new to area

[drafeld]

hey yall i'm new to the area i grew up fishing charlotte harbor and just i'm lookin for a few pointers for the st marks area. i just bought a little 15ft flats boat and i am a little nervous to bring it anywhere because all i hear is horror stories about rocks and oyster beds in the area. my first day on the water around here i put in at the fort and fished a little up the river and then towards the mouth, i am willing to put in anywhere in the area though. fishing up here seems a little different so any tips or pointers will help a bunch. thanks!

[tin can]

Welcome aboard drafeld.

If you launch at the fort and go south stay in the channel markers. Make the run from the fort to the lighthouse on a low tide and you'll see why.

Most anywhere in this area is very shallow close to the grass line. Lots of sand bars. That's about all you have to worry about from if you go west from The St. Marks, unless you make it all the way to Spring Creek. Lots of oyster bars in the Spring Creek area. Going east is a different story. For the first 3 miles east of the river there are sand bars that extend way out from the grass line. 3 miles east of the river and you enter The Rock Garden. Some areas of The Rock Garden are worse than others. I've fished well south of Steinhatchee and have not yet found the east/south end of The Rock Garden.

There are lots of folks on this forum that know their way around the local waters. Most will share navigation information for any area around here. My suggestion is to buy good boat insurance and go slow.

Beware of Jumptrout51. He is very knowledgeable of the area. He's been fishing this area for 50 years. Ask him how many lower units he's replaced. Also, ask him why he's on a first name basis with the folks at Gator Props.

[Jumptrout51]

[Tidedancer]

That's good information from Tin Can. You may want to look into a skeg guard from Porter's Marine if you want to fish that area a lot. Check this post out for more info. http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... f=2&t=8478
Welcome to the area and enjoy the big bend. Just be warned that Jumptrout51 has fishing hole everywhere. Hee, hee.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

WELCOME ABOARD, WISH I WAS BACK DOWN IN THE PEACE RIVER BRADENTON AREA, LEFT THERE ABOUT 70 YEARS AGO. USE TO FISH BOKEELA-PINE ISLAND A LOT IN MY YOUNGER DAY, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EVERGLADES CITY AND THE TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, BACK THEN IT WAS A FISHERMANS DREAM, DON'T KNOW HOW IS IS NOW. I WOULD THINK IT IS ABOUT LIKE ALL OF SOUTH FLA., GOT SO MANY YANKEES DOWN THERE THE WHOLE SOUTH END OF FLA IS ABOUT TO SINK INTO THE OCEAN.
PA
SEMPER FI

[fishinfool]

Welcome drafeld. There is some skinny and rocky water East of Saint Marks Lighthouse. Pick a day when you can put in around low tide(preferably a negative tide). Then follow the channel about a mile and then follow the National Wildlife Refuge markers East. You will see a lot of exposed rocks just prior to reaching Palmetto Island http://www.bigbendfishing.net/stmarkseconfina.htm. That will be the "Rock Garden". You can move toward the rocks and get a firsthand view of the flats bottom. That can be good to know when the water is higher in the Spring and Summer and you are looking for some structure that will be holding fish.
As the tide comes in and you can safely navigate near the grass-line take note of sand bars and troughs that are at the entrance to some of the very productive creeks. Knowing where the troughs are can be very helpful as well.
The previous advise about getting a Porter's Rock Guard from Porter's Marine is very good advise and it would be in your best interest to heed that suggestion. The $200 I spent on mine has saved my skeg and probably lower unit at least a half dozen times over the past 2 years.
Take your time, plot some spots on the GPS, and enjoy yourself out there. We have some very productive waters and some beautiful flats.
Semper Fi
FF

[Seachaser]

Best advice. Go with someone first. Saves about 6 months of learning on your own.

[Jumptrout51]

I can show you a route through the rocks that usually works.

[onefishtwofish]

I can show you one that doesn't work. Let's take your boat.

[DEMON]

Take a look at Google Maps (satellite view) of the river. The photos are at low tide and you will see all the oyster bars lining the channel. Don't stray from the channel. Also, zoom in around the lighthouse area of the channel and take note of the sunken boat that is almost straight out from the lighthouse ramp entrance. it is out of the channel but not by a lot so don''t go on the wrong side of the channel marker there. It actually sticks above the water on a 0 or negative tide. If you start using the lighthouse ramp you'll want to find it and mark it for sure. Like others have said, if you are going East, stay in the channel until you reach the tripod and go past it and then turn East. The tripod is at the western edge of the "Sand Bar" which you can also see on google maps. Run on the South side of the sand bar (its 8'-10' of water) and pick up the line of wooden poles and small white floating buoys that run East to West. This is called the "Stake Line" and is the boundary for the St. Marks Refuge. Outside of this line (south of) is rock free so you can run WOT. So run down the stake line to where you want to turn in towards shore and when you cross the stake line shut down and ease in from there until you can get some good rock free lines on your GPS. However, beware that the rocks in the Garden do tend to move around when no one is looking.

You might want to look at putting in at the lighthouse ramp. It's a good facility for your boat and will save about seven miles of running down the river from the Fort to get to the flats. You can buy a stamp at the Refuge for like $15.00 and is good for a year and covers launch fees.

[EddieJoe]

Man, you guys that have already posted have really gone out of your way to welcome this guy with good information. When new people ask similar questions in the future (and they will), this series should be available to help them out.

Thanks to those that shared their knowledge and best on the water.

EJ

[DEMON]

Ask and you shall receive! Just don't ask for JT's or my holes.

[groupertherapy]

Come join the North Florida Gulf Fishing Club meeting is tomorrow night drafeld, Thursday 2nd (lies start about 6:30 and meeting at 7) at Beef O'Bradys on Thomasville Road (Capital Plaza Shopping Center). Capt. Mike McNamarra of St. Marks Outfitters will be speaking on fishing around St. Marks. Meet some club members who will gladly give you a hand learning the area. And, welcome to the forum.

[drafeld]

thanks everyone who has replied i was not expecting anything close to this kind of feedback yall have really gone out of your way to help me out. ill be on the water all weekend so all this will be valuable. and to jumptrout i appreciate the offer buttttt im probably going to have to pass on that haha because onefishtwofish was nice enough to offer to use my boat to show me one that doesnt work. and grouptherapy i was doing some reading the other night on north florida gulf fishing club and i was planning on contacting them and going to the meeting and ended up getting caught up at work but i will be there in the future.

thanks again to everyone