Econfina, Aucilla

[mblambert]

I really, really want to go fish Econfina and Aucilla areas as I know thats where the monsters live. I fish a lot over at Turkey Pt, Lanark, St. George and Dog Island and do pretty good, but I'm ready for some new scenery. I really like the foot on my motor right where it is, not at the bottom of the ocean. Anybody got any advice that can help me get out to the fishing grounds? Where is the best place to launch my 17' key west? Which of those rivers/flats are the safest to navigate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Hit-n-Miss]

I really, really want to go fish Econfina and Aucilla areas as I know thats where the monsters live. I fish a lot over at Turkey Pt, Lanark, St. George and Dog Island and do pretty good, but I'm ready for some new scenery. I really like the foot on my motor right where it is, not at the bottom of the ocean. Anybody got any advice that can help me get out to the fishing grounds? Where is the best place to launch my 17' key west? Which of those rivers/flats are the safest to navigate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Personally I would launch at Ecofina to fish either one. With your boat I would make sure you have 1.5' of tide when you are planning on going out and returning. The main things to look out for are(going out): 1st there is a big rock just across and a little right (straight out from the one on the right)from the ramp. 2nd there is a big rock just past the no wake zone a little toward the left side of the river. Dont plane out till you can see all the way to the next bend in the river. 3rd it gets shallower with several bars near the mouth of the river, stay on plane(if you have 1.5' or better),and go straight out till you are about a mile from the mouth. Put this # in your GPS with about a .25 mile proximity alert on it. It is a cluster of rocks(out from the mouth) that is not safe to run through at any tide. N30 01.581 W83 56.946

[TopWater]

Find someone who knows and I mean really knows how to navigate either one of those rivers and follow them out or have them run your boat for you to save the track. Be very leary of the stranger at the ramp (Jumptrout51) who says "hey man just follow me, I know what I'm doing." You can do a search on here for a route out of the Econfina, its been posted several times. There are a couple of bad places in the river that you will need to know or you will learn them the hard way. Percentage wise there is a lot more water than rocks out there so once you get your track you can put the hammer down. However, the rocks move around at night which make things a little more intersting and keep you guessing all the time. Glad to hear you are switching over to Econfina/Aucilla as I am about change up and fish St. George, Dog Island & Lanark. Looks like it will be less crowded over there now

[Jumptrout51]

follow me

[Warrior]

Monsters also live where you usually fish we have caught some giants over there also.

I really, really want to go fish Econfina and Aucilla areas as I know thats where the monsters live.

[DEMON]

Ecofina is the place to launch. I wouldn't even consider the Aucilla in your boat. The Ecofina has a good channel but you need to know where it is. It's not always where you think it should be. There are only a few rocks to avoid but they are in unsuspecting spots. Your best bet is to hook up with someone on this board and follow them out to get a good track on your GPS. As far as navigating the flats, avoid the rocks that Hit-n-Miss described and stay in at least 4' of water while on plane and run to where you want to fish then come off plane and move in towards shore at a pace you wouldn't mind hitting a rock at. Good luck.
Here's a link to a route @ the mouth of Ecofina: http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... ?f=4&t=876

[mblambert]

Thanks for all the advice guys! Gonna try and get out there in a couple weeks!

[big bend gyrene]

Monsters also live where you usually fish we have caught some giants over there also.

I really, really want to go fish Econfina and Aucilla areas as I know thats where the monsters live.

mlambert is right. I fish Ecky about 80% of the time, but not because I've caught more monsters, but instead because of it's beauty and proximity to my home in Monticello. Offshore and midshore spots I tend to fish are actually closer to St. Marks and a flatter ride out, just like the more remote launch, though that will change here in a week or two when the craziest of the scallop crowd shows up.

Being dead serious, seems about 1/2 the years I've been here it's produced a bit better than fishing out of the west of the bay, but have also been years that my trips out of the east have been slower than the ones out of the west. On slow days out of Ecky, more often than not seems the reports out of the west have me kicking myself for not towing to St. Marks or Carrabelle. Lots of truth in that ol' saying, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence (bay).

[WolfeMan]

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence, in many cases, because there's a lot of poop on the ground.

[big bend gyrene]

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence, in many cases, because there's a lot of poop on the ground.

True dat'... and you should know as the master of BS.

[SHOWBOAT]

timing is key.

Early in the year when mullet is the primary forage the fish to the east are heavy. Once the white bait shows up head west. Watch the BBSC this year and see how many of the reds come from east of St. Marks. If it were a March tourney the #s would look much different.

[CSMarine]

Follow previous advice, and stay on the Enconfina. Anyone can navigate that river safely, (except Chalk.) As far as the Aucilla, I was raised at the landing at Mandalay, where my grandfather's fish camp used to be before the state took it. I know the river pretty well, and I still scrub the bottom every now and then. Something about the water there makes the rocks grow about 2 inches anually.
It's not that far to run from the mouth of the Enconfina to Aucilla, also it's in the middle of good fishing in both directions. Go the other way and you have Rock Island, Cabbage Creek, and a few other good spots.