The Killing of an Industry

Years ago while growing up in Fernandina we could go down to the City docks and purchase fresh shrimp right off the boats. Shrimp boats would be tied up two and three deep, stern to bow. There was a seafood market that ran perpendicular to the wharf that also sold fresh shrimp and seafood. And then, the shrimping industry dwindled.  A city that once proclaimed itself as the “birthplace of the modern shrimping industry” now showcases those same old time shrimpers as “Grande Marshals” in the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival. But even now, you can see river shrimpers trawling their nets out in our rivers, and you will see the glimmer of lights of bigger shrimp boats off shore at night, dragging the waters.   But why are they no longer at the City docks? What happened to the shrimp industry? Surely higher gas prices hurt. Labor and insurance costs had to have gone up. Margins had to have gotten smaller trying to compete with the imported farm raised shrimp. But did City’s policy’s adversely affect the shrimp industry? Did they raise the dock prices and make it unaffordable to keep their boats there?

Fast forward to 2024.  City Commissioners Bean, Antun, Ayscue and Ross just voted to approve funding for the Waterfront Park, ignoring their own strategic planning that stresses keeping the area a “working waterfront”.  Only Commissioner Sturges voted to not approve the funding.  This vote, and moving forward with the Waterfront Park will be the death of your local Charter Boat industry at the Marina.  The Park plan squeezes the parking lot and will make it difficult to maneuver a boat trailer. The expanded Pentanque courts take up more

space that could be used for parking. The proposed new restaurant to replace Atlantic Seafood will require 75 parking spaces. The Plan already suggests combining Tour bus parking with boat trailer parking. But far worse than any of this, proponents of the Park are already promoting moving all City events to the waterfront – events that close boat trailer parking. Already the Pentanque Tournament closes the parking lot. The Shrimp Festival closes the parking lot.  Other events such as Sounds on Centre, the Chili Cookoff, and the Saturday Farmers Market have been proposed to move here. How can they have a thriving Farmers Market AND boaters maneuvering their

trailers at the same time? They’ll close the lot. If you are a boater, you need to realize, A CLOSED BOAT TRAILER PARKING LOT IS A CLOSED BOAT RAMP!

There are over 50 Charter boat Captains operating out of Amelia Island. When someone proclaims the economic impact of the 3-day Pentanque Tournament, ask yourself, “what about the economic impact of those 50+ small Charter Boat businesses to our community?” They’re operating year-round, day in, day out!  They are purchasing gas, ice, bait, tackle, trailer tires, boats, engines, office supplies, maintenance and repair supplies, and hiring deck hands and paying taxes on their homes and purchasing tags and licenses – just like any other small business on Amelia Island, off-island, and down Centre Street. They represent Amelia Island to visitors and locals and when they get them out on the water they see the REAL Florida – not the fake, manufactured fun that your Main Street organization is promoting. They get those folks out on the water and introduce them to the wonders of our ocean and back waters and make REAL memories for families and their friends. At least one Commissioner has voiced his disdain for YOUR Charter boat captains. Three others have voted on a Waterfront Park that will mark the beginning of the end of that industry.

That same Commissioner seems to blame those Charter boat captains for the costs of the Marina. The Marina has raised their slip prices. They’ve inferred that they would like to raise them more.  The City could double, even triple the Charter Captain’s slip rates and the Marina Enterprise Fund STILL would not be making a profit. It’s not the Captain’s fault that the City built the Marina in the wrong place and it needs to be dredged annually. It’s not the Captain’s fault that the City has made bad deals with lease holders over the years. It’s not the Captain’s fault that the City has retained very little upland property -property that the Marina could have used to make a Marina profitable.  And you have to ask yourself, “why, out of 50+ Captain’s, are there only 8-10 Charter Boat operations down at the City docks? Are City policy’s keeping them away?

