Itsy Bitsy Baits

I fished south again today with another Mathews crew -Will and  his wife Kara and his sister Becky. I was short on bait so I set a minnow trap out then began to troll along the shore casting for finger mullet.  We got a dozen or so of nice mullet then when we checked the trap we had a 100 mud minnows, but they were mostly all not more than an inch long. We went fishing!

Our first stop was up the Nassau River and all three anglers were tossing jigs and minnows to a large marsh run out and almost immediately began hooking up with small but feisty Redfish. Becky was on the bow catching fish while Will took up the stern catching fish. Then, Will had a strange bite- thought he may be hung on an oyster - but it pulled back and, fish on!  Will worked it to the boat and landed a keeper size Flounder.

After moving down the river a bit we fished an oyster lined bank but we could see some fish busting bait up in a "twin" run out. As we reached that area both Will and Kara had strong hookups, noting that the fish hit their bait immediately when it hit the water. We had a double! Both lines were ripping and running and before long, each had landed a nice Slot Redfish.

We tried fishing Broward Island on the first of an incoming tide - the perfect time to be there - but we had no real takers, other than one feisty Redfish. With just minutes to spare, we came back to Spanish Drop, fished float rigs, and just before pulling up and heading in, Will hooked up and put one more Slot Red in the boat. And with that, we counted it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Right off the bat

After a day off I was fishing again today with Jay Mathews, his son Jim and his fiancé Natalie, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We ran up the Nassau River and made our first stop at marsh runout on the very last of an outgoing tide. Within a few casts all three anglers were catching fish. One feisty Redfish after another, with Natalie boating her first Redfish, ever.  Then Jim got hot catching Flounder, two of which were of keeper size.  Jay had a hookup and when I heard his drag begin to sing, I knew we had a bigger fish. This one took him from the stern of the boat, up to the bow, back to the stern and then from port, around the engine and over to the starboard side. Finally, after a good battle, we landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish.  Only minutes later Jay hooked up with another big fish. This one went deep, never rolled, and I had just commented that it could  be a Jack and sure enough, Jay landed a big Jack Crevalle.  We left 'em biting and headed down to Broward Island.

There was all kinds of bait getting "busted" at a marsh runout but it was at the "honey hole" where Jim hooked up. This was a nice fish too but instead of it coming out deep it ran parallel to the bank and found its way under a tree limb and the line locked down. We gave it some slack and both of us felt it try and run a couple of times but finally the Wiley fish broke the line.

Our final stop was back at Spanish Drop and here Jay tangled with a couple more Jacks of the smaller variety. The sun was up and the bite slowed so we headed in and counted it as another great day to fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

(Video to come - I forgot my cord!)

We Caught Fish

I was back up north today to wrap a week of fishing up, meeting the Todd Stuart family - he and his wife Iana, son Henry and niece Sydney up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. We made the short run up to the Jolley River and fished the "bank" on a tide that had been coming in for a couple of hours.  It was Sydney who "knocked the skunk off" when she boated a feisty Redfish then Henry followed that up with a catch of his own.  We got to one spot and had a good flurry of catches - Henry put the first Mangrove Snapper of the year in the boat then Iana bested that with an atypical Spanish Mackerel catch. We had Ladyfish, Grunts, Spots, Pinfish, and more feisty Reds.

After running up the river Todd switched to a jig and shrimp combo and he said he had just made his cast when BOOM! Big fish on! He played it perfectly and soon landed a nice 24" Slot sized Redfish. After that he hooked up and landed a fat keeper sized Seatrout. Iana added to the keeper catch with a nice Whiting.  We fished one more spot in the Jolly then came back to the outside of Tiger. Henry got hot catching one hungry Seatrout after another.  Then, after buzzing thru Tiger Basin around to the Bell, Todd hooked up and landed an "almost" keeper Trout and Sidney wrapped it up with a Trout catch of her own. We had good action all day long catching most of our fish on float rigs and live shrimp but when we ran out of shrimp, the mud minnows caught fish, too, making for a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

And Then There Was a Big Fish

I fished south today, meeting the Smith family - Mark and Angie and sons Winston and Zach down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We ran up the intercoastal and then in to Jackstaff, turned, and fished the incoming tide with float rigs and live shrimp. We were getting bites here and there and finally Angie "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Jack Crevalle catch. We had a couple of good "takes' along that bank but they broke our 15# leaders.

