Big Red Battled out From Dock Pilings

 We had what I thought was a good tide today - last of an outgoing, then first of an incoming. I had met Kristen Benton and her friend Quinton out at Goffinsville Park early - the skies were just a bit overcast and there was very little breeze, and we made our way around to Seymore's Pointe to set up current from some dock pilings and toss jigs and live shrimp to their base. Both anglers had "nibbles" but no real takers, other than a 'baitstealer" or two, but when I switched Quinton to a mud minnow, that must have done the trick! BAM! Big Fish On!

And unfortunately that big fish went straight thru the pilings and out the other side!  But Quinton was up to the task - he kept the pressure on and let that strong braid saw back and forth over the piling and when the fish came back to the middle he worked him thru - that fish didn't know who he was dealing with!  Quinton worked it in slowly and eventually landed a 26.875 fat Redfish - a sure "Champion" in any Tournament! Boy what a fish!

Kristen put a small Seabass in the boat and we had a small Trout catch before we moved on. Our next stop was back around at Nassauville where we tossed the jigs between two docks. The "demo" cast produced a Redfish bite that Kristen expertly brought to the boat. We also picked up a couple of more hungry Seatrout here.  After fishing some exposed shell banks down at Spanish Drop, to no avail, we moved up a few hundred yards and found one more Seatrout, out deep. 

Our final stop was down at Broward Island, working along the treelined bank. The first area we tried didn't produce anything, but 40' further down we got into a good Redfish bite. Kristen and Quinton took turns reeling in fish and a couple of times we had a "double" hookup - two Reds once, and a Red and Black "puppy" Drum a 2nd time. The added one skinny but Slot Red to the box then Kristen finished things up with another small Drum catch and a first of the season Mangrove Snapper. 

We had ended with a bank and had two nice Reds in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Trout Carry The Afternoon

 I fished this afternoon with Eric Stevens, meeting him up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We had a high and still coming in tide as we eased out of Eagans Creek and I wasn't feeling very confident in our prospects. We ran over to Lanceford Creek and fished between a couple of docks with float rigs and did pick up one Seatrout which got my hopes up...but then we had no more bites. After trying our luck around the corner at a grass patch, to no avail, we moved on. 

After running back down Lanceford, up the Bell, thru Horsehead and around to the outside of Tyger we set up on a corner of grass as the tide started out, and my confidence level was now up. Eric was making excellent casts and getting good drifts and I waited for the bite, and waited, and waited, again, to no avail. My confidence was shattered!

We then made the run up to the Jolley River and seeing another boater sitting on the spot I was heading to, we continued on around to the Bell and found some docks to fish. My demo cast with the jig  produced a bite and from then on we were catching fish. We worked thru a bunch of smaller fish but Eric got his limit in keeper sized Seatrout, and we thru back a couple that were of legal size.  Eric added a Redfish catch, a few Black Drum catches and a few "baitstealing" Perch. 

The afternoon had started real slow with that high tide but as it started out we had begun to get fish and as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Barely Legal

 I fished with the Langfords this morining, Glenn and Patti, meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We had the first of an incoming tide so we made our way over to Tyger Island and fished the logs. An incoming tide, no wind, and just a few bugs made for what I thought were ideal conditions, but the fish didn't cooperate with the plan. They did catch a Bluefish and a small Flounder before we moved on. 

Our next stop was over at Lanceford Creek, fishing some docks, and this paid off. We worked a few different docks and picked up fish, caught on jigs and live shrimp. They put in the box two Redfish that measured a little over 18", a Seatrout that measured a little over 15", and a Black Drum that measured a little over 14" - all "Barely Legal", but keepers just the same.  They also had a few more smaller Redfish caught. 

We then fished the outside of Tyger in a couple of places with float rigs. We may have had a few bites, but no real takers. We had a handful of fish in the box and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Fl.orida. 

Grande Slam For The Day

 I fished with the Prolog's Hand and Mary and their daughter Mollie to day, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. And after running up the Nassau to our first stop at a dock at Seymore's I was feeling pretty confident that we were going to get in to some fish today. The tide was supposedly low and just starting in, and it was at this spot, but we struggled with bait stealers swiping our live shrimp off the jigs. We did outsmart a couple of them but had no luck with any bigger fish. 

Our next stop; was down at Broward Island and even though it had been "low tide" for about 45 minutes, it was still going out. We fished a good bit and dealt with the bait stealers again, then we moved on down the way and fished back. Here, we finally got into some fish - Mollie "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch. But again, that was it. 

Back up the island we went and now that the tide had begun to come in, we finally started catching.  Mary put a keeper sized Sheepshead in the boat, then all three anglers were catching Redfish, one of which was in the Slot. Mary had a Seatrout catch which gave here an Amelia Islands Back Country Slam. When the bite slowed, we move on, heading back to Nassauville. 

