Winter Fishing at Amelia

Story and photos by Terry Lacoss

Some of Amelia Island's best winter fishing action comes within a short boat ride from the Fernandina Harbor boat launch and the footsteps of historic Fernandina Beach. The cooler water temperatures of winter attract a wide variety of saltwater species to the bays, tidal estuaries and St. Mary's rock jetties. Included are seatrout, redfish, black drum, whiting, flounder, the toothy sheepshead and bluefish.

Seatrout are plentiful when clear water conditions exist. They gobble up a variety of live baits including shrimp, bullhead minnows, finger mullet, grunts and pinfish. When found schooling, specks will hit a wide variety of artificial baits including plastic tail jigs, mirror lures and topwater plugs. However, the most effective method is drifting a live shrimp over a flooded oyster bar or hard bottom.

Seatrout are a favorite wintertime catch.
_____________________________

Redfish are also plentiful during the winter months and can be found schooling on shallow mud flats during the low tide periods and in small creeks and flooded marsh flats during high tide periods. Redfish will also take a variety of artificials, with a plastic tail jig heading up the list. Fly fishing for reds is also great sport. Try using an 8-weight fly rod, 10-pound tippet and a crab pattern or black "Clouser" fly. Live finger mullet fished right on the bottom is a deadly redfish tactic as well.

Flounder fishing is excellent too, with flounder feeding close to the bottom on barbed mud minnows and finger mullet. A led head jig tipped with a live shrimp is also a deadly flounder tactic.

Great sheepshead action can be found while fishing with fiddler crabs or barnacles close to barnacle-encrusted rocks or pilings. Sheepshead can be very difficult to catch because of their sneaky way of robbing barbed baits.

Offshore fishing for a variety of bottom feeders is also excellent during the winter months for grouper, red snapper and black sea bass. Some of the more effective baits include fresh local squid, cigar minnows, or cut bait. Look for some of the best action to come from sunken wrecks, culvert pipes and rock ledges. All offshore fish havens are marked with loran and GPS coordinates on area offshore fishing charts.

Surf fishing is excellent at the southern tip and the pipeline at Amelia Island when fishing right on the bottom with a "Fish Finder" setup and real, fresh shrimp. Expect to catch beach whiting, flounder, redfish, puppy drum and seatrout. Look for some of the best action to come during the last two hours of the out-going and the first two hours of the in-coming tides.
Wahoo fishing at northeast Florida's continental shelf is excellent during the winter months. Huge wahoo may weigh over the 100-pound mark! Troll deep with a black and red "Wahoo Whacker", rigged with a planer, or wire line and trolling weight. Go deep! The continental shelf is located some 65 miles offshore of Amelia Island.

Fernandina Beach Sheepshead are plentiful during
the cooler winter months and can be found feeding
next to bridges, pilings, jetties and docks.
___________________________

Area freshwater streams and small lakes also provide great largemouth bass fishing during the winter fishing season. During stable weather conditions, when bass are in the shallows, floating worms work well. During a cold front, try a "Carolina Rig," fished deep. Some of the better lakes include Orange and Kingsley. Some of the better freshwater rivers include the St. John's, Lofton, Boggy, Thomas' and the St. Mary's rivers.

Crabbing is also a popular sport in Amelia Island waters. Look for delicious-eating blue crabs to hold in deep sloughs next to large flats. Here, crabs will feed on fish and other sea creatures that move into these sloughs when they become weak.

The best crabbing tactic includes tying a chicken neck to a long piece of kite string. Leave a 12-inch section of line left over after tying the knot so you can attach a 4-ounce pyramid sinker. Drop the bait right on the bottom and wait for a slight tug. Pull the crab slowly to the surface and net with a long-handled net. Keep the blue crabs alive in a bucket until cooking. For delicious eating, place the live crabs in a pot of boiling water, seasoned with crab boil. When the crabs turn a brilliant pink, remove them from the pot and enjoy a real seafood feast!

All non-Florida residents will need a Florida fishing license when fishing from land, bridges or boats. For more fishing infromation, call the Amelia Angler at 321-5090.