Happy Thanksgiving to All - I hope you have a great holiday with friends and family!
I wrapped up a short week today fishing with Allen Webb, meeting him down at Sawpit Creekboat ramp. It had warmed a bit as the week progressed, and there was very little wind, and the first hour or so we had some dreary, cloudy skies. The tide had been going out for about an hour - Allen and I made our way up the Nassau River and fished a large outflow with float rigs and live shrimp, and an hour later, we noted that we had gotten a bite on every cast! We didn't hookup 'em all up but we caught a bunch! Mostly Seatrout, with one being a keeper, and a handful of Redfish, with one being of Slot size.
As the tide got down the bite finally did slow down so we ran thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Pointe. Allen was making excellent casts forward to the grass and it paid off with Seatrout catches, with a couple of Redfish. As we moved up along the bank Allen pitched it to a point of grass, let it drift, and BAM! He had a hookup. This one was pulling big and digging deep, but shaking it's head and sure enough, when Allen brought it to the net, we saw it was a nice 18" Seatrout.
After fishing a submerged sandbar point over in Jackstaff we ran back thru Horsehead and down to Back River where we again "anchored" along a shell point. And things got real busy! Allen put a Trout in the boat then he started getting Redfish. He added another smaller Slot Red, then had a strong hookup that ripped drag, ran deep, ran south, then POOF, it threw the hook! But Allen kept fishing and shortly had another strong bite, a strong battle with drag ripping, and this time he landed a nice 24" Slot Red.
We fished between docks at Nassauville then made our way over to Seymore's Pointe and finished up catching Seatrout, Black "puppy" Drum, and a fairly big Mangrove Snapper. The sun was now out, the skies were clear, we had a box full of fish, and as we made our way back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Bragging Rights Busted. I had met Scott Carter and his son Benny up at Old Town Bait and Tackle this afternoon on a tide that had been coming in for about an hour. We made our way over to Tyger Island and fished the logs with jigs and live shrimp. Benny "knocked the skunk off" early with a Slot Redfish catch then Scott had a good "thump" and a hookup. He fought it to the boat and I was thinking "another Redfish" but it was hugging the deep bottom. He worked it up and landed a huge 22.5" Flounder - still out of season, but big enough to move into first place in the Anglers Mark 2024 Bragging Rights Tournament -Flounder Category (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Boy what a fish!
We worked up and down the island and picked up a good handful of Seatrout -most caught out deep, and a few more Redfish, most caught up near the bank. We then made our way around to the Jolley River, turned into the current, and fished the "bank" with floats and live shrimp. They caught a good handful of Seatrout, and a couple of more Redfish (they ended the day with 2 Slot Reds and 3 keeper Trout). Scott battled a big Bonnethead Shark to the boat for photograph and release, and Benny hooked up and landed a Shark of his own.
After running up the river we fished Snook Creek, caught a few Trout there, then moved back down to Tyer Cut. Benny stayed hot catching Seatrout, and they added two more Shark to their catch total. We were catching so many Seatrout I could sense some boredom coming on! The sun was heading down, there was only a slight breeze, the few clouds that we had had moved on, and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I fished early this morning, meeting Patrick Tighe and his daughters up at Old Town Bait and Tackle at sunrise and after easing out of Eagans Creek we made our way up and around to the Jolley River. We set up tossing float rigs and live shrimp and within seconds, the girls were catching fish -Seatrout and Redfish and Seatrout and Seatrout and Redfish. They caught for at least an hour. There were a couple of Slot sized Reds and keeper sized Seatrout in the catch, but all fish caught today were released.
We moved up the river, fishing a large outflow, and again, they stayed busy catching Seatrout. After fishing Snook Creek for just a short time we made our way around the corner and fished a bend in the river along some oyster beds with jigs. As we worked along the bank we weren't getting any bites but as we reached a gap between some oysters, BAM! It was fish catching time! All three anglers put Redfish in the boat and they caught umpteen Seatrout. It was crazy how many fish we caught!
The weather had warmed, the sun was shining and once again, as we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Boy what a beautiful day we had - sunny skies, cool temps, and only a slight breeze. I had met Will Middleton and his father-in-law Pete Brown down at Sawpit Creek and we headed up the intercoastal, then up the Nassau to make our first stop at Spanish Drop. The tide had been going out for a couple of hours and the shell was showing as we eased along the bank tossing jigs and live shrimp. The duo had a few nibbles but no takers and I was beginning to wonder when, BAM! :Hookup! and BAM! a 2nd hookup -we had a double. Both anglers patiently brought to the boat a feisty Redfish and from then and for about an hour we were steady catching fish. Seatrout and Redfish - We had a couple of keeper sized Redfish and a few keeper sized Seatrout but all fish caught today were released.
Eventually we moved up the river about a quarter mile, stuck with the jigs, and again caught a good handful of Seatrout. We then made or way around to Back River and switched to floats. Pete was on the stern and drifted long a couple of times and got fish both drifts. Will was on the stern - I saw something take his float under and it took off upstream. Will played it expertly and landed another keeper sized Trout. We tried our luck over at some docks at Nassauville and this was the only place we got "skunked".
Around the corner at Seymore's Pointe we fished a dock and here they picked up Seatrout and a couple of Black 'puppy" Drum to round out their Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Seatrout, Redfish and Drum. Our final stop was down at Broward Island, working the bank on the last of an outgoing, first of an incoming, and again they caught fish. They wee working that bank pretty good and caught Redfish and Seatrout. We lost count of the fish we caught but estimated 4-5 Slot Reds, a good dozen of smaller Reds, 5-6 keeper sized Seatrout to 17", and a good dozen of smaller Trout.
It had been a beautiful day to be fishing and a great day to be catching here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Boy what a temperature drop we had! And with it came some strong winds - the forecast for this morning was 13mph at 7am but quickly rising to 17mph by 9am. But it was clear and sunny and the wind was out of the WNW and we had a plan! I met Alex and Laura out at Goffinsville Park and as we left the dock we could see it was calm all along Nassauville rocks. We made our way down a ways and set up between two docks and began pitching jigs and live shrimp.
And the fish catching began!
Both Laura and Alex put some healthy Seatrout in the boat, many of keeper size and Laura added a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. Then Alex had a strange bite - he hooked it up and Big Fish On! Alex kept the pressure on and worked it up off the bottom and when it came to the net we saw that it was a 19.5" Sheepshead - big enough to move into 2nd Place in the Anglers Mark 2024 Bragging Rights Tournament - Sheepshead category(scroll down the right side of this report for standings). We threw back a whole bunch of small Trout.
We then made our way around to Seymore's Pointe and fished a dock and here we got into some keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. Alex and Laura caught one after another, with a Seatrout thrown in here and there, and Laura added another keeper Sheepshead. They had an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Seatrout, Sheepshead and Drum before we left.
Our final stop was up the Nassau and into a Creek and as we worked the bank Laura put the first Redfish in the boat (and made it a Grande Slam). They caught a couple more "feisty" Reds then Alex had a good bite -BAM! Fish On! He played it patiently, let it run, worked it in, and eventually landed a big 24" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish.
Although it was a bit cool, it was very comfortable as we stayed out of the wind most of the morning and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
After debating whether to even fish today, and meeting under some dreary skies up at Old Town Bait and Tackle this morning, and easing down Eagans Creek with a fine mist on our faces, David and Michele Dannenfelser proceeded to have a pretty good day of fishing! We made our way over to the back side of Tyger and fished the logs - the first area produced only a nibble or two - but as we moved down the island and set up around a group of logs the bite got to hopp'n. David had made good cast over to the bank and within seconds, BAM! He had a strong hookup. He battled it to the boat and landed a nice 21" Slot Redfish that had a Georgia DNR tag on it. Michele got in on the action after she got the hang of fishing a jig and shrimp on the bottom and picked up a keeper sized Seatrout. She then put their secoind (and limit) Slot Red in the boat. We found out we could fish those jigs out deeper and get Seatrout and after getting a handful, we moved on.
We made our way up and around to the Jolley River and turned into the "bank" and switched to float rigs and the live shrimp on that lower incoming tide. This was just the ticket. Getting our cast up near the bank was rewarded with Redfish bites. Most were smaller (but feisty) but one was in the Slot which was released to swim off. Again, another handful of Trout were caught, a couple of keeper size. They kept a couple of Trout but began to release the rest. Further up the river at "Snook Creek" we stayed with the floats and again we were busy catching fish. The current was faster here and the Trout were biting, and there were few Reds caught, too.
Back down the river we made a stop at Tyger Cut and here David found he could drift back into a "ripple" and get Seatrout. After making a short stop further down the river and fishing some "fishy looking spots", to no avail, we moved on.
Our final stop, after running thru Tyger and around to the Bell, and over to a point of grass, we eased up to it and began to toss the floats. When David's float disappeared and his line began to run and his drag began to rip I was thinking, "oh boy, this is big"! It was ripping towards what I knew was shallow water and big humps of oysters so we crossed our fingers and hoped! David was up to the challenge and was very patient, and he needed to be because this was going to be a long battle. He worked the fish in, let it run, worked it in, let it run, pulled it out from under the boat, let it run. Every time we thought it was going to come in it would see the boat and take off again, ripping drag. But David kept that pressure on, stayed patient, and eventually landed on Oversized 35.25" bull of a Redfish - just barely bigger than the biggest of the year, but big enough to take over first place in the 2024 Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament (scroll down the right side of this report for standings). Now that's the way to wrap up a great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
Boy what a pretty day we had today - no real wind, temperature in the high 60's, and partly cloudy skies to greet us when I met Tim Parker and is son Wes out at Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. And it was just a short run down the river to Broward Island where we set up to fish with jigs and live shrimp on atide that was low and just coming in. Both Wes and Tim had bites then Tim had a take - he let him bite and then set the hook - the fish took off down the island and right into some tree branches! Ouch. Tim tried "sawing" him out of there, then released the bail in hopes he'd swim out - he did not. We moved the boat over close to shore and Tim worked him out and Fish On! Tim played him expertly and eventually landed a nice Slot sized Redfish. After moving down the bank just a bit it was Wes's turn to battle the Slot Red- after he hooked him up he worked him slowly to the boat and we netted another nice fish.
We moved down the island and fished it back and picked up one more Slot Red before we moved on. Our next stop was back at some docks at Semore's Pointe, pitching the jigs and shrimp. The duo caught a good handful of Seatrout (1 or 2 of keeper size), a Black Drum, and a couple of small Sea Bass. We then ran thru Horsehead to Jackstaff "bank", switched to floats and drifted shrimp. Again, we got a good handful of Trout (maybe a keeper or two), and a couple of Bluefish. We then jumped around to Poteat Point and here Wes found a handful of Seatrout up over a shallow bar.
Back thru Horsehead we came and down to Pumpkin Hill. Wes stayed hot tossing forward to get a few Trout (1 or 2 of keeper size), then we moved up to the point and drifted it, to no avail. But when we dropped back to a grassy island and worked back, they began to get Trout again. Tim had switched to his Patent Pending Temptation Bait grubs and they paid off big time. He matched Wes fish for fish tossing the artificial while Wes caught on the live Shrimp. We ended the day with their limit of 2 Slot Reds and 7 keeper Trout so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I THGUGHT I was launching at Sawpit Creek this morning - when I got down there the tide was up so far - all the way to the bend in the curb- I turned around and headed back north to meet Glenn and Patti Langford up at Old Town Bait and Tackle. The water was way up in the grass when we made way out of Eagans Creek and over to the outside of Tyger where we set up with float rigs and live shrimp to fish the first of an outgoing tide. Although we had few good "nibbles" we had no real bites. After crossing over the creek to "Manatee Cove" we again tossed the float rigs and here the duo picked up some feisty Bluefish -one for each of them. We picked up the first of many small but fun to catch Seatrout, too.
After that we ran thru Tyger, down the Bell, and up Lanceford, all the way up to some docks where we again drifted the floats. Both Patti and Glenn had good hookups with those small Seatrout. We moved aro8und the corner and fished a bulkhead and Glenn had a good bite, had 'em on, but it let go and while he was baiting up Patti drifted thru the same stretch and BAM! Fish On! I was thinking it was going to be a big Seatrout. Pattie played it perfectly and brought to the net a feisty Redfish. We then moved over to a grassy Island -"Millie's Spot" and fished it good. After picking up a Trout or two, and after Glenn's float had drifted ust past the grass, FLOAT GONE! Glenn caught up to it and it was Big Fish On! This fish was ripping that drag and having none of coming it. I thought for sure it was up in the grass a couple of times and I hated to say it but I had to let Glenn know, we were REAL shallow and there were sharp oyster beds all underneath us. But Glenn stayed calm, played it patiently, let it run, worked it in, and after a good battle landed a big 26" Slot Redfish (it later weighed in at a bit over 6lbs).
Our next stop was over at Soap Creek, fishing a large outflow. Both anglers put those small Seatrout in the boat (we caught a bunch throughout the day, but no keeper Trout). But as we moved up to a grassy island they both got busy catching Redfish. We found the cast had to be in just the right spot but if wew got it there. BAM! Fish On.
We then ran down the river to Piney Island, found some dock pilings to fish and the duo quickly put two keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum in the boat, and then a nice 17" Sheepshead., which rounded out their Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Seatrout, Redfish, Black Drum and Sheepshead. It had been a beautiful day, and although the wind had picked up, we had had some good action so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
It was "Chamber of Commerce" weather today - clear, just a slight breeze to keep the bugs off, and just a bit cool as we ran down the river. I had met Ed Andrewlavage and his fishing buddy Chris down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and from there we made our way up the intercoastal and over to Poteat Cut to set up with float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been going out for about 2 hours. Both anglers began to toss their baits forward and it wasn't long before they were getting bites. Ed had told me that he'd like to get some Redfish - didn't want any Seatrout - and wouldn't you know, we caught Trout.
Chris got hot early and landed a few "hungry" one's before he put a keeper sized one in the boat - we photographed and released all Trout today. Then Ed began to get a few, fishing off the stern. They added a Bluefish to the catch before we moved on. Just around the corner, over at Jackstaff, we eased along the bank, just beyond the White Pelicans, and caught a few Trout. Chris went up close to the grass and had a hookup, one that pulled some drag and "rolled" and, Redfish On! Chris played it perfectly and soon brought to the net a feisty Redfish. Only minutes later it was Eds turn to battle a feisty Red to the boat.
We ran thru Horsehead and down to Back River and drifted a bank. Chris did pickup one Seatrout but that was it. We crossed the river and drifted the floats and again, a Trout or two. Chris did have something take his bait, and his leader, and his float, and we never saw it again! We then made our way down the Nassau and fished a large drainage. Again, a Seatrout catch, but not much else.
Our final stop was fishing some docks at Seymore's Pointe. Both anglers stayed busy either catching fish ore losing bait. They added another keeper Trout - the biggest of the day at 18.5", a keeper sized 16" Black "puppy" Drum, and 5 keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. I kept count of the "keeper" Trout that we threw back and it was five. We had some outstanding weather and some good action so as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.
I stepped out this morning and it was drizzling rain and the flag was flapping in the wind and I was thinking we may be in for a "blustery" day. But after launching down at Sawpit Creek and meeting Ed AndrewLavage and his wife Madonna, the rain ended and the wind never increased. We made a long run up the Nassau and down to Broward Island and set up on the north end to pitch jigs and live shrimp on a tide that had just started back in - it wasn't a very low tide though, the banks were almost covered. The duo of anglers got bites right off then Madonna hooked up and landed a hungry Seatrout. Then both angles had good some good catches of feisty Redfish, and a couple of small Mangrove Snapper.
We moved down the island and set up under a pair of Bald Eagles and pitched the bank. Again, they were hooking up and landing Redfish. Ed commented that they seemed to be about 15' off the bank. They added a keeper sized Seatrout then Madonna went up close to the bank, behind a stump, and B AM! Bigger fish on! She played it perfectly and worked to the net the first Slot Red of the day, one that measured 21". Only a few minutes later, after going up to the same spot, BAM! BIGGER FISH ON! This one was really ripping drag. Madonna battled it like a pro -worked it in, let it run, worked it in, let it run, then slowly brought a bulky 25.5" Slot Red to the net. Boy what a fish. The commotion must have scared everything away, so we moved on.
Our next stop was up at Pumpkin Hill, drifting floats. They caught a couple of small Seatrout and a hard fighting Jack Crevalle. We moved up to a point of grass and drifted the other side and this did the trick. Ed had made a good cast, gotten a good drift and when\ his float disappeared he tightened up and let the circle hook set. Ed played it patiently and landed a big 17" Seatrout. Both anglers drifted again and again and got more Seatrout, a couple of keeper size. Then Ed went back up close to the grass and had a Big hookup. This fish was ripping drag - it wasn't a Trout! He played it for a good while, worked it in slowly, and landed a "tournament" sized 26.75" massive Redfish. Madonna got in some more drag ripping action when she hooked up and battle a Bonnethead Shark to the boat.
We made a run over to Twin Creeks, drifted floats, added another Jack and a Bluefish to the cach total, then 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.
