Worthwhile Braving The Nasty Weather

 

It was drizzling rain when I launched yesterday. A dreary fog had set in and as I tied the boat up the rain increased enough to where I was scrambling for a rain jacket and I ended up sitting under the cabana until Freya Phillips and Ray pulled up. They had come prepared, with both wearing rains suites, head to toe, and it being Ray's birthday, we were going fishing one way or the other!  So off we went and after making our first run up and into the Jolley River, we eased back into the tide that had been coming in for a few hours and began tossing float rigs with live shrimp. And the rain stopped and never rained again!

We worked the entire bank for about 30 minutes and we didn't get even a nibble. Not a bite, which I thought was strange. After running further up the Jolley we worked another bank and fairly quickly Ray "knocked the skunk off" with a hungry Seatrout catch.  I thought we might pick up a few more, but no. Then Ray saw a "tail" up in a pocket behind us so we dropped back and fished it. Freya was fishing within 6 feet of the boat when here float slowly went under. She tightened up the line, lifted her rod tip, and BAM! Her line began ripping out as her rod tip bent over, Big Fish On!  Freya was on the bow but made here way back to the stern and luckily the big fish made for deeper water. Freya fought it from port to starboard and back again a few times. Just when we could see the float come to the surface the fish would dig deep again, ripping drag. But finally, Freya, who was getting double coached, brought the fish to the surface and landed an Oversized 32" Redfish which we photographed and released. This fish put Freya in third place in the Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings) Boy what a fish!

We fished the outside of Tyger in a couple of places to no avail, then motored thru Tyger and fished over in the Bell. Here, we got into some action. Both anglers caught Seatrout, one after another for a good bit. They were in the 12"-14.5" range, fun to catch, but all released. Our final stop was over in Soap Creek. We had a few bites as the tide turned and started back out, then we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Veterans Day Blow Out

 We had another beautiful day when I met Dennis Ambercrombie and his dad Jay, a Veteran and an
angler. Little did we know that today would be one of those "banner" days, and it couldn't have come at a better time with today being Veterans Day! We made a short run from Goffinsvill Park down the Nassau River and set up at a marsh run out. The two anglers baited up and were fishing that drainage with about an hour left of an outgoing tide. I had turned my back to do something and BAM, Jay had a bite on that first cast and we were in for a battle! Jay played it patiently (watch the below video) - it took well over 6 minutes, but he was up to the task and eventually boated a Oversized 32.5" Redfish, a fish big enough to move him into 2nd Place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report and click on Bragging Rights to see standings). Boy what fish! While he was fighting the Red Dennis had a hookup and landed a hungry Seatrout!

We continued to fish that spot for a good 30 minutes and Jay was on fire catching  Seatrout out the back of the boat. We then moved down to Spanish Drop and fished some exposed shell banks. Jay picked up more Trout off the stern while Dennis found a couple of feisty Redfish.  After that we worked along some shell banks, pitching jigs and shrimp on the very last of the tide until it hit dead bottom. 

Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's Pointe and now the tide was coming in and it made a difference. Jay was fishing the stern and hooked up and landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum (all fish caught today were released), then Dennis followed that up with a Drum catch of his own. Then Jay had a slight "bump", set the hook, and reeled in a keeper sized Sheepshead! We had a good, brief flurry at that spot. We ran down along Nassauville and made one more stop and picked up a few more Trout and a small Sea Bass. 

The final stop was down at Broward Island and boy was it hot! Right off the bat, Jay began to catch keeper sized Seatrout, most all of them out deep in 20' of water. They picked up a small Red or two then after Dennis had made a good cast to a "beach", BAM! The minute it hit the water he had a big fish on. Jay expertly played the fish, kept the pressure on, and slowly worked it to the surface. I was thinking< "Big Red" but when it came up we saw that it was a huge Flounder! Dennis kept that line tight and eventually we netted a 23.35" Flounder, and we had another Abercrombie slide in to the Bragging Rights Tournament, this one big enough to move in to a tie for 2nd Place in the Flounder Category. Another great fish!

