Need Help for Saint George in Mid September

[pastorterry]

We are getting a little vacation to St. George in mid Sept. I have never fished there. Is the trout fishing good that time of year and are the Spanish still around then? 2 young boys want to know (oh yea their dad needs to know too!) Any input would be greatly appreciated. Also what about offshore?

[AUTiger]

My kids have a school break during this time of year, so we usually go in September and again in April. This year, however, we are going to give Alligator Point a try during September. One spot that has been good to me everytime has been the Youth ramp at the State Park. This is the first or second left once you are in the state park. There is a small fee to get in the park. There is a channel that runs between the shore at the state park and an oyster bar about 75 yds out. The key here, is finger mullet for bait, then pin fish. if you a have a cast net that would be great. I've caught trout, reds, flounder and a couple of pompano here. Where are you staying on the island? PM me and I can give you more detail on what I do, if interested.

[Fighting Conch]

Assuming you will not have access to a boat the youth camp ramp is an excellent suggestion. Also you can fish from the bridge stubs and try for some Whiting on the beach side.

[pastorterry]

We will have a boat that we can get outside or in the bay with. Will the Spanish still be off the beaches?

[Gumbo]

Put in at the second ramp (it's your third left in the State Park, first is the ranger station, second is the youth ramp, third is the deeper ramp), go out to your left through a channel that is marked by PVC pipes. Hook a right at the sand spit (you'll see it), stay about thirty yards offshore and hook around the back of the park. Fishing is good all over the backside of the park, look for diving birds. In late September and October the spanish will be down by East Pass, which is the pass between SGI and Dog Island. My buddy and I hit East Pass late this past Friday afternoon for a brief fish trip and the glass minnows were everywhere. The only thing that seemed to be hitting them was LARGE ladyfish, we caught a ton, had two break-offs, probably jacks or maybe spanish.

In September, if the tide is high, you may want to try for some reds. Put in at the same ramp, go around the sand spit, but take a turn to the left when you get about 1/2 way to the backside of the park. Motor straight forward and you'll see a bunch of bars. The ones to the north have been the most productive for me.

If you have a castnet, get yourself some pinfish or mud minnows either by the ramp or the sand spit, seem to be a favorite of the reds.

The State Park is now charging $10 to launch. There are some free launch spots by the bridge if you want to avoid that expenditure.

Good luck!!!!

[Tidedancer]

All the above is good information if your boat is mid range in size. I would not launch a large (20+ feet) at the state park.
You did not post how large your boat is.

[Tidedancer]

Gumbo. It's been a while since I launched at the state park. Who put up the PVC pipes (if they are there) marking the channel? That's a great help to folks who don't know about all the oyster beds in that cove.

[Gumbo]

You are absolultely correct about boat size, didn't cover that one. I have a 15' Whaler with a 50 Honda 4S and have no problems, even at low tide. A bigger boat with a heavier motor would be a problem. So many new boats now have shallow drafts and so many older boats sit low I'm not sure that there's a particular size cut off.

However, if you do have a big boat with a shallow draft and can come in at low tide, you may very well have issues at the ramp. It's sand for a bit but then is sink-up-to-the-axle mud. I've been glad to have a 4X4 F-150 on a couple of occassions pulling my boat out at low tide. If you do come in and it looks tight, put your trailer in slanted to the east (towards the two PVC pipes), there's more sand that way.

Don't know who put up the PVC pipes. As you leave the ramp, there are two on your right that mark a bar that goes across almost the entire cove. When you veer a bit left away from that bar, the first two on your left mark the shallows. There's one on your right that marks a deep cut, stay just to the left of that one, then another on your left for the shallows. There's one really close to the sand spit, it's short and gets almost submerged during a high tide. Go to the right of that one, staying close to the sand spit, and you'll be out. Be sure to stay a good ways (30 yards) from the shore as you go out from there, it gets really skinny.

DISCLAIMER: PVC pipes and rocks move during the night. The above information was correct only as of Friday at 6:00 p.m. (EST).

[silverking]

That PVC disclaimer applies throughout the Big Bend. Since you're never sure whether they mark a known channel, are sitting on top a rock or bar or off one side or the other, or may be there one trip and gone the next, I've learned to never trust them.

Using a chart or accurate GPS cartography and proceeding cautiously is always prudent.

And yes, PVC stakes, along with rocks, do get up and move around in the middle of the night. Not to mention that current conditions (unusually low tide, wind) often mean the difference of inches. Or knocking a chunk out of the skeg or not.

I've been fishing along this stretch of coast approaching 20 years and I still find rocks that I never knew existed along my favorite routes.

[big bend gyrene]

I've been fishing along this stretch of coast approaching 20 years and I still find rocks that I never knew existed along my favorite routes.

Ssshhhhhhh, Silverking! Rather live in my fantasy world that as long as I have 1.5' out of Econfina I'll never hit a rock!

Joking somewhat aside, really ready for some big rains to hit and darken the water back up!!! Me no likey running out on a marginal tide across the crystal clear Econ area... causes me intestinal distress! On the other hand, that water gets the tannic acid mirror surface back and I get my 1.5', I get to love blissfully ignorant life again!

[pastorterry]

Stop scaring a land locked freshwater saltwater wanna be! Seriously though my boat is probably too big for the state park, 20’ with a 115. Can I still get to those spots from the ramp at the bridge? Thanks for the info. What about Dog Island Reef that time of year I may meet a buddy at Lanark one day.

[silverking]

The waters to the east in Apalachee Bay are much more treacherous than St. George Sound. Just use caution.

I launch my 20-foot skiff with 200-hp at the state park without problems. It floats in less than a foot, however. If you try it, use the ramp off the paved road, not the Boy Scout ramp.

Dog Island Reef can be very good in mid-September. Everything from nice trout and redfish to cobia and king macks.