# St George Island



## kevinstan (Jun 27, 2013)

I'm going down July 14th and hope to catch some more this year. 2 years ago was a blast. Last year not too great, but I am ready to try again. We always do surf fishing using pompano rigs and white color fish bites. I have never had any luck with any lures or soft baits in the surf. Anyone down recently have any other tips ? I have 9 family members looking to me in hopes of putting them on some fish. Any help or tips appreciated. Thanks!


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## Fourfingers (Jun 27, 2013)

We done good the last four years its about time for a off year jope not   We will be arrivin on the 13th.  Hope yall catch your limits


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## kevinstan (Jun 27, 2013)

Last year was ok. Year before that we couldn't pull them of the lines fast enough we were catching them so fast. Hopefully it will be like that again this year. Last year we caught pompano, trout, flounder, and whiting all shore fishing.


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## Fourfingers (Jun 27, 2013)

Here is couple of pics from last year. We caught plenty of fish just had to weed tru the little ones to get a limit. Didnt catch any off the surf always fished in the bay. We caught just a few reds and flounder mostly trout.


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## Fourfingers (Jun 27, 2013)

dont know how yo put two pic in one reply


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## kevinstan (Jun 27, 2013)

What were you using in the bay to catch them ?


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## Fourfingers (Jun 27, 2013)

Berkley gulp shrimp on 1/8 jig heads. We rotate from a poppin cork to the jig head by itself. Sometimes top water plugs. Hope yall get into some good one while down there.


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## jdthayer (Jun 28, 2013)

I'm there now, and we have been catching a few trout in the surf early and late off Gulp on jig heads. The lady fish have been schooling through a lot and have been a blast to fish. I have never eaten them and have heard they aren't that great. We have also loaded up on the sharks with cut bait, and they are tasty if bled and filleted right away. Waded the bay a few times without success. I really wish we could find them there but haven't. Good luck!


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## Dustin Pate (Jun 28, 2013)

jdthayer said:


> I'm there now, and we have been catching a few trout in the surf early and late off Gulp on jig heads. The lady fish have been schooling through a lot and have been a blast to fish. I have never eaten them and have heard they aren't that great. We have also loaded up on the sharks with cut bait, and they are tasty if bled and filleted right away. Waded the bay a few times without success. I really wish we could find them there but haven't. Good luck!



The lady fish are good for cut bait and that's about it. Go to the left of the ramp at the Boy Scout ramp in the park and throw out some live pinfish or finger mullet. You will catch something.


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## JB0704 (Jun 28, 2013)

Dustin Pate said:


> The lady fish are good for cut bait and that's about it. Go to the left of the ramp at the Boy Scout ramp in the park and throw out some live pinfish or finger mullet. You will catch something.



I was down last week, and managed a redfish doing that.  However, they didn't touch the finger mullet.  We only got bites on the pinfish. I have never in my life seen so many fiddler crabs as will get over there on a low tide.  Lots of bait swimming around over there and it's easy to catch on a low tide.

The Ladyfish were real thick in the surf, but we also caught a lot of trout and whiting in between.

Interesting thing this year, it seemed the bite was better on a falling tide....a lot better.  We were catching fish constantly in the surf from 2-4 p.m. each time out.  There was absolutely nothing happening in the cut.....we fishing there 4 times, and caught a few cats, and didn't see anybody else doing any good either.  Everybody we talked to said it was an odd week.  One highlight is lots of those giant black drum were being caught on the pier.  We tossed the ones we caught back in the bay.....not worth eating, but a blast to tangle with.

Attached pic is one afternoon's keepers in the surf (Caught from 1-3 p.m.).  Mostly whiting.....we were doing a fish fry that night


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## Dustin Pate (Jun 28, 2013)

JB0704 said:


> Interesting thing this year, it seemed the bite was better on a falling tide....a lot better.  We were catching fish constantly in the surf from 2-4 p.m. each time out.   Everybody we talked to said it was an odd week.



The full moon!!! With that super moon the tides were very high and then very low. That low tide had a bunch of water movement with it and it makes the fish bite.


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## JB0704 (Jun 28, 2013)

Dustin Pate said:


> The full moon!!! With that super moon the tides were very high and then very low. That low tide had a bunch of water movement with it and it makes the fish bite.



Good info!   We scratched our head about it all week.....I felt like such a "tourist" fishing in the middle of the day in the surf, but dang if it didn't work.  Now I know why


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## alan (Jun 28, 2013)

I was there 2 weeks ago and hooked into this red at the cut right at dark. It is my biggest red to date!


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## Jake63 (Jun 29, 2013)

I was down there last week too,  caught some nice spanish in the surf on a silver spoon.  Same here, late morning and mid afternoon on the falling tide.  You could see them feeding on the bait pods,  when they got close enough to cast to I'd get a hook up about every other cast.  Best one was 24".


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## kevinstan (Jul 1, 2013)

Alan: nice one, what did you catch that red on ?

Jake: I would love to catch some Spanish off in the surf. Did you use a metal leader ? And what size spoon? And just casted at bait pods jumping ?


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 1, 2013)

kevinstan said:


> Alan: nice one, what did you catch that red on ?
> 
> Jake: I would love to catch some Spanish off in the surf. Did you use a metal leader ? And what size spoon? And just casted at bait pods jumping ?



I ain't Jake but I've had good luck with a Kastmaster spoon either 3/4 or 1 oz. You can bomb it a mile and reach the further schools. I add a short section of 40lb fluorocarbon and get after them.


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## kevinstan (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks Dustin. I have been asking you for tips on st George for the last 3 years that we have gone down and you have always been a great help. I was trying to give you a break this year. Any help is appreciated. I hope to catch some good ones this year. And hopefully it will be better than last year.


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## alan (Jul 2, 2013)

I caught it on a dead lady fish. I was actually fishing for sharks and it took the bait.


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## Jake63 (Jul 6, 2013)

Kevinstan it was a 1 oz spoon and I used 30 lb floro leader on 20 lb Braid.  Like Dustin said you can cast it a mile.  Birds diving and fish jumping cast right in there.  Just about anything will hit it, lady fish, trout, blues, jacks, spanish, kings.


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## flatsmaster (Jul 6, 2013)

When fishing those diving birds and ur catching a lot of ladyfish and jacks which a very aggressive and fun to catch ... i like to throw a diving plug and youd be surprised the big trout that are under them if you can get past the ladies and jacks !!!!!


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## gobbler1 (Jul 11, 2013)

*Best bait to use on the beach*

Going down to SGI next week and wondering what is the best baits to use off the beach?  Is shrimp or squid better?  Artificial bait is a 1oz spoon the thing to use?


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 11, 2013)

gobbler1 said:


> Going down to SGI next week and wondering what is the best baits to use off the beach?  Is shrimp or squid better?  Artificial bait is a 1oz spoon the thing to use?



Headed down Saturday for a few days of camping myself!!! Kinda worried about the massive amount of freshwater dumping in the bay, but we will make the best of it. 

As for your question, FRESH dead shrimp will be your best bet. I'd keep a spoon handy as bait schools should be moving around the beaches now.


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## kevinstan (Jul 11, 2013)

Gobbler1: I always have had the best luck surf fishing with a pompano rig and white colored fish bites. Can get it all at the tackle stores on the island.


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## kevinstan (Jul 11, 2013)

Hey Dustin, are you going to be down Sunday or any days during next week ? I am going down Sunday for the week. Maybe we could get together for some bay fishing. 18 years going to st George and I have only ever surf fished.


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 11, 2013)

I'll be there from Saturday through Monday around lunch.


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## grouper throat (Jul 11, 2013)

I might do some surf fishing with my grandpa in law the last weekend of July so y'all give us some reports when y'all get back!!!


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## Fourfingers (Jul 11, 2013)

We will be down sat. Hoping the bay ant muddie and the fresh water hasnt messed them up. We went a week after the tropical storm last year and did good and there was suniffucant flooding then so we are hoping. Hope you and dustin get on them


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## gobbler1 (Jul 11, 2013)

*Bait*

Does fresh dead shrimp that much better to use than frozen shrimp for the surf?


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 11, 2013)

gobbler1 said:


> Does fresh dead shrimp that much better to use than frozen shrimp for the surf?



Oh yeah. Stays on the hook much better and isn't mushy. Go to one of the seafood trailers and ask for bait shrimp (which will be medium eating size). Be sure to keep it on ice not just laying around. Also, I peel mine as I feel it lets the hook penetrate better. 

Another thing I do is very slowly crawl it back to you. Don't just let it sit. Will help keep the catfish from eating it up.


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 16, 2013)

Well got back yesterday from a short weekend trip. Fishing was pretty poor for us. Bay looks like yoohoo and there wasn't as much bait as normal (that I could tell). We caught enough trout to eat every evening but just slow otherwise. Fished the east end all day Sunday and it was decent if you just wanted to fight fish (sharks). Hooked a few that we never saw and one that came within a hair of spooling me on a big reel. Also caught some small jacks and bluefish and my cousin lost the largest trout I have ever seen as he was pulling in on shore. I won't even guess a weight but that fish will haunt us for a long time. Never saw the first spanish and only caught a few lady fish which is very surprising. Had a nice school of tarpon come by first thing in the morning but they were just out of range. 

Really wanted to fish the surf one evening for trout but it was extremely dirty and rough due to storms. Heard a report of a few caught late last week in the mornings.


