# St. Marks 4/5...



## 1eyefishing (Apr 5, 2021)

Finally got motivated to hit the water after the cold front that blew through a few days ago. Still chilly enough for lots of layers this morning.
Notnksnemor ans I made the usual 1st stop in the river to get the lines wet and ready, but had zero action at one of our regular oyster bars.  We chalked it up to lack of tidal flow and headed on out to the flats where the tide is not such a factor.
About 3/4 of a mile South of the lighthouse on the East Side in 4 and a 1/2 feet of water, Kansas said this is where the trout were last week.  We both laughed inside because it's square miles of sameness out there on the grass flats with very little identifying structure or terrain. But sure enough I put on the brakes and we through the lines out. We doubled up on our 1st casts and proceeded to catch about 25 trout in the next hour and a 1/2. It was pretty much nonstop but we couldn't buy a keeper. Lots of fish over 14 and a 1/2 inches but under the 15" minimum.   Kansas was fishing a small white/sparkle fluke under a popping cork and I was fishing a quarter ounce jig head with a white Gulp curly tail. It slowed down after a while and we headed off to one of my favorite high tide spots but the high tide was a false high with a higher tide later in the day.  Our usual quarry of redfish there were nowhere to be found.  We killed a little time with a long boat ride to another spot we didn't spend much time at and then came back to my confidence spot around the oyster bars I'm familiar with.  It was not exactly on fire there, but I did pick up 2 keepers for the table.
All in all, a pretty fun day with lots of catching...

We ran into slow motion and his pretty half on the water…



Not what I like to see on the tide chart. No outgoing tide during the whole day. Very little water movement...




Part of a future dinner...




Back at'em tomorrow on somebody else's boat with grouper aspirations…


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## twtabb (Apr 5, 2021)

Going tomorrow and I am afraid of no water movement in the afternoon. Hopefully we will put some in the boat during morning tide.


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## slow motion (Apr 5, 2021)

Ended up with 2 slot trout. Caught a lot of shorts and lost a good one at the boat. Kept one of the Spanish and a decent silver trout. Little shark, stingray, hardhead, bluefish, silver and spotted trout. Nice mix of fish. Looks like I'm gonna miss you two tomorrow. Flats all to myself. Be careful out there folks lots of sketchy looking types about like these two I ran into.? Good to see you again oneeyefishing and nice to meet you Kansas. Looking forward to that whiskey Kansas. Maybe one day.


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## Semi-Pro (Apr 5, 2021)

Last time we had day like that we took our little skiff about 6 miles out the the artificial reef. Culverts . And loaded the boat with big sheepshead.


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## slow motion (Apr 5, 2021)

Semi-Pro said:


> Last time we had day like that we took our little skiff about 6 miles out the the artificial reef. Culverts . And loaded the boat with big sheepshead.


I'd love to do that but I don't have the nerve for an offshore run in my 15 foot skiff.


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## Semi-Pro (Apr 5, 2021)

slow motion said:


> I'd love to do that but I don't have the nerve for an offshore run in my 15 foot skiff.


That's what we did it in. Had waves coming over the front of the boat at anchor. We were killing the fish. When the boat was about half full of water, we pulled the plug and headed back. "No bilge pump" at that point the cooler was full and we were to throwing fish in the bottom of the boat


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## Semi-Pro (Apr 5, 2021)

Those make the best memories


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## slow motion (Apr 5, 2021)

Ocean to table.Feel free to make fun of my cucumber seltzer. Wait I'll do it for you


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## notnksnemor (Apr 6, 2021)

Taking the wife to lunch in Carrabelle today and waiting on 1eyes grouper report.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

Semi-Pro said:


> That's what we did it in. Had waves coming over the front of the boat at anchor. We were killing the fish. When the boat was about half full of water, we pulled the plug and headed back. "No bilge pump" at that point the cooler was full and we were to throwing fish in the bottom of the boat


This would definitely be the day to do it as the forecast is 1 foot or less.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

Rocky's breakfast platter. Headed over to the lighthouse.


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## 4HAND (Apr 6, 2021)

notnksnemor said:


> Taking the wife to lunch in Carrabelle today and waiting on 1eyes grouper report.


We ate at the Fisherman's Wife restaurant there a few years ago on the way to St. George Island. Good seafood.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

First one to the ramp.


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## notnksnemor (Apr 6, 2021)

4HAND said:


> We ate at the Fisherman's Wife restaurant there a few years ago on the way to St. George Island. Good seafood.



Fathoms Raw Bar makes a great shrimp or grouper taco.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

Sporadic bite so far on the west flats. Quite a few short trout, a Spanish, a bluefish, and a puffer.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

Smooth enough out here to ski on though.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 6, 2021)

C'mon y'all got to pick up the pace then


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 6, 2021)

Zippo on the grouper trolling today...
Came back inside and picked up a couple keeper trout on the way home.
Bushed.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

Caught a lot of shorts. No slot trout. A few good runs on live pins but all long line releases. Headed in. Kept a bluefish for the grill. After the wind got up I couldn't buy a fish.


doomtrpr_z71 said:


> C'mon y'all got to pick up the pace thenView attachment 1075567


You win. I bow to your greatness.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 6, 2021)

slow motion said:


> Caught a lot of shorts. No slot trout. A few good runs on live pins but all long line releases. Headed in. Kept a bluefish for the grill. After the wind got up I couldn't buy a fish.
> 
> You win. I bow to your greatness.



Not me lol, I won't be at the hatch until Thursday, my second father in law is fishing out of shell island.


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## slow motion (Apr 6, 2021)

Before.After.


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

Just a little advice about kill switches. Since you have to use them now as @notnksnemor brought to our attention take a minute to inspect how they work. Having never used one until this trip I naturally forgot to unclip a few times. Took a few minutes to figure out how to put it back on. Also got concerned later when the boat wouldn't start. Had the switch dangling from me the whole time. Easier to get familiar with it on land. Also I suggest buying a spare since they are plastic and will eventually break. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

yeah,  And get extra and keep it taped to the console right beside the kill switch. In case a passenger needs to crank the boat up to turn it around to pick you out the water.
 There was some discussion on the other thread about kill switches that allow the boat to crank without the lanyard clipped in but I don't see why anybody would need to clip it in if the boat ran without the clip.
Don't make no sense.


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

And you just proved your boat won't crank without one clipped in.
I know I've had a couple of boats that won't crank without one clipped also...


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

Catch 'em up fellas. Headed to Tallahassee with Mrs. Slow Motion. Working on a plot to stay a few more days.


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## Evergreen (Apr 7, 2021)

slow motion said:


> Catch 'em up fellas. Headed to Tallahassee with Mrs. Slow Motion. Working on a plot to stay a few more days.



When you get back to camp, put the transfer case in neutral and tell her the parts will be there in a few days for you to fix it, can only be driven a few miles every day until parts arrive. Just far enough to launch the boat basically. Order a 10.00 solenoid from somewhere with extremely slow shipping just so a package does arrive and the back story stays accurate...


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

That's funny @Evergreen but the plot does not apply to Mrs. Slow. She would say stay as long as you want. It's a work thing.


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

One errand down. The beach truck got new shoes.


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

4/7
 Didn't have a fishing partner today so went out by myself to see if I could add to my pile of trout filets. My face for about an hour and a 1/2 in 1 spot and caught+released 3 table fare size black drum, got broken off by a bigger one, released 3 short trout and kept my one over 19". 
 I didn't even bother to get ice for the fish Box, figured I'd just throw some out of my cooler if I needed it.

Almost 22"...  Out of one of my most dependable spots. I'm just gonna name it the 'Photo Hole'.



 Since I had no ice, he made it to the icehouse alive…
Good addition to my filet pile...


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## Browning Slayer (Apr 7, 2021)

Tear em up boys! 

Called down this morning and made reservations at Fish Camp for next month.


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

What happened to Kansas? Did he go home? Tell him to stay. I won't hold him to the offer to share his good whiskey with me.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 7, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> 4/7
> Didn't have a fishing partner today so went out by myself to see if I could add to my pile of trout filets. My face for about an hour and a 1/2 in 1 spot and caught+released 3 table fare size black drum, got broken off by a bigger one, released 3 short trout and kept my one over 19".
> I didn't even bother to get ice for the fish Box, figured I'd just throw some out of my cooler if I needed it.
> 
> ...


You haven't gotten brave enough to use my points yet have you????


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> You haven't gotten brave enough to use my points yet have you????



Apologies,  Calvin...
I never figured out how to load them.
I'm not very adept with the techy stuff.

How could you tell?


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 7, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> Apologies,  Calvin...
> I never figured out how to load them.
> I'm not very adept with the techy stuff.
> 
> How could you tell?


I just assumed you wanted to keep that nice pretty boat pretty ????


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

It got a couple ugly spots on the skeg and prop the other week with TJ...
After 2 1/2 years, the honeymoon is over.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 7, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> It got a couple ugly spots on the skeg and prop the other week with TJ...
> After 2 1/2 years, the honeymoon is over.


Tell you what load up tomorrow and come fish with us at the hatch and I'll put them in your gps??


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Tell you what load up tomorrow and come fish with us at the hatch and I'll put them in your gps??



 Man that's a fine offer, I appreciate it. And it would be completely doable except for the fact that I'm loading up to go get in my hunt camp camper and then run off to the GON get together on Friday. Gotta head home on Sunday to do some laundry, kiss the dog, and pet the wife.
 By mid week next week I will be back down here for another week. If you can make it down for a day trip or 2, we'll fish here.
 Weekend of the 24th I have family plans but will be back here again shortly after that.
Would love to get together...


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> Man that's a fine offer, I appreciate it. And it would be completely doable except for the fact that I'm loading up to go get in my hunt camp camper and then run off to the GON get together on Friday. Gotta head home on Sunday to do some laundry, kiss the dog, and pet the wife.
> By mid week next week I will be back down here for another week. If you can make it down for a day trip or 2, we'll fish here.
> Weekend of the 24th I have family plans but will be back here again shortly after that.
> Would love to get together...


I think the gathering got postponed brother.


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

Got errands done in time to fish the Ochlocknee for a few hours. Hit a couple of almost never miss redfish spots. Nothing doing. Ran down to the bay and threw a twitch bait. 1 hardhead. Still nice to be on the water.


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 7, 2021)

Calvin,  The fact that the campout has been cancelled changes a lot, but I have an appointment tomorrow to get my boat trailer in the trailer shop for new brake pads hub maintenance etc...
 And I've been gone from home for over a week and getting a little homesick.
I'll be  back in Saint mark's a lot over the next 2 weeks And hope we can get together either here or at the hatch soon.


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## slow motion (Apr 7, 2021)

Didn't have fresh fish for dinner but had a little left over fish and added grilled pork chops. That works.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 8, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> Calvin,  The fact that the campout has been cancelled changes a lot, but I have an appointment tomorrow to get my boat trailer in the trailer shop for new brake pads hub maintenance etc...
> And I've been gone from home for over a week and getting a little homesick.
> I'll be  back in Saint mark's a lot over the next 2 weeks And hope we can get together either here or at the hatch soon.


Well we'll be down Friday as well if you want to get up then as well, my wife's honeydo list has gotten my fishing schedule out of whack for 21....and it looks like my April is going to be scheduled completely different starting next week so maybe we can get up instead of me having to take day trips to st mark's.


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## slow motion (Apr 8, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> my wife's honeydo list has gotten my fishing schedule out of whack for 21.... View attachment 1075818


Don't feel bad man. I skipped work in Ga. so I can hand dig 100 feet of water line at our place in Sopchoppy.


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 8, 2021)

Home again, home again.
 With a pile of fresh filets ready for the grease.


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## slow motion (Apr 8, 2021)

@doomtrpr_z71 how did you do today? Need pics and a report. Come on man! Nobody else was on the water today. Dug ditches all day. Need my fix.


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## Nicodemus (Apr 8, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> View attachment 1075879
> 
> Home again, home again.
> With a pile of fresh filets ready for the grease.




No black bass?


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 8, 2021)

slow motion said:


> @doomtrpr_z71 how did you do today? Need pics and a report. Come on man! Nobody else was on the water today. Dug ditches all day. Need my fix.



Quick and dirty.....worst day of trout fishing ever for me out of the hatch, they blew it big-time on the forecast and the wind was horrible and rough seas. We had a blast as we came though the biggest school of ladyfish I've ever seen and of course puffers. Handful of trout caught but no keepers and it's so rough I gave up trying to find the spanish. Tomorrow looks much better.


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## slow motion (Apr 8, 2021)

Stay after em . I would say be careful but you will fish in a hurricane. Hopefully I will get a few hours in tomorrow.


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## notnksnemor (Apr 8, 2021)

Monday.
I should be off house arrest and weather permitting offshore in search of "The man in the brown suit".


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 8, 2021)

slow motion said:


> Stay after em . I would say be careful but you will fish in a hurricane. Hopefully I will get a few hours in tomorrow.


