Going to big bend area 4/13-4/17 need advice
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Going to big bend area 4/13-4/17 need advice
I usually take my dad when I go to Florida fishing, however my wife and four year old daughter are coming along this weekend. I went to Steinhatchee in December and liked it there. Steinhatchee seved all of my needs, however I was wondering if there might be somewhere in the big bend area that would be a good place to red and trout fish, with a good beach for my wife and daughter to visit. A sugestion as to a good place to stay would also be helpful, I am also bringing my boat and will need to beable to launch. I would greatly appreciate any advice.
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Shoot4Fish
- Posts: 41
- Joined: May 10th, 2005, 3:12 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
The whole area is great for fishing now. What size boat are you bringing down? You may want to see about one of the cabins at the park on Cape San Blas. They're run by the park service and are nice, but are usually pretty booked up. There is good access to St Joe bay on the cape, and the beach is great too.
I gotta agree with the above recommendations 
but ya better have several thousand ta pay on staying 4 or 5 days 
Beaches are in short supply around here and bring a premium price!The Cape is about 30 miles from the Apalach/Saint George area and are beautifully beaches and both have killer fishing on the Bay side
but ya better have several thousand ta pay on staying 4 or 5 days Beaches are in short supply around here and bring a premium price!The Cape is about 30 miles from the Apalach/Saint George area and are beautifully beaches and both have killer fishing on the Bay side “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
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Frank Bradfield
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Steve Stinson
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- Joined: December 26th, 2001, 8:00 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
Cape San Blas or St. George Island will suit you fine. St. George is an island West of Tallahassee an hour or so. You will be able to fish the landward side of the island and let your family enjoy the beach on the Gulf side.
St. Joe is a peninsula a little further West. Same situation, Gulf on one side and bay on the other. If your boat is 18' or better, you will probably be able to find a leeward side of St. Joe Bay and fish in just about any weather.
I believe Anchor Realty has places to rent in both locations. I would try contacting them or checking their website.
What part of Tennessee are you in? My folks live in Etowah. East side of the state about half way up. I will be headed up their the weekend of May 27th and may be hunting you down for rainbow trout advice.
Good Fishin'
- Steve Stinson
St. Joe is a peninsula a little further West. Same situation, Gulf on one side and bay on the other. If your boat is 18' or better, you will probably be able to find a leeward side of St. Joe Bay and fish in just about any weather.
I believe Anchor Realty has places to rent in both locations. I would try contacting them or checking their website.
What part of Tennessee are you in? My folks live in Etowah. East side of the state about half way up. I will be headed up their the weekend of May 27th and may be hunting you down for rainbow trout advice.
Good Fishin'
- Steve Stinson
I really appreciate all the information you folks have given me? My wife is very excited about being able to go to the beach. She has got us a place on St. George Island for $90 a night, I am bringing my 20 ft Ranger 520vx, which is a bass boat. There is a marina called cepio or something like that 3 miles from where we are staying and I have a slip reserved for the weekend. I think it is going to cost about $25 a day for the slip. This could be a very good thing for my family, because everyone will be able to do what they like. For about ten years we have primarily vacationed seperatly because before I really never gave salt water a second thought, and was forced to go to the beach by my wife. This December at Steinhatchee changed all that. Steve, you will find some great trout action at the Tellico or Hawassee river, I live in Chattanooga, Tn and those rives are only a little over an hour from here, and about the same from where you will be staying, it is beutiful country, you will enjoy. If any of you ever get to Guntersville lake to bass fish, there is not a whole lot I don't know about that area, so if any body needs any info in that capacity I can help you there. Again thanks for all the info and tips.
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Steve Stinson
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- Posts: 1816
- Joined: December 26th, 2001, 8:00 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
Tennessee -
Scipio Creek Marina is actually up the Apalachicola River a ways from St. George, so you will have to run back down river to get to the flats. There is a closer ramp on St. George if you decide to keep your boat on the trailer at your rental house.
I believe the Hiawassee River is the one I have rafted down before when I visited my parents. I found a small general store in a town called Reliance, Tn. (Webb Bros. General Store, I believe). The gentleman there said he would take me up river 15 miles and drop me off in a raft. I plan to be up there the weekend of May 27th with a flyrod and small spinning outfit.
