Beating The Drum

 

Oh what a pretty day we had today! It was kinda cool but only a "two layer" day, and the sun was out with no real wind- the water early was like glass. I had met Henry Ross and his son-in-law Devon down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made our way  up the intracoastal and then up the Nassau River to fish a dock at Seymore's Point on the very first of an incoming tide. As it turned out, we may have been early. Both anglers were making excellent casts to the pilings but we had not a single bite, not a one. We eased around teh corner to Nassauville and fished an outlet with a deeper drop off and this did the trick. Devon got hot early, I think it was his first cast and he had a hookup and played to the net a hungry Seatrout. He followed that up in quick order with a couple of more catches. Henry got things going and caught a hanful of the Trout too. Out of the 10 or 12 that we caught, one was of keeper size. 

We then made our way down to Broward Island and fished the first of an incoming there. Again, Devon got hot - he caught a couple of small Redfish, then had a strong bite and as his drag ripped, we had a big Fish On!  Devon played it perfectly, let it run worked it in, let it run and finally brought to the net a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. The duo added a few more fish before we moved down about 40'. Again, they picked up a couple of smaller Redfish and a Trout or two. We then moved further down, turned nto the current and worked back and caught more Reds, a keeper sized Sheepshead, and a Trout or two. Before we left the area we decided to fish are first spot one more time, now that the tide was really coming in and it paid off. Devon added a nice 20" Slot Redfish to his catch total and Henry battled a big Black Drum to the net. He had a " Bragging Rights" Sheepshead to the surface but it shook the hook before I could get it netted. Net man has to be quicker!

After making the long run up the Nassau and dipping into a creek we worked it thoroughly and it paid off with another 8-10 Redfish caught, one of which was in the Slot. Although the first spot didn't produce, the rest did and we caught a "mess o' fish" so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Sweetheart of a Trip

 

Fishing the day after Valentines you hope that the catching will make for a "sweetheart" kind of day, and today turned out to be pretty good!  I had met William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsivlle Park early and as I was launching I was treated to a really cool sunrise. The tide had been coming in for about an hour so we made our way up river to get in some "first of the incoming" tide fishing. Dara was on the stern and made an excellent first cast - William was on the bow and made an excellent first cast and BAM! It was William who had the hookup. He worked it to the boat and landed a nice feisty Redfish. William picked up a Seatrout shortly after that, then BAM! and his drag was ripping - this was a big one!  William played it patiently, worked it in, let it run, worked it in, let it run, and eventually brought to the net an Oversized 27.75" Redfish. 

We moved down the way about 30' and worked the bank with the jigs and shrimp and here Dara came
alive and got on the board with a couple of Redfish and Seatrout catches. William added a couple too, then we moved further down the Island and worked back into the current and caught a handful of Redfish, one of which was in the Slot. There were a couple of more Seatrout caught with at least one of those of keeper size. 

After running way up the Nassau we dipped into a creek and worked back into the current. The catching wasn't "on fire" but it was nice and steady. Dara did an excellent job of battling a 20" Slot Red to the net, and William added another Slot fish to the count. We caught  and tossed a good handful of smaller but "feisty" Reds and a couple of Trout, one of being of keeper size. 

We later fished some flooded shell alongside some marsh grass with float rigs and Dara found a Trout, then we fished one set of docks where William pulled a Trout out from behind the pilings. We had stayed busy catching fish the first three hours of the trip so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Are We Fishing or Catching?

For a awhile there we were thinking we might just be on a fishing trip, not a "catching" trip! I had met Ed and Maddona AndrewLavage up at Old Town Bait and Tackle early this morning. We had dark and gloomy skies with the clouds blowing north over the ocean. But the temperature was almost "shirtsleeves" weather with a promise from the forecasters of it to reach into the 80's today. Can't beat that! We eased out of Eagans Creek and made our way over to Bell River to fish a flooded oyster point on the last of a high and incoming tide. Both Ed and Madonna were getting excellent casts and good drifts but we had not a bite on their float rigs and live shrimp. 

We ran thru Tyger, made the turn around the Concrete Teepee and after making our way up the Jolley River we set up along side a point and drifted the floats and shrimp again. What little wind we had, had died down and the water was a like glass and the floats looked oh so sweet as they drifted along, but evidently not to the fish because again, not a nibble. Further up the river, just past Snook Creek, we turned into the current and here Madonna's first cast produced a good bite. That float disappeared and Madonna tightened up and let the circle hook set - she worked it to the boat and "knocked the skunk off" with a hungry Seatrout catch. After moving into Snook Creek and switching to jigs and the shrimp and working the bottom, we moved on. 