Fishing between two docks we didn't get too much action, but Mary did have a strange bite, a hookup, and patiently brought to the net a almost legal Flounder to round out her very on Grande Slam. 

Our final stop was up the Nassau and into a Creek where we worked bank with logs. It was some finesse casting but they were up to it and caught a couple of Seatrout and Redfish. We had had a beautiful day and had pulled in some fish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Just a 40' Difference

 Wow!  Cool temperatures today, sunny skies, and almost zero wind greeted us this morning when I met the Szkaradnik crew down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. Joe and Karen and Karen's brother John were eager to get up the river and fish so we headed up the Nassau and around to Broward to fish the first of an incoming tide with jigs and live shrimp. Although we had a few nibbles, and Karen did "knock the skunk off" with a keeper sized Seatrout catch, it was less than I expected. I was bumbed. But we moved down the bank about 40' and BAM! BAM! BAM!  We began to get fish. Joe hooked up and played a nice 23" Slot fish to the net, then he and Karen traded catching small but feisty Reds, then Joe had another big bite and the battle was on!  He fought the fish patiently working it back in run after run and after a good fight, landed an Oversized 28.5" Redfish, boy what a fish!  That moves Joe into 2nd place in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Redfish Category.   

We caught a few more fish then moved down the island and worked back, tossing the jigs, but had no more bites. Our next stop was over at some docks at Seymore's and here Karen added a small Seatrout to the catch, and John had his first action when he hooked up and landed a small Sea Bass. We then came around to Nassauville and fished a outflow and Karen added a small Flounder to her catch, giving her an Amelia Island, Back Country Slam. 

Our next stop, after running way up the Nassau, was in a small creek. We worked back into the incoming current and Joe kicked it off quickly with a Redfish catch. We eased along that bank and almost to the end we again to get Redfish bites. We lost two to the downed trees, but both Joe and John added a couple of Slot sized Redfish to the catch. 

We had had a beautiful day and had some nice catches so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Mover Over Bragging Rights

 I was feeling a little uneasy when after hitting our first spot today and the weather seemed like it was going to be a factor in our success.  I had met Todd Schroeder, his daughter Allana, and his dad Dennis up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle early this morning and we eased out of Eagans Creek with the nav lights on. That first stop was around at Tyger Island, thinking that the tide had only been coming in for a couple of hours and maybe the downed trees would still be showing but when we arrived the tide was already up and the North wind was blowing right down the pipe. When my first "demo" cast hung on a stump it went downhill from there. We moved up the island and fished deep but had no luck and moved on. 

After running thru Tyger Basin and over to Bell we set up between two docks and fished back to the pilings. Todd had two quick good bites and then he hooked up on the third - he played it patiently and brought to the boat a Slot Redfish to "knock the skunk" off. We sat there and tinkered with bait stealers but also caught Redfish. Allana did here share, hooking up and landing multiple Reds, one Slot that had 4 Spots. Granddad Dennis was stuck on the bow so I had him drifting a fixed float down the adjacent grass line. The next thing I new he had a hookup, a bend in his line and the drag was ripping. That drag ripping made me think it was a Redfish but then it started thrashing on the water and sure enough, we he landed it, it was a big 20.5" Seatrout - the biggest Trout of the year and big enough to move Dennis into first place in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings).  When the bite slowed, we bounced down the docks and found another Redfish or two. 

We then moved around the corner and fished a bulkhead and Todd picked up the action. Fishing a fixed float in about 6' of water, he had his float disappear and, Fish On!  Todd worked it expertly to the boat and landed a big 19" Seatrout, a fish big enough to move him in to 2nd place in the Bragging Rights Tournament.  He added one more Trout to his catch total there. 

The tide had gotten up really high and we tried a couple of other spots but had no real bites so we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island Florida. 

Trout Getting Bigger

 The last couple of trips I've noticed we're picking up bigger Seatrout - in the 17"-18" range, and today was no exception. I had met Kimberly Manek and her friend Jeremy up at Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. As we eased out of Eagans Creek the wind was blowing around 10mp but it was expected to get up to 17mph before the morning was over. We made a quick run over to Bell River, up the river, and found a flooded point of grass to fish with float rigs and live shrimp. The anglers were throwing right into the wind, but they were still getting good drifts, but also had no bites. 

 

We then ran up Lanceford Creek and got in between two docks and stayed with the floats and out of th wind, we caught fish. Both anglers had good hookups and brought to the boat a handful of Seatrout, the biggest being right at 18". We then moved around the corner and drifted back to a dock and caught another Trout. After easing over to a flooded grass patch, Jeremy managed his float along side it and picked up a couple of more Trout. 

After running back down Lanceford, up the Bell, and cutting thru to Tyger we fished a large outflow with the floats, but had no luck. 

