Super Grande Slam Today

Although the weather forecast predicted fishable wind early today, it called for increasing force into the 20mph range, so all I hoped was it be able to get in an hour or two of fishing before we had to buck the wind, which would make for a small window to catch fish. I met Dan and Kay Jones down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we headed up the intercoastal, cut thru Middle River, and made our way around to Pumpkin Hill and set up along a flooding marsh line on the last few hours of an incoming tide.  Both anglers were getting good drifts but it took a while to get some bites. Truth be told, I was getting a little worried that our "window" may not be very big to catch fish. But, slowly, the duo began to get bites, then hookups, and began to catch fish - hungry Seatrout, with a couple caught of keeper size (all fish caught today were released). Kay even reeled in a hard fighting Catfish that surprised us!

We eventually moved around and fished another bank, had not real bites, then moved down to Broward Island, checked out the Bald Eagle, then set up and fished the very last of the incoming tide. Wouldn't you know it, the first two bites were HUGE! Both Kay and Dan had strong hookups and drag ripping, rod bending fights but it was not to be - both fish threw the hook! Ouch. But these two anglers were not to be deterred and continued to fish, catching feisty Redfish, a keeper sized Sheepshead(to make it a Slam), and a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum(to make it a Grande Slam). We also had a fly-by from the Goodyear blimp!

I could tell out in the river the wind was kicking up so we made the run over to Nassauville and fished some rocks, and again had good action. Both Kay and Dan caught some "almost keeper sized" Mangrove Snapper, another Trout or two, another Catfish, and two Flounder, one of which was of keeper size, but also giving them that "Super Grande Slam" of Seatrout, Redfish, Sheepshead, Black Drum and Flounder.

Yep, the wind was really kicking around the corner, coming out of the north as we headed back, but with the wind at our backs, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

 

Boy was it pretty this morning when I came over the south end bridge to drop the boat at Sawpit Creek boat ramp. There was a bit of excitement first - a guy waved me down and said the transport boat that ran employees out to the dredge was bringing in an injured worker and ambulances were on the way. Sure enough, here came two fire trucks and an ambulance. They got the fellow off the boat and into the ambulance and off they went. I was able to get launched and be ready for when the Berquist family arrived - Evan and Laura and their kids Tim and Sasha. 

We made the long run up and around to the Broward Island in hopes of fishing the first of an incoming tide, but it was well up already. But these anglers were ready to fish and began tossing jigs and live shrimp to the bank, letting it go to the bottom, and then letting the current take it along. We had a fished a bit and finally had a nibble and a hookup. Laura was on the rod and expertly brought tot he boat a feisty Sheepshead.

After easing down the island we found a spot to fish under a Bald Eagle and here it was Evan's turn to have the hookup which he played to the boat and landed - a hungry Seatrout. We moved down the way, had some nibbles, then moved on.

Our next stop was back at some docks at Seymore's Pointe. We were getting good casts to the dock pilings and were getting nibbles. I thought maybe more Sheepshead but then Evan snagged one and it turned out to be a baitstealing Perch. We moved on.  After fishing some docks over along Nassauville, to no avail, we made the short run down to Pumpkin Hill. The tide was up, so we switched to float rigs and the live shrimp. By now, Tim was baiting all the hooks and Sasha was in charge of the net. Laura was getting a good drift and had her float disappear but it got her bait. Evan drifted thru but had not luck then Laura came back thru and BAM! This time she was ready, lifted her rod and set the hook. She worked it to the boat patiently and landed another nice Seatrout. Tim had an "eagle eye" and spotted porpoises all around us.

We fished Spanish Drop briefly but the tide had gotten really high and we had no luck, but as we headed in, the sun was shining, the temperature had warmed, so we counted 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.

Big Tides Didn't Affect The Fishing

 With a big NE storm that passed thru this past weekend, coupled with some "King" Tides, it was all over the news about Front Street flooding. When I launched this morning old dead marsh grass was piled up at the top of the boat ramp at Dee Dee Bartels, and one floating ramp was damaged from the high water.

I met Steve Locke and his fishing buddy Jason early with a tide that had been low at 5:30am, so it had been coming in for almost two hours. We ran up to the Jolley River, turned into the current and deployed some float rigs and live shrimp, working along a bank with the oysters already covered up. We fished for 30 minutes without a nibble and I was beginning to wonder if it might be nice to see a "baitstealer" when Jason hooked up and landed a nice 17" keeper sized Seatrout. He then drifted long off the stern and began to pick up Trout, one after the other, and graciously offered to have Steve come back and join in, which he did. Both anglers caught Trout, one after the other, and most of them were 10-15' from the bank. 

Jason was getting another good drift when his float disappeared, he lifted the rod and set the hook and
this was a bigger fish. He played it patiently  and after a good battle brought to the net a big 20.5" Sheepshead, a fish that puts him squarely in to 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Sheepshead Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).

We eventually ran up the Jolly to Snook Creek and fished that bank and this was hot, too. Both anglers caught Redfish with a few of them being of keeper size. They also added another few keeper sized Seatrout.

Our next stop was on the outside of Tyger which didn't pan out, then we ran thru the creek and over to the Bell and set up alongside a grassy pointe where we picked up two more Seatrout. But the bite had slowed considerably and after one more spot we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

In Search of Trout

 

Boy, those beautiful mornings just keep rolling in! Today I met Garland Clark and his fishing buddy Dennis up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp - it was clear with only a slight breeze, and cool enough for long sleeves but no need for a jacket. We headed south down the intercoastal, skirted Fenandina and headed up the Bell River to make our first stop alongside a grassy point with a tide high and still coming in for a few hours. 

                                                               Both anglers were tossing

float rigs and live shrimp and it paid off when Dennis hooked up and "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch. Then Garland followed Dennis' float with his and hooked up with a keeper sized Seatrout. We worked that area pretty good and before we left Garland found another, even bigger, Seatrout that measured right at 18".

Our next stop was over in Lanceford Creek, fishing the mouth of a drainage and here Garland tangled with something big-it was ripping drag and bending the rod and..BAP! it found an oyster hump and broke off, OUCH! We went further up Lanceford and into Soap Creek and fished a bank with the floats and caught a handful of Seatrout. Dennis had the biggest one for a few seconds - it was thrashing and rolling- and, threw the hook! After continuing on up into Lanceford, we fished a grassy island, had some good nibbles, then Garland finally hooked one up and landed a keeper sized Sheepshead.

The tide had hit a standstill up in Lanceford so we made the run back to Bell, thru Tyger and around to the outside of Tyger to fish the first of an outgoing tide. We had baitstealers and Neeedlefish robbing us blind at the first spot so we crossed over and fished another stretch of grass. The duo caught a couple of Trout on the floats and we picked up one on a jig, fished deeper. We had had a beautiful day for fishing so as we headed in, we counted it as another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Slow But Steady OR He Wore His Lucky Hat

 We had another beautiful morning today when I met my cousin Adam Garner and his wife Patty down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. The sun was just coming up as we turned into the intercoastal and made our way up thru the mouth of the Nassau River to make our first stop on a tide that was still going out. Adam and Patty began pitching jigs and live shrimp and mud minnows to a marsh runout as we eased along. Adam "knocked the skunk off" with a hard fighting Jack Crevalle then went back to an oyster bank and picked up a feisty Redfish. I thought we were going to do pretty good along there but that was the extent of the fish catching. We hit two more spots along that edge, had only a few nibbles, then moved on.

The next stop was down at Broward Island, fishing another run out. We were hearing and seeing some huge fish busting bait up along the shoreline but they weren't taking our offerings. I let the anchor go on the trolling motor so the boat would drift with the current and we worked along the bank and that did the trick. Adam picked up a hungry Seatrout out deep, then went in with

a float rig and got a Mangrove Snapper, adjusted his lucky hat, went back to the jigs and BAM! Big Hookup. Adam played it perfectly, worked it patiently to the net, and landed a nice Slot Sized 21" Redfish.

We moved down the way and fished up near a stump and here Patty honed her hookup skills by catching a handful of Mangroves, one of which was of keeper size, then Adam let his jig slide down the river bottom and out deep he had another strong bite, a hookup, and he landed a nice 17.5" keeper sized Seatrout.

