# SGI Update



## HuntinJake_23 (May 4, 2019)

We’re coming to the end of our trip, and the fishing has been mediocre at best. Started out the week(Tuesday) with a nice slot red and a bunch of whiting from the surf. The wind picked up mid week, so the surf was pretty tough to fish so we went to the island pier. I caught a beautiful 36” redfish on a chunk of whiting and my wife caught a huge black drum at 35”. We took a 5 hour inshore trip on Friday(10am-3pm) with Cpt. Krista Miller, she said the fishing had been tough and the fish just weren’t there yet. We tried a couple of inshore spots for reds with no luck. We then moved out to the cut and tried drifting it with no luck either. We then went out of the cut and into the gulf about 500 yards and found the sand trout. We ended up with 68 sand trout and a few whiting. The captain said the speckled trout population in the area is really down. We got up early this morning and fished the surf and we didn’t even get a nibble hardly. We then went to the pier for a few hours this afternoon and caught a bunch of catfish and ladyfish. Water temp has been in the low 70’s and the weather has been in the high 70’s and low 80’s. Hopefully the fishing gets better as it warms up. There has not been much talk of any catching many pompano yet, just a few on the east end.


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## Rabun (May 5, 2019)

Thanks for the report. Did Capt Krista offer a reason for the lack of fish?  I would think the influx of so much fresh water would have an impact. SGI is a special place and hope it gets back to normal soon. Wish y'all had better luck with the fish but your best catch is your new life partner


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## HuntinJake_23 (May 5, 2019)

Rabun said:


> Thanks for the report. Did Capt Krista offer a reason for the lack of fish?  I would think the influx of so much fresh water would have an impact. SGI is a special place and hope it gets back to normal soon. Wish y'all had better luck with the fish but your best catch is your new life partner



She said something about a net ban. They’re using a new type of net(commercial fisherman I think) that is killing off fish. The old types of nets weren’t killing the fish.


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## Dustin Pate (May 5, 2019)

How’s the water color in the bay? With so much water coming down the system I’d imagine it is pretty dirty.


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## HuntinJake_23 (May 5, 2019)

Dustin Pate said:


> How’s the water color in the bay? With so much water coming down the system I’d imagine it is pretty dirty.



Some days it was clear others it was muddy. Today was the first rain we’ve had all week down here


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## doomtrpr_z71 (May 5, 2019)

When I was down last week it seemed pretty good, I managed a good trout in the surf and plenty of pompano were caught that morning. Hate to hear that the fishing is off.


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## Chap (May 5, 2019)

doomtrpr_z71 said:


> When I was down last week it seemed pretty good, I managed a good trout in the surf and plenty of pompano were caught that morning. Hate to hear that the fishing is off.View attachment 967758



That's a nice one, boss.  Is that some kind of plastic you were pitching?


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## doomtrpr_z71 (May 5, 2019)

Chap said:


> That's a nice one, boss.  Is that some kind of plastic you were pitching?


A Paul brown devil twitch bait


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## 4HAND (May 5, 2019)

That is a nice trout.


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## HuntinJake_23 (May 5, 2019)

Fished the surf again today from 11-2(high tide) and managed 1 whiting and a bunch of catfish. The surf trough we were fishing was about 5-6 ft deep at high tide, and mirky. We tried to get out to the sand bar about 100 yards out, but the current and waves were a bit too much without a kayak. The water out passed the sand bar was emerald green, so the fishing was probably better out deeper. All in all we had a blast and wish we didn’t have to leave. Good luck to anyone coming down anytime soon, and please post up what you catch!!


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## 4HAND (May 5, 2019)

Glad y'all had a good trip.
SGI is a cool place.


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## Bubba_1122 (May 5, 2019)

Was down for several days last week and early this week. Weather was unbelievably nice.

Fished for redfish and trout (mostly redfish). Was very, very slow.


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## bany (May 5, 2019)

Fishing on the cape the past week. Yesterday was kinda like years ago from 1ish to 5 when we pulled out. Caught plenty nice whiting and a large ray. Plenty of fresh shrimp lost also. One spot was better than the other every time. Pompano seemed to be there one and not the next. One fella reeled in a loggerhead with line wrapped around the head and leg. So we felt like we had a good day saving that feller. Never got on st.joe but heard trout are showing up, fresh water running in looks terrible.


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## sadler2 (May 6, 2019)

I was there this weekend, was supposed to go offshore to dive and do some spear fishing but weather report was calling for some rough seas. Long story short I got up about 0630 checked the tides seen where high tide was at 0530 and it was overcast. First thing I thought of was top water bite. So I got up and grabbed one rod and reel and 2 baits one top water and one suspending lure. Got to the bay and it was rough. Top water wasn't any good, so swapped out to a suspending bait. Within a few casts I get hammered, big lady fish. Couple casts later get hammered again this time an over slot Trout. Now here I am no pliers, no net, no stringer. luckily there were some vacant kayaks near by and a borrowed a rope from one to make a stringer. Get my keeper trout tied up to a tree. Wade back out into the same area I caught her at, about waste deep. Make a few casts and out of nowhere a school of pilchards bust up 15 feet from me and a huge Spanish goes air born, luckily I had made my cast to the same area they were running bait. So I start ripping my lure through the water. It gets nailed and the fight is on! Set into the fish and start backing up to the shore line fish is taking drag and putting up a fight. I work the fish into knee deep water she swings by me and I grab her by the tail and hold on for dear life. At this point I'm freaking out, excited to land my biggest Spanish Mackerel to date. I get her back to shore and realize I dont have nothing to get the bait out her mouth. Have to go all the way back to the truck and call my wife to bring me some pliers. the whole time I'm waiting for her to come and give me something to get the hooks out I seen several more schools busting bait. In hind sight I should just cut the line and retied another bait and got back after them to try and get another. When she got there with the tools to get it off they had worked out of the area. Didn't fish much after that because my 3 year old is not quite tall enough to wade out and fish quite yet and he wasn't having me fishing and him not! Which I cant say I blame him. All in all it was a good trip and not a bad bite for about 45 minutes of fishing.


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## sadler2 (May 6, 2019)

My Spanish measured out right at 25 inches


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## Rabun (May 6, 2019)

That's a hoss of SM!


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## 4HAND (May 6, 2019)

Anyone stayed at the Buccaneer Inn lately? Heard they remodeled.


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## DeucesWild (May 7, 2019)

Got a house in the plantation down by the cut rented for the week of June 9th. Finally talked the family into going early June instead of late July before it gets to hot. Was planning on fishing the cut mostly but the hurricane appears to have washed a section of beach out that goes to the big boulders(rip/rap) looking at it on Google Earth. Can't win for losing.


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## Bubba_1122 (May 7, 2019)

4HAND said:


> Anyone stayed at the Buccaneer Inn lately? Heard they remodeled.



No sign of it from the street (looks the same as it did 20 years ago).


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## 4HAND (May 7, 2019)

Bubba_1122 said:


> No sign of it from the street (looks the same as it did 20 years ago).


What I was afraid of.


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## Rabun (May 8, 2019)

DeucesWild said:


> Got a house in the plantation down by the cut rented for the week of June 9th. Finally talked the family into going early June instead of late July before it gets to hot. Was planning on fishing the cut mostly but the hurricane appears to have washed a section of beach out that goes to the big boulders(rip/rap) looking at it on Google Earth. Can't win for losing.



The trough that was cut around the jetty just  may be a good flounder hole and early morning trout magnet. And if y'all have kayaks there is a boat that was deposited on the west side of the west jetty just off the beach that should attract some fish. You can see that with google. Not to mention snapper season opens 6/11. I'll be on the cape the same week.  Hoping for calm weather


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## HuntinJake_23 (May 8, 2019)

DeucesWild said:


> Got a house in the plantation down by the cut rented for the week of June 9th. Finally talked the family into going early June instead of late July before it gets to hot. Was planning on fishing the cut mostly but the hurricane appears to have washed a section of beach out that goes to the big boulders(rip/rap) looking at it on Google Earth. Can't win for losing.




When we drifted the cut the captain said the water was 20 ft above the rocks and cut a channel in the beach during the hurricane. It looked back to normal and people were fishing the rocks and beach in the area.


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## Bubba_1122 (May 8, 2019)

4HAND said:


> What I was afraid of.



But maybe the inside of the rooms are like the Ritz Carlton.


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## Bubba_1122 (May 8, 2019)

BTW, I was at SGI last weekend. Also fished the post-Michael cut a couple of weeks after the hurricane. 

Last weekend it appeared to me that the washout on the Plantation side is filling back in fast.


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## 4HAND (May 8, 2019)

Bubba_1122 said:


> But maybe the inside of the rooms are like the Ritz Carlton.


Highly unlikely...


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## tad1 (May 19, 2019)

Bump for more SGI updates!


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