St. Marks 6/28/08 What a day!

[tin can]

I got a late start this morning. I wanted to be at the Refuge gate when it opened. Fortunately, I always check my stuff before I leave home. It took an extra half hour to get the GPS working this morning.

I got to the ramp at the lighthouse at 6:40 this morning. I was in line to launch, taking the straps off of my boat, when a truck and trailer eased by me and turned toward the parking lot. As it turned I noticed one of this guy's trailer tires was wobbling. As he straightened up from his turn, the tire, wheel, and hub came off of the axle. The bearings were completely destroyed. Lo and behold, it was Reel Country! His fishing day was done before it started. At least it's a tandem trailer, and the axle wasn't dragging.

I got the boat in the water and headed east. IT WAS FLAT OUT THERE! Not a ripple on the water. There was a haze. You couldn't tell where the water stopped and the sky started. That's the first time I've seen that in a long time.

I got to my spot of choice and started fishing and looking. I was targeting reds this morning. There was very little water movement, and the water was already higher than the tide graph said it should be. Moved all the way to the bank. I stopped on a point I discovered 2 years ago. There was bait skittering everywhere, and all kinds if movement in the water. Turned out to be about a million very large rays. I saw 1 red, but it wasn't interested in playing. I fished around a few grass beds and finally caught a 16" red. I moved on to a small creek mouth. By this time the tide had turned, and the water was just starting to fall out of the creek. I worked the creek mouth for a little over an hour and managed 10 more reds to 24".

Given the recent weather, I kept looking at the skies all morning. Everything looked fine until about noon. The sky to the west started getting dark. Time to go. I headed out from the bank, to deeper water, while watching the sky to the west (right where I needed to go). It was too late.The storm came up in a hurry, and it was big. I headed on out to running water, put my rain suit on, and decided to ride it out. I drifted for a few minutes, but the wind kicked up too much. I started the motor, pointed the boat into the wind, and held on. I've been caught in several storms over the years. But nothing this bad. I don't know how hard the wind was blowing, but there were 4' to 5' waves on the flats. It was raining so hard I couldn't see 10 feet beyond the boat. At least the GPS worked. I kept on my track toward the lighthouse, and kept going. The storm let up when I got about half a mile from the lighthouse. There was a pontoon boat blown up on the bank near the lighthouse. As I got closer to the canal, there was a 16'/17' boat sitting on top of the jetty.

I've never seen a storm that strong, and hope I never see another one. I was glad to put my feet on dry land.

[WaltDawg]

I feel your pain, luckily my wife talked me into heading back to the ramp before it hit. My buddies were kayaking over near Ecofina and said it was real nasty.

[What a mess]

We saw your pet storm and fished around it for six hours at Keaton all the sudden it turned on the after burners and came flying at us.

We were 6 miles off in 15' of water and cranked up and started to run but a little late it had flanked us and we had to run into it.

Most of the way in it was not to bad but we hit the edge and the tempurature plumeted and the wind and seas rose to some pretty bad levels.

I took the rods down and sat on the floor of the boat while we took a beating. It was no where near as bad as you desribed where we were.

It also didn't rain but a drop or two. It passed quickly, but we quit any way. Glad your safe hope the others are too.

[birddog]

Dang TC. Glad you made it through all that. Congrats on the reds.

[Chalk]

Nice way to catch some fish and clean the boat

[Eerman]

I was going to say you should have called me; but, after I read the rest I don't feel so bad. Glad you didn't get skunked AND soaked.

[NoleFear]

Glad you made it out ok. I guess I left just in time.

[Tom Keels]

Yeah, we ran from your storm. Luckily we narrowly missed it. Glad you made it back.

[tin can]

Nice way to catch some fish and clean the boat

Still had to wash the boat (brown spot on the floor).

[salty tiger]

Conditions were worse than they appear in this photo, it was taken right before the storm. If anybody saw an idiot kayaker crossing the channel, that was me. I normally don't cross there, but I was in a hurry. Thanks for not running me over.

[PorkchopExpress]

Hope everyone got back safe. My brother and I got caught in that same storm coming back into St. Marks after cutting a bottom trip short. Wish we had cut it a little shorter or fished a little longer. About five miles past the St. Marks bouy we got right in the middle of it coming in unfortunately. 8-10' easy. I think that we are now in the market for a radar or a bigger boat. Possibly both. Glad to be home.

[WaltDawg]

Glad you made it back safe Salty. We'll be looking for your report later in the week after you clean the brown off your kayak!

[kikstand454]

nice trip. caught that storm right as it was coming in at shell point. looked like hell in a hand basket coming at us and we decided about 10 minutes too late that it wasnt missin us. wasnt too bad though we were at the ramp when it hit and it was just windy and a bit of rain. scary though im sure at the light house. that thing came across the water like armageddon. btw.... if anyone finds a 25+ inch trout out there with a blue sardine colored XRAP in its mouth.... id like tho have the XRAP back please. good to know everyone survived.

[Reel Cowboy]

Glad you caught some fish TC.
It's even better that you made it back in one piece.

[MudDucker]

Glad you made it in. The lady of the sea gets very angry this time of the year with those thunderboomers. I've left a brown spot myself a time or two.