Finally a Big Flounder - and a good day of fishing!

Todd Johnson and his college buddy Garrett met here at Amelia Island and took in a back country trip on the Anglers Mark this morning. We met up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp and scooted across the river to fish Tiger Island logs on the first of an incoming tide. We worked down the island tossing 1/4oz jigs with live shrimp and only had nibbles until Garrett pitched between two stumps. As he took up his slack he felt a "heaviness" and BOOM! Big fish on!  Garrett worked it to the boat as it dug deep, but he kept the pressure on and landed a big 20" Flounder - the biggest of the year on the Anglers
Mark - which set him up in first place of the 2019 Bragging Rights Tournament - Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  That was the only fish we got at Tiger! Hah!

We cruised around to the Jolley River and fished the "bank" and things sure did heat up. Todd battled a big 25.25" Slot Red to the boat, Garrett added a couple of more keeper sized Flounder, and they both had a smaller Red or two. We fished Snook Creek and picked  up a nice sized Whiting then came back up the Jolley and picked up another couple of Slot Reds and keeper sized Flounder (5 in all).

In addition to some Jacks and a rare Cigar Fish, it turned out to be an outstanding day fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Big Redfish Wraps Up The Day

We had a beautiful morning when I met Jason and Becky Garner and their two kids Emily and
Stephen down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp this morning. Not a cloud in the sky and only a slight breeze as we left the ramp and ran up the intercoastal to dip into Jackstaff Creek with plans to fish float rigs with live shrimp and mud minnows to the grass line on an incoming tide.

We had just got started when Stephen, fishing from the stern, had a hookup and landed a keeper sized Flounder to "knock the skunk off" quick! We fished along that first bank and both Stephen and Becky landed some feisty Jack Crevalle's.
After Jason battled a nice Slot sized Red to the boat we made a quick run thru Horsehead and back down the Nassau to fish some flooded shell beds.

A number of times we had strikes at our baits but no takers until Jason hooked up and landed an even bigger Jack Crevalle. Then Stephen put a hungry Seatrout in the boat. By this time Emily's casting had improved to where she was making excellent casts.   Our next stop was down at Pumpkin Hill where we fished some grassy islands. On our second pass Stephen had his float disappear and as he lifted his rod to let the circle hook set itself he hooked and landed a nice keeper sized Seatrout.

The tide was up so we were able to get into Christopher Creek. We worked some docks with jigs and shrimp and minnows but had no takers. As we approached some grass and branches Stephen made an excellent cast - pin point- and BOOM! Big Fish On! Stephen fought it perfectly as the big fish ran deep, keeping the pressure on. When the fish ran Stephen followed it to the stern and went from starboard to port and back to starboard again. After a good battle he landed a big oversized 28.25" Redfish - boy what a nice fish, and great one to wrap up a good day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Click to See video here:
https://www.facebook.com/becky.j.garner.5/videos/10219548119399161/

#7 Spot is the Charm

Back to "work" today! I fished with Alan Richardson,  his son Mark and grandson Braden, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp early. We made a quick run up to the Jolly River and started fishing the "bank", easing into an incoming tide with just a couple of hours to go before it was high. These anglers were tossing live shrimp and minnows under a float and we had a couple of good bites but no takers. We fished a couple of more spots in Jolley and only had one small "ladyfish" to show for it.

We came back to the outside of Tiger and fished
some flooded oysters and did find one nice 17" Seatrout that Braden reeled in expertly, but that was it! After fishing two more spots outside of Tiger and with only one more small Trout to show for it, we made a final run to spot #7 in hopes of finding some fish.

BOOM! Yes, there were fish!  I can't remember who started it off but all three anglers began to put fish in the boat. They landed 3-4 keeper Trout (we only kept a total of 2 fish) and then they began to get nice Slot sized Redfish. Braden had 2-3 that were over 20", Mark had a couple of Slots and a short 12-spotter, and Allen landed a few Reds and Trout. It was our 7th spot of the day and turned out to be a "game winner" for making it a great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Crusty Rod

I fished with Dennis Brizzi and his buddy Hal O'Dell today, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early this morning. The tide was still coming in just a bit so we bounced over to Pumpkin Hill and fished a "grass patch" with float rigs and live shrimp and minnows. It was slow going for a while as we drifted over a shallow flat but then we came back out to deeper water and as Hal started to retrieve his bait, BOOM! Big fish on!  Hal worked it to the boat patiently and landed a fat 23" Seatrout - a big enough fish to move him into a tie for first place in the 2019 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the
right side of this report for standings). 