Up thru the Jolley we went and around thru Bell to some docks where we stuck with the jigs. We had only been anchored for a minute or two and with the tide trying to change, the fish began to bite. Both Madonna and Ed stayed busy catching Seatrout on the bottom, in about 20' of water. They were all in the 14-14.5" range, but Ed did find a keeper sized 17.5" Trout up by the dock pilings.  We moved down a few docks and fished the pilings direct and this paid off - Ed hooked up and landed a couple of feisty Redfish and Puppy Drum; Madonna hooked up and battled a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum to the net. She also added a couple of Redfish to her catch total, and then snagged a small Sheepshead to round out an Amelia Island Backcountry Slam of Seatrout, Black Drum, Redfish and Sheepshead. 

We had started the day "fishing" but ended the day "catching" - the sun was out now and it was warm enough to shed those jackets so as we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing (and catching) here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Add The Title: Angler

 

I was back fishing today when I met Nick Burke and his fishing partner Sajia down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. There was a bit of fog but it didn't affect the visibility so much that we couldn't make the run up the intercoastal and turn into the Nassau. We then made our way up to Seymore's Pointe to set up at a large drainage on the very first of an outgoing tide. I noted that the water temperature was in the low 60's. We baited up (fixed) float rigs with live shrimp and began to toss them up current to let them drift back and across a flooded shell bed. Sajia had never fished before, never cast a spinning outfit but she was a quick learner and was making excellent casts within minutes. And it paid off - she had a hookup and reeled in her first ever fish - a hungry Seatrout. Nick was fishing off the stern and found that he could let his float "go long" and eventually a Trout would pick it up. He had one chase it down and take the hook. Both anglers caught a handful of those hungry Seatrout before we moved on. 

After running thru Horsehead we made our way over to Poteat Point and drifted the floats along that marsh line. We worked it pretty good but had no bites. We dropped back into Jackstaff, passing the White Pelicans and fished a drainage over there. Again, not bites. Back thru Horsehead we went and then up the Nassau to fish some docks, this time switching to jigs and live shrimp. The Trout were quick to pounce. Sajia had mastered the casting and caught a good handful of Seatrout, while Nick, again on the stern, found a nice "honey hole" of Trout out deep and he boated another handful. We left 'em biting - we probably could have stayed there and caught fish but we were looking for bigger ones.

We ran down to Broward Island passing under the watchful eye of a Bald Eagle and tossed jigs to the bank. The current was really running here but I think the baits were getting washed out too quickly. Further up the river and into a creek, the current wasn't so swift. Nick had the first strong bite - he played it perfectly and soon brought to the net a nice feisty Redfish. Shortly after that Sajia had a good bite. It ripped a bit of drag but Sajia was up to the task. She played it patiently and hauled in the biggest fish of the day, another Redfish. In her limited time away from studying for her Doctorate, Sajia enjoys tennis, archery and running, but now she can add "Angler" to her list of titles! The sun had come out, we had caught some fish, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

I Could of Kissed "em

 I wrapped up a long, difficult week today fishing with the Hutchens brothers - that cold water has been tough on the "fish catching" totals. These guys, Tom and Bob were good anglers, and we fished some spots that looked absolutely beautiful - sunny skies, no wind to speak of, great casts, outstanding drifts, but there for a while it was looking like we were going to get skunked!  I can't remember the last time I've been skunked on a trip. It does happen once in a while, but not in a long while!

The good news is that the water temperature is rapidly rising with this warmer weather. Monday I was noting 42 degrees and today I saw some at 57 degrees. I had picked the Hutchens brothers up at Sawpit Creek and after running up the Nassau River we pulled up at Twin Creeks and drifted floats and mud minnows (no live shrimp today). I think the first drift Tom had a brief bite - the float disappeared, but there was no fish attached. We fished that good with the floats, then we ran up to Seymore's and fished a large drainage. I'll be brief- good casts, good drifts, no bites.  

