St. George Island Fishing Tips?

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mx5atlantafan
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St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

Hey all, my name is Pat and I live in Atlanta, Ga. I stumbled upon this forum while searching the web for regional specific angling advice on google. I vacation in St. George Island every year (for the past 8 or 9 years) and I love to fish. We stay on the plantation side (right side, towards the cut) and I usually end up fishing up and around the cut. I take the kayak out to achieve a better angle on the cut and also use it to get across to little St. George and mess around in the waters over there.

Anyway, I usually just use my cast net to catch shiners and pinfish to use as bait, the only lures I fool around with are small spoons, which have rare results. I catch trout, redfish, catfish, and the occasional shark or ray. I'm looking this year to really step my game up. I'm looking for advice on types of rods, reels, line, hook size for specific fish, bait (artificial and live) as well as tactics advice. I want to redo my old and busted tackle with some decent equipment that will last and be suitable for the fish I'm trying to catch. Anything that this knowledgeable community is able to share with me would be incredible! I've browsed around here while I was waiting for my account to become active and y'all can fish! Some of the photos and stories are incredible! I'd love to catch Tarpon as well if anyone has advice on proper tackle and tactics as well.

Our trip is planned for July 10th-17th so any fishing reports would be fantastic as well!

Thanks again guys!
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by jsuber »

Bone colored One Knockers, and gold 3/8 or 1/4 ADL weedless Spoons. Check out 12 street and go west from there. Check our Launch links to see 12th street at SGI
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

Thanks for the quick reply, I also wanted to mention I fish every morning and night about 6am-9am and then about the same in the evening (6pm-9pm). Any later in the morning and they seem to disappear in the deeper water, and any later at night and I get destroyed by mosquitoes...
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

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bk
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by bk »

let us know how you do. take some pics if you get a chance.
good luck.
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by Shorewalker »

jsuber wrote:Bone colored One Knockers, and FOld 2/8 or 1/4 ADL weedless Spoons. Check out 12 street and go west from there. Check our Launch links to see 12th street at SGI
I think Jeff got droided (autocorrect) on this message. Try this.

Bone colored One Knockers (replace hooks with salt water tolerant hooks), and Gold 1/8 or 1/4 ADL - Aqua Dream Living - weedless spoons. Check out 12 street and go west from there. Check our Launch links to see 12th street at SGI

I might add a light colored Super Spook or Skitterwalk when the waves are higher, and a bone colored spook jr when the water is flat. Practice walking the dog on these lures - sometimes slower - sometimes faster.

As for Tarpon - be aware that a partner is preferred - but you can look here

http://www.fcka.net/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6345

As for gear for reds, trout and flounder - 2500 or so class spinning gear on a 7 foot rod with 15 to 20 lb braid tipped with a 20 lb mono oro fluoro leader (1 to 2.5 foot long). There are are better and worse combos out there - it depends a lot on budget. Regardless rinse with a soft spray of fresh immediately after every trip. Give us an idea of your budget and preference and we can help more.

Alternately, baitcast of similar capacity and rod is another way to go for reds, trout, flounder, or tarpon (in the appropriate larger size). The rest is the same.

Be aware that tarpon happily eat your one knocker on occasion. You can enjoy the sound of your trout rod's drag wail or you can break it off early and save the braid. Chances are that you won't stop the freight train though.

Tight lines and good luck.
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

Thanks for the advice guys. Im gunna hold off on purchasing tarpon gear until i know i can find them. Looking to spend under $150 obo for everything including rod reel tackle ect.. also recommended shops? I usually go off the island to buy gear (a small tackle and bait store off the main road) or should I be ordering online with priority shipping so it gets here by the weekend..
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by bk »

since it's on your route from atl, stop by kevin's sporting goods in tallahassee. they'll set you up and answer all your questions. ask for lin or miles.
"i said flotation is groovy and easy. Even a jellyfish would agree to that." - jimi
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

removed duplicate text.***
Last edited by mx5atlantafan on Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

removed duplicate text.***
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

Well Day 1 has come and gone. Arrived yesterday and finished unpacking and hit the cut. Tide was low so I was only able to cast net about 6 or so shiners to use as bait. Didn't get too many hits though, and didn't land anything. Just got back this morning from doing the same thing. Can't seem to locate the schools of minnows like I used to. Didn't catch jack.

Bought a new rod yesterday, a contour XT7 graphite. 7'' 3/8 oz lure. Seemed decent when I bought it and was similar to my last rod that broke when I slammed the car door on it. Paid $39.99 I re-used my Daiwa spin cast reel. Its a bit beat up but couldn't justify getting a new one just yet.

Here's the rod: http://www.thegunsource.com/item/138044 ... _Grap.aspx

I couldn't find the one knocker or the other brand lures suggested here. The mostly just had MinnoLure, so if anyone has suggestions for that brand, or where I might find the others, or if there are equivalents in the brands let me know. I'm about to head into town to locate some live bait and maybe some shrimp for my brother to use, as well as tracking down those lures.

thanks again for any help!
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by WannaDoDat »

Whoa!!! Matrix-crazy-loop of Day 1 activities!! :lol:

If you're having trouble finding live bait at the cut, I would recommend going to the bayside and look for finger mullet, mud minnows and pins/pigfish around the grass and oysters. If you net a big mullet, cut him up. If you catch a ladyfish, cut her up.

I predict that you are going to have a stellar Day 1 all over again, and again..... :D

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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by mx5atlantafan »

Why my browser reposted a million times!!! Haha sorry for double/triple posts. Mod please clean it up :)

I drove around the island today, but had to go off island for the lures. Found some skitterwalks and picked up a rapala fat boy or fatass whatever its called. I'll try out over there for live bait. Problem is my cast net is probably the smallest size. And terrible at anything bigger. Hoping the lures provide some better action tonight, if it ever stops raining :/

this happened to us last year. rain. rain. rain.
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by fishinbug »

A red/white Mirrolure is always a good thing. The 52M11 sinks and the 7M11 floats.
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Re: St. George Island Fishing Tips?

Post by Shorewalker »

If you didn't try St. George Island Outfitters (main road less than a mile east of lighthouse - you'll see a bunch of Hobie Kayaks out front) for lures - give them a look. There is not a ton of crap lures in there just a lot of the stuff you need to catch fish. The owner fishes "several mornings a week" for a Hobie ProAngler and so he should be able to point you in a right direction or two.
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