Our final stop was back at some docks at Nassauville. We tangled with the ever present Mangroves and landed a few. Then Adam wrapped things up when he outsmarted a "nibbler", hooked and landed a keeper sized Sheepshead. Although the day hadn't been "on fire" we slowly put together a nice mess of fish so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Quick Start With The Trout

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

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

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

Feeling the Chill

After a stormy night we woke up to a chill in the air. Someone told me that yesterday was the first day of Fall and today you could feel it. When I got to the boat ramp early this morning the wind was whipping a bit and luckily I listened to my inner brain "grab your fleece"! I was to meet Greg and Robyn Padgett up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and when they walked up we were ready to go. I had planned on running up to the Jolley River but hat 11mph west wind changed my mind so we headed south and over to Lanceford Creek to set up at a dock and fish jigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been coming in for a few hours.

The duo of anglers had nibbles, one after the other, but we only picked up a few bait stealers and a small Sheepshead. We then moved around the corner to Bolton's Bluff and here Robyn quickly picked up a keeper sized Seatrout on a float rig and live shrimp. (All fish caught today were released). But here was only one so we moved up and fished a small grassy island and here the action picked up. They caught a handful of Seatrout, a couple of
high flying Ladyfish and then Robyn hooked up and expertly reeled in a feisty Redfish. 

We then moved back up the creek, dipped in to Soap Creek and fished a stretch of grass, to no avail. After a brief run back to Bell River we laid parallel  to some more marsh and again, we found some Trout. The tide was almost at it's peak so we buzzed thru Tyger and around to the outside and just as we settled in we we felt the tide change. Bait was streaming by and was getting busted so we drifted out baits right along with it. Greg and Robyn caught Seatrout, a handful of Blues, Ladyfish, and a feisty Black "puppy" Drum.

The sun had come out, the skies had cleared and I was able to take the fleece off! 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. 

Hitting the Spots With the Tide

 

The weather forecasters predicted hotter temperatures but  this morning we were blessed with somewhat overcast skies and a slight breeze so the heat didn't get on us until late in the trip. I met Bruce Newkirk, his sons Tyson and Garrett and Garretts girl friend Kerri out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. The tide was still going out for an hour so we made our first stop down at the Spanish Drop area and began fishing with jigs and mud minnows. There was a lot of bait action and fish busting the  bait up near the shore so it wasn't long before these anglers began to catch fish. Tyson "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch, then everyone was catching them. Unfortunately they were no bigger than 14"!  Kerri battled a 3' Bonnethead Shark to the boat and Garrett followed that up with a big Redfish fight, one that Redfish won as it broke off right a the boat.

We moved up he way just a bit and fished a marsh run out and again, they were catching those feisty Reds, picked up a trout,

then Tyson hooked up and smartly landed a nice 19.5" Flounder, boy what a fish! We then ran up and fished some docks at Seymore's Pointe as the tide started back in. Here Bruce had the hot rod and put a handful of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the box. We fished around the corner with float rigs and boxed another couple of Mangroves, then followed the tide down to Broward Island. 

Garrett got a couple of Flounder, Tyson added a keeper Sheepshead, and Bruce added a few more Mangroves to the catch. We made one last move, down to the other end of the island and here it was Tyson's turn to tangle with a sizable Red, and again we had a break off! Ouch! But we had a good box full of fish so as we headed in, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Setting Up For Flounder

 I went with my gut this morning, purchasing only Mud Minnows for our bait of choice, and rigged my
rods with a light 1/8oz jig with plans to fish the last of an incoming tide. We have been getting a lot of Mangrove Snapper on the shrimp, but almost every day getting a Flounder, without targeting them. So when I met Jon Edwards and  his dad Dale out at the Goffinsville Park early today we had a plan of hitting marsh run outs as the tide dropped. We ran over to just east of Spanish Drop and turned into the tide and began to fish. In short order Dale "knocked the skunk off" with a Flounder catch. He added a high flyting Ladyfish then Jon heated up and caught a handful of Flounder, two of them being of keeper size.  We fished a few of those runouts and picked up more Flounder, a couple of "rat" Reds, and some more Ladyfish. 

When the tide started back in we hit some docks at Seymore's Pointe and caught Mangrove Snapper, a couple of which were of keeper size. 

Our final stop was down at Broward Island, fishing the first of an incoming tide down there. My go-to spot didn't produce but Jon reminded me that a previous trip we had done pretty good at a run out down the way so we made the move and it was a good one. Again, we caught a handful of Flounder then Jon had a strong hookup and this one was ripping some drag. Jon played it perfectly and boated a nice Slot Sized Redfish. We fished until we ran out of minnows and with the sun being up and it getting pretty hot, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Size Matters

 

I wrapped up my week today fishing with Mark Britt and his son Ryan, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early, and we made the run up to Jolley River to make the "bank" our first stop. Boy were the conditions looking good - just a slight breeze, overcast skies, and a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours. But, nope, we struggled early. We worked along the bank tossing float rigs and live shrimp and really didn't get a bite that mattered.

