Thinking about making a trip down to salt run on friday but i have never traveled down there and had a few questions.
1. Is the east bank mostly grass flat with bottom that is hard enough to wade?
2. Is it mostly dink trout or will their be some gators along with some reds?
3. What tide do you guys find best around their?
4. Is the water clear on the flats or murky like most of the water in NE FL.

Thanks for any help guys. I will post reports and i have ordered a new camera that should be in this week or next so i will start having pics on my posts again. Also if your just dying to give away your favorite spot on those flats your welcome to show me friday morning.

Salt run is good. The water is ocean water so its clean but not always "see the bottom" clear. Lots of trout and blues and its the only place i have caught a catfish on an artificial lure and i actually caught 2. At mid low tide i did catch a red that was cruising down the east bank. Flounder can be caught around the sand bars. Current can rip out of there on a strong tide so if you want, just park a car at the light house boat ramp and launch your yaks back at the state park and drift out with the tide.

1. Salt run is a great place to fish, but I wouldnt plan on getting out of the yak for any wading. At the mouth of salt run, just past the conch house and just before the inlet on the east bank, there is a sandy beach where you can stretch your legs and walk around. The channel runs right by it tho, so there are constantly boats passing by. You can even walk down and fish the inside elbow of the jetty or fish off the rocks. I've beached my kayak and fished off the rocks there, plenty of good fish around.

2. There are some big catfish and plenty of bluefish back there, but you can definitely find some nice trout, reds, and flounder too. Yes, you can find the occasional gator trout too.

3. I've had good luck there pretty much at all tides. If its your first time down there though, try a lower tide so you can see exactly where all the cuts and oyster bars are, then fish those same spots on the incoming tide. Tons of productive docks and grasslines to fish as well. The whole south side of the west bank under the docks is pretty much covered in one massive oysterbed. Use the bing.com maps tool, it will help you see the "lay of the land" there pretty good.

4. Like Jwray said, the water is usually cleaner than most places since its so close to the ocean, but its not always "see the bottom" clear.

Good luck and keep us posted on the fish sleighing!

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Hobie Outback

just fished it this week, rode the tide into the state park and back to the my little spot . lots of oyster beds and there is a lot of little nook and crannies to get into on the eastside" higher tides" i got a nice 15" flounder and a 22" trout, some freaking HUGE CATFISH !! and of course those darn blue fish !! i live a block away and fish it alot. outgoing tide is good for the eastbank and fuller tide is good for the docks. most boats cant get back into the state park area, super shallow. if it gets windy,just hug the shoreline ! if you dont catch anything, stop by MOJOS tacos and get a fish taco !!;) ill be working

Read "go for gators" on florida sportsman, the NE FL guide says that Salt Run is the best place to target gators in St. Aug, but remember to use bigger lures and fish a lot of area to find one. The article says that live bait is not as good because you cant cover as much area but i would keep a mullet out back under a cork while throwing atificials. Another thought i had to target gators is to catch a couple small yellow mouth trout to use as bait. Trout feed on younger trout and yellow mouths have no keeping size so a 8" should be a gator killer! Let us know how you do.

Where are you launching the kayak from to fish the eastside?

area isn't that big your in a kayak don't be scared to paddle!!

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2012 Wilderness Systems Ride 135 (Mango)
Future Beach Angler 160 DLX (Sand)
14ft Coleman Scanoe.

Ok....but where is a launch?

Its says under fishing spots that lighthouse boat ramp is the launch for salt run and it looks to be a short paddle across the river.

Chippy i have read that article a few times and it is part of the reason i wanted to try down at salt run. I mostly fish shallow grass flats back home in stuart that are loaded down with big trout so im trying to find similar water up here. That article is right though, live bait is no where as good for gators as arties like a DOA shrimp or baitbuster.

Ill be down their tomorrow around sunrise and fish till about 1 or 2pm then hit a few beach spots on the way back up to jax to see if i can find some pomps in the surf. My camera still didnt come in today so i wont have picks for tomorrow but maybe next weekend.

i wouldnt worry about the going in the surf, its going to be windy and its getting pretty big ! maybe try out hospital creek,but go out towards the south and more towards the big cross !!