New to saltwater fishing

[Cjohn10]

Hey Guys,

I just boat a 2002 sailfish 174 cc and have taken it out twice from the old fort in St. marks. I honestly have no clue what I am doing out there. I have tried anchoring up around some oyster bars and throwing out a gulp shrimp jig with no success at all. I don't want anyone's secret spots but I could really use some advice about where to go around the st. Marks area and what to fish. At this point I would like to catch anything but am very interested in learning to catch trout and redfish. Any advice at all will be taken. I don't have a skiff so I can't go in water that's too shallow. I have navionics downloaded and have been using that to navigate and avoid any major rocks. Again any advice will be taken, just want to go out and catch some fish. Thanks in advance.

[Apalachee Inshore]

Go find 6-7 foot with grassy bottom and drift bouncing jigs off the bottom. Drag a pinfish or cut bait behind the boat under a cork. You'll catch something

[Cjohn10]

I don't really know how to tell if the bottom is grassy or not. The water hasn't been clear the last couple of weeks.

[Bailey]

Once out of the river, go East and look for the boats.


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[Cjohn10]

Alright I'll definitely have to do that next time. When you say go out of the river, does that mean to the last channel marker?

[fishdux]

The water has been pretty clear lately. Go a little East of Gray Mare rock and look around in 6 foot of water. You will see the patchy bottom as the sand and rock appears much lighter. Trout fishing has been pretty good that way. That being said, if it is your first time going that way then PLEASE run the stake line all the way and then cut North and go slow. There are rocks a little further inshore that will ruin your day.

[Apalachee Inshore]

Check your messages

[Cjohn10]

The water has been pretty clear lately. Go a little East of Gray Mare rock and look around in 6 foot of water. You will see the patchy bottom as the sand and rock appears much lighter. Trout fishing has been pretty good that way. That being said, if it is your first time going that way then PLEASE run the stake line all the way and then cut North and go slow. There are rocks a little further inshore that will ruin your day.

What's considered Gray Mare Rock? But I will definitely head east out of the river. I've actually been fishing around the end of the river before the light house. So I'll have to adventure a little further.

[luckywsp]

You are already doing one thing right. I learned to fish out of St. Marks fishing off those same oyster bars. Anchor up when the tide is moving and throw live pin fish, shrimp or cut bait out on the bottom and wait. That's how I caught my first red. There is a thread right under this one on how to catch pinfish in Carabelle. The same tactics work here and they are by far the best live bait you can have. If you are on the flats put a live one under a popping cork and leave it out behind the boat. If your pinfish dies take your filet knife and cut out one side of it like a filet with ribs then use it under the cork or on the bottom. Also on the flats use your jighead and gulp setup and set up drift. Try different depths and pay attention to what people on the forum say is the depth they have been catching them in. Finally here are monthly fishing club meetings. You will get great advice there and maybe find a fishing partner who knows what he is doing which I really your finest. Good luck and I hope you wear them out.

[fishdux]

Any chart will show you Gray Mare Rock.

[DixieReb]

I hope you find some fish. If you don't find any good ones in 6 ft., you may have to try deeper. They were in 8 ft. yesterday over patchy bottom and only ate white z-man shrimps.

[laxman20]

Ditto to what all have said and I'll add watch your tides. I have had best luck during a strong outgoing, followed by an incoming. At slack tide (high or low) usually the bite slows to nothing except for catfish.

[onefishtwofish]

Go find 6-7 foot with grassy bottom and drift bouncing jigs off the bottom. Drag a pinfish or cut bait behind the boat under a cork. You'll catch something

Now that is good advice! I target spotty bottom first, but sometimes it is pure grass.

I would add to get a drift sock as well. Slows you down and keeps your boat oriented in the direction that is smoothest if it is a little rough. Get the one with the float on the end of it, so you can turn it loose if your pinfish dragging behind you hooks a monster fish!

[Little grasshopper]

Yeah it's a good idea to just look for boats and see where they are on what tide. This will give you some clues. But remember just because people are fishing don't mean they are catching. You need to try and key in on any bottom that is vastly different from the bottom around it. Oyster bars do almost always hold fish but for whatever reason some may be 20 times better than others and the only way to know what's best is trial and error.
Spotty bottom is also great especially if the grass there is pretty tall because this makes a false depth change that predator fish love to cruise. Now throw a rock or two on the bottom and you better be ready. Being able to see or know what's on bottom helps a bunch and when you catch fish make note of that and remember to look for similar areas.