Weeding Thru Rat Reds to Find the Slots

 With my boat trailer repaired I was back out at Goffinsville Park, meeting John Raker, Kenny King, and John's mother Betty early for a half day of Amelia Island back water fishing. We had bait - seven dozen live shrimp, about a dozen mud minnows, and I cast netted for about 4 dozen finger mullet - and we went thru all of it! After leaving the ramp we headed over to Horsehead, ran thru it, and around to Poteat Cut where we set up on a tide that had been going out for about 2 hours. Using float rigs, the trio of anglers drifted the bank and caught fish. Jacks and Ladyfish then rat Reds and more rat Reds. Then John had a strong hookup which he played expertly to the boat and landed a nice 19" Slot Redfish. Betty added the only Seatrout caught for the day.

We came back to Jackstaff and fished the "bank" and again caught a good handful of the smaller Reds. John added one more 19" Slot Red to the catch. After running back thru Horsehead and down the Nassau we set up off a large drainage and switched to jigs. Again, small Reds, then Kenny had a strong bite and, Fish On!  Kenny played it patiently, let the drag rip when needed, and slowly worked to the net a nice 22" Slot Red - they had their limit!

We fished over at Penney's Point with the float rigs thrown over the sandbar, to no avail, but as we worked around the corner and came to a shallow mud flat they began to get fish again, - those small Reds, but John hauled in another 19" Slot Red. We saw one big boil from a large Redfish, and saw 4-5 flounder go airborne chasing bait. It was a good way to wrap up another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Spotted Fish

 

We had another beautiful day today when I fished with "birthday boy"  Garland Clark. We met up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and made our way over to the outside of Tyger and began pitching jigs and minnows and live shrimp to the bank on an outgoing tide. I thought we had a big one on when Garland's drag ripped and the fish ran deeper - and it was kinda - Garland expertly played it and brought to the boat a hard fighting Jack Crevalle.  We had a number of good bites but no more takers so we moved around to fish Jolley "bank" with the jigs and here it got busier.

As we worked along the exposed oysters, pitching the jigs, Garland had multiple hookups and catches of feisty Redfish. They were all a dark copper color and most of them had multiple spots. One of the fish had 20 spots on it, a sure money winner in the AIGA's Inshore Classic spot category. We picked up a couple of  Seatrout, too, one of which was of keeper size. (All fish caught today were released).  

Moving on up to the river we fished JC's spot and  here we added another good handful of those Redfish and another Trout or two. We then bounced over to the MOA, fished it good, caught Redfish and Trout, then we moved on.  Our final stop was back at Tyger Island and as we were running we could see bait (pogeys) getting blown up. We pulled up, baited a float rig and tossed it out. In seconds Garland was hooked up. This was a big fish and was ripping some serious drag then it broke off and kept going..heading to Kings Bay! But we switched rods, baited up, and tossed another one out. And in seconds Garland was hooked up again,  He battled it expertly and soon landed a big Jack Crevalle.

We did make it around to Tyger logs, fished it with jigs, and added a keeper sized Flounder to round out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam, and then we headed back to ramp, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

The Elusive Big Earl

 I'm fishing out of Old Town Bait and Tackle all week due to trailer issues. I met Lewis Welch and his fishing partner Oscar up there this morning and we made a run over to the MOA again - I keep thinking that's it going to turn on - it didn't.  The duo did catch a couple of small Redfish on the last of an outgoing tide, but that was it. We bumped across the river and fished a bend with the jigs and mud minnows, working somem exposed oysters slowly. It took a while and I was beginning to wonder if this spot was going to be a bust but then BAM! They started catching fish. Small but feisty Reds were the order of the day, but then Oscar had a strong hookup, he set the hook, had his drag rip, then, Fish Off! Ouch. 

And that was when I learned about "Big Earl". Evidently he is big. And we just missed him.

Minutes later Lewis had a strong bite and this one ripped drag and boiled and we knew it was a nice
Redfish. Lewis fought it patiently, let it run, worked it in, let it run, and eventually landed a nice copper colored 23" Slot Redfish. It wasn't Earl, though.  Both Lewis and Oscar caught a good handful of smaller Reds there, a handful of fat but slightly under the keeper size Seatrout. Then, Oscar had one of those weird bites and after a second or two he set the hook and expertly brought to the net a keeper sized Flounder.  Lewis added one more Slot Red to the box. We were running low on mud minnows so we "left 'em biting" and came back down the river. 

We fished Jolley "bank" and picked up a another small Red and a Seatrout while I was cast netting for finger mullet, and had another near miss at Earl. We then bounced around to the outside of Tyger and fished the shallow bank and on the fist cast with one of the netted mullets, Lewis reeled in a small Flounder. We had a few misses at Earl along that stretch but evidently he is fairly elusive. 

