St George Island

[Duayne]

Fishing the surf in St George Island, FL. Lucked into five bonnethead sharks yesterday, all in the 3 ft or so range. What a ride on lighter surf tackle. Was using live shrimp in the afternoon outgoing tide. It was one hook up after another with some lady fish mixed in for two hours straight. Still looking for my pompano but I'll take a gift!

[chasmo]

Congrats on your sharks! I have been going down there for 24 years and to me, there isn't a better spot to just fish and relax. For your pompano, I recommend you getting some Nylure jigs-yellow with silver head 1/4 to 1/2 oz. (found at island outfitters or island adventures) whichever you feel most comfortable throwing. Tip with either a small piece of fresh peeled shrimp or a small sand flea. Retrieve with a big jump but let settle down on bottom before jigging again. Best spots in early am are troughs on the inside of sand bar where it gets close to the shore or right in the waves at shore. Later in the day the best spots are the same spots where sand bar comes close to shore but go to outside of sandbar. When they are feeding they are usually in shallow water. This time of year they generally run in small packs of 5-10 but when you get one, throw right back to same spot. Unfortunately, ladyfish love those jigs too and will destroy them rather quickly so I usually pinch the barb on them to let them jump and throw them off but be sure to keep a LOT of pressure on a fish if it doesn't jump immediately. PM me if you are able to make to the East End or the Cut.

[Duayne]

Thanks! Heading to the cut in a few. I tried the jigs on day one but the 1/4 oz was too light for the surf. Picked up some 1/2 oz yesterday. The sand fleas are very scarse and very very small. With that, I fear the Pomps have pulled off but could be wrong. I hear some good sized flounder are still on the gulf side of the cut so I'll take a few of those. I'll have my phone and I have fishin.com on it so feel free to post anything else on the cut or the surf!

[chasmo]

Thanks! Heading to the cut in a few. I tried the jigs on day one but the 1/4 oz was too light for the surf. Picked up some 1/2 oz yesterday. The sand fleas are very scarse and very very small. With that, I fear the Pomps have pulled off but could be wrong. I hear some good sized flounder are still on the gulf side of the cut so I'll take a few of those. I'll have my phone and I have fishin.com on it so feel free to post anything else on the cut or the surf!

At the cut, go out on the gulf side on the big limestone rocks as far as you can. You will see the sand bar as it approaches the rocks on the beach side but then drops into a gulch of about 6 feet of water. Incoming tide, the pomps will run on inside of that bar-along with trout, flounder, ladies, and smaller reds. Outgoing tide-if it's calm enough-go all the way to the end and fish that current towards the slack side with those jigs as that is the main turn around spot when the pomps are running. I have caught some in the 4-5 pound range there. You will need a net to land them as they will break you off on the barnacled rocks. Also large sheephead(fantastic eating) will inhale those jigs there. Unfortunately with that spot at the cut, the conditions have to be right-tide, wind and surf-to have a great day. Also if the porpoises are using the area a lot it is highly likely the pomps are there.

[Duayne]

Just got back and it was a pretty slow day for everyone. Of course I went as far as I could but others were already on the end. I still got out pretty far. Zilch on the jig. Porpoise were there and I had live shrimp and tipped the jig with fresh shrimp. Everything came on a pomp rig. Others had bait fish and bait was working but only had ladies around them. Someone said it has been picking up in the evening regardless of tide lately. It was my one day there so I'll stick to the surf the rest of the trip. It's the first time I've fished it by myself and it's a real pain getting bait out there by yourself. I've netted bait fish there before but they were too far out to reach with a net.

[artcarney_agr]

I love that place!

We stayed in one of the beach houses by the lighthouse.

I caught a ton of whiting and sand trout using a carolina rig with fresh bait shrimp. No size limit on the whiting and sand trout, and they taste great! I never did catch any pompano. I did catch a lot of baby sharks and stingray early and late in the day. Also caught some nice mackerel tossing a Gotcha (silver w. red head and silver with yellow head)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sea-Strike...-Lure/19864230

I also went into the park on the north end of the island one evening - there's a great oyster bar to fish near the boatramp by the campground. I waded out onto the oyster bar (had closed toe shoes, which is a must!) and fished with shrimp under a popping cork and caught several speckled trout. That was a pretty cool evening of fishing.

