Genuine Red Snapper
Inshore Fishing
Let’s see, what I would like to say about cold water reds!
Since the water temperature is colder and has been colder longer than usual for this time of the year the fish are really getting a strong case of cold fins!
I am not saying, “If you get the chance to go fishing not too, but what I am saying is, it is going to be tough to get them to your hook!” No matter whether you are fishing or not it is still a nice ride for sure!
Cold water Reds
It is artificial bait time of the year!
Any artificial bait that does a great job of imitating the real deal will work. However, there are several secrets that you need to remember especially during cold water times, you need to move the lure slow allowing it to sit on the bottom much longer than usual, you need to retrieve it slow, and when you add that signature twitch do so very slow.
Striped Bass also known as Rock Fish
Back in the old days the rock fish, as my father called them, was our go too fish. And we caught them right out of our offshore 30 foot boats. When the winter time rolled around and it was too rough to go offshore my father just headed over to the Savannah River to do a little trolling for rock fish.
This is a fish that loves fast moving and rough water designs. With that being said on some occasions these fish would hit trolled crank baits so hard that they would simply as well as easily break them in half. Keep in mind that lures from the yesteryears were made from whittled down wood. My father loved pulling the ever popular Cisco Kid and the broken back Chub red/white Rebel. Both of these 6 to 8 inch lures came equipped with at least two, but sometimes three large treble hooks.
And if he decided to anchor up…
When my father wasn’t pulling artificial baits he would go to what he called beefed up traditional float trout rig. This is where he would make up a trout rig set up, but rig is with a little heavier tackle. He would use a heavier test leader and a bigger hook. As far as bait, if he could get a hold of some live pawn shrimp or even some dead ones he would use them. If he was using live shrimp he would place the hook under the shrimp’s horn and if he was using the dead stuff while trying to keep the head intact he would thread the entire shrimp’s body onto the hook.
Offshore Artificial Reefs
Less than 50 feet of water
I can report that Captain Ken Kennickell “Obsession” and Captain Deidra Helmey Jeffcoat took some fishermen offshore this past week. It was one of those afternoons where the winds were still howling, but the ocean looks a bit promising. After taking a ride to the sound Captain Ken called and said, “It doesn’t look too bad and I am going to give it a try!” And he did! While heading to the DUA artificial reef the group encountered close rolling seas and bearable air temperatures! The group was here for a convention and was visiting from Gloucester, Massachusetts. They were recreational fishermen and a little wind, rolling sea, and cold temperatures to us, didn’t seem to faze them.
Once arriving Captain Ken started looking for bottom fish and as soon as he found some the group gave it a try. Unfortunately the bottom bite was as cold as the water. Although all on board caught some fish and had a little action the bite at the DUA was very slow especially for this time of the year. Bottom bumping was all that was possible for this day due to the sea conditions. Captain Ken did not have time to give Sheepshead fishing a try. However, we both agreed that if the sea conditions had been better that the Sheepshead bite would have been very good! So with this fishing report I suggest when heading out to any of the artificial reefs located in less than 50 feet of water that you bring along the purple back fiddlers and target the coldwater loving Sheepshead.
Sheepshead Candy!
Purple back fiddlers are the Sheepshead’s favorite snack!
Remember when we had artificial reef buoys? They was great, because they held the attentions of all sort of different kind of baits and you could even count on catching some! You could always tell the direction of the current with one sweep by the buoy. Large fish such as cobia and barracuda often visited for a quick snack. And then you had the kings and Spanish mackerel that held up in the outskirt while making way in for a quick meal. You could use it for a reference point. And the best news was if you didn’t know where you were once you got close enough the guessing was over!
Offshore Artificial Reefs located in more than 50 feet of water
So here is the offshore catching deal!
Due to colder longer water conditions than normal… I suggest when heading offshore to do a little black sea bass fishing that you give the artificial reefs a try that are located in more than 50 feet of water. For the last month we have been experiencing a slow bottom bite at the closure to nearshore reefs and a much better one at the deeper ones. The fact of the matter is, if you really want to catch a lot of bottom fish I suggest making the Anchor Ledge or the Savannah Snapper banks your destination!
Yesteryear’s Gulf Stream Bottom Fishing
I call this picture “Fish Everywhere!”