We had had some good action earlier in the morning, had a few fish 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.

A Few Good Battles

 

I was back to work today, meeting the Kucsma fishing team up at Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. The tide still had about an hour to hit bottom so we made our way around and up to the Jolley River, then down to the MOA to set up for fishing jigs and mud minnows. We didn't count "skunk off" when Andrew hauled in a Sail Cat but we did when Eddie brought in a copper colored Redfish. The trio fished that spot pretty good and we had a few bites from feisty Reds, but then we moved on. 

Fishing across the way, working along a shell bed, we were just about to a small drainage thru the oysters when the fishing got real hot!  Andrew hooked up and landed a fat keeper sized Seatrout - they each caught smaller Reds, and a few more smaller Reds, then Jason had a strong hookup and this one wasn't coming in until it had ripped a bit of drag out. Jason played it expertly and eventually landed a nice 22" Slot Redfish.

We came back to the mouth of the Jolley and worked the bank and again caught small Reds, here and there. Back up at Snook Creek we worked that bank and here Eddie got hot when he landed a couple of Seatrout, one of which was of keeper size.

Our final stop was around at the outside of Tyger, sticking with the jigs. It was slow going but just after Eddie had announced "there were no fish here", BAM! Big Fish On! Andrew had hooked him up and the big fish had no intentions of coming to the boat. It was ripping drag and digging deep and it took Andrew around the bow a couple of times. Andrew kept the pressure on, worked it slowly in, let it run, worked it in, and finally landed a huge 29" Oversized Redfish, boy what a battle!

Both Eddie and Andrew both put undersized Flounder in the boat, then Andrew added one more 19"Slot  Redfish to the catch, and with that, we called it a day, another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Crazy Action Packed Day at Amelia Island

 I wrapped my week up fishing with the Averbuch crew - Mark and his son Cutler and grandson Harvey- meeting them down at Sawpit Creek early today. We made our way up the intercoastal, up the Nassau, and made our first stop at Spanish Drop. As we worked the bank with jigs and live shrimp and a few mud minnows Mark got hot catching fish, making it plain that he didn't come fishing, he came to catch. He boated a feisty Redfish to "knock the skunk off", then hooked up a with a small Trout and another Red. Then the other two got in on the action and caught a good handful of feisty Reds. Mark had a strong hookup, battled it expertly, and landed the first Slot Redfish of the day, one of five that this team would catch. I was expecting a Flounder along here but they didn't cooperate.

We were really blowing thru the Shrimp so when we made our next run we made stop up near Seymore's Point and cast netted for  4-5 perfect size finger mullet. Then thru Horsehead we went and around to Jackstaff where we trolled into the current along the "bank". Again, this trio of Anglers stayed busy, catching another handful of small but feisty Reds. Harvey added to the variety when he hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper (all fish but one were released today) ,then his dad Cutler battled to the boat the 2nd slot Red to be photographed and released. Somewhere along there we caught a respectable Jack Crevalle. But no Flounder. 

Back thru Horsehead we came and down the Nassau to Twin Creeks where we stuck with the jigs, but to no avail. After we bounced over to Nassauville and fished between two docks we had nothing, not a Red, not a Trout, not a Snapper, and no, not even a Flounder.

Our next and final stop was over at Pumpkin Hill and here we switched to floats with plans to drift the bank. Boy were we in for an awakening!  They caught a couple of the small Redfish, then Mark had a drag ripping bite. This was a big fish and when it boiled up we knew it was big. Mark fought it paitently, letting it run and rip that drag and after a good battle landed an Oversized 30.5" Redfish, big enough to move him in to 3rd Place in the Anglers Mark 2024 Bragging Rights Tournament -Redfish Category. (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). 

At that same time Cutler had a hookup and he was a battling #3 Slot Red to the boat. Young Harvey put a couple of Reds in the boat then Cutler added a nice 17" Seatrout. He and Mark both added Slot Reds to their catch total, making it number 4 and 5 for Slots for the day. With all that going on you would have thought we'd of got a Flounder!

But as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Jack Frenzy Gives Us Some Action

 First day back after Tropical Storm Debby passed thru...I met Dennis Fritz, his son Doug, and grandsons Ethan and Spencer, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made our way over to the Nassau River, ran up it a bit, and made a stop at Spanish Drop on a tide that was almost at the bottom. Fish the banks with jigs and mudminnows and live shrimp, it was Doug, fishing off the stern, he "knocked the skunk off" with a feisty Redfish catch. He followed that up with a keeper sized  Flounder (all fish caught today were released).