  We ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat point - good casts, good drifts, no bites.                                         We came back to Jackstaff  and fished - good casts, good drifts, no bites                                                       We ran back thru Horsehead and down to Nassauville and switched to jigs - good casts, no bites

We then ran up river and fished a small creek with the jigs. Again, Tom and Bob were getting good casts
to the bank. We fished it good, and just when the "skunk" was beginning to smell up the boat Bob had strong hookup and worked in a nice hungry Seatrout! I didn't know whether to kiss Bob or the Trout! We fished along, then began to drift back down with the current and when I heard Tom's drag ripping I thought it might be another hangup. But it was a Big fish and was pulling drag UP current. Tom kept the pressure on fought it back to the boat, played it perfectly and soon landed a "tournament" sized 26" Redfish, boy what a fish! We continued to drift with the current and then Bob had a strange "bump". He worked it in slowly and soon landed a nice keeper sized Flounder.

We had fished over 5 hours, had very few bites for the first 4 and half, but these anglers' perseverance paid off. It had been a beautiful day so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Can't Fudge The Truth

 I could try and sprinkle sugar on it but the honest truth is the "fish catching" has been going down hill the last week since that severe cold. I talked to two anglers had the boat ramp and who confirmed it with their recent fishing trips - the fish just aren't biting. When I picked up some jigs from "Redfish Carl" this afternoon, he said he had ran up the St. Mary's and didn't get even a nibble. Water temp's were around 44 Monday, 46 yesterday, and 49 today - I'm guessing when they get into the 50's we will begin to get back to normal.

My anglers today, David Vice and his son Nathaniel, and Bob Kossman had to really work hard at it to get some fish in the boat. Nobody got skunked, but it was close! We all met out at Goffinsville Park and then made our way around to Seymore's Point to fish a large drainage. I keep thinking that this spot will eventually turn on.  These anglers were tossing float rigs and live shrimp and mud minnows up current and letting their bobbers drift around the point. They were getting good drifts but had nary a nibble. We moved out and fished deep with jigs in a couple of spots, and again, no bites.

We then ran up the Nassau and dipped into a creek and worked it good. The drawback to these creeks are you lose a bunch of jigs to the submerged logs. It can get aggravating for the anglers but luckily they had me re-rigging! If your going to fish loggy areas I tell people, "learn a couple of knots that you can tie quickly" so you can get back to fishing. We had worked along for a good while and finally both Nathaniel and David had hookups, almost simultaneously. Nathaniel worked his patiently to the net and landed a feisty Redfish that measured 17 15/16" - almost legal! But David's fish proved to be a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  We continued to work the bank and Nathanial had another strong bite, played it perfectly and this time landed a nice Slot Redfish. We fished that stretch up and down and up and down then moved on. 

After fishing and shell line at Back River with floats to no avail we made our way back around to
Seymore's Pointe and this time fished some dock pilings with jigs and shrimp. They reported a few faint nibbles but no takers until Bob hooked up. He fought the fish perfectly and knocked the skunk completely off the boat when he landed a nice Redfish. We had to work all day for the fish that we got - they weren't 'jumping' into the boat, but it turned out to be a beautiful day and another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Water Temperature's Warming

 Those low 40's water temperatures are coming up a bit, today we had it at 47 degrees. I had met Pat Andreasen, his son-in-law Bryan and grandson Mason down at Sawpit Creek early this morning and we made our way up the Nassau River on the first of an outgoing tide with clear and soon to be sunny skies. That cold water we've had has stunted the "fish catching" and today was no different. The trio of anglers were making good casts with float rigs, drifting them over some submerged oysters but we had no luck at that first spot. We ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point and again got good drifts, but to no avail, not a bite.

Back thru Horsehead we came and after stopping at Seyrmore's Pointe, we decided to set up out deep and toss jigs and live shrimp. We worked a few docks and finally Mason "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a Seatrout. We then made our way around to Nassauville and fished some docks with the jigs but again, no luck.

After a long run up the Nassau we fished some downed logs with the jigs. All three anglers put in the work and did catch up a handful of fish. Mason topped the board with two nice feisty Redfish and a keeper sized Seatrout. Bryan put a nice Redfish and a Seatrout in the boat. The sun had really started heating things up and I ended up peeling both layers of outwear off. It was a beautiful day, we had caught some fish, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Can't Beat the Beauty

 

I fished this morning with John Pellerin and his buddy visiting from Montana, another John. Although the sun was out when we met at 8:30 it stilled seemed awful cold, but that didn't last past the first run. We ran way up the Nassau and dipped into a creek and worked the bank on a tide that had been going out for about three hours. It was slow going but then John2 found a bit of a fishing whole when he hooked up and landed a couple of feisty Redfish. We moved down the bank an then John1 found his own fishing hole - he hauled in an "almost legal" Redfish then he had another subtle bite, set the hook and Fish On! This cold Redfish (the water temperature was 44) aren't putting up much of a fight - the just give up and come to the boat! Or maybe it knew it had met it's match? Anyway, John1 worked in a nice 23" Slot Redfish. 

