New to the Area

[Salty Gator]

I am also a transplant from SE Alabama and grew up bass and bream fishing. Moved to the area and fell in love with inshore fishing. It's almos the same tackle and techniques. Topwater plugs, spinnerbaits and jigs with soft plastics make up 90% of my arsinal. A johnboat, canoe or kayak can get you a long way around here. Plenty of area also. Aucilla river, St marks, oyster bay, wakulla beach, shell point and ochlocknee bay are good places to take a look at. Oyster bars with good moving water , creekmouths and grassflats with some sandy bottom mixed in are good places to start. Watch the tides and good rising and falling tides will likely be most productive. Most important,be patient I've been fishing this area very hard for 6 years and it's only starting to come together. If you are interested in the kayak thing, check out forgotten coast kayak association website, and he has a killer map of different landings in the area. Good luck

[KYFRED]

I am in the area a few times a year and have done the kayak thing. Mostly becasue I have access to a boat when down here; it just isn't much of a fishing boat and draws a little too much water at times.

As a newbee, the key to kayak fishing is to spend some time finding a boat you like and is stable enough to make you comforatble. I bought one after little trial and it has taken a little getting used to. After you get teh hang of the paddling thing, it is pretty simple. A few things I have learned, and I am nothing close to average: Make sure you have a place to keep the rod in front of you. Carry a fixed blade knife, Buy a fish grapper - too many fish down here have teeth. Top water is a blast, but managing a fish , trebble hooks and a small area to work takes some gettign used to. So, start with a Cajun Thunder and a Gulp, live shrimp or other soft bait under the "bobber". Stay shallow - Think large mouth bass is a farm pond. It sounds crazy, but to start - If you get into 5 ft of water, you are too deep for trout. There is a saltwater cat called a gaftop, sailcat or snot cat. Some say they taste great, but I can not get past all the snot they produce. Fun to catch, but a pain to mess with. There are several clubs or kayak rental locations that may help if that is the dirrection you want to go.

Just get out and try.

[wareagle1973]

Where are some good places to kayak fish for speckled trout in the wakulla area?

[Salty Gator]

Look at forgotten coast kayak association website. Great map of places to put in. Ochlockonee bay, wakulka beach and hickory mound are my favorite yak spots. Be patient and learn the area, you'll be frying trout in no time.

[CSMarine]

"Pole crackers," "Marinadeed Rooster Livers," Sir Reel Ya'll shore do eat funny groceries out there in the Midwest. I thought Aucilla River gator turtle, red roe, and swamp cabbage might bother some folks, but ya'll midwesterners got us whipped by a mile.

[christopher]

Hey as per my knowledge St. Johns River and St. Mary’s/Nassau River are thr place where you can get striped bass, channel and white catfish, bullheads,striped bass fishes.It is located at 310 miles; Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, Volusia and St. Mary’s/Nassau River is located at 90 miles; Baker, Nassau .