One Had To Go Back

 I was fishing south today after meeting Brad Lanier down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. And I was feeling pretty good about my choice for the first spot to hit, so we ran up the intercoastal and peeled off when we got to Poteat Cut and began to fish some expose oyster beds with jigs and live shrimp on the first of an incoming tide. We worked that area good, then moved around a point and fished it with jigs and float rigs but we didn't get what we could claim as a good nibble! Ouch. 

After running thru Horsehead I slowed at some docks at Seymore's but there was a boat where I wanted to be so we kept running all the way down to Spanish Drop and began to work another shell bank with the jig and this did the trick. Right off the bat, Brad picked up a couple of small Jacks, a small but feisty Redfish, and then he had a strong bite deep, set the hook, and Fish On!  Brad played it patiently and brought to the net a big 19.25" Seatrout, boy what a fish!

We worked along the bank and picked up another big Jack, tangled with a couple of Ladyfish, then
when we got to a large drainage we paused and fished it. Brad reeled in a surprising keeper sized Mangrove Snapper, then a keeper sized Flounder, then we had an even bigger Flounder throw the hook at boatside. We switched to float rigs and mud minnows and began to catch Seatrout. On one drift a big fish crashed the bait, then hooked up and again, Fish On!  Brad fought it expertly and brought it in to the net, a 22.25" Trout - big enough to move Brad into a tie for first place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). With fairly rules, only one Seatrout over 19" per boat is allowed, so one of those fish had to go back!

A short run down to Pumpkin Hill where we drifted float rigs produced a lone Flounder. We fished the bank pretty good, moved around the pointe and drifted long a few times to pick up some small Seatrout, then we finished up over at Seymore's Pointe trying to outsmart some Mangroves. If you were keeping score we "lost" the battle but Brad did put  a handful of larger Mangroves n the box. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

The Trip Got Better As It Went Along

 

I fished north today, meeting the Yeager boys - Keith and his sons Reece and Renner - up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. We made a run up and around to the Jolley River and began to fish the "bank" with float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that still had a few hours to hit high. Reece was on the bow and got hot quick catching a good handful of small but feisty Redfish. Keith was in the middle, Renner on the stern, and both tangled with high flying Ladyfish.

We ran up the river to Snook Creek, fished a very fishy looking bank, and again they caught a couple of small Reds, then Renner hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout and hard fighting Jack Crevalle. We moved up in the creek and here Keith won a hard fought battle with a 3' Bonnethead Shark. 

The tide was getting pretty high so we moved back down the river and fished a point with the float rigs and things really heated up. Renner put another keeper Trout in the boat then all three anglers were catching fish. We had some small Trout, another Jack or two, a big Gar Fish, another Red or two, then Renner hooked up and, Fish On!  He patiently played it to the boat and landed a huge 20.75" Seatrout, a fish big enough to move him in to sole possession of 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). By the way, that fish was caught on a mud minnow.

We finished the day fishing the outside of Tyger in hopes of picking up some Flounder. Reece did hookup and land a small Flounder, but he bettered that! As we worked along the bank Reece had made a pinpoint cast to a pocket and BAM! Fish On!  This fish was pulling hard to the grass line but Reece kept the pressure on, worked it out, then expertly landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish. As we were dealing with that fish Keith went in to the same spot and BAM! Another big fish On!  This one bulled up into the grass to try and shake the hook but it was to no avail...Keith worked it out and landed a 22.25" Slot fish. The catch got better as the day went along so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

And More Trout

 Trout. They just keep coming. I had met the Dickens group, set up by Sparkle - her son David, son-in-law Domenic, grandson Chris and her brother Jack - early down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made a short run up the Nassau River and turned into the incoming current at Spanish Drop and began to work the bank with float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that still had a couple of hours to hit high.  We worked along the bank, Jack and David fishing off the stern and drifting long while Chris and his dad Domenic took the stern. Although Jack and David did pick up a couple of Jacks and Ladyfish, the stern had the "game" fish - they hooked up and landed a couple of nice keeper sized Seatrout. Jack eventually joined them and landed a couple of those Trout, too. 

We moved down to Twin Creeks and fished it for a bit then made the run down to Pumpkin Hill and set up to drift long and this did the trick. Both David and Jack, still on the stern, picked up some good fish - Jacks and Ladyfish but Domenic sneaked in behind them and pulled out another keeper sizes Seatrout. After moving up to a point and fishing down the other side, Chris had a good drift, a hookup and expertly played to the boat the biggest Trout of the day. The group added another handful of small Trout, a couple of small Redfish, and another keeper sized Seatrout. 

We finished he day over at Poteat Cut, now fishing the very first of an outgoing

tide. The sun was up and boy was it getting hot but David hung in there and pulled out the "Big Fish", a 33" Bonnethead shark to take home the GPK! And with that, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

Those Trout

I was back to work today, fishing with the Ankney "boys",  Carson, Cooper, Christian and their brother-in-law Blake. We met early this morning up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing thru the no-wake zone we headed up to the Jolley River and turned into the current (what there was) and began to toss float rigs and live shrimp up to the grass on  a tide that was high but still coming in. 

We tangled with  some Shark (one spooled Blake and is still heading west) we picked up a small Jack and a small Redfish. After moving up the river to a point we stopped and fished it and this was the "honey hole" of the day. Blake quickly put a nice Seatrout on the boat then it was a scramble to keep the lines out catching fish. These anglers ended up with 4 keeper sized Seatrout, the biggest being right at 19", one that Cooper and Carson teamed  up on. We threw back a good handful of  small Trout. They also caught a handful of small Redfish, a couple of Jacks, and a Bonnethead Shark. 

After running back to the outside of Tyger we fished one side of a creek and picked up a small Trout, then we crossed over to fill a spot where a boat had just left and had pretty good action catching small Redfish and a couple of small Flounder. We ran thru Tyger and around to Lanceford Creek and here Cooper found a good spot up by the grass and pulled out a few Redfish, all on the same beat up Mud Minnow.

We finished the day over in Soap Creek where Christian came alive, catching a high flying Ladyfish and the only Catfish of the day. We had a good box of Trout so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

Big Trout Kicks It Off

 I met Keenan Bell, his grandfather Tom and uncles Tommy and Ricky out at Goffinsville Park early this morning. There was a tide still coming in so we made our way over to Pumpkin Hill and set up to drift floats long, baited with live shrimp and mud minnows. (Note, the shrimp seemed to do better than the minnows today).  Ricky did pick up a small Jack Crevalle fairly quickly but it was Keenan who "made the headline" when he hooked up. It didn't seem like much but then as he worked it in patiently it began to rip drag and put up a battle. Keenan stayed with it and soon brought to he net a 20.5" Big Trout, boy what a fish!(and tied for 3rd place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament)  We continued to fish that bank and caught a couple of more Jacks, tangled with a couple of  high flying Ladyfish and experienced a couple of quick rips and breakoffs from Shark.

Moving down the way, Tommy, fishing out of the stern, hooked up and landed a small Flounder, and we had another quick rip from a Shark bite.

We then came back to Horsehead, ran thru, and around to Poteat Cut and set up again along a marsh line.  Tom drifted long and caught a hungry Seatrout and then we also got another Jack or two.  Moving back into Jackstaff, we worked another bank and this paid off. Ricky had made a good cast to a point of grass that had some oyster shell extending from it and just as he began to reel it back in, BAM! Big Fish On!  Ricky played it perfectly and after a good battle landed a nice 20" Slot sized Redfish.

We fished Twin Creeks for a bit and picked up a couple of small Redfish then fished then Tom had a good hookup, patiently brought it to the boat, and landed a keeper sized Flounder to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam. Tommy had a strong bite, played it beautifully, and landed the only Bonnethead of the day.  We wrapped the day up fishing some rocks at Nassauville and put a good handful of keeper sized Mangrove Snapper in the boat, and then we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

 

Surprisingly Big Trout

 

I met David Vice and Robert Stettner out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early this morning, and boy was it a pretty day...and we had a bit of breeze for the most part. We made a run thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Cut to set up fishing a tide that had just started out, tossing float rigs and live shrimp.  David was once up on the bow while Robert took up the stern, and drifting long off the stern paid off! Robert hooked up and landed a couple of nice 18" Seatrout. We tangled with a shark, and David put a feisty Redfish in the boat as we eased forward, and when we dropped back to the original spot, David put another keeper sized Seatrout in the boat. He also added a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper to the box.

After fishing around a the pointe, we ran back thru Horsehead and down to Back River where we set up and drifted a bank again with the float rigs. We had a handful of feisty Reds caught, a nice Jack Crevalle and we tangled with a couple of Ladyfish. 

Our final stop was back at some rocks at Nassauville, now throwing jigs and live shrimp. The bite was immediate and you had to be ready! This duo of anglers had to weed thru some small Mangroves, but they were able to box a good handful of keeper sized fish, the biggest being a bit over 14" that David caught. The sun was overhead and the breeze had stopped but as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

Mike Maron. We lost a good one this week.

 I've fished with the Maron family for over 10 years. When they would visit Amelia Island Mike Maron would make sure to arrange a fishing trip, and sometimes two, to get everyone out on the water and get some family fishing time in. It was always a pleasure to get to fish with Mike and his family and I looked forward to seeing them each year. 

