St. Marks, 5/19/04

[dbplug]

Hit the LH a little past 8:00AM with Nolester and two pharm reps(what a pair). Wind was SSE at 5-8, light chop, shifted to S 6-9 as the day progressed.

We headed east near the rg. Motor up, trolling motor down and worked our way in from 4'. Tide was a little low. Best success was on live shrimp under a CT, followed by freelined shrimp. Got some hits on chart, and white sureketch. Got some topwater action on a mirrolure and some kind of Yozuri Nolester was using. Bite was scattered. Lots of Ladyfish, blue runners, short trout(14 7/8"). Caught something new, a Jolthead Porgy, very pretty, wish I knew that they were very good to eat. Went back out to 6-7', bite was about the same.

Went to a 10' deep hold in the middle of 3' grass I had marked and to my surprise as we drifted away there were several LARGE SHALLOW rocks nearby that I had never seen before. I am now convinced that although beautiful, the rg is a very dangerous place. Rocks are truly everywhere. I don't belive I will ever put the main motor down very far north of the stakeline near the rg.

Off the water about 2:30. A great day, Nolester is very good company. He had some personal firsts yesterday.

Tally:
lots of ladyfish
9-10 trout, 3 keepers just over 15"
2 rock bass
couple of spottails
several blue runners
one jolthead porgy
2 stockwells(one big n ugly)

I hope Nolester will chime in here.

[Dr. Jones]

Great report, DB! I am heading out tomorrow morning, hopefully you left some behind.

Those rocks are treacherous. I usually head straight out along the coast until I see the inner white stake, which I think is on the nw side of the RG there seems to be a straight line of nasty rocks running to the east from there. I never go north of the stake, but have run south of it at medium to high tide with no problems.

Of course, since there are no fish there, I don't see why anyone would want to go there.

[Tom Keels]

Draw a line from that white stake to Black rock. Now draw a line from black rock to Gray mare. Now draw a line from gray mare back to the white stake. This is the bermuda triangle of St. Marks. Anyone who runs this route higher than an idle deserves what he gets.

Actually there are many, many more rocks outside this triangle. They tend to move though......

[Aucilla]

I just now learned that not only can you learn world of stuff by going fishing with db, you can read his report and learn a lot more! It was a wonderful day on the water, for this ol' nolester especially!

Here's a picture of that Yozuri thing, hanging from a very first catch on a lure for me. A liftetime event for a fishin' lovin' fool! . I think the Yozuri model is a "silver minnow."



What do YOU call this kind of lure, generally, that has the little lip thing that makes it dive? Is it a "stick bait?"

Grateful. I am grateful for a great outing and for all the learnin'!

I think I'll be getting out my map and drawing lines and other good stuff, as I dream of the next time. Oh, and maybe I'll dream of catching that cobia we thought we saw cruising the boat; the one that was maybe the thing that took my bait and cut the line in the rocks, taking my Cajun Thunder, only to then cut the leader too. [So at least I got the CT back!]

Thanks again db!

PS: More later!

[eat_mo_crawfish]

There's a big ol clump of rockage just south and about 1/4 west of black rock.

[Tom Keels]

Yep, call that one DEATH ROCK.

[wevans]

That is a Yozuri Crystal Minnow I have caught about 90% of my Spanish on them "always useing a steel leader" trolling

[Dr. Jones]

OK - dumb question. Where is Black Rock?

I know where the white stake is on the big clump of rocks at the west end of the rock garden. Where are Black Rock and Grey Mare relative to that? Grey mare is the marker out to the south, right?

[Aucilla]

That is a Yozuri Crystal Minnow I have caught about 90% of my Spanish on them "always useing a steel leader" trolling

Wevans,

That is probably why I had the durn thing with me and why I pulled it out even with my old standby of live shrimp and cut mullet on hand; and with an idea I might be able to do something with it! So, with ol' db aboard to demonstrate his retrieval method, and your advice picked up by me somewhere along the line on this board, he and I taught each other something! AND I also caught my first keeper on anything artificial, at least that I can remember, and for at least the last uh, um, can I say, uh, several decades?

So what goes around comes around! And I had a pack of steel leaders in the bag with that, my friend, so that is PROOF that YOU are the origin!

So, on this little trip, it was my first of anything caught I think, on a fish-looking lure [a "stickbait?"] like this.




And I also got my first keeper on a jig! It is like a door opened.

I can't wait to get back out, and to keep trying and having fun at the same time!

So, thanks again to db, wevans, and all of you for all your help!

[Aucilla]

Oh and db got this thing he says is a jolthead porgy! He da' man!

Here's a picture:

[Tom Keels]

Progies are good eating as are most things in the porgie family such as sheepshead and triggerfish.

I'm telling you, there is nothing like catching fish on artificials.


Black rock is the first rock you see when you go north from the # 2 stake on the stakeline. Graymare is NE of it and the "white stake" is NW of it.

[Hit-n-Miss]

Forgive my ignorance, whats the RG?

[Tom Keels]

Rock Garden.

[Aucilla]

Where's the best place to get a waterproof map that shows all this stuff, say Carabelle to Aucilla out maybe to K tower?

thanks

[Aucilla]

Where's the best place to get a waterproof map that shows all this stuff, say Carabelle to Aucilla out maybe to K tower?

thanks

Reply to Self:
Why don't you look at more than the inshore forum? If you did, you'd see that just today this question was asked and answered on the general fishing board! As in right here: http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpbb/vie ... php?t=3818