The south end of the island (the gated community) has the best fishing at the canal. It's deeper water, and I've heard of much better fishing down there for pompano and sharks. I didn't ever get to fish it, as I couldn't get access to it.

[Duayne]

Yes, we are staying in the Plantation so I just got back from the Cut. It can be hit or miss but when it's on, it can be a LOT of action fast. I got a couple of trout in the near surf my first day fishing! They are moving now so I guess they are on both sides of the Island. I've fished the oyster beds from a boat before and had a blast with the trout. I've fished just about every way possible down here at one point or another except the east end. We tried one time but that was a nightmare of a story.. Ha!! I'll let others have it. There is plenty of fishing right out my back door..

[DirtTrack'n]

What type of reels do you guys use. I'd like to have a designated saltwater reel. But, don't want to spend too much since I don't see the sea but a few days out of the year.

[Duayne]

I take several rigs, each for different things. Two of them are standard 8-10 pound test 6.5 ft spinning rigs. One is rigged with a pomp jig and one is rigged with a Mirrolure or the like. I then have a 7 ft surf rig with 30 pound braid rigged with a double hook pomp rig. My last 7 ft surf rig has 14 pound test mono and is rigged with a 1.5 oz egg weight carolina style with a 2/0 circle hook. I use the dual pomp rig with fresh shrimp and the carolina rig with live shrimp. I haven't had much use for the mirrolure rig as the schools aren't chasing close enough to wade out to but I bring it and rig it just in case. I don't take them all out at the same time. I usually take two. But having the rods rigged and ready means I can rig when I first get here and don't have to change up a lot. Plus there are reasons to use mono on one and braid on another. The braid just doesn't do well on the carolina and you get great feel with the braid when using the double hook pomp rig.

This is how I do it and I'm sure others do it other ways. You also want to consider how far you need to cast to reach the fish. I left my 8.5 ft rigs at home since I heard the fish were inside the second breaker and it's pretty easy to reach the second breaker here in St George with shorter rigs.

[DirtTrack'n]

Thanks for the info. What type of action is on your 7ft surf pole? Or does that not really affect anything?

[chasmo]

My tackle depends on where I am fishing from. Surf, I use 6.5-7 ft spinning gear with 8-12# mono for lures and jigs or 20# braid for live bait with Shimano 2500 on 6-6.5 ft rods and 3000 on 7'6" and 4000 on rods with braid. Boat/kayak, I use 7' M-MH rods with 10# mono for lures and 7'6" MH rods with 20-30# braid for shrimp and bait. Usually 3000-4000 series reels. I also always use a 25# shock leader of flourocarbon on everything I throw-you never what is going to hit at any minute as this has even helped me hook a 5'+ tarpon on 8# test and keep him on for 6 jumps.

[Duayne]

I second the floro shock leader. I use up to 40#. Just finished a morning of whiting fishing and have a mess for a pan fry. I JUST broke down all my tackle and I am looking out my window at birds diving within wading distance. There's a CC guide boat on them so I'm guessing it's spanish under them. I doubt the guide would care if it were ladies.

As for the whiting, used a double hook pomp rig and a carolina rig. used a live shrimp on one hook and a fish bites on the other. Most times, they hit the fish bites. Tipped the carolina with both a live shrimp and a fish bites. The combo of live shrimp/fish bites out fished just a live shrimp 15 to 0. Also got two rays and one was so big I couldn't get it landed. We stalemated for 15 minutes before I finally pulled hard enough on the 20# braid to break it off.

Back to tackle... Cabelas used to have a salt striker rig. The reel has an awesome fish clicker lever. It works similar to the bait clicker on a bait caster. This can come in real handy if you have several rods in rod tubes. You can stand over the ones withingout the clicker in case something big hits. If it hits the bait clicker rig, it just pulls line out. I would also suggest getting extra spools for your reels. You never know when something can come along and spool you. Having another spool ready to go makes it much less painful and gets you back in the water faster...