We worked that bank thoroughly and John2 got another "almost legal" Redfish before we moved on. We made our way back down the river to some docks at Nassauville and here John2 caught a hungry Seatrout deep. We fished Spanish Drop for a bit, working a shell bank, to no avail, then we fished some docks up at Seymore's Point, again to no avail. Those fish are either so cold that they are just hunkering down or they have moved off to find warmer waters. We had some great sunshine and fished some beautiful areas so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Salvaged The Trip Big Time

 

Although it was a tad cold - about 34 degrees when I launched, the forecast called for winds at 10mph and sunny skies and the Weatherman nailed it. I had met Mark Averbuch and his fishing buddy Bill down at Sawpit Creek - we were all bundled for that first run and  when we pulled up to some docks at Nassauville we were out of the wind, exposed to the sun, and it was fairly comfortable fishing. Unfortunately the fish didn't cooperate. Both anglers were making excellent casts with their jigs but had few nibbles. Mark did "knock the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch.

We then made our way around to Seymore's Point an fished some dock pilings. Not a nibble. I noted there that the water temperature was a bit over 41 degrees. It rose to 44 as we fished throughout the day. We bounced down the docks fishing two or three but had no real action until Bill hooked up and expertly landed another feisty Redfish. 

After making the run down to Broward Island we fished the last of an outgoing tide with the jigs and
fished a good stretch of the bank. Not a bite. So we were looking at 2 fish in about 2.5 hours - not a good ratio! We then made the long run further up the Nassau and dipped into a creek and fished it as the tide slowed to a stop. Finally, this duo of anglers began to get some fish, and some good ones. They ended up boating about 6 Slot Reds - one was 26" and one was 26.5", one was 22" and then Mark patiently played to the net a 29.25" Oversized Redfish - big enough to put him in 2nd place in the 2025 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Mark also added a keeper sized Sheepshead to the mix.

They added a good handful of small but fun to catch feisty Redfish. We had a slow start but a great finish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Young and Old(er) Compete For Big Fish

 We were able to squeeze in a fishing trip yesterday morning before this bad weather came thru. I had
met Mark Averbuch, his son Cutler, and grandson Harvey down at Sawpit Creek early - there was absolutely no wind, but we did have some cloudy skies as we ran up the intercoastal, then up the Nassau to make our way to some docks at Seymore's Pointe. I was hoping for some Black "puppy" Drum on this first of an incoming tide, and they didn't disappoint!  "Poppa Doc" got hot early and hooked up and landed a nice keeper sized Drum, then a Seatrout chased his live shrimp on a jig. Then Harvey jumped in on the action and caught another keeper sized Drum. Cutler hauled in another hungry Seatrout, then the anglers tallied 3 more keeper sized Drum - they were very subtle nibbles, and these anglers had to be ready to SET!

We then made our way down to Broward Island and fished the first of the incoming there. Mark hooked up and landed a nice 18" Seatrout, then Harvey, tossing to the outside of a tree branch, had a strong take. That fish hit hard and started ripping drag heading south!  I knew it was a big one, and soon Harvey did too! But he played it perfectly, let it run when it wanted to, worked it in, and soon landed a big 25.5" Redfish. Boy what a fish!  We worked that bank in a couple of spots and picked up a couple of smaller Reds and moved on. 

Our next stop, after running way up the Nassau River, we worked a bank for about 75 yards. I was
beginning to think we may have made the run for nothing but then the trio began to get fish - Redfish! They took turns catching smaller "rat" Reds, but then every once in a while, they'd get a Slot 19" Red. There were multiple times we had "double hookups" and came close to triple hookups. At one point Mark had sole access to a gap up behind a stump and he took advantage of it, hooking up and reeling in multiple fish. But there was one that began ripping drag and ran up current - a big fish! Mark played it patiently and worked it to the boat to land a nice 26" Redfish to take Big Fish of the day honors.

