Fly Fishing Amelia Island

I fished today with James and Nicole Bush, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early. We had cloudy skies with a forecast of 60% chance of rain before the morning was over but these anglers were game to fish so we headed out and over to the back side of Tiger to try our hand with some fly gear.  James was casting the fly off the stern in deep water with an intermediate sinking line and a weighted black Troy James Fly while Nicole fished from the bow with a a jig and live shrimp on spinning gear.  James was making excellent casts and putting the fly up close to the bank, letting it slide down the river bottom before the current really got to coming in. He had a few "bumps" but no takers. We eased down the bank working in and out of the logs and it was Nicole who put the first fish int he boat,  hungry Mangrove Snapper that was just a smidgen below the size limit. 

Then it was James' time to hookup. I had just commented about a perfect cast he had made up near the shore and alongside a log when, BOOM! A slot sized Redfish hit it and

came out of the water. James had done a strip set and had the fish. He worked it perfectly out of the logs and into deeper water. I inched the boat out deeper and felt for sure that we had the fish. But James said he felt the fish "lock down" - a sure sign that it was wrapped around a log or stump and, BAP! Fish Off! Boy what a bummer.

We fished the island up and down and Nicole, fishing the bait, hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish before we moved on. Our next stop was over at Lanceford Creek. I had switched Nicole to a float rig, gave her a demo cast, and float disappeared!  I lifted the rod, hooked the fish and handed it off to Nicole who battled it valiantly from Stern to Bow and back to Stern. The fish was ripping drag and made multiple runs but Nicole was up to the task and soon brought the beast to bay - a 4' Bonnethead Shark.  Nicole added a Seatrout to her catch before we moved on.

James had been dealing with the wind that had picked up after we left Tiger but he was making the most of it, getting in some fine casts. We added another Trout and a Ladyfish before we headed in. Just as we were getting back to the ramp we spotted a Submarine cruising thru the channel up by Cumberland which made for a great way to wrap up a good day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Early Fish Bite Frenzy

I was back at this morning, fishing with Frank Wytiaz and his wife Joanne after I had met them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made a quick run up the Nassau River and stopped at a large marsh run out. The bait was getting "popped" all along the bank so we set up to fish with float rigs and live shrimp.  It only took minutes and we were catching fish. Ladyfish, Jack Crevalle, Seatrout, small but feisty Redfish, Pinfish, Catfish -it was a smorgasbord.  Frank was fishing out of the stern and had drifted his float long when something big hit it. He worked it to the boat and landed big Seatrout that was just a tad bit under 20". Later, Joanne had made an excellent cast to the bank, hooked up and when her drag began to sing we knew it was a big fish. Joanne played it patiently, worked it to the boat, let it run, ripping drag, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 21" Slot sized Redfish.  I had looked at my watch and we had been fishing this one spot for well over an hour, and catching fish!

We did move up the way, switched to jigs and shrimp

and picked up one more feisty Redfish. We then fished some dock pilings and caught Black "puppy" Drum, another small Redfish, a Croaker, and Joanne added to the variety with a couple of Mangrove Snapper catches. We eased around the corner, switched back to float rigs, and fished some rocks but only found one small Mangrove.

Our next stop was down at Broward Island. Fishing with jigs we added to the catch one more Redfish. The sun was getting up and getting hot so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Big Redfish Starts and Big Trout Ends Amelia Island Fishing Trip

We got in another Amelia Island back country fishing trip today during this great Memorial Day
weekend when I met Chandler Bailey and his son Philip down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp for a half day of fishing on the first of an incoming tide. We made the long run around to Broward Island and set up to fish with jigs and live shrimp and minnows. Both anglers were making excellent casts but we fished to no avail. We moved up and down the island, fished under the Bald Eagle, fished the logs, fished the run outs, but no bites. Ouch.

I had planed to run back to Spanish Drop but as
we were running by Pumkin Hill I noticed that the oysters were flooding and there was a lot of activity so we pulled up, switched to float rigs, and began to ease along the  bank. Philip was fishing out the stern and as he drifted his bait up near the oysters, BOOM!. Big Fish On!  This fish putting up a furious fight but Philip was up to the task and brought the brute to the boat and landed a big Oversized 28.5" Redfish. Boy what a fish to "knock the skunk off".

We then continued on to Spanish Drop, fished a marsh grass bank and then it was Chandler's turn to catch the big fish. He had a hookup and although his fish tried to stay up by the bank, Chandler worked it out, fought it to a standstill ,and brought it to the boat, one that measured in the Slot at 21". We photographed and released it (too). We drifted down the bank working our floats up close and then Philip had the strong hookup. This one took off to Jacksonville but finally Philip slowed it down, wore it out, and landed a 4' Bonnethead Shark.

Back to Pumpkin Hill we went and stayed with the float rigs.  Chandler got hot and landed a keeper sized Flounder (released), a feisty Bluefish, then he set the hook on something pretty big. After playing it patiently, Chandler landed a big 19" Seatrout, big enough to move him into 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2020 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  And with that, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Capt. Lawrence Piper is a back country light tackle, fly fishing guide based out of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and specializes in Redfish, Seatrout, Flounder, Black Drum, and Sheepshead. If you’re looking for things to do a fun family outing or a day out with your angler friends,  then plan a Charter on The Anglers Mark.

First Fish, First Redfish, and Oversized Redfish

We set a couple of milestones today on the Angler's Mark when I fished with Brad Lanier and his buddy's Patrick and Matt. We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and buzzed up the Nassau River to set up alongside a flooding marsh line with plans to toss live shrimp under a float. We worked along that bank for a bit, had a bite here and there, then Matt "knocked the skunk off" when he landed a keeper sized Seatrout.

After moving down a 100 yards, we tried the same technique and here Brad hooked up, played
it perfectly, and brought to the boat a feisty Redfish, his first ever.  We fished some docks later and added a panfish sized Croaker to the box, then ran down to Broward Island to escape the wind that had picked  up (weather forecasters missed it again). Matt had the hot hand catching a couple of hungry Seatrout fishing the bottom with a jig and mud minnow.

Our next stop was up towards Pumpkin Hill. Crazy how you fish for 10-15-20 minutes and just as you're about to leave, BOOM!  Patrick had a fish on and it was big enough to pull some drag. As he patiently played it, BOOM! Brad had a hookup and Fish On! Both anglers did an excellent job working there fish to the net and together they landed a Slot Redfish each.

We moved around the corner and fished a grassy island and after Brad had tossed his bait to the backside of it, he had another good hookup. He fought it to the boat and landed their 3rd Slot Redfish.  Back around the corner we went and began to drift another marsh line. Matt was on the stern, left his bail open after a pinpoint cast as his float drifted down the grass line we both commented how good a drift he was getting and...….BOOM! Big Fish On!  This was a big one!  Matt applied the pressure, worked it out to deep water, then patiently fought the fish from the deep. After a good battle he landed a big Oversized 31.5" Redfish, big enough to move him into 3rd place in the 2020 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament - Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings) 

We hit one more spot and caught a couple of Mangrove Snapper, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Starting Out With a Bang at Amelia Island Fishing

Cary Bennett, his dad Stanley and his nephew Dalton drove down early from Blackshear, Georgia to meet me out at Goffinsville Park on a sunny morning. We had just a bit of a breeze but the backwaters were fishable so we headed over to Pumpkin Hill and set up outside of a little cove and the anglers began tossing float rigs and live shrimp on the last of an incoming tide.  We had fished for about 10 minutes when I realized that Stanley's rod was bent and his drag was ripping. Stanley fought the big fish hard to keep it out of the marsh grass as best he could, then when the fish came out

deep we began to chase it, with Stanley reeling up slack as we went with the fish. He played it perfectly and after a good battle landed an Oversized  32" Redfish, big enough to take second place in the 2020 Angler's Mark Bragging Rights Tournament, Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish.

We had only been fishing for a few minutes when Stanley hooked up again with a big fish. This fish was acting just like the previous

big Red. Stanley battled him out of the shallows then handed it off to his grandson Dalton who took over, fought it valiantly to the surface where we saw it was a big 4' Bonnethead Shark. Dalton wore it out and we lifted it in for pictures then release.

We fished Christopher Creek with jigs and shrimp and minnows but had no bites, then came back out and around to Seymore's Pointe where we tangled with some hungry Mangrove Snapper. Both Dalton and Stanley squeezed out a couple of keepers.  After fishing some dock pilings to no avail, we moved on down to Spanish Drop.

As we worked along the bank, Cary had moved to the bow and was making excellent casts to the bank and getting good drifts with his float rig when, BOOM! Fish On!  Cary played it patiently and after a good battle brought to the net a nice 21" Slot Redfish. We moved up to Twin Creeks and fished thru the outflow. Again, Cary had the hookup and put a keeper Flounder in the boat.  Dalton wrapped things up with another hard fighting Bonnethead catch, then we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Amleia Island Fishing Can We Eat It?

This morning I fished with the Saho family, Terry and Olya and their kids Sawyer and Sophia, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early for a half day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. We ran over to the outside of Tiger Island and fished some flooded marsh grass on the first of an outgoing tide. We did get some nibbles here and there and here and there, but no takers. We bounced over to another marsh line, fished a bit with float rigs and live shrimp, and did have some excitement when Olya had a strong hookup. This big fish was ripping drag and the equipment was no
match for it - the fish kept going, dug deep, and BAP! Fish Off!

We made a long run around to Lanceford Creek, fished another marsh line, then eased over to a grassy island. These anglers were making excellent casts and sure enough, when Terry got his float up near the grass, there was a strange bite. The float slowly went under and, Fish On!  Terry played it perfectly, patiently, and slowly worked the fish to the boat and we landed a big 20.5" Flounder, the biggest of the year on the Angler's Mark, and big enough to garner Terry 1st Place in the 2020 Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  Although young Sophia asked on each fish catch "Can we eat it?" This family decided to release all fish caught today.

We then made a quick run over to Soap Creek, fished a large marsh run out, then eased along "Bob's Island" and BOOM! Fish ON! Terry made the hookup, handed it off to Sophia, and then relieved her when we realized that it was a big Redfish. He fought it to the boat and landed a nice Slot Redfish. After fishing that stretch for a bit, we moved back into Lanceford and switched up to some jigs on the bottom.

Sawyer outsmarted a Perch and landed it then his mom hooked up with a fish. This one was ripping some drag. She handed it off to Sawyer who expertly worked it to the boat and Sophia did an excellent job of netting another Slot Redfish. We picked up one or two "feisty" Reds there then called it a day, another great one to be fishing at Amelia Island, Florida.

Fish Catching Morning at Amelia Island

I had Bob Blalock back for a morning of fishing here at Amelia Island,  but this time we met up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and then headed over to Lanceford Creek to fish some flooded marsh grass just as the tide started it. Bob was tossing float rigs and mud minnows and making excellent casts but we had no nibbles at the first spot. We eased down the creek a bit and fished a grass island and it was only seconds after Bob's first cast and he had a  hookup, a hungry Seatrout. He went back to the area and this time the bite was a little stronger. There was some drag ripping and after playing it patiently, Bob reeled in a nice keeper sized Slot Redfish.
That was it for that spot, though!

We moved over to Soap Creek and fished a large marsh run out, staying with the float rigs, but had not bites. As we eased up the bank and passed "Bob's Oyster Island", sure enough we got some bites. Bob landed another Trout and then on another cast his float slowly disappeared and, Fish On! Bob worked it to the boat and landed a 21" Slot Redfish. We added a small Flounder before we moved on. We worked even further up Soap Creek, charting some new territory, and caught another Trout and the smallest Redfish either of us have seen caught on a hook!

Our next move was down at Pirates Woods where we fished some docks that were protected from the wind that had picked up. We landed another Trout or two,  a Jack, another Flounder, then had a brief encounter with a huge Stingray. But the tide had almost hit bottom and the bite had slowed, so we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Isalnd, Florida.

Windy Day Makes for A Challenge Fishing at Amelia Island

Although the sun was out and chance of rain was slim, the 10mph wind forecast seemed to be "off" jut a tad this morning. I had met Alex and Laura Winter, their son Brendan, and his friend Elizabeth down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and the wind was whipping. But these anglers were up for a challenge so we headed out, turning NW up the Nassau River with plans to fish a large outflow with float rigs and live shrimp.  That first spot didn't produce a single bite but we worked our way down some docks and here Brendan hooked up with a big 18" Seatrout and "knocked the skunk off"
when he expertly landed it.

We ran back to the Spanish Drop area and fished an oyster bank that was beginning to show on the outgoing tide. Alex put a feisty Jack Crevalle in the boat and when we moved up a ways, Brendan found a hungry Seatrout.

Our next stop was fishing some rocks at Seymore's Pointe and here it was Alex who mastered the art of catching a bait stealing Mangrove Snapper.   After running down the Nassau we fished some more oysters. But Seagulls were diving out behind us so Alex began to cast to them and sure enough, BAM! Fish On! He landed another Jack, a couple of keeper sized Bluefish (we tossed them back) and another Jack or two. Then Elizabeth, fishing a jig and shrimp to the bank, hooked up and landed another nice, keeper
sized Seatrout. 

We moved down to Broward Island but the wind was kicking up the silt so it was some tough fishing but Laura came thru when she hooked up and landed the final keeper sized Seatrout of the day. Although we had to battle the wind, the sun was out and it was a great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.