BigBendFishing.Net

I'm fairly new to fishing the flats around the St. Marks area (and fishing in general). I'm interested in trying to fish the rock garden, and the area around Stoney Bayou. But I'm terrified that I'm going to ruin my boat. The boat only draws--according the that catalogue--8 inches. But I still worry.

Can anybody give me some advice on how to approach the area? Are there any obstacles (e.g. rocks!) that I should be aware of? I keep hearing about Grey Mare, Cobb, and Stoney Bayou as "hot spots," and I'd really like an opportunity to fish there.

Thank you.

Do a search on this site of the rock garden and you'll find loads of info, including plenty of GPS coordinates of the various rocks people have run across. You're right to worry and I would suggest exploring slow. I don't think there is a such thing as a "safe route".

Thanks. I just noticed all of the posts, including those with the GPS numbers. All I need to do not is learn how to work my GPS!

Cheers!

Hey I been fishing St Marks for around 3 years now. I just bought a new 180 Bay Scout but before that I had a J16 Carolina Skiff. I fished mostly west and not east. I have only been around stoney/rock garden only a few times and there were sometimes out there My Skiff could not get through with the motor down. Now this may have been because of low tide. You should be fine but I would travel around there either right before or at high tide if you havent been there before. I know some people that fish that way that know that place pretty good and can fly through there at full speed dodging everything but I wouldnt try that untill you have been out there a few times.
Better to be safe than pay 6000 dollars for a new lower unit.

Actually I prefer seeing it at a minus low tide "you'll think of the Moonscape when ya see it" it instills a GREAT respect for what is under the water at high tide

Wevans is correct. If you really want to learn it,go there on a low tide rising and have a look.
I've been going there over 50 years and still haven't learned it.
(NO SMART A&& REMARKS FROM THE REST OF YOU ARE NECESSARY)

Jumptrout51 wrote: (NO SMART A&& REMARKS FROM THE REST OF YOU ARE NECESSARY)

You talking to me, ShortTrout 51.

Reel Therapy, Everyone's given you great advice. There's no better way to learn that area than spending time on the water and going slow. You'll be fine. Like Jumptrout says the rocks are where the fish are.

Reel Therapy note also; ROCK GRASS is where the ROCKS are.

Jumptrout51 wrote:I've been going there over 50 years and still haven't learned it.
(NO SMART A&& REMARKS FROM THE REST OF YOU ARE NECESSARY)

Some people are slower than others, keep tryng though

Jumptrout51 wrote:Reel Therapy note also; ROCK GRASS is where the ROCKS are.

Yep

Check out this map it plots a some what safe path around the rock garden
http://www.jerrysbait.com/localmap.asp

Do a search, there has been alot of discussion on that place....

What did you and BD not understand about the note in parentheses?

Jumptrout51 wrote:What did you and BD not understand about the note in parentheses?

Chalk wrote:Some people are slower than others,

There probably wasn't but one or two rocks in the "Garden" when JT started fishing it!

I will let you by with the Smart A&& remark simply because you are correct. There originally was one BIG A&& rock. Me and a few others kept hitting it until it broke up into 1000's of smaller rocks. The boats of yore were Bad A&& machines.

Yep, but he kept hittin the danged thangs and makin more rocks

wevans wrote:Yep, but he kept hittin the danged thangs and makin more rocks

Now he's started on the boat ramps