BigBendFishing.Net

Hey guys, I and my family have been coming to Carrabelle/Eastpoint area for a couple of years now, and love it. My son & I have had good success wadefishing west of Carrabelle. We're staying between Lanark & Carrabelle June 12-17 and I will be bringing my Xpress H18B bay/flats boat. I have never fished these areas (or any other saltwater) by boat. I need all the help I can get so that I can put mama on a few fish (trout & reds), show her some pretty sights by water (she loves dolphins) and not kill my boat! I'm very apprehensive about this trip, due to the fact that I'll be in very unfamiliar waters in my new (to me) boat. All advice is appreciated.

I'm sure there's more with experience that have fished this area but I have never took any bumps or bruises to my boat around lanark ,maybe a little sand rash but that just brings the color back out in the skiff. I always do my best going east out of the landing out in front of a line of condos (about the only ones) and up around the FSU biology campus a little further east that has some structure around it. On a good day dog island isn't a far run and pretty decent fishing around it.

As said above, go out of Lanark and fish behind the Lanark Reef and then toward the condo building and the farther east at Turkey Shoals. Grass flats in 4-6 foot for trout and close to shore around any bars or docks for reds. May have a better chance for reds closer to Carrabelle.

Thanks fellas, keep 'em coming. Is the run from Lanark to Carrabelle and on toward Eastpoint a "stay a certain distance from shore and dodge the obvious hazards route" or is it a minefield?

Once you come out of the little deep water pass around the west end of the Lanark Reef, just stay out a ways. On a clear day you can see where the grass flats start. Don't run due west before you come out. If you look at Google Earth, you can see the sand flats to the west of the reef. Lanark is exposed, to the west is not, but it is shallow (it might be at winter tides, I am just not over that way in the winter). You can zoom in and see the pass to the west end of the reef. Mostly just sand to worry about. My boat likes me fishing over that way more than to the rocky east of there, where I like to fish.

Drift the flats 4-6 ft of water just on the north side of dog island. We usually do well for trout in that area. For pretty sites, travel around the east end of dog island. Lots of gorgeous water and my wife and I see dolphins and sea turtles there on almost every trip. It's a great area and a great fishery. Best of luck to you!

Thanks to all of you, I'm feeling a little less antsy about maneuvering around down there.

I use a Hobie Yak and I tend to go to the East of Ho Hum campground off of 98. Anywhere off the bank around 150 to 200 yards over the grass 4 to 7 feet of water. I will troll 3 inch DOA electric chickens or white. Topwater in the morning does well the farther east you go the red fishing gets better. I normally limit out pretty fast. The last time I went the size was smaller than I like. In the mornings or evenings I chase the diving birds across from Ho Hum on the reef as much as possible it can be a blast.

The house we are staying at is gulf front, just east of Ho Hum Campground. Maybe I won't have to burn much gas to put my wife on some trout, lady fish, jacks, etc. Reds may be another story.

How did you do fishing out of Carrabelle/Lanark? Also, how do you like your Xpress bay boat? I'm thinking seriously about the H20B and we love the Carrabelle area. As with you, I have no experience boating in coastal waters; so I would be antsy too.