After buzzing thru Horsehead we fished some docks with jigs and shrimp at Seymores  but had no bites then we eased down the Nassau to Spanish drop and began working a flooded shell bank. Mark picked up another hard fighting Jack Crevalle then after Zach had made an excellent cast to the grass line, BOOM! Big Fish on!  Zach played it perfectly and after a good battle landed a nice 24.5" Slot Redfish!  We continued to work that bank and BOOM!  Winston had been fishing jig up near a point of grass and I thought for sure he had a big Flounder on. The fish went deep and stayed deep, then took Winston around the engine, but he kept the pressure on and soon landed a 19.5" Seatrout.

We headed down to Pumkin Hill and fished a couple of spots. Just as we were about to leave Mark hooked up and landed another keeper sized Seatrout to wrap up another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Feisty Fish

Boy was it a hot one again today! We're needing to schedule our trips early morning and try and beat the heat. Today I met the Davis family again - Carl and Sherrie and their daughter Hannah - this time meeting up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park. We made the run up to Jolley River and fished the "bank" with mud minnows under floats on a  high and incoming tide.  Although we had few nibbles we had no takers. After moving up the river a bit to the "Stick" Sherrie had a huge bite - one that ripped drag and went deep - but thru the hook! Ouch. Carl later "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch.

We came back and fished the outside of Tiger and this did the trick for some action. All three anglers hooked up and landed some hard fighting Bluefish. We moved around to Bell River and picked up a couple of more Trout before ending up over in Lanceford Creek. Sherrie fought a high flying Ladyfish to the boat then had a Redfish roll on her bait, come back and take it. Sherrie worked fought it for a second or two but this one thru the hook too!  Not 10 yards from that spot Carl hooked up and landed the final fish of the day, a nice feisty Redfish which wrapped up another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Nice Trout Big Slot Red

These anglers travelled a long way to fish the back waters of Amelia Island! I met Russ Kessel who had his son Noah and friends Zach and Brayden up at the north end ramp and with just an hour and half of an incoming tide left, we headed over to the Jolley River and set up fishing the "bank" with float rigs and live shrimp, and minnows.  Although we didn't have a whole lot of action, Noah did "knock the skunk off" with a seatrout catch.  After moving down way to the "stick" we had only been fishing for a bit when I heard Russ's drag begin to rip..Big Fish On!  Luckily this fish went deep and as good as Russ was playing him, I felt confident that he was "in the net". Sure enough, after some good, drag ripping runs, Noah netted his dad's 26.5" big Slot Redfish!

We came back and fished the outside of Tiger and had minimal bites at the first spot, but after crossing a creek things heated up pretty good. Noah and Brayden were fishing the bow and got into some hungry Seatrout then Noah put a nice 18" Trout in the boat.  Zach got on the board with the first and only Flounder of the day catch.

After re-supplying with bait (we burned thru the live shrimp with "baitstealers", we ran up Lanceford Creek and fished the first of an outgoing tide at a marsh run out and it paid off. All four anglers were catching fish - we had some nice Trout, then some bigger Trout, then both Brayden and Zach tangled with some high flying Ladyfish. After one more spot where Noah boated a feisty Redfish, we called it a day, another great one for fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Another Amelia Island Slam

Boy it was a hot one today! We did have a slight breeze but it wasn't much! I had met Carl and Sherrie Davis and their daughter Hannah down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and after we had made the run up the Nassau River to fish the Pumpkin Hill area we settled in to fish float rigs and mud minnows. We had a few good bites and finally Sherrie "knocked the skunk off" when she hooked up and landed a fat Seatrout.  Later, Hannah added one to the catch.

