Some Flatties Early

 I fished with Mark Smith this morning and he had along with  him his fishing buddy Dan. We met out at
Goffinsville Park and headed down the Nassau River to the Spanish Drop area and then turned into the outgoing current to pitch jigs and mud minnows to the exposed shell bank. I kinda thought we might get some Flounder at the drainages and sure enough we did. Mark had a good hookup, worked it slowly to the boat, and landed a nice 18" Flounder. We had a another couple of small Flounder then it was Dan's turn to hookup and land a keeper sized Flounder. 

But I was expecting some Redfish along that stretch and they never materialized. We moved up and fished another drainage, landed a couple of Catfish, then moved on. We fished some docks up at Seymore's and lost a whole bunch of minnows to what I suspected were small Mangrove Snapper (Mark did hookup and land one). 

After running down to Broward Island we worked a bank on the last of an outgoing tide there and Mark did find a wayward Redfish to add to the catch. We had some nice weather, a good bit of breeze and with a couple of keeper Flounder in the box, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Good Flurry Early

 

We fished out of Goffinsville Park today when I met Frontis Clark, his daughter Tiffany and granddaughter Breille early for a morning of Amelia Island back country fishing. After setting out a trio of crab traps, baited with dead Pogies, we ran down to the Nassau to Spanish Drop and began tossing jigs with live shrimp and mud minnows to some exposed oysters on the last of an outgoing tide. As we worked along the bank they had a few nibbles, but no takers and I was beginning to wonder when....BAM! They began to get fish!  

Tiffany started it off, catching a couple of feisty Redfish, then a Seatrout, then Frontis caught a few of the Redfish. Breille was coaching them up! We had a good flurry midway up the bank, then a bit slack, then as we reached a corner the bite started again. Tiffany had a strong bite, hooked it up, and played to the boat a really nice Flounder to round out her Amelia Island Back Country Slam.

After running back up to Nassauville, we paused between two docks and fished the bank with jigs, and landed one small Flounder. We ended the day down at Broward Island, still fishing with jigs and Tiffany added one more Snapper to the catch. After pulling the crab traps (good to know we werent makin our living at crabbing), we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator. 

Girls Rule, Boys Drool

 Crazy how big fish just come out of no where!  I fished with Marty and Cathy Siciliano again today, but met them down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp with plans to fish south. We made a long run up the Nassau (it almost feels like you're going to Tallahassee) and up to Broward Island and set up fishing with a tide that had just a few minutes to hit bottom. I had Marty and Cathy throwing jigs with Mud minnows and live shrimp, first to a drainage, and then as we drifted back to the bank and fishing down thru some rough bottom and it paid off. They picked up a couple of small but feisty Redfish and a Bonnethead Shark. 

Then the current changed and just after I had turned the bow into the incoming current, BAM! Cathy had a strong hookup off of the stern. It boiled up and I called it a Redfish". Boy was I wrong! Cathy worked it to the boat and eventually landed a huge 22.75" Seatrout - a fish big enough to move her into sole possession of First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category.  But Cathy wasn't finished. We fished just a dozen yards or so and BAM! Another Big fish on! She fought it valiantly and worked into the net an EVEN BIGGER Seatrout - this one measuring right at 23"! Boy what a fish! (scroll down the right side of this report for Bragging Rights standings).

All fish caught today were released.

We worked that bank for a while, then moved on up to ways and fished, then moved on.  Our next stop was up at Pumpkin Hill and here we switched to floats and the live baits, drifting them long with the current. The duo of anglers picked up a couple of Jacks and small Seatrout. After moving around a point and fishing that side they caught a good handful of hungry Seatrout, fishing along the current line. 

After fishing Twin Creeks with the floats and catching another Jack or two, we finished up fishing at Spanish Drop where Cathy tangled with a Ladyfish and Marty battled a huge Shark. As most know, I use very light tackle and those Sharks tend to win the battle, as this one did, but Marty gave it the best that you could do. And with that, we headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelai Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat opoerator.

Full Moon Fishing

 Crazy how a full moon gets people talking...and seems to affect the fishing. At 7:30 t his morning when Marty and Cathy Siciliano and I made it to our first spot - the "bank" of the Jolley River, Marty pointed out the still visible  full-ish moon. We had ran from Old Town Bait and Tackle and had a tide that had been coming in for a couple of hours, but it looked like it was already high!

Marty and Cathy began to toss float rigs and mud minnows up to the grassy bank, drifting over oysters. We worked along that bank and Marty picked up a keeper sized Seatrout and a Jack Crevalle. (All fish caught today were released). We then made our way up the Jolley and fished the mouth  of Snook Creek and here Marty picked up a couple of feisty Redfish in quick succession. We fished that stretch for a bit then moved back down the river to the mouth of Tyger Creek. 

Here, Cathy had "gone long" with a drift and at great distance, had her float disappear - she tightened up her line and let the circle hook set and, Fish On!  Cathy worked it patiently back to the boat and brought to the net a huge Catfish - the biggest fish of the day!

We came back around Tyger and fished the outside with the tide still coming in and this turned out to be the "hot spot" of the day. Marty caught another couple of Redfish, one of them being of Slot size, and another Seatrout while Cathy hooked up and landed a keeper sized Mangrove Snapper. 

We fished a point over in Bell River, ran up Lanceford and fished  a grassy island (which was almost covered), then we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

Gradually Put Together a Mess

 It's great to see a grandmother taking her grandsons fishing!  I met Cindy Gray and her two grandsons Alex and Henry, down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. We made a quick run up the Nassau River and turned into the incoming current to fish a flooded bank. We started out with jigs and minnows, fishing a deeper drop of the river, and we did have one big bite - it took the line, headed under the boat, and was gone!  We then worked along some flooded shell, now tossing float rigs and minnows, but didn't have much action. 

After dropping back to Twin Creeks, we fished the float rigs and here Alex put a small Jack in the boat then Cindy hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. One in the box! We then made the run down to Pumpkin Hill and drifted floats long, not having much luck, then we fished around the corner. Cindy put a big Jack in the boat, Alex caught a couple of small Seatrout, and Henry got on the board with a Pinfish landing. 

We came back to fish some rocks at Nassauville and after a cast or two Alex had a big bite, battled it to the boat, and landed a huge Mangrove Snapper.  Two in the box! Henry was fishing the same general area and when he had a good bite I thought for sure it was another big Mangrove.  But as Henry worked it to the boat it seemed to get bigger!  He played it perfectly and brought to the net a nice 19.5" Slot Redfish.  Three in the box!  This trio of anglers began to work those rocks vigorously, playing cat and mouse with the Mangroves, and ended up with numbers Four, Five, Six and Seven in the box.

We finished up around at a large drainage, drifting floats around a point and on Alex's first cast, BOOM! A nice Mangrove Snapper, Eight in the box!  Alex finished it off hooking up and landing another keeper sized Seatrout, number Nine. We left them biting and headed back and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. He is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator. 

Representing With Bragging Rights

 

I was out at Goffinsville today, meeting Kenny King and his fishing crew, John Raker and John's mother Betty early this morning. We had a bait well full of mud minnow, electing to go with no shrimp today, and we headed over to Pumpkin Hill to make our first stop on a tide that still was coming in for another 2  hours. We set up alongside a flooding shell bottom and drifted floats long - it took a good handful of drifts and I was beginning to wonder when Betty had a her float taken under. She slapped the bail shut, cranked her slack in and let the circle hook set and Big Fish On! Betty battled it to the boat and brought to the net a huge 22.25" Seatrout, a fish that moved her in to a tie for First Place in the Anglers Mark 2023 Bragging Rights Tournament-Seatrout Category. Scroll down the right side  of this report for standings. 

We continued to fish and picked up another small Trout or two, a couple of nice hard fighting Jacks, a small Catfish, and a small Mangrove Snapper. After moving around the corner and fishing a stretch of flooded grass, Kenny had a good hookup, played it patiently, and brought in a keeper sized Seatrout. And just minutes later he had a strong bite. This was a big fish and Kenny played it perfectly. When he got it to the net we measured a 19.5" Seatrout, boy what a fish. But with the new rules, it had to go back!

After running thru Horsehead we fished a good looking stretch of marsh on the first of an outgoing tide. There were fish popping and rolling and moving but we managed only another Jack and a Ladyfish.  Back thru Horsehead we went, back up Nassau to Back River and fished some pockets and here John had the big bite. When it ripped some drag and boiled up near the grass we knew it was a big Redfish and sure enough, after a good battle, John brought to the net a nice 22" bulky Slot Redfish. The sun was up but so was the breeze and we had some nice fish in the box so as we headed in we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a licensed US Coast Guard charter boat operator.

 

I Heard The Float Go Down

 Back to work today, fishing out of Old Town Bait and Tackle after meeting Joseph Segraves and his son David early. We headed up to the Jolley River - all the way up to a point where I hoped to fish the last of an incoming tide with float rigs and live shrimp. We had excellent conditions with an overcast sky but the current was already at a standstill - Joseph and David made good casts but he float just sat there like on a stagnate pond!  We eased along the bank for just a minute or two and Joseph did "knock the skunk off" with a Seatrout catch, then we moved on. 

After running back to the outside of Tyger and setting up on a point, the tide and current had started out now and the moved paid off. Joseph was on the bow and began to get fish - small Redfish and some Jacks while David was on the stern and picked up a Jack, then had his leader quickly snapped by a lurking Shark. Then Joseph had a strong bite and when his drag began to rip we knew it was big. Joseph played it perfectly - it ran north, boiled a few times so we new it was a big Red, but Joseph worked it to the boat and landed a nice 21" Slot Redfish.

We fished jigs on the outside of Tyger, at a nice drainage, and here Joseph put a keeper sized Seatrout in the boat. 