I counted up that these anglers could have kept 5 Black Drum, one Seatrout and three Redfish but they elected to return all fish back except one for fish sandwiches!  The sun had actually peeked out a couple of times, it had never rained on us and we had good action most of the morning so as we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Starting the New Year Off Right

 

I had my first trip of 2025 this morning with Dennis Fritz and his son Douglas and grandson Ethan - we met down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and boy what a pretty day it was, albeit a tad bit chilly! But all of us were layered up and we made a quick run up the Nassau to fish some dock pilings as Seymore's Ponte on a tide that had been coming in for about 2 hours. All three anglers were making good casts to the pilings, letting their jig and shrimp drop to the bottom and kept their lines tight - doing everything right - but we had not a single taker. Ouch. 

We then made our way down to Broward Island. The tide had now been coming in about three hours, the current was running a little bit faster than I like it, but these anglers were not to be deterred. I think Ethan was "laying back" because he let his dad and grandfather put a handful of fish in the boat before he started catching. Douglas accumulated a Slam - catching a Seatrout, Redfish, and Sheepshead while Dennis put a nice Slot Red in the boat. We fished a couple of spots along the island before we moved on. 

After running way up the Nassau River we eased into a small Creek and began to work the bank and here
Ethan decided to join the fun. He was making excellent casts and it paid off when he hooked up and landed a good handful of feisty Redfish then he added nice Slot Red to his catch. Both Douglas and Dennis caught handfuls of Reds and each had another Slot or two (I counted 6 Slot Reds caught total). Douglas also caught a small Sheepshead to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam. 

We ended the day back at Pumpkin Hill drifting floats -Douglas caught a couple of Seatrout and Dennis added one more Redfish to the catch total. The sun was shining bright, the skies were clear, it had warmed up, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Got Soaked, and Caught Fish!

 

I was remiss in looking at the weather forecast - I noted that the wind was going to be a manageable 11mph but I didn't look at the rain forecast - and we paid for it! I had met William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsivlle Park boat ramp right at a high tide and we made our way over and thru Horsehead to make our  first stop at Poteat Pointe with plans to drift float rigs and live shrimp. We had overcast skies and on occasion, just a slight mist, but the floats paid off when the duo began to pick up Seatrout. Most were just undersized but they did put one over 15" in the boat.

We then ran back thru Horsehead and over to a large drainage at Seymore's Pointe and again drifted the floats. Again, they caught Seatrout, most biting just as they passed over a submerged oyster bed. The sun came out and the temperature warmed and we were thinking "Rain"? Hah! After moving around the corner and down to Nassauville we switched to jigs and live shrimp and caught Seatrout deep in 20" of water. After getting another "just over 15" we were about to leave when William had a good strong thump and Fish On!  He played it patiently and soon landed the biggest Trout of the day, one that measured right at 18".

After a run down to Broward Island we fished a couple of spots deep with the jigs, caught a few more Trout, then Dara put a feisty Redfish in the boat and a wayward Flounder (the first on my boat in about a month) - she had an Amelia Island Back Country Slam.  There were some clouds building but we then made a long run further up the Nassau River and dipped into a creek and worked the bank thoroughly. This paid off when the duo began to hookup with Redfish. Most were in the17" range but we counted 5 Spot Reds caught (all Reds caught today were released)(I took the Trout home, thanks!). As we were fishing we could hear the wind beginning to roar, the temperature drop and then the rain came, and boy was it coming down! We all had rain coats on but our pants were soaked and water made it's way down into our boots. On the way back to the ramp it was blowing rain and it somehow made it down under my raincoat. I don't know about William and Dara but I was soaked! But we had stayed busy catching fish, down to the last shrimp, so as we eased up to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

And Then There Was a Big One

What we do to deserve all this nasty weather? We again had overcast skies and blowing winds when I met Henry Ross and his crew down at Sawpit Creek this morning. In addition to his son Stephen and daughter-in-law Ashley, they also had his granddaughter Mabry along for the catching! We made a run up the Nassau, all the way to Seymore's Point and set up outside a large outflow to drift float rigs and live shrimp. It took a few minutes but the anglers began to get some bites then Ashley had the first hookup and brought to the boat a hungry Seatrout -first fish of the day!  They added a few more Trout with Mabry hauling in a few, with one of them being the first "keeper" fish. 

