Econfina 9/15 - The trip that wasn't.

[ugadawg]

Me and a buddy made plans to head down to Econfina after our wives finished running a 5k here in Moultrie this morning. At 9:00, all is going well as the boat is loaded and we are about to leave and I get a call that my buddy has a bad bearing on his trailer. I figure, no big deal, so we buy new fishing licenses and then leave and I head down the road to give him a hand. Get down to him and his bearing is completely shot. We go down to the store, get a new bearing, drive back to the house to get the grease gun, and head back to the boat. Put the new bearing in the hub and go to put it back on and it won't fit, even though it looks the same size. Back to the store with what is left of the old bearing and we find out that instead of a 1 inch spindle, he has a 1 1/16 inch spindle. New bearing, head back to the boat, pull the older new one and replace it with the ever so slightly larger new one. Get the bearing back on and at this point it is around 11:30, so we figure to go back to the house and eat lunch and figure out a new game plan. On the way back to the house, I hit a pothole with my boat trailer and something doesn't sound right. I make it back to the house and my wheel is sitting an angle. I figure my bearing has gone bad and it is no big deal, I've already done 2 bearings today, so what is a third. I jack the trailer up and notice that the wheel is on nice and firm and spins fine. The reason for the angle is that the pothole managed to break my axle right at the spring. Apparently I had a little rust in the axle and it had gotten quite weak. Better down the road from the house than down the road from the ramp I figure.

At this point fishing is obviously out of the question, so we say f*** it, and we go drink margaritas and eat mexican food and then take a nap for the rest of the day.

Maybe we can go next weekend, after I put on a new axle.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

SORRY TO HEAR THAT, IF YA WOULD BACK DOWN IN SOME FRESH WATER POND OR RIVER AFTER GOING IN SALT WATER THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN..
PA
SEMPER FI

[redbelly7]

It's just as well Dawg. I went to Icky yesterday and the flats were just as stained as the river. The river was really flowing w/ freshwater emptying into the flats. I'm guessing 2 or 3 weeks to clear out, but maybe some more experienced locals can expound on this.

[Carlabear]

The flats have been stained ever since Debbie came through and with all the rain it will probably take months

[redbelly7]

I'm thinking 2 weeks... Anyone else have any guesses besides Carlabear on when Econfina will clear up?

[charlie tuna]

Remember, we have had daily rainfall in Florida and southern Georgia that feed the rivers north of 98. This water seems like it is two to three feet high. All that water must make it's way out into the Gulf. When you stand at the ramp in Ecofina at a low tide, and still see the tide only half way down from the normal "low tide" levels, and the river flowing at a very fast outgoing flow??? There is a problem with water quality....