I dropped back around the corner and pulled up to a marsh runout and the duo tossed jigs and mud minnows, to no avail. We then ran up the Jolley and fished Snook Creek, at first with the float rigs, then we switched to jigs and FINALLY, BAM! Mark had a bite, and boy was it a big one! The fish headed north and the braided line almost took Ryan's head off as he was standing on the stern, But he ducked under the line and the battle was on.  Mark came back to the stern and applied the pressure, fought the fish valiantly, and after a long battle, brought it to the surface to be boated, photographed, and released - a big 4 foot Bonnethead Shark.

We fished that bank a bit more, bounced over and fished another, then headed around to Bell River

where we set up current from a dock on the last hour or so of an outgoing tide. Almost immediately, we began to get bites. Ryan reeled in a Spot, then a small Mangrove Snapper then Mark put a keeper sized Mangrove in the boat. Ryan followed that up with a Sheepshead, then Mark caught one, then BOOM! Mark had a big bite. We thought it'd be a nice fish but it turned out to be a Really Nice Fish!  He fought it patiently, worked it to the boat, and we netted a big Oversized 30" Redfish. What a nice fish!

Shortly after that Ryan had the big bite. His fish stayed behind the boat but dug deep. Ryan was up to the task and fought it perectly, letting it run when it wanted to, but working it slowly in. We soon netted a nice 21.75" Sheepshead - the biggest of the year on The Anglers Mark and big enough to set the bench mark as First Place in the 2021 Bragging Rights Tournament-Sheepshead Category. (scroll down the right column for standings)

We wrapped up fishing some docks at Lanceford Creek on the first of an incoming tide and Mark wrapped it up with a "golden" catch of a Black "puppy" Drum which made for a great way to end a good day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Short Stories

 

I'm slammed with trips right now so I've got to get to bed!  I fished with Greg and Dannie Fitzgerald who also had along Greg's dad Guy and long time friend Ginny. I meet them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and we made our first stop around at Tyger Island, fishing a tide that had been coming in for about 2 hours. Pitching jigs and live shrimp, Dannie found a good  bite, hooked it up, and landed a nice Slot Sized Redfish. 

We fished some docks over at Lanceford Creek where Greg dug a nice keeper sized Sheepshead out of the oyster then Dannie picked up a keeper sized Whiting. After fishing a few docks there we moved on. The tide had gotten up so we began drifting float rigs with live shrimp up near the marsh grass. We fished Soap Creek, back down Lanceford and over in the Bell but had no real takers -just nibbles here and there. As a rain storm rolled in, we called it a day and headed back to the boat ramp. It was still a great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Forecasted Winds Weren't As Bad As I Expected

 

The forecast for winds were only 7-9mph from 7am-9am but were expected to pick up to over 15 as the day progressed. The wind did pick up a bit, but were were still able to fish although the slight dip in temperature may have turned the bite down just a bit as it turned out. But it was an absolutely beautiful day when I met Patrick Verner, and his sons Brian and Patrick down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp yesterday morning.

We made a short run and were fishing as the sun came over Amelia Island, tossing jigs and live shrimp to exposed oysters on the last of an outgoing tide. Young Patrick was on the bow and after fishing for about 15 minutes we could see Redfish moving along the bank and feeding. After a good cast to the shoreline, BAM! Patrick had a hookup and, Fish On!  As you can see in the video, Patrick played it patiently, worked it to the boat, and landed a Slot sized 20" Redfish.

Our next stop was up at some docks at Nassauville, fishing the first of an incoming tide.  Friday we had "tore up" the Black "puppy" Drum on the same tide, but on this trip, not a bite. But the two Patrick's did pull out a couple of Mangrove Snapper (their back!) and a couple of small Sea Bass while Brian added to the mix an ugly Toad Fish. 

