at one of my Mangrove Snapper holes but as we were passing Pumpkin Hill I thought it might be fun to fish some float rigs, so we set up alongside a flooding shell bank and began to drift floats long with live shrimp and boy did it pay off! Right off Lori hooked up and brought to the boat another 17" keeper sized Seatrout and from then on these anglers were catching fish. We'd have a drag screaming run from a Shark Bite, then another. Danielle hooked up and while her Shark was ripping off to the west, Lori hooked up with a big fish too. As we were getting Danielle's fish to the boat I saw Lori's fish "boil" a few times and knew it was a big Redfish. After Danielle's shark was photographed and released all attention turned to Lori and her epic battle. She stayed patient, kept the pressure on, and eventually hauled in an 29.25" Oversized Redfish, boy what a fish.
We caught a couple of more Sharks, another Jack Crevalle, and another feisty Redfish before we called it a day, and as we were heading back, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Looking at the weather forecast last night I thought for sure we'd be getting wet today. But when I got up this morning it had improved which was great because we were going anyway! I met Henry Ross and his crew - David Gray, and Dick and Ethan Conley - up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and we headed over to Eagans Creek with plans to fish some dock pilings on a tide that had been going out for a few hours. The oysters were just beginning to show when we pulled up and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the pilings. Ethan was quick to "knock the skunk off" when he hooked up and fought a feisty Redfish to the net
His dad, Dick, hooked up a landed a small but feisty Black "puppy" Drum then short while later he had a strong bite and, Big Fish On! It was nip and tuck there for a while as the big fish pulled deep up into the pilings. But Dick stayed patient and worked it out each time and when it rolled to the surface we knew it was a big Redfish. Dick worked it to the boat and landed a big 29.75" oversized Redfish - a fish big enough to move him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!
We then made a long run up to the Bell River and fished some docks with the jigs. Nothing much was happening but David did get on the board with hard fighting Jack Crevalle catch. We were wrapping up to leave but Henry was still fishing with a mud minnow and had a good "bump" out deeper and fish on! Henry worked it expertly up to the surface and we netted a nice 16" Flounder. Although not huge, we'll let that set the bar for 1st place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
Continuing on around thru the Bell River we made a stop at the MOA. David was on the bow tossing up current on the very last of the outgoing tide. He had one strong hookup with a fish that was putting a good bend in the rod and....OFF! Dang it! But just a short while later, David made the same cast and it paid off with a Big Fish hookup. This fish had the room to dig deep and boy did it! The drag was ripping and the fish took him from bow to stern, from starboard to port, and then back to starboard, and back to port. I was laying my money on it being a Bonnethead Shark and luckily, boy was wrong! David worked it patiently up and when it surfaced we saw that it was another huge oversized Redfish, this one measuring in at 34", and big enough to take the lead spot, 1st. place, in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish!
We fished the outside of Tyger for just a bit then headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I wrapped my week up today, fishing north again with Craig and Christina Jones. We had met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and made our way out of Eagans Creek to make our first run over to the outside of Tyger Island where we set up fishing float rigs on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours. I don't think we got a nibble! Our next stop was further up the island, at a small drainage where we switched to jigs and shrimp and it was Craig who "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch. And Christina, who had her lucky hat on, followed that up with a Trout of her own.
We then made our way around to the Jolley River and fished with the floats again and the oysters were just beginning to show. Other than a brief tangle with a Gar fish, we had no luck. Our next stop was up at the MOA and although we couldn't see the oysters, we could see the "ripple" so we stopped and fished anyway, going with the jigs. Christina had made a cast that I thought for sure was right smack into the oysters and when her rod bent I thought "hang up" but, nope, BIG FISH! The rod stayed bent over and the drag was ripping and the fish hung close to the shore - I thought for sure it would carry that line across the oysters and snap, but Christina worked it out into deep water and unbeknown to the fish, it was Had!
Boy what a battle! Christina would work it close to the boat then it would dive deep. We saw it "roll" once and knew it was a big Red. It finally got in the current behind the boat, Christina worked it up, then it would dive. I got the net under it once but it was too big! It dove again and the battle recommenced! Eventually we got it in the net and on the boat and it turned out to be a huge, bulky, 33.5" oversized Redfish - big enough to obliterate the existing 1st place in the 2023 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish category! (scroll down the right side of his report for standings).
