I fished north today meeting the Yeager boys - Keith and his sons Reece and Renner - up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. We made a run up and around to the Jolley River and began to fish the bank with float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that still had a few hours to hit high. Reece was on the bow and got hot quick catching a goo...

Trout. They just keep coming. I had met the Dickens group set up by Sparkle - her son David son-in-law Domenic grandson Chris and her brother Jack - early down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp. We made a short run up the Nassau River and turned into the incoming current at Spanish Drop and began to work the bank with float rigs and live shrimp on a...

I was back to work today fishing with the Ankney boys   Carson Cooper Christian and their brother-in-law Blake. We met early this morning up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and after easing thru the no-wake zone we headed up to the Jolley River and turned into the current (what there was) and began to toss float rigs and live shrimp up t...

I met Keenan Bell his grandfather Tom and uncles Tommy and Ricky out at Goffinsville Park early this morning. There was a tide still coming in so we made our way over to Pumpkin Hill and set up to drift floats long baited with live shrimp and mud minnows. (Note the shrimp seemed to do better than the minnows today).  Ricky did pick up a small Jac...

I met David Vice and Robert Stettner out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early this morning and boy was it a pretty day...and we had a bit of breeze for the most part. We made a run thru Horsehead and over to Poteat Cut to set up fishing a tide that had just started out tossing float rigs and live shrimp.  David was once up on the bow while R...

I've fished with the Maron family for over 10 years. When they would visit Amelia Island Mike Maron would make sure to arrange a fishing trip and sometimes two to get everyone out on the water and get some family fishing time in. It was always a pleasure to get to fish with Mike and his family and I looked forward to seeing them each year.  Unfor...

I fished south today meeting Garland Clark and his son Kris down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early. We made the run up the intercoastal and made our way to Poteat Cut to set up tossing float rigs and live shrimp on a tide that had been going out for about two hours. The flip of the coin paid off - we had only been fishing a few minutes when Kr...

Croaker Redfish Jack Crevalle Stingray Ladyfish(kinda) Bluefish Flounder Whiting Catfish Toadfish and a Seabass.  I think I got them all. 11 different species caught today!  I had met Jen and Ted Hessing and their kids Adele and Henry up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early this morning. We made a run up to the outside of Tyger and fi...

I fished with the Sleeth brothers this morning Brad and Jared meeting them out at the Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. We had a tide that was still going out for a couple of hours so the plan was to motor down the Nassau turn into the current at Spanish Drop and fish back along the exposed oysters tossing jigs and live shrimp and minnows. Brad...

I fished with my son-in-law Nathan Taylor and friend Michael Silver this morning. We launched out at Goffinsville Park and made a short run down to Spanish Drop to turn into the current and toss jigs and live shrimp to the exposed oysters on the very last of the outgoing tide. Nathan knocked the skunk off when he hooked up and landed a hungry Se...

I fished with William and Dara Blalock this morning meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early. As we eased out of Eagans Creek we were greeted with some clear skies and just a slight breeze to make for a perfect day to get out on the water here at Amelia Island.  We had a plan and that was to make a long run up the intercoa...

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend and holiday! I was back at it this morning meeting Mike Livatino and his son John and daughter-in-law Deb out at Goffinsville Park boat ramp early. The tide had been coming in for about an hour so we made a quick run down the Nassau and began working a shell bank at Spanish Drop with jigs and live s...

Driving home today after my trip I noticed on my truck screen that the temperature was right at 100 degrees! Although it didn't feel quite that hot fishing this morning it was getting there! I had met Ed Brown his son Spencer and son-in-law Chris down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp and after running up the intercoastal and cutting thru to Poteat C...

I wrapped up my week today fishing with the Jensen's Dean and his sons Elijah and Tyler meeting them up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp early to try and beat the heat. We made a quick run over to the outside of Tyger Island and set up along a grassy point to fish float rigs on the very first of an outgoing tide. It was another beautiful...

I met Danne Webb down at Sawpit Creek boat ramp this morning and boy what a beautiful day it was! Clear skies sunshine and just enough breeze to make it comfortable for a back water fishing trip. We made a long run up the intercoastal up the Back River and around to Pumpkin Hill. I  had hoped that the tide would still be coming in but unfortunate...

If you go to my Fishing Tips page and scroll down you'll see there are a list of 5 Tips to Catch More Fish.  Number 4 is Move if  you're not catching fish! Well that applied today. I had met Walter Mann and  his uncle Bruce Johnsen up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp and in line with Tip #1 I had a plan for the morning. We had a tide tha...

I woke up this morning to see the box score of the Florida/Lsu baseball World Series game and sure enough my Gators got drubbed! They could have used a Grande Slam like we picked up today fishing! I had met John Gaydac and his son Robbie and grandsons Gray and Cam down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early today and we made a fairly long run around...

Forecasted to be a hot one today and all week and it was when that sun came out! I had met Bob Kossman and his adult kids Marcie and Michael down at the Sawpit Creek boat ramp early and as we headed out we had a bit of overcast skies which made for some pleasant fishing for most of the morning. We made our first run up the intercoastal and to Pot...

I got to fish with my cousin today Jim Garner and his brother-in-law Chipper when they drove up from Nacotee to meet me at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp. We eased out of Eagans Creek and headed over to Lanceford Creek to fish some dock pilings just as the tide hit dead low. We worked that dock pretty good and did pick up a handful of feis...

That's NOT what Paula Eldridge said when I spoke to her last night but more like we don't mind a little rain after I gave her the forecast of 45% chance for our trip this morning.  So we planned to meet up at the Old Town Bait and Tackle boat ramp - Paula and her husband Dean and their sons Malachi and Josiah. And wouldn't  you know when I got up...

Redfish Bonnethead Shark Seatrout Flounder Mangrove Snapper Black Sea Bass and Silver Perch - not bad if we were in a species tournament!  But the ones that counted were a couple of Slot Redfish three keeper sized Seatrout and a Mangrove Snapper. I had met Eric Stevens and his friends Mike and Steven out at Goffinsville Park early this morning and...

Bluefish get a bad rap in that they are a bit fishy but if you know how to prepare them they can be delicious! Here's an age-old recipe for grilling Bluefish. The key is to prep the Bluefish!  Immediately after you catch them bleed them by cutting their gills and then put them on ice. When you get home filet them off the bone and skin and cut ou...

It's just plain crazy how our public officials seem to disregard the tax paying boating public. City of Fernandina commissioners are moving ahead with a Waterfront Park that will severely limit boaters using the marina ramp. In the Nassau County Dee Dee Bartels is dangerous to use when there is a west wind and hazardous to your boat anytime you la...

My theory this time of year is that the water temperature rises with the air temps and it falls with the air temps and the fish get confused.  And of course there's the theory about fishing during a full moon!  All week we've had beautiful weather a full-ish moon and cooler temperatures than last week and the fish bite had been somewhat down. Thu...

On Thursday I had two people for 6 hours. As I left the Jetties I really didn’t know where I was gonna go but I did know I was gonna try to catch pogies because jigging bait was a little difficult on Wednesdah. After I caught pogies we headed offshore and started bottom fishing. While […] The post A 6hr Trip with Lance and Jen Smart! April 25th 20...