Unfortunately I learned that Mike passed away this week. I went back into my archives and found some old photo's of Mike and his family fishing on my boat. I have to admit that it saddens me greatly to hear of his passing. Mike was a good guy. We lost a good one this week.

School Was Out

 

I fished south today, meeting Garland Clark and his son Kris down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made the run up the intercoastal and made our way to Poteat Cut to set up tossing float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been going out for about two hours. The "flip of the coin" paid off - we had only been fishing a few minutes when Kris, fishing off the bow, hooked up and battled to the boat a large Seatrout. Garland tangled with a Shark or two and boated a feisty Redfish, then Kris, fishing in almost the same spot, had another big hookup and another big Trout brought to the boat. 

We fished up in Jackstaff with the floats for a bit - picked up a couple of nice Mangrove Snapper,  then made a run thru Horsehead and down to Back River and set up drifting the floats along some now exposed shell. They must have "let the school out" because these two anglers caught caught 12" Redfish, one after the other.  Garland battled a hard fighting Jack Crevalle to the boat, then we move on.

After fishing Spanish Drop on the last of an outgoing tide, we made a short run over to some rocks at Nassauville and filled our limit catching Mangrove Snapper, the biggest being right at 13". We were fishing jigs and shrimp on the bottom. As we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

Did I Lose Count?

 

Croaker, Redfish, Jack Crevalle, Stingray, Ladyfish(kinda), Bluefish, Flounder, Whiting, Catfish,Toadfish and a Seabass.  I think I got them all. 11 different species caught today!  I had met Jen and Ted Hessing and their kids Adele and Henry up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early this morning. We made a run up to the outside of Tyger and fished a drainage with jigs and shrimp and minnows. Jen caught the FIRST FISH, a Whiting to get things started. We eased around into Jolley River and fished the "bank" with float rigs and here we had some good action.

Henry hooked up and landed a hard fighting Jack Crevalle, the PRETTIEST FISH, and Jen followed it uip with another sharp toothed fish, a Bluefish. Ted caught a couple of small Flounder then he put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat. They tangled with a couple of high flying Ladyfish

We then ran up the river to the MOA and here, we had more good action. The family of anglers caught a good handful of feisty Redfish then Adele, after making an excellent cast, hooked up and FISH ON!  She hung with it even though it was ripping drag and had a bend in her pole and after a good battle landed the BIGGEST FISH of the day, a huge Sail Catfish. Jen boated a couple of deep digging Stingray, and they also landed a keeper sized Croaker to add to their catch. Ted put another, bigger, keeper sized Flounder nt he box before we left. 

Our final stop was back at some rocks at Fernandina. Jen came close to matching the Prettiest Fish when she landed a magenta throated SeaBass, and to wrap things up, Ted hooked up and landed another , even bigger, Flounder to claim the MOST FISH caught for the day. As we headed back, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

A Different Kind of Grande Slam

 I fished with the Sleeth brothers this morning, Brad and Jared, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. We had a tide that was still going out for a couple of hours so the "plan" was to motor down the Nassau, turn into the current at Spanish Drop, and fish back along the exposed oysters, tossing jigs and live shrimp and minnows. Brad was on the bow tossing the shrimp while Jared took up the stern tossing mud minnows and all told, they were about even on the "catch rate". 

Brad "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up out deep, and after playing it perfectly, brought to the net a keeper sized Weakfish (Yellow Mouth Trout, Sand Trout). We worked along the bank and both anglers hauled in some small but feisty Redfish.  We also tangled with some Ladyfish and Jack Crevalle and a Catfish.. After moving up to a large drainage, we added another couple of small Reds and  a couple of hungry Seatrout (which made it an Amelia Island Back Country Slam).

 We then moved up to Twin Creeks and here we could see the bait getting busted and Jared zeroed in to a small pocket and pulled out a couple of keeper sized Flounder - we now had a Grande Slam! Working up the bank just a little bit further and it was Brad's turn for the big fish. He had a strong hookup and as the fish got out deeper it began to rip some drag. I was "negative Nellie", thinking it was just another big Catfish but when it flashed to the surface we saw that it was a nice Slot Redfish. Brad kept the pressure on, played it perfectly, and landed the 21" Slot Red.

We fished a dock at Seymores and pulled out one keeper sized Mangrove Snapper, then made our way down to Broward Island to catch the first of an incoming tide. Which was a waste - we didn't get a real bite. We then moved up to Pumpkin Hill and fished it thoroughly and had some good action catching small "Rat" Reds, and a handful of Seatrout. We had stayed busy with action for the most part so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a 

 US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator