Nobody never told me there was rocks out there!

[dogonenuts]

Fished St. Marks 10/19 and 20. Weather was really nice, fishing was ok, rocks was bad. Left Shell Island yesterday at first light. Made it outside of the Gray Mare and boated the first fish on a Top Dog right at 8:00. Caught several on top, the best of which was about a quarter inch shy of twenty and one about 17. Caught a few others 17 -19 on the electric chicken. Fished all day for 6 keepers between two of us. Had about a dozen shorts as well.

Got back out again this am about the same time but the bite was even slower. Was easing out of the rock garden at about 4 mph when it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Found a good place to get some oysters if I'd broought a rake with me.. Was so worried about the gell coat that I forgot to mark this area where it went from 2 feet to 4 inches in no time. Vowed to be more careful. Went way out an dwas headed back to the Mare staying outside of some new rock coordinates I found yesterday, I mean was way out going about 20 mph when heard an awful clunk clunk. Oh well, I guess the skeg with those teeth on it now will bight the rocks back next time, and I only bent two of the three blades on the prop. I figure I probably did well, the boat is 18 months old and have fished it about 30 days in this area and these are the first marks on it. The baot didn't have the right prop on it anyway and I was looking for a reason to buy the right one.

Put two in the box by 11:30 and quit because it was dead.

Tomorrow, I'll put up the numbers for this rock(actually it was two clunkls, but one number will suffice) and a couple of others I saw Wednesday at low tide in the area. All are out a little from the Mare where I must have whizzed right by or over a few times this Srping and last.

Is Gell coat repair easy or expensive to do? Fortunately, the scratches are just down to the glass. No dents or leakage involved.

Nuts

[Chalk]

Them rocks move around so be careful.....Sounds like some nice trout though.....Post them numbers if got them.....

[Tidedancer]

I hope you didn't kill any Stone Crabs

[dogonenuts]

I don't think these are moving. They felt pretty solid.

I'll put the numbers up tomorrow. Just too tired tonight.

Nuts

[tin can]

Dog, you need to anchor about .75 of a mile south of Grey Mare on a day when we have a negative tide. Stay anchored there through the low. Take your digital camera and binoculars. You'll never run that area again. Sounds like a waste to anchor for several hours, but it's an eye opening experience.

[Charles]

No Chalk's right, the rocks do move around. They do it at night, when nobodies looking, so nobody can get coordinates on them.

[mjsigns]

One day last year Tin can watched me run through the middle of the rock garden on plane before shutting down and approaching his new boat. I'll never forget what he said .... "You are the luckiest guy on earth"

I have been lucky and have been super careful in that area ever since. I have a laundry list of rocks I marked, and others I gathered from other forum members. I feel safer, but still exercise extreme caution anywhere near the rock garden (prop-garden )

[Reel Slow]

Sorry about your gel coat. If it is minor, don't worry about it. You can order gel coat repair kits that are factory matched from Spectrum Color. It is real easy to fix holes and scratches! Don't ask me how I know

They have a web site.

Good luck!

[Fighting Conch]

Are willing to share those rock locations, mjsigns? I have been wanting to make a map of the bigger ones. A few years back I busted-up my lower unit out there and was very fortunate to flag down a boater who towed me in. He was not a talker - the only thing he said was "That's why they call it the Rock Garden."

[noleflyfisher]

Nice day save for the rock encounters. Your story reminds me of the first day I put my boat in the water at St. Marks five years ago. I poled into the shallow water around the Rock Garden and heard the God awful sound of barnacle encrusted rocks scraping along the hull. Needless to say, it's kept me off the shallow water around St. Marks and forced me to learn the water around Lanark Village. The few extra miles of trailering is worth my piece of mind.

[dogonenuts]

Prop eater Rock
N 30 03.741
W 84 05.163

Rock in SW of Garden
N 30 03.960
W 84 06.117

Rock between Mare and Peter's
N 30 04.025
W 84 04.259

Rock about 300 yds south of Mare
N 30 04.388
W 84 05.347

[Jumptrout51]

Four of 45,000 in 8 square miles.

[birddog]

Appreciate the coord. , DGN

[catchin1]

Four of 45,000 in 8 square miles.

What he said.

[Wheresthefish]

Thanks for the numbers, was there last weekend. I did not find any rocks but good to know they are there :<)