We moved up a couple of hundred yards and fished a drainage and here young Spencer expertly hauled
in another feisty Redfish, grandpa eased in a Blue Crab (you gotta be good to catch a Blue Crab), and Ethan, fishing on the bow, tangled with a couple of high flying Ladyfish, "the poor man's Tarpon".  We ran down to Broward Island and fished the last of the outgoing tide on one end where we only had one bite, a good one that ripped drag, but didn't take. After fishing the north end on the first of an incoming tide to no avail, we moved on. 

Up at Pumkin Hill we switched to floats but before we could even get a good drift on we saw that there
was some serious busting of bait going on, with birds diving, and fish thrashing. These anglers began to toss their shrimp and minnows to the commotion, they had a few hits that didn't take, then BAM! Dennis, fishing off the stern had his float disappear. He lifted the rod, tightened up, and Fish On! His drag was ripping as the fish ran west then east then BAM! Doug had a strong bite and boy was it a fish!  His fish ran north then south, ripping drag all the way and then we had to "do the dance'". Doug's fish brought him from the bow back to the stern and under Dennis's rod, and back to the stern. Dennis's fish dug deep and then headed around the engine. It was an epic battle but the two anglers finally landed their respective Jack Crevalle's, boy what a battle!

Just a short time later both Spencer and Ethan were treated to their own Jack Crevalle fight. They did outstanding and fought their fish to the net for photo and release. Somewhere in there Dennis quietly hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. And with that, we called it day and as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Scuttlebutt: Yes On 2

This appeared in the Florida Guides Association's newsletter, written by FGA President Capt Dylan Hubbard..  

YES ON 2

 

We had a great time at ICAST pushing for the right to hunt and fish which will be on the Florida ballot this coming November in Florida as Amendment 2. We had great support around the show from our partners, friends, and fellow industry folks supporting "Yes on 2’ which is the phrasing we will continue to push hard as we approach the upcoming election.

 

The upcoming election is a golden opportunity to enshrine our right to hunt and fish into our Florida state constitution. We will be the 24^th state to do this and we will be further protecting our ability to enjoy our pastimes, lifestyles, and livelihoods for years to come.

 

Keep in mind there have been movements in other states, like Oregon, to criminalize hunting and fishing If you look at the opposition we have faced along the road thus far it's clear there is a TON of money and power fighting our ability to pass Amendment 2 in November and if we do it will protect our right to hunt and fish. We want these activities as a right and not a privilege to ensure they are more long-term and not as easily intruded upon.

 

Some are spreading misinformation — like  how this could affect the net ban which is a comical attempt to dissuade folks from supporting the Amendment 2 ‘right to hunt and fish’. However, anyone who looks at this with any degree of constitutional knowledge knows that these things are already harmonious and thus voting yes on 2 to enshrine our rights to hunt and fish would not make things already illegal all of a sudden legal.

 

For example, trespassing, hunting deer with spotlights at night, and gillnets are all illegal ways to harvest animals and fish. If this amendment passed, which we hope it will, none of that would suddenly become legal. The language in Amendment 2 will simply be read as a part of the constitution and harmoniously be added to the language already establishing those worrisome methodologies as illegal.

 

Don’t fall into the opposition’s trap… they have even flagged the supporting website so we can no longer share it on Facebook, but if you want more information and who’s behind this, check out the YES ON 2 Florida website - https://yeson2florida.com/

 

If you want to read the simple, clear, and three-sentence long amendment language without anything hidden in the text, it is all available publicly. The following link will even show you the opposition and some of their arguments… like this one, which is the top result and comical as all get out. "We are in the midst of a global extinction crisis and a climate crisis. Our wildlife needs a break from the carnage…”

here’s the link to read text and more - https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Amendment_2,_Right_to_Hunt_and_Fish_Amendment_(2024)

 

So that’s what we face as opposition, people who feel hunters and anglers are at fault for the carnage of our wildlife, we need to pull together, unite, and get this thing passed!

Make sure to tell all your friends to VOTE YES ON 2’ in Florida this November and make sure to share the info with any and all that you can!

 

Tight lines and following seas,

Capt Dylan Hubbard

President, FGA

cell -> (727)420-9485 

MORE Scuttlebett HERE

Tyger Beauty

t's always a treat to get to fish the outside of Tyger Island as the sun comes up - the sun shining on the
marsh grass and trees with birds roosting is so beautiful! That was our first stop after I picked up Kenny King and his friends John and Betty Raker.  After leaving the newly revamped Oyster Bay Marina, we headed down Lanceford, up the Bell and thru Tyger around to the outside and set up on a corner to toss float rigs- we had live mud minnows, shrimp and finger mullet as bait. 