That same Commissioner has let it be known that recreational boaters (you) and the Charter Boat Captains are selfish. They want parking for themselves and their customers. Would you say downtown Centre Street business’s are selfish for wanting parking for their customers? Somewhere their employees can park? Are you selfish for wanting access to OUR public waters? Somewhere deep down in the City’s planning documents they suggest that the City should provide one boat ramp for every 12,000 citizens. We are now over 13,000 citizens. When you think about it,  Fernandina residents have access to a 13 mile beach;  they have access to a 1400 acre State Park;  we  have access to volleyball courts and a skate park at the beach and  multi-purpose Recreation Centers at Atlantic Avenue and Elm Street, with swimming pools and gyms and gymnasiums. Our residents have access to the  playground and Park behind the Atlantic Rec Center, a miles-long 300 acre Greenway, a playground and Park at Eagans Creek, and a huge Central Park with Tennis, Pickleball, softball and baseball fields and the SUMMER courts for the Pentangue club. Their WINTER courts are at the waterfront! Not to mention outlying City parks, beach access’s, soccer and softball fields. Yet we Boaters are considered selfish for wanting unhindered access to the ONLY City boat ramp.

In the last Park plan it was suggested that the City put up a memorial plaque in honor of the Shrimping Industry.  With the new Park plan, the plaque should read,  “On March 5, 2024 Commissioners Bean, Antun, Ayscue and Ross voted to build this Park and to kill a once thriving Charter Boat industry here in Fernandina Beach”.

 

A Seatrout Kind of Day

 

We lucked out with the weather this morning - the forecast had changed by the time we got on the water and for the most part, we had clear skies and low winds. We did have two rainbows that graced us with their presence! I had met Pete Nolan hand his high school fishing buddies Sam and Steve down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and we ran up the intercoastal, then into Back River and around to the Nassau to set up fishing an edge at Pumpkin Hill. We almost immediately began to get bites - a good handful of small but hungry Seatrout, and also a couple of Bluefish. 

We worked around the corner and fished a grass patch and here Pete put a keeper sized Trout in the boat and Sam tangled with a Bonnethead Shark. 

After making the run around to Seymore's Pointe we set up at a large drainage and drifted floats on the first of an outgoing tide, and again, some small Trout, and a couple Blues.  After running thru Horesehead and around to Pompano Point we again got a few Trout.

Our last stop was fishing a bank along Jackstaff with jigs and shrimp and minnows and again...more Trout! Sam added a nice Whiting to the box before we called it a day and as we headed back to the ramp, we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Topped The Box Off

 Another beautiful day today when I met Don Walters and his fishing buddies Alex and Tim down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made the run up the Nassau and found a spot at the outside of a large drainage and began to toss float rigs and live shrimp, and we stayed pretty busy catching hungry Seatrout.  Most of them were just undersized but Alex did put a keeper sized one in the box. 

We then ran thru Horsehead and over to what used to be Poteat Cut and stayed with the float rigs. The trio caught a couple of the small Trout but as we worked around the point Don had a good hookup and expertly brought to the boat a keeper sized Pompano!  I've renamed the spot "Pompano Point" That's ony the 2nd Pompano I've had on the boat. 

After fishing a creek off of Jackstaff for a bit, we ran back thru Horsehead and down to some docks at Nassauville, fished them with jigs for a bit to no avail, then we ran up the Nassau to dip into a creek and began to fish the shallow bank with the jigs.

This paid off - I've  found you have to work the whole bank and many times you'll find the Reds and today we did! Don hooked up and landed a small but feisty Red, then Tim added the biggest Trout of the day to the box.  As we approached one of the "honey holes" Don began to get Redfish bites. He put two Slot Reds in the box then Alex topped it off with another Slot Red. They had one more Slot fish that we threw back and had a handful of smaller Reds caught before we called it  day. 

As we headed back to the ramp with a nice box of fish we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Beautiful Day Slam

 Oh boy what a beautiful "chamber of commerce" type day we had today. Although the temperature was
hovering around 48 degrees when we launched, it quickly warmed as that sun came up with clear, cloudless skies. We met down at Sawpit Creek and then ran up the Nassau to set up at a large drainage north of Seymore's Pointe and within minutes the duo were catching fish on float rigs with live shrimp. They had a good flurry of Seatrout catches and weeded thru the shorts to get a couple of keeper sized fish. 

We then moved around to Nassauville and fished between two docks with jigs and the shrimp. I was hoping for some bigger Seatrout - we caught none, but Ken did pick up a Flounder, then we had another, then Larry put a keeper Flounder in the box.

