Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

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garydroze
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Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by garydroze »

Looking at a satellite photo of Goose Creek Bay, I see what appears to be a side road/trail branching east off Wakulla Beach Road and angling down towards Gibb's Island. Wondering if anybody has biked or hiked that route to get to the upper reach of East Goose Creek. If I can get there, I also plan to check out Gibb's Pond and the creek it empties into...unless someone can confirm that that side road is either private or nonexistent.

I'll let y'all know what I find in that area if I can get there. I have a jerry-rigged running stroller that hooks up to my bike as a trailer for my yak; hoping to get the craft down there that way.
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CooterB
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by CooterB »

Would love to see a picture of your "trailer". I have always wanted to rig something up for getting into the creeks at the Refuge dike.
garydroze
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by garydroze »

I can tell you what I did. VERY simple. Off craigslist, I got a baby stroller that hitches to the back hub of a regular bike. The arm of those hitches is too short for a yak, but most of them disconnect for portability. I disconnected the arm, then bolted to it a 4-ft shelving rod (10 bucks at Home Depot), then reattached it to the stroller. Just like that, I now have enough clearance between my back tire and the stroller for a little boat (9-10ft kayak just fits). I secure the boat to the trailer with a big tangle of bungee cords. Looks ugly, but works, and those big stroller tires make for an easy tow.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by Fyrewalker »

I may go down there in the morning. Gonna check the wind before I go. If I remember I will look for the road and report back.
Good enough is good enough. Going the extra mile leads to exhaustion.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by Fyrewalker »

I saw 2 roads/paths that headed east from Wakulla Beach rd. seems they are part of St Marks refuge. I don't think you can take a vehicle back there.
I went up into west goose creek and only caught one 23" trout, but he looked kinda sick. Saw plenty of sheepsheads but no takers.
Good enough is good enough. Going the extra mile leads to exhaustion.
garydroze
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by garydroze »

Thanks for the report. I just need to be able to get a mountain bike on the trail. Will check it out Saturday and let you know what I find.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by bananayak »

Looking forward to hearing about biking a kayak east of WB. Have heard that there is a bridge over the Pinhook River east of the SMWR. Could be an adventure to drag a kayak around the dykes at SM. Thanks for sharing the baby stroller conversion to kayak trailer idea.
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garydroze
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by garydroze »

Couldn't make Saturday, but I'm going tomorrow afternoon to explore it.

There's a bridge over the Pinhook River, but two problems:
1. Long, sometimes very narrow/tight paddle from the bridge south to fishy water.
2. 7 miles to the bridge if you start from Lighthouse Road (heading east on Tram Road, the forest service road).

Only 3 miles to the bridge if you are adventurous enough to try to find it via the Florida Trail, off HWY 98 west of the Aucilla River. A kinda spooky route to try by yourself, though. Trail disappears, is often under water, and wild hogs back there have an attitude.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by capncrunch »

Still working on a plan to get access to the Pinhook. Tried it last year and the gate was closed.
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CharlesDad
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by CharlesDad »

There is a road (kind of) to Gibbs Island. It is all Refuge. Watch out for rattlesnakes, ticks, and hogs. Let me know if you see any hogs.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by garydroze »

I did the Gibb's Island trek yesterday. For some hard-to-reach places, the fish-catching payoff is great, and makes up for the long, arduous trudge through calf-deep mud bogs and merciless needle rush thickets.

Gibb's Island turns out to be not one of those places.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by BloodyChamp »

I hope it's ok to bump up old posts. I've caught a ton of freshwater fish from the Pinhook River backwaters. I've never been to the bridge or the main river. Those little sinkholes though, and the creeks that feed it are money.

Most people I know have never even heard of this gem of a place. The bridge walk or bike is on my list of things to do this summer, and if it looks like I can sneak in with my little boat somehow along the way I'll so paddle up that thing.

1 of the few people I know who is familiar with the Pinhook mouth says it's his favorite fishing spot ever. I'm not a flats expert but I also want to visit there and try it 1 day.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by garydroze »

You can get to the Pinhook River bridge by biking 7 miles on Tram Road in the St Marks Refuge OR hiking a really boondocky section of the FL Trail for about 3 miles off Highway 98 a bit west of the Aucilla River bridge. I've done both. First way is simple, but tedious. Second way is shorter, but possibly more adventure than you want (i.e. ornery feral hogs; bring bear spray).

Relatedly: I just found a tucked-away tiny salty lagoon off the Econfina River. Feeder creek to it was barely wide enough to squeeze my kayak through. Lagoon was only 2 feet deep, but the 26 & 34 inch redfish in there seemed to think that was deep enough. Helluva portage/paddle, but nice reward.

Made me wonder how many other mind-boggling nuggets of fishery exist way out there in the Taylor County coastal swamps...
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by BloodyChamp »

The area where you would go 3 miles is where I stomp around alot and catch freshwater fish. I'm pretty familiar with it outside of the 3 miles to the bridge. I keep thinking that gate will be open 1 day when I drive by then that will solve everything lol! This isn't the first I've heard of those hogs not taking any you know what though...and considering that this is coming from more than 1 person out of a not to many group of people I'm beginning to wonder if the trip is a good idea.
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Re: Question for Wakulla Beach/East Goose Creek experts

Post by BloodyChamp »

I tried the “short” way on the 4th of July last year. I rode down there to the Florida Trail where the gate is on my birthday just for fun a few days before, on July 1st. I literally grazed the gate/cable with the back of my hand on accident and it fell down lol! The pole it was locked on fell over and the cable disintegrated from the lock lol! I fixed it when I went back to cheat and make the mile shorter (because of course you can only drive about another mile before having to walk because of the trail gate or not) walk on July 4th on the way out. I’ve since been back just riding around and seen that the refuge or SRWMD or whoever is in charge has since fixed it up where it won’t break again with some welding IIRC.

As for my walk, it was fun and illuminating even though I didn’t make it with a mile less to go from the start. I walked, and walked, and climbed over logs, and stomped lol! I don’t know how the heck I wasn’t close. I was clearly on the trail the whole time. It got thin but it never disappeared. If you remember everything stayed flooded last year. I managed to avoid water several ways before having to turn around at what was either as washed out bridge or flooded plank section.

I’m going back maybe on my birthday or the 4th again with rubber boots which will make a bigger difference than just keeping my feet dry. I won’t have to spend the whole time tip toeing around water and I can just walk down the trail. And it’s a little wet lately, but far from flooded. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were dry as a bone up to the point that I turned around, and it might even be dry there.

If I don’t make it this time I guess I’ll have to get a 🚲 and go to the 🕌
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