Benton Shooter's Supply is another of my favorite places to visit when I come up. Benton is a speed trap though. The deputies there get a lot of revenue from the out of state folks.
Good Fishin'
- Steve Stinson
Scipio Creek Marina is actually up the Apalachicola River a ways from St. George, so you will have to run back down river to get to the flats. There is a closer ramp on St. George if you decide to keep your boat on the trailer at your rental house.
I believe the Hiawassee River is the one I have rafted down before when I visited my parents. I found a small general store in a town called Reliance, Tn. (Webb Bros. General Store, I believe). The gentleman there said he would take me up river 15 miles and drop me off in a raft. I plan to be up there the weekend of May 27th with a flyrod and small spinning outfit.
Benton Shooter's Supply is another of my favorite places to visit when I come up. Benton is a speed trap though. The deputies there get a lot of revenue from the out of state folks.
Good Fishin'
- Steve Stinson
Actualy, for a Bass boat, Scipio Creek is a good choice It is probably closer to 7 miles away by road 
But around 3 by water 
and after a day of fishing the salt, you get a free fresh water rinse of the motor before quiting for the day 
It is probably closer to 7 miles away by road But around 3 by water and after a day of fishing the salt, you get a free fresh water rinse of the motor before quiting for the day “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
Will it hurt my boat if I leave it in the water for four days and just rinse it off, and out when I leave? I tell you what, I have seriously thought about selling the Ranger and buying a bay boat. I was talking to a guy at Steinhatchee and he said you really needed about four different types of boats to enjoy all the fishing in that area.
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Steve Stinson
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- Location: Tallahassee
Yes, I have been to Benton Shooter's new store. I don't buy much, but it is fun to browse.
The Steinhatchee advice is pretty good. I have been running a Sea Pro SV 2100 Bay for the past six years. I would buy the same boat again if I had it to do over.
If you purchased your boat up in Tenn, I doubt your trailer is galvanized or aluminum, so you may be better off to launch in the river. The Ranger probably doesn't have stainless hardware on it either. The newer motors are all pretty good at resisting corrosion these days, so I doubt it would hurt your motor to run for four days without a freshwater flush, but I wouldn't be so sure about your trailer or boat hardware.
- Steve Stinson
The Steinhatchee advice is pretty good. I have been running a Sea Pro SV 2100 Bay for the past six years. I would buy the same boat again if I had it to do over.
If you purchased your boat up in Tenn, I doubt your trailer is galvanized or aluminum, so you may be better off to launch in the river. The Ranger probably doesn't have stainless hardware on it either. The newer motors are all pretty good at resisting corrosion these days, so I doubt it would hurt your motor to run for four days without a freshwater flush, but I wouldn't be so sure about your trailer or boat hardware.
- Steve Stinson
Steve, I know this may seem like a stupid question, but am I right to think that the bay boats run in much shallower water than lets say my bass boat? I was on spring break two weeks ago down in Lafitte, La fishing the Dupont ponds for Reds. There was this Bay boat come into the area and he could not have been running in more than a foot of water. I was having a hard time in there with my motor up, and just runnning my trolling moter. Does your 2100 have a big deck up front, and a poling platform in the rear, is your boat to small to go out and fish for grouper? If I have time I am going to do a little research why I am there as to what I might need.
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Steve Stinson
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- Posts: 1816
- Joined: December 26th, 2001, 8:00 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
You're getting into an area that will generate much debate...sort of like the old Ford vs. Chevy spat. Everyone is going to claim their rig scoots across dry land and filets the fish when they get back to the ramp.
The Sea Pro will run in less than 2' of water, but you better not let off the throttle. The hydraulic trim tabs are a big benefit here because you can put them both in the down position and still trim the motor up quite a bit to avoid hitting the bottom. When you stop with the tabs down, the boat lands more level than without the tabs. To plane off in shallow water, it's the same thing in reverse - both tabs down, overweight fishing buddy to the front, spin the rig 180 degrees to let the back end come up, then straighten the wheel and don't let off until you get to deeper water. ( I should also mention here that I hit a rock and tore off my skeg, prop blades and bent the prop shaft a month ago, so take heed if you fish south of Tallahassee).
