A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Going to be down for 3 days and 2 nights to fish and scallop at the end of August. My lovely wife set this up for my birthday(love that woman ) but I have never done more than a day trip before. A good friend and my brother are coming with me and we would like to maximize our time and get a varied creel of fish. I was thinking of hitting the St. Marks, Wakulla or Dog ballard reef at dawn. Scalloping in the late morn to midday and trout fishing in the afternoon and sunset. I know where to find the scallops so that is not a problem. However since I mostly fish Ecofina and Keaton I really dont know where to go at St Marks. I have the FS St Marks map so if anyone can point me in the right areas that would be very helpful. We would like tips on targeting spanish, black sea bass, cobia and what areas to catch trout during the day. Any info would be very helpful. Is it even worth going to the reefs this time of year and what could you catch(and what method would you use to catch it?) We are all life long fishermen but my brother is coming down from North Carolina and I would like to put him on a mess of fish or maybe his 1st cobia. Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Well ...hmmmm..... If we all had the "answers" to your questions, only a few fish would be left alive. I can tell you from experience this weekend we found some big trout in 6'-8' of water SSE of Grey Mare. I was cut off three times, this could have been sharks. Spanish or bluefish. Fish the rising tide and (peak feeding activity times) time your fishing trip accordingly. Watch the weather because it can get ugly really quick on the flats (if you hear rolling thunder, it is time to pack it in and head back to the hill) (You will probably be tempted to keep fishing because the fish go into a sort of feeding frenzy as the barometer drops as the storm approaches). What ever you do plan accordingly with safety in mind. That's my .02.
Time is the most precious commodity we have in life, stay focused.
with your boat you can run to your Ecky inshore spots; they're less millage than some of the reefs you're referencing. If you run west you can get shell point/oyster bay, very easily. A trip to Ochlocknee shoals may be worth it as well, very pretty. Certainly motor up the Wakulla past the first bridge and towards the second to watch the manatees. Have fun, and take your wife out for a couple nice meals.
In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. And we will understand only what we are taught.
SHOWBOAT wrote:with your boat you can run to your Ecky inshore spots; they're less millage than some of the reefs you're referencing. If you run west you can get shell point/oyster bay, very easily. A trip to Ochlocknee shoals may be worth it as well, very pretty. Certainly motor up the Wakulla past the first bridge and towards the second to watch the manatees. Have fun, and take your wife out for a couple nice meals.
I had thought about running down towards Ecofina. Are the reefs even worth trying this time of year? Never been west(grass flats?) Any favorite places to eat down there? Thanks
) but I have never done more than a day trip before. A good friend and my brother are coming with me and we would like to maximize our time and get a varied creel of fish. I was thinking of hitting the St. Marks, Wakulla or Dog ballard reef at dawn. Scalloping in the late morn to midday and trout fishing in the afternoon and sunset. I know where to find the scallops so that is not a problem. However since I mostly fish Ecofina and Keaton I really dont know where to go at St Marks. I have the FS St Marks map so if anyone can point me in the right areas that would be very helpful. We would like tips on targeting spanish, black sea bass, cobia and what areas to catch trout during the day. Any info would be very helpful. Is it even worth going to the reefs this time of year and what could you catch(and what method would you use to catch it?) We are all life long fishermen but my brother is coming down from North Carolina and I would like to put him on a mess of fish or maybe his 1st cobia. Thanks in advance for any and all help. 
