Fishing Report & Forecast Fernandina / Amelia Island

By Terry D. Lacoss

Saltwaterfishermen will be targeting high speed kingfish during the month of June along the beaches, inlets, and offshore fish havens during the month of June. Many both seasoned and beginning saltwater fishermen will also be preparing for the “43rd Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament”. Which at one time drew over one thousand seasoned kingfish teams!

Schooling size king mackerel will be holding at offshore fish havens from eight to fifteen miles offshore of the St. Mary’s inlet. Here, the big attraction includes large schools of Spanish sardines and cigar minnows.

Some of Amelia Island’s very best offshore king mackerel waters are located at FA and HH fish havens. Both are marked on the local offshore fishing chart.

June is also an excellent month when targeting king mackerel along the beaches and at both inlets of Amelia Island, the St. Mary’s, and Nassau Sound. Once again live bait trolling is key for “Smoker” size kingfish that could tip your fishing scales to fifty-pounds!

Two fifty-pound kingfish were caught while live bait trolling at the St. Mary’s inlet by Steve Pickett’s 4/0 fishing team and Joe Bruce’s “Angling Pursuits” fishing team.

Beach and inlet fishermen will be live baiting with menhaden that are cast netted along the beaches of both Cumberland and Amelia Island. Other popular live baits include mullet, bluefish, ladyfish, blue runners, and goggle-eyes.

Tides are also key when king fishing along the beaches and inlets of Amelia Island with the last few hours of the in-coming tide offering some of the best kingfish action.

During the month of June tarpon, cobia, and shark will also be holding at both of Amelia Island’s inlets and along the beaches as well. Fishing dead on the bottom with live, or chunks of fish will harbor excellent action for tarpon, shark, redfish, and cobia.

Local working shrimp boats are a big attraction for shark fishermen! When a shrimp boat hauls in their nets and discards their bi-catch overboard, literally hundreds of sharks will be attracted to the easy meal. Be sure and keep clear of the shrimp boat nets and down current of the floating chum slick. Simply net some of the larger fish discarded by the shrimp boat, barb to a large 8/0 circle hook, rigged with a strong wire leader and hang on!

Bottom fishing for gag grouper, sheepshead, flounder, black sea bass, and red snapper when a season is announced will also be excellent during the month of June. Be sure and check with www.myfwc.com for local fishing regulations, particularly with red snapper.

Inshore fishing for redfish, flounder, seatrout, black drum, shark, and more is excellent during the month of June as well. Some of the best action comes during the last few hours of the flood tide while casting a 52-M Mirror lure in the red and white color pattern for seatrout and redfish. Particularly where large schools of mullet are holding on a large bay with a shell bottom, and during all the in-coming tide.

Barbing a live shrimp, or bullhead minnow to a ¼ ounce led head jig and retrieving along the bottom close to oysterbars, creek mouths, boat docks, or shell flats will produce excellent action for flounder, redfish, and puppy drum.

Beach fishing is tops during an early morning in-coming tide while fishing with sand fleas, or ultra fresh local shrimp. Pompano are plentiful along with whiting, blues, flounder, puppy drum, and red drum.

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

Mackerel fishermen will begin their morning of offshore king fishing by jigging up a live well full of live minnows with sabiki bait catchers. Next, live minnows are slow-trolled both on the surface and down deep with the aid of downriggers. Many of the offshore king mackerel are caught while deep live bait trolling with downriggers by adjusting the depth of the downrigger live baits as to where kingfish are marked with their boat’s electronics.

During mid-day when the sun is high and seas typically become flat as a pancake, offshore king mackerel will often feed right on the surface as bait fish schools also move to the surface as well. Some of the largest offshore king mackerel are caught during the early afternoon hours.

Let’s grow with Florida together.

Confessions of a Fishaholic, by Thatch Maguire, is a hilarious and irreverent look at one man’s quest to catch fish in spite of life’s annoying interferences. You’ll travel with this awkward adventurer as he risks home and health to pursue his passion for fishing...regardless of the consequences. Anglers of all expertise levels will immediately identify with why his addiction is incurable. This book defines the blurred line between passion and obsession.

20 Sacks Weighed Heavier than 30 Pounds at One Tourney

Catch a 30-pound ve- sh sack of bass, and you’re pretty much a lock to win whatever tournament you’re shing, right?

Imagine that glorious moment when you’ve been culling 5-pounders and pull into the docks to unload your livewell. With a grin on your face, you haul that huge bag of sh up to the scales…only to nd out your 30-pound sack barely put you in the top 20! at was the reality at a May 6 Roland Martin Marine Center Bass Series event on Lake Okeechobee. e shing was so good that anglers weighed 20 ve-bass limits that were heavier than 30 pounds. It took 36.82 pounds to win. We’re not sure who keeps track of such things, but that’s more 30-pound sacks in one tournament than we’ve ever heard of.

A father-son team of Preston and 11-year-old Tavyn Heisler won the 177-team tournament and a $6,500 big check.

“It was an amazing day,” Preston told a RMMCBS reporter a er the tournament. “I’m still shaking and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Tavyn said he was the net man early in the tournament, but he caught his own 8-pounder late in the day. His favorite lure was a black and blue charterbait.

To read a full report on the event, visit: rolandmartinmarinecenterseries.com.