Group trip tomorow, April 30th

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Billy Miller
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Group trip tomorow, April 30th

Post by Billy Miller »

Any thoughts on re-scheduling tomorrows breakfast and trip out of Wakulla Beach? Small craft advisory has been issued through Sunday night. I think we should re-schedule, appreciate any other input.
Thanks,
Billy
Charles
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Post by Charles »

That might be prudent. If we do postpone it I may still go, leaving the canoe at home and walk-in somewhere. If we don't postpone, I'll meet you guys at Wakulla Beach and walk-in to West Goose Creek.

The canoe, having a lot more freeboard, is a lot more affected by wind than a kayak.

SUNDAY
SOUTHEAST WIND 20 TO 25 KNOTS...DECREASING TO 15 TO 20
KNOTS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 6 TO 8 FEET. PROTECTED WATERS
ROUGH...DECREASING TO CHOPPY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.
http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn ... gmz755.txt
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Apalach
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Post by Apalach »

Naaah--let's go for it. If we get down there and it is really blowing, then I like Charles' idea of hoofing it to West Goose. The Channel 6 weather report this morning changed from 40 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms to 40 % chance of some rain, but indicated that it did not look too bad. However, the "official" NOAA marine forecast still sounds pretty nasty. I'm going to wait until later in the day before canceling out the yak. But I'm game for walking into W. Goose--Charles you still up for that?
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Salt Life
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Post by Salt Life »

Just been watchin whats going on here. Really would like to get out but April and May are kinda no no months. Too much wind for yakkin it up.
I am going to St. George on Sun. Lookin for mister Cobe.
Two weeks ago I got two shots a good 40 pounder with no luck. I had no live bait. Tomorrow will be another story. Nice thing about the bridges, wind and waves have no effect.
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Yeah, I'm in.

For anybody that hasn't done it before, I don't walk down the trail to the first long oysterbar, where everybody that walks in there goes. I cut through the marsh and go to the smaller bars further back.

Oyster shell proof shoes are a must, of course. An old pair of sneakers will work, but you want something you can lace tight enough so the mud doesn't suck them off your feet. Neoprene wading booties with a felt sole are great for this, but the oysters will cut up the neoprene part. Unfortunately I can't find mine.

Shorts are okay, I've done this many times in shorts, but long pants will protect your legs from bugs and getting stuck by the marsh grass. Jeans are too heavy and hard to walk in when they get wet and muddy.

Ditto long-sleeve shirt.

A daypack to carry your tackle, snacks and drinking water in is handy.

Some kind of small dry-box that will fit in your pack for wallet, keys, cell, etc., is a very good idea.

A walking staff is good, the mud can make it pretty rough going.

I take a mesh bag to carry my fish in.

Alligators are easier to walk on than the mud, but the 'gators don't care for it. :-D
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RonHarrison
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Post by RonHarrison »

Hello, friends! As much as I was looking forward to tomorrow's trip, I'm afraid I've decided to back out.

My friend Rally and I fished East Flats, West Flats and Wakulla Beach (Goose Neck Bay) today in a Boston Whaler. The morning started out VERY windy with some spine-jarring chop. As the sun rose, the wind and chop died to an almost manageable level.

Several keeper trout were pulled from East Flats with 2-times as many that were too small. For every two trout we pulled, there was a slimy cat caught. (Say that three times, fast... ...slimy cat, caught, slimy cat, caught, slimy cat, caught) :P

Things slowed down in the East so we headed West. West Flats held stained water and led to ZERO fish. We creeped on into the Wakulla Beach area and actually had the "biggest" action of the day.

Wakulla Beach yielded four (4) 19"+ trout son successive drifts from the first point leading into the bay and heading directly for the beach. We couldn't lock into what or how they were laying and just kept drifting, resetting, and drifting. Again, we yielded about one nice fish on each drift.

We gave up around 2P and started heading out. We noticed that the stained water was REALLY working its way in to the Wakulla Beach area with the tide. The ride back was pretty rough. It's always neat to see how rough the main Gulf is compared to how tranquil the rivers are (We put in and took out at the Fort). The wind and chop was pretty bad and something I wouldn't want to be out in long and definitely not in a yak.

If the forecast holds and the winds increase tonight, I'm guessing that the conditions are going to be pretty brutal for the Wakulla Beach area in the AM. I'm guessing that the stained water will move in more, further increasing the challenge.

With all things considered, I think I'll bow out of this trip and hope for enough clear weather to hit the local lake here.

On a side note, the highlight of the day came when Rally hooked a nice sized Ray that, at first, didn't fight like a Ray at all. First indications were small shark or large redfish. Here are some pics of Rally taming the beast! Bwahahaha!


Image

Image

They may be a nuisance, but we sure had fun with this one running us around the boat for 10 minutes!

Will miss meeting up with those of you that stick it out and go! I hope you have great luck though!!!
Ron Harrison
Tallahassee, Florida
2006 Hobie Outback Rigging Photo Album @ http://www.nettally.com/rharri/riggingredirect.htm .
Charles
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Post by Charles »

I'll be there.

I'll be at breakfast at Savannah's at 7:30, too.

I just got off the phone with JSuber. He said he might go.
Billy Miller
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Post by Billy Miller »

I will be there for breakfast, news channel confirmed a small craft advisory for tomorrow, so I probably won't fish. I have no wading clothes to speak of, YET, but would like to meet you guys for breakfast, and talk about another group trip.
Billy
Charles
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Post by Charles »

If you wear regular street clothes for wading once, then you have wading clothes. Especially as muddy as it is where we're going. :-D
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Apalach
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Post by Apalach »

I plan to be at Savannah's at 0730, if not before, yak in tow. Spent all afternoon working on the trailer wiring and finally figured out the problem, so since I had it out, I loaded her up. Don't know about marsh mud wading--the small amount of suction in the 3 inches on our last trip still was enough to aggravate my knee after my surgery last year. If the wind lays down, I may yak anyway. If not I may hoof it, at least part way, over to W. Goose. We shall see. :D
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