Goliath grouper under the St George Island bridge?

[bbb]

Has anyone purposely targeted them under the new bridge? I haven't yet, but for the 2nd time while fishing in the BBSC we were taken to school.

Back in 2006 I was dragging a live bait and something took it. After fighting it for a few minutes, up pops a 27" red. As my partner tried to net it, the fish took off for one more run. About 5 feet below the boat there is a huge boil and the fight turns turn to a slow pull. We follow the slow pull around for 10 minutes back and forth along the bridge. Never took off like a shark runs, just a slow pull. Finally I tighten down the 10# test and it breaks.

This year(friday) my buddy is dragging a mud minnow and he gets a couple "taps". He figured is was the rock bass bothering him again. He pulls up and fish on. He makes a few quick cranks on the reel and a 30 inch Goliath surfaces for a split second and then goes down and under bulkhead and cuts him off on the oysters.

Saturday we're back in the same area and both he and I have similar scenarios from the day before except we can't get the fish to surface. After a 10-15 second fight, the fish just swims off and wraps us around the piling.

[TroutTrent]

Are you sure it's not huge Black Drum,,,,there is a lot of them there.

[BAD BEHAVIOR]

Are you sure it's not huge Black Drum,,,,there is a lot of them there.

Ive caught black drum over 40lbs there. The slow pull was probably a sea turtle. Ive had several reds bitten off down there by them bastids!!

[bbb]

We had 3 sets of eyes that saw the fish that surfaced. Now 2 sets belonged to the Cantley brothers but I had the 3rd set and I know it was a jewfish.

Now the unseen bites under the bridge could have been big drums?

BB, were you with AJ when something grabbed his redfish at St George.

[BAD BEHAVIOR]

We had 3 sets of eyes that saw the fish that surfaced. Now 2 sets belonged to the Cantley brothers but I had the 3rd set and I know it was a jewfish.

Now the unseen bites under the bridge could have been big drums?

BB, were you with AJ when something grabbed his redfish at St George.

no but Ive seen the pics and I ve had it happen to me. I think Aj put some bad mojo on me or something cause Id never even heard of it happening until I saw that pic. Its happened to me three times since. If youre fishing with AJ, God bless you , son!!!

[Ty one on]

I don't dout for a second there is Jewfish there. There are more Jewfish around then people think.

Here are a couple of photos of the pier/pile layout at the four main channel piers.

They concist of 15, 54" concrete cylinder plies, all outside piles are battered to the center. These piles support the waterline footing you see at the surface of the water. These footings have over 300 cy of conrete placed in them.

[boggob]

Today's paper reports that there are indeed Goliath Grouper around. It specifically mentioned the Cut.

[bbb]

I don't dout for a second there is Jewfish there. There are more Jewfish around then people think.

Here are a couple of photos of the pier/pile layout at the four main channel piers.

Ty, so on the new bridge the 4 platforms nearest the channel, 2 on the left and 2 on the right, are supported by 15 smaller columns. How about the 10 or so other platforms down the line. Are they also supported by smaller columns?

[Ty one on]

I don't dout for a second there is Jewfish there. There are more Jewfish around then people think.

Here are a couple of photos of the pier/pile layout at the four main channel piers.

Ty, so on the new bridge the 4 platforms nearest the channel, 2 on the left and 2 on the right, are supported by 15 smaller columns. How about the 10 or so other platforms down the line. Are they also supported by smaller columns?

Yes, the four waterline footings near the channel all have 15 piles each. Then the number of piles reduce to 12 , 9, 6, and then only 4 piles as shown.

[Parrothead]

Saw one this time last year on a channel marker behind Dog Island,about 30"

[bbb]

thanks for the info/pics Ty. That explains alot.