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TOOK MY SON AND MY NEPHEW UP GOOSE CREEK AND FISHED THE LAST TWO HRS. OF THE FALLING TIDE AND THEY LANDED AROUND A DOZEN RAT REDS ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TROUT NETTED A HALF BUCKET OF CRABS. HAD A BLAST WATCHIN THE BOYS ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS. ALL FISH ATE SHRIMP ON A JIG HEAD

Good job, Pennfish. I know they had a good time.

sounds like a blast - i love that area.

Some questions about Goose Creek. I have run in to it a few times with the boat but with a course on the left side of the bay I have stayed left and worked my way up a creek. Is that Goose Creek or is Goose Creek the one off to the right? On the right side creek there are many nice deep spots on the outside of the bends that look like mullet heaven. I want to navigate up to Sheppard Spring - is that possible in my 13' whaler?

Great report, Penn.

squiffy wrote:Some questions about Goose Creek. I have run in to it a few times with the boat but with a course on the left side of the bay I have stayed left and worked my way up a creek. Is that Goose Creek or is Goose Creek the one off to the right? On the right side creek there are many nice deep spots on the outside of the bends that look like mullet heaven. I want to navigate up to Sheppard Spring - is that possible in my 13' whaler?

Technically it's West Goose Creek, because east of Wakulla Beach there are three creeks that run together where they run out into the bay. From west to east they are: Graves Creek, Middle Creek and East Goose Creek.

Back to West Goose Creek. As you know, West Goose Creek splits up past the dyke. Actually, West Goose Creek ends there and the creek to the west is Shepherd (or Shepard, depending on what map you're looking at) Spring Creek. The one to the east is Gander Creek.

It's been a long time since I've been all the way up, but as I recall. To get to Sepherd Spring from the mouth of West Goose Creek just stay to the left (west) as you're running up the creek. Going up Shepherd Spring Creek at some point there will be a fork to the right. If you take this fork it will lead you to a small spring boil in the middle of the marsh. It isn't Shepherd Spring, but this one you can (or used to be able to, anyway) get your 13' Whaler all the way up into. If you continue up Shepherd Spring Creek you'll reach a point where the creek gets too small and brush choked to continue with any kind of water craft unless you carry it. To get from Shepherd Spring from here, anchor the boat and follow the creek on foot. It's only about a mile. You'll know Shepherd Spring when you get to it. It's a 44' deep freshwater hole in the ground. Years ago I measured it with a piece seine twine by diving to the bottom with one end while a friend of mine stayed on the surface with the other end.

Watch for the resident 'gator. There used to always be one in there and it wasn't always the same one. They never bothered us, though. They would always either head down the creek or dive down and lay on a rocky outcropping until we finished swimming and left.

If you slip in there real quiet like with a light spinning rod and a Beetle Spin, we used to catch bream and small bass out of there.

There is also Mensler Creek that flows into Goose Creek Bay right about where West Goose Creek hits the bay to the West of Wakulla Beach. A small boat could be taken up into there, but you have to be careful. I've had my kayak up in there several times. Don't think I've hit it at the right time yet though, have only caught a few short trout out of there.

Charles, is there anywhere to launch a small boat or kayak up Shepherd Spring Creek. On my topo map program it has a road pretty much dead ending at the creek about 1/2 mile up from where it hits West Goose Creek. Just wonderng if this could possibly be another good kayak launching spot.
Gas is too expensive to go look for myself.

Thanks,
Nathan

There is a road on the refuge that ends almost right at Shepherd Spring Creek, but you can only get to it by car when the gates are open and driving is allowed on the refuge. But there's no ramp or anything. The road ends, there's a small strip of marsh and then the creek, as I recall. That's the one we used to call Hog Pen Road. At one time there was a live trap for wild hogs down that road off the east side.

If you pick up a copy of the "St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Hunting Regulations 2005-2006," free at the Visitor's Center and they're periodically stocked at the game check stations & access points, it's road #209, off of road #200 which is the road that runs along the northern boundary of the Wakulla Unit.

I doubt they'll let anybody drive in there for that, but you could call the refuge at 925-6121 and ask them. To the best of my knowledge, they only allow driving in there during the established hunting seasons and only for hunting.

Charles, is there anywhere to launch a small boat or kayak up Shepherd Spring Creek. On my topo map program it has a road pretty much dead ending at the creek about 1/2 mile up from where it hits West Goose Creek. Just wonderng if this could possibly be another good kayak launching spot.
Gas is too expensive to go look for myself.

I've been to Shepard Spring several times from the Wakulla Beach road by parking at the hunter self-check station and riding a bike down the gated road that heads west.

I suppose you could rig a little trailer to a bike and haul a kayak or canoe down there. There's no launch there though - so be careful with the vegatation.

It's about a 30 minute ride down to the spring as I recall. It's easiest to pick up the Fla Trail as it cuts off of the dirt road and follow it until you see a blue blaze trail to the left that takes you to the spring.

There's now a wooden walkway with a bench built on the edge of the spring. I talked with the fellow responsible for trails within St Marks NWR a couple weeks ago and he said that since H. Dennis, the spring looked clearer than ever. Oh yeah - he also mentioned that the gator was still there.

I've heard that Gander Spring is supposed to be really nice, and accessible from land, but I've never found it.

Yeah now, bicycles you can ride all over the refuge.

I have one of these trailers.
http://www.burley.com/products/trailers ... latbed&i=7
It's the one I use to carry my pack, a cooler and whatever fishing tackle I want from the house to Lower Bridge, ~3 miles of paved road; Wakulla Beach, ~7 miles, ~5 of which is Wakulla County sand road; or Live Oak Island ~10 miles, paved. Pulls great, but I've never tried carrying something as big and heavy as a kayak on it. I think the biggest problem would be the length of a 'yak, rather than the weight.

I also have one of these trailers.
http://www.burley.com/products/trailers ... p=Solo&i=1
And thought about using it as a covered way to carry cargo but the only thing I've hauled around in it so far is the 4 yr. old. She loves it.

I bike daily to class and ride the trails at Tom Brown regularly. Biking wouldn't be a problem, but hauling the yak behind a bike would take some ingenuity. The main problem is my 16' yak. A shorter one would probably be much easier to trailer.

Nathan

This is a great thread! I am going to have to come back and study it! That whole area is interesting. I plan on going to Shepard Spring soon, just as a hike.

Now the fish-bikin' has me interested. I think I am going to put rod holders on my bike and try some creative spot finding down in the St. Marks Wildlife Preserve, find me some creeks nearshore, 'specially for the cooler weather. Don't tell anybody.

Aucilla wrote:......I think I am going to put rod holders on my bike and try......

Something like this?
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog. ... rchResults

Maybe something like this would fit the bill


http://www.wicycle.com/kit.htm