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Keaton Beach Fishing Report September 5,6 2008

Fishing and Scalloping went right on as scheduled, over the Labor Day Weekend, as folks caught trout, flounder, blues and reds, and found plenty of scallops, when the thunderstorms weren't running everyone off the water.

Thursday, Sharon and Gary Phillps of Valdosta, Ga. had eight nice trout, two reds, a flounder and one bluefish, while bouncing Berkley Gulp New Penny shrimp on an Assassin jighead in 7 - 8 feet of water.

Friday, I took Joyce out and she caught eight trout with two over 20 inches long, and two reds with one over 24 inches long. We threw back yet another 24 inch red after having two in the box. We fished with live pinfish under Cajun Thunders in 4 - 6 feet of water. We fished only three hours and had our trout bite during the hour-and-a-half before the top of the tide. Then everything quit and about 35 minutes after the stand of the tide we caught our reds, almost back to back, on the outgoing tide.

Saturday, I took Sam and Glynda Bryant of Jupiter, Florida out for their first trip ever, from Keaton, and they managed 11 trout all while fishing live pinfish under Cajuns. We fished everywhere from 3 - 7 feet and the bite was tough due to the Northeast w-i-n-d neutralizing our drift and breaking up the floating grass so that it was very difficult to work (pop) your Cajun without picking up some broccoli on your rig.

Cal Beanblossom fished with Randy and Ricky Davis, all of Sylvester, Ga. Saturday, and they brought in their limit of 15 trout, and a nice Spanish, from 4 - 7 feet of water. Cal reported he caught 4 of his trout on Assassin's P.T. 2000 sea shads bounced in 7 - 6 feet of water and the balance while using live pinfish under Cajun Thunders in 4 - 5 feet.

Sorry , No Offshore Report?

I saw plenty of folks hauling and cleaning scallops, last week, and as this weekend, September 6 - 7, will be the last one of the season ( July 1 - Sept. 10) I hope you have a chance to come down and get you some!

Remember FLY YOUR DIVE FLAGS! It's the Law !

Go Bulldogs! Beat Wakulla!

Keaton Beach Fishing Report Labor Day Weekend '08

Well....with Fay still pouring down rain in Fla., Ga. and Ala. as of Tuesday, August 26, and the W-I-N-D blowing and still gusting to 23 mph, here in Taylor County, I decided to wait another day to put my boat back in the water. I pulled my boat to Perry, last Monday, with the approach of T.S. Fay and so my report is somewhat limited.

Jerry Cawthon, at Keaton Beach Marina, took his Pathfinder boat, out and went as far north as Jabo and reported, " You couldn't see the bottom in three feet of water."

That said, he handed me a report of Mr. Charles Cotes of West Palm Beach Fla., with two more on board who picked up a 5 gallon bucket of scallops Monday 8/25 the same day Jerry went North?

SO.... I would assume that the water was clearer to the South in order for the Cotes boat to do as well, and that would be my recommendation; if you come down to Keaton over the Labor Day Weekend, to fish or scallop south.....as you, more than likely, will find the water way too torn up, (stained and cloudy) up north, to do any good. In four more days, I would expect the water to clear up more, provided this w-i-n-d slows.

What to try over the Weekend:( fishingwise)

I would expect to do best on live pinfish, as the darker water will inhibit sight for artificials. Shiner tails, (cut pinfish strips) would also be a good choice of bait, as the scent will help to draw fish. I would certainly rig up with an Original Cajun Thunder float to add the NOISE of the surface commotion to bring strikes from trout and reds already dealing with limited light conditions.

If you do choose to try artificials, use fluorescent bait colors like, chartreuse or a Limetreuse 5 inch shad from Assassin would be my first choice. Fish slower, with longer intervals between pops, to give trout time to find your offerings in stained water.

Shorten your leaders to take advantage of more available light in the upper part of the water column. Use LOUD topwater baits like MirrOlure's TopDogs and SheDogs to search for fish if the north w-i-n-d-s of Fay have blown the floating grass offshore?

Good Luck!

Here is an older report the Marina dug up which I hadn't been given previously:

8/16: Russell Baggett, Billy Jordan and Matt Roberts of Thomasville, Ga.

caught 10 trout( to 19 inches) and 2 bluefish, fishing with New Penny, Root Beer and Nuclear Chicken Berkley Gulp shrimp under Cajun Thunders in 6 feet of water.

