St. Marks River and Stoney, Thursday 12/14
Posted: December 15th, 2006, 2:51 pm
Launched at the fort around 10 am. Initially, I was planning to give the nearshore grouper a shot...but the fog changed my mind. Since I was already at the mouth of the river when I got in the thick of the fog, I decided to try heading to stoney bayou instead. I've been wanting to try it, just been to scared of the rocks.
I stopped in big cove on my way, but couldn't find anything. So I pulled out of there and ran slow all the way to stoney. I found the entrance and never saw a rock to that point. But once I was entering, my boat managed to find 3 rocks.
There was a crab boat in there, so I figured it was safe. I asked him the best way in, he told me best not to go in now. He was on his way out of there shortly himself. He did suggest a spot though. 
Following his instructions, I headed back around to the outside of stoney, and first cast landed me a nice 25" red (my first keeper red since last spring!). Dang it felt good. And I couldn't believe it was in about a foot or so of water. Next cast to the same spot and I hooked another, which I lost before I could get it on the boat. 
I fished there for another 30 minutes with no hits, and not much water. I didn't know my boat could float in such shallow water.
I trolled out of there, and back onto the flat just beyond the sand bar. I decided I would try and look like I knew what I was doing and run WOT. Man, that water looks shallow when it is so clear and you are moving like that. I ran back up the wakulla river to try a couple of places. No luck. So I headed up the St. Marks river toward the power lines. I caught and released around small 20 trout, with the biggest being only about 12."
Can't wait to head east of the lighthouse again--perhaps with a tad more water.
I stopped in big cove on my way, but couldn't find anything. So I pulled out of there and ran slow all the way to stoney. I found the entrance and never saw a rock to that point. But once I was entering, my boat managed to find 3 rocks.
There was a crab boat in there, so I figured it was safe. I asked him the best way in, he told me best not to go in now. He was on his way out of there shortly himself. He did suggest a spot though. Following his instructions, I headed back around to the outside of stoney, and first cast landed me a nice 25" red (my first keeper red since last spring!). Dang it felt good. And I couldn't believe it was in about a foot or so of water. Next cast to the same spot and I hooked another, which I lost before I could get it on the boat. I fished there for another 30 minutes with no hits, and not much water. I didn't know my boat could float in such shallow water. I trolled out of there, and back onto the flat just beyond the sand bar. I decided I would try and look like I knew what I was doing and run WOT. Man, that water looks shallow when it is so clear and you are moving like that.
I ran back up the wakulla river to try a couple of places. No luck. So I headed up the St. Marks river toward the power lines. I caught and released around small 20 trout, with the biggest being only about 12."Can't wait to head east of the lighthouse again--perhaps with a tad more water.
