Scuttlebutt: We anglers keep losing access

Our Jacksonville TV station WJXT4 ran a story this week about the George Crady Bridge being closed on the Duval side. Evidently Duval County pays good money to subsidize the fishing bridge. It's been closed for years with no plan is sight to open it back up.  CLICK HERE for the TV story

You've probably seen my rants about boater parking getting squeezed down at the City of Fernandina Beach Marina with the new Waterfront Park that is being built. We've gone from a whole parking lot for boat trailers (plus an overflow) to just 12 parking spaces. Getting to and from the ramp is a nightmare. Buses and Tours regularly park in the "trailer parking" spots. CLICK HERE for that rant. 

The State did finally patch up Sawpit Creek boat ramp, although a new pothole is forming. The south dock has been damaged and unusable for about 10 years now. On a low tide it is essentially a "one boat" dock - they need to expand the floating docks. And why are there not any cleaning stations at any of our public boat ramps? Are there plans to repair and improve this boat ramp or will they just let it deteriorate and become unusable? CLICK HERE  for my suggestions.

Our area USED TO HAVE a fishing pier up at Fort Clinch. It was damaged during hurricane Mathew in October 2016, and completely torn down in 2017 -another lost resource that gave anglers access to the water. Back then it was stated, "replacement will have to be put in the 10 year plan".  We're getting close to that now....

With all that, you have to question, "do our local and State leaders have it out for we anglers and boaters"?  I've noticed we anglers tend to be laid back, non-confrontational, low-key folks. Unfortunately, that approach is allowing our access to fishing resources diminish. We need to stand up and demand that local and State officials give us access to OUR waters. 

AIGA Inshore Classic Fishing Tournament is ON!

 

BREAKING NEWS!

The 9th Annual AIGA Inshore Classic is ON! And scheduled for Friday October 24, 2005 (the Captains meeting) and tournament it self is on Saturday October 25, 2025. Both will be hosted by Old Town Bait and Tackle at 1620 N. 14th Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida.

HELP US HELP OUR VETERANS!  All net proceeds will be shared with our local American Legion Post 54.

All anglers need to be at the Captains meeting on  Friday October 24th. Final registration will begin at  6pm with the meeting beginning at 6:45pm. No entries will be accepted after 7pm.You can download and print the Rules and Entry Form here. 

The tournament will commence at daylight, Saturday October 25,2025.

There will be two Categories:                                                                                                                         1) All anglers  are required to enter the Redfish Spot Tournament. The legal Redfish with the most spots wins!                                                                                                                                                       2) A boat aggregate of one legal Seatrout and one legal Redfish. The boat with the heaviest two fish wins!  ALL ENTRY MONEY WILL BE PAID OUT IN PRIZE MONEY. Please encourage your friends to fish the tournament - the more anglers the bigger the prizes.  

There will be a youth division for the Redfish Spot Tournament with trophies and prize money. 

NOTE: the Amelia Island Guides Association shares the net proceeds of this tournament with the American Legion Post 54. Over the years the AIGA has donated over $21,000 to veterans organizations

PLEASE consider a Sponsorship! That's where the donation comes from! CLICK HERE FOR more information. 

FOOD - Silent Auction - Raffles - Special Raffles!  Win 1/4 Cow, processed and packaged!  Purchase your raffle ticket now from one of your favorite AIGA Members!

It Was The Jared Show

 We've all been there before - one of the fishing crew seems to have the "hot hand" and catches most of the fish. Today was the "Jared Show" - I had met Mark Averbuch, his son Jared and grandson Max down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and after making a long run up the Nassau, all the way around to a point of grass at Back River, set up with some float rigs and drifted the already exposed oysters on a tide that had been going out a few hours. Jared was on the stern and seemed to pick up two or three fish right off - a small but feisty Redfish and a couple of Catfish. No big deal, right?