Back up to the Jolley we went and fished the "bank", now on an outgoing tide. Both David and Joseph caught fish - a good handful of those small but feisty Redfish. As Joseph and I had our heads turned watching Davids drift I heard the faint "click" of a float going down, yelled, and Joseph set the hook and again, Big Fish On! This fish tried to run up current for just a second then thought better of it, and came back with the current. Joseph had to crank to catch up to it, and he did, and then the battle was back at the stern. Joseph worked it an an landed an even bigger 23" Slot Redfish.

The duo had a small Flounder catch then David had one of those funky bites, hooked it up, and brought to the boat a keeper sized 16" Flounder to make it an Amelia Island Back Country Slam in the box. After fishing another drainage where we had a few more of those feisty Reds caught, we headed back to the ramp and counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a back country fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator. 

Recipe of the Month: Garlic Parmesan Crusted Fish

 I fished with the Coffey's a couple of weeks ago and we got to talking recipes and Tracy B described what sounded like a good one. They caught some fish and planned to use it so I asked if they could send it to me and here it is..Tracy B Coffey's.....

Garlic Parmesan Crusted Fish

6 Fish filets

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 big cloves of freshly minced garlic

Juice of half a lemon

Parsley

1- 11 x9 baking dish

Step 1- preheat oven to 425. Rub 1 tbsp of oil on fish so the seasoning will stick better and season fish with salt and pepper.

Step 2- on a separate plate combine Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic and pinch more of salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the mixture and press into it so the mixture covers.

Step 3-place the fish in the baking dish and sprinkle a little more of the Parmesan/crumb mixture over the top of the fish. Then squeeze the juice from half the lemon over the top of the fish.

Step 4- bake fish till flaky or 20-25 minutes. The breadcrumbs should be a little browned. Finally, sprinkle some parsley overtop and serve.

Rain? What Rain?

 When I looked at the weather forecast last night, rain was predicted to be around 67% for the morning and when I called my guest they just weren't up for the wetness. But after yesterday's excellent trip, and no real storm predicted with the rain, and now a day off, I had already decided I was going fishing. When I called friend and neighbor Bill Maceron he was of the same opinion -"let's go!" . I even "bet" that the weather would be better when we got started today. I was wrong and would have lost the bet!

When I stepped outside this morning it was drizzling rain and when I picked Bill up around the corner it was drizzling and when we stopped to get some live shrimp it was drizzling and when we launched it was drizzling. But we both had rain coats on and we made our way from Sawpit Creek up the Nassau and around to what I hoped would be the "honey hole". 

In the rain, things started off a bit slow but as the tide dropped and the oysters began to show, we began to get bites. It turned out that Bill came to catch fish while I came to fish for fish. Fishing float rigs with the live shrimp, Bill "knocked the skunk off" when he hooked up and landed a keeper sized Seatrout. We both caught a handful of small but feisty Redfish and a couple of hard fighting Jacks. Then Bill, up on the bow, had s strong hookup and this one was ripping drag. Bill played it expertly, let it run, worked it up, let it run, and eventually brought to the net a big 26" Slot sized Redish...and behind us a beautiful rainbow appeared!

And not shortly after that Bill had another strong bite. This one ripped the drag too, boiled up near the bank, then dug deep. But Bill stayed with it and after a good battle landed another big 24" Slot Redfish. Although shorter than the first, it was a bit more "bullish" - thick!

We ran back to Spanish Drop and fished the back side of a bar and picked up another feisty Red or two, then ran back to Broward Island and again caught a few of those small Reds. The rain had  come and go throughout the morning but we had some fish in the box so as we headed back to the dock we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. He is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator

Five Slot Day

  I fished with John Raker and his fishing partner Kenny, meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp. We made a short hop over to some just exposed oyster beds on a tide that had been going out for a couple of hours and set up to fish float rigs with live shrimp and mud minnows. It didn't take long before the duo was catching fish - small "rat" reds, one after the other. But as the tide dropped Kenny had a stronger bite and Fish On! He played it patiently and soon landed a nice 21" Slot Redfish. We continued to fish, picking up the small Reds here and there, then Kenny put another 21" Slot Red in the boat. After moving up a bit John had gotten a good drift and BAM!  He played it slowly to the net and landed a really nice 18" Seatrout.  After John put another Slot Redfish in the boat, we moved on. 

Our next stop was down the river at Spanish Drop, now tossing jigs to a submerged "bar". The duo picked up a couple of the small Reds, then Kenny had a weird "bump", hooked it up, played it perfectly, and landed a Doormat-like 19" Flounder. Moving up the river and fishing drainages, we found one where a bunch of bait was getting busted, fished it, and sure enough, John found another big Flounder to bring to the net. 

The final stop was down at Broward Island, fishing jigs deeper and once they started biting, it was non-stop! One "feisty Redfish" after another. But finally a big one moved in, Kenny hooked it up, and landed the 4th Slot Redfish. We caught more of the smaller Reds then it was John's turn to battle the final Slot Red of the day - he played it expertly and landed another 21" fish. The duo

added a couple of keeper sized Mangrove Snappers before we headed in, counting it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Captain Lawrence Piper is a fishing guide in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida and is a US Coast Guard licensed charter boat operator.