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Went scalloping out of St. Marks with some friends this weekend. Hadn't ever been on my own boat so I figured it was best to follow somebody that knew where they were going. My friends boat draws about 3 foot so after passing the last channel marker he swung out a ways where it was a little deeper. My boat only draws 10-12 inches and I think I could cut some time and distance off the ride if I cut through the flats. My question is are there any rocks, oyster bars, shallow areas that I need to be careful of? We want out of the river and took a left around the flats. I would like to get out there and fish the flats but don't know the water at all. Thanks for the help.

The area you are referring to is known as the rock garden if that helps at all.

Boudreux wrote:My question is are there any rocks, oyster bars, shallow areas that I need to be careful of?

YES, yes, and yes.

Your friend showed you the safe route. Do you really want to endanger your boat, and your friends and family just to save a few minutes? Why not just enjoy the boat ride.

I've seen plenty of boats scoot'in across the flats thru the rock garden. I've also seen plenty of boats hit rocks doing it. My neighbor sheared off a lower unit on a brand new motor trying to save some time. He thought he had a "clear path". If you can afford to replace lower units, go ahead & cut thru the flats but if you can't, stay on the outside of the stake/bouy line til you can turn in where you want to go in the garden.

You can trim a little time off by cutting to the inside of the sandbar that is marked by the birdrack at the east side of the channel. Coming out the river channel, turn east @ the last red can before the bird rack / tripod marking the west end of the sand bar and run a straight line to the stake (wood pole) @ the east end of the sandbar. This route is free or rocks & is anywhere from 3'-5' depending on the tide. The sandbar is on every chart I've seen as well as Google Earth & the chart that is in the "Area Chart " tab @ the tip of this page.

Good luck

There are rocks as big as buses down that way. Be careful and don't try to take any shortcuts


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Not to be a smart alack, but your best investment might be in a map of the local area. It shows a lot of the obstructions. Most of us run outside the buoy line until it is time to cut in to fish or scallop. When I cut in, I go slow! Only worse place I know if Aucilla River.

YOU ARE SAFE IF YOU FOLLOW THE CHANNEL OUT TO THE BIRD RACK, TAKE A LEFT A HUNDRED YARDS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE BIRD RACK AND GO EAST, THERE ARE PARK BOUNDRY POLES THAT ARE A EASY GUIDE TO FOLLOW EAST, ALL THE WAY PAST THE ROCK GARDEN, YOU CAN SEE THE SAND BAR THAT RUNS EAST FROM THE BIRD RACK , IT WILL BE ON YOUR RIGHT. I GO EAST FOLLOWING THE PARK MARKER POLES FOR SEVERAL MILES WITH NO PROBLEM, THE DEPTH IS GENERALY 3-6 FT. DEPENDING ON THE TIDE. MY BOAT DRAWS 14 INCHES WHEN ON PLANE AND ABOUT 16 INCHES DEAD IN THE WATER. ON THE FIRST TRIP I WOULD JUST IDLE OUT AFTER YOU GET TO THE BIRD RACK SO YOU CAN JUDGE WHERE THE SAND BAR IS.
PA
SEMPER FI

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will stick with everyone's advice and follow the safe route out there. Better to be safe than sorry. Maybe if I get to know the water a little better I can try some of the other routes that y'all stated. I have several different charts including navionics and Garin blue chart but it's hard to tell what are rocks and what are sandbars. Thanks again

I thought Grey Mare was the biggest rock in the area. Got coordinates for a bus sized one?

lonesouth wrote:I thought Grey Mare was the biggest rock in the area. Got coordinates for a bus sized one?

Nope


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I have a cousin that busted his lower unit and cracked his transom on his bass boat. He was cutting across the rock garden and said he thought he was in the clear, when he found one of them.He had to buy a whole new rig, but he never tried that again.

Useful post that speaks to rocks in the general vicinity... be sure to right click and open the pics at the start of the 3rd page so you can fully see just how big some of the rocks are, Grey Mare specifically.

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =1&t=31645

And I need to give proper credit to Mjsigns for the photos as he's already fussed at me once for sharing them in the link above I just shared again.

Semi-joking aside, Mjsigns, if you see this the original thread (below) you posted doesn't show your original pics anymore. Don't know if you still have them and can update the broken links, but they really were worth seeing / quite educational for the blessed lucky souls who haven't yet bumped a rock in the area.

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... f=4&t=9146