# Florida Marine Tracks ST. Marks to Pensacola is it worth it?



## PTLuv2Fish

So if you run their charts in this area what is your opinion of the product? My main interest is when I go down to St Marks, Panacea, area. 95 % of my time though is spent from Port St. Joe to Pensacola. Thanks


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## Scott

PTLuv2Fish said:


> So if you run their charts in this area what is your opinion of the product? My main interest is when I go down to St Marks, Panacea, area. 95 % of my time though is spent from Port St. Joe to Pensacola. Thanks


I’ve been wondering too.


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## Kingfisher67

Interested as well. I will add that the St Marks river will no longer be dredged by Army Corpse after 2024 so that area will surely drastically change in the near future ( we own a lot of property in St Marks). Pretty much West of that the only place I can think it might come in handy would be Santa Rosa Sound near the Navarre area....that area can get SKINNY in the winter.


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## SwampThing07

I have the whole state, but don’t fish that area but can def tell you FMT is worth every penny.


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## Yeticrusher01

PTLuv2Fish said:


> So if you run their charts in this area what is your opinion of the product? My main interest is when I go down to St Marks, Panacea, area. 95 % of my time though is spent from Port St. Joe to Pensacola. Thanks


Love florida marine tracks! Use it on my bay boat and have gone to multiple new spots all over florida with no issues. It shows you the way to run without the local knowledge from the gas station clerk


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## rickc

I fish out of St Marks with the FMT chip. It has a lot of good tracks but I wouldn't trust it in the rock gardens area east of St Marks. Found a rock recently right in the middle of a red track in front of Palmetto Island. I idle the tracks the first few times I run then in the danger areas. Luckily I was idling then. I run an ankona copperhead with a 30 hp.


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## Yeticrusher01

Holy $#^% that sucks to hear. I've run back country using FMT from 10k islands to Steinahatchee to every where in between with zero bottom touches (now that I say this my next time out I will slice my lower unit in half).


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## DBStoots

rickc said:


> I fish out of St Marks with the FMT chip. It has a lot of good tracks but I wouldn't trust it in the rock gardens area east of St Marks. Found a rock recently right in the middle of a red track in front of Palmetto Island. I idle the tracks the first few times I run then in the danger areas. Luckily I was idling then. I run an ankona copperhead with a 30 hp.
> 
> View attachment 188689


Did you let ISLA Marine know about this? Take a screen shot or make a note of the coordinates where the problems are so they can include it in any updates.


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## rickc

Listen those rocks move around every night and go dancing on the full moon.

Just a foot away from where he ran could be a rock. I am certainly not surprised. If you ever saw the area we are talking about on one of these winter low tides you would never take your boat in there. I have a friend with a marina and he buys lower units by the pallet. It's just the cost of doing business In the rock gardens.

Now I run his tracks all over the st marks river around the oyster bars, up in the east river and west. No problems.


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## TrojanBob

I use it in Port St Joe and Apalach. Not so much for the tracks, but the imagery and danger areas (oyster and sand bars). No Regrets.


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## FishWithChris

rickc said:


> Listen those rocks move around every night and go dancing on the full moon.
> 
> Just a foot away from where he ran could be a rock. I am certainly not surprised. If you ever saw the area we are talking about on one of these winter low tides you would never take your boat in there. I have a friend with a marina and he buys lower units by the pallet. It's just the cost of doing business In the rock gardens.
> 
> Now I run his tracks all over the st marks river around the oyster bars, up in the east river and west. No problems.


you're darn right they move around every full moon! 

I smacked one 1.5 years ago and lost my (first) lower unit; I was about 5 - 7' off the "red line" running inside Cobb. It was also low tide. That line is now black with the most recent update. 

Red doesn't always mean "good to go," always tidal/water level dependent. I'll run through the rock-garden on 1.5' positive on red lines all day long, and some of them on the blacks; I am more timid coming off a plane than running on one lol 

Insurance is Insurance for a reason. $500 deductible helps


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## PTLuv2Fish

Just decided today to get myself a Simrad evo 3 12 and FMT. It's going to start out on my Gheenoe LT10 and when I get my next skiff will go on it. I know my unit and map cost half of what my boat and motor did but I think it's gonna really change my fishing world. Just like when I went from my Hobie Kayak to the Gheenoe it opened up all kinds of new fishing. I am looking forward to the adventures it will help me have soon. Life is short and my current unit and map were not a lot of help really. Better than nothing but wasn't going to help me expand my fishing opportunities like my new unit and map will. I appreciate all the information this thread has provided and wish you all tight lines!!


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## Sam_Bailey

I’ll be interested in how it is for the Pensacola area also. I fish this area the majority of the time but make trips to the ENP also.


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## Kyle Malone

I’m a little further south but new to the area and it it help me a lot. I would purchase again for sure.


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## Edziu

Scott said:


> I’ve been wondering too.


Me too!


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## PTLuv2Fish

So here are 3 photo's from me and my son's recent trip to St. Marks using our new unit and FMT. We live about 3 hours to the NW of here and get down here maybe every 2-3 months and I have never ventured out in the Gheenoe like I did this last time. So yea using the new map and unit made a huge difference. I proceeded with caution where we went checking tides, weather etc... but being able to see whats up ahead and around us gave me the confidence to fish a lot of new areas. That's exactly why I spent the money on this unit and map because I'm not satisfied fishing the same area over and over. This area demands your attention and the map helped me explore some spots I wouldn't have gone unless I was with a guide. I plan to eventually explore a lot more of Florida on my own using this. The thing you can't understand from these photo's is that being able to run this map helps me have the confidence to go out in this tiny boat. So yea I know I have to still use my smarts to avoid trouble but this is going to make a huge difference to where I go and what I do.


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## Naturecoastfly

I echo RickC 

St Marks East is basically no mans land and there’s so much scattered stuff I would not trust FMT even though I plan to use it when my Vantage is complete. I knocked so much real estate off my last lower unit there was nothing left to weld to. Go in an airboat on a winter low and it will shock you what sticks out of the water even far from shore and the garden. Water clarity there and panacea is not always favorable either.


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## Dane

PTLuv2Fish said:


> So if you run their charts in this area what is your opinion of the product? My main interest is when I go down to St Marks, Panacea, area. 95 % of my time though is spent from Port St. Joe to Pensacola. Thanks


I like the product but freaked over the price. I had to pass on it.


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