push pole 1 on list - or, how I spent last day in '05

Post by **RodBow** » December 31st, 2005, 9:09 pm

You would think that with a little boat I wouldn't need a push pole. That's generally been the case - until today. After reading about bonanza fishing out of the Aucilla yesterday, I changed up plans and took my partner to the Aucilla today. We already unknowingly had several strikes against us. One strike I did know about was that we had never been to the Aucilla rock stomp and were using the map from Jerry's B&T website.

The ramp at negative low tide could have been nasty. Fortunately, we got to watch some folks go in ahead of us and when I put in a kind stranger from Georgia suggested that I move over this way if I wanted my trailer back

The next thing was to remind myself to start the motor before leaving the house (or go more often). I had Wavel go over the motor Thanksgiving and it worked so well, I didn't think about doing a pre-trip look-see - spent alot of time getting her to fire up at the dock.

The next thing was, What's with the fog!! The further we went, the worse it got. (oh - new #1 is a hand held GPS unit). So now it's blind AND in unfamilar surroundings.

The next thing was the attempt to go through the West Cut (and bump and scrape and more fog and no push pole). I kept asking Amanda is she were warm enough while we sat there and waited and waited. She kept saying she was ok. We had gotten into some stuff that what with the wind/current/tide/rocks = we were stuck.

I knew that if we just waited, the tide would catch up to us and be our friend. Oh, did I mention that we couldn't see more than 20 feet due to the fog.

I won't bore you telling about how many fish we caught or about how many wrong turns we took before finally getting out.

The moral(s) of the story are, don't make yourself believe that you're gonna be tomorrow's headline that says, "

Dad/Daughter Lost In Aucilla Fog on Last Day of 2005" - Mother histerical - Search found duo going around and around an island less than mile from landing!

Wanted: GPS, push pole, river guide

Post by **tin can** » December 31st, 2005, 9:28 pm

It sounds like you kept your sense of humor.

I'm sure you and your daughter will some day look back on this as a great adventure. If it makes you feel any better, my son and I had several great adventures.

dave7 · Post by **dave7** » December 31st, 2005, 9:40 pm

Thanks for story - at least you tried it (and made it back)! I still can't gather the guts to put the boat in on the lower Aucilla.

catchin1 · Post by **catchin1** » December 31st, 2005, 10:12 pm

Been there done that.
Lots of fish...more rocks.
Welcome to the Aucilla.

Post by **rocket** » January 1st, 2006, 1:24 am

Everything looks the same, if you're not used to it!
Tough day for sure.

Post by **noleflyfisher** » January 1st, 2006, 2:20 am

Thank you for sharing that story.

It brings back some memories of doing circles in the fog but more importantly reinforces my fear of that watershed.

Post by **Fisherman989** » January 1st, 2006, 9:18 am

Great story. My son and I have done just same thing many times and just the same path as you did at the West Cutoff. You can't get through there with a tide like you had yesterday. Those rocks where the cutoff comes out into the "ditch"...near the enterance to Sulfur Creek...are near impossible to get by. Last time I went...10 days ago....I had to turn around there and push my way back to the river....the rocks were 2-3 feet out of the water. If you could have gotten out in the ditch...and seen that moon-scape on low tide... over toward Pinhook....you probably wouldn't have ever gone back..
A push pole and a good gps is worth their weight in gold there....and even with them....sometimes you can't move.

Post by **Jumptrout51** » January 1st, 2006, 10:32 am

For some reason unknown to me I have been in fog out of Aucilla more than any other ramp.

Riverrat · Post by **Riverrat** » January 1st, 2006, 1:22 pm

Were can one find a push pole at..What would be the best one for the money and how long ..Does any one know of anyone that want to sale one if so post on here..

dave7 · Post by **dave7** » January 1st, 2006, 2:23 pm

Bamboo about 14' = find-it-cut-it-yourself = FREE

Ain't carbonfiber purtyness....but it'll do.

I've seen MjSigns with a nice post on here about making his pushpole outta PVC pipe.

Post by **rocket** » January 1st, 2006, 2:53 pm

Riverrat wrote:Were can one find a push pole at..What would be the best one for the money and how long ..Does any one know of anyone that want to sale one if so post on here..

Closet pole handrail from Romac lumber. $30 +-

Post by **pcbayou** » January 22nd, 2006, 2:43 pm

Well, RodBow, I guess it's safe now to tell our story too. The fog sneaked up on us on New Year's Eve night in East/St. Andrew Bay just a few hundred feet from the Dupont Bridge in Parker.

It was such a nice clear night we decided to go out, intending to come in well before the fog was predicted to get there. We were just poling along off Tyndall seeing what we could see with an underwater light. We looked up and couldn't see more than 5 feet -- no bridge, no lights, no paper mill, nothing but white.

We tried to head back and hope it lifted, but stopped when the spotlight showed we were about to run ashore and into the woods on Tyndall. Rather than chance it, we waited it out.

Luckily the whiteout lifted just enough in a couple of hours to see the bridge lights and find our way home. Otherwise we would have started 2006 sleeping on an an 18-foot center console. We were cold, wet and miserable enough as it was.

I'm now looking for a handheld GPS too.

Post by **MudDucker** » January 23rd, 2006, 9:50 am

There ain't but one Aucilla. She is a beaut, but she has some big teeth. An old man who taught me how to fish it 35 or so years ago, used to say, the rocks in here are as big as cars. Caught more fish out of that river than I care to share (I'm sure someone from PETA will come march in front of my house). Only river I ever fished that the redfish preferred a hot pink skirted jig. Saw the DEA arrest the entire population of the old camp, including a friend from Valdosta who was supposed to be running Spring Warrior fish camp. He claimed it was a case of mistaken identidy, but the films didn't bear his alibi out and he went to jail with the rest of them. The drug runners liked the river because they knew how to run it and the DEA did not. I pulled in a boat one afternoon and the guys at the camp gave me hard looks. Later learned the boys in the boat were undercover agents and everyone on the river knew it except for me. My old 20hp merc skeg lost a few nice pieces in that river.

There is book out that tells a lot of the old tales of the river from its beginnings in Thomas Co. Georgia all the way past the rise.

Soon as duck season is over, I might have to wander back down there just for old times sake

Post by **rocket** » January 23rd, 2006, 11:51 am

I've heard some tall stories about that place. Lot of bad stuff went on down there.

Post by **Fisherman989** » January 23rd, 2006, 12:54 pm

Mudducker....from that time in our history...I came upon a boat that was upside down..just the bow sticking out of the water. ..at the entrance to Aucilla River...close to pole #1. Three guys were hanging onto the sunken boat...treading water. Here I come to pull'em in. When I pulled up to them...I was warned off...told not to come any closer...help was on it's way....get out of this area they said. OFF I WENT. I knew what kind of fellers guarded the old landing. This was some of them.
Read part of that book you referred to: In Search of the Aucilla....last night. It's facinating to me. Written by R. Balfore of Thomasville. There's quiet an Indian history to the river. Balfore said there was a big Indian headquarters about 2 miles from the river mouth..on the river. Pretty close to the landing we use now.
It's intresting what we call places now in the river area...compared to what they called them years ago. The book is well illustrated with many pictures. I love it.