We fished that spot until we ran out of bait, catching one Seatrout after the other. I remember commenting that IF they had been keeping fish, they surely would have hit their limit! As we headed back to the dock we counted it as another  great day of catching here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Last of the Outgoing, First of the Incoming

 

We had another beautiful day today when I met Mark Smith and his future neighbor Dan down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. The skies were clear and the sun was just coming up as we made the run up the Nassau River and around to Broward Island to set up at a large marsh run out with plans to pitch jigs and live shrimp. Dan was on the bow fishing the run out while Mark was on the stern pitching to a small cove and it as Mark who "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch. We worked along that bank and had a pretty good stretch of "fish catching" - the two anglers caught a good handful of Seatrout with a couple of them being of keeper size, then Mark put a Slot sized Redfish in the boat. We worked about half the island but the tide had come to a standstill, so we made a move.

Dan stayed on the bow, fishing the jig, and hooked up with a keeper sized Weakfish then Mark caught and landed another Slot Red, then he had a strong hookup and this big fish stayed on the bottom, Fish On!  Mark played it patiently and slowly

worked it up, then it dove deep again making the drag sing. He worked it up again only to have it make more deep runs, but Mark was up to the task and eventually landed an Oversized 29" Redfish, boy what a fish!

We came back to Nassauville, stayed with the jigs, and here they picked up another Redfish, then Mark landed a 15"+ Flounder, big enough normally, but with a closed season, it went back to live another day!

Our final stop was down at Twin Creeks. Both Mark and Dan caught Seatrout drifting floats, then a feisty Redfish. We moved down to Spanish Drop and finished the day catching small but fun to catch Seatrout. As we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Illegal Tomorrow

 Another beautiful morning and awesome sunrise greeted us when I met Mark Dennis and his nephew James out at the Goffinsville Park.  We were loaded up with mud minnows and made a short run over to Pumpkin Hill and set up alongside some marsh grass on an outgoing tide. Mark began tossing his home made cork lure and James was on the stern drifting a float rig with the minnow - we worked it good but had not a nibble.  After moving around the corner and easing along another marsh line and this did the trick. James's float was drifting along then slowly began to go under, James tightened up his line, lifted this rod and set the hook and, fish on! James worked it to the boat and landed a keeper sized 17" Seatrout to knock the skunk off. We worked along that stretch for a bit and again, James's float slowly went under, and again, he set the hook and brought to the boat a feisty Redfish. Dennis had been fishing a DOA Shrimp lure, working it across some oysters and, BAM, he had a hookup. Dennis played it patiently and soon landed another feisty Redfish.

We then moved down to Broward Island to fish under the watchful eye of a pair of Bald Eagles. Mark was casting up into a drainage and  BAM! Big Fish On! Mark was being real patient as it ran long and deep, keeping the pressure on and was well on his way to landing this big fish and BIP, fish off, it came unhooked! OUCH!  We decided to fall back with the current, fishing some pockets and I was just about ready to leave when James's rod bent double and his drag began to rip - a big fish for sure! James was up to the task, stayed the course and after a good battle landed a 29" Oversized Redfish, boy what a fish!

Our next stop was down the Nassau, all the way to Spanish Drop, and here we switched to jigs and the minnows. In short order James had hooked up and landed a nice 18" Flounder, a fish that will be illegal to keep tomorrow! We worked across a drainage and as we got to some oysters both anglers began to catch Seatrout, a bit out from the bank. James found a Redfish up close to the bank, then both anglers dueled with high flying Ladyfish.  We hopped up the river a few times, picked up a Trout, then wrapped up the day fishing for Mangrove Snapper. We had tangled with Redfish and Seatrout and Flounder and 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.

It Was A First For Me

I've heard of anglers fighting fish and having a Shark attack the fish. I've had an angler hookup with anice Redfish on my boat, reel it in, and only half the fish be there. I've seen Dolphin "busting" bait up near the shore and even coming out of the water. But today was the first time I saw a Shark attacking Redfish up along the shoreline. I always thought it was the Dolphin that were the main predators.

