BigBendFishing.Net

Due to a career change I am moving to Missouri in a rather short period of time, so I had to fit in a last fishing trip to the flats. So a college buddy of mine and a colleague of mine decided that we would take a trip to St Marks 4/6-7, coincidentally where my colleague took his wife on there first date. The trip started off simply enough :



It was a beautiful afternoon, even if it was a bit of a late start




And we did find fish in the rock garden in 3-3.5 ft of water, pink shine and white chartreuse tailed shrimp were the ticket with few shorts to be found





We didn't load the boat but 3 nice trout in a short period of time was worth leaving work early for and we decided to head in before dark due to the amount of crap traps we had seen going out. But this is never a good sign


Unfortunately, the issue from my last day trip with my boat was not corrected and we had a bilge full of water and had to go in slowly and I had to ponder what to do with my boat



Regardless, we made it back fine, just made for a later supper at Riverside Cafe



vMuch to my colleague's distress we were already planning on going back out the next morning and we made our way to the new TRU hotel in Tallahassee.
The next morning was a bit rough but we got our gameplan together





We fished until 11 and called it after looking at the radar, we managed a few more trout near the lighthouse with the same lures and made a ton of memories. We even figured out the boat issue when taking the boat out.


It was also decided that this would be an annual 3 day affair going forward dubbed "The Annual SS Minnow Classic" while grabbing lunch





If youre just here for the fishing report, pink or white/chart shrimp, 3-3.5ft of water, water temp was 70-71F.

Awesome report and pictures. Your lucky that hose didn’t sink you. Good times look to be had by all.


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Nice! It's the memories that count and you don't have to clean those.

I'm thinking the last big swell we hit knocked it off, I looked at it before and it was still on, it just must have no been on the whole way since the hose isn't cut square. I had issues on the last trip I took in March, I thought the rear hatch was leaking but this was obliviously it. Good thing I put in a 1100gph pump beforehand, funny thing is I made the comment on the way down that it didn't matter if we sank the boat since I won't need it in MO.

Good thing you had that pump. Your gonna have to take up bass fishing.


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Hit-n-Miss wrote:Good thing you had that pump. Your gonna have to take up bass fishing.


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I'm moving to the bootheel, nearest lake is in TN. I love to bass fish too but it just isn't the same. But my research plots are on the Mississippi River so I can at least fish for catfish.

Good luck with the new job/location! There are lots of local bass ponds and some trout streams not too far away.

Don't know if you're a deer hunter but if so (and bet you already know this), you're moving to monster buck territory! Good luck with the move.

Thanks, the hunting I'm fine with, but I prefer fishing to hunting. Hopefully some of my on farm cooperators will have some farm ponds to fish. Plus, I have wanted to visit the Ozarks, the main problem is going to stem from my wife staying behind in Georgia until she finds a job in mo.

I’m so jealous. My family moved to North MO 40 years ago. They loved it so much they never returned. A lot of what they loved was the outdoors. In MO they have a 1/8% sales tax that goes to their conservation department. You won’t find a ditch on public land that doesn’t have a small stocked pond or lake. Their conservation department blows Florida’s away. There not blessed with a lot of natural watee like FL. Instead they constantly expand public access by building lakes/ponds and buying land. Unless you want to fish the big lake or river, get yourself a yak or a small boat.

When I go home every year, I fish different water every day and rarely see another fisherman. Fisherman in most of MO don’t even eat bluegills or bass. Catfish and crappie is what they love. I usually limit out of several species within a few hours.

I’m not familar with the area your going. But I think you’ll be fine.

The MO conservation department has an App you should get. “MO fishing” It shows you the closest public lakes or pond at all times. Its crazy the number of launches you have for a yak.

Best of luck.

cotton wrote:I’m so jealous. My family moved to North MO 40 years ago. They loved it so much they never returned. A lot of what they loved was the outdoors. In MO they have a 1/8% sales tax that goes to their conservation department. You won’t find a ditch on public land that doesn’t have a small stocked pond or lake. Their conservation department blows Florida’s away. There not blessed with a lot of natural watee like FL. Instead they constantly expand public access by building lakes/ponds and buying land. Unless you want to fish the big lake or river, get yourself a yak or a small boat.

When I go home every year, I fish different water every day and rarely see another fisherman. Fisherman in most of MO don’t even eat bluegills or bass. Catfish and crappie is what they love. I usually limit out of several species within a few hours.

I’m not familar with the area your going. But I think you’ll be fine.

The MO conservation department has an App you should get. “MO fishing” It shows you the closest public lakes or pond at all times. Its crazy the number of launches you have for a yak.

Best of luck.

Sad thing is I have driven past Reelfoot lake, Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks, Lake Wappapello, and Lake Jacomo without making a cast since I was in my work truck. I did visit the bass pro hq in Springfield much to my disappointment. I got rearended in Alabama last week so hopefully my personal truck will be fixed soon and I can at least go fish reelfoot. I'll try the app since my boat is staying Ga for the moment. I actually live close enough to the Mississippi River in New Madrid to hear the tug boats, eventually I'll make it down to fish at the park on the river.

Making memories is what it’s all about


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