And I'm not sure it wasn't rougher today???


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 8, 2021)

Nicodemus said:


> No black bass?



I got one lil 11"er in the mix...


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## vahurst (Apr 9, 2021)

Find the rocks and you’ll find the fish.  We went out of econfina earlier this week... caught our limit in about an hour and threw back at least another one.  Half were shorts, half were slots.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 9, 2021)

Much better start


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 9, 2021)

Any bets on that rental boat making it back undamaged running behind pepper fish at low tide


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 9, 2021)

Blissfully ignorant...


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 9, 2021)

Well at least we got a limit of trout and a red no we can hunt spanish and another red


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## twtabb (Apr 9, 2021)

There are rocks at the Econfina ???‍♂Vahurst nice box of fish. We went Tuesday and caught a few trout and two Spanish. Water was barely moving.


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## slow motion (Apr 9, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Well at least we got a limit of trout and a red no we can hunt spanish and another red


Glad you did well. Didn't get out with the thunder. Also unfortunately I am the world's worst plumber so still fighting the water line. Enjoy those filets sir. Thanks for the updates


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## 4HAND (Apr 9, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Any bets on that rental boat making it back undamaged running behind pepper fish at low tideView attachment 1076041


If he only knew what's just underneath the surface...


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## 1eyefishing (Apr 9, 2021)

They look like they don't even know how to operate a Bimini top.


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## slow motion (Apr 9, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Any bets on that rental boat making it back undamaged running behind pepper fish at low tideView attachment 1076041


One day I'd like to try Stinehatchee, sure I misspelled it, hazards concern me but seems to be the trout mecca.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 9, 2021)

slow motion said:


> One day I'd like to try Stinehatchee, sure I misspelled it, hazards concern me but seems to be the trout mecca.


Dude, if you can fish st mark's, steinhatchee is child's play, especially if you go north you pretty much have no rocks to contend with, there's some oyster bars but nothing like St mark's.


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## slow motion (Apr 9, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Dude, if you can fish st mark's, steinhatchee is child's play, especially if you go north you pretty much have no rocks to contend with, there's some oyster bars but nothing like St mark's.


Sweet. Good to know. While I like to catch fish exploring new grounds is cool also.


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## Chas (Apr 9, 2021)

heading to Steinhatchee on Thursday, havent been in a couple years, anybody wonna help me out as far as what depths to fish maybe an area, we have done well there in the past and looking very forward to fishing there, yes I know the weather forecast is crap but we are booked to go to St Marks in a few weeks and then start offshore fishing in June so just dont really have time to move it.


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## 4HAND (Apr 9, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> Dude, if you can fish st mark's, steinhatchee is child's play, especially if you go north you pretty much have no rocks to contend with, there's some oyster bars but nothing like St mark's.


Wrong! Wrong! Hazards abound!
Regular Devils Triangle!


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 10, 2021)

Chas said:


> heading to Steinhatchee on Thursday, havent been in a couple years, anybody wonna help me out as far as what depths to fish maybe an area, we have done well there in the past and looking very forward to fishing there, yes I know the weather forecast is crap but we are booked to go to St Marks in a few weeks and then start offshore fishing in June so just dont really have time to move it.


I'll have my report up tonight for this weekend


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## Chas (Apr 10, 2021)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> I'll have my report up tonight for this weekend


I see you fish there alot, thanks for any help!


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## 4HAND (Apr 10, 2021)

We got some bad weather coming.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Apr 10, 2021)

4HAND said:


> We got some bad weather coming.


That's why I'm eating with tdaddy


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## 4HAND (Apr 10, 2021)

Smart man.


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## Chas (May 5, 2021)

had a great trip in Steinhatchee, heading to St Marks this weekend, anybody gonna be down there?


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## 1eyefishing (May 5, 2021)

Hi got home from Saint mark's today.
 Headed to hunt camp this weekend and back to Saint mark's middle of next week.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (May 5, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> Hi got home from Saint mark's today.
> Headed to hunt camp this weekend and back to Saint mark's middle of next week.



If I can get off work I'm gonna be down next weekend....


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## notnksnemor (May 6, 2021)

I'm off the water until 2nd week of June.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (May 16, 2021)

1eyefishing said:


> Hi got home from Saint mark's today.
> Headed to hunt camp this weekend and back to Saint mark's middle of next week.


You gonna be down still this weekend coming up


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