21" Slot Red, and a Quarter

After a couple of days off (one due to weather), I got the opportunity to fish with Len Pelletiere and his brother Joe who was visiting Amelia Island for a few days. We met down at the Big Talbot Island Park boat ramp and made the longish run up to Broward Island to take advantage of the first of an incoming tide. The two anglers began tossing jigs and live shrimp to the bank and before long Len had put a small Black "puppy" Drum in the boat and a couple of feisty Redfish. We eased along the bank and Joe got in on the action by landing a couple of feisty Reds himself, and then added a Sheepshead to the mix - we had a Slam!  When things seemed
to slow we made a move, running back to the Spanish Drop.

Here, we caught another Redfish or two then we moved back to some docks at Seymore's Pointe. Len was fishing a float over the oysters and hooked up and landed a keeper sized Black Drum (all fish caught today were released). We had seen a fish bust bait up near a little bend in the grass and after Joe had made a pinpoint cast his float slipped under the surface and, Fish On!  He worked it patiently to the boat and landed   nice Slot 21", and quarter sized fish. Just minutes later he got his cast back to the same spot and, Boom! Another nice fish on. He worked this one to the boat and landed it also, another Slot sized fish.

We eventually made the run thru Horsehead and fished a stretch of now flooded marsh grass and Len ended with the hot hand, putting a few hungry Sea Trout in the boat and garnering the duo an Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam of Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead and Seatrout. Another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Into The Fog

When I met Allen and Lavern Webb up at the north end boat ramp we had fairly clear skies but when we landed at our first stop at the outside of Tiger Island, the fog began to roll in, and it was THICK! Allen set up on the bow and tossed a 7w fly rod while Lavern took the stern with a float rig and live shrimp. We worked along the flooded marsh grass on a  high and incoming tide. Allen had no "hits" on the fly and Lavern wasn't doing much better until finally, her float disappeared with a vengeance and as her drag began to sing we knew, BIG FISH ON!  Lavern kept the pressure on, let the fish run and when it
rolled a few times up near the grass we could tell that it was a big Redfish. She worked it patiently to the boat and eventually landed a 26 1/2" Slot Redfish and this one had some "shoulders"!
But it was crazy that we had no real bites after that.

We crept thru the fog and checked out a couple or three flooded grass flats but so no sign of tailing fish so we continued on thru Tiger and around to Bell River where we set up alongside some flooding oysters and here both anglers put a handful of hungry Seatrout in the boat. Our next stop was around at Lanceford Creek, fishing a grass patch with the float rigs and with the first cast, BOOM! Lavern hooked up and landed a big Seatrout. We caught a few more Trout as the tide had turned and started back out, hit another grass patch and picked up another keeper, then made one more short run.

This stop was up Soap Creek and it was a good move because Lavern put another keeper Trout in the boat, then Allen matched it with a big one of his one, and one upped it with the biggest Trout of the day, a 19 1/2" fish. The fog had cleared and the sun was out, the water was like glass, and we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Boys Day Out

I fished with Bob Cadorin and  his two son-in-laws Nick and Carlos, meeting them up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp mid morning. The tide had peaked around 9am so we ran over to Lanceford Creek and fished a grass patch as the water started back out. The trio were tossing float rigs and live shrimp and started off feeding the "baitstealers", but finally, we had a hookup and "knocked the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch. I expected more bites but we didn't get them so we made the move!

Soap Creek was nearby and as we eased in things were looking
pretty good with the water now draining from the marsh and the fish bite picked up. All three anglers had Trout catches and Bob put a keeper sized one in the boat. Later, we caught a Slot Redfish and then another one or two small but "feisty".

We then made the run back and around to Tiger Island. The wind had picked up but luckily it was out of the NE and as we got around behind the island, the conditions were ripe for catching fish. After
landing a couple of good eat'n Whiting and a sizable Croaker, we began to work the logs.  Bob added another Slot Redfish, Nick added a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum and Carlos picked up a sizable 19" Flounder to round out their Amelia Island Back Country Grande Slam!  With that, we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Trout For Dinner

I fished with the Wytiaz father and son duo, Frank and Eric, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We made the quick run up to Pumpkin Hill and began fishing some flooded grass on  a high and incoming tide with float rigs and live shrimp. After a short stretch, Frank "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and boated a nice keeper sized Seatrout.  We picked up one or two more on that stretch then bumped around the corner to fish a large grass patch.  There were a couple of Trout hanging out and we caught them, too!