We made our way around to the Bell River, fished some docks, and picked up a hard fighting Bluefish, a Slot Redfish, and had a couple of other good bites. After fishing the MOA on a lower tide, and the logs of Tyger, we made our way back to the dock and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Kicking off the weekend early, I met Todd Johnson and his fishing buddy Patrick Davis up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. We made a run down the intercoastal and found some structure to fish with jig and mud minnows on a tide that had been coming in for an hour or so. I think it was Patrick's first cast and as he let the jig bounce down the river bottom, it looked like he may be snagged but, BAM! Big Fish ON! We were in for a battle but Patrick was up for the task. The big fish dug deep and Patrick kept the pressure on, working it up off the bottom - a Big Redfish - then it would dive deep. That happened a few times before we were able to get a net under it and land an oversized 28.5" Redfish! This fish pushed Patrick into First Place in the Anglers Mark 2022 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category. Boy what a fish! We continued to fish that spot and shortly after it was Todd's turn to fight the big fish, which he expertly did, and landed a "Tourney" sized Red, 26.75" and boy was it a bull! Then Patrick put a 24" Slot Red in the boat! Crazy huh?
We eventually moved down the way a bit - Patrick added a small Slot Red to the catch, then Todd hooked up and Big Fish On! Hah! He battled it patiently, keeping the pressure on, and eventually landed a oversized 29" Redfish, to take the lead in the Anglers Mark 2022 Bragging Rights Tournament.....Redfish Category! Patrick's 15 minutes of fame, was over! Hah! Scroll down the right side of this report for Bragging Rights standings.
After making a run down the river we eased up in behind a dock and fished the pilings. Again, Patrick's first cast produced a big bite. This fish was big and pulling hard, but it was already around some pilings and eventually the line went tight and, BAP, fish off! Todd caught and landed a feisty Redfish, then Patrick hooked up and landed another Slot Red. We picked up another couple of fish, then moved on.
Switching to floats, we fished Soap Creek(no bites), Lanceford Creek(no bites), Bell River(no bites) then the outside of Tyger where Todd finally knocked the skunk off the floats with a feisty Redfish catch. After touring Cumberland Island to see some wild horses, we headed for the dock and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We had a tide that still had about an hour to come in, maybe less than that, when I met Dennis and Carol West down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We made the run up the intercoastal and passed two large flocks of Roseate Spoonbills sunning on the high tide on some shell bars, then we made our way into Jackstaff and then into an even smaller creek where we set up with float rigs and live mud minnows. Both anglers were getting good casts and we had some nibbles, but no takers.
We then buzzed thru Horsehead and around to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large bay drainage on a the first of an outgoing tide and again, some good bites, but no takers. Our next stop was down the Nassau fishing a stretch of grass lined with flooded oysters and here we had some action. Both Dennis and Carol hooked up with some seriously hungry juvenile Redfish.
Then, after we had dropped back to fish a point, Dennis had a strong hookup and the big fish headed east, ripping drag all the way. We both wondered was it going to slow down! But Dennis kept that pressure on, turned him, then battled him for a good while. It was really neat to see a big 'ole Redfish tail flail up a few times. Dennis worked him out of the shallows, got him back in the current, then slowly brought o the net an oversized 29.5" Redfish, boy what a fish! And big enough to move Dennis into third place in the 2022 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
The duo added a couple of more of the "rat" Reds, then we fished a couple of run outs with jigs and the minnows. Again, we had some bites, some drag rips, but no takers. But it had been a nice overcast day, we'd had a slight breeze and as we headed back, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island.
I wrapped my week up today fishing with John Raker and his friend Kenny King, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. The tide had been coming in for about two hours but I wanted to try Broward Island, being that we were right there. We ran down there and set up on that incoming tide and the duo of anglers began tossing shrimp and jigs to the bank and letting them fall down the river bottom. We didn't get what I was hoping for - a big bite, but John did hookup and land a Croaker. Ouch.
After making a run down the Nassau we made it down to Spanish Drop and began working a bank that had the shell already covered. Both Kenny and John tangled with some hard fighting Jack Crevalle, found another Croaker and finally John had a strange bite, set the hook, and reeled in a keeper sized Flounder -"skunk" off the boat!
We moved back up the river and switched to float rigs and here Kenny was in for the big battle. Hisfloat disappeared and his drag began to rip and the big fish headed west, then came back to the boat, then dug deep for the battle. But Kenny was up to the challenge, kept the pressure on, and eventually landed a big 4' Bonnethead Shark.
