Headed to CR 4/13-4/17

jbrewster

Hey Guys,

Coming over from the St. Augustine area from 4/13 to 4/17 and will target all the normal inshore species. If any of you guys have any tips or tricks for the area at all they are greatly appreciated. Will be in a 24' bay boat.

thanks in advance

4WARD

Not sure if you have been to CR before. It will EAT your boat.
Stay in the channel or idle through. Run out to #1 and head up to the spoil banks
(west end) of the power plant channel. Plenty of options from there.

jbrewster

4WARD... Thank you for the advice, I haven't been to CR so its good to know about staying in the channel.

4WARD

Misjudged the tide and missed my track slightly yesterday back in the islands. OOPS
No major damage luckily.

capt louie

If you regularly run the ICW over there you must be able to read water. If so you won't have any trouble around Crystal River.
Look at the charts and you will have a pretty good idea on what you are dealing with. The spoils to the north are no problem running from the 1-A marker. Careful crossing over them to get on the North side. Shallow in some spots with rocks.
Post us a report !

wvinfl12

capt louie wrote: »

If you regularly run the ICW over there you must be able to read water. If so you won't have any trouble around Crystal River.
Look at the charts and you will have a pretty good idea on what you are dealing with. The spoils to the north are no problem running from the 1-A marker. Careful crossing over them to get on the North side. Shallow in some spots with rocks.
Post us a report !

I would love for you to elaborate on this? I have been over there to those spoil banks several times and was unaware of any shallow rocks in that grouping? I would hate to rip something off in this area? Please? I thought they were all at least 12 feet or more submerged? Are you referring to the spoils out there by the barge canal that is marked on our charts are just inshore as I know plenty about the ones closer in.

4WARD

The spoils run all the way out to the dog leg NW (#29 or 31), there is a cut at #43 that was being dredged the last time I was up there.
There are rock piles on the north edge of the channel all the way out, some just underwater. Just go across very cautiously and you still have to watch yourself once you get on the north side. The cut at 43 should be good but there were scattered rocks in there also.
High tide would be that last time to try it for the first time. Run the channel at low tide and you will see what to look out for.
But don't listen to me, I just ripped my skeg off.:)

wvinfl12

OK, so you are mainly talking the north side of the channel but not the south side right? I like to get out there to the area by channel marker 12 sometimes, and have never gone to the north side of the channel.

capt louie

wvinfl12 wrote: »

OK, so you are mainly talking the north side of the channel but not the south side right? I like to get out there to the area by channel marker 12 sometimes, and have never gone to the north side of the channel.

Yes. North edge. No problems on South edge .

jbrewster

Thanks for the replies guys, really appreciate the hospitality. I will be sure to post a report once we arrive. I'm gonna grab a Top Spots today and study that before coming for sure. Will have 5 total on the boat with 2 of us having pretty good experience with the ICW on this side.

Really looking forward to the trip!