# St Johns River, Cresent Beach, Fort Matanzas



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

My parents recently moved to Palatka Florida. My grandparents live about 20 minutes west of there. When I was little my grandpa would take me surf fishing for blues. We usually fished crescent beach if I remember correctly. Anyway, gonna plan a trip to visit my parents. Where might I go to get some good fishing in? They live minutes from the St Johns. I understand it is "freshwater", even though it is supposed to have Tarpon and other species of fish I think of as being saltwater. I know Fort Matanzas isn't far from Crescent Beach... Any suggestions or advice?


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

I see...well, I will fish and report. I'll take a 7, 8, and 9 footer, surf gear and pier gear and see what happens....


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## BentHook (Dec 22, 2002)

Go to Google Earth and punch in Marineland,fl and zoom in.








1 and 2 are parking lots with walkways to the beach,they may have steps but I don't recall.
3.you can drive on the beach here but they shut down driving to the south,it's for walking only.You can still drive to the north for 4 miles or so.
4.Anywhere from 1/2 mile north of the drive-on you can get pomps,whiting and blue's.
5.A lot of black and red drum in the slot comes from the area all the way to the beach front
7. entrance to rattlesnake Island which is free.I don;t fish there much but if I need fiddlers or mullet for bait this is the spot to go.
8. The old pier which is gone except for a couple poles in the sand.Plenty of pompano have been caught here.A few club members fish this area a lot.Parking is across the street in a hard packed lot that looks like sand.
I must have skipped over #6.
What time of year are you coming down to the backwoods of Fla.Palatka and Welatka are suppose to be the Black Bass capitol of the world but I don't sweet water fish anymore.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Thanks, I didn't see your response until just now. I just got done fishing at Crescent Beach by the bridge to Fort Matanzas Monument Park. Caught 3 blues, 2 Black Drum, a whiting, and a ladyfish. Fished high tide and then a couple of hrs as the tide went out. Gonna try again Friday.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

I went out Friday a couple of hours before high tide. Went to Marineland and then walked south. 4 ounces wouldn't hold. 6 ounces not really holding. Used 5 ounce sputniks that were holding, but I only had 2 of them and then I had a breakoff... So, long story short, the small gear I brought wouldn't hold as the wind was heavy and the current ripping. We caught two blues and that was it. 

For anyone looking, park at Crescent Beach, walk south to the mouth of the matanzas inlet. Throw out into the deep water. That's where I was catching the black drum.


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