Inshore Report
Secret Spotted Sea Trout Artificial Bait!
Captain Ray Crawley shows us the artificial bait catching way!
“TROUT AND ARTIFICIALS”
The beachfronts and sounds areas are holding the large trout. Your best bait to get these fish into the feed mode is live Shrimp or mud minnows. However, after getting the trout feeding they will and love to hit artificial bait. Once in what I call ”FEEDING FRENZY” the larger trout start getting pushy within the school and go for the artificial bait quick style. I don’t fish personally very much in the inshore waters. However when it comes to using artificial baits on these fish, please “COUNT ME IN!” There is just something about a fish when it takes an artificial lure. There is absolutely not a thing between the bite except, YOU AND THE FISH!” This only means that from the time the fish strikes at the lure till the time you set the hook you had better be precise. You and you only will be the only one that knows if you did it right. The reason being is that if you do you will be having to REACH FOR THE DIP NET!
It’s flounder time!
What fish can see like a rabbit is cunning like a fox, a wizard when coming to the act of camouflage, and can strike like a cobra? Sounds like a flounder to me!
Definition of a flounder! Any of about 300 species of flat fishes. When born, the flounder is bilaterally symmetrical, with an eye on each side, and it swims near the sea's surface. After a few days, it begins to lean to one side, and the eye on that side migrates to what eventually becomes the top side. With this development comes changes in bones, nerves, and muscles, and the underside loses its color. As an adult, the flounder lives on the sea bottom with the eyed side on top. My favorite saying when it comes to a flounder is “Sees like a rabbit is cunning like a fox, a wizard when coming to the act of camouflage, and can strike like a cobra!”
Best options for fishing as well as catching a flounder!
Purchase or check out your tackle box for some jigs, because this is one application that works great when targeting a flounder. Jigs can be laced with artificial bait such as screw and paddle tails or the real deal such as live mud minnows or finger mullet.
Flounder are known for burrowing down into the sand or mud becoming nonvisible. A flounder almost always faces the current or the bank in which it is lying in wait. With that being, when casting a jig (rigged with soft artificials or the real thing) I suggest casting it to the shallowest part of the bank that you are fishing, letting it fall to the bottom, wait a few second, reels a few turns, wait a few seconds, reels a few turns, and repeat. Now, if that doesn’t get the flounder’s interest I suggest casting from different points from your boat and doing the dropping to the bottom, letting it rest, reeling a few turns and repeat. When it comes to the whereabouts of flounder, well, if it looks like a fishy area to you the flounder might think so too. With that being said, “Fish there!”
Tarpon also known by yesteryear’s fishermen as “Silver Kings!” serpent
Way back when fishermen catching 200 pound plus tarpon removed a scale from the fish, dried them out, and then used it as a post card. Imagine getting a scale this big in the mail. Now this is one message that really didn’t need words attached!
This is a big one for sure!
We have been still seeing lots of tarpon crashing through schools of ocean menhaden. If you want to give a try at catching one of these big silver fish I suggest using menhaden halves and putting them on the bottom. Tarpon have been caught while fishing off the beach fronts and near any partly submerged sand bars. I had one fisherman tell me getting a tarpon hooked up is a lot easier than getting them to the boat. I think all fishermen will agree that the tarpon is one fish that loves to get lots of air when making jumps!
“SHARKS AND STINGRAYS”
The inshore fishing is still a smorgasbord of delight. The “Any Fish As You Wish Program” is still raging on. For those that just want to get a tug on their lines all that they have to do is anchor their boat in the sound areas and drop their hooks. A shark or stingray will be glad to take you up on almost any type of bait that you might offer. However for the best chance and bait go with the fresh dead style for the quickest results. I prefer to use cut menhaden. When fishing for big or small sharks this is the number one bait to use. However, if this bait isn’t accessible to you can give squid or shrimp a try. By using this bait you can hopefully catch smaller fish such a blue fish, croaker, yellow tail, or whiting. These fresh dead baits make excellent bait for shark and stingrays.
Spinner Sharks
Quite often at this time of the year I will get reports of sharks jumping out of the water. I always tell everyone that I believe these sharks to be “Spinner Sharks,” which are normally seen a lot in this areas at this time of the year. However on more than a few occasions I have seen different types of identifiable sharks soaring in the air. The reason being that sharks know that there is a lot of surface bait at this time. So therefore there is a lot of fish feeding on it. This is where they find themselves in a “TARGET RICH ENVIROMENT!” I personally saw a few sharks myself doing the jumping thing this past week.
Artificial Reefs
Douglas Stone Party with Ben holding his prize catch!
You know I am always saying you really never know what you might catch when plain old bottom fishing….well…Ben knows this oh so well! While plain old bottom fishing Ben (holding barracuda) is holding up a big one for sure. With just a small piece of squid and while fishing right off the stern of the Miss Judy Too, Ben said, “I really do have something pulling drag!” As it turned out, Ben did have something peeling line off! It was this big barracuda that he caught while plain old bottom fishing. How long did it take Ben to land him…well..lets see…the fish ran under the boat about 5 times then off into the distance about 5 times and then Ben brought it to the boat, Captain Kathy gaffed it and the rest of it is fishing catching history! And once again it just goes to prove you really never know..Ben’s fish before this was a small black and then looked what he hooked up! Now this is what I am always telling the customers…where you have small fish there bound to be bigger ones! And thanks goodness the fish finally listened! Congratulations Ben!!
My Missouri Man!
My Missouri Man sporting a nice fish catching smile! Nice barracuda!
Bottom bite is getting better in 50 feet of water…
Lots of changes the bottom fishing keeping has increased meaning more keepers and less throw backs. So far the Spanish mackerel season has been very slow. Fishermen are used too, especially this time of the year, to plain old free casting into the large schools of Spanish. Well, so far I have to report, at least in the Savannah area, we have not had much interaction with the mackerel clan! And I know I sound like a broken record, but I can’t help it! Still no Spanish mackerel to speak of in our area!!
Savannah Snapper Banks
Bottom fishing in 100 feet of water also known as the Savannah Snapper banks is interesting and good….the reason being is when you drop your hook at this depth you really never know what might bite your hook…best baits are cut squid, cut squid and cut fish combo, Spanish sardines halves and squid combo, and then change it up..You won’t believe the catching difference it will make…
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