Big Jacks Show Up

 It was kind of a weird day today - overcast and breezy and the water was chopped up and muddy, but itwas comfortable for the most part with the sun blocked. I had met Glenn and Patti Langford down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made quick run up the Nassau to make our first stop at Spanish Drop where we went with jig rods and mud minnows tossed to the bank...and didn't get a single real bite. After running up to Seymore's Point we fished some dock pilings with some left over live Shrimp and Glenn did outsmart and hooked up and landed a small Grunt.

We then came back down the Nassau and fished Twin Creeks with floats and may have had a nibble or two but no takers. Back up the Nassau we went and fished small point of grass, and again, no takers. It wasn't looking good for the fish catching today! But Glenn and Patti persevered and when we got to the next spot at Pumpkin Hill we got some bites. Patti had her float go under and boy did it take off! She kept that rod bent and worked it in closer to the boat before it made went deep again. She got it close, let it run, got it close, and let it run before bringing to the net the biggest Jack Crevalle we've had on the boat all year.  Then Glenn had drifted close to a grassy island and when it went under Glenn tightened up and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On! This fish was ripping drag right off and it boiled up and we knew it was a big Redfish. Glenn worked it slowly to the boat and it came in steadily until it saw the boat then it made a few strong dashes to deeper water. But Glenn kept the pressure on and soon landed a nice 26" Redfish. Patti had another huge battle with an even bigger Jack Crevalle before we  moved on.

We fished around the corner, down the bank, then back at the Tourney Red spot before we called it day and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Flounder and Finally Some Slot Reds

 Short report today...did a "double" then an AIGA meeting this evening, reporting late...

I fished with Steve and Carron Frost this morning on a tide that was coming in. We fished the outside of
Tyger with jigs with minnows and shrimp, had no real luck, then ran up the Jolley and fished the "bank", then further up to Snook Creek. Along the way we had some pretty decent action, catching some small Flounder, small Seatrout, and small Jacks. The highlight was when Carron went into a small "cove" with a good cast and had a hookup, as she was bringing her keeper sized Flounder to the the net, Steve went to the same hole and BAM! He had a hookup and reeled in is own keeper Flounder. We caught a few more Trout, with one of them being of keeper size, and ended the day with a total of 7 Flounder caught. 

The afternoon trip had Brian Roach, his son Mike and his friend Mark - we again ran up the outside of Tyger and worked the bank with jigs -Mark "knocked the skunk off" when he landed a nice Flounder. We moved around to Jolley Bank and worked it and here Brian had a hard thump and set the hook. He battled a big Flounder to the boat - it measured right at 19" and put Brian in the lead of the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). 

And then the bottom fell out! Boy what a rain - we could see it coming from the west and it drenched us good! But it passed after a while and the wind calmed and it became very pleasant to fish. We ran up the river to JC's spot and worked the exposed oyster beds and it paid off - Brian hooked and landed a nice 22" Slot Red, then Mike followed that up with a big 21" Slot Red of his own.  It was a long day but we caught some fish so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

New Lucky Hat

 I was back to work today, fishing south with John Foreman and his SIL Chase and grandson Nate. We left the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early, running up the intracoastal, then up the Nassau for a quick stop at Spanish Drop where we turned into the current and worked jigs and mud minnows slowly on the bottom. We weren't getting much action and when we reached a mud drainage I wasn't expecting much but then Chase hooked up BIG!  His drag was ripping - the other two anglers cleared their lines and the fight was on! Chase played the big fish perfectly - he worked it in, let it run, worked it in, let it run, and slowly brought to the net a big 26" Slot Redfish!

We bounced down that bank hitting two or three drainages and mixed in a couple of Jacks and Ladyfish then Chase had one of those funky "thumps" - he set the hook and patiently landed a nice 18" Flounder to go in the box. And shortly after that, John had let his jig fall deep and he had a "thump, thump" and Fish ON!  The way it was making the drag rip I was thinking "small Redfish" but when John brought it to the net it was a fat 18" Seatrout with a lot of fight!