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## kevinstan (Jul 16, 2013)

Still here myself. Surf is too rough and has too much seaweed. I was going to try my luck on the bay side today or mabe go further down the east end into the park. It's too windy right now and I only got one catfish yeaterday. This is the worst fishing I have had down here so far. Hopefully this clears up and the fishin gets back on. I hope to put the kids and family on some fish in the bay today. Any tips or pointers for the bay side would be great. I have some gulp saltwater shrimp and also some white shrimp with pink tails and red jig heads.


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 16, 2013)

I'd try the Gulp under a popping cork. If you can find some live bait (mullet or pinfish) you will catch fish but you will have to wade through a ton of sharks.


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## kevinstan (Jul 16, 2013)

Trying to wade through sharks don't sound too fun. No sure what i will do now. I wish the surf fishing was better. I wonder if the state park is any better. Might try that area first. Thanks for the update Dustin. I was hoping to fish from shore on the bay or no more than knee deep since my wife and kids are going with me as well as my nephew and his friend. Not wanting to walk through sharks for some trout and redfish.


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 16, 2013)

I didn't mean wade through them as "walking" but wade through as catching a bunch of them. The far East End produced better as a whole. Go to the tip and let them throw spoons and they will probably catch some ladyfish, bluefish and maybe some spanish. You can then cut the ladyfish and bluefish up and fish chunks of them for big sharks, tarpon, and whatever else comes through. You can also bounce the gulp shrimp on jigheads and possibly get trout and others.


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## Fourfingers (Jul 16, 2013)

Tryied to fish in bay sunday way to muddy and rough, catching white trout off bridge in afternoon. We caught reds off sea walls mon and tues. cant get the pic to show


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## Fourfingers (Jul 16, 2013)




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## kevinstan (Jul 18, 2013)

Had to change it up a little. Fishing has been terrible. Worst i have seen in 18 years coming down here. I got some bottom rigs and some cut bait. A shark if nothing else. We will see. I'm going down in about 20 minutes to try.


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## Fourfingers (Jul 18, 2013)

We been fish the seawall on the left when you about to leave th island with top water and poppin corks. If we dont get bit we start throwing crig with shrimp about 20 to 30 ft of bank. Walk th rock like you are going to walk under bridge. Early morn till afternoon. Its got to be high tide the reds are running along the bank. Hope this helps it has been good for us. We have 4 to 5 fishing and my wife and daughter have caught their very first reds we had 9 total today


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 19, 2013)

Fourfingers said:


> We been fish the seawall on the left when you about to leave th island with top water and poppin corks. If we dont get bit we start throwing crig with shrimp about 20 to 30 ft of bank. Walk th rock like you are going to walk under bridge. Early morn till afternoon. Its got to be high tide the reds are running along the bank. Hope this helps it has been good for us. We have 4 to 5 fishing and my wife and daughter have caught their very first reds we had 9 total today



Very nice!! Surprised you have picked up some flounder next to the wall. Very similar on how we used to fish the old causeway.


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## JB0704 (Jul 19, 2013)

Fourfingers said:


> We been fish the seawall on the left when you about to leave th island with top water and poppin corks. If we dont get bit we start throwing crig with shrimp about 20 to 30 ft of bank. Walk th rock like you are going to walk under bridge. Early morn till afternoon. Its got to be high tide the reds are running along the bank. Hope this helps it has been good for us. We have 4 to 5 fishing and my wife and daughter have caught their very first reds we had 9 total today



Nice!  I go down there 2-3 times a year, and have never tried that.  That's a nice mess of fish!


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## kevinstan (Jul 19, 2013)

Tomorrow is my last full day down here. With all the rain we had today and all that is expected tomorrow I'm not sure what's in store for me. My plan right now is to get up early and take the tip from fourfingers. I will post an update tomorrow. Thank you everyone for your hints and tips and advice. 

Dustin: I tried 6th street also but pulled up and there were already 6 cars double parked in the tiny parking area. If I try again tomorrow - which way do I walk from the parking area? Left or right ? There were 2 trails. I got some popping corks today and plan on trying them out if the weather allows.


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## Dustin Pate (Jul 20, 2013)

kevinstan said:


> Tomorrow is my last full day down here. With all the rain we had today and all that is expected tomorrow I'm not sure what's in store for me. My plan right now is to get up early and take the tip from fourfingers. I will post an update tomorrow. Thank you everyone for your hints and tips and advice.
> 
> Dustin: I tried 6th street also but pulled up and there were already 6 cars double parked in the tiny parking area. If I try again tomorrow - which way do I walk from the parking area? Left or right ? There were 2 trails. I got some popping corks today and plan on trying them out if the weather allows.



I go to the left and then towards the church.


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