A Little Bit of Everything

 I last fished with Dennis Fritz, his wife Adele, and their visiting friends Jon and Jessica, meeting themdown at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We were supposed to go early but when the alarm went off and I got up it was pouring rain! Luckily this group was able to go later so we postponed the trip until 11am. After the "safety orientation" we eased just around the corner to anchor up current from the old Sawpit Bridge. I had the ladies drifting Slip Floats out the stern, back towards the pilings, baited with live shrimp. Dennis and Jon were off the Starboard side tossing jigs and live shrimp up current. Both Adele and Jessica were getting good drifts and let their floats slip right beside the pilings, but they had no takers. But surprisingly, Dennis had a good bite, set the hook, and brought to the boat a nice feisty Redfish. 

We then made the long run up the Nassau River and made our way over to some docks in Nassauville. All four anglers switched to jigs and shrimp and this paid off - they all began to hookup and land hungry Seatrout. They kept me busy! Most of these fish were in the 14.5" range, just under sized, but caught in 20-25' of water. 

After a run down to Broward Island and a Bald Eagle sighting, we fished the deep waters off of the island and picked up a couple of Trout and a Redfish or two. We then ran way up the Nassau and dipped into a creek and fished the deeper bank. This did the trick. This group landed another couple of Redfish and a Black "puppy" Drum to round out their Amelia Island Back Country Slam of

Redfish, Seatrout and Drum. We had sunny skies for most of the day(after the morning rain), and very light winds - the temperature warmed enough so that we were shedding layers. If not for the "no-seeums" it would have been another outstanding day of 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.