Summertime Smorgasbord

 Forecasted to be a hot one today, and all week, and it was when that sun came out! I had met Bob
Kossman and his adult "kids" Marcie and Michael down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and as we headed out we had a bit of overcast skies which made for some pleasant fishing for most of the morning. We made our first run up the intercoastal and to Poteat Cut where we began fishing a shelf of oysters with jigs and live shrimp and it didn't take long to begin to get fish.

Both Marcie and Bob had hookups right off and boated  some Seatrout, Marcie's being of keeper size (all fish caught today were released). We worked that bank and this trio of anglers tangled with Sharks and Jack Crevalle and a large Catfish. Note: Last week I had a Catfish fall out of the net and it's fin barely scratched my foot, just a faint nick, and boy, it burned for an hour! We moved over to the mouth of Jackstaff and fished that stretch and again, we had Shark battles, Catfish bites, and then Marcie, fishing a bit deeper, hooked up and landed a keeper sized, and a surprise, a Weakfish! Then Michael hooked up and brought to the boat the only Redfish of the day.

After running thru Horsehead and down to Twin Creeks we again worked a bank, and again, Shark bites and Jack Crevalle. A run up to some docks at Seymore's produced a handful of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. The biggest few being right at 12". We finished the day fishing some rocks at around at Nassauville, and again caught one or two Mangroves. Typical of Summertime fishing in the back waters of Amelia Island, we had a smorgasbord of species caught so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

What Submarine?

I got to fish with my cousin today, Jim Garner, and his brother-in-law Chipper when they drove up from
Nacotee to meet me at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We eased out of Eagans Creek and headed over to Lanceford Creek to fish some dock pilings just as the tide hit dead low. We worked that dock pretty good and did pick up a handful of feisty Redfish , a Black "puppy" Drum, and a hungry Seatrout and finally Chipper did get a Red that got into the Slot.

We tried a couple of spots down the intercoastal but as we got close I could see that another Guide had beat us to it so we made the long run back around and up to the Jolley. On our way we were waylaid by one of those small Coast Guard inflatable gun boats, blue lights flashing so I slowed to allow them to catch up (hah!) he asked where we were going (the Jolley) and he yelled over some rules to follow as there was a pending submarine arrival. "OK" we yelled back, then he asked what was biting! "Redfish!"

We eased around the corner of the Jolley and fished the "bank" with float rigs and live shrimp and had a couple of Shark bites. We fished up at Snook Creek and again had Shark bites and tangled with a couple of Ladyfish. Back down the river we fished a grassy pointe and the action got pretty hot - a couple of Shark fights, a Jack fight, a Ladyfish tangle, then Chipper put another Slot Red in the boat, and Jim put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat.  

As we came out of the Jolley we never saw a Submarine so we surmised the "Coastie" was just wanting a fishing report! And as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing hear at Amelia Island, Florida. 

We Ain't Skeered of No Stinkin Rain

That's NOT what Paula Eldridge said when I spoke to her last night, but more like, "we don't mind a little rain" after I gave her the forecast of 45% chance for our trip this morning.  So we planned to meet up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp - Paula and her husband Dean and their sons Malachi and Josiah. And wouldn't  you know, when I got up this morning and looked at the forecast it was a whopping 85% chance of rain. I made sure my raincoat was packed! 

We left Old Town and eased up Eagans Creek to set up between two docks and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp to the base of pilings and on Malachi's second cast, BAM! Big Fish On!   (and that set the tone for the next two hours). Malachi played it like a pro and kept that pressure on, worked it up from the bottom, let it run, worked it in, and landed an Oversized 28.25" Redfish, boy what a fish!

From then on we were catching fish. Dean seemed to have the "hot" rod, landing a couple of nice Slot Redfish, a keeper sized Sheepshead, a small Black "puppy" Drum, and a hungry Seatrout to round out his Amelia Island Backcountry Grande Slam. Paula got in on the action and hooked up and landed another Slot Redfish and after Malachi put a nice Slot fish in the boat, they had their limit! We also picked up a a handful of Croaker and a couple of Stingray.