This is a dock picture that was taken in the mid nineties. Let’s see what I see! That is me, (Captain Judy) and John Hubert. He has been cleaning fish for us for many many years. John is good at it, he likes doing it, he was fast, and he has cleaned thousands of pounds of fish over the years! John often said, “This was a great part time hobby!” And I might be light on that poundage count it could be hundreds of thousands! The old Igloo coolers ought to take you back a few years. Customers broke the lids and then we would drag the bottoms out of these coolers. After all we were bringing in so many fish that we certainly couldn’t pick the darn things up! The two Igloos on the dock were filled with trigger fish, vermilion snapper, amberjacks, black sea bass, red porgy, white bone porgy, knobbed porgy, scamp/gag/strawberry/snowy grouper, and sand tile. (Sand tile are second cousins to golden tile fish!) The fuel hoses tell another story, which is back then we didn’t even bother to put them back up after we used them! And I can say the reason being is that our turnaround time from one Gulf Stream trip to next was less than 10 hours. We ran about 100 Gulf Stream trips a year and when we couldn’t make it there we stopped at the Savannah snapper banks. When we weren’t at the stream we fished the banks at least 100 times plus also. Back in the good old days I ran over 200 offshore trips per year!
The fish cleaning table has been changed to a state of the art metal table that was custom built by James Roberts better known as J R. It is one of those kinds of gifts that just keep giving! I remember those good for nothing dock water hoses that I brought, because they were supposed to last forever. Well, as soon as the hot sun hit the hoses that were filled with water they simply just busted leaving the well running at the house all day! See the metal pipe that is attached to the piling behind the fish cleaning table. Well, it took me many direct lightning strikes to figure out that these tall lights were nothing more than lightning grabbing rods!
Gulf Stream Fishing
It is a long ride, but if you get a good day I suggest being ready! This is that time of year where it could be one heck of catching adventure!
As the Propeller Turns…
Captain Buddy shows you how to operate your boat and Miss Judy Charters shows you how to catch fish! A winning combination!
If you want to get your best chance at learning serious and safe boating skills, this is a great place to start! Give Captain Buddy Lee a call!
For more about my long time friend Bill Vanderford as well as his accomplishments, his freshwater charter trips or wildlife tours, books written and his special line up of tackle offered, please visit his site http://www.fishinglanier.com/contact.html for all the details! For more details go http://stores.ebay.com/Fishy-Racer http://www.youtube.com/fishyracer
“Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not!”
Ours Thank Goodness “Not Theirs!”
I am always writing about stories “spun by the unbelievable doings” of my father. I thought I would change it up a bit and tell a story about something that happened to me in the middle nineties year while I was fishing a mere 10 miles offshore.
It happened on a day when the visibility wasn’t too good. However, since I have been on the water such a long time my trained eyes can correctly identify objects from a distance. While looking offshore I notice a sight that I had only seen on television or in the movies. (The movie “Red October” came to mind first.) The nuclear submarine shape that I was seeing was in fact exactly what it looked like.
I picked up my marine radio to make a report to the coast guard. Included in my report were the GPS coordinates. At this time it was easy to ascertain the correct coordinates since I could pick it up on my radar. The coast guard gladly took the numbers down and respectfully asks me to stand by, which I did. A few moments passed and the coast guard radioman told me that coordinates rendered had to be wrong because they were in less than 20 feet. I noticed right away that they didn’t ask for a repeat of the coordinates.
Knowing what I had seen and what I was still looking at with my own eyes as well as others on the boat I picked up my cell phone and dialed up the coast guard station. At first they “hemmed hawed” what sometimes is call “the coast guard shuffle.” Meaning that they can’t say, what’s really going on! I then said, “You asked that we report anything unusual!” He laughed and agreed that I certainly did need to report this one. It was at the time that I knew I didn’t have to ask “Ours or theirs!”
Here’s My Line Now Bite My Hook!
For those fishermen that are interested in taking one of our offshore on the boat
Classes we still have spots available.
Offshore Fishing Clinic
On the boats only
March 7, 2015 Saturday
March 8, 2015 Sunday
$125.00 per person
Time: 8 AM till 12:00 NOON
Place: Miss Judy Charter dock
202 Wilmington Island Road
Savannah, Georgia 31410
Snacks and drinks provided by Captain Judy
To make reservations please contact Captain Judy Helmey
912 897 4921 office
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