We then made a run up the river to Pumpkin Hill and switched to float rigs, drifting them long with the current. The trio of anglers tangled with some Jacks and Ladyfish, but no keeper fish, so we moved around the corner and let the current ease us along the flooded marsh grass. Chase had gone up to a submerged oyster bank with a cast and although distracted, he saw that his float was gone so he quickly caught up to it and, another Big Fish on! Boy what a battle! Chase fought it valiantly and soon subdued the big Oversized 27.5" Redfish and after photographs, we released it. 

Notice I haven't mentioned Nate's name?  Nate was making good casts and getting good drifts, but the fish were ignoring his bait. I noticed he was wearing a new hat and even commented that maybe he should have worn is "lucky" hat. But Nate didn't fall for it, and persevered! We hit a couple of small grassy islands, then came back around to stretch of grass that has been good to me and continued to drift those floats. Nate was staying diligent and when his float disappeared, he tightened up his line and let the circle hook set and, another Big Fish ON! (note, this fish was caught about 5 foot from where we got the Tournament winning Red Saturday!). Nate fought the big fish furiously, and despite the coaching he was getting from the three of us, he brought it to the net and landed a "tournament sized 26.5" Redfish- the biggest in the box! And Nate had a new lucky hat!

We made our last stop over at Jackstaff and worked a bank with the jigs and here John finished things up when he hooked and landed a keeper sized 17" Flounder. We had to work for them today, but we had fish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Rebound Down South

 We elected to fish south this morning in hopes for some decent gamefish and the plan produced! Yesterday my anglers worked hard and caught a bunch of fish, but we had a few too many "junk" fish for my liking. I also added 2 dozen mud minnows to the arsenal. I picked up William and Dara Blalock out at Goffinsville Park (I launched at Sawpit( and we made a quick run over to Pumpkin Hill to catch the last 30 minutes of the incoming tide Dara was on the stern drifting a float and shrimp long and William followed her off the bow and I think it may have been Williams first or second pass that he hooked up and landed a feisty Jack Crevalle. Dara was out ahead again with William following when we all saw William's line "Zip" back up stream and then his drag began to rip. I had the sinking feeling that he'd hooked up with a Bonnethead, but when it didn't run far my hopes rose. William fought it like it was going to be dinner and worked it to the surface, let it run, came back to the stern and worked it around the engine, then played it patiently - Dara saw that it was a huge Redfish!  He slowly brought it to the net and landed a 28.5" Oversized Redfish, big enough to take third place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category. Boy what a fish. 

After fishing a point as the tide paused, we then made a run back to Seymore's Pointe and fished a large drainage but didn't get a real bite. We ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point and withing seconds she had a good hookup and as I was landing her keeper sized Seatrout, William hooked up and brought one in. We fished forward a bit and picked up another keeper Trout. We made a stop in Jackstaff and fished a sandy drop off and here Dara had that tell-tell "thump" - she set the hook expertly and brought to the net a nice 17" Flounder,(2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2026 Bragging Rights Tournament) William followed that up with a Flounder catch of is own. Back thru Horsehead we went, over to Back River where we drifted floats at a couple of spots. 

We fished some docks at Nassauville and even thought the wind was beginning to kick up a bit, we
made our way down the Nassau and set up at a drainage to fish the now exposed oysters. William had a strong bite, battled it while the drag was ripping, then it was gone! Ouch. But Dara followed with a good cast to the same spot and, Big Fish ON!  This one was ripping drag too and it got back in the current and made a fight out of it. But Dara was up to the challenge and worked it to the boat patiently and soon landed a nice 25" Slot sized Redfish. I didn't know it but while she was fighting her fish William had a Flounder on hold at the side of the boat and it took advantage of the delay and thru the hook! We had some good battles today, had a few in the box, had thrown back a big one so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Quick Start and No Spot

