Winter Fishing at Amelia
Story and photos by Terry Lacoss

Although many fishermen claim that the warm summer days afford for some of Amelia Island’s best fishing opportunities, winter can offer red-hot fishing action, too - even on the coldest days!
Red snapper fishing offshore at many of the man-made reefs can be nothing short of spectacular if you can get your bottom bait past the hungry jaws of delicious eating black sea bass. During the past few winter fishing seasons the local offshore stock of red snapper has been increasing both in size and numbers. Just a few fishing seasons ago, it was hard to find red snapper measuring over 20 inches, which is their legal minimum size length. However, drift fishermen are now bringing in their limit of red snapper, which is two per angler, per day. One of the very best baits for red snapper is fresh local squid.
Grouper fishing is also excellent during the winter months for grouper that sometimes weigh over the 20-pound mark. Live cigar minnows, grunts and croaker still prove to be the best baits for grouper while fished dead on the bottom. Fishermen may keep up to two grouper per day with a minimum size length of 24-inches.

Grouper fishing is excellent during
the winter months.
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Black sea bass fishing produces great winter fishing action while fishing over offshore rocky bottoms. Be sure and watch your fish finder for big concentrations of sea bass over these rough bottoms, then toss over the jug, or record their location with your GPS. Sea bass will attack a variety of bottom baits, however a small piece of cut bait seems to work best.
Offshore trolling can simply be fantastic during the cold of winter! A couple of winters past, a huge school of king mackerel took residence at FA reef and stayed there for several weeks. However, to enjoy consistent trolling action, bluewater fishermen will need to navigate some 25-50 miles offshore. Here, in water depths from 90 to over 100 feet, trolling with rigged ballyhoo or dead cigar minnows can produce great dolphin, king mackerel, cobia, blackfin tuna and wahoo action.
Closer to shore, good numbers of sea trout can be found schooling at both the Nassau Sound and the St. Marys inlets.  Drifting a live shrimp under a trout float is the most popular technique for taking sea trout, however lures also work well, too.  Some of the more popular trout lures include the 1/4-oz. Cotton jig with a chartreuse plastic tail, the slow sinking mirror lure, the countdown rapala and the "Chug Bug" topwater lure.
Sheepshead fishing is excellent at the St. Marys south jetties while fishing during the last of the outgoing and the first of the incoming tides. Look for some of the best action to come while anchoring up close to low areas of the jetty rocks, while fishing with a live fiddler crabs.
Good numbers of redfish can be found in the backwaters of Amelia Island during the last of the outgoing tide while schooling on shallow mud flats which are warmed by the winter sun. A live bullhead minnow fished slowly along the bottom with a 1/8-oz. lead head jig is a deadly fishing tactic for winter redfish.

Fly fishing Amelia Island waters for
redfish is a popular winter activity.
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Surf fishermen will find good numbers of whiting holding in the surf during the falling and the first few hours of the in-coming tides. Some of the best action comes at the southern end of Amelia Island while fishing with fresh shrimp right on the bottom.
Fort Clinch also offers great fishing from shore for flounder, redfish and sea trout while fishing during the falling tide as well with live finger mullet or bullhead minnows.
The Nassau Sound fishing pier provides fishermen with a mixed bag of species including sheepshead, sea trout, black drum, flounder, sea trout and whiting. The outgoing tide offers some of the best action for many of these species. However many "Bridge fishing" pros prefer the last of the incoming tide for sea trout.
Freshwater bass fishing is excellent in Lofton, Boggy and Thomas Creeks during the winter months while fishing with live shiners under a small float. Look for floating rapalas, plastic worms and spinner baits to work well during the warmer days of winter.
Non Florida residents over the age of sixteen will need to purchase a Florida fishing license when fishing from land, bridges, piers and boats. For more fishing and charter information, call the Amelia Angler at (904) 321-5090.