St. George, Bay side

[Koenig]

Good day folks! A friend and I would like to do some fishing and boating around St. George Island some time but are unsure of water depth in the bay, safe navigation routes, etc... and a decent boat ramp. The boat is a 22 foot Sea Pro bay boat. If anyone can assist and/or instruct me on where to locate a chart of some sort would be greatly appreciated.

[boggob]

http://research.myfwc.com/products/prod ... sp?id=1272

http://research.myfwc.com/products/products.asp

[Browning Slayer]

Here is an article I saved a while back. Hope it helps!

The state park's structures were severely damaged by the storm surge from Hurricane Dennis in July 2005. Large sections of the road were washed out, the bathrooms were destroyed and sand from the dunes was pushed all the way into the bay in some places, covering parking areas and the main boat ramp.


But all of that has been repaired or replaced - so to all you saltwater anglers out there, the fish are waiting.

Starting with the surf, you'll find miles of beautiful beaches just right for a sand spike, a chair and a cooler. There are pullouts for easy access to remote areas, or you can use one of the two main parking lots, which also have covered picnic facilities and bathrooms.


Currently, whiting are the best bet for surf anglers. The tasty little fish are plentiful and always quick to take a piece of bait. Use small, dime-sized pieces of fresh shrimp, a small hook and just enough weight to get it to the bottom under the current surf conditions.

When choosing a spot, look for areas of darker water, which reveal a trough of slightly deeper water running close to shore. If you don't catch anything after soaking a bait for a few minutes, move 25 yards down the beach and try again.

A common mistake when fishing for whiting is casting too far offshore. Some anglers actually wade into the water so they can throw their bait a maximum distance. They often end up standing where they should be fishing. The better way to locate the fish is to make a good cast and drag the bait back toward shore a few feet at a time. You'll be surprised at how close the whiting will be to the water's edge - sometimes only 20 or 30 feet out.


Boaters will be happy to know that the East Slough boat ramp is again open and has a newly designed parking lot. The ramp provides access to a world of fishing opportunities on the bay side of the park.

For starters, the shallow, narrow East Slough, where the ramp is located, runs east to a dead end in a small marsh about a mile from the ramp. If your boat is small enough, or has a shallow draft, it's a good place to look for redfish this time of year.

To the west of the ramp is Goose Island, which is surrounded by redfish-friendly oyster bars. One pattern that local anglers rely on is fishing the long set of bars on the north side of the island during a rising tide. If redfish are going to show up, it's usually about halfway into the rising tide, when the current is strongest. Use gold spoons or grubs at the beginning of the tide, and shift to heavier lures as the current picks up.

East of Goose Island, beginning at about the tree line in the park, are scattered grass beds that extend all the way past Marsh Island. The grass grows where the water is shallow near shore. It's getting a little late for seatrout on these flats, but there is a cool weather pattern where the trout move just offshore into deeper water and hold there. Lately, an inside source tells me there's also been a school of redfish roaming the shoreline just off the park's campground.

Marsh Island, which is located immediately next to shore about seven miles east of Goose Island, is a good central reference point. The island is surrounded by spotty beds of seagrass, and there's a distinctive drop-off at the edge of the flats where you might look for seatrout as the temperatures fall. Redfish prefer the sandy troughs near the shore and behind the island.

That leaves East End, one of the most popular and best places to fish along the Big Bend coast. The sandy cape is located literally at the eastern end of St. George Island and makes up the western side of East Pass. Currently, however, the 4-wheel-drive road to East End is still closed until further notice because of damage from Hurricane Dennis.

For boaters, though, a combination of water flowing in and out of East Pass, along with sandbars and steep drop-offs, makes the area one big fish attractor. The famous spring and fall runs of Spanish mackerel and pompano can be spectacular. Although there are still a few reports of both species coming in, the season is mostly over. But it's still a great time of year for redfish. Try drifting a live bait or a chunk of fresh mullet across the sandbars with the falling tide.

Reds gathering in the pass for their fall spawning run often will line up on the down-current side of a sandbar or drop-off to take advantage of the natural food delivery system. I've seen times where every bait meant a battle with a 10-pound redfish. Strong tides and fast currents present the best opportunities.

The state park entrance fee is $5 a day, or you can purchase an annual Family Pass for $84.80 that allows after-hours entrance if you want to fish early or stay late. Normal hours are 8 a.m. to sunset.

[Koenig]

Thanks for the assistance, I sure do appreciate it!

[Seachaser]

It will be hard to launch on low tide with a 22 foot boat. If there is a very low or negative tide, you may have to push or pull your way in. During the summer, we have had to get out of the boat and actually push it 100-200 yards and that is with a 17 foot carolina skiff.

[Koenig]

Had to get out and push!?!? I'm sure that was quite the workout! Yeah, after checking with you folks and looking around on-line I think that area may be a little too skinny for us. We will probably try to put in at Apalachicola ramp and shoot across the bay. My buddy said he found a pretty good chart yesterday, I think the one reference above in the link, that should help us out. Thanks again for the tips!

[DixieReb]

Launching at Apalach. sounds like a good plan. I have launched at both SGI ramps and was not inpressed, mainly due to the shallow water around them. It made a 15 ft. boat hard to get out unless tide was high.
The ramp at Apalach. is good, watch the wind when you cross that bay. It can get rough out there if there is much east or west wind.

[Seachaser]

I have seen the wind so bad that We could not get to the cut in a week of fishing and other times calm as a lake.

[Pirate]

If you are going to fish East of the SGI bridge you might consider putting in at Carabelle. The ramp is on the road beside the new boat club. It's only three miles to the East end and all the area inside the State Park can be reached easier from this end. From Ap. ramp its 10 miles to the entrance of the park by water, and another 5 to the East end.

[Koenig]

Roger that fellas! Preciate the knowledge. Now I just have to find the time to make it over there AND make sure my fishing buddy, the one with the boat, can sweet talk his wife into letting him go!