 It's almost shorts weather - the high today was around 85 and I could tell it in my jeans. I had met Pete Nolan and his fishing buddy Jeff down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early but we had to "putter" up the intracoastal due to the fog being so thick. But as we got further up the Nassau River we were able to crank it up and get to our first stop around at Middle River where we set up along a shoreline and drifted float rigs on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours - the oysters were just beginning to show. It didn't take long and we were getting fish - Pete was drifting off the bow and picked up handful of hungry Seatrout. We then dropped back across the river mouth and fished another grass line and here Jeff was

out front and it paid off. He went up to some sparse grass with an excellent cast and there was no debate when that float disappeared. Jeff cranked down on the slack, lifted his rod and let the circle hook set and Fish On!  Jeff worked it patiently to the boat and landed a nice 20" Slot Redfish. Only a minute later, Pete went in to the same spot and BAM! He had a good hookup and expertly played it to the boat. This Red was almost identical in size to Jeff's but this one had zero spots! That's a sure winner in most Redfish Spot Tournaments! We were on a roll. Or so we thought.

Our next stop was down the Nassau where we fished a large drainage with jigs, but to no avail. Then we worked Spanish Drop where Jeff hauled in a Catfish. We fished rocks at Nassauville, dock pilings at Seymore's Pointe and exposed banks over in Jackstaff and caught some small Seabass, a Ladyfish, and a small Jack Crevalle. Although the gamefish didn't cooperate, the flog had cleared off, we had no wind, and a couple of fish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Things Ought To Be Kicking Off

 ...but not today! The water temperature is over 70 now in the backwater, I'm starting to see bait and
bonnetheads, and saw our first Roseatte Spoonbills yesterday - the fish bite is surely going to turn on just any day. But today we struggled a bit to even get bites. I had met Josh Jenkins down at Sawpit Creek on a beautiful morning and after running up the Nassau River we made our first stop at the mouth of Middle River with plans to drift the floats with live shrimp on a tide that had been going out a few hours. Josh got a few bites but nothing big enough to take the hook. We came back down the Nassau to a drainage and fished it with jigs and shrimp and we weren't getting much action until finally we had a good bite and Fish On!  Josh was on the rod - he kept the rod up and pressure on as it dug deep - the fish took him from the bow down the starboard side, across the stern to port and here Josh played it expertly to wear the fish out and landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish. We noted that the fish was "pale" from being near the ocean. 

We fished Spanish Drop for a bit with the  igs and Twin Creeks for a bit, then made our way back up the Nassau to fish at Lilttlefield with the jigs, We added a hungry Seatrout and a small Flounder to the catch before we moved around to Seymore's Pointe where we fished some dock pilings. We didn't get much but Josh did outsmart a big Pinfish. Our final stop was down at Broward Island where we fished the last of an outgoing tide - we had nibbles but not takers. We did see Osprey's, some dolphin, and a Bald Eagle and we had a some nice Redfish filet's in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Breakout Day

 The way the bite has been non-existent lately I was even more worried when I stepped out this morning
and saw an almost full moon. But I've been thinking that the bite has to turn sooner or later and why not today? When I met Steve Locke and his fishing buddies Jason and Todd out at Goffinsville Park I did give them the sad news of poor fishing lately, but they ignored it, thankfully! We made our first run down the Nassau and pulled up at some structure on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour and we went with jigs and live shrimp and minnows.

Todd was new to the boat but he didn't waste any time - he hooked up with a hard fighting fish and expertly landed a Slot Redfish. Steve hooked and landed a keeper sized Seatrout and Jason added a
feisty Redfish to the catch. Then it was Todd's turn again - he said it was "just a nibble" but when that drag started ripping he knew it was a Big Fish. That fish dug deep and headed south - Todd followed it to the stern of the boat keeping that pressure on it - he went from starboard to port and back again, working it up as it dug deep time and again. Finally, after a good battle, Todd brought to the net a nice 26" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish! We fished that stretch for a while, picking up another couple of smaller Reds, then we moved on.

