Inshore Hardcore

Matthew Shaw
5 days ago
2 min read

Northeast Florida's rivers inspire a zealous commitment to regionally unique pursuits

When we asked local lensman Gunner Hughes to put together a photo feature celebrating our rivers’ most zealous devotees – the kinds of folks who dedicate a good portion of their free time to chasing seafood around our region’s inshore waterways – it was understood that he’d need to keep both his aperture and schedule wide open. Avoiding weekends, with a keen eye to the tides, temperatures, water and wind conditions, Hughes was able to link up with more than a half-dozen river fanatics. He chased them down as they themselves were in pursuit of fluvial bounties – red drum, flounder, sheepshead, shrimp, oysters, etc. – casting their lines and nets from docks, kayaks and various motorized vessels. The images convey a variety of regionally-specific avocations. And, beyond that, a truly unique and all-consuming devotion.

Sure, flounder is flaky and delicious. The excitement around a shrimp run can be infectious. And, of course, there’s the thrill of the take (or catch). But in Hughes’ portraits and images of his subjects’ crafts, tools and accouterments, we find evidence of something more significant than a recreational hobby confined to weekend leisure time. Inshore fishing, it’s clear, at least for some, is a lifestyle – one built around tide swings, weather, seasonal migration patterns and a sincere attunement to the aforementioned.

“Seeing the river at night is so freaking cool. The wildlife you see is unbelievable. To see the shrimp running, big ones, under the lights, there’s nothing like it.”

– Robert "Lil Man" Burkan, commercial fisherman, owner and operator of Awe Yesh Shrimp Co.

“You’ve heard the saying ‘time waits for no man,’ right? Well, neither does the tide.”

– Ben Williams, commercial fisherman, fishmonger, recreational oyster harvester

“We have such a unique environment. Up north, like Georgia and the Carolinas, is its own thing. Then down below us, toward the Keys, the water gets a little bit more clear. We’re kind of that perfect spot in between, with our own mix of fish.”

– Alden Sheils, inshore fishing charter captain, owner and operator of Hot Reels Inshore

“You can get in the marshes, be back there by yourself and totally lost in the feeling of solitude, of being in sync with nature. Catching fish is just a bonus.”

– Lynne Golek, kayak-fishing enthusiast

“I don't know if I could live away from the water. It's one of those things. It's just in my veins, I guess.”

– Ken Richards, river devotee, float-fishing (aka cork-fishing) connoisseur (above, fishing with his wife Jeane Richards)

“I’ve been on the river my whole life and spend as much time as anybody out there. Whether out on the marsh or back in a creek, there’s always something new to explore.”

– Chris Schultz, owner and operator of FishJax Charters, inshore and offshore fishing guide,

duck hunting enthusiast