The wind was blowing but not too bad and as we made our way around to Nassauville we were completely out of the wind and it was almost like fishing on a pond. Now fishing with jigs and shrimp we weren't getting too many bites until Stephen made is way to the bow and went up between some dock pilings and the rock bank. He felt a "thump, thump" then a bit of heaviness and set the hook and started a bonanza of Seatrout catching. Henry went in, hooked up and pulled out the lone Redfish while the rest of the crew caught Trout. They added one more keeper Trout before we moved on. 

We switched back to float rigs and fished a stretch of marsh grass at Back River - I was thinking we might get into some Reds, but no, it was a Seatrout kind of day (so far!). They caught a good handful drifting the floats along the bank, then we moved on. 

After running way up the Nassau we dipped into a creek and began to work a bank of down logs. About 10 minutes into pitching the bank Stephen found the "hot spot" and it was Fish On!  There were many times the jig and shrimp only had time to hit the bottom and BAM! Redfish on. I was netting fish, dehooking, measuring, netting fish, dehooking, measuring over and over again. Mabry was making her on casts and hooking up her own fish = Stephen was pitching in with the net, Ashley was pitching in baiting hooks - it was pandemonium! Most of the Reds were about 17" but every once in a while they caught one that was in the Slot. Once they reached their limit we kept track of the Slot fish caught and totaled 8 for the day. 

I had mentioned to Henry that we normally only caught small fish and small Slot fish in this creek but boy was I surprised when Ashley had a big bite and her drag began to rip. She worked it in, let it run, worked it in, let it run, and eventually expertly played to the boat and big 25.5" Slot Red, the biggest fish of the day, boy what a fish. This group continued to catch fish until we were down to the scrubs of our bait and we left them biting. As we made our long way back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Crusty Weather Amelia Island Slam

We again had a forecast of some less than desirable weather and sure enough, we were greeted with overcast skies and blowing winds when I met the Paradise group down at Sawpit Creek- Raymond and Catherine, Harrison and Abby. But we had a plan to try and stay out of the wind as we ran up the Nassau River to fish a large outflow just north of Seymore's. These anglers began tossing float rigs and live shrimp and after just a few casts they had knocked the rust off and were catching fish. As the floats drifted over a submerged shell bed BAM! They'd have a hookup and would expertly bring in a hungry Seatrout. 

Catherine, fishing off the bow, drifted close to a grass point that I knew had an oyster outcrop and she picked up a feisty Redfish then a hard fighting keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum to round out and Amelia Island Back Country Slam. The group added a good handful of the smaller Seatrout then Harrison hauled in a keeper sized Trout. After running around to Nassauville and fishing Littlfield with jigs, to no avail, we made a long run up the Nassau to fish a small Creek.

As we worked along the bank Catherine hauled in a Seatrout, then she hooked up and landed a feisty
Redfish but as we worked along the bank I was thinking, "this is kinda slow". But then like a light switch, the bite turned on. Abby, who had persevered all day with her casting, had a strong hookup and this was ripping drag but the fish was no match for her "GenZi" - she worked it patiently to the boat and landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. Raymond had been "coaching them up" and joined in as the key Netman -scooping them up when I was busy unhooking fish. The group added 3 more Slot Reds to get their limit and a whole bunch of the smaller "rat" Reds. 

Boy was it nasty running back -overcast, 17mph winds, whitecaps, and then a slight drizzle. But we had had some good action, had a good mess of fish in the box and as we eased up to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Playing Chess With The Wind

 Although the forecast called for sunny skies today(it was right), it also called for wind at 11mph, rising to 17mph as the trip progressed (it was right). But we had a plan! RULE#1:  Make a Plan!  I met Gregg and Dannie Fitgerald down at Sawpit Creek early this morning and it was a bit chilly. We ran up the intercoastal, cut thru Back River to cruise Black Hammock, then cut back across into the Nassau to make our way up to some docks at Seymore's Pointe. The two angles were making excellent casts to the dock pilings and it paid off - they hooked up and landed a couple of hungry Seatrout then a handful of just undersized Black "puppy" Drum, then finally, we had a keeper sized Seatrout. 

That wind NE was beginning to kick so we came around to Nassauville and fished Littlefield for a bit and here both anglers had a flurry of Seatrout catches. We were out of the wind there but when we ran down to Broward Island we were running in whitecaps. We set up deep and began tossing to the bank and were pleasantly surprised when Gregg battled a handful of feisty Redfish to the boat. They must not have gotten the message because when we moved up a ways those wind-produced waves were really smashing the bank and we didn't get another bite.

