I need a little local info for Crawfordville

[Juan]

I've been searching Google Earth for a good boat ramp...
Is the ramp at the end of lighthouse road near the St. Marks lighthouse in good shape and is it a public ramp?
How deep is the channel?
Can I launch a 21' bay boat without problems?
Any rocks I should be concerned about?

[big bend gyrene]

I've been searching Google Earth for a good boat ramp...
Is the ramp at the end of lighthouse road near the St. Marks lighthouse in good shape and is it a public ramp?

Yes.

How deep is the channel?

Truly varies a good bit, Juan, with the short ramp stretch out to the lighthouse getting a bit shallow on low tides, and with channel depths varying on out to the bird rack.

Can I launch a 21' bay boat without problems?

I launch my 22' Marine's Dream several times a year when Econfina looks too low to use.

Any rocks I should be concerned about?

The channel edge just out of the ramp creek is lined with rocks but they're no problem if you stay in the channel. Big sand bar in front of the lighthouse and a few near the bird rack. Stay in the channel you'll be fine, or study more on the bars and fish them... just make sure you know about them. You head too much to the east towards the Aucilla in too shallow of water and you'll be in some really scary territory. Again, just take a look at the charts and threads on here and you should be fine.

[Juan]

Thank you Sir, that's what I was hoping to hear.

[big bend gyrene]

If you do decide to get out of the channel before you're past the bird rack, just watch you're bottom machine if you have one. The channel can be quite a bit deeper than the surrounding flats and until you float out of it and into the flats sometimes hard to know what depth you're going to hit on the flats. Have caught lots of nice fish on the channel edges. Trust you will too if you fish it! GOOD LUCK!

[big bend gyrene]

And Juan, lots of oyster bars if you turn to the right and putter around the East River. Lots of HUGE oyster beds with LOTS of reds often on them. If you fish it just know the current can get strong and you have to be a bit careful from getting TOO close to the bars. Again, good luck. Look forward to some great reports.

[Just Fish]

Juan, directly east and west of the channel all the way out at the bird rack are two very large sand bars (should be very obvious on the map) but at some tides are just below the surface.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY JUAN, JUST IDLE OUT OF THE CANAL AT THE BOAT RAMP, ON THE LEFT IS A JETTY OF ROCKS, GO OUT TIL YOU COME TO A PVC WHITE POLE, MAKE A LEFT ABOUT 100 FT. BEFORE YOU GET TO IT. DEAD AHEAD TO THE EAST IS A OYSTER BAR COMING OUT FROM THE SHORE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE, WE JUST POLE UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE WE HEAD ON TO THE EAST. I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE EVER WORKED THE BAR WITHOUT CATCHING SOME GOOD SLOT TROUT AND REDS. GO EAST ABOUT 1/2 WAY OUT FROM THE SHORE AND THE LIGHTHOUSE , ABOUT 2 MILES EAST YOU WILL SEE A POST, THIS IS # 1 BOUNDARY FOR THE REFUGE, WORK BETWEEN THE # 1 POST AND STONEY BAYOU AND YOU WILL CATCH FISH. IT DEPENDS ON HOW FAST THE TIDE IS RUNNING AND THE AMOUNT OF WIND BLOWING. BE CAREFUL THE CLOSER YOU GET TO SHORE, THERE ARE LIMESTONE ROCKS IN THIS AREA, SOME ARE MARKED WITH PVC PIPE, OTHERS ARE NOT. I GENERALLLY DO NOT GO INTO THE CREEKS UNTILL AT LEAST 2 HOURS AFTER LOW OR BEFORE . IN THE WINTER MONTHS I DO NOT GO INTO THE CREEKS, JUST WORK THE SAND SPITS BETWEEN SHORE AND # 1 POST. I GENERALLY START OUT WITH LOUD TOP WATER PLUGS AND WORK DOWN TO GRUBS ON JIGS. ONLY BEEN OUT IN THIS AREA SEVVERAL TIMES THAT WE DID NOT CATCH A NICE MESS OF FISH.

PA THE OLD MAN OF HE SEA :smt006 salute2

[Juan]

Thanks guys... I appreciate the advice. I saw the refuge markers when fishing the Econfina tournament and I want to get back to that same area again.. Will, (Harmsway) and I did pretty good out there that day and I've got the fever to try it again.... any and all help is appreciated. Gonna bring more topwater stuff this time.

[Harmsway]

Easy one, Juan. Follow the St. Marks River channel markers south until you get out to the bird roost (aka tripod, bird rack, wooden thing, etc.) which is about 2 miles south of the light house. This four-posted wooden rack marks the southwest end of the large spoil pile on the east side of the channel. Go another half-mile or so south of the tripod and you can then run east and run without the slightest chance of hitting a rock. The spoil pile will be safely on your left for about a half mile, so don't run up on that by veering too far north. You will know when you have left the spoil pile behind when you pass the #1 Post Futchcairo told you about. Oh, by the way you will also be running very close to the "stake" line, which is now better marked with those little white tallish buoys that mark the southern boundary of the St. Marks Wildlife refuge. You will pass #2 Post, and finally get to #3 Post (the one you fished last week) after about 10 miles as you approach Aucillia/Econfina area.

You absolutely positively must know how to avoid (at speed) the following major rocks (they are well marked on charts and most gps maps, and their coordinates are easy to find): Grey Mare rock, Cobb rock(s), Peter rock(s). These are huge rocks that uncover most of the time, but barely cover at high tide. They are not well-marked. Of course, they are good fishing spots if you approach them cautiously.

[Jumptrout51]

Call me. I will show you where the BIG FISH stay.

[tin can]

Everyone of these guys has given you good advice. The only thing I would add is it's getting close to the time of year we start seeing negative tides. You might get your boat off the trailer on a very low tide at the lighthouse, but you might not be able to make it out of the canal. The Fort is always safe. I've never seen it too low to launch or load. It's a 5.5 mile run from the fort to the mouth of the river. I'm not saying don't launch at the lighthouse. But with a 21' bay boat, watch the tides.