ECONFINA FISHIN

[FUTCHCAIRO]

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE CARL AND I HAD THE DISASTER AT MASHES SANDS I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A TRIP TO ECONFINA. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN TO ECONFINA IN ABOUT 2 YEARS. MY FRIEND ROY JONES AND I LAUNCHED THE BOAT ABOUT 7:30 THIS MORNIN. THERE WAS PLENTY OF WATER TO GET OUT OF THE RIVER AND HEAD EAST ABOUT 1 MILE CLOSE IN TO SHORE. WE FISHED FOR 2 HOURS AND NEVER GOT A STRIKE. ABOUT 9:30 WE DECIDED TO HEAD OUT TO DEEPER WATER, WE WERE ABOUT A MILE OFF SHORE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN (BLAM).!!!!!!! WE HIT A ROCK THAT WAS ABOUT 12 INCHES UNDER THE SURFACE, THIS WAS IN 5 FT. OF WATER. I DID NOT KNOW IT AT THE TIME BUT I KNOCKED ABOUT 1/2 OF THE SKEG OFF OF THE KICKER. WE WENT ON OUT TO THE AREA WHERE 4 MORE BOATS WERE FISHIN AND STARTED CASTING TOP WATER, SUSPENDED PLUGS, JIGS UNDER CORKS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN THE TACKLE BOX.
ABOUT 1 HOUR AFTER LOW TIDE I CAUGHT A NICE TROUT , 17 1/2 INCHES, JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER ROY BROUGHT IN A NICE FAT 16 1/2 INCH TROUT. WE CAUGHT A FEW MORE SMALL TROUT THAT WENT BACK FOR ANOTHER DAY. ABOUT 1:30 IT WAS BEGINNING TO REALLY GET HOT AND WE DECIDE TO HEAD IN. OUT JUST PAST THE TRIPOD I SAW SOME ACTIVITY ON THE SURFACE AND WE STOPPED AND STARTED CASTING SUSPENDED PLUGS, BAAM, CAUGHT A SAILCAT. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF CLEANING MY PLUG AND LINE I CAUGHT ANOTHER 17 IN TROUT. THAT WAS IT. WE CAUGHT A TOTAL OF 8 TROUT WITH 3 KEEPERS. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO LAKE IAMONIA I BACKED THE BOAT INTO THE FRESH WATER LAKE TO CLEAN OFF THE TRAILER AND RUN THE SALT WATER OUT OF THE KICKER, WHEN WE PULLED OUT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I NOTICED THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SKEG MISSING. IT DID NOT CRACK INTO THE GEAR HOUSING AND THERE IS NO OIL LEAKING ANYWHERE AROUND THE CRACK IN THE UPPER PART OF THE SKEG. I HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO WEILD THE CRACK AND MAYBE PUT ON A SKEG GUARD. DOES ANY ONE HAVE PORTER'S NUMBER, I HAVE READ THAT HE IS GOOD AT REPAIRING AND PUTTING ON THE SKEG GUARDS. DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT WHAT ONE OF HIS SKEG GUARDS COST. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY REPLIES .
THE WEATHER WAS ALMOST DEAD CALM FOR 7 HOURS WE WERE FISHING. JUST AS WE STARTED INTO THE RIVER THERE WAS A LIGHT BREEZE STARTING FROM THE S.W. WE TRIED CATCHING SOME PIN FISH BUT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL.
THESE LAST 4 TRIPS TO THE GULF WITH THE RESULTS I HAVE HAD WILL MAKE A FELLA JUST GIVE UP FISHIN SALTWATER AND GO BACK TO BASS FISHIN.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[kikstand454]

i hear ya.
last three times i went out i didt put a single keeper in the boat.
what does trout taste like again??

[DixieReb]

Wow, Pa. It sounds like the water didn't move much at all. Sorry about your skeg, glad it missed the gearbox. Dad got a Wavels skeggard a few years back and loves it, he can hit rocks going fairly fast and doesn't even get hurt.

[dolphinatic]

Sorry to hear about your skeg PA We were just south of Black Rock out St. Marks yesterday, and found some nasty rocks just below the surface. The water was quite stained, so we didn't even see them till we were right up on them

I made the comment to a buddy the other day about how hard it has been the last 2 years or so to catch a nice limit of trout in this area. You can do it, but it seems to take alot more work than it used to. I've tried to fish alot more topwater, but we seem to get more fish just using jigs. Keep your head up, it will get better

[lizbeth]

Porter Marine 850-421-1490

[caseycook]

SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE MOTOR, PA. CONGRATS ON CATCHING SOME FISH ON A WEEKDAY THOUGH! YOU'LL GET 'EM NEXT TIME.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY LIZBETH, THANKS FOR THE NUMBER OF PORTERS.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[Just Fish]

Did you happen to get the number for that rock? That is one of my biggest fears. I checked my GPS route the other day when I found a rock and realized I had passed within 20 feet of it more than once running wide open. That will sure put some fear in ya!

Glad to hear everyone was safe.

[Dabbler]

I have heard that the "rocks" are old crab traps that have created a mini reef. Rock or trap, they are no fun to hit.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

DABBLER, THIS WAS A ROCK, WE WENT BACK AND FOUND IT, IT HAD A GROOVE ABOUT 1/2 INCH WIDE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE TOP OF IT. I TRIED TO GET THE GPS UP BUT THE BATTERIES HAVE GONE DEAD. THE THING THAT AMAZED ME IS THAT I HAVE BEEN ACROSS THIS AREA MANY TIMES AND HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING ON THE GPS.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[Sir reel]

Sorry bout your encounter with Ole Rocky Top Earl. There are a bunch of em out there. You probably have gone over and around the rascal before but the stars just were not aligned just right. It sounds like you may have hit the thing just about 30 min before a neg low tide and that may have been the deciding factor. 2008-10-16 09:51 EDT -0.56 feet Low Tide (for Aucilla) Glad it didn't ruin your trip. I got one several years ago out that way and had to be towed in.....then put a $1600 lower unit on.

I was out or Saint Marks yesterday as well but didn't get on the water until about 10:30. Traveled on out to some 18-19 ft water but my partner couldn't handle the rollers and the heat so we headed in to the flats. To tell the truth, I wasn't feel'n to perky myself. That's the first time EVER that I've even felt the slightest bit of quez. We headed to the month of the Aucilla and then fished back West to the Lighthouse. We did about the same as other reports..fished hard. Ended up with 3 keeper trout 18,19 and a 21 with 6 shorts put back. Caught a nice red at 24" and another pup at 17 1/2 returned also. My partner hung a BIG tarpon. The fish jumped twice and he was holler'n for me to tell him what to do! I managed to crank up and got him back some line but the fish turned and came back under the boat. Line wrapped in the prop and that was that. The best bite for us came about 4:30-5 but didn't last long. Sure is a lot of difference in the water clarity between the inshore 5-6 ft to the grass and the water on further out in the 9-10 ft range. I guess it'll take some cold weather to get it to really clear up good.

DIDN'T HAVE THE PIC'S WHEN I POSTED SO HERE'S A COUPLE THAT MY PARTNER TOOK... IT WAS START'N TO GET DARK WHEN WE HEADED IN...

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY BUD, GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU. YEA WE FISHED ABOUT AS HARD AS I EVER HAVE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE TROUT ARE IN OUR AREA LIKE THEY USE TO BE. 5 YEARS AGO WE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT AT LEAST 75-100 TROUT IN THE TIME WE FISHED TUES.
AFTER WE GOT HOME I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SKEG AND I BELIEVE I WILL BE ABLE TO WELD THE HAIR CRACK AND FABRICATE A PIECE OF ALUM. TO THE SHAPE OF THE PIECE THAT BROKE OFF SO IT WILL LOOK LIKE NEW. THERE WAS NO OIL LEAK AND I CHECKED THE OIL IN THE FOOT AND THERE IS NO INDICATION OF WATER IN THE OIL, IT IS STILL BRIGHT GREEN. I DID NOT KNOW THAT I HAD LOST THE SKEG AFTER WE HIT, WE WENT ON OUT TO THE BIRD ROOST AND TRAVELED ABOUT 15 MILES BEFORE WE LOADED THE BOAT. IF THERE WAS A FRACTURE INTO THE GEAR HOUSING THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN WATER IN THE OIL. I JUST NEED TO FIND ME A PIECE OF ALUM. ABOUT 3/8 IN. THICK SO I CAN FORM ANOTHER PIECE TO WELD BACK IN, I THINK IT WILL WORK JUST FINE.
I WILL LET YA KNOW HOW IT WORKS OUT.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[Flint River Pirate]

I hate to hear about that rock Pa. It is so easy to get a false sense of security when you don't hit anything for a while. But we all need to keep our eyes peeled at all times. Your post made me realize that. I have been so lucky over the past few months. (I just knocked on wood!)

[FUTCHCAIRO]

YEA FRP, WE TAKE TOO MANY THINGS FOR GRANTED. I KNOW THAT AREA LOOKS LIKE A LIMESTONE MOONSCAPE IN CLOSE BUT I HAVE NEVER HIT OR SEEN ANYTHING OUT IN 5 FT. OF WATER. WE ALSO RAN ACROSS A CHANEL MARKER FLOATING IN ABOUT 4 FT. OF WATER, THAT POLE MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 16 FT. LONG AND BOUT 8 INCHES ACROSS, IT WAS STICKING OUT OF THE WATER ABOUT 12 INCHES AND EASILY VISIBLE.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA