St. Marks 12/27

Post by **tin can** » December 28th, 2005, 7:16 am

I launched at the fort at 7:15 yesterday morning and headed south about 9 miles to a spot Tom and I found 2 years ago. Drug a stretch and fished a slow hopped jig. Nothing. Moved a little further out. Nothing. Moved a little further out. Nothing. Moved a little further out. Nothing. Headed back in to my close in numbers. One hit, and it didn't hook up. Back on the trailer at 4:15.

The water surface temp ranged from 49 to 54 degrees. The water was green colored. I could see my jig 15 feet down, but whatever has the water green is kinda cloudy.

I do believe this is my first winter grouper trip catching nothing. I usually catch a few sea bass or a lizard fish or two.

I think I'll stick to red fishing for a while.

Post by **mjsigns** » December 28th, 2005, 7:21 am

Ouch.... I was going to make the run this Friday....
Guess I'll put it off till I hear some better reports.

Thanks-

dstockwell · Post by **dstockwell** » December 28th, 2005, 7:35 am

Come on mj, you gotta go when you can. Better luck next time TC.

Post by **wevans** » December 28th, 2005, 8:09 am

OUCH, that's a lot of fishin for no fish ta hit the deck

They where out there last Friday and I hope ta find em again this Friday "weather permitting"

but the water was mighty clear last Friday also

Post by **Reel Fun** » December 28th, 2005, 8:43 am

I was at work yesterday thinking....man, I wish I was on the water.....Glad you got to go

, sorry about your luck

...Been there, done that....

Post by **Tom Keels** » December 28th, 2005, 9:01 am

Like I told you on the radio yesterday. We hit 5 different spots from 22 feet to 32 feet. Vis on the bottom ranged from 6 feet to 3 feet. The fish that we did get/see were VERY tight to the cover. I am really baffled by whats going on with the grouper this year as well as the health of the natural bottom areas off St. Marks.

The reefs for the most part seem dead and lifeless. There is a lot of dead coral and sponges as well as very little life in the way of grunts/lizardfish/ornamentals on the reefs. It looks as if red tide took a toll on the reefs of the area.

Post by **mjsigns** » December 28th, 2005, 9:01 am

I'm shooting for the Aucillia Friday (possibly). Probably inshore.....

Post by **tin can** » December 28th, 2005, 9:12 am

Tom Keels wrote:Like I told you on the radio yesterday. We hit 5 different spots from 22 feet to 32 feet. Vis on the bottom ranged from 6 feet to 3 feet. The fish that we did get/see were VERY tight to the cover. I am really baffled by whats going on with the grouper this year as well as the health of the natural bottom areas off St. Marks.

The reefs for the most part seem dead and lifeless. There is a lot of dead coral and sponges as well as very little life in the way of grunts/lizardfish/ornamentals on the reefs. It looks as if red tide took a toll on the reefs of the area.

There is usually a lot of relief on my close in stuff. Wasn't much there yesterday. Nothing at Horseshoe, nothing at Fishinfool. Nothing where you and I talked about Monday night. Sounds like you're right. The red tide, or something, did us in.

With a color machine, I could see a little bit of stuff on the bottom. But nothing jumped up like it should. Maybe further west, on the rocks?

Post by **Frank Bradfield** » December 28th, 2005, 9:17 am

Tom , I believe you were correct on why the bad vis. I read another report a long way from us and they had 2ft vis. Must have been the 10 ft waves on Sunday which had the bottom messed up !

Post by **Chalk** » December 28th, 2005, 9:36 am

You should of tried a carolina rig....

That's what you get for going while I had to work...

pennfish · Post by **pennfish** » December 28th, 2005, 9:49 am

Tuff trip. Sounds like alot of my grouper hunting trips

Im sure it was a beautiful place to be aii day

Post by **sundown** » December 28th, 2005, 9:54 am

T.C. sounds like your day mirrored last Friday for us...We went about nine miles or so south to some good numbers..Water was about the same temp, 48-51 degrees and clear..
Trolled most of the day with various colored stretches and even stopped on some rocks and soaked ly's....nothing at all...water was about as calm as I've ever seen it....also very few fish showing up on the bottom machine and nothing on the reefs.....

Post by **qoutrage** » December 28th, 2005, 10:43 am

Sorry to hear th fish took th day off, TC. Mighta been the high pressure or something. This morning migha been better, since the bobamomator is falling. Had to be a nice day out there, though. The bay down here sure looked good.
Better luck next time.