After making the run up to the Jolley River we tried to fish the "bank" and even though it was difficult going, Dean had his float disappear and after lifting his rod to hookup, the fight was on! He worked it to the boat perfectly and after a good battle landed another Slot Redfish.

Further up the Jolley we fished the inside of Snook Creek, tossing the anchor over in the grass and fishing off the stern and it was almost immediate that these anglers were beginning to get bites. It was Josiah's turn to have the "hot" rod. He hooked up and when his drag began to sing we knew it was a Shark. Josiah played it patiently and after a good battle landed a hard charging Bonnethead Shark. But he wasn't done. About every other cast he had a bite, a hookup, and landed more Shark.

Dean put a couple of Catfish in the boat, one of them huge, and Malachi landed another fat Seatrout. After fishing back at Tyger Island, we headed in, suffering no more than a drop of two of rain all morning, so we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

He Did a 360

 

It looks like we may  be getting wet every  day this week, and today was no exception!  Mitch Bair and I  had  watched the weather forecast last evening and even this morning and it was looking "decent" for a fishing trip today, so I met Mitch and his son-in-law Will down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and as we headed up the intercoastal to turn into the Nassau River, the weather was nice! We pulled up at Spanish Drop and began pitch jigs and live shrimp on the first of an incoming tide. We worked that first bank pretty good. Just as we were about to move on Mitch, fishing from the bow,  had a strong hookup and Big Fish On!  The fish raced up river taking Mitch down the port side to the stern, then it headed south taking him to Starboard, then headed east taking him back to the bow! Then it dug deep and stayed deep - a Shark for sure. Mitch kept the pressure on, played it patiently and eventually brought to the boat a nice 4' Bonnethead Shark, which we tossed back (all fish caught today were released).  And while we were dealing with the Shark, Will had quietly put a Jack Crevalle in the boat. 

We then ran down to Broward Island to catch the incoming tide there, and while cruising the island, we had a Bald Eagle sighting. We fished the island thoroughly but had no real bites, which surprised me just a bit.  After making the run back to Seymore's Pointe and fishing some dock pilings with jigs, the duo did pick up a handful of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper and a Bluefish.

Back up the Nassau we went, to Pumpkin Hill, and  now fishing float rigs, we began to see a bit of action with the tide up a bit. They caught another handful of Shark,  Will battled a nice 22" Slot Redfish to the net, Mitch hauled in a Flounder, and they also had another couple of Jack Crevalle and tangled with a Ladyfish. We had one more Slot Red right at the boat but it was not to be, which always helps to bring anglers back for another great day of fishing the back country here at Amelia Island, Florida

Fishing Can Be Wet

 

There were forecasted rains for today and when I met Russ Kesel and his sons Sam and Noah and Noah's girlfriend Alysa down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp we could see the big dark clouds barreling to us. But we were all up for fishing so we headed p the intercoastal, then up the Nassau, and made our first stop at Spanish Drop. After turning in to the current that had just started moving in about an hour earlier, we began to pitch to the bank with jigs and live shrimp. We worked the entire bank of shell but only had a couple of nibbles. 

A drizzling rain had started and the  SW wind was kicking at about 12mph so we decided to run up toSeymore's Pointe and that solved the wind issue. Casting back to some dock pilings were were able to get a little bit of action when Russ and Sam boated a couple of small Mangrove Snapper and Alysa hooked up and landed a Catfish.

We fished some rocks at Nassauville and here all four anglers got on the board catching Mangrove Snapper, first on jigs, but then we found that we could float a piece of shrimp up by the rocks and catch them that way. Unfortunately they didn't have any size to them.

But our next stop down at Pumpkin Hill paid off. The rain had finally slacked off and the wind had dropped just a bit. We were fishing long with the floats drifting with the incoming tide and we began to get big bites. Alysa had her float going long and when her float disappeared and she got that "clicky thing" turned over, she had a hookup and a fight on her hands! Alysa played it perfectdly and soon landed a nice Jack Crevalle. After moving around the corner all anglers did battle with some Bonnethead Sharks and landed more than we lost. Then Russ had a good hookup and we were thinking "Shark, again", but this fish never made the long run. Russ stayed with it, worked it patiently in, and landed a nice 24" Slot sized Redfish, boy what a fish. Then it was Alysa's turn to fight the big fish. After her float disappeared and she got that "clicky thing" closed, she worked it and landed a big 18" Seatrout.

