Aucillia 01/14/2006

[mjsigns]

It was a beautiful day, and on top pf that it was my birthday, so I decided I wanted to go fishing on the Aucillia. Seeing the coastal weather forecast, and wind cast for the day it seemed discouraging, but I just wanted to give it a go, and my favorite fishing partner (my wife) accompanied me..... I treated her to breakfast at Savanna's, and then we had the leisurely drive to the Aucillia landing.

Upon arrival we were 4th in line. We were directly behind couple of Georgia fellas who had drove all the way down from Atlanta just to fish.
None of us were ready to go first into the water. Once I explained how we could get our boats in the water, we all pitched in a helped each other get launched. We could have flipped a coin, but It seemed best that the smallest boat launch first. Imagine launching your 17 footer from the ramp looking like this:





The view upriver was just the same as looking down river.... (up-river view)



It was a group effort, and we all helped each other get in the water. There were (2) FWC officers that gave each of us a verbal warning that the water level might not be adequate to trailer your vessels on high tide due to the 20-30 mph NW winds pushing the water out of the river. The officers were very kind and friendly and were more interested in our safety and preparedness than registrations and valid licenses.

Long story made short... hit rock after rock on the way out, and on the way back. Never made it to Pinhook Creek because all the water had left and we all got grounded in the ditch trying to cross over to the mouth of the pinhook. After 4.5 hours of poling, plowing through mud flats, scrubbing over oyster bars slamming into rocks and battling a wind that never ceased, and at times hit +30 knots.... Me and my wife decided to just head back through the ditch and get back to the Sheepie hole and play with the pups. Getting back was a little easier because it was "High Tide" according to my GPS... Once we got back to the river, I put the anchor down at the sheepie hole and we caught 8-10 short sheepies.

From :http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpbb/vie ... 0269#60269

Fishreman 989 said...

MJ......you sure will...

Chalk Said-
25 knot NW wind and you will have the river bed and rocks to yourself to cause the water left....

Almost all to myself

Rocket -

Rest assured some "fisherperson" will be trying to launch, and fish at Aucilla today! Never fails.

You were right on target

TC Was right it was a beautiful day.

It was allot of work for just a little fun, but it sure beat sitting in my office for 8 hours.... It was a birthday fishing trip that I will remember for a few days becasue I am sore, tired and wind-burned.

[Fisherman989]

I'm surprised . Your trip was just like my last one latter part of December. Launched in the "hole". Hit a few rocks. Tried to go to the ditch...couldn't...no water. Come back to the river and played with the sheepheads till quitting time. Caught 25 or so....kept 2.

[RodBow]

I couldn't quite figure why your sensible wife went with you yesterday, but being you're b-day and all I guess it makes sense.

When I went by your house at dark and didn't see you there, I thought I better call some of your family to see if they had heard from you - good thing - I would have hated to go down in no mans land to find you!

Glad you're back with most of you motor intact!

Happy birthday too!

[Littoral]

Nice story, with a long hot shower. Tough on you & those guys all the way from Atlanta to meet a major minus tide & a whole lot of wind out of the north. The landing pic is a classic image of a day in the life of the Aucilla. I'm trying to plan a trip Monday but for similar reasons that you dealt with I might not be able to do it.
Where to go where to go??

[qoutrage]

Well happy birthday MJ. Ya did what you wanted to do and that's what counted.
You mighta tried the Carrabelle River- Looked to be plenty of water in the channels at mid day. I didn't see any boats out there, and the wind had the water pretty stirred up. 'Only saw one truck and trailer at the intown ramp and none at Timber Island, so you'd have had it to yourselves here, too. I expect you coulda found some places up the river that were out of the wind a little. Not near as scenic over here, as the Aucilla, though.
It don't look no better for Tuesday, which happens to be my birthday.
Oh yeah, your pics where superb. You must have a really good cam.
I finally bought a new one, but haven't figured it out yet.

Better luck next year.

[Fighting Conch]

Great photos. A real rocky adventure for your birthday!

[noleflyfisher]

Great shots. Can't believe you were able to launch.

[mjsigns]

Qoutrage said it all...

Ya did what you wanted to do and that's what counted.

When you gotta go you just gotta go... Can't always be choosy about when. Even the guy at the bait shop said I was the first "ID10T" of the day to come through... he said, "with all that wind, you'e better be prepared for the worst."

Nolefly said...

Can't believe you were able to launch.

During the launch, there was allot of sounds of galvanized metal scrubbing against solid lime stone, followed by the "THUD" of the trailer cross-frame frame landing on the limestone ledge. Pulling out, you just have to take it slow and easy (an extra 10# of air in each tire )at JR's) helped) then pull out the trailer very slowly. It makes an eerie scraping sound.

Littoral said..

Nice story, with a long hot shower.

I spent Sunday afternoon asleep. Lots of pain in my left elbow, and rt shoulder from all the push poling against the wind. (I am not going to try the Aucillia on a windy day [20-30kts] EVER again)

Rodbow said..

I couldn't quite figure why your sensible wife went with you yesterday, but being you're b-day and all I guess it makes sense.
Glad you're back with most of you motor intact!

Today before I went to St. Marks, I was filing all the burs off my prop and noticed I lost of a fresh piece of my skegg guard 1" tall and 1/4" wide right below the prop from that trip.

Fisherman 989 said...

Your trip was just like my last one latter part of December.

Interesting and quite identical. Om my 12/30/05 trip, I made it through the ditch and got into the red puppies.. We did have an identical trip. I can't ever remember hitting so many rocks and oyster-rocks on any fishing trip taken to date...