After fishing a stretch of oysters with float rigs at Back River we continued on up the Nassau, dipped into a creek, and began to work the bank with the jigs. Larry eventually found a good bite, set the hook, and Fish On!  He played it patiently, letting the drag and rod bend do the work and after a good battle landed a nice Slot 21" Redfish. Ken followed that up with a Redfish catch of his own. They put another Trout in the boat then Larry finished things up with another Redfish catch. 

We had had a beautiful day and had an Amelia Island Back Country Slam of Seatrout, Flounder, and Redfish in the box so as we headed back to the ramp they counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida.

A Grande Slam and Upper Slot Red

 

I did  an afternoon trip today, meeting Nate Aron, his father Aaron, and his father-in-law Gil Langley up at Eagans Creek. The wind had died a little bit since this morning and as we eased out of the creek we had clear skies and sunshine!  We made our way over to behind Tyger and fished the logs with jigs and live shrimp on the first of an incoming tide. The first area was kind of slow except for the bait stealers but when we moved down we began to get fish. 

The trio put a nice Redfish in the boat, some Trout,  then Gil hooked up and landed a keeper sized Black "puppy" Drum. That made an Amelia Island Back Country Slam, then Nate had strange bite, worked it patiently to the boat, and landed a nice Flounder to make it a Grande Slam. Then Aaron had a strong bite and when it was ripping drag and digging deep we knew we had a big one. Aaron played it like a "Jim Brown" pro, worked it to the boat, and landed a nice 25.5" Slot Redfish. We had some good action after that but when it slowed we moved on - running up to the Jolley. After trying our hand with some float rigs, to no avail, we ran up to Snook Creek and switched back to the jigs and caught a couple of Seatrout. 

Our final stop was around at Bell River and here we had a good uptick in catches - mostly Seatrout, but a small Black Drum also. It had warmed just a bit, we had fished in clear, sunny skies, and we had a couple of 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.

Wind and Cool Make for a Challenge

 When I stepped out side this morning in the dark to get the boat ready I was a bit surprised by the wind still kicking. I knew the forecast called for high winds overnight but I thought they were supposed to be done with by daylight. I went back in  and checked the weather and it was about right -14mph at the time, dropping to 12 as the morning progressed. So loaded up!

I met Dennis Adams, his son-in-law Danial, and nephew Ben up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and we eased out of Eagans and made the run north, into the wind) and around to the Jolley River.. Boy was it choppy!  We ran up the Jolley and found a large drainage to drift float rigs and live shrimp on the outgoing tide, but had no bites. Further up the Jolley, at Snook Creek we switched to jigs and this paid off. All three anglers began to get fish. Young Ben found him a "honey hole" off to the side and caught a good handful of hungry Seatrout. 

We then made our way around to the Bell River and stayed with the jigs and got good number of fish caught as that tide dropped - Seatrout, a small black drum, and a keeper sized Sheepshead. Our final stop was back at Lanceford Creek, fishing some docks. Although CM didn't pay off, we moved down a dock or two and BAM! Big Fish On!  Daniel was on the rod and played it perfectly, working it out from the pilings and brought him to the net lively - I almost missed him he was so green!  But after netting we measured it right at 25", a perfect Slot red to rap up another great day of fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida. 

Big Red Battled out From Dock Pilings

 We had what I thought was a good tide today - last of an outgoing, then first of an incoming. I had met Kristen Benton and her friend Quinton out at Goffinsville Park early - the skies were just a bit overcast and there was very little breeze, and we made our way around to Seymore's Pointe to set up current from some dock pilings and toss jigs and live shrimp to their base. Both anglers had "nibbles" but no real takers, other than a 'baitstealer" or two, but when I switched Quinton to a mud minnow, that must have done the trick! BAM! Big Fish On!

And unfortunately that big fish went straight thru the pilings and out the other side!  But Quinton was up to the task - he kept the pressure on and let that strong braid saw back and forth over the piling and when the fish came back to the middle he worked him thru - that fish didn't know who he was dealing with!  Quinton worked it in slowly and eventually landed a 26.875 fat Redfish - a sure "Champion" in any Tournament! Boy what a fish!

Kristen put a small Seabass in the boat and we had a small Trout catch before we moved on. Our next stop was back around at Nassauville where we tossed the jigs between two docks. The "demo" cast produced a Redfish bite that Kristen expertly brought to the boat. We also picked up a couple of more hungry Seatrout here.  After fishing some exposed shell banks down at Spanish Drop, to no avail, we moved up a few hundred yards and found one more Seatrout, out deep. 