I was fishing with Darryl and Tanya Gainsford, having met them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We had made short run up the Nassau River and stopped at Spanish Drop, turned into the tide that had just started in, and began tossing jigs and live shrimp to the bank. Darryl go things started off by hooking up and landing a hungry Flounder, then Tanya followed that up with a feisty Redfish catch. Both anglers then put a handful of those

smaller Reds in the boat before Darryl had the strong bite, a hookup, and his drag began to rip. Darryl fought the fish patiently and soon landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish. (All fish caught today were released). Tanya also tangled with a couple of  Ladfish. We had done so well on the first pass we decided to do it again. This time we didn't have near the bites but we were seeing a lot of Sharks cruising the shore line. Then, behind us there was a commotion and we turned to look  you could see a 4-5' shark "bust" a Slot sized Redfish and it came out of the water and landed up on the bank of oysters! It then flopped back in, there was a commotion and then...the water was still.  We continued to fish and then Darryl commented, "here comes that Shark", and you could see it rapidly cruising the bank, then BAM! Another huge commotion, a Shark with a Redfish in its mouth, then a bobbing Redfish tail, then the Shark circled back and the tail slowly disappeared! It was really neat to see the wild in action! I'm going to assume that the Shark was not a Bonnethead-I've never seen them do that. 

We ran further up the river, fished a marsh runout, then continued on up to a dock to fish some pilings. Here the duo caught a couple of Mangrove Snapper and a Pinfish. We then headed down to Broward Island and set up out deep, pitching to the shore with a stump as our target. Darryl got hot and put a couple of Sheepshead in the boat, a Mangrove Snapper and a Redfish or two.

The wind had picked up but not so bad that we couldn't try Pumpkin Hill and boy am I glad!  We had switched to float rigs and were tossing them up to the bank with live shrimp and getting some decent drifts. We had a few bites then Darryl's float slowly went under and started heading south. Darryl caught up the slack, lifted his rod and set the circle hook and, Big Fish On!  We knew it

was big. It didn't act like it thought it was caught and just bulled down. Darryl kept the pressure on, walked it around the boat to deep water, then back again, then up to the bow, then back to the stern, around the engine, and wore it out.  After a long and patient battle, Darryl brought to the net a big Oversized 30.5" Redfish for pictures and release. Boy what a fish! They picked up a couple of more smaller Reds, a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, and a Catfish. Tanya put a 9-spot Redfish in the boat and then followed that up with the only Seatrout catch of the day, one that measured right at 17".  Although the skies were dreary and  overcast, as we headed in  we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Camp'n Out

 

It was a hot one today - the temperatures and the fishing! I had met Bob Hagerman and his sons Bob and Brandon down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. All morning long, from sunrise to the bait shop to the boat ramp I was debating on whether to run up the intercoastal and fish Jackstaff or give the Nassau River and Spanish Drop one more try (yesterday we caught squat there). But I like that stretch of deep water coming up to shell beds so we picked Spanish Drop and made the short run, pulling up as the outgoing tide began to hit bottom.  The trio of anglers began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the exposed oysters and it wasn't long before all were catching fish.

I don't normally stay at a spot more than 30 minutes, and most of the time it's less than that. When we were all done we had been there for an hour and a half!  Brandon knocked the skunk off with a nice Seatrout catch, then Bob put a Flounder in the boat.  Brandon followed that up with a nice Jack Cravelle. Bob Jr was laying back.  Then Bob Sr hooked up and when his drag began to rip we knew it was a nice fish. He played it to the boat and brought to the net a nice Slot sized 18.5" Redfish and as we were netting it Bob Jr hooked up and battled to the net another Slot Red, this one measuring in at 21".

The trio caught about everything you could think of - Reds, Trout, Flounder, Brandon added a tough-to-catch Sheepshead, Stingray, bait stealers, Catfish - we  camped out and worked up and down the bank a couple of times catching fish. When it finally slowed we made a short run up the river and worked another bank. This one only produced a Catfish.

The tide was up and beginning to flood the oysters so we ran down to fish Pumpkin Hill. We switched to float rigs and drifted long. The tide wasn't up as high as it was yesterday when we were at this spot, but it still payed off.  Brandon had a good drift going and when his float disappeared he slapped the bail shut, "caught up to it" and hooked up with a keeper sized Seatrout. Bob Jr. came in right behind him, drifting long, and had another good hookup. He reeled in another nice keeper sized Seatrout. We fished down another grass line, had a bite or two, picked up one Trout, then came back to the original side.

With only minutes to go and the "GPK" on the line, Brandon hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish and was minutes away from the win when......Bob Jr's float.....drifting thru a small bay....disappeared....and after Bob cranked it tight.....BAM! Big Fish On!  Boy what a battle. You could feel the tension in the air! But Bob was up to the task, played it patiently, worked it to the boat, let it run, worked it back, let it run, then brought to the net a big Oversized 28.25" Redfish! Boy what a fish! And with that, we called it a day, another great one fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.