Without a doubt, king mackerel fishing is the favorite sport of many northeast Florida fishermen during the summer fishing season. Look for good numbers of kingfish to show up at inlet mouths of Amelia Island, the St. Marys river and Cumberland Island, and just off from the beaches of Amelia Island as well. Offshore reefs and wrecks are also teeming with kingfish during the summer fishing season.
  If you are targeting "Smoker" kings, the best fishing tactic includes live bait trolling with a variety of live baits including menhaden, mullet, Spanish sardines, greenies or cigar minnows. Chumming with freshly ground menhaden is a very deadly fishing tactic when teasing a big kingfish up to your live bait. Look for the largest kingfish of the season to come from the St. Marys shipping channel or from a small slough located just off from the beaches and just north of the Nassau Sound.

Don Gasgarth landed this 35-pound kingfish
while fishing at an offshore reef.
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  A rare summer front may send kingfish offshore where they can be readily caught at artificial reefs and live bottoms. A real "smoker" weighs over the 30-pound mark, while several kingfish in the 40-pound class are landed annually.
  The kingfish season is highlighted by the Nassau Sport Fishing Association¹s Kingfish Tournament, June 28th ­ 30th. The BellSouth Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament will be held July 8th ­ 13th. Lots of cold cash and prizes will be awarded to both skilled and lucky fishermen that weigh in the largest kingfish!
  A wide variety of striking fish are also awaiting the avid blue water angler including dolphin, barracuda, sailfish, blackfin tuna, cobia, bonito and the occasional wahoo. All of these species are taken by trolling live baits, large plastic lures, spoons or rapalas.
Jetty and inlet fishermen target the high-leaping tarpon while fishing right on the bottom with cut baits, or live greenies, menhaden or mullet. Amelia Island tarpon often weigh over the 100-pound mark!
  A wide variety of sharks can be chummed up while fishing just off from both inlets and beaches of Amelia Island. Species include the blacktip, dusky, bull, lemon, hammerhead, shovelnose, spinner and the occasional tiger shark. Some of the best shark fishing is found in the deep waters at the footsteps of historic Fort Clinch. Here, shark fishermen fish right on the bottom during the slack tides with large cut baits.

Jim Wormhoudt landed this nice dolphin, which are plentiful off
Amelia Island during the summer fishing season.
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   Offshore bottom fishing slows down during the summer fishing season, unless you fish in 90-foot water depths or deeper. Here, bottom fishermen will find red snapper, black sea bass, amberjack and grouper. Look for cut bait, local squid and live Spanish sardines to produce the best action. Two of the better offshore bottom fishing drops are the "Brunswick Live Bottom" and the "Elton Bottom". Both are marked with latitude and longitude coordinates on the local offshore fishing chart.
  For those anglers that prefer to fish close-in, backwater fishing is excellent during the summer months for redfish, seatrout and flounder.
  Look for good catches of flounder to come from the Fort Clinch jetties and the St. Marys rock jetties while fishing the outgoing tide. Here, fishermen fish right on the bottom with live bullhead minnows or finger mullet.
  Redfish will feed over flooded marshlands during the high tide, or at creek mouths and mud flats during the low tide periods. Look for the gold spoon, topwater plugs, or jigs tipped with bullhead minnows to produce the best redfish action.

Flounder can be taken while fishing
from the beach, bridge or a variety
of inshore locations.
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  Some of the best seatrout action comes during the incoming tide while drifting a live shrimp under a trout float and just off from the bottom. As the tide starts to fall, topwater plugs like the "Chug Bug" and the "Top Dog" produce some of the largest specks of the summer fishing season.
  Surf fishing is also excellent during the summer for a wide variety of species including blues, whiting, pompano, redfish, flounder and seatrout. Some of the best fishing comes during the outgoing tide while fishing right on the bottom with a fish-finder rig and fresh shrimp.
  Fishing is also excellent from the Nassau Bridge during the outgoing tide for black drum and whiting. Look for seatrout to show up around the bridge during the flood tide. The Fort Clinch fishing pier offers great fishing from the very end of the pier during the first of the outgoing tide, particularly when the flood tide comes early in the morning.
  Bass fishing is also enjoyed early during the day in the many freshwater rivers just inland from Amelia Island. Look for some of the best action to come while fishing with floating worms, fished in close to cypress knees and creek mouths. However, don't be surprised if a redfish or seatrout strikes your bass lure!
  Crabbing is a very popular sport during the good old summer months, particularly for family fun. Tie a chicken part to a long string and then attach a 4-oz. weight to the bait. Drop the weighted bait down to the bottom and wait for a small tug. Pull the crab slowly to the surface and net with a long-handled net. Blue crabs are excellent eating when cooked in a boiling pot of water seasoned with crab boil.
  Non-Florida residents will need to purchase a Florida saltwater fishing license when fishing from land, bridges or piers. For more fishing or sailing information, call the Amelia Angler at (904) 321-5090.