St. George Island Bridge 9/21

[Noob]

Fished the St. George Island Bridge from the yak last night from 7:30-10:00. I fished the outgoing tide with small plastics trying to match the hatch. There were tons of bay anchovies in the water but I only marked a few decent fish on the fishfinder in the channel. I hooked a couple of small rockfish aboout 13" or so and that was it for a while. Around 8:30 a huge pod of adult bunker (8-12'') surfaced and were swimming around on top. I managed to snag a couple of the smaller ones and dropped them down around the bridge pilings but nothing touched em. It's strange, the past few trips out there I've seen tons of bunker but nothing was chasing them. I'm thinking it's got to bust open soon. At least I hope so!

[ictalurus]

Thanks for the report. I was thinking of heading there this evening in search of puppy drum. One of the guys at the Tackle Box said he got a 29-incher there a while ago. I've never caught anything under the bridge, but I've seen people pull some decent stripers out of there.

[ictalurus]

After reading Noob's report, I decided to launch at St. George's. I was hoping one day would make all the difference. ;-)

I fished from 3pm to 8:30pm, which was from max flood to early ebb. Surface water temp was 75* and salinity was 14. Noob wasn't kidding when he said there was bait everywhere. There were big schools of ~7-8" menhaden hanging out under the bridge and elsewhere. Under the bridge, they were feeding right at the surface, sometimes with part of their mouth out of the water. I tried to get a photo, but they dove every time I raised the camera.

One of the clerks at the Tackle Box said he caught a 29" drum on squid from shore while fishing between 10pm and midnight. The plan was to search the shallows for puppy drum with lures, then soak some squid after dark. I had one rod with a 2" white, twin tail grub on a 1/4oz head with a silver spinner arm, and another rod with a 3" or 4" Gulp grub in white, chartreuse, or rootbeer on a 1/4oz head and a gold magnum spinner arm. Both lures were trimmed with a small piece of Fishbites.

I caught a 8" flounder on my first cast right by shore with the white Gulp by the bridge across from the boat ramp. I got a 15" flounder on the same lure across the creek by the marshy area where I missed the puppy drum last time I was there. I worked that area for a while with both lures without anymore luck. I heard some fish breaking farther down the creek, so I chased them for a while with a Rattletrap without any hits. It was a school of menhaden that was being harassed by birds more than fish, though I think there was a bluefish or two hitting the school.

I went back to the marshy area and picked up some perch on the twin tail grub, with the biggest being just under 11" and fat. I switched to the rootbeer Gulp at this point for some variety. I continued working the shoreline and had a couple small spot hit the twin tail grub. I actually landed a 4-incher, which was pretty funny. I caught another ~10 inch perch on the rootbeer grub:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/101_3977.jpg

It sure looked a lot bigger when it was angry and thrashing in my kayak. :pp It had some shoulders on it.

I threw out a bottom rig with Fishbites and picked up some bigger spot. This one was close to 9":

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/101_3981.jpg

I also caught a small southern kingfish there.

I headed back across the creek and worked the riprap, now with a chartreuse Gulp and the twin tail grub. The perch were thick on that side but smaller. They only hit the twin tail grub.

Close to 7pm, I threw a 4" chugbug or Rattletrap around the bridge, the spit, and the red and green marker. I missed a couple bluefish strikes on the chugbug. There were two fishermen on shore under the bridge, and they didn't have much luck, either.

After dark, I went to the Potomac side of the bridge and started soaking squid and fishbites. I caught 9" spot on nearly every cast, but nothing hit the squid. Around 8:30, it started getting chilly, and I decided to call it a night since nothing touched the squid. It's been a while since I've fished at night, and it's a little spookier than I remember. :oo It also didn't help that a boat with no nav lights and a really quiet motor came a little close for comfort despite my being anchored out of the channel and having a stern light well above my head, my headlight, and a reflective hat. I didn't hear it until it was almost too late. :eek2: It probably wasn't as close as I make it seem, but I didn't like that I couldn't hear boat that didn't have any nav lights. I'll just have to be more vigilant next time I go out.

Anyway, all fish were caught in 2-5ft of water. That area has current, bait, and shoals near deeper water. All that's missing are the blues and stripers.

[Noob]

Good report. I think the stripers will be there soon enough. This unsettled weather pattern we've been having these past couple of weeks sent the bigger fish deeper I think. Up until a few weeks ago I was pulling out some decent fish from the bridge/channel area. It should really light up between now and mid-October as long as the bait sticks around. Last year around this time I was getting them 23'' and larger consistently. If you ever want to hook up and fish that area together let me know. This time of year I'm down there quite a bit.

[Capt C-Hawk]

Good report. If you ever want to hook up and fish that area together let me know. This time of year I'm down there quite a bit.

That's a short paddle for an old guy. Give me a heads up if you want company.

[ictalurus]

C-Hawk and Noob--sounds good, gents. It might be a short notice shout because I seldom plan more than a day in advance to keep the weather gods guessing.

[Noob]

C-Hawk and Noob--sounds good, gents. It might be a short notice shout because I seldom plan more than a day in advance to keep the weather gods guessing.

No worries. I'm always ready to go.

[Noob]

Plan on heading out to St George Island bridge tonight around 7pm. Looks like the the only decent opportunity before the cold front arrives. I'm thinking with the approaching front and all the bait out there right now the action should be pretty good. I'll let you know how I do.