We came back down the Nassau to a large drainage and switched to jigs and live shrimp and worked that drainage good, then moved down to Spanish Drop and worked back up against the outgoing current. This did the trick. Jared put a keeper sized Flounder in the boat, then Mark hooked up out deep and battled a large 20.5" Seatrout to the net. (All fish caught today were released). We eased further up to a submerged bar and just as I hit the "anchor" button, Jared went up to the bar with an excellent cast and BAM! Redfish on. He played it perfectly and landed the first of four Slot Redfish. Shortly after Jared battled a 4' Bonnethead to the boat for photograph and release.

The shrimp were getting nibbled on most casts and we were running low so we made a run up to Seymore's Point and found a huge school of finger mullet and after a couple of tosses we had a baitwell full. Back down to Twin Creeks we went and fished it just as the tide started in and like all week long, it paid off. We "theorized"  that the bait was coming down the bank with the incoming current and hitting a pocket where Redfish have been holding all week - Jared put three more Slot Redfish in the boat from that one spot. Max nudged his dad out of the way and had a good flurry of catching feisty Reds. Jared battled another big Bonnethead then he and Max took turns fighting a third Bonnethead.

We had a good breeze blowing all morning, had put some really nice fish in the boat, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.  

Late Stop Produces Bragging Rights

 I met Nick Nist and his fishing buddy out at Goffinsville Park this morning - we had the last few hours of an outgoing tide so we made a run down the Nassau, turned into that outgoing current, and began pitching jigs and live shrimp to the drainages. We had action, just not what we were looking for - Bonnethead Shark made our drags rip a couple of times. We did get a couple of small Flounder, then we cast netted for some perfect sized finger Mullet. Kinda crazy, but Nick hooked up and landed a nice sized Whiting, caught on a mullet!

We worked that bank up and down, hitting the shell beds and drainages and caught a couple of small but feisty Reds, then we made the run thru Horsehead and fished Jackstaff "bank". We then bounced over to Poteat Point and fished the edges there. I had switched Simon to a float rig and as he drifted it long with the incoming current he began to get fish. One was a hard fighting Jack Crevalle that took him from stern to bow and back again. He played it perfectly and eventually landed a huge backwater Jack. After fishing a creek off of Jackstaff we made the run back towards the boat ramp but as we were running Nick had asked if we were getting any Mangrove Snapper so I pulled up at Littlefield and we went back to the jigs and shrimp.

We all got a couple of "bumps", Nick had a good "thump" and then later we had a strong hookup. Nick played it patiently to the boat and Simon scooped it with the net - a doormat of a Flounder! This fish measured right at 21" - big enough to move Nick into 1st Place in the 2025 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament -Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish. Back at the ramp, we dressed that Flounder for stuffing, maybe with a little bit of Whiting mixed in, and as we wrapped the trip up we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Birthday Boy's First Fishing Trip

 

We entered a new era when Steve Locke treated his son Justin and grandson Landon to an Amelia Island Back Country fishing trip. It was Landon's first real fishing trip and today being his birthday, it was time to go fishing with the men!  I met them early out at Goffinsville Park and with a tide that still had about an hour to go out, we made a quick run over and thru Horsehead and turned into the outgoing current at Jackstaff "bank" and began to pitch jigs and live shrimp (the hot water evidently is making it difficult for the mud minnows' suppliers). In only minutes, young Landon had the first hookup, and he quickly battled a big high-flying Ladyfish to the boat - his first fish! "Paw" Steve then put in a lengthy battle with a large Bonnethead Shark which he expertly played to the boat for examination and release. Justin hooked up and landed a feisty Redfish. We moved up to a point and tossed the cast net for some finger mullet, then made the run back thru Horsehead and down the Nassau.

Pulling up at a large drainage, we stayed with the jigs. The trio picked up a couple of Flounder, one of which was of keeper size. Landon hauled in Stingray and a Catfish. We moved up to Twin Creeks when the tide started back in. Steve was on the bow and had a shot at the "ripple" and made good on it, hooking up and expertly playing a Slot Red to the boat. He caught a small Seatrout out deep then it was Justin's turn to fight a Slot Red to the boat. As he was battling that fish Landon, after making his own cast to the deep side, hooked up and landed another big Ladyfish.

Our last stop was back down at Spanish Drop where we caught a couple of small Flounder then Justin put a keeper Flounder in the boat. Unlike yesterday, we had a bit of breeze today and it made it bearable. Landon had made it the entire 4 hours, and we had a 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. 

Beyond the Ripple

 What we didn't know couldn't hurt us right? It seems like it's been two months of heat here at Amelia Island but most days we would have a little bit of breeze and/or some cloud cover to keep it somewhat bearable. For about the first hour this morning we had that breeze but then it came to a halt and boy was it hot for the rest of the morning. But the Poon crew(Derek and sons Zach and Tyler) were up to the challenge! I had met them early down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and after running up the intercoastal we dipped into Jackstaff and began to work the "bank" with jigs and mud minnows on the very last of an outgoing tide. Derek got things going early and hooked up and landed a slot sized 11-spot Redfish, then he landed another, then he landed a nice keeper sized Flounder. He had left the boys in a cloud of dust - "all gas and no brakes" as he cruised to a commanding lead in the fish count.

We ran thru Horsehead and down the Nassau to Twin Creeks and again pitched the jigs and minnows. All three anglers caught Flounder (I lost count how many Flounder we caught today),  then I noted to Zach that yesterday we had caught a couple of Slot Reds up past a "ripple"- he made a couple of casts and BAM! Redfish on. Zach played it perfectly and after a good battle landed Slot Redfish. After photographs, he went back to the same spot and BAM! Another Redfish on. We fished that area for a good while with the three anglers catching fish - Flounder, Redfish, and a Jack Crevalle. Zach and Tyler were pressing Derek but he maintained his lead and didn't look back - he had a strong bite and that drag was really ripping. Derek stayed with it, fought it for a good while, then landed a Tournament sized 26.5" Redfish, then Tyler battled a 23" Slot Red to the boat. We counted 6 Slot Reds caught this morning with three of them released. Zach also added a nice sized Whiting to the box. 

As mentioned, the trio had caught a couple of handfuls of Flounder - two were keeper size. Derek added a hungry Seatrout to his catch total and rounded out an Amelia Island Backcountry Slam. We were out of bait and all of us were wilting, but with a nice box of fish, as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

We Slammed 'Em Early

 Back to work again today - is this heat every going to subside? I mentioned to my wife that I didn't think
we've had this hot of a summer in a while! But the Hobbs crew - Jeremy, his daughter Willow, and her friend Olivia were up to the challenge and they met me early down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we made the run  up the Nassau River - my plan was to fish some dock pilings on the first of an incoming tide but as we arrived we saw that a barge was tied up and blocking the pilings - so we turned around and came back to some exposed shell bed just before Twin Creeks, and I'm glad we did!

These three anglers came to catch fish! They started hooking up and landing Flounder, caught on jigs and mud minnows, and a couple were of keeper size.  We caught and released a Catfish then they put a keeper sized Seatrout in the box. Then, as we worked up to Twin Creeks, Jeremy, casting forward over a "bar", hooked up and that sweet sound of drag wafted over the boat - Fish On!  Jeremy played it perfectly and landed a perfect sized 22" Slot Redfish. He went back to the same spot and BAM! Another 21" Slot Red that he played to the net. We had an Amelia Island Back Country Slam in the live well - Flounder, Seatrout and Redfish. We hit a couple of more drainages along there and caught a couple of small but feisty Redfish and a handful of Flounder, one of which was of keeper size.

We had good action for about the first 2  hours of the trip but once that tide got up, and the sun got hot, the bite fell off. We fished down at Pumpkin Hill, then around some docks at Littlefield, then made the run thru the marsh and fished Jackstaff "bank'. We may have had a few bites but no takers. Go early and beat the heat! But we had a good box of fish so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great ay to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Netting Grandad's Slot Red

 Finally, back down at the south end today - I met Jeff Adams, his son Beau, and father-in-law Charlie early at Sawpit Creek and we made a long run up the intracoastal,  up the Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill where we went with float rigs and mud minnows on a  high and incoming tide. The trio stayed busy battling Ladyfish and more Ladyfish, and then a Jack Crevalle, then finally a feisty Redfish. Although they weren't what we were looking for, we did have some action.

We came back down the Nassau, ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Cut where we worked the grass line as the tide started out. I had high expectations for this spot but was thoroughly disappointed - we only had a nibble or two. Ouch.  We came back thru Horsehead and made our way further down the Nassau, pulling up at Twin Creeks where we switched to jigs and the minnows and this did the trick.

Jeff hooked up and hauled in a Flounder, just undersized then Charlie had a good thump, hooked it up, and landed a keeper sized Seatrout.  They caught a couple of more Flounder there then we jumped down the river to another drainage and caught good fish. Jeff expertly battled a nice Slot sized 7-spot Redfish to the boat, Beau landed the biggest fish of the day, a huge Ladyfish, then Charlie hooked up and landed another Slot Redfish. They caught another couple of Flounder and Jeff finished it off with a keeper Flounder catch. They had an Amelia Island Back Country Slam 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.

The Heat Is On

 

My advice - get out early!  Boy has it been hot the last few weeks. It's not so bad from daylight until about 9:30am but then it gets hot. And it seems were catching most of our fish in those first few hours. Today I met Darrell Holcomb and his fishing partner Jim up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. The tide had just started out so we made our way over to the outside of Tyger and drifted float rigs with mud minnow. There was tons of bait all around us and fish "popping" and rolling and finally the duo had a "double" hookup. Jim was fishing off the stern and battled a hard fighting Bluefish to the net and Darrell, fishing off the starboard side, hooked up and landed a Jack Crevalle. 

We crossed over the creek where Darrell had a big bite - it was ripping drag and heading up current, then across the bow and back again and....Fish Off! Ouch. It was a big one!  But Darrell was not to be deterred and after we switched  to jigs and fished the bottom he had an good bite, set the hook, and brought to the net a keeper sized Flounder (all fish caught today were released)

After  moving around to the outside of Tyger we worked the bank there and this paid off with another couple of Flounder catches - Jim reeled in one that was another keeper size. We fished up the Jolley at three more spots - they both caught and landed a feisty Redfish then Jim rounded out an Amelia Island Back Country Slam when he hooked and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. And boy was it hot! We headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Introduction to Amelia Island Backwater Fishing

 Lee Kaywork had one of his grandsons visiting this week and wanted to introduce him to some Amelia Island light tackle back water fishing so we met up at Old Town Bait and Tackle early this morning. We made our way over to the outside of Tyger Island and set up on a point to toss float rigs and mud minnows up current as the tide had just started out. Both anglers got some nibbles but no takers, and it wasn't much of a high tide because the engine was already bumping oysters - so we got out of there! We eased across the creek and fished a soon-to-be-known spot as "Bon Point". We had switched to jigs and the minnows and tossed the to the point. The water was sweeping around the point and Bon began to catch fish. He boated 3 nice Flounder in pretty quick succession and played them perfectly to the boat.

We then moved on north and west and fished along the bank outside of Tyger. We were getting good casts, had a few bites, and finally Bon hooked up and put another Flounder in the boat. He was on a roll. We made a short run over to the Jolly River, ran up it a bit, then fished a large drainage. Lee was drifting a float off the stern, letting it slide down the bank and we had a hookup. He worked it in patiently and landed a feisty Redfish. Bon, who had been fishing off the bow with a jig, switched to the floats and followed his grandfather down the bank and when his float slowly went under, he tightened up his line and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On! This fish was ripping drag and going long but Bon was up to the battle. He slowly worked it in, let it run, worked it in - it made it's way over to the bank and the oyster beds but Bon worked it out and after a good fight, landed a nice 25" Slot sized Redfish. Boy what a fish!

After fishing further up the Jolley - 3 spots, to no avail, we made one final stop back towards the sound and here Lee hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout to round out there Amelia Island Back Water Slam. We had a nice Slot fish in the box, we had had some good weather, so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.