Then it was John's turn to battle the Shark. Both of his we speculated that it might be a big Redfish in that they didn't make the long, drag ripping runs. Maybe they knew it was to no avail? John brought both of the big Shark to the boat for pictures and release.
Back up the river we went, stopping at Pumpkin Hill and drifting floats along a flooded grass bank. They were getting some good nibbles and finally John hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout, and then a small (small) Flounder. Kenny added a nice sized Mangrove Snapper to the box.
We were running low on time but luckily the tide was just changing so we moved back down the river to my new Super Secret Spot! This week alone we had caught 4 Oversized Redfish, in addition to 4 Slot sized Redfish at this spot and I was hoping that today we'd add some more. Both John and Kenny were getting good drifts and some good bites right off the bat, but no takers. I switched them to mud minnows hoping that would help but, no takers. John had went to the live well and picked out the biggest Shrimp left - there were only about a dozen. He made a good cast to the bank - it stuck on a submerged oyster shell, but when he tugged it off it slowly went back under. John tightened up and let the circle hook do it's thing and, Big Fish On! It made such a long, hard, drag ripping run that we were thinking it was another shark - but then we saw it boil up in the shallows and knew that it was a big Redfish. John was patient with the fish, played it perfectly and after a long battle, landed Oversized Redfish #5 - one that measured right at 32", and big enough to move John into first place in the Anglers Mark 2022 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
And we weren't finished! We only had a few shrimp left so we kept fishing and were down to the last shrimp and minnow and John had the same thing happen - his bait hung on an oyster, came off and BAM! Fish On! After a good battle John landed a Slot sized 23" Redfish! Five Oversized Reds and Five Slot Reds at the same spot this week. Now that's the way to wrap up a great fishing trip here at Amelia Island, Florida.
They only come around once in a while but when you have one of those Banner Days, you have to make the best of it, and that's what this trio of anglers did today. I had met Jay Mathews and two of his adult kids Will and Becky down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. The tide was still coming in, especially way up near Broward Island. so we made the run up the intercoastal, turned west and cut thru Back River and made our way around to Pumpkin Hill where we set up drifting float rigs and live shrimp with the incoming current. It only took a few minutes and we were on fish! This trio caught one fish after the other - fat keeper sized Seatrout, hard fighting Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish, more Trout, more Jacks, Flounder, and more Ladyfish. I think we were there for an hour and a half!
We finally moved around and fished some grassy patches and here Becky, after making an excellent cast, hooked up, battled and landed a nice Slot Redfish. Will followed that up with a hookup and battle with a large Bonnethead Shark.
I had planned to head over to Jackstaff where we did pretty good yesterday but as we were passing a spot that I have had my eye on, I pulled up, turned into the current and we again went with the float rigs, drifted up by the grass. I knew that there was plenty of oyster shell submerged and we had the first of an outgoing tide and....BAM! They began to catch Redfish. All three anglers put Slot sized fish in the baot - Will, then Becky, then Jay. They kept going back to the same spot - BAM! Fish On! Will had a hookup and this one was BIG - it was ripping drag and heading north, so much so that we speculated it might be another Shark. But it came back, went to the shoreline, and finally boiled - Big Redfish. Will played it perfectly and after a long battle, landed a oversized 30" Redfish! This fish moved Will into First Place n the 2022 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
Not minutes later it was Becky's turn for the big fish. After hooking up her fish too ran like a freight train. But Becky applied the pressure and slowly worked it in, fought it thru multiple runs to the bottom, worked it up and after a good battle landed another oversized 28.25" Redfish, boy what a fish! We added one more Slot Redfish to the catch and had a good handful of smaller "feisty" Redfish. caught.
After a brief stop down at Spanish Drop we headed back to the ramp and counted it as an outstanding day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I was down at the south end today, meeting the Sorah team - Chris, his dad Ken and Bryce, the son/grandson. We headed up the intercoastal, turned into the Nassau and ran up the river a bit to begin fishing at Spanish Drop with float rigs on an already high and still incoming tide. The trio of anglers were tossing float rigs and live shrimp to the bank and we had a few nibbles here and there until Ken hooked up and battled a high flying Ladyfish. I was debating in my mind whether to call that "skunk off" but just couldn't quite bring myself to do it!