After running further up the Nassau we eased into a creek and worked the bank with the jigs. When we got to the "hot spot", sure enough it paid off and BAM! Fish on!  Gregg and Dannie traded off catching Redfish. Most were in the 17" range but every once in a while they'd haul in a Slot fish. We worked that bank until we hit another hot spot and for about45 minutes they caught fish. It seemed like one oin every cast. I was measuring the close ones and the Slot count crept up - 6 Slots, 7 Slots, 8 Slots, 9 Slots, 10 Slots and finally 11 Slots total, boy what a day! We had out maneuvered  the wind and found some areas to fish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Good Call

The wind was blowing just a tad bit more this morning than forecasted - I had planned to hit Tyger Island to fish the first of an incoming tide but that west wind made me rethink the plan. So after meeting Patrick Davis and his son Joshua up at Old Town Bait and Tackle we made the run up Eagans Creek and found a dock to fish with jigs and live shrimp.

It wasn't long before Joshua "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked  up and landed a feisty Redfish. From then on it was "game on"!  The duo were catching one Redfish after the other - after picking thru the smaller Reds Patrick hooked up and expertly battled to the boat a nice 22" Slot Red. Shortly after that Joshua had the hookup and patiently played a Slot fish of his own to the net. Out of multiple Redfish caught I counted a total of four Slot fish brought in. We could have stayed there for a while and caught fish but we moved on for a change of scenery!

Our next stop was up at Soap Creek where we switched to float rigs and the live shrimp. Joshua had his float drift over a shell pointe and BAM! Float gone!  He caught up to it, lifted his rod and the circle hook set. After a nice fight Josh brought to the net another Redfish. After moving up to a large drainage the duo found that they could drift the floats back thru a ripple and catch hungry Seatrout. After landing a handful, we moved on.

We made a long run up the Bell River and set up on the back side of a dock, now back to tossing jigs and shrimp. I think Joushua's first cast was a hookup. He could feel the "bump, bump" and set the  hook - Seatrout. After getting  a few of those we moved in closer and with casts closer to the bank, they had hookups with Redfish. 

We tried a few spots over in Jolley River, drifting floats  up by the flooding marsh grass, but had no real bites. Although it was now a bit windy (we had a bumpy ride back), the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

An Eight Slot Day at Amelia Island

 

That "hot" November fishing has continued on into December - boy we caught some fish today! I had met Henry Ross and David Gray down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and it was a beautiful morning - just a slight breeze, clear skies and comfortable 68 degree temperature. We made the run up the Nassau River to Seymore's Point and made our first stop at a dock. The two anglers were tossing live shrimp on a jig to the dock pilings on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour and a half.. It took a few casts but then David "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and battled to the boat a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. It wasn't "on fire" but the duo managed to catch a handful of those Drum, two more being of keeper size. 

We then ran down to Broward Island and set up to fish the bank as that tide was coming in. Tossing the jigs to the bank and letting the current take that bait down the river bottom paid off - they began to get small but feisty Redfish and another Drum or two. We dropped down the island about 50 feet and here things got crazy! They began to catch fish one after the other and a few times they had "double"  hookups. Ross had a strong bite and expertly played to the boat a Slot Redfish, then  David followed that up with a monster "Tournament" sized Red -26.75". They also caught another Drum or two, a small Sheepshead, and a few handfuls of small but feisty Redfish. BUT, we kept count of the Slot Reds that we caught, measuring before we tossed the back, and we got up to EIGHT Slot Reds for the day. One of those slot Reds we tagged ((GrayFishTagResearch.org  tag #  GFR62322)

Our next stop was back at Pumpkin Hill, drifting float rigs with the live shrimp. We were looking for Seatrout and got them, but the biggest was just under 15". After fishing Littlefield with the jigs for a bit, we ran thru Horsehead and fished the Jackstafff "bank" with the floats. The tide was within minutes of being high tide and the fish were having none of it, so we called it a day and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Kinda Cool Fishing

 It was 40 degrees when I came over the south end bridge and launched down at Sawpit with plans to meet Jason Ash and his long time buddy Adam for a half day of fishing. It was clear and cold with not much wind blowing as we then made our way up the intercoastal to turn into the Nassau and make our first stop along Spanish Drop. The tide still had about45 minutes to hit bottom but the oysters were almost fully exposed - we went with jigs and live shrimp to work that first bank. There wasn't much action but we did have one Red on for just a bit - it boiled up near the bank, ripped some drag, and threw the hook. After moving up to a large drainage we had pretty much the same thing - not much of a bite, except one that didn't take. 