Our final stop was down at Broward Island, working along the treelined bank. The first area we tried didn't produce anything, but 40' further down we got into a good Redfish bite. Kristen and Quinton took turns reeling in fish and a couple of times we had a "double" hookup - two Reds once, and a Red and Black "puppy" Drum a 2nd time. The added one skinny but Slot Red to the box then Kristen finished things up with another small Drum catch and a first of the season Mangrove Snapper. 

We had ended with a bank and had two nice Reds 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 

Trout Carry The Afternoon

 I fished this afternoon with Eric Stevens, meeting him up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We had a high and still coming in tide as we eased out of Eagans Creek and I wasn't feeling very confident in our prospects. We ran over to Lanceford Creek and fished between a couple of docks with float rigs and did pick up one Seatrout which got my hopes up...but then we had no more bites. After trying our luck around the corner at a grass patch, to no avail, we moved on. 

After running back down Lanceford, up the Bell, thru Horsehead and around to the outside of Tyger we set up on a corner of grass as the tide started out, and my confidence level was now up. Eric was making excellent casts and getting good drifts and I waited for the bite, and waited, and waited, again, to no avail. My confidence was shattered!

We then made the run up to the Jolley River and seeing another boater sitting on the spot I was heading to, we continued on around to the Bell and found some docks to fish. My demo cast with the jig  produced a bite and from then on we were catching fish. We worked thru a bunch of smaller fish but Eric got his limit in keeper sized Seatrout, and we thru back a couple that were of legal size.  Eric added a Redfish catch, a few Black Drum catches and a few "baitstealing" Perch. 

The afternoon had started real slow with that high tide but as it started out we had begun to get fish and as we headed back we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Florida

Barely Legal

 I fished with the Langfords this morining, Glenn and Patti, meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We had the first of an incoming tide so we made our way over to Tyger Island and fished the logs. An incoming tide, no wind, and just a few bugs made for what I thought were ideal conditions, but the fish didn't cooperate with the plan. They did catch a Bluefish and a small Flounder before we moved on. 

Our next stop was over at Lanceford Creek, fishing some docks, and this paid off. We worked a few different docks and picked up fish, caught on jigs and live shrimp. They put in the box two Redfish that measured a little over 18", a Seatrout that measured a little over 15", and a Black Drum that measured a little over 14" - all "Barely Legal", but keepers just the same.  They also had a few more smaller Redfish caught. 

We then fished the outside of Tyger in a couple of places with float rigs. We may have had a few bites, but no real takers. We had a handful of fish in the box and as we headed back to the ramp we counted it as another great day to be fishing here at Amelia Island, Fl.orida. 

Grande Slam For The Day

 I fished with the Prolog's Hand and Mary and their daughter Mollie to day, meeting them down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early this morning. And after running up the Nassau to our first stop at a dock at Seymore's I was feeling pretty confident that we were going to get in to some fish today. The tide was supposedly low and just starting in, and it was at this spot, but we struggled with bait stealers swiping our live shrimp off the jigs. We did outsmart a couple of them but had no luck with any bigger fish. 

Our next stop; was down at Broward Island and even though it had been "low tide" for about 45 minutes, it was still going out. We fished a good bit and dealt with the bait stealers again, then we moved on down the way and fished back. Here, we finally got into some fish - Mollie "knocked the skunk off" with a nice Seatrout catch. But again, that was it. 

Back up the island we went and now that the tide had begun to come in, we finally started catching.  Mary put a keeper sized Sheepshead in the boat, then all three anglers were catching Redfish, one of which was in the Slot. Mary had a Seatrout catch which gave here an Amelia Islands Back Country Slam. When the bite slowed, we move on, heading back to Nassauville. 

Fishing between two docks we didn't get too much action, but Mary did have a strange bite, a hookup, and patiently brought to the net a almost legal Flounder to round out her very on Grande Slam. 

Our final stop was up the Nassau and into a Creek where we worked bank with logs. It was some finesse casting but they were up to it and caught a couple of Seatrout and Redfish. We had had a beautiful day and had pulled in 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.