Burney Park, American Beach Fishing

Burney Park gives surf anglers a county lot, showers and a boardwalk over the dunes at American Beach, on the southern part of Amelia Island. The beach beyond is open to the Atlantic, so the fishing changes with the swell and the season.

• Whiting through most of the year, pompano when the surf warms
• Redfish, bluefish and black drum as the spring and fall runs pass
• Blacktip and sharpnose sharks on summer evenings
• The county lists fishing as an allowed use of the park

Burney Park sits in the community of American Beach on the ocean side of southern Amelia Island. Nassau County gives its address as 1556 Gregg Street.

• The lot is a county beachfront parking area reserved for people using the beach, and vehicles must be out of it between midnight and sunrise
• A raised walkover leads from the park over the dunes to the sand
• The county lists no entry fee
• Horse trailers are not allowed to park at Burney Park
• County residents and property owners, active-duty military and drivers with a disability placard may drive onto the American Beach sand from the Lewis Street access, and the county can restrict driving and parking directly in front of the park

What bites here depends on the season and the state of the surf.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano arrive as the water warms, whiting stay in the troughs, and bluefish and black drum move north along the bars
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting and croaker take small baits, while blacktips and sharpnose sharks patrol the surf line around dawn and dusk; Spanish mackerel chase bait schools close in
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the peak months, when mullet schools pour down the beach with redfish, bluefish and jacks behind them, and pompano come back late in the season
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting, redfish and black drum on the calmer days between cold fronts

A 9- to 11-foot surf rod covers both the troughs and the outer bar.

• Whiting and croaker: size 2 to 4 hooks on a two-hook bottom rig, a pyramid sinker just heavy enough to hold, and fresh shrimp
• Pompano: the same rig with sand fleas dug at the swash line, clam strips or shrimp, cast just beyond the first break
• Redfish and black drum: a 6/0 circle hook on a fish-finder rig with a chunk of mullet or half a blue crab, cast to the far side of the bar
• Bluefish and mackerel: a silver spoon with a short wire trace, worked quickly through breaking bait
• Sharks: wire leader, cut bait and heavy line; unhook them in the shallows and let them go

Like the rest of Florida's Atlantic coast, this beach sees two high tides and two low tides each day, and the bars reshape after every blow.

• The incoming tide, from about an hour after low, is when fish slide into the troughs
• At dead low, walk the beach and note the gullies and cuts to fish on the flood
• A gentle onshore breeze that keeps a little surf running suits pompano
• Hard northeast winds bring heavy seaweed and dirty water
• In summer, get there at first light or stay until dusk

Open ocean and soft sand call for a few precautions.

• Rips form at gaps in the bar; stay shallow when the surf is up
• Stingrays lie in the warm shallows, so slide your feet as you walk in
• Thunderstorms build fast on summer afternoons; get off the sand when you hear thunder
• Keep an eye out for vehicles on stretches where beach driving is permitted
• From May through October sea turtles nest here: level any holes you dig and keep lights pointed away from the sand after dark
• The dune walkover and deep sand make the trip to the water hard for anglers with limited mobility

Nassau County lists a short set of amenities for the park.

• Indoor showers and outdoor showers
• Picnic tables
• A county beachfront parking lot
• A walkover across the dunes
• The county lists no bait or tackle shop, so stock up before you arrive
• Check the beach warning flags before you wade
• Take all litter, line and bait packaging home with you

• Collect sand fleas where the waves wash up; your hands or a small rake will do
• Small hooks and small baits catch more whiting than big ones
• Try the first two hours after low tide before anything else
• Look for the slightly darker, flatter water over a trough or a rip gully
• Mullet schools in early fall mean redfish and bluefish close behind
• Items may not be left on the beach overnight, so carry chairs and sand spikes back each evening

Nassau County manages Burney Park and the beach in front of it under its beach ordinance.

• County parks are open from dawn until midnight unless posted; the beachfront lot is closed to vehicles from midnight to sunrise, and horse trailers are banned from it
• Beach fires are not allowed from May 1 through October 31, and camping on the beach is not allowed at all
• Alcohol and glass containers are banned on the beach and in the beach parking area
• Items left unattended on the beach from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. are removed
• You need a Florida saltwater fishing license unless an exemption covers you, and fishing for sharks from shore also takes the free FWC shore-based shark fishing permit
• Look up the current FWC size, bag and season rules on myfwc.com before you keep a fish