Our thanks to Richard Simms and his wife Barbara for the use of this article and photos.
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Do-it-yourself Saltwater
by Richard Simms
posted October 16, 2004
Photo by Richard Simms
Barbara Simms struggles to keep a redfish out of the eelgrass in St. Joe Bay. |
Sightlines cut short by scenic mountaintops, water levels unaffected by the ebb and flow of the tide, and no corrosive salt to eat away at boat trailers or fishing reels… freshwater fishing is a great way to go. But every so often, for medicinal purposes, even the most ardent freshwater angler needs a dose of sea salt.
Let’s get one thing out of the way… if your goal is to catch lots fish, and you are uninitiated in the ways of the ocean, you will generally be more successful with a professional guide. The men and women who live on the water day-after-day are better equipped to put the newcomer on a hotspot.
But for today’s purposes we will assume you can’t, or just don’t want to hand over the few hundred dollars for a guide. That shouldn’t prevent your saltwater pilgrimage. Today, a very basic “do-it-yourself” saltwater lesson.
A few years back I was introduced to the magic of St. Joe Bay by Chattanooga dentist Randy Holder. On a couple of occasions I have made a solo foray to the ocean blue. My 16-foot jonboat is not an ocean-going vessel. But it is perfect for the skinny water of St. Joe Bay. Even when the wind roars, the shallow waters of the bay don't get horribly violent. It is protected from the open ocean by Cape San Blas. Fishing St. Joe Bay is not much different from heading out on Chickamauga Lake.
And last week it paid off big.
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The bread-and-butter fish is the spotted (or speckled) sea trout. The big toothy trout in St. Joe reach the 5 to 7-pound range. If you're timing is right you'll find redfish, the most ferocious and tenacious fighters I've ever encountered, at least on light tackle.
There’s one primary characteristic of St. Joe Bay -- miles and miles of shallow grass flats. Trout fishermen all work the grass, but the first step is to check the tide tables. Captain Allen Duke guides out of Presnell’s Marina on St. Joe Bay. He says, “if the tides are rising, you’re gonna have to get into shallow water looking for scattered fish.” “If they’re falling, you can get off the edge of the flats where it’s deeper. The fish will stage up and congregate in the deeper holes.”
The grass flats in the back end of St. Joe Bay average 2 to 3 feet deep, and it’s clear water. Topwater baits called Mirror Lures are a local favorite. But last week the fish couldn't resist a clacking float with a rubber jig called a DOA Shrimp suspended underneath. A float called a Cajun Thunder is a local favorite.
Pop the splash float along aggressively because saltwater fish like it loud.
If you're in the mood, live shrimp are deadly. It’s basic bobber fishing just like we were after bluegill. Once I found the right weed bed on the right tide, three dozen shrimp disappeared in short order, yielding almost as many trout.
Trout and redfish aren’t the only fish in the sea. Bluefish show up on occasion and the locals call the silvery ladyfish a “poor man’s tarpon.” The 20-inch streaks of lightening will clear the water four feet high when you set the hook.
And one of my favorite fishing rods graces the bottom of St. Joe Bay after a shark apparently discovered my live bait suspended beneath a float. I was mere inches away when I heard graphite against aluminum but the last I saw of it, the Quantum rod and reel was streaking toward the deep blue sea.
Another warning… beware if you’re fishing on a falling tide. A foot of water will float my boat easily, but a bigger boat might find itself stuck upon a sandbar on an extremely low tide.
There's a public ramp at Port St. Joe, FL, or another ramp ($5 launch fee) at Presnell’s Marina south of town. Ease out of Presnell's and you can be fishing the flats in about one minute.
Eckley Sanders says business has been horrible this month, although the fishing has been great. "I guess the hurricanes have scared everybody off," he told me.
There’s plenty of other entertainment freshwater fishermen aren’t used to. Sting rays skate along the sandy bottom as well as the occasional shark. Horseshoe crabs and starfish crawl through the eel grass. And dolphins show up on occasion.
There are plenty of folks who’ll show you the sights for a price, and their dollars are well-earned. But if you prefer to go it alone, it’s not as intimidating as you might think. And in the words of old Blue Eyes, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing. “I did it my way.”
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