The trio caught a hanful of fish there - Jacks and Pinfish, and feisty Redfish and Trout. We crossed over the river and fished the mouth of Manatee Creek, again with the float rigs and again we caught a handful fish. Betty was at the stern, her usual spot, and every once in a while she'd yell, "fish", and reel one in. John had made an excellent cast up tot he grass and let his bait drift right along the shore  - his float slowly went under, he tightened up and, Fish On!  John worked it slowly to the net to land a nice 18" keeper Flounder. Shortly after that, in almost the same spot, Kenny was getting a good drift and BAM! Bigger fish on!  He played it perfectly, rag ripping, and after a good battle landed a nice 19" Slot Redfish.

We then headed up to the Jolley, but stopped to work the river side of Tyger. They caught a Trout or two, a Jack or Two, and a Flounder. We continued on up and into the Jolley, stopping at Snook Creek where Kenny battled a 3' Bonnethead Shark to the boat for photograph and release. Back at Jolley "bank" we worked it good. Betty held up the stern, bringing in a couple of feisty Reds and a small Flounder while Kenny and John fished forwared. They added Reds and then Kenny brought the final keeper in to the  boat, another nice 16" Flounder. We had had a beautiful day, had gotten to fish some beautiful area, caught 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.

2nd Chance

 I was out at Goffinsville again this morning, fishing with David Vice and his buddy Roland. The sun had just come up as we left the dock and made our way down the Nassau River, thru Horsehead and over to Pompano Point with plans to fish float rigs with live mud minnows and a handful of finger mullet. The duo had a couple of bites then Roland hooked up and landed a nice 18" keeper Seatrout.  Roland was hot early - in addition to the trout he caught a feisty Redfish, a Jack, and a couple of Ladyfish. 

But when his float disappeared and his drag began to rip we knew he had a big one on!  Roland worked it patiently and ....Fish OFF! Ouch! Boy that hurts. But he got a 2nd chance!  Roland had made a good cast up to a grassy point and BAM! Big Fish On!  This fish dug deep up shallow, boiled a time or two, then came out deep and took Roland from the bow to the stern, around the engine, back around the engine, and back once more. He played it perfectly and eventually landed a big 26.75" tournament Redfish, boy what a fish!

After fishing up and down that stretch and getting a couple of more fish we made our way back over to Jackstaff "bank". I eased along the bank as they tossed their float rigs. David was a good host and had been "laying back" but here he stepped up to catch a few. After making a good cast just above a small drainage, he let his float drift back and after it slowly went under, he tightened up and let the circle hook set. Later he said it felt like an oyster but then it began to fight. David brought it to the net and landed a keeper sized Flounder. He continued his catching ways, catching a couple of more feisty Redfish. As we moved up the bank Roland got back in on the action and found a few small Reds along the bank, but then one took it and ripped drag - this one was a bit bigger. Roland expertly played it and brought it in -a nice 19" Slot Redfish

We fished a stretch of bank at Back River, between a couple of docks at Nassauville, then finished up at Penny's Point, all to no avail. But we had a good 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.
 

Counting Variety

 I was out at Goffinsville this morning meeting John Raker, his mother Betty, and his friend Kenny early for a day of back country fishing. We made a short run from the ramp over to Back River and set up alongside a marsh  bank as the tide flowed out and I felt sure we'd be catching fish soon. I just knew it. But no, we may have had a nibble here and there but definitely no takers, not one. 

We then ran thru Horsehead and around to Pompano Point and this stop made up for it. We began to get fish right off the bat - all three anglers were catching fish - small but feisty Redfish, then Kenny hooked up and battled what we thought was going to be a Redfish but it turned out to be a nice 18" keeper Seatrout. Betty was on the stern and every once in a while she'd yell, "Fish"!  She caught and landed Jack Crevalle, Redfish, Seatrout, Ladyfish and Catfish back there. 

We worked up and down the bank and found a few more Reds, then moved back to the original spot and caught a few more. After that we ran back thru Horsehead and down to a large drainage where again I thought we'd get fish, but nope. But we made the short run on down to Spanish Drop and here John put a Redfish in the boat. 

Our final stop was back up the river at what is now called "Penney's Point".  We set up alongside the sandbar and tossed float rigs over the bar, again Betty was on the stern.  After a good drift she hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish, then a keeper sized Flounder. Unfortunately the tide dropped out quicker than I expected. After moving out and drifting the bar John found a small Black Tip Shark on a float rig then we called it a day . As we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.