We finished out the trip in that area, catching a couple of more Shark, some Ladyfish, and one more keeper sized Seatrout before we headed in and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

That Sweet Sound of Drag Ripping

 I fished with Chris Sneed and his fishing partner Chuck this morning, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early on a tide that had been coming in for a few hours. There was almost zero wind so we made our way around the south end of Amelia to fish the small jettu while we were in the area.  There was another boat on the north end so we stayed on the south and tossed jigs and live shrimp and even though they reported some "bumps" we had no takers. 

After running up the Nassau River we stopped at Spanish Drop and worked the flooding shore line with float rigs and the shrimp. The sound of drags ripping as this duo hooked up and battled Bonnethead Shark  is still ringing in my ears! We had more than a handful of shark fights. But finally, Chuck had made a good toss to the grass line and as his float slowly went under he lifted his rod and let the circle hook set and Fish On! Chuck brought it to the boat and landed a respectable Flounder for the box.

We fished Twin Creeks and beyond and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, then we made the run around to Pumpkin Hill to drift the floats long on the last of that incoming tide. Again, Shark fights were the norm, but Chris did pick up a Seatrout on a pointe. Then, finally, some more drag ripping, but this fish stayed up close to the bank and when it boiled, we knew it was a big Red!  Chris played it patiently and after a good battle landed an oversized 28.5" Redfish, boy what a fish!

After moving around the corner Chris had another hookup and I would have bet money it was a Flounder by the way it bit and fought. But as Chris worked it to the net we saw it was an uncommon Tripletail!

After that we fished Seymore's Pointe and caught a handful of Mangrove Snapper, a handful of Catfish, a couple of Ladyfish, a grunt, and a Jack Crevalle. It wasn't uncommon to hear those drags ripping so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Culling Times Two

 Most folks know that my "wind cutoff" is at 15mph. So when I got in from yesterday's morning trip and sat down for a "picnic" at Old Town Bait and  Tackle and checked my cell phone for the weather report for an afternoon trip and saw 19mph I was somewhat chagrined. But the weather was nice, just a bit overcast and the wind was out of the west so I enjoyed the lunch and waited for Michael Monroe and his fishing buddy Phil.

With that wind blowing we decided to stay in the shelter and made or way up Eagans Creek to fish jigs and live shrimp up near some dock pilings on the last of an outgoing tide. In just minutes Michael had a hookup, a good battle, and landed a 23" Slot Redfish! 2 hours later, 12 Slot Reds later, 25 fish later, I checked my watch and the fish bite had finally slowed. At one point we had 4 Slot Reds in the boat and then it hit me ( this being my 2nd trip, I was tired and it just didn't click), the limit was 1 per person!  So we culled fish and continued to cull. In addition to those Reds, Phil put a keeper sized Sheepshead in the boat, and the duo had a good handful of small but fun to catch Black "puppy" Drum. We also had one "no spot" Redfish!

After that bonanza we made our way down the intercoastal, fished some rocks for just a bit, then continued on down to Seymore's Pointe to fish another dock. We caught fish again, one after the other - good eating Mangrove Snapper. Again, they caught their limit as we ran out of shrimp and we began to cull. I remembered that I had a handful of mud minnows left so we fished them and that's when we caught our biggest Mangroves! We had a long run back to Old Town and as we headed back we were able to reflect on what a great day of fishing we'd had here at Amelia Island, Florida

Big Battles Early

 I fished yesterday morning with Tom and Theresa Gaslin, who were taking in an Amelia Island Backcountry fishing trip to celebrate their new status as fist time grandparents, congratulations! Although the weather forecast improved from the night before with a small chance of rain, the wind stayed the same, hovering between 12-16mph. After meeting at Old Town Bait and Tackle we got started just at the tide reached its peak. Our first stop was over at Bell River, fishing a flooded shell point, and it didn't take long before Teresa was tangling with a couple of high flying Ladyfish. 

When the tide started out we made our way around to the outside of Tyger and here things heated up when Teresa got into an extended battle with a 4' Bonnethead Shark. She played it perfectly and patiently and got it up along side the boat for a "leader touch" and release. We then made a run up to the Jolly and Snook Creek where it was Toms turn to battle the big Bonnethead. Again, he fought it valiantly and got it up to the boat so we could release it. But then, as we made our way across the creek mouth, Tom had a good bite as his float disappeared with a vengeance and when his drag ripped and the fish stayed close to the shore, we knew it was a Redfish. Tom played it perfectly and soon landed a nice Redfish.

Our final stop was around at some docks in Bell River, fishing the pilings with jigs and shrimp. Although we had nibbles here and there, we had no takers so we headed back. We had had some serious action early and with thoughts of grandkids lingering, as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Sharks and Rays and Reds

 

It appears the thunderstorms were moving in early today but I was able to get out and fish this morning with Melody and Scott Norton and after meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp, we made the run up the intercoastal and thru the Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill where we stationed ourselves alongside a flooded grass line right at high tide.

The wind was kicking just a but it was coming over our backs so we were able to get some drifts and it paid off when Melody hooked up and  a battled a couple of high flying Ladyfish. We moved around the corner and fished it a bit but had no real bites. After running back down the Nassau and around to Seymore's Pointe we set  up at a large drainage and fished a point of grass with the floats. Scott got on the board with a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper catch (all fish caught today were released), and then we tangled with a few more of those.

We then ran thru Horsehead and around to a small creek and began working the edge. When we got to a small run out Melody made a perfect cast to the mouth of it and this paid of in a big way! Her float disappeared and after lifting her rod and letting the circle hook set, Fish On!  Melody played it perfectly and after a good battle landed a Slot sized 19.5" Redfish. Scott was fishing off the stern and had let his float go long and as he started to reel it up, BAM! Big Fish On!  We were in for a long fight. The fish did "boil" up once by the grass and I was speculating "Big Redfish", but then it made a couple of drag ripping runs so I switched my guess to "Shark". We ended up chasing it down the river, had to work it out from behind an abandoned crab pot, then continued on with the battle. Scott stayed patient and eventually landed a nice Bonnethead Shark for photograph and release.

After fishing Poteat Cut for a bit, to no avail, we ran back thru Horsehead and fished some dock pilings with jigs and shrimp. The duo landed a handful of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper, then we moved around to some docks at Nassauville. Melody had fished her jig out deep and when the rod bent we knew she had something big. Again, we had a big, long, battle. Melody stayed with it and an exhausting fight, landed a big Stingray.  Scott went in to the rocks and caught a 16" Flounder.

Kids and Sharks

 

We had a beautiful June morning today when I met Paul Johnson and his kids Henry and Grady up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. Sunshine and just enough  breeze to make it pleasant to fish the back waters of Amelia Island. We eased out of Egans Creek and made our way over to the outside of Tyger Island and set up off a point of grass to drift float rigs an live shrimp on the first of an outgoing tide. It didn't take long before we were getting fish. After a huge fish rolled on Henry's bait, he later hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. Then Paul hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish then a small Flounder. All three anglers tangled with high flying Ladyfish. 

We moved across the way and where we picked up a couple of more Trout. Our next stop was up the Jolley River, where we fished another point briefly and here Grady got on the board with a nice Seatrout catch. Further up the Jolly, at Snook Creek, Henry had a strong bite and when his drag began to rip we knew he had a big Shark on. Henry played it patiently and after a good battle landed a big Bonnethead Shark. We caught more Ladyfish, a keeper sized Flounder, another small Redfish, then it was Grady's turn to battle the big Shark. She fought it valiantly and after a good battle landed another Bonnethead Shark.

Around at the MOA we caught a couple of small (really small) Redfish then we made our way around to Bell River to fish some docks. Paul put a Catfish in the boat and Henry wrapped things up with a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum catch. And with that, we called it day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.