# How would you fish St. George Island?



## rshunter

Never been there or fished in shore at all. Going down with the family next week and know nothing, except, staying bayside plantation with a dock and a 20' center console. Redfish, trout and whatever eats well.

Starting from ground Zero, any help is greatly appreciated.

Shawn


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## cnewman

I'm actually going to be there next week as well...

If you're staying in the Plantation, I'd spend a lot of time on the flat behind Little Saint George with a spinning rod, a popping cork and some shrimp. Look for grass, preferably green grass. Should be plenty of trout there. You could also anchor up at the cut and fish on the bottom. Reds, maybe some pompano on the outside, and the sharks are always entertaining.

The other end of the island has lots of action too, but its a pretty long run...

PM me while you're there, and we can swap info. I'm in the Plantation as well, but on the beachside, so I'll be putting in and out every day.

Chuck


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## GREG66

Last week from the plantation on down to the middle of little st george the reds were everywhere. Glass minnows!!!!!!


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## Dustin Pate

Should be plenty of action to keep you busy. Pomps, spanish, you name it.


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## holton27596

great fishing. go to the east end and fish around the sunken shrimp boat between st george and dog island.


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## nickel back

with a fishing pole..........just j/k around,I wish more folks would post some more info in this thread.I would like to know more also.

So,rshunter,when you get back if you do not mind let us know how you do and some tips about the fishing.

thanks
nickel back


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## rshunter

I'll certainly give a report. I dont know what it will be worth, with no experience in this sort of fishing. They'll probably have to jump in the boat with me.


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## slightly grayling

I think Dustin is the guy for SGI, but when I go, I first go to the Carabel beach and scratch up some sand fleas....mornings at sunrise I would rig up a spinner equipped with a yellow/red bucktail jig with a sand flea on it.....cast off the rocks away from the cut.  If the pompano are hitting you should have fun......go eat breakfeast, then hunt for trout as stated or reds....I like to go to the esturary in the morning and cast the small pools for mullet.  I like the parking area across from the youth camp (beach side) in the State park for reds.  The first channel is very close in there.
-SG


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## Dustin Pate

slightly grayling said:


> I think Dustin is the guy for SGI, but when I go, I first go to the Carabel beach and scratch up some sand fleas....mornings at sunrise I would rig up a spinner equipped with a yellow/red bucktail jig with a sand flea on it.....cast off the rocks away from the cut.  If the pompano are hitting you should have fun......go eat breakfeast, then hunt for trout as stated or reds....I like to go to the esturary in the morning and cast the small pools for mullet.  I like the parking area across from the youth camp (beach side) in the State park for reds.  The first channel is very close in there.
> -SG



Shoot there are plenty of others that know the area good also. What you said is about gold this time of year. Only thing I would add is have a spoon at hand at the cut just in case the spanish make a showing.


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## rshunter

Thanks for all the info. What am I casting to, in the cut or by the camp, structure of some kind? or just through it out there in the water as far as I can?  Also, I had someone that is from the area tell me the trout are full of worms and aint fit to eat. Any thoughts on that ? We were looking to eat some fish.


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## ryanwhit

rshunter said:


> Thanks for all the info. What am I casting to, in the cut or by the camp, structure of some kind? or just through it out there in the water as far as I can?  Also, I had someone that is from the area tell me the trout are full of worms and aint fit to eat. Any thoughts on that ? We were looking to eat some fish.



The trout do have some worms, but they're fine to eat.  A little unsightly maybe, so don't let the women folk see 'em, but there's no issue eating them.


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## Dustin Pate

I can't say I have ever had worms in the trout I have caught. In the camp you are casting to a channel surrounded by oyster bars and grass along the bank. The channel will hold more fish on a low tide. As it rises the fish will move to the grass and close in bars and set up according to current flow. In the camp area I prefer the first hours of a falling tide.


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## cnewman

No worms in the trout here.

Just finished dinner; they were outstanding!

We got down late Friday, so I went out Saturday afternoon. The water was pretty rough, so I scooted down to the far end of the causeway, set up just inside the leeward side and proceeded to kill the trout. 4 nice keepers in about an hour, along with 2 Spanish and a nice flattie.

A friend from home came for Sunday and today. Sunday was probably the greatest day I've ever had fishing down here.

Following my own advice to Rshunter, we went down to Little St. George and drifted the entire length of the grass flat. There was some fog, so we got a late start. The bite turned on about 11:00 and we caught 8 keeper trout, a couple spanish, and 5 bonnetheads. We also caught countless sailcats and a lone croaker. I threw the croaker in the baitwell.

Around 2:30, we ran back to the cut and anchored up just inside the rocks, off to the side. I cut up the croaker I had caught earlier and we baited up. When the tide turned, the bite turned on. We caught a 26 3/4" red, another one that went 34 inches and I wasted an hour of my life fighting something on a 12 lb. trout rig. Turned out to be a stingray about half as big as the boat. After that we were whooped, and called it a day.

Today wasn't quite as good. Got a late start again, caught lots of short trout, a couple Spanish, and a handleful of tiny bonnetheads. The cats were everywhere, but not a keeper trout to be had. We finally boated a couple of keeper black drum off the causeway about 5:00, just in time to go home.

If you've never fished here, you really should come try it out. It's not hard to catch fish here, and theres plenty of advice available. Theres a beach for the wife and kids, and one of the most amazing inshore fisheries in the world for you. What more could you want in a vacation spot?

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Chuck


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## Bubba_1122

Idea for how to learn to fish at SGI:  

Once a year (occasionaly twice), will hire a guide. Do that  for a couple of reasons - first because I want my daughters or their husbands catch fish, and the guide increases the odds. Second, it's a great way to learn to fish the Bay. 

You'll learn how and where from people that make their living fishing there.


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## RichG

Maybe we've just been unlucky, but I have caught many a trout around SGI that had worms.  I'd almost venture to say that more often than not they had worms.  Didn't seem to have anything to do with the size either.

No reason to pass on a good fish fry though.  Pull 'em out if you can.  If not, just go ahead and apply the hot grease and enjoy.

Get some bait - live preferably - and fish the cut.  You can cast net some bait around the rocks if you are game, or some of the nearby docks.  Anchor up or drift the cut with bait on the bottom.  Drifting is a little more of a rodeo with having to handle the boat and fish at the same time.  It can be productive though.  In my experience, if you're not having luck in one spot, move.  Switch sides, spots, whatever.  There's almost always water moving and something biting there.  When the water movement goes slack around the tide change it's slow.

Good Luck!


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## drhunter1

Dustin Pate said:


> I can't say I have ever had worms in the trout I have caught. In the camp you are casting to a channel surrounded by oyster bars and grass along the bank. The channel will hold more fish on a low tide. As it rises the fish will move to the grass and close in bars and set up according to current flow. In the camp area I prefer the first hours of a falling tide.



I betcha they had em though. They're no problem when cooked. Most Salt Water fish have some worms. Grouper, Mahi, Spanish, Trout, Reds. It's my understanding they all have them.


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## blindhog

worms are more protein


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## rshunter

*Report*

First, let me say thank you, to all who lent advice for our trip, it was good stuff.

We had fun, I heeded the advice, but I guess the devil is in the details. There is definitely no substitute for experience at a location and with none we struggled. We caught a few Spanish and a flounder. We caught plenty of sailcats and as best we could tell a bannded rudderfish? looked like a baby amberjack. We went mainly for reds and trout. We saw some of them along the rocks at the cut, but only managed to catch four trout off the dock behind our rental. Three were to small and the highlight was a 21"er my son caught under a float rig with a greenback minnow. No reds at all. This report is certainly skewed do to my lack of knowledge fishing the area and that type of fishing in general. I know from cnewmans report it wasn't the bite. It was my shortcoming. I did get a picture of the trout with my cell and will try to load it.

Thanks gagain for the info guys


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## ColinBaker

Another day at Bob Sikes.


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## slightly grayling

Those rocks at Bob Sikes Cut scare the bejeebies out of me....I can't tell you how close I've come to breaking bones there!


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## Hogchaser

It must be something in the water.. I have fished the gulf from Cedar Key to Marco Island and have not found worms in Trout. I have found them in the tail section of 20+ lbs black drums. (the bigger they are the more worms you will see ) I just cut off the tail section and throw the rest on the BBQ !


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## RichG

rshunter - glad y'all had a good time.  Definitely no substitute for experience - we've all got plenty left to learn - but it looks like y'all had a good time.  You didn't get skunked! Mighty fine trout your son has there.  Get back down there and get after it when you can!


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## 4HAND

Ya'll mentioned worms in trout......... I think this occurs during the summer when the water is warmer.


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