BigBendFishing.Net

Hey Guys. I moved to Thomasville, GA about a year ago and have been bitten by the salt water itch. I have been fishing the flats in a few places with some friends and decided it was time to take it up a notch.

I recently purchased a 16 foot Boston Whaler Dauntless (used, cannot afford a new one) and am beginning to explore the region a little bit. I am relatively new to salt water fishing and am anxious and eager to find out all I can. I have freshwater fished all of my life but the pursuit of trout and reds is much different than most fishing i have done.

I really want to learn the St. Marks area and fish it regularly. i am planning my first trip out of St. Marks on Friday and need some advice on trying to locate some trout and possibly some reds. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Don't get too discouraged until the water cools off a bit. I also relocated in the last couple of years. You are in for a huge treat come late September. I have been getting some reds on topwater in the creek mouths at the crack of dawn. Been slow otherwise. Search this forum and get a topspot map. Check out google earth heavy. Spend some time at low tide marking troughs and ends in the oyster bars. A 200 yard bar may only hold fish in 3 10 foot wide holes. And welcome!

Don't be bashful about asking questions;especially about the water. Lot of obstructions around St Marks. i.e. rocks and bars..Just be careful navigating until you get familiar with the area.

Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place for advice. There are some great fisherman that hang out on this site. Jumptrout51 likes to give numbers to folks on some areas that hold fish. Maybe he will chime in........

Thanks for all the good advice. How do I get a Top Spot Map for the St. Marks area? Searched the forum and could not find anything..thanks.

Start reading the inshore reports- you can search for just St.Marks but the tactics work the same anywhere.

Google Maps... An outstanding way to learn oyster bars. I used to print out small sections for the east river when I first started going in there, it was great. Once I learned the path I don't really need the map anymore... Or get a Droid which I can use to pull up google maps while out there, matched with the new navionics chart for Droid and I got one useful phone. Maps only works up till about the lighthouse and a little beyond but the navionics works everywhere as it stores the map and then uses the gps satellites.

West Marine and most bait shops have the maps. Walmart may have something along those lines as well.

Play with this some...
http://marine.geogarage.com/routes

Just wait until the water cools down, otherwise you are going to have to run to deep water off shore, watch out for the oyster bars, when the water is at low tide you can pitch a grub into the hole on the outgoing tide. A GPS either hadn held or mounted will be nice when you mark the bars.

EarthNC is a good site too.

Don' lose faith in St Marks, it is tough sledding this time of year.

Mount you a trolling motor on the bow, and work the bars hard. You probably won't catch many trout this time of year but the reds are all over them. Topwater till about 9:30am and then head home.

GaWhaler wrote:I have freshwater fished all of my life but the pursuit of trout and reds is much different than most fishing i have done.

Fish for reds just like you fish for bass.

I have some basic info on the area from Shell Point to the Aucilla that you are welcome to. I will need to get you several printed pages of info either via mail or you can pick it up in North Tallahassee. Call me if you get a chance at 850 509-3116.
You can learn a lot and meet a lot of the folks from this forum at the NFGFC meetings if you would like to join. We meet the first Thurs. of each month at Beef O' Brady's on Thomasville Rd. in Tally. 7:00 pm.

Steve Stinson
President
NFGFC

Thanks Steve. I appreciate you willing to share some info with me. I will give you a call.