camping along the st johns ,,

when is the best time to go camping along the river ,, i see all kinds of great spots between sanford and hontoon island ,,I am a city boy but am dying to try all of the fun country stuff ,, I have a nice 24ft pontoon ,,grill and cooler other than that what else do I bring ,,and how do I make sure the gators stay away ( i guess only real fl boys can answer this question ) please chime in if you have ever camped on your boat or beached it and camped ,,,

Re: camping along the st johns ,,

Two important things to remember:

1) Strike your camp ABOVE the high tide line
2) Anchor your boat WATERWARD of the low tide line:attention:

Re: camping along the st johns ,,

I have camped in a cove on Lake Monroe. Brought our 2 burner and slept in the cuddy after partying late into the night. Some gators liked the smell of the bacon we were cooking! You should have a great time out there, just be careful and the gators shouldn't bother you! though a nice nikel plated .44 mag will help in any really tense situation or just to help you feel secure.

Re: camping along the st johns ,,

I love camping anywhere along the St. John's between Jacksonville and Orlando. We go year round taking the boat and travel trailer. Boat is waterborne all the way, tow the trailer. I personally prefer Lake George, Astor, Georgetown and that area. Just ensure that you tie up/anchor where you are still waterborne at low tide. We always take a marine band and GPS when we go, the Gators are there, just dont leave your food where they can get to it. We never have a problem with them other than they like our fish bait also.

Re: camping along the st johns ,,

Wife and I camp on the boat along that section from Sanford to Welaka, we just pitch the tent up on the front casting deck of our jon boat. Don't worry about the gators, but just don't ever feed one or pitch food at him, or he'll keep coming back and make a nuisance of himself until you have to shoot him. And it goes without saying better not swim in dark waters, except designated areas like Silver Glen Springs, Salt Springs, etc. Best camp times are around March/April and September/October when the days are warm and the evenings cool off nice for sleeping, and lots fewer bugs...we wouldn't much think of camping in July/August due to heat/humidity/bugs,etc...There's an abundance of creeks, coves, small lakes, etc. to choose from...just depends on how remote you want to get. You can order a special Florida Atlas and Gazetter from the DeLorme Mapping Company that shows every last small detail for your study purposes. Good Luck!