Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

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Saltydawg
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Joined: July 3rd, 2020, 12:55 pm

Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by Saltydawg »

Hoping to head to St. Marks next week for a day trip. Have the fish moved out to the flats and any ideas on depth that they are holding on.
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fishinfool
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by fishinfool »

I found myself asking the same question yesterday while exercising my casting arm in 3-4 feet of water. Fished a lot of good looking areas with little to show for it. Water temp started at 62 degrees and at 3:30 it was 68. Fished flats, grass lines and creek mouths with out finding any concentrations of fish.
bead
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Joined: February 21st, 2016, 7:05 am

Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by bead »

Went out last week...nada. Very windy. For those that follow the solunar calendar, this Fri is supposed to best of season. Hope it isn't an April fools joke!
ropeman
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Joined: July 23rd, 2007, 1:24 am

Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by ropeman »

I saw two or three schools of what looked like bait fish near Spanish Hole Sunday, but didn't see anything chasing them or couldn't figure out what they were. Only caught 1 puffer and 1 catfish the rest of the day near the Rock Garden.
DEMON
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by DEMON »

Probably too much fresh water after all the recent rains. Try deeper.
oreocwby
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by oreocwby »

The fish are chewing...I went out the last 2 Sunday's and had a field day slapping over slot reds around..Big trout are around too which is good to see. Let's keep our fisheries healthy
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mpa_72001
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by mpa_72001 »

They've been on the flats awhile.i caught em on topwater Saturday and suspending plugs .
Edziu
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Joined: April 3rd, 2022, 9:07 am

Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by Edziu »

Had a slow day Friday east of St Marks. Saw nothing until high tide along shore of creek mouths.
redcodefsu
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by redcodefsu »

I didn't find any today
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PhishingNole
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Joined: March 4th, 2020, 12:07 pm

Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by PhishingNole »

They weren't today... Surely it's not because I suck at fishing.

Water was 64 early and warmed up to 70 by the end of the day.

I tried west flats, east flats, up into a couple coves and oyster bars with live shrimp, paddle tails, spoons, and spinning baits.

One slot trout on a live shrimp under a popping cork in 6' was all I could muster besides a few dinks and a ton of puffers.

What made things tough today was a stout north wind and heavy current heading in the opposite direction as high tide came in at 3-4. It made swimming the bait in the natural presentation (with the current) hard because you had to cast into the wind.

The only thing I could cast worth a shit was the spoon, but the puffers relieved me of both in my tackle box pretty quickly.

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Salty Gator
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by Salty Gator »

PhishingNole wrote: April 3rd, 2022, 10:11 pm They weren't today... Surely it's not because I suck at fishing.

Water was 64 early and warmed up to 70 by the end of the day.

I tried west flats, east flats, up into a couple coves and oyster bars with live shrimp, paddle tails, spoons, and spinning baits.

One slot trout on a live shrimp under a popping cork in 6' was all I could muster besides a few dinks and a ton of puffers.

What made things tough today was a stout north wind and heavy current heading in the opposite direction as high tide came in at 3-4. It made swimming the bait in the natural presentation (with the current) hard because you had to cast into the wind.

The only thing I could cast worth a shit was the spoon, but the puffers relieved me of both in my tackle box pretty quickly.

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Thanks for the report. Just curious, how did a puffer get your spoon? We’re they able to swallow it whole then cut off the line, or were they hitting it at the line connection. I’ve lost plenty of soft baits to them, but never a hard bait thanks
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PhishingNole
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Joined: March 4th, 2020, 12:07 pm

Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by PhishingNole »

Cut the leader. I watched the first one do it, I'm assuming on the second based on catching several more right after.

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tailwaters
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by tailwaters »

Went Sunday, caught a dozen trout all over 20" with one going 27-28. Also landed 40+ reds and 1 flounder at SM. Fished from 9am to 2pm. Like others said, the wind sucked!
ropeman
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Joined: July 23rd, 2007, 1:24 am

Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by ropeman »

Water temp was 74.5 this past Saturday. Got 2 reds and one trout in 4' of water.
Mckayaker
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Re: Are the fish on the flats at St. Marks?

Post by Mckayaker »

ropeman wrote:Water temp was 74.5 this past Saturday. Got 2 reds and one trout in 4' of water.
Went Sunday 9 to 2. No luck around the bars at low tide. Headed to the east flats. Shields was out of shrimp so I used a sabiki rig to catch pins tipped with spent gulp. Pins were sparse but we were able to get around a dozen total, with which we caught six keeper trout up to 21”. Had to release a 20 inch trout as we already had the other in the box. Two other big trout escaped, one next to the boat and one jumped out of my buddies hands over the side to freedom! Seas were extremely calm and the day was gorgeous!


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