We moved further up the river and fished Twin Creeks, again drifting float rigs. Bryce had taken up on the stern and "drifted long" down a grass line and when he had a strong bite he tightened up and let the circle hook do it's thing and, Big Fish On! The way it ran deep we were all speculating "shark", but then it came back to the shore line and I saw a roll - could it be a big Redfish?
But then it went deep again, Bryce keeping the pressure on and we were thinking Shark again, but again, a roll! Bryce worked it to the boat and we soon saw it was a massive Redfish. Bryce played it perfectly and we soon netted a big Oversized 27.5" THICK Redfish, boy what a fish, and for sure, Skunk Off The Boat! Shortly after that Ken hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout.
After that we were "running and gunning" - we fished down at Pumpkin Hill,
caught a couple of Jacks and Ladyfish, then fished back at Seymore's Pointe (to no avail), then I thought we'd wrap things up over at Nassauville, fishing with jigs. And here we had a nice flurry. Chris started it off with a nice 18" Flounder catch, then caught another, smaller one. The trio added a handful of Mangrove Snapper to the catch with a couple being of keeper size, then Ken put a small Flounder in the boat and Chris added a nice 17" Trout to the box - a great way to end a good day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
After a miserable slow bite yesterday I was back fishing south today, meeting Eddie Byrd and Bob Kossman down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made the run up the intercoastal, turned in to Jackstaff, and dipped into a side creek to fish a marsh edge with a tide that had been going out for about an hour and a half. The two anglers were tossing float rigs and live shrimp to the bank. Eddie had made an excellent cast up into a pocket and as his float drifted around a corner it disappeared. Eddie tightened the line up and let the circle hook do its job and Fish On! The fish fought for a little while up near the grass and we were thinking "surely Slot Redfish" but then it got out into a little deeper water, bulled down, and had its way for a while. It did boil up a time or two so we knew it was now a Redfish but the way it fought made us wonder, and sure enough, when Eddie brought it to the net, it was a 28.25" Oversized Redfish, but boy what a fish!
We continued to work along that bank and at a large drainage Bob hooked up and landed a keeper sized Flounder. We then motored (slowly) thru the marsh to the Nassau River and fished the eastern edge of Middle Marsh with jig, to no avail. We crossed over and fished Spanish Drop with float rigs but had no luck, but when we switched to jigs, BAM! We had a hookup and landed a feisty Redfish. Bob went back to the same spot and had a good, strong bite and, Big Fish On! I thought for sure it was going to be another big Redfish, but when it got out deep it dug down, and stayed down which led us to suspect a Shark. Sure enough, after a long and patient battle, Bob brought to the boat a 4' Bonnethead Shark, photographed and released.
Moving up to Seymore's Pointe we fished some docks and caught a good handful of Mangrove Snapper, a few which were of keeper size. Eddie battled a hard fighting Jack Crevalle to the boat, had something big enough to rip some drag that came off, then we moved on. After fishing some rocks at Seymore's with float rigs, and getting a couple of small Mangroves, we move down the way, and tangles with a couple of Ladyfish.
Our last stop was back at Twin Creeks, fishing at almost a dead low tide with jigs. Eddie caught and landed a hungry Seatrout and Bob added another big Ladyfish to the catch, then we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
What a great morning to start the week with! We had beautiful weather that greeted us out at Goffinsville Park when I met Bob Blalock and his fishing crew - brother and sister-in-law Tom and Martha. The tide was already covering the oysters and still coming in for a few hours so we headed over to the Spanish Drop area and eased along a flooded shell bank and began fishing with float rigs and live shrimp. All three anglers were getting good casts and good drifts but we had no luck until we reached the mouth of a drainage and Bob then tangled with a couple of high flying "poor mans Tarpon" - the Ladyfish.
We motored back up the river, fished Twin Creeks for a bit, then I let the boat drift backwards with the current. Martha teased one up- a nice Seatrout, and had it to the boat before it threw the hook, then Tom went up to the same spot, got a good drift, and BAM! He had a hookup. He played it perfectly and brought to the boat and net a nice 19" Trout. As we drifted just a few feet back, Bob had found that he could toss back to a grass edge and there was a back current. On his second or third drift his float slowly went under. Bob tightened up and let the circle hook do it job and, Fish On! He fought the fish expertly and brought to the net a Slot sized 21" Redfish.