Back thru Tyger Basin we went, over to the Bell, and then a long run up it to fish some docks. Kimberly got hot here, picking up one Seatrout after another off the stern. Then Jeremy went in closer to the bank and caught the first Redfish of the day. We bumped the boat in and fished a dock and caught 2-3 more Redfish. After dropping back and fishing another dock, to no avail, Kimeberly went to the bank with a cast and on the retrieve she had a "bump", set the hook, and caught and landed another big 18" Seatrout. 

We had avoided the wind for the most part, found Seatrout action here and there, had 8 soon-to-be-filets in the box so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida 

Good Trout Bite Early

 We had a very high and outgoing tide to fish when myself, Bob Kossman, and Larry Westfall made to it to our first spot this morning. We fishing  a large outflow up the Nassau River with float rigs and live shrimp. My 'demo" cast produced a bite (I missed him) but after that Bob and Larry stayed busy catching Trout. We missed a you but caught more than we missed. A few of them were of keeper size with two being right at 17" 

When the bite finally slowed, we ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Cut and fished a stretch but the wind in our face made it a bit difficult. We came back to Jackstaff and fished a run out but had no bites.

Back thru Horsehead we went and down to some docks at Nassauville and here Larry got hot fishing a jig deep. He picked up a handful of Trout, had a big fish rip drag and come off, then he hooked up and landed a big 18,5" Trout, big enough to kick off the 2024 Bragging Rights Tournament, Seatrout Category.(scroll down the right side of this report for standings). 

We then fished Pumpkin Hill with the float rigs but had no luck then made our way up the Nassau and into a creek to fish the jigs. And here it was Bob's turn to get hot. He hooked up with a big fish that was ripping drag but it made its way under a log - we could feel it tugging and sawing back and forth when we pulled the line. We tried repositioning the boat, opening the bail, but to no avail - it finally broke off. 

But Bob was not to be deterred - he hooked up and landed a nice 20" Slot Red (no pic- accidently dropped it over the side!), but then he saved me and caught and landed another Slot Red. We added one more feisty Red before we called it a a day. And as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Within A Half An Inch

 

I fished with John Fitch and his daughter Annie today, meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. We eased out of Eagans Creek and headed down the river to try and hit a spot before others got there!  We made it!  I set up alongside some structure and the duo began to toss jigs and live shrimp, letting it fall to the bottom, and then letting the current bounce it along the bottom. We hadn't been there long before we caught some feisty Redfish. But then BAM! a big bite and Fish On!  Annie was on the rod and she patiently worked it, keeping the rod bent and pressure on. She worked it to the surface and after a good battle landed a bulky 25" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish!  

We picked  up a few more Reds there, including a "barely legal" 18" Slot, then we moved on. Our next stop was fishing some dock pilings and even though these anglers were making excellent casts, we had no real bites. Same for the next stop - perfect outgoing tide, fishing some dock pilings, no bites.

After making a long run up to Bell River we again fished between two docks with the jig and shrimp and this made the run worth it. They began to catch Seatrout and landed a good handful of them. John hooked up an landed a keeper sized Sheepshead, then caught another smaller one. We picked up a few more trout, then moved on. 

Our last stop was around at Tyger, fishing the logs and I think it was first cast, we had a double hookup! Annie expertly reeled her's in, a feisty Red, but Johns was bigger. He fought it expertly and soon landed a 24.5" Slot Red, almost as big as Annie's. It was kinda crazy, but we fished for a good 30 minutes after that and didn't get a bite!  But as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing ere at Amelia Island, Florida. 

First Cast Jinx?

 Usually when our first cast of day catches a Slot Redfish I'm thinking "that's a good start". That's what happened this morning after I met John Fredericks and Dan Forsch up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and we hit our first spot - some dock pilings down the Amelia River. We were fishing on a tide that still had a few hours to go out, tossing jigs and live shrimp and first cast, BAM! Fish on!  Dan worked him out from behind a piling, played it perfectly and soon landed a 19" Slot Redfish!

But after that we fished and fished and had only nibbles from the "bait stealers'. After trying another dock we found anglers fishing from the dock so we moved on. Our next stop was way up Bell River, fishing a bend in the river and here the "first fish jinx" was off!  Both Dan and Robert caught Seatrout - a good handful of 14" fish but they also landed a couple of keepersize. We also had one or two "big" ones get off. They also caught a handful of smaller Black "puppy" Drum. We worked up and down that bend for a while, then moved. 

A brief stop at the MOA, with oysters exposed, and the tide low and still going out, but again, no luck.

Our final stop was around at Tyger, fishing the first of an incoming tide. Again, both anglers caught fish - feisty Reds, and then Dan put a nice 25" Slot in the boat. He also found what must have been a school of 10" Puppy Drum. We fished a downed tree - Dan had made an excellent cast, let it fall down by the limbs and BAM! Big Fish On!  Dan worked it patiently and when it came to the surface we saw it was a big Sheepshead and when netted it measured right at 20" - big enough to move in to First Place in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament, Sheepshead Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). 

We had gradually built up a nice box of fish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.