Our next stop was way up the Nassau, where we pulled  into a small creek and worked the bank. We got a couple of small Reds then Jason hooked up and expertly battled a nice 5 spot Slot Red to the net. Steve then had the big battle - he was working in smaller confines as his fish ripped drag-I was worried that it would surely find a log to wrap itself, but Steve kept that pressure on and worked it out away from the bank and soon landed a fat 25" Slot Redfish, another big fish for the day!

Our final stop was back down at Seymore's Pointe as the tide was ebbing, fishing floats. All was quite until a strike almost snatched the rod out of Todd's hands. It ripped some drag a bit and I was thinking "small Redfish" but as he brought it to the boat we saw that it was a big Seatrout, one that measured right at 20.5",and with the new regulations, had to go back. But it was big enough to move Todd into first place in the 2026 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). After a few weeks of poor fishing, we had caught some quality fish today so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Back In Action With Some Slot Reds

 We're back! After a month and a half layoff, we were back fishing today, and with a few trips lined up in the next few days I should have some fishing reports.  Today I met Ed and Madonna AndrewLavage down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp - the tide had been coming in for a couple of hours but I thought it wouldn't hurt to make the run up the Nassau to Broward Island and pitch our jigs and live shrimp, and we did just that!  We had a little bit of fog as we ran but it was no hindrance and as we pulled up to the island there was not much of a breeze (we did break out the insect repellent later). Both anglers were getting good casts  btu se didn't get much more than a nibble. We eased down the bank, did the same, and again, not hardly a nibble. We moved down the island, passed the Bald Eagles, fished the bank and....not a nibble. Ouch. So much for a plan. 

We then made along run up the Nassau and eased into a secluded creek, turned into the current and worked back and this did the trick. Ed had the first hookup to knock the skunk off and he expertly played to the net a 17 and 15/16" barely undersized Redfish to the net. We eased along the bank, pitching to the deep edge and Ed noted that the fish weren't aggressive at all - he'd just tighten up, feel the weight, and set the hook. At one spot he picked  up 4 more Redfish, all of them in the Slot size, one of which had 14 spots(eventually released) and the biggest, a 26.25" fish, big enough to set the bar for 2026 Bragging Rights -Ed battled it expertly to the net. 

We came back down to Pumpkin Hill and fished float rigs and did get one hungry Seatrout, then we made our way down to Seymore's Pointe where the tide had started out -Madonna's Spot we called it. Just when I thought it was going to be a bust, Ed had his float disappear- he tightened up and let the circle hook set and Fish On!  Ed played Madonna's Redfish perfectly, let it run, worked it in, and soon landed another nice Slot Redfish, this one measuring a little over 24". Madonna followed that up with a nice fat Seatrout catch to get on the board. After fishing one more spot with the float rigs awe called it a day and headed back to the ramp, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Thankful the Fish Were Biting!

 Hoping everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Mabry stepped on the boat hoping that we'd catch at least a few fish today, and little did she know that we would have a banner day!  I met her, her father Stephen, her aunt Tessa, and her soon-to-be uncle Andy out at Goffinsville Park this morning right at low tide and by the time we got around to our first stop it had begun to creep in. The fish bite wasn't "on fire" like I had expected but we did get a couple of good fish - I think it was Tessa's 2nd or third cast and BAM! Her drag was ripping. Tessa hung with it, battled it valiantly, and soon brought to the net a nice keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. We soon found out that Stephen and Mabry had teamed up - Stephen would do the "hooking" and Mabry would do the reeling - he hooked up and she fought to the net a hungry Seatrout. We bounced up the river, fishing some dock pilings and here Andy got on the board - he had a good bite, set the hook expertly and in short order brought to the net a feisty Redfish.

Mabry didn't even need that help down at the next spot - the "super secret" one -we had just pulled up
and the whole crew was catching fish. Mabry had a strong bite and at first we didn't think it was such a big fish. She battled it as it ripped drag, worked it up, let it run, worked it up and then we saw that it was a BIG Redfish. Before the fish knew what had ahold of him, Mabry brought it to the net - a nice 26" Redfish! Stephen followed that up with another good hookup - he kept this one to himself and battled it patiently as it came out from the bank and around behind the engine. He stayed with it, wore it out, and landed another big Slot Redfish. At that spot and within 50 feet we caught fish, almost one after another and hit their 4 fish limit, then went over it -I counted 7 Slot Redfish caught!

Mabry, I think, was wore out. We dropped down the way and  worked a bank with the jigs and live shrimp and although it wasn't fast and furious we did have good action catching those feisty Redfish. At one time she did get back on the rod and her and her aunt Tessa teamed up for a "double" hookup of Redfish. Over at Pumpkin Hill we switched to float rigs, drifted with the current, and got another couple of small Trout and a couple of Bluefish. Stephen battled a Bonnethead shark for a bit before it broke off, Tessa battled a Bonnethead before it found its way to a crab pot rope and broke off, but Andy clinched it when he hooked up with a shark and showed it "what for" - he battled it to the boat  and landed a nice 3" fish - the biggest of the day- we photographed and released it. 

Mabry was hungry and it was time to go! We had a nice box of fish, had some really nice weather so as
we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

A Triple, Five Slots, and One Oversized

 

I felt pretty confident this morning that we'd catch fish today, but I was thinking, "maybe a nice Redfish" and "surely a good handful of small Seatrout". As it's been all week, it was a beautiful day - sunny, no wind and just a cool nip in the morning that warmed to shirtsleeves temperature as the day went along. I met Henry Ross, Dick Conley and David Gray down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and we made a short run up the intracoastal, then up the Nassau to make our first stop at the Spanish Drop area. The tide was already fairly high - the oysters were pretty much covered- so we went with the float rigs and live shrimp. All three anglers were getting excellent casts and good drifts as we worked along a bank - we had a good number of "nibbles" but no takers until they picked up a small Seatrout. I let the boat drift back with the current to fish some flooded shell and this did the trick - Dick hooked up and expertly battled to the net a nice Slot Sized Redfish - and an 11 Spotter at that! Shortly after that he put the first keeper sized Seatrout in the boat.

We moved up the river to one large drainage and had no luck, then we moved on up to Twin Creeks and drifted across it's mouth. Henry had switched to a jig and the shrimp and picked up a couple of Seatrout, then as we drifted back with the current David found a "honey hole" and caught a couple of Slot sized Redfish. 

We then made a run up river to the Super Secret Spot and drifted the floats as the tide got to its highest.We got busy catching those small Seatrout that I expected, a small Bonnethead Shark, then we had a bonanza of big Redfish caught!  The trio added 3 more Slot Reds - we had to cull a couple - then David had a strong bite that was really ripping drag. He played it patiently, worked it to the boat, and landed an Oversized 27.5" Redfish - boy what a fish! They also caught a good handful of small Reds that were quickly released.

Over at Seymore's Point the tide was going out. We pitched to a grassy point and it paid off almost immediately - they caught some more of those feisty Reds and Trout. Henry got hot with the keeper sized Seatrout and put a few more in the box. At one time all three anglers had a fish on! Our final stop was over at Poteat Pointe and although we didn't get anymore Reds, we did get another hungry Trout or two. We had a good mess in the box, the weather had been fantastic, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Redemption at Amelia Island

 

The last time I fished with this guy I got the uneasy feeling that he wouldn't be back. But he was back today, with a vengeance. I had met David Vice, Lee Warren and their buddy Gary out at Goffinsville Park early this morning on a tide that still had about 45 minutes of coming in. We headed over to Pumpkin Hill and set up to drift floats (bobbers) long with that incoming current. It didn't take long before we were getting Trout bites, then Lee hooked up and it was Big Fish On! He was up by the grass and it paid off - this fish was ripping drag and Lee was in for a long battle. I fished with Lee last month and unfortunately he only managed to catch one fish, a 6" baitstealer. He was doing everything right, it just wasn't his day. But this morning, he had a big fish on and he was playing it patiently as it dug deep, running from shallow to deep, then David yelled, "Fish ON!" and we had a double! I was going from stern to bow with the net trying to determine who was getting closest first and eventually I was able to net Lee's big Slot Redfish - I dumped him on the deck then moved forward to net David's Slot Red -two fish in the box!

We fished that stretch for a good while and Gary proved adept at getting those hungry Seatrout to the
net. We tallied up at the end of the trip and it was unanimous that Gary had caught the most. After moving up to a point and fishing down the other side and landing another good handful of  Trout, and one more Slot Redfish, and then a hard fighting Bonnethead Shark, we moved on. Our next stop was over at Seymore's Pointe and here we caught a good handful of Seatrout, then we ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Point where we caught more Trout, and more Trout and more Trout - most between 13" and 14.75", but we did manage two keeper Trout. 

Our final stop was back at Seymore's Point fishing some dock pilings. Lee added another feisty Redfish to his catch total and David put a nice sized Black "puppy" Drum in the box. It had been a beautiful day, we had caught a ton of fish, we had a few in the box, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. Check out this "double Redfish" battle...

That John Guy Stayed Hot

 What a beautiful morning to wrap the week up with!  I met David Vice and his fishing buddies Robert and Lee out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp as the sun was coming up. The tide had been going out for about an hour as we eased away from the dock and made our way around the corner to Seymore's Pointe to fish a grassy point with float rigs and live shrimp.  All three anglers were getting good casts and good drifts but we didn't' see much action other than a big (for North East Florida) Blue Fish that Robert battled and landed. 

I've fished with these guys for a number of years now, but for some reason, some time during the trip I'll start calling Robert, "John". They'll let me go for an our calling him "John", then finally they'll joke about that "John" guy. I don't even realize I'm doing it until it's brought up. It's a slip of the brain.  Luckily, "John" (Robert) was catching fish today!  We ran thru Horsehead and pulled up in a creek off of Jackstaff and continued with the float rigs and here "John" (Robert) battled a big Jack Crevalle to the net for photo's and release, then he put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat. Our next stop was over at Poteat Point where we worked up and won the bank. Robert caught a keeper sized Whiting and another feisty Redfish, then David got on the board with a Redfish catch. Robert followed that up with a big battle. His drag was ripping and Robert ("John") kept the pressure on - he played it expertly and soon landed a nice 23" Slot Redfish.

Back thru Horsehead we went, and up the river to Back River Point where we drifted the floats again. The wind was picking up and making it a bit difficult, but we made do. David, fishing off the bow, tossed forward to a grassy island and as it drifted back, BAM! A strong hookup. David played it patiently and brought to the boat another Slot Redfish. The trio caught another Trout or two there before we moved on. 

We tried a stop back at Littlefield, switching to jigs and shrimp, but had no luck. That last stop at Back
River Point had not produced like we thought it should have so we decided to try it again, 45 minutes later. Lee, who had been gallantly manning the middle of the boat, was getting good casts and good drifts and it finally paid off -he hooked and landed a hungry Seatrout on one of the final drifts. We had had beautiful weather, seen some neat wildlife, had a few fish in the box, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Redfish Bonanza

 

With the weather getting better, and the tides not so high, the fish catching is getting....great!  I met Pete Nolan, his daughter Sydney and their friend Lyle down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning- we had clear skies, only a tad bit of wind, and it was just cool enough for a light jacket. We made a 12 minute run up the intracoastal and dipped into Jackstaff and began tossing jigs and live shrimp on a tide that still had a couple of hours of going out. All three anglers were getting good casts, and a few nibbles, but we had no takers. We crossed over the creek and fished a point, letting the jigs bounce along the edge and here Lyle "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. A Pod of dolphin were coming down the bank, so we moved on. 

We then ran thru Horsehead and then back down the Nassau to set up at large drainage and a Roseate
Spoonbill was fishing - the tide was still going out, and boy did things heat up! The trio started catching fish, one after the other -feisty Redfish, a couple of small Flounder (making it a Slam), then a couple of small Black Drum (Grand Slam). They stayed busy catching those small fish until Pete had one of those drag ripping bites and, Big Fish On!  Pete played it expertly and wore it out and brought to the boat a bulky 24" Slot Redfish. We fished until there was a lull, then as we talked about moving on they would get another bite and another fish, including a Bonnethead Shark and a big Jack Crevalle.  Lyle added another 22" Slot Red to the box before we finally moved. 

Down at Broward we were in deeper water but it didn't matter.  Fishing under the gaze of two Bald Eagles, we were tossing the jigs up current and letting it bounce down the river bottom deep paid off. Again, they got busy catching Redfish. Most were in the 16-17" range but Lyle added two more Slot Reds to his catch, one of which we had to toss back due to the limits. Our final stop was back down the Nassau, at Twin Creeks, with the tide coming in. It was slow going until Pete had a strong hookup. The drag was ripping so we knew it was a good fish. Pete worked it in patiently and soon landed another 22" Slot Red. Half of this fish's tail had been eaten off so we put itin the box and culled one of the others. 

We had some good action most of the morning, had beautiful weather, and had a few fish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

'NUF Said

 Short and brief today - quite a banner day! 10 Slot Reds caught by Brian Roach, his son Mike, and their friend William Blalock. First of the incoming tide, tossing jigs and mud minnows to drainages and exposed shell banks. The first two hours was on fire. They added a good handful of smaller Reds, some Ladyfish, some Catfish, some small Flounder, then they finished the day with two keeper Flounder. Another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida!  CLICK ON PICS TO ENLARGE

Slot One

Slot Two

Slot Three

Slot Four

Slot Five

Slot Six

Slot Seven

Slot Eight

Slot Nine

Slot 10 (a twelve spotter!)

We Slammed 'Em Early

 Back to work again today - is this heat every going to subside? I mentioned to my wife that I didn't think
we've had this hot of a summer in a while! But the Hobbs crew - Jeremy, his daughter Willow, and her friend Olivia were up to the challenge and they met me early down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made the run  up the Nassau River - my plan was to fish some dock pilings on the first of an incoming tide but as we arrived we saw that a barge was tied up and blocking the pilings - so we turned around and came back to some exposed shell bed just before Twin Creeks, and I'm glad we did!

These three anglers came to catch fish! They started hooking up and landing Flounder, caught on jigs and mud minnows, and a couple were of keeper size.  We caught and released a Catfish then they put a keeper sized Seatrout in the box. Then, as we worked up to Twin Creeks, Jeremy, casting forward over a "bar", hooked up and that sweet sound of drag wafted over the boat - Fish On!  Jeremy played it perfectly and landed a perfect sized 22" Slot Redfish. He went back to the same spot and BAM! Another 21" Slot Red that he played to the net. We had an Amelia Island Back Country Slam in the live well - Flounder, Seatrout and Redfish. We hit a couple of more drainages along there and caught a couple of small but feisty Redfish and a handful of Flounder, one of which was of keeper size.