We fished that area for a while and landed a couple of Redfish, one of which was of keeper size, another smaller Trout, and Hal did battle with an even bigger fish than the first Trout- this one ripped drag, made a couple of runs, then dove under the boat and BAP! Fish Off! Ouch.

We later fished Seymore's Pointe rocks but had no bites, then went around the corner and picked up a Seatrout or two. After fishing down at Spanish Drop where Dennis landed a Trout, a Flounder, and a Jack Crevalle, we went back to Pumpkin Hill to try our luck with jigs on a lower tide. Although both anglers had some good bites, we had no luck until we were just about to leave and Hal hooked  up with something big, worked it to the boat, and landed an crusty old rod and reel combo! And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

A Mixed Bag

I fished with the Humphries guys today, JR, Chad, Aiden and Nolan - meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made the run up the intercoastal and dipped into Jackstaff to begin tossing jigs and minnows and live shrimp to the exposed oysters with a few hour left of an outgoing tide. JR, Chad and Aiden were pitching the jigs and Nolan was drifting  a float out of the stern and it was Chad who "knocked the skunk off" with the hookup and catch of a big Bluefish. He followed that up with a landing of a keeper sized Flounder then it was Aiden's turn to get in on the catching.

After tangling with an aggressive Jack Crevalle, Aiden was on the bow fishing the down side of a sandbar and found a couple of hungry Seatrout that took his jig and shrimp. We then buzzed thru Horsehead and down the Nassau to fish some run outs and oyster beds.  Aiden hauled in nice "almost legal" legal Redfish then Logan hooked up and battled another to the boat.

Our next stop was back at some docks at Seymore's Pointe. The first dock didn't produce anything. But just as we pulled up to the 2nd one, Aiden made a perfect cast and BOOM! Fish On! He worked it patiently to the boat and soon landed a nice 19" 10 Spot Redfish - one for dinner!  We briefly fished Broward Island on the last of the outgoing tide but had absolutely no bites but it was a beautiful day so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Fish'n Fun

I've fished with Wes Matheney for a number of year now but today he brought along his son Jack to give him a little exposure to some Amelia Island back country fishing. After meeting up at Dee Dee Bartels Park we made the short run to the outside of Tiger and fished some jigs and mud minnows at a large outflow. Although we had a "bump" or two, we had no takers so we eased around to Jolley Bank.

I was trolling into the last of an outgoing tide, Wes was pitching the jigs and minnows, and Jack was arranging "families" of grubs on the bow deck when Wes hooked  up and hauled in

the first fish, a Flounder of keeper size (All fish caught today were released). We worked slowly along the bank and picked up a nice slot sized Redfish, then we landed another, even bigger Flounder.  After tangling with a feisty Jack Crevalle, we made a move up the river.

We had worked the oysters at the mouth of Snook Creek and saw some sharks cruising the bank but we hadn't had much luck until Wes's line begin to rip and, Fish On! We new this was a bigger Redfish when it boiled at the shoreline. Wes kept the pressure on, worked it to the boat, and soon landed a nice 22.5" Slot Red.

We fished a little bit at Tiger Island then the sun really got up and we decided to head on in and let Jack enjoy the rest of his day at the pool! It was great day to be out on the water and introduce a young future angler to fishing.

Flounder Are Biting

I had the pleasure of fishing with Wes Matheney who was in town with his family again this year. We met down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and made a short trip up the  Nassau River to begin fishing some marsh run outs and exposed oysters. Today was the first day I purchased mud minnows for bait and boy did it pay off!

Wes hooked up and landed a nice keeper sized Flounder right off (all fish caught today were released) then he had a bigger one to the boat and not uncommonly, it threw the hook. Ouch! But it didn't matter because Wes found a few more that he landed- all of keeper size-  not massively big but definitely good enough for table fare!

When Wes had  a strong hookup and his drag began to rip and the fish didn't budge off the bank we knew he had a big Redfish on. Wes fought it expertly and patiently worked it to the boat. After a long battle he landed a big oversized 32.5" Redfish- too big to keep- but good enough to squeeze in to 2nd place in the Anglers Mark 2019 Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  This fish had a recent wound from what must have been a dolphin attack. He was having bad week, but he swamp off to the depths when we released him.

Wes picked up a couple of Slot Reds, a couple of small Reds and had another keeper sized Flounder down at Broward Island, then we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

19, 20, 22, 25.5 and 26.75 (inches) They just kept getting bigger!

I fished on a beautiful morning today with Bob Blalock, meeting him out at the Goffinsville Park
boat ramp. We made a bee-line for some flooding oysters where Bob had put a 36" Redfish in the boat about a month ago. Bob was tossing live shrimp under a float and we had some good action right off- landing some small but feisty Jack Crevalle, a keeper sized Seatrout, a big Bonnethead Shark, one Slot 19" Redfish, and a keeper sized Flounder (all fish caught today were released).

As the tide got up we then came back to Pumpkin Hill and fished a small grass patch. Boom! Bob picked up a 20" Redfish. Boom! Bob picked up a 22" Redfish. Then he boated a nice 18" Seatrout.

We came back around a point and drifted in

close so that we could work the flooding marsh grass and, FISH ON! This was a big fish, ripping drag and digging deep. Then it made a run for the grass, got tangled up, but came out to the deeper water. Bob worked it patiently to the  boat and soon landed a big 25.5" Redfish, boy what a fish. Not minutes later, after he went back to the same general area, BOOM! Big Fish On! This one really messed up - it came out deep fairly quickly  and it was only a matter of time before Bob had subdued the beast and we netted a nice 26.75" Redfish. Now that's the way to have a great time of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Ladies Get Things Going

I fished with Joanne Esch, her husband Frank and their friends Kim and Jim this morning, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We ran  up the Nassau River and eased in between some docks and began to pitch float rigs with live shrimp to a marsh line on a  high and outgoing tide. We had zero bites at the first spot, but when we eased around a dock to fish the other side it was only minutes before Joanne hooked up and landed  feisty Redfish. Then she caught a small Jack Crevalle (the first of the year for the Anglers Mark)(and by the way, I saw Rosette Spoonbills for the first time yesterday)
and then she added a Seatrout.

We ran back east on the Nassau and set up fishing some flooded oysters. Kim and Jim were fishing the stern and it was Kim who hooked up - a nice keeper sized Seatrout. And shortly afterwards she caught another Trout.

I was beginning to think if the guys had come to fish! But sure enough, they got busy - Frank caught a Flounder, then Jim tangled with a high flying Ladyfish. And later he caught a small Sheepshead down at Broward Island. We had a beautiful day and it was great fun to get out on the water her at Amelia Island, Florida.

The Stern Of The Boat

Even though the weather forecast was calling for 70% chance of rain by mid morning today, we went fishing anyway - and I'm glad we did because we didn't have a drop of rain the entire trip! I met Gregg and Dannie Fitgerald and their dad Guy up at the north end boat ramp and after making a short run to the outside of Tiger we began fishing with jigs and live shrimp at a nice marsh run out on an outgoing tide. Only minutes later, Guy, fishing from the stern,  hooked up and put a good tasting Whiting in the boat.

We eased around the corner and fished Jolley "bank" and shortly Dannie's float slowly went

under. She lifted the rod and hooked up and soon reeled in a  small Flounder.  Then Guy hooked up with a nice fish that was pulling some drag and, Fish OFF! Ouch. But he was not to be deterred. Just a minute later he had another hookup and caught a nice keeper sized Trout. Then,  as we eased along the bank, I heard a drag being ripped and when I looked back I could tell that Guy had a big fish on. He played it perfectly  and even though the fish got back in the current he eventually landed a nice 24" Redfish, boy what a nice fish!  Dannie added a high flying Ladyfish to the catch then we moved on up the Jolley, fished Snook Creek and did battle with a Bonnethead Shark, then made a stop at the MOA.

It was Gregg's first cast to the oysters and he said as his jig came down the bottom, BOOM! A fish  hit it . Gregg worked it to the boat and landed a nice 18" Seatrout. Gregg landed one more hungry Trout there before we moved on.  Our next stop was around at some docks at Bell's River but we had no luck there. After making the run back towards Fernandina, we made a stop at a huge pointe of oysters and here Gregg wrapped things up with one more keeper sized Trout.  Although the fishing wasn't "on fire", this trio of anglers ended up with a nice catch of fish so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.