Bass boats tend to have all the weight in the rear of the rig and take off with a nose-up hole shot requiring about 3 ' of water. They come off plane the same way. I would be that your Ranger would run just a shallow as the bay boats as long as you don't let off the throttle. I fished Tampa Bay for several years in a Skeeter bass boat that would run pretty shallow.
I have been out 20 - 25 miles offshore grouper fishing in my boat on a good day. Again, the tabs are a huge help because most of the deadrise in the bayboat style hulls is near the front of the hull. The trim tabs put the nose more into the waves and keep the boat from slamming down on the backside of the wave. I ran my boat for a year and a half without the trim tabs, and can honestly say the tabs made a 100% improvement in the offshore ride.
Yes, there is a front and rear deck on the Sea Pro. No, on the poling platform. Your kidding yourself if you think you want to pole a 21' bayboat. (Your wife probably won't do it either if she is like mine.) Invest in a good trolling motor instead. The Sea Pro's can be viewed at http://www.SeaProboats.com they make a 24 foot bay as well as the 21. Mine is the SV-2100 hull with a 150 Yamaha. If you want more high performance / speed / and cost, you need to look at the Pathfinder or Blazer Bay.
If I had more notice I would take you for a ride. Let me know if you will be passing through Tallahassee.
To make a final decision on your bayboat, I would recommend going to the largest boat show in your area. I compared the Sea Pro, Proline, Mako, Kenner, Scout, and Pathfinder bay boats side by side at the Tampa / St. Pete boat show before deciding on mine. When you run from dealer to dealer, you can't remember which options come on which rig. The boat show setting is much easier to narrow down the choices and cost.
- Steve Stinson
The Sea Pro will run in less than 2' of water, but you better not let off the throttle. The hydraulic trim tabs are a big benefit here because you can put them both in the down position and still trim the motor up quite a bit to avoid hitting the bottom. When you stop with the tabs down, the boat lands more level than without the tabs. To plane off in shallow water, it's the same thing in reverse - both tabs down, overweight fishing buddy to the front, spin the rig 180 degrees to let the back end come up, then straighten the wheel and don't let off until you get to deeper water. ( I should also mention here that I hit a rock and tore off my skeg, prop blades and bent the prop shaft a month ago, so take heed if you fish south of Tallahassee).
Bass boats tend to have all the weight in the rear of the rig and take off with a nose-up hole shot requiring about 3 ' of water. They come off plane the same way. I would be that your Ranger would run just a shallow as the bay boats as long as you don't let off the throttle. I fished Tampa Bay for several years in a Skeeter bass boat that would run pretty shallow.
I have been out 20 - 25 miles offshore grouper fishing in my boat on a good day. Again, the tabs are a huge help because most of the deadrise in the bayboat style hulls is near the front of the hull. The trim tabs put the nose more into the waves and keep the boat from slamming down on the backside of the wave. I ran my boat for a year and a half without the trim tabs, and can honestly say the tabs made a 100% improvement in the offshore ride.
Yes, there is a front and rear deck on the Sea Pro. No, on the poling platform. Your kidding yourself if you think you want to pole a 21' bayboat. (Your wife probably won't do it either if she is like mine.) Invest in a good trolling motor instead. The Sea Pro's can be viewed at http://www.SeaProboats.com they make a 24 foot bay as well as the 21. Mine is the SV-2100 hull with a 150 Yamaha. If you want more high performance / speed / and cost, you need to look at the Pathfinder or Blazer Bay.
If I had more notice I would take you for a ride. Let me know if you will be passing through Tallahassee.
To make a final decision on your bayboat, I would recommend going to the largest boat show in your area. I compared the Sea Pro, Proline, Mako, Kenner, Scout, and Pathfinder bay boats side by side at the Tampa / St. Pete boat show before deciding on mine. When you run from dealer to dealer, you can't remember which options come on which rig. The boat show setting is much easier to narrow down the choices and cost.
- Steve Stinson