We had good action for about the first 2  hours of the trip but once that tide got up, and the sun got hot, the bite fell off. We fished down at Pumpkin Hill, then around some docks at Littlefield, then made the run thru the marsh and fished Jackstaff "bank'. We may have had a few bites but no takers. Go early and beat the heat! But we had a good box of fish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great ay to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Superstitions Busted

 I've heard the superstition of catching a fish on the first cast - it didn't pan out today!  I had met Jerry and Deb Yarborough and their daughter Masha up at Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made a fairly long run up and around to the Jolley River, and further up it all the way to the MOA (Mother of All) Spot. After showing the trio how I like to bait the mud minnows, and with a tide that was just starting back in, we made a toss to the expose oysters, let it drop down the river bottom and BAM! Big Fish On!  Masha was on the rod  and she fought it valiantly - worked it slowly up then let it run, then worked it up, let it run. She finally subdued the beast - a big, ugly, Catfish!

But later, Jerry hauled in a nice sized Whiting then he had strong bite and this fish was shaking its head and thrashing on the top and it turned out to be a healthy 18" Seatrout. Deb quietly outpaced the other two catching a hard fighting Jack, another Catfish, and a hungry Seatrout. We then moved around the bend, back down the river and fished some still exposed shell at Snook Creek. Masha had a good cast to the shell and BAM! Her drag was ripping again. She played it expertly and after a good fight landed a Slot sized 20" Redfish. And Deb followed that up with a Redfish catch of her own. While we were fishing there we were treated to a pod of dolphin that were busting bait up on to a mud bank - what a spectacle!

We made our way back down the river and around to the outside of Tyger where we fished the jigs and minnows along the grass line as the tide was getting up. The trio landed one more Seatrout and had two Flounder to the boat for a quick release. Again we were treated to some wildlife sightings - Deb spotted a Salt Marsh Mink swimming across a creek then later we saw a family of four of those Minks running down an adjacent beach.

Back up the Jolley we went and switched to float rigs and the minnows. Masha drifted one looooong and it paid off when her float dissapeared and she hooked up to land the final fish of the day, another hungry Seatrout. For most of the day we had a nice breeze, a few clouds to give us some respite and with a few fish in the box, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Going Sharking

 I was back launching at Old Town Bait and Tackle this morning where I met Nigel and Erin Morton who had their two sons Ronan and Vance with them. We eased out of Eagans Creek and then made a long run up and around to the Jolley River, then all the way up it to the MOA on a tide that had just hit bottom. I have been fishing with mud minnows the last handful of trips but decided to add a little "spice" to the trip with a handful of live shrimp and it was the shrimp that were getting all the bites early. Unfortunately it was fish we didn't want!  Vance "knocked the skunk off" when he reeled in a feisty Grunt, then Nigel battled a huge Catfish to the boat (in the last month I've been pricked three times by Catfish and I was extra careful with this one!) We fished up and back along the oysters and picked up a couple of Croakers on those shrimp.

After fishing across the way at JC's spot and maybe getting another Croaker or two we eased back down the river to Snook Creek and worked it with the jigs and shrimp and minnows. With added incentive, the challenge was excepted for someone to catch a fish with a mud minnow and in short order Nigel stepped up and, Fish On!  Nigel worked it to the boat, let it run, worked it in, let it run, then brought to the net a nice 20.5" Slot Redfish. Ronan was eyeing the creek and thought it looked good to try so we trolled in, turned into the current and began tossing the jigs with shrimp. There wasn't much action until Ronan bent over with his reel ripping drag, and the battle ensued! We were in for a long fight - the fish ripped north, then south, then back around the engine, then back out into the creek. Ronan was up for the battle, kept his rod up and the pressure on and after a long fight, landed a 4' Bonnethead Shark for photograph and release.

All the way back down the Jolley, we switched to float rigs and worked the flooding oyster beds, to no avail. Back up the Jolly at Tyger cut we stayed with the floats and this a paid off. We picked up a nice keeper sized Whiting then it was Nigel's turn to battle the Sharks - he had a good hookup and after having fought that Slot Red to the net he was ready for this Shark. He played it perfectly and brought it in for a photograph. We finished up over on the outside of Tyger, going back to the jigs and here Erin wrapped things up with a nice Seatrout catch. We had some great weather with just a breeze and a bit of cloud cover there at the end so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.