PaleRed

Fished to the west of the Lyza Jackson (spelling?) park sunday afternoon. A million boats on the water, tried some deeper water docks, but wind and current was so bad along with the boat traffic that you could hardly get a bait up under the dock without it getting hung up in the current.

Tried fishing the flats on the sourthern side of those islands to the west of the launch. Wind made it hard to fish, but worked the whole bank with spoon and jerkbaits. Saw a ton of mullet, but no reds.

jimmyjams4110

I'm adding to this report because I was on the boat as well, and mainly because I don't want to be working right now. As PaleRed stated we left Liza Jackson(spelling?), fished docks, grass flats, sand, everything... I think we should have probably gone further west to get out of the boat traffic maybe, but it looked fishy especialy on the flats @ the south side of the sound. Does anybody ever fish there? It looks like it could be a great place at times, bait was everywhere, but not the elusive redfish... Ohh the date was not 4/05/08, it was 5/05/08.

Framerguy

I have fished those areas and they look like they would be a fisherman's Paradise! But I don't remember catching even one hard head anywhere in that part of the sound!

There wasn't any boat traffic when I kayaked that area and the wind was down so I had no problems maneuvering but I couldn't get a good bite to save my soul!

I never bothered to return to that area for just that reason, I found no fish, saw no fish, and the only fish I witnessed caught was bait fish alongside the ramps and fishing dock at Jackson park that some guy caught with a cast net. He climbed in his boat and headed East towards the bay and didn't even slow down to fish anywhere in Santa Rosa Sound before he hit Brooks bridge!! It looked like he may have anchored by the bridge pilings and fished for a time.

PaleRed

Good call. It was 5/5 not 4/5

croakerchoker

i have put in my kayak inat misty waters a bunch of times and fished that area, it looks fishy but i have never had any luck.

Shiznik

I have been in that area many, many times and we call it "The Narrows". As for the boat traffic, its pure hell! I agree. Seatrials going on, wave runners, large boats that have no respect for smaller ones! Not knocking having a nice large boat, we were in a 19 Cape Horn and we held our ground, but its just not safe! If I was a fish, I would'nt want to get hit by a boat or a prop either.

As for the fishing, IMO I have had good luck at the very W end of that area. Speckled Trout mostly. That deep water is where I had luck next to areas where there is grass, but that's where the boats are, the deep water too!

Glastronix

I used to fish that area alot when I lived in FWB. Its best to fish it on weekdays to cut back on boat traffic. we have caught many nice specs up in there, and of course skipjack, catfish, rays, etc... I also had the most luck close to the deeper water on the other side of the little island, but again you might as well hang it up on busy boat days.

kanaka

If you gotta fish the weekends, plan on the dawn patrol to avoid the majority of the boat traffic. If the green areas that you put on the map were the areas you fished, you were close to the fishy areas on the North side.

Suggest you start fishing the docks to the west of the ramp right after you launch (avoid the sandbar) and continue on till there's none. You missed the grass flat between the first island and the north shore and there is a oyster bar there also.

The south side of the islands are pretty dead except for the ferry dock across from Hurlburt Field. Didn't see much GRASS there, did you?

Moving water helps too. Good luck.

__________________
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PaleRed

there was a thick perimeter of grass down along the whole south bank behind the islands. Tons and I mean tons of bait fish and larger mullet. weird that there aren't predator fish there also. Maybe mornings would be more productive. I definately agree with the dawn patrol suggestion. We have passed the season of sleeping in and waiting for it to get warm. The season of dead, scorching hot afternoons is just around the corner. Sunset patrol will have to do during the week though. Hopefully the wind will give us a break, but it doesn't look like it.

lost4reason

I've been fishing that area for about 2 years now (mostly when it is windy and i can't get in the gulf) from boat and kayak. The tide plays a big part for the reds, but I have caught a few slots 18-20" pretty much in the reeds and some nice trout over slot on the deeper grass flats. But it is definitely not a consistent spot.