Down at Broward we fished the first of the incoming there and here young Patrick added a keeper sized Seatrout to the catch. Later, Bryan hooked up and landed a hard-to-catch Sheepshead.  The wind had picked up just a bit so we went back at Nassauville and fished  at a couple of spots with float rigs where young Patrick landed a small Flounder, then we wrapped up the day and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

The Needle Moved

Unfortunately the last few days we've had some higher flood tides with the full moon and those have been occurring in the morning during our trips and that had made for some tough fishing. Monday we picked up a handful of Trout, yesterday we just had a couple, but today the needle moved to the better, just a wee bit.

I had met Barry and Matt Shelor down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we headed north and west, up the Nassau. The tide had been coming in for an hour or so and our first stop was at some docks to fish the pilings before it got too high. Both anglers were tossing jigs and live shrimp and were getting a nibble here and there but no takers. I eased the boat up to the dock and let it lay up against the pilings while they jigged down along side them. This paid off when Matt had a hard hit. His rod was between the pilings but he kept the pressure on and boated a nice keeper sized Sheepshead.(All fish caught today were released). Barry added a small Seabass before we moved on. 

We then ran back down to Spanish Drop and fished the jigs along a covered shell bed. Barry was fishing the stern and his bait was out deep when, BAM! Big Fish On! Barry played it patiently and after a good battle he landed a big Jack Crevalle.  After moving down to Twin Creeks and drifting the bank with floats and Shrimp, Barry picked up a keeper sized Seatrout.

Our next stop was down at Pumpkin Hill, fishing the marsh grass with floats. We didn't have much luck until we rounded a corner and Matt had made a perfect cast to a fishy spot and BAM! Float Gone. Matt worked it to the boat and landed another nice Trout. Barry went to the same spot and caught another Trout just a minute later.

We fished Broward Island under the watchful eye of an Bald Eagle then came back and fished some docks at Nassauville to no avail. Back around at Seymore's, fishing floats as the tide started back out, Matt had a strong hookup and as his drag began to sing, the big fish headed west, and kept going! It was shallow water with a bunch of oyster "humps" and sure enough, BAP! Fish Off. That was some late day excitement!  After a run thru Horsehead and fishing one more spot, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Wakeup Call

 We had a pretty morning today when I meet Steve Carbonneau and his buddy Sean down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made the run up the intercoastal and dipped in to Jackstaff to fish a large marsh run  out with float rigs just as the tide peaked at its highest. The duo of anglers had only been fishing for just a bit when we had a wakeup call!  Steve's float disappeared, his drag began to rip, and Big Fish On! This fish just kept going! It headed for the stern the it went from port to starboard, but Steve followed it right around, ducking under Sean's rod, then kept the pressure on until he brought it to the boat, a nice sized Jack Crevalle.

We crossed the creek, worked the bank, and picked up a couple of hungry Seatrout, then we ran thru Horsehead and fished an ambush pointe. Sean got on

the board and landed another Seatrout. After fishing Spanish Drop for a while, then Nassauvile rocks where we picked up a keeper sized Trout, we came back to some docks at Seymore's and here Sean hooked up and landed keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. 

Our next stop was down at Broward Island, still fishing and outgoing tide. The rising wind was blocked just a tad but it was blocked here but unfortunately the fish didn't get the message and refused to bite. After fishing back at Nassauville  rocks one more time where we got a small Weakfish, then we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Fishing With The Eagles

 

I went back south today, meeting Paul Genn and his fishing partner James down at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. The tide still had about 30 minutes of going out so we eased just a bit down the river and set up between two docks to pitch jigs and live shrimp up current, letting it fall down the river bottom. Although the bite wasn't "on fire", James did pick up a nice keeper sized Seatrout.

The tide was coming to a standstill so we moved around the corner, fished some more dock pilings and here Paul battled and landed a keeper sized 17" Black "puppy" Drum. We fished the docks for a bit and it was James who found a Slot sized 20" Redfish.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island. We fished a couple of areas to no avail then moved down to fish a large marsh run out and this did the trick. We could see something big busting bait - James pulled out a couple of 14" Sheepshead, and Paul landed a couple, too. Then, after an excellent cast to the 'sweet" spot, BOOM! Big Fish On!  James was on the reel and kept the pressure on, and the battle ensued. The big fish rolled a time or two up shallow then got out into deeper water and dug down. But James played it perfectly and soon landed a fat 25" Slot Redfish - boy what a pretty fish. He also put a 9 spot Red in the boat, just slightly undersized.