Our next stop was up at some docks at Seymore's and here things heated up and the skunk was knocked off! Within a few minutes of fishing both Jason and Adam were hooking up with feisty Black "puppy" Drum - they were counting fish and ended u with a total catch of 10 with five of them being of keeper size. They also caught a handful of hungry Seatrout, and a grunt. 

After making our way down to Broward and setting up into the first of an incoming current the Redish bonanza began! They seemed to catch one after the other - Jason commented that he was getting a bite on every cast. Most of these fish were right at 17" but Adam did put a Slot in the boat. We moved down just 30 yards and BAM! Redfish On!  They again caught fish, one after the other. One keeper sized Seatrout was caught, it's mouth gorged with minnows. We moved down and fished with the Bald Eagles and picked up a few more Redfish, one of which was Slot Size.

We then made our way further up the Nassau and into a creek and worked the shallow bank. More Redfish were caught as we worked the bank, then Jason hooked up and fought to the boat the biggest Slot Red of the day. The duo had kept a fairly accurate "catch total" and as we headed out of that creek we finalized it with 37 fish caught for the day, not a bad way to spend a morning fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

A Bite On Every Cast

 Happy Thanksgiving to All - I hope you have a great holiday with friends and family!

I wrapped up a short week today fishing with Allen Webb, meeting him down at Sawpit Creekboat ramp. It had warmed a bit as the week progressed, and there was very little wind, and the first hour or so we had some dreary, cloudy skies. The tide had been going out for about an hour - Allen and I made our way up the Nassau River and fished a large outflow with float rigs and live shrimp, and an hour later, we noted that we had gotten a bite on every cast!  We didn't hookup 'em all up but we caught a bunch!  Mostly Seatrout, with one being a keeper, and a handful of Redfish, with one being of Slot size.

As the tide got down the bite finally did slow down so we ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Pointe. Allen was making excellent casts forward to the grass and it paid off with Seatrout catches, with a couple of Redfish. As we moved up along the bank Allen pitched it to a point of grass, let it drift, and BAM! He had a hookup. This one was pulling big and digging deep, but shaking it's head and sure enough, when Allen brought it to the net, we saw it was a nice 18" Seatrout.

After fishing a submerged sandbar point over in Jackstaff we ran back thru Horsehead and down to Back River where we again "anchored" along a shell point. And things got real busy! Allen put a Trout in the boat then he started getting Redfish. He added another smaller Slot Red, then had a strong hookup that ripped drag, ran deep, ran south, then POOF, it threw the hook!  But Allen kept fishing and shortly had another strong bite, a strong battle with drag ripping, and this time he landed a nice 24" Slot Red.

We fished between docks at Nassauville then made our way over to Seymore's Pointe and finished up catching Seatrout, Black "puppy" Drum, and a fairly big Mangrove Snapper. The sun was now out, the skies were clear, we had a box full of fish, and as we made our way back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

And Just Like That..

 Bragging Rights Busted. I had met Scott Carter and his son Benny up at Old Town Bait and Tackle this
afternoon on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour. We made our way over to Tyger Island and fished the logs with jigs and live shrimp. Benny "knocked the skunk off" early with a Slot Redfish catch then Scott had a good "thump" and a hookup. He fought it to the boat and I was thinking "another Redfish" but it was hugging the deep bottom. He worked it up and landed a huge 22.5" Flounder - still out of season, but big enough to move into first place in the Anglers Mark 2024 Bragging Rights Tournament -Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!

We worked up and down the island and picked up a good handful of Seatrout -most caught out deep, and a few more Redfish, most caught up near the bank. We then made our way around to the Jolley River, turned into the current, and fished the "bank" with floats and live shrimp. They caught a good handful of Seatrout, and a couple of more Redfish (they ended the day with 2 Slot Reds and 3 keeper Trout). Scott battled a big Bonnethead Shark to the boat for photograph and release, and Benny hooked up and landed a Shark of his own. 

After running up the river we fished Snook Creek, caught a few Trout there, then moved back down to Tyer Cut. Benny stayed hot catching Seatrout, and they  added two more Shark to their catch total.  We were catching so many Seatrout I could sense some boredom coming on! The sun was heading down, there was only a slight breeze, the few clouds that we had had moved on, and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.