Author: Terry D. Lacoss
111 Centre St.
Fernandina Beach, Fl. 32034
Title: “Amelia Island August Fishing”
August is by far the best month of the year when targeting Amelia Island tarpon and a variety of pelagic game fish that are found feeding close to the pristine beaches of Amelia Island and both fishy inlets. Tarpon fishermen will also encounter a wide specie of sharks, including the awesome spinner shark that come spinning several feet from the water when hooked. Other game fish species that roam the beaches include cobia, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and the speedy king mackerel.
Some of the best tarpon fishing comes at both the Nassau and the St. Mary’s inlets while drifting your fishing boat along tide lines, behind shrimp a working shrimp, or simply anchoring up where there is a lot of fish activity, including menhaden schools. Floating barbed barbed menhaden, mullet, whiting or croaker in a heavy chum slick is key for awesome surface strikes. Here a few small floats are attached to your terminal fishing line to hold your bait close to and right on the surface. Injecting your bait with air from a horse needle will also keep your tarpon bait floating high on the water column. If there are good numbers of menhaden holding just past the breaking surf on both Amelia and Cumberland Islands, tarpon fishing can also be excellent along the beaches in the menhaden schools as well.
Standard tarpon tackle includes 20-50 pound braided fishing line with a 3-4 foot section of 80-100 pound mono shock leader followed by a 7/0 circle hook. A fish finder sleeve is attached to the main line which allows different size weights to be exchanged. A 100-pound swivel connects the main line to the shock leader. Barb the menhaden from the bottom of the mouth through the top of the head while cutting the tail off which allows the scent to seep out into the water. Chumming is critical while cutting menhaden up into small pieces and slowly tossing overboard while creating a deep water chum slick. Tarpon fishermen should attach a large bouy to their anchor line so that the anchor can be released when a wide shouldered tarpon spends most of your fishing line from your saltwater fishing reel.
Also keep in mind the old saying “Drop the Rod Tip” when the silver king is in the middle of a big jump, should not apply to Northeast Florida tarpon. Once the hook is set, keep the rod tip Up!
Fishermen are not allowed to bring tarpon out of the water and into a boat unless they have a tarpon tag. For more information on tarpon regulations please visit www.myfwc.com.
Inlet fishermen will also find a few smoker king mackerel hanging around during the month of August that will take live menhaden, or mullet fished right on the surface while chumming up a tarpon.
A big red bass migration begins to take place in late August during the last of the in-coming tide at the St. Mary’s south jetty rocks and during the falling tide, the tip of the St. Mary’s north jetty rocks should be teeming with bull reds weighing to 50-pounds. Fishing on the bottom with cut mullet, or menhaden is key. During slack tides, deep jigging with a one-ounce baucktail jig in the red and white color pattern will put a deep bend in you saltwater jigging tackle!
Finally redfish should be tailing in the many bays found in the backwaters of Amelia Island during the last of the in-coming tide and as soon as the tide begins to fall, redfish will disappear from the flooded marsh flats. Best bait is a 1/8th ounce led head jig and Berkley Gulp shrimp in the “New Penny” color pattern. If you are a fly fishermen, a brown and orange crab pattern cast right in front of a tailing redfish is a deadly fishing tactic.
Beach fishermen will enjoy excellent action for pompano, whiting, blues, sea trout and redfish while fishing with ultra fresh shrimp with a fish finder setup. Seasoned surf fishermen will often purchase three-dozen live shrimp and bring them to the beach for their day of surf fishing.
For more Amelia Island fishing information please call (904) 261-2870, or visit www.ameliaangler.com, or visit www.ameliaangler.com.