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Looks Can Be Deceiving

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

For Bay area anglers, 6-foot tides and water the color of day-old coffee might seem an alien environment. But it's business as usual for fishermen such as Terry Lacoss, who for more than 25 years has made his living on the waters around Amelia Island, north of Jacksonville.

"I like the variety we have up here," says Lacoss, who runs Amelia Angler, a fishing shop on the docks at Fernandina Beach. "You might catch a 30-inch red on one cast and then a keeper trout and then a mangrove snapper and then a flounder, all in the same spot with the same bait when you hit it right."

The waters here, book-ended by St. Mary's Inlet on the north and Nassau Inlet on the south, include tens of thousands of acres of salt marsh habitat, most of it veined with deep creeks and loaded with oyster bars. Because the water is dark, there's little seagrass like that found along the clear waters of Florida's west coast, but the fish readily substitute the more gnarly environment.

Lacoss, like many anglers here, runs a bay boat, allowing him access to most of the shallow creeks but still providing adequate freeboard to head into the St. Mary's River or out the inlet in calm weather. And there's a lot to attract at the mouth of this inlet.

"We just get amazing numbers of big redfish here," Lacoss said. "It's not uncommon, from September through November, to catch 50 or more that average over 25 pounds each."

Tough Work Pays Off

The reds swarm in vast schools around the outflow of the big rivers, feeding on crabs and menhaden. Most successful anglers simply anchor on the edge of the rock jetties or big holes and fish live or cut menhaden on bottom with heavy tackle. It's backbreaking fishing, similar to hauling up amberjacks, but it's fast, dependable action with huge fish.

Inside, the fish are usually smaller, but the country is more interesting. The creeks gouge their way through the soft mud and wind for miles into the vast salt marshes. As the water falls out of the creeks, some potholes become landlocked, and anglers willing to set inside through a tide cycle can catch a wide variety of species trapped by the fall.

There's also good fishing at creek mouths as the water drops, pulling baitfish out of the backwaters. And on low water, the many docks along the main channel of the Intracoastal Waterway turn up lots of mangrove snapper and flounder, as well as the occasional red.

Lacoss also likes to toss topwaters around the many oyster bars in the area, just as they flood on rising water.

"This is one of the best ways to get a big trout or a red, particularly on an early morning tide," Lacoss said.

For general action, though, Lacoss and most locals like live bait. The favorite rig is a quarter-ounce jig with half a fresh shrimp on the hook.

"The scent of the shrimp is a real advantage in this colored water," Lacoss said. "We go through them by the dozens."

They also go through plenty of jig heads, because the oystery bottom is unforgiving. Lacoss opts for 15- to 20-pound-test line to give him a better shot at pulling free of bottom than he'd have with the usual 8- to 10-pound inshore gear, and he loads most of his rods with microfiber. To learn more about fishing the area, visit www.ameliaangler.com.

Plenty To See Ashore

Exploring the rivers here could take many weeks, but there's also lots to see ashore. The historic fishing town of Fernandina Beach has been largely refurbished in the past decade into a charming tourist center, with a feel that's akin to Key West with the open bistros and art shops.

And nearby Fort Clinch State Park is a favorite visit for families with kids, who usually are awed by the enormous cannons overlooking the river in this pre-Civil War fortress.

The park is also a good spot to photograph a whitetail at dawn or dusk, and there are several hiking trails through the oak forests. There are also waterfront camping areas, one adjacent to the beach, the other to the ICW. A half-mile-long fishing pier on the inlet is a good place to hook up with one of those giant redfish. Visit www.floridastateparks.org.

And for those seeking more upscale accommodations, Amelia Island Resort occupies a major portion of the south end of the island, with all the usual amenities. Visit www.aipfl.com.

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