We worked along that stretch for a while, then moved on up the river to Pumpkin Hill and fished some marsh grass with floats, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Good Variety Here at Amelia Island In March

I fished with Tom and Betty Lane Owensby this morning, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park
early with plans to fish a tide that had been coming in for about an hour. We made our first stop around at Tiger, fished the logs, and picked up a few fish. Tom reeled in a couple of sneaky Sheepshead and a feisty Redfish, and a minnow. No kidding - he tossed out a jig and shrimp and brought back a minnow that was smaller than his bait! Betty had a good hookup and landed a hungry Seatrout. 

We then ran around to the Jolley River and fished
the "bank" and it was Tom who had the pleasure of tangling with a big Gar Fish! Crazy. I thought it was a big Trout when it hit a shrimp under a float rg up in the shallows. After fishing Snook Creek for a bit, we continued on around to Bell River and switched back to jigs. Both Tom and Betty hooked up with some nice sized Seatrout and Betty reeled in big Whiting to wrap things up. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Wednesday and Thursday Trips

 I fished Wednesday morning with Chris Yarborough, his son Conner,  and his BIL Chris and nephew Magnus. We fished the outside of Tiger at a large runout with, jigs and live shrimp, but had no fish. We then  hit the Jolley, fished float rigs and live shrimp but again, no fish. After fishing Snook Creek to no avail, we ran to  Bell River, switched back to jigs and began to catch Seatrout deep! Birthday boy Conner got hot, an caught 6-7 Trout, while Magnus reeled in a "Bonus" fish, a Sheepshead, and then Seatrout. Later, Chris picked up a Trout. Conner coined a new slogan -  "Just Catch 'em"!

 

Yesterday afternoon I fished with Michael Boone and  his wife Ricki, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. Our first stop was around at Tiger Island where Michael picked up a couple of Black "puppy" Drum and a feisty Redfish. Ricki tricked a sneaky perch to take her hook. We then fished the Jolley River with float rigs - had no real bites - then motored around to the Bell where we picked up a handful of Seatrout on jigs and live shrimp and 3" Storm shad baits.

This morning I fished south, meeting Lee and Emmett Kubersky down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We fished Seymore's Pointe a bit and picked up a Seatrout on a float rig, then fished some docks in Nassauville with jigs to no avail, then we ran back to Twin Creeks on the Nassau and had some good action catching Seatrout under the float as the tide was going out. Our next stop was down at Broward Island and boy did things "light up".  Our first cast produced a BIG bite and Fish On! Emmett was on the rod and he patiently fought it, working it in slowly as it made deep runs. Once in the net, the big Redfish measured at 26" - a fat "Tournament" sized Redfish. We went back to the same spot and BOOM! Bigger Fish on!  This fish stayed deep and ripped drag but Emmett was up to the task and eventually landed an Oversized 29.5" Redfish! And he wasn't done yet! Emmett caught and landed a nice 17" Seatrout (all fish caught today were released) and rounded out an Amelia Island Backcountry Slam with a Sheepshead catch.  And that wrapped a good two days of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Uptick In The Fish Bite

 

Another beautiful day with warmer temperatures, both air and water, seem to have helped with the fish bite. 

This morning I fished with Mark Richardson and his son Braden, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. We fished Bell River, Soap Creek and Lanceford Creek with float rigs and live shrimp and picked up a Seatrout at each spot on high and rising tide. 

Just as the tide started out we had made the run up to Bell River docks and switched to jigs and shrimp and we had a "break out" catch. The father/son duo caught a good handful of Seatrout on the bottom, picked up a handful of small but feisty Sheepshead. They also added a feisty Redfish to the catch. We fished a couple of those docks and picked up more Trout.

This afternoon I fished with Tod Schroeder, his dad Dennis, and his daughter Alana, again meeting them at the Dee Dee Bartels Park. We quickly made the long run up the Bell and it paid off with some nice Seatrout catches on the bottom  on jigs and live shrimp. Alana topped the catch with the biggest Seatrout catch of the day - a 16"er.  We also had some small but feisty Sheepshead and a feisty Redfish.

We fished a bit in the Jolley River until the tide started back in then ran around and eased in to behind Tiger. Here the trio caught a few more Redfish, two of keeper size and again, Alana pulled out the biggest Redfish. 

Both trips caught fish and had some good action which made for another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.