Indian Pass?

cooter · Post by **cooter** » May 19th, 2003, 11:26 am

Going to be staying with the inlaws in a house down at Indian Pass for Memorial Day weekend. Planning on taking the boat but have never fished down there. Any reports and/or suggestions for that area?

Littoral · Post by **Littoral** » May 19th, 2003, 11:52 am

I'm copying my response to a similar question a few weeks ago. I don't address Indian Pass proper because I have fished it very little. Given that you're so close to St Joe I'd have to go there. Drifting Pilchards or pinfish while throwing other stuff should work.
Report from 5/4. I fish St Joe a lot out of my kayak. If you don't know the place don't expect it to act like the Big Bend. You have to think out of the box over there. I strongly recommend pilchards or pinfish. It just seems to be the ticket over there. I've thrown everything else and I don't have any pattern established at all.
That said, being the topwater junkie, the big trout did finally wake up this weekend (chug bug). I caught 6 +20" and a few ~18". Great trip but even with those fish it seemed real random as to where. I put in at the kayak site (new) on the bay side (right) at the stump hole (look for the rocks on the left). It's a great place to put in. There's a lot off excellect habitat within a mile. Kayaks can be rented at Happy Ours on the way in. Other suggestions:
Check at Presnells for what's biting
The Stump Hole can be great
The Point at San Blas can be great
The beach in the park should be prime for pompano now and it's great to beach & fish
Also,
Regans in St Joe Beach is a great Oyster Bar, The Raw Bar at Indian Pass is a cultural must. It's just past the park road on C-30A. The place is worth the drive just for their Blue Bunny Ice Cream freezer. Wear garnet and heckle.

Post by **Scott7138** » May 19th, 2003, 12:51 pm

I was down there the weekend of 5/4 and did real well on a Zoom Super Fluk, Baby Bass color. You can also use any kind of white or pearl color and get them. I am a believer in jerk baits also. I caught 4 nice Reds with a stingray grub under a Cajun Thunder at the head of the bay near the grass islands. Check with Presnell's on the color, they are real helpful. That will also work well on the trout. I usually like to start my drift in about 5 to 6 feet of water and drift into 3 feet.

Post by **Tom Keels** » May 19th, 2003, 12:58 pm

Just got back from St. Joe Bay where I won the NFGFC tournament. We caught most of our fish where Scott did at the head of the bay on topwater. Chug bugs and spittin images got us 5 reds and 2 trout in an hour, the rest we caught about a mile north of there on CT/ and jigs with pearl and shad color jigs. I have also had good luck on the shad color zoom flukes on the second middlegrounds west of Black's Island.

If you fish normally around St. Marks and Econfina, you'll find, at least I do, that fishing is much easier over there than here, and the fish are generally bigger. I have also found that the brighter colors that we use over here, don't work as well as natural colors over there. You'll find great sightfishing up along the beaches at the tip of the peninsula. The biggest factor over there though is the tide. Try to fish around the strongest tides for the best luck because when the water isn't moving, it is DEAD over there.

nitrofish · Post by **nitrofish** » May 22nd, 2003, 6:41 am

You can also make a run east to the end of St.Vincent and work the long oyster bars (The dry bar) and the pass between Little St. George. Watch out in the pass if the tides are running I have seen that place rock with current. Beautiful area,enjoy!!! NITROFISH says... "LET THE BIG FISH EAT"