We ran down to Pumpkin Hill, drifted long with floats, battled a Shark, picked up a smaller Trout, caught a keeper sized Trout, then ran back to Seymore's at the very peak of the high tide. We worked some rocks with the floats and caught a couple of small Mangrove Snapper, then ran thru Horsehead to catch the first of an outgoing tide.
Here, Martha had made a pin-point cast, just beyond a grassy island, and when her float disappeared she set the hook and in a text book manner, brought to the boat a hungry Seatrout. We were about ready to wrap things but decided to "fish out" of the area so we worked a bank as we went. Bob had a strong bite that he hooked up but the fish (we thought a shark) is still heading to Tallahassee! So a few minutes later when Tom had a strong bite we were speculating Shark? But this big fish was staying up near the bank (why in the world would you even want to go to Tallahassee?) Tom kept the pressure on and battled the big fish from bow to stern and back, under the boat and back out and (despite Bob and mine's coaching) landed a big 29" Oversized Redfish, boy what a fish! After quick photograph and release, we headed ack to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I wrapped up my week yesterday fishing with the Tilltoson's - Granddad Dan, his son Paul and grandson Jack. I met them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and with a plan in mind, made the run up to the Jolley River to ease in and fish the "bank" with jigs and live shrimp. The wind had been kicking my butt all week and was expected to increase again today. That first stretch of bank was ideal, and although all three anglers were making excellent casts, we had no real bites.
After running up the river to Snook Creek we worked that bank a good stretch and once incentivized, Paul "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch! The game was on!
We moved around the corner and fished the MOA (Mother of All) for a while and although we were seeing some good bait movement we had no luck there. The MOA wasn't very MOA today! The wind had picked up so we made the run back to Eagans Creek with plans to tuck in between some docks and fish the pilings and the plan paid off.
Jack got on the board with a strong hookup, played it expertly, and landed a nice feisty Redfish that was just a smidge undersized. He took the lead in the "challenge", then his Grandad Dan had a good bite, set the hook, and expertly brought to the boat a keeper sized Seatrout. Even though it was of keeper size, it was still smaller than Jack's Redfish so he kept the lead!
Paul added another keeper sized Seatrout, Dan added a nice Croaker to the box,
then BAM! Paul had went in behind a dock, let it slowly fall and, Big Fish On! All lines were cleared of the water as the big fish dug deep. When it ran up current, against the drag, we knew it was probably oversized. Then the fish took Paul to the stern, around the engine, back around the engine, up to the bow, around the trolling motor, back around the trolling motor and finally, after a lengthy battle, Paul landed the big 29" Oversized Redfish, boy what a battle and boy what a fish! This fish moved Paul into 2nd place in the 2022 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).
We had worked the oysters and the docks and even though the wind had picked up we had a few good fish caught, 3 generations of anglers, so was we headed back to the boat ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
We tried to squeeze in a fishing trip this morning - winds were forecasted to be about 7mph at start time but rising to an unfishable 17mph by quitting time! I met JR and Donna Shiver and JR's brother Greg out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. We still had a few minutes of an outgoing tide so we eased down the rocks at Nassauville and fished between a couple of docks with jigs and live shrimp. It didn't take long for JR to "knock the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a big 19" Seatrout. He followed that up with another keeper sized Trout and a couple of throw backs.
After buzzing around the corner and fished some dock pilings, sticking with the jigs. I thought for sure we'd get a Drum or Red but when JR had another hookup, he brought to the boat another keeper sized Trout!
Sure enough, the wind was picking up, so we made the run down to Broward Island, passing a pair of Bald Eagles, and
began to fish a nice marsh drainage. We didn't get any real bites so we started working the shore line and now it was Donna's turn to get the nice fish. She had gone in near a long with an excellent cast and BAM! Fish On! Donna played it patiently and after a good battle landed a nice 24" Slot Redfish - a beautiful deep copper colored fish.
We were out of the wind and the tide was still a bit low so we elected to fish the logs. Greg was providing running commentary while JR and Donna fished. JR put a feisty Redfish in the boat, then we switched to float rigs and live shrimp. The duo of anglers were really working their casts and JR had just made a good one, letting his float drift up near a limb when he saw it Bob. Then Bob, Bob -he tightened up his line, lifted his rod and, BIG FISH ON! JR expertly worked the fish out from the logs and then it was a battle. The fish bulled deep a few times, then got in the current and made it fight. But JR was up to the task and eventually subdued the beast, landing an Oversized 28" Redfish. Boy what a fish. We wrapped up the day there, fishing floats up near the logs and then headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
After that slow day yesterday Bob Blalock and I decided to try south and met out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early this morning. The tide was going out with a couple of hours to go so we eased down the Nassauville rocks and set up between two docks to fish jigs and live "lobster" shrimp- tossing them up current and letting them bounce down the river bottom with the current. We had a few good bites and Bob landed a couple of hungry Seatrout.
We then ran down the Nassau, towards the bridge and then turned into the still outgoing current and fished Athens Drop. We had clear skies, no wind, and plenty of Sand Gnats, but no real bites. We moved further down the Nassau and began to work back alongside a shell lined bank. Bob was making excellent casts and working it slow but, no bites. He had part of his shrimp torn off on an oyster and we were just about to move and he made one more cast, out deep in about 10' of water and BAM! A strong hookup. The fish came right back to the boat
and Bob was cranking in slack then the fish ran towards the bank and began to rip drag - another Big Redfish! Bob played it perfectly and patiently worked it in (see video below) and eventually landed a 27.5" Oversized Redfish - boy what a
battle !
Our next stop was up at Bubblegum Reef -we eased along with the trolling motor until it found us. We dropped our jigs and shrimp down around the reef and had a few nibbles, lost a few jigs, then moved on. Just a short hop and we were over at some docks at Seymore's and here we picked up a Slot sized 6-spot Redfish (released), but no other significant bites.
After buzzing down to Broward Island we fished the first of an incoming tide. The wind had picked up just a bit and blew away the gnats. Bob caught and landed a handful of feisty Redfish. Then we moved down the way and worked back along the bank and picked up a couple of Seatrout, one on shrimp and one on Contender Baits "Christmas Tree' grub. The water temperature was a little over 61, so it's warming up. We had a bit more action today than yesterday so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Tom Hutchens and I made a decision to fish this morning rather than tomorrow morning and it paid off. Today's forecast called for just a slight breeze this morning but increasing winds to about 12mph at knock-off time. We meet down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and made a quick run up the Nassau River. The tide had been coming in for about three hours and I thought for sure we'd get some fish around some dock pilings at Seymore's Pointe. I'm glad I didn't bet on it! We fished the pilings thoroughly with jigs and live shrimp but had not a single bite. I was thinking, "oh no, here we go again". The last few trips I've fished have been a struggle with water temperatures hovering around 53 degrees. Todays water was up to 56 so I had high hopes that the fishing would be better.
I don't normally fish Broward Island on a high and incoming tide due to the logs being a real pain, but I thought we may have a chance at some Seatrout fishing the falling river bottom so we made the run down there. Low and behold, the island was blocking any wind, enough to where the sand gnats were a bit
aggravating. We began tossing up to the bank and letting the jig/shrimp fall with the current. Sure enough, we'd get just a faint "BIP" and when we tightened the line we'd get a hookup, Tom soon had the hang of it and all-told, he boated a dozen Seatrout, or so. We also had a good handful of feisty Redfish -undersized, but fun to catch, and a distinctly different kind of fight than the Seatrout. But then Tom hooked up and this fish was pulling hard, digging deep, and we thought for sure it was another of those smaller Reds. But when brought it to the net, we saw that it was a Big Seatrout, measuring in right at 20" and big enough to set the bar for this year's Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report and click on Bragging Rights link for standings(.
We dropped back and fished another stretch and picked up Reds and Trout then had another strong hookup. Tom played it perfectly and eventually landed a nice 23.25" Slot Redfish. I was thinking, "this is another Bragging Rights "bar setter" but then we had ANOTHER big bite! This fish was pulling deep and had no intention of coming to the boat (see video below). That Florida Fishing Tackle Ospery 1000CE's drag was ripping smooth and Tom was patient, and evidently living right, and after a good battle, landed an Oversized 28.25" Redfish, Boy what a fish, and a now a Bragging Rights bar setter! We ended up getting Tom's legal limit of 5 keeper Trout then we move on.
Our final stop was back at Nassauville, fishing a drop off, and Tom again put one more Trout in the boat, this one on a jig and Contender Bait "Christmas Tree" grub. The wind was really whipping right now but we had a box full of fish and as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
