Spring Warrior tidal quiz

[Perch Jerker]

A question for Spring Warrior veterans..

Low tide is 5:00 AM @ 0 ft.

High tide is 12:00 PM @ 3 ft

Low tide is at 5:00 @ 1 ft

assuming no North wind pushing water out, when are you able to leave the creek..and at what time would you return? Your boat is a 17ft flat bottom skiff.

[birddog]

Junior Dice went out the creek on a negative tide last Sunday.

[Reel Cowboy]

That's an easy one, leave out of Keaton and run roughly 9.5 miles and catch fish on the way.

[tin can]

Junior Dice went out the creek on a negative tide last Sunday.

He also hit a rock.

[What a mess]

Tide tables do not apply to Spring Warrior at least 5 months per year because of the winter tides. The water may not come at all for days when it is very cold or may rush in moments before high stay briefly and fly back out. This creek has never been dredged has massive oyster bars extensive mud flats.

The camp owners name is James Pittman the # is 850-838-2025
Feel free to call and check but keep in mind he can only guess at best when it got cold the other week and the wind was blowing out there was no water to speak of for about five days.

I have been stuck in the mud knocked holes in the hull destroyed props poked holes in a lower unit and caught more fish there when it is good than any other place I have ever fished and consider it to be my home base and 1st choice for fishing.

When it is good it is real good. When it is bad it costs about $300.00 to $600.00 to get it fixed or patched.

Spoons, spinner baits, hard and soft jerk baits, jigs with and without the cork, pin fish, shrimp, cut bait and rattle traps many top waters as well as others will work I can't think of a bait I have thrown at some time or another that hasn't worked.

The whole putting in at Keaton idea was not a bad idea bring warm clothes if you get caught out over night there it could be bad. File a float plan so they know where to look.

The camp channel is 11 James goes by "Jazbo", be safe have fun do not over do the I am so brave look at me macho crap it don't work there.

There is a big flat rock just a few yards down the creek from the ramp If it is sticking out of the water more than an inch or two you most likely will not be able to get out.

There are big rocks surrounded by Oysters at the mouth of the creek if you don't know the way follow another boat in and out a couple of times.

[birddog]

Junior Dice went out the creek on a negative tide last Sunday.

He also hit a rock.

He always hits something.

[RD]

A question for Spring Warrior veterans..

Low tide is 5:00 AM @ 0 ft.

High tide is 12:00 PM @ 3 ft

Low tide is at 5:00 @ 1 ft

assuming no North wind pushing water out, when are you able to leave the creek..and at what time would you return? Your boat is a 17ft flat bottom skiff.

Under this scenerio you should be able to idle out at daylight and come back anytime you want to,just go slow if the water is skinny.
If you are scared of hitting rocks then I suggest fishing at SGI.

[What a mess]

A question for Spring Warrior veterans..

Low tide is 5:00 AM @ 0 ft.

High tide is 12:00 PM @ 3 ft

Low tide is at 5:00 @ 1 ft

assuming no North wind pushing water out, when are you able to leave the creek..and at what time would you return? Your boat is a 17ft flat bottom skiff.

Under this scenerio you should be able to idle out at daylight and come back anytime you want to,just go slow if the water is skinny.
If you are scared of hitting rocks then I suggest fishing at SGI.

The key word here is should tide tables DO NOT APPLY at Spring Warrior in the winter and say on the tables not for navagation.

Look at the flat rock called table rock if you see it go somewhere else or wait for the water.

Wind or cold will keep the water out sometimes for days if you get out you may not get back.

The Keaton thing will also not work at times it goes dry there as well I have not seen it but have been told about it before.

[beatswork]

We went out of the Warrior last Saturday. Low tide if I remeber correctly was at 8:00 a.m. -.29. We got to the ramp at 9:00. Very little water as you can tell by the pictures on my post for that day. I am in a J16 Carolina Skiff which can draft in ankle deep water with the engine kicked all the way up. Needless to say there were areas of the creek and channal that I had to pole. If the wind would have been blowing that day, out of the north, it would have blown the small amount of water that was there completly out of the creek.

I have also seen no water at the Warrior in the winter even on a high tide even when it's predicted to be 1-2 foot above the mean. The water just does not return from the low. Could be wind factors or whatever.

I have seen boats stuck in the channal at Keaton. Never skiffs, but I have seen even smaller bay boats spraying mud trying to move.

All this to say, it's easy as heck to get stuck out on the water waiting for water. Get's a little chilly too so be prepared. Bring a dry box a long just in case with some warm clothes and an extra can or two of viennas.

[RD]

A question for Spring Warrior veterans..

Low tide is 5:00 AM @ 0 ft.

High tide is 12:00 PM @ 3 ft

Low tide is at 5:00 @ 1 ft

assuming no North wind pushing water out, when are you able to leave the creek..and at what time would you return? Your boat is a 17ft flat bottom skiff.

Under this scenerio you should be able to idle out at daylight and come back anytime you want to,just go slow if the water is skinny.
If you are scared of hitting rocks then I suggest fishing at SGI.

The key word here is should tide tables DO NOT APPLY at Spring Warrior in the winter and say on the tables not for navagation.

Look at the flat rock called table rock if you see it go somewhere else or wait for the water.

Wind or cold will keep the water out sometimes for days if you get out you may not get back.

But he said no North wind,I spent years stone crabbing out of there in the winter with a 21 C skiff and a 24 Proline and while I might have had to wait in the morning to get out I never got caught to where I couldn't get back,if you have normal tides without any kind of North wind it will be dry on the morning tide but rising by daylight,if y'all pay attention the tides that stay out all day are on the neaps when you have a high around daylight and a front just came through and pushed the water out and if there is not much water on high tide then it will be dry all day.Y'all should try loading a 24 proline at that ramp when the water is down.
Any time you go you should have warm clothes and extra water packed away just incase

[TroutTrent]

He also got stuck in shore for about 3.5 hrs

[birddog]

He also got stuck in shore for about 3.5 hrs

[What a mess]

According to James Pittman the camps owner since he has been there on at least two occasions the water never got high enough to get out at all for one full week.

He said he wouldn't even guess how many times that there was not enough water to get in or out for two to four days at a time.

People have got out and could not get back in till the next day in the winter to MANY times to count including James himself but he only let it happen once.

He went to Keaton and got a ride back to the Warrior that was enough for him he learned 1st try.

I really don't have a dog in this fight I just don't want PJ to get crapped on for no good reason.

[Perch Jerker]

This is all good stuff. Obviously, there is no easy answer. I guess that's what makes Spring Warrior...Spring warrior.

I've fished there several times. I've pushed my way out before but never back in, thank goodness. That is my biggest fear, not being able to get back in.

Spring Warrior is an intriguing place. It's well worth all the unknowns, above and below water. I say that having never dinged a rock hard enough to do terminal damage. I realize my time will come. The advice about extra clothes is well taken. I will be better prepared next time.

Mr. James is a wealth of information. He's also very interesting to sit and listen to. He'll make you feel welcome.

BTW, anybody can run up from Keaton.

[RD]

According to James Pittman the camps owner since he has been there on at least two occasions the water never got high enough to get out at all for one full week.

He said he wouldn't even guess how many times that there was not enough water to get in or out for two to four days at a time.

People have got out and could not get back in till the next day in the winter to MANY times to count including James himself but he only let it happen once.

He went to Keaton and got a ride back to the Warrior that was enough for him he learned 1st try.

I really don't have a dog in this fight I just don't want PJ to get crapped on for no good reason.

Again I will point out that the man said with no N wind and spring tides,we have all seen the tide stay out with a bull norther blowing and on quarter moon tides.