We fished some docks at Seymore's Pointe then tried our hand down at Spanish Drop. Sherrie fought and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle then Carl got on the board. He was fishing floating a minnow up near the bank when BOOM! Fish ON! Carl's drag was zigging but he kept the pressure on, worked it to the boat and landed a Redfish that was right at Slot Size.

Our final stop was around at Jackstaff and here Hannah wrapped things up when she caught a Flounder to round out the family team's Amelia Island Back Country Slam which made for a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Slam For The Fry Pan

I fished with Greg and Kim Adams today, meeting them down at he Sawpit Creek boat ramp. Our initial run was a long run - up to Pumpkin Hill to take advantage of a high and outgoing tide. These anglers were tossing fixed float rigs and mud minnows on circle hooks and making excellent casts. We had a few bites then Greg "knocked the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch.  We fished Pumpkin Hill and then down towards Broward but had no more real bites.

Our next stop was back at Twin Creeks and here we switched to jigs and the minnows. Kim was fishing out a bit and this did the trick when she
hooked up and landed a nice Trout. We moved down to another run out and BOOM! Fish On! Kim worked it to the boat patiently and landed a 17" keeper sized Flounder. We moved down a bit more and BOOM! Kim's drag was ripping! She fought the fish valiantly and expertly landed a 19" Slot Redfish. Later, Greg put a feisty Red in the boat.

After running thru Horsehead we fished a sandbar pointe and here Greg hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. We had a few more Trout then wrapped the day up with a huge Catfish bite! It was  a beautiful day and a great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Jack On A Fly

Thursday I fished with Rick Keyes, his sister Christen, and her son Ryan, meeting them down at the south end ramp. We made the short run up the intercoastal and dipped in to a creek off of Jackstaff to fish an outgoing tide. Ryan was on the bow fishing a fixed float rig with mud minnows while Rick was at the stern tossing a fly rod.  We worked a large runout for a while, then up the bank, but had no real bites.  We then backed out to Jackstaff and fished a bank of oysters.

Ryan switched to a jig and minnow setup and promptly hooked up with a small Flounder to “knock the skunk off”. He later boated a fat Seatrout fishing the point of a sandbar. Rick was making excellent casts and getting good loops and had a “bump” now and then but had no takers.

We buzzed thru Horsehead, fished a dock at Seymore’s Pointe (and got to see some close-up manatee’s) then ran down to Spanish Drop. Ryan picked up a couple of feisty Redfish then Rick’s perseverance paid off! He had a hard bite and a hookup on the fly and stripped it in slowly to the boat, landing a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.

We fished one more spot at Spanish and Ryan landed another Flounder, then we wrapped things up down at Broward Island. It was another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Fun Family Fishing

I fished with the Hinote family on Wednesday, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp. Along with Tommy and Cindy we had their two sons Bennett and Aiden. We made a short run over to Eagans Creek and fished just north of some docks and did pretty good, catching a handful of small but feisty Redfish. Then we eased around to another set of docks and here things heated up just as we were about to leave. Tommy was fishing deep with a jig and minnow and after he felt a “bump” he set the hook and had a pretty good fish on. Tommy played it perfectly and soon landed a nice 18” Seatrout. Then both Bennett and Aiden got in on the action catching those Trout out in deeper water.  Before we left, Bennett had a strong bite and when his drag began to rip I knew it was a bigger fish. He played it perfectly and his dad netted a nice 20” Slot Redfish.

We made the run up the Bell River and fished some docks there. Bennett landed a small Flounder (to give him an Amelia Island Back Country Slam) and a small Croaker.  Our next stop was around at the MOA. There wasn’t much action until Aiden pitched a float rig up by the oysters – his float disappeared, and being ever alert, Aiden set the hook and reeled in a nice keeper sized Flounder. 

Our next and final stop was around at Jolly “bank”. Tommy was fishing a jig off the  bow while the two young anglers fished float rigs. Tommy began to get into some small but fun-to-catch Reds, then Aiden reeled in a Red (to give him an Amelia Island Back Country Slam). Bennett had switched back to the jig and it paid off with a Redfish catch of his own. We fished down to the last mud minnow and “left ‘em biting” so as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.