Lot's of Action Leads to Keeper Fish

The Maron family was back in town - Mike and Shannon and their "kids" Libby, Haley and Troy. I met them early this morning up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park and we ran over to the outside of Tiger to fish the very first of an outgoing tide with float rigs and live shrimp.  I think the first and second casts produced fish -Haley landed a keeper sized Seatrout and Troy put another hungry one in the boat, too.
We had a real good flurry of fish catching after that -small but fun-to-catch Trout, a shark, and a small Red or two.

Shannon was providing logistical support - providing sunscreen, ice waters, snacks, and quite encouragement.

After fishing a nice marsh runout further up the island with jigs and shrimp, and getting one nice Flounder to the edge of the boat, and the Flounder doing what they do best by throwing the hook at the boat, we continued on around to the Jolley and up to Snook Creek. Mike landed a small Red, we had another Shark hookup and a couple of other bites.

We dropped back and fished Jolley "bank" and here things heated up with keeper sized fish. Both Mike and Haley battled and landed Slot sized Redfish then Libby added to the table fare when she put a nice flatty Flounder in the boat. We had a couple of Trout, a feisty Black "puppy" Drum and another small Red or two.

We ended the day around at Tiger Island logs and Troy had a good flurry of catches before we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Perseverance Pays Off

Back to "work" today...fishing with Hughes boys. I met Ted and his sons Webb and Charlie down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and after the brief safety orientation, we headed up the intercoastal and dipped into Jackstaff. Ted was convalescing but the two young anglers were tossing float rigs and mud minnows (it's Monday - no live Shrimp!) up to the marsh run outs and making perfect casts and getting excellent drifts and....no real bites!  We fished the mouth of Jackstaff, switching to jigs eventually and even though we had a few nibbles, no takers.

After running thru Horsehead we fished an

ambush pointe with the float rigs and again, maybe a nibble or two, then Charlie had his bait literally chased down and engulfed - Shark on!  Charlie made short work of this fish and landed it easily for pictures and release. (All fish caught today were released) After easing around the corner and fishing some structure Charlie had made a good cast to the bank and when his float disappeared he took the slack up and set the hook and, Fish On!  He played it patiently to the net and landed a nice feisty Redfish.

We made the quick run down to Broward Island and went back to the jigs. Charlie landed a hungry Seatrout and finally, Webb's rod heated up!  He caught a handful of feisty Redfish and Seatrout and then he and Charlie teamed up on a "double" hookup, both reeling in Redfish.

Although things started out slow, both of these young anglers showed patience and their perseverance paid off with some fun fish catching action here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Young Anglers Top The Board

I wrapped my week up today fishing with the Rowland family, Michael and Heather and their two kids Jonah and Jesse. We met up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early and headed over to the Jolly River to fish the "bank" on an outgoing tide with jigs and minnows and live shrimp. We had been working up current for just a short while when Jonah, after making an excellent cast to the bank, had a strong hookup and, Fish On! Jonah played it perfectly, keeping the pressure on and working the big Redfish to the boat - we saw it "boil" a couple of times  - and we soon landed a nice 20" Slot sized Redfish. Skunk knocked off!

We continued to work the bank and picked up a couple of smaller Reds then Michael had a strange bite and a fish that wanted to stay on the bottom. He worked it slowly to the surface and we netted a keeper sized Flounder (all fish caught today were released). Michael added a hungry Seatrout to wrap up an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Redfish, Flounder and Seatrout - and as he was fighting it Jesse had a hookup. She had made a pinpoint cast to the edge of the oysters and BOOM! Fish ON! She fought it valiantly and soon landed another Redfish that was right at Slot sized, boy what a fish!

After running further up the Jolley we stopped at Snook Creek and here Jesse's rod stayed hot as she put a couple of feisty Redfish in the boat. She was neck and neck in the "fish count" with her dad but then Michael got hot. He put 2-3 Croaker in the boat then a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum and now they had a "Grande Slam"! After easing around to the MOA Jonah caught his second breath and began to catch fish - a couple of feisty Reds and a Seatrout.

We fished Tiger logs briefly but the sun was up and it was getting hot so we did a short tour of the southern end of Cumberland and Ft. Clinch before calling it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Big Fish Wrap Things Up

You just never know when that big fish is going to hit!  I had been fishing with Todd Shcroeder and his dad Dennis all morning today - we caught a couple of small Seatrout over in Jackstaff, working jis and mud minnows on the bottom, and when we made it over to the Nassau River, fishing shell beds, Dennis picked up a nice keeper sized Flounder and they had a few "feisty" Redfish caught.  But, although the duo were making excellent casts and working the bank expertly, we just weren't getting any decent fish.