We ran over to Christopher Creek, broke out the jig rods, and fished some dock pilings but we had zero bites. After coming out of the creek we made a stop at Seymore's Pointe and had picked up a quick keeper sized Trout that was hanging out at a grassy pointe.

Spanish Drop was our next stop and here the anglers caught a handful of Trout - Eric got hot there at the end and put 3-4 in the boat one after the other - and Frank found a couple of feisty Redfish up near the bank. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we caught fish so we counted as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Trout Filets Coming Up!

I had the pleasure of fishing with Clint and Jean Davis again yesterday morning, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. There had been forecasted rain but these two anglers were game to go fishing anyway!  We made the run up the Nassau River to Pumkin Hill and began to toss float rigs with live shrimp up to some flooded grass patches on the very top of a high tide. We were only in to fishing for a few minutes when Jean's float disappeared and she had a hookup, a nice keeper sized Seatrout!  Shortly after hat Clints float vanished with a vengeance and his drag began to rip, FISH ON!  I at once thought "big Redfish" but as the fish
kept going and going we had the sinking feeling - a Shark. Ouch. But it was a good fight and fun to catch and after we got it boatside we were back to fishing.

We worked that area thoroughly and every once in a while picked  up a Trout with a Redfish or two added in and ended up with a couple more keeper Trout. Our next stop was down at the Spanish Drop area where we worked the bank with float rigs on a now outgoing tide. We picked up ONE (1) Redfish. The very same spot the day before I guestimate we caught 20-25 fish! Crazy how one day makes a difference!

The docks at Seymore's were our next stop and here Clint got on the "keeper board" in a big way, catching two nice 18"  keeper Seatrout on jigs and shrimp. We finished up fishing the mouth of Jackstaff then called it  day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Redfish and Trout Catching Bonanaza

 

I met the Richmond family, Dale and his daughter Katie, her husband JR and their son Neil, out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp the early morning of the Time Change. The tide was just starting out up here so we made the quick jump over to Pumkin Hill and set up fishing some grass patches and it wasn't long before all four anglers were catching fish. The Seatrout bite was on fire and they reeled in one after the other. They added a Bluefish and a Bonnethead Shark, and may have had couple of Redfish. A couple
of the Trout were of keeper size.

When the bite slowed there we hit another bank and these making were making pinpoint casts and it payed off. They picked up a good handful of Trout and another Red or two.

Things slowed so we buzzed back down the Nassau and down to Spanish Drop and set up along a bank that had submerged shell along the bank. Redfish, Redfish, Redfish, Redfish, Redfish....and a
few Trout were caught. We were using live shrimp and mud minnows and it didn't matter what we used for a bait. We finished the day tossing jigs and minnows and plastic grubs and caught fish on those, too!  It was an outstanding day for fish catching and another great one here at Amelia Island, Florida

We Lost Count

You know when the first cast of the day catches a big Seatrout and then you lose count of how many fish you've caught within the first thirty minutes - it's been a good morning of fishing!  That was how it was this  morning. I had met Ann Mastroserio and her friends Rich and James up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp but we had a stiff wind blowing out of the North West, so we made the first run down to Lanceford Creek to try and get out of the wind, and it worked! Our first cast was to marsh run out and BOOM! Float Gone! Rick was on the rod and patiently worked in a big Trout that measured a little over 18", now that's the way to start a fishing trip.


 From then on it was game on and all three anglers were putting fish in the boat, one after the other! Seatrout, mostly under 15", but once in a while a "keeper" then as we got near some oyster beds, they began to catch Redfish. Most of those were undersized unit Ann hooked up with one that ripped drag. She played it like a pro and soon landed our first Slot Redfish. These anglers added another Slot Red to the catch and a couple more keeper sized Trout before we move on.

We fished some dock pilings on Lanceford and had one Redfish catch then we made the long run back to Tiger Island and set up fishing. Again, first cast, and BOOM!  James had a good hookup. He worked it to the boat and landed another Slot Redfish. We worked the bank thoroughly,  then crossed over to fish the opposite bank and found a keeper sized Whiting to round out our catch. It was beautiful morning, albeit a tad bit windy, but we when we called it day we counted it another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Puppy Drum Bite

I had the Pete Nolan group today and I fished with Tom, Eric and Dimas, meeting them all up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park. We made our run over to Lanceford Creek to fish some docks and we began to pitch jigs and shrimp up to the pilings. I was beginning to think that it was a tie between the gnats and "baitstealers" as to what was biting the most. Luckily these anglers hung in there and were able to catch a few fish - one a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum, then a feisty Redfish, then a nice sized Grouper, believe it or not!

When we tired of the gnats and baitstealers we ran back north and around to Tiger Island and spent the rest of the day there and it turned out pretty good. The trio put three more keeper sized Puppy Drum in the boat, a couple of more keeper sized Seatrout, and a nice 18" Flounder to round out a good "mess 'o fish"!  When we ran short of bait we switched to jigs and plastic grubs and caught Trout. The two hottest colors were a silvery/glitter grub with a chartreuse paddle tail and then the age old red head/white twister tail.

Although we started slow we finished strong and it made for another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Already In The Winter Pattern?

Boy what a beautiful day we had today! I had met Clint and Jean Davis up at the Dee Dee Bartels Park boat ramp as the sun was coming up and we made a quick buzz around to Tiger Island to take advantage of the very first of an incoming tide. We fished the north end for just a bit and the "baitstealers" made their presence known so we eased down to the tree tops and this did the trick. Jean had made an excellent cast up into a pocket and as she worked it out she felt a faint bump, set the hook, and FISH ON! She played it perfectly and soon landed a nice 18" Black "puppy" Drum. The "Skunk" was off!  Dean had been casting to another pocket and wasn't quite

getting it to where he wanted it, but after a perfect cast, BOOM! Big Fish On!  You can always tell when you have a big fish on light tackle because it Just. Doesn't. Come. In!  But Clint was patient, let it make a few runs, then slowly worked it to the net, a nice 25" THICK Slot Redfish!

After the two anglers put another Slot Red and another keeper sized Puppy Drum in the boat, and some smaller Reds to go along with those, we crossed the creek and set up where we had seen some bait getting busted. Sure enough, both Clint and Jean began catching Seatrout, up to 14" in length. We caught a good handful and probably could have caught another handful, but we decided to make a run up to the Jolley River.

The first 50 yards of oysters we fished produced nothing but baitstealers, and a lot of them, but finally Clint had a good bite on a float rig and live shrimp and he hooked and landed another Slot Redfish. And that was it!  We fished another couple of banks in the Jolley and only caught a fish or two. After we fished some flooding oysters in the Bell River, we called it day, another great one fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

We had somke good fishing early around the logs but not much along the oyster beds, later. Makes me wonder if the water temperature (67 degrees) is already affecting the fish!  We also saw a Bald Eagle, Blue Heron, and a Manatee during this trip!

Grande Slam on a Great Day

What a beautiful morning to start the week here at Amelia Island, Florida! I met John Cipriani and Dean Miller out at the Goffinsville Park with the tide still going out but due to hit bottom within the hour so we made a bee-line for  Broward Island and set up off of the tree tops with plans to fish with jigs and live shrimp. The Redfish were busting bait all along the bank and it wasn't long before they were busting John and Dean's baits too!  We began to catch one Redfish after the other and then picked up a good handful of Seatrout, too.  Dean added a Flounder to round out his  "Slam" early then John had a
strong bite and the battle was on!  He played the big fish patiently, kept the pressure on, and soon landed a 26" "Tournament" Slot Redfish, boy what a fish!

We fished that spot thoroughly, then moved down the island and picked up a couple of fish before we made the run back to Seymore's Pointe and picked a dock to fish. One side didn't produce but he other one did! Both John and Dean both put some Black "puppy" Drum in the boat to garner their "Grande Slam" for the day and they also had a feisty Redfish to go along with the catch.

Our next stop was down at Spanish Drop and here John picked up a couple of Reds and then a Trout. Our final stop was back at Pumpkin Hill and just when I thought we'd get "skunked" on this one, Dean had something roll on his bait, take it with a vengeance and then it was off to deep water. Dean kept the pressure on and let the light tackle rod do the work as the fish took him to the bow then it fought from one side of the boat to the other. But Dean was up to the task and eventually landed a nice 4' Bonnethead Shark, boy what a battle. And with that, we called it a day, another great one to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida