Fishing Report & Forecast Fernandina / Amelia Island

By Terry D. Lacoss

Saltwater fishermen will be targeting fast swimming, sky rocketing king mackerel during the entire month of July along with competing in the popular “43rd Annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament”. First place is valued at $160,000.00 which includes a 25-foot Contender fishing boat powered with twin Yamaha 150 outboards and an Ameri Trail boat trailer.

Tournament winning kingfish will be targeted along the beaches of Amelia Island and at both fishy inlets, included the St. Mary’s and Nassau inlets. Look for the best action to come during the last of the in-coming and the first of the out-going tides when water clarity is best. Here, seasoned king mackerel fishermen will be targeting the mouths of both inlets while slow trolling with large baits including mullet, cutlass fish, blue runners and more.

During the hard running tides, some of the best king mackerel fishing will come while slow trolling both live and dead baits at the clean sides of the tide lines, located just off from these popular fishing inlets.

However, some of the best kingfish action can come while anchoring up your saltwater fishing boat just off from the deep edges of both inlets and chumming with both ground and pieces of freshly netted menhaden.

Also keep in mind that rarely schools of menhaden may not be located due to recent changes in the weather. Here it is important to have a backup plan!

“I will always bring along a few light tackle spinning outfits when catching beach whiting, yellowmouth trout, bluefish and croakers with small pieces of fresh shrimp and squid,” Benny Hendrix said. “Without saying, some of the largest kingfish that we have caught aboard my sport fishing boat “Heavy Hitter” have been caught when there has been a lack of schooling bait fish. I believe summer kings do not have the opportunity to capture an easy meal and are more apt to eat a single live bait fished right on the surface and just off the beaches of the southern portion of Amelia Island”.

The month of July will also find excellent fishing for cobia, redfish, shark, black drum, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and a variety of sharks.

Both the north and south St. Mary’s jetties will be teeming with game fish including flounder, sheepshead, black drum, sheepshead, and keeper size redfish. A popular fishing tactic includes drifting a live shrimp under a “Popping” cork close to low areas of the jetty rocks where there is a “Runout”. Runouts provide a constant flow of forage foods for all the above-mentioned game fish.

Other popular live baits include finger mullet, pinfish, mud minnows, and small menhaden. Barbing any one of these live baits right through the bottom of the mouth and out through the top of the head with a ¼ ounce led head jig and retrieving slowly along the bottom is also a deadly jetty fishing technique as well.

While drifting live baits under a popping cork, or working with led head jig, medium light spinning gear is your best choice. Filling your spinning reel with fifteen-pound braided fishing line is key, which provides for a non-stretch, excellent hookset. Strong braided fishing line will also help fishermen keep their hooked fish from powering swimming into a nearby snag as well.

I prefer to attach my led head directly to the braided fishing line using a uni-knot, especially when fishing under and close to barnacle clad boat pilings. When fishing in open waters, attach a two-to three-foot length of fifteen-pound fluorocarbon shock leader to the business end of your shock leader using back-to-back, uni-knots.

Offshore fishing will hold excellent fishing action for schooling king mackerel, cobia, and bonito. Bottom fishing will also be excellent for black sea bass, snapper, grouper, flounder, and sheepshead. Some of the best action will come from FA, FB, and FC fish havens, which are within fifteen miles from shore.

Be sure and bring along several Sabki multiple feathered bait catcher hooks for deep jigging live cigar minnows for bottom fishing live baits.

Some of the best beach fishing will come at the southern portion of Amelia Island while fishing with live sand fleas, or super fresh local shrimp. Pompano and whiting headline the action during the month of July.

Sea trout weighing to eight pounds will be running in the backwaters of Amelia Island along with redfish and flounder. Fishing with live shrimp under a popping cork during the last few hours of the incoming and first few hours of the falling tides are best.

For more information and charters, call Amelia Angler Outfitters (904) 261-2870, or visit www.ameliaangler.com