Damage Report: Keaton Beach received NO damage despite evacuating most of the travel trailers, RV's and boats from the area. There was NO high water (surge) from FAY at Keaton Beach despite forecasts of the same in adjacent areas of the Big Bend. The Marina had no losses or water damage. We were truly lucky and our thoughts go out to those who did sustain damages, both from high water and rains, over the past week.

Keaton Beach Fishing Report-Aug. 22nd

Trout fishing continues to be good for those who fish with live pinfish under Cajun Thunders

Joyce Clark and I fished for an hour last Friday and caught 9 trout, including one 21" fish all from 4 - 5 feet of water using live pinfish under Cajuns. I had over 3 dozen menhaden, I had netted in the canal, but the trout wouldn't hit them? We fished from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a 1:51 p.m. hi tide and caught three shorts with our nine keepers and they all wanted live pinfish.

We had picked up our limit of scallops earlier in 3 feet of water in under an hour's time.

Tommy and Dixie Osborne of Columbus, Ga. also used live pinfish under Cajuns in 5 - 6 feet of water to catch a limit of trout Saturday. The Osbornes also had a limit of trout last weekend.

Sorry, I have no offshore report this week?

I haven't been fishing this past week, however here are a couple of reports from some folks who have been who were good enough to e-mail me their reports.

David Bosch and Emory Smith fished and scalloped on Saturday 8/09/08 & Wound up with a limit of trout and a limit of Scallops. We found the fish in 4-5’ and the scallops in 2.5' of water. We caught our fish on live menhaden and pinfish under Cajun Thunders. At times it was difficult to fish with all the boat traffic. I wonder if you could also remind the boaters out there to try to show a bit of courtesy to the drift fishermen out there.(Trip Report From David Bosch of Cordele, Ga. 8/09/08)

Peng Chee, also from Cordele who works with David Bosch, fished the same day and even netted David's bait for him.( that's a great friend) with him from his boat with his family, Calvin, Carmen and his wife( sorry I do not have her name) The Chee family used live menhaden under Cajun Thunders to land 16 trout with two over 20 inches long and a gar. Peng also said they got their limit of scallops as well.

Peng also commented on the rude boaters ruining his drifts as he tried to trout fish.

This is the "time of the year" for dunces, as these folks include first timers on the gulf and others who borrow or rent boats and have no idea what the "rules of the road" on the water are and some of them don't care. But they certainly don't care about the few anglers out there during scallop season and mostly have no idea what drift fishing is all about. It is best to move away from the traffic and get as far north as you must to keep these unruly folks off of you.

There really is no reason for being in a hurry as there are still plenty of scallops out there and I have heard of no one who didn't get their limit?

As for asking or expecting any kind of etiquette from the scallopers? I think not, in about 4 weeks that will be all over and things will go back to "normal" at Keaton and elsewhere along our coast; as the scallop season ends September 10...Yikes though, there is that little matter of the Labor Day weekend to contend with yet? Oh well....that is before the season ends.

Remember to FLY YOUR DIVE FLAGS! It's the LAW! Try to slow down and observe a slower speed when approaching boats with folks in the water observe a NO WAKE rule within 100 yds. and keep a sharp lookout for young'uns.

Offshore Report: Dave Malone and Rick Causey , of Keaton Beach, went out to 80+ feet Wednesday and brought back a limit of scamp and five grey snapper. David said they caught most of their fish on cut bait.

I f you want to get out there trout fishing give me a call at One More Cast guide service (850) 584-9145

Keaton Beach Fishing Report Aug. 5th

Hey the trout are biting! but only if you go!

Peng and Calvin Chee of Cordele, Ga. and their family were down Saturday and Sunday and had 12 trout Saturday and 10 Sunday as well as a nice red for Calvin Sunday! The Chees were using live pinfish under Cajun Thunders!

Warren Tyson and Buck Davis of Sylvester, Ga. came down and after the Thunderstorms Saturday went out and limited out with two trout over twenty inches long all on live pinfish fished 20 inches under a Cajun Thunder. Warren was fishing in 4.1 - 4.6 feet of water. He said they were biting like crazy and it didn't take much over an hour to catch them up!

Sunday, I took Joyce out and we got our limit of scallops in under an hour; then went fishing for an-hour-and-a-half and landed(Joyce) two nice reds one over 6 pounds and the other just over seven pounds. We were fishing with live menhaden under Cajuns in 5 - 6 feet of water. I managed to land two trout over 17 inches as well.

The water was a bit dingy, due to the w-i-n-d-s of later and the fresh water influx from all the rain, but should have cleared right on up by this weekend.

Recent reports on the Chevy Fishing Report, on Television, of jellyfish in our area, are not accurate... at least not for Keaton, as no one has reported seeing any or having any trouble with them offshore or inshore?

Remember if you go scalloping, to be careful out there and FLY YOUR DIVE FLAGS its the LAW!

Keaton Beach Fishing Report July 26-27

Last Thursday, I took Joyce out scalloping and after we got an easy limit and cleaned them up, we decided to go fishing for an hour or two.

It was 4:00 p.m. with a hi tide around 7:04 p.m. the first drift Joyce caught an 18 inch trout on a live menhaden under a Cajun Thunder in 6 ft. of water. After a few minutes and three baits later I decided to move on to another spot. The first bait, she put on and cast, a huge trout missed the hook got the menhaden and left her empty-handed. The next bait she put out there was struck immediately and after a few seconds she set the hook on a good fish. I netted it for her and then was taking her picture with her largest trout yet, a 5 pound trout which was just over 25 inches long! Then, I heard a sound and looked up and while I was setting up to take another photo her sow trout, my rod, which had been in the holder since she set the hook was sounding off. I then unceremoniously reeled in a 25.5" trout which weighed 4.5 pounds; longer, yet skinnier! My fish took a live pinfish while hers ate a menhaden. The next bait Joyce put in the water brought a respectable 17+ inch trout to the boat...However when I got almost to the front of the boat she was yelling oh my God, oh My God, Oh My God! and when I netted the trout for her I saw the HUGE 34+" trout (I would estimate somewhere around 8-9 pounds) swinging at the menhaden, which had slid up on the line in front of the 17 incher! We didn't get that on to hit again...But....When the smoke had cleared we had seven trout with five weighing a total of 16.5 pounds! We caught them all in 4 - 6 feet of water with live pinfish or menhaden under Cajun Thunders! We fished a grand total of an hour and ten minutes

Here is a report e-mailed to me from David Bosch of Cordele, Ga. " I took a few friends down for some scalloping and fishing on the 26^th. Scallops were plentiful but the fish were uncooperative. Wound up with a few keeper trout. Also caught several shorts, including a short red out where he didn’t belong. Didn’t even pick up many ‘other’ fish, blues, lady’s, sharks, etc."

I have no other reports except to reply again that the scallops are thick and it is very easy to get your limit. FLY YOUR DIVE FLAGS Its the Law!

If anyone wants to go fishing, Call me, Pat McGriff, of One More Cast guide service and we will set you up a trip to get after some of these BIG summer TROUT! (850) 584-9145 or email me onemorecast@gtcom.net

Keaton Beach Fishing Report July 19-20

Hey this week I have one fishing report from the Marina

" Junior and Mary Alice McGee, Darby and Drew Hall from Alapaha, Ga.( or Alpharetta) had 12 trout, 5 black Sea Bass and caught them in 10 - 12 feet of water bouncing Berkley Gulp in the Pearl White pattern on 7-19-08".

Otherwise the scallopers are all limiting out, unless they just don't get in the water....and everyone is having a ball at Keaton Beach despite the heat.

No Offshore Report, except to say that the crew of Will Tuten, Scott Lee and Ben Tuten on board Benji Tuten's boat dove and shot 17 grouper, 20 hogfish, 5 mangos and a few triggerfish Sunday from water 50 - 63 feet.

Keaton Beach Fishing Report July 12-13

Hey, I simply have no fishing report this week.

The scalloping has overtaken the Marina and apparently no one is fishing...ha...I see or saw a bunch of boats out there fishing... just no one is reporting their success... or failure.

Here is what I will tell you .....if you are going fishing at Keaton move up North and get away from the scallopers, as they will keep the fish stirred up(spooked) and your frustration quotient will go way down as you escape their area.

It will also be safer for the scallopers.....

Trout are hitting jigs in 7 - 8 feet of water in including Assassin sea shads and five inch shads and Berkley Gulp in several colors.

Best bet is to fish live pinfish under Cajun Thunders in 5 - 7 feet on the incoming tide in stained or colored water. Look for ballyhoo or other white bait schools on the surface( being pushed) and fish behind the schools for trout.

Expect to allow more time on the hookset as trout in the warmer water of late are more lethargic and don't slam a bait trying to take the rod out of your hands as they might have earlier in the spring?

Look for reds to be mixed with the trout, right on top of the tide ( the stand at the high tide specifically) as the too-fresh water in the creeks, due to the almost daily downpours of thunderstorms, keep most reds out of the creeks.

Fish smaller pinfish and pigfish for reds and try 3.5 -4 ft. depths.

Call me at 850-584-9145 to book a trip as the July heat doesn't mean the fish don't eat? We have been catching some great fish, so far, this July.

No Offshore Report? guess the storms are keeping folks on the hill?

Scallop Report...plenty, plenty, plenty if you can't get a limit you didn't get in the water?

FLY YOUR DIVE FLAGS! It's the Law! S-L-O-W down and keep 100 yards away from boats unless you are at idle speed.

Keaton Beach Fishing Report July 5-6

I love scallop season, everyone gangbangs each other scared to death they aren't going to Get theirs! and finally everyone does get their scallops especially this past weekend, as they are easy this year and Big if you are in the right area and still plentiful, yet small in the other areas....

anyway as everyone is scampering and clambering to get scallops a very few of us have the fishing mostly to ourselves.....AIN'T that great!

I love scallop season.

Friday, I took Deanna Turk, Nancy Bishop, and Carl Beck all of the Greensboro, Ga. area out and we brought back 18 trout with four nice trout over twenty inches long and despite no drift ( I mean slick as it gets) we still caught fish. Nancy was my gator gettor as she brought in all four of the big trout. We fished live pinfish under Cajun Thunders in 4.5 - 5.5 feet of water to get our box of trout.

Saturday, I had Diana White, April Crowe and Josh Clifton again from the Greensboro, Ga. area and we landed twenty trout, with four over twenty inches long. Our largest, April's 24.5 inch fish was 4.6 pounds! We had two reds as well which simply showed up while we were fishing for trout and ate the same live pinfish under Cajuns from 4.5 to 5.5 feet of water. Josh had the largest fish honors with a 26.5" 5.6 lb. red.

The Scallop report? simple... FLY YOUR Dive Flags and be careful... you have plenty of time to get your limit. Watch for Thunderstorms and keep an ear out for them as well? The larger scallops are shallower...there...nuff said?

Keaton Beach Report July 4, 2008

The weather has run more folks off than allowed them to fish this past week.

We are hoping for some better weather this weekend here is a report from Edward Thomas of TGIF charters:

I had Roger Brooks of Perry, Fla. out with his son Dave and his grand-daughter, Alexis, Tuesday and they landed 12 trout a BIG Jack Crevalle, for Alexis, and a bluefish. We fished in 4.5 - 6.5 feet of water with live pinfish under Cajun Thunders.

"On Friday, June 27 I fished Farrell Smith, and his son Austin, both from Americus, Ga. We finished the day with a limit of 15 trout, the largest 26 inches, one 19" flounder, and a 28" Spanish. All were caught under Cajun Thunders and a mixture of live pinfish and Berkley Gulp. Thanks, Edward

The trout seem to have moved out into water a bit deeper than they were happy in the last few weeks. Concentrate your efforts for trout in 5.5 - 6.5 feet of water for better results. S-l-o-w down and allow your trout longer to get to your baits and longer to eat them?

That is, if you can keep from getting run over by the scallopers?

YEP, its scallop season here at Keaton Beach and most activities will take a back door to this Nature's Easter Egg Hunt...however I will be catching some fine trout and reds on my boat, despite the draw of thousands of mollusk eaters.

Scallop report: This being the first week and my deadline is Monday each week, I have no report to add to last week's preview...Next week I will have been in the water and have more info regarding success and locations.

Be Very Careful out there and calm down...if you get in the water and quit driving around, you will most likely get your scallops.....just as in fishing..."time in the water is essential to success" only now it's you in the water instead of your bait?

FLY YOUR DIVE FLAGS! It's the Law! Keep one eye, and ear, out for the Thunderstorms!