Our last stop was over at Seymore's Pointe where
we switched to float rigs and minnows (no shrimp today). We fished down the bank slowly and finally, Todd's float disappeared and when his drag ripped, we knew he had good fish. Todd worked it patiently to the boat and soon landed a Slot sized Redfish.  And shortly after that Dennis's float disappeared with a vengeance. Dennis caught up to it, set the hook and, Boom! Big Fish On!  He fought it to the boat and I was thinking, "another Slot Red", but know, as I netted it I saw that it was a huge Seatrout! Boy what a fish! Now that's the way to wrap up a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Kinda Spooky

I fished yesterday morning with Alex and Jesse Deen, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and heading up the Nassau River to make a quick stop along a shell bed on an outgoing tide. The forecast had called for about 25% chance of rain...and I think it was all headed for the Nassau River! We had only been fishing for a few minutes, bait was getting busted, things were looking right, and Alex hooked up and had a good fight on his hands - a nice Jack Crevalle. But off across Amelia Island and heading our way was a couple of huge rainstorms so we pulled up and raced to Goffinsville with one of
them right on our stern, but we made it! After the storm had passed, we went back to that same edge and here Alex picked up a nice keeper sized Seatrout.

Jesse's casting was on target and when we got to the next stop - some docks as Seymore's Pointe - she got in on the action. She landed a feisty Redfish and then a feisty Black "puppy" Drum and the duo added a small Croaker to the mix. With rainstorms all around, both Jesse and I commented that it looked "kinda spooky"!  We fished Broward Island for a good while where Jesse added another Redfish to her catch, then we came back to the Horsehead area to fish some structure with float rigs. Jesse had made an excellent cast and within seconds her float went under with a vengeance and, Fish On! She played the big fish expertly and after a good battle landed a nice Slot sized Redfish, making it a great way to wrap up a "spooky" fishing trip here at Amelia Island, Florida.

First and Third and Tied

We got an early start down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp when I met the Allen family, Cami and Glen and their son Walker. There was just a slight breeze as we ran up the intercoastal and made a stop at the mouth of Jackstaff. The trio of anglers were pitching jigs and mud minnows - no shrimp today on the very last of an outgoing tide, and boy was it low! We worked up the bank and it seemed like Glen was going to be the only one catching fish! He boated an ugly old Toad Fish, a Catfish, and a Whiting at that first stop, giving him a tally of three fish.

After buzzing thru Horsehead we fished some docks over at Seyomore's Pointe and here Walker hooked up and expertly reeled in a feisty Redfish. We bounced around the corner and began fishing float rigs along some structure and I think Cami's first cast produced a bite and , Big Fish On! She played it patiently to the boat and landed a big 23.5" Seatrout, big enough to put her in 2nd place in the Angler's Mark 2018 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category. After battling a hard fighting Jack Crevalle to

the net, we moved down the way and again Cami had a strong hookup. This was a big fish! Cami worked it to the boat and landed a BIGGER 27" Seatrout - the biggest of the year on the Anglers Mark (and coincidently, tied for 2nd in the biggest ever on the Anglers Mark).
For Bragging Rights standings, scroll down the right side of this report. Cami now holds First and Third place in the Seatrout Category. This gave Cami a tally of three fish.

We fished Broward Island for a bit and here Walker got back on the board with another Redfish catch and as we fished Pumkin Hill, walker reeled in an aggressive Blue Crab! This was Walker's third catch of the day - the anglers were tied! So we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Hot Handed Angler

I was fishing north for a change today, meeting the Pelletiere boys - Len, his son Scott, and grandson Kevin - early and heading quickly over to the Tiger logs to catch that first of an incoming tide. We began by pitching jigs and live shrimp to likely spots and it was Scott who "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up with a keeper sized Seatrout.  Kevin matched that with a feisty Redfish that was just slightly under the Slot then Scott upped that with a keeper sized Flounder. Kevin stepped up an put a big 20" Seatrout in the boat and for about an hour or so it was all Kevin. He caught and landed two Slot sized Redfish and we picked up another fish or two (one was a small Black Drum - they had a "Grande Slam already!) then we headed up to the Jolley River.

Although the conditions were great - calm water, incoming tide, and little wind we didn't get a whole lot of fish here, other than a nice keeper sized Flounder that.....Kevin put in the boat.

We made the run back to the outside of the boat, set up at an ambush pointe over some shell bottom and all three anglers began to catch Seatrout. Scott had a big 19" Trout, Kevin added another keeper, and granddad Len landed a few Trout, manning the stern. It was getting slightly hot and the tide was getting high so after hitting a couple of quick spots, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

  

Quick Start to a Beautiful Day

What a great way to wrap up a great fishing week here at Amelia Island, Florida. I had met Jack Ciapriani out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp and we made the short jump down to Broward Island to catch the first of an incoming tide. The water was like glass, the sun was coming up and nature was coming alive at the island. Jack was tossing jigs and live shrimp and in short order he had a keeper sized Sheepshead in the boat. He caught a couple of feisty Redfish as we worked the bank and later put a big Seatrout in the boat.

We eventually made the run back to Seymore's
Pointe and fished some dock pilings and flooding oyster beds, but we had no real bites - unless you count the Catfish and Toad fish! We dropped down the Nassau River and began fishing oyster beds with a float rig. Jack had tossed up into a shallow area and when his float slowly disappeared, he tightened his line and set the hook and, Fish On!  Sure enough, the unique bite signified a Flounder, and a keeper sized one at that!

We made one more stop down at Pumpkin Hill, tangled with a Bonnethead Shark, then called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

A Fishing Day Filled With Action

Even though there was some dark clouds hanging over south Georgia early this morning, our side was clear when I met the Jones group - Chris and his two son's Alex and Andrew, and Alex's girlfriend Susanna. The water was like glass as we made our way up to the Jolley River with plans to fish the incoming tide with float rigs and live shrimp and mud minnows. We picked a bank with an oyster shell bottom and began working up current, tossing the floats and baits up near the grass. Alex "knocked the skunk  off" when he
landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout, Chris pulled in a feisty Redfish, then young Andrew, manning the stern, hooked up and landed a keeper sized Flounder.

After running further up the river, we fished another flooding marsh line and the action got hotter. The anglers were catching Bonnethead Sharks then Susanna found another keeper sized Seatrout to reel in. Andrew and Alex had a "double" hookup with Seatrout and the group battled another couple of Sharks.

We came back to Tiger Island and got into some keeper sized Flounder. Susanna landed two, Andrew landed another, and Chris landed one, all of keeper size. After Chris tangles with a high flying Ladyfish, we moved on, running thru Tiger and around to Bell River.

We'd had a great day of weather - just a slight breeze and the Georgia clouds had crept over the state line and kept it overcast for most of the trip and even though it was almost mid day, the fish were still biting!  Alex and Susanna had a double up on Seatrout with Susanna's measuring to be the biggest of the day then both Andrew and Alex battled Shark to wrap the trip up. We caught fish at every spot and all four anglers put keeper sized fish in the boat, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Jack Be Nibble

Today marked my last trip out of Sawpit this week! I had met Chip Lobeck, his son Sullivan and his father-in-law Ron early this morning and we headed up the Nassau on a tide that had been coming in for a few hours. We made a quick stop at some docks at Seymore's Pointe and pitched the pilings with jigs and all three anglers "knocked the skunk" off, individually. Sullivan got on the board first with a nice Catfish catch, and while he was reeling it in, Chip boated a Croaker, and later Ron put a hard fighting Black "puppy" Drum in the boat.

We crossed over to the mouth of Jackstaff, fished it thoroughly, then rounded the corner of the Nassau to fish some rocks. Young Sullivan had a few nibbles that took his bait, but he went back to the same spot and hooked up with a hard fighting Jack Crevalle. We then headed up the Nassau to fish Pumkin Hill. It took while, but finally Ron found a hungry Seatrout then we had some good action. Chip had something big swipe at his live shrimp on float a couple of times, then on the third attempt Chip hooked up. We

could tell right off that this was a bigger fish and sure enough, after a patient fight, Chip landed a nice 19" Seatrout. Shortly after that Ron, drifting his float long, had it disappear and he hooked up. It was a long haul but Ron worked it in and landed another big 19" Trout.

We fished Christopher Creek with no luck and made one final stop heading back down the Nassau. Ron boated a high flying Ladyfish, Sullivan put his second Jack Crevalle in the boat, then Chip hooked up with something big. I was calling "shark" as it headed deep, ripping drag, and dashing under the boat.  Chip worked it out from under the boat, played it perfectly, and landed a nice 22" Slot sized Redfish! Now that's the way to wrap up another day of fun fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida!