Since Irma has been the focus point for most of the week....I thought I would send you an outline of what we usually do for the month of September. and as always thanks for using my information!


Be Safe! Judy


Inshore Tidbits!


What does this mean? Inshore fishermen have some pretty good catching options!
The temperatures are still hot, but there is a shuttle change that takes place in the month of September. All fish are basically put on notice that fall patterns are pending. Just the fact that daylight is a couple of minutes shorter makes all the difference to those down under. This is not the month for migrations it’s the month for feeding on everything that is available. Spotted sea trout, red fish, sheepshead, black drum, and flounder might feed at different times of the tides. However, here’s what they have in common all of them like live shrimp. The bottom line is you can serve it up anyway you like from naked with or without any sort of leader or weight, or under popping or adjustable floats. Here is the secret to the fish’s bite in September once you get the bite a-going it’s easy to change your bait. For instance: If you start using live shrimp and they all happen to die or you run out your best bet then is to change over to any leftover parts from previous hits and/or start using DOA shrimp patterns. The DOA shrimp patterns work like a charm. Here’s tip: When using pre-rigged DOAs meaning when they are purchased with hook and balance weight. I suggest removing weight and hook. Then I suggest taking a 2/0 to 3/0 Kahle hook and hooking the shrimp up like you do the real deal. Since you want the DOA to look as natural as possible you would need to place the hook in the mid ship of the shrimp. Once it’s balanced on the hook’s bend it become the prefect waving bait in the current under a popping cork or an adjustable float. The best early fall colors are Root Beer, clear gold glitter, clear chartreuse tail, and golden cherry red. I suggest using ¼ ounce jig heads for DOA shrimp patterns. (http://www.doalures.com/) Another secret is to drop a few DOA’s into the live well. I call this “adding juice appeal!”
Now there are other artificial baits to be considered and have been proven by the fish as well as the fishermen. There is Berkley Gulp Alive! This is where the term “secrets in the sauce” really came from. I like the 3” Shrimp Assortment recharging baits, which have new penny/natural, shrimp/pearl, and white/molting shrimp patterns all packed together. (http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkl...t/1415335.html) Heck, the best news is one pattern doesn’t work remove off hook, drop back in sauce, and grab another, it’s that simple. As far as best way to present this bait, since it looks alive is to rig it that way. (Popping corks, traditional adjustable floats, and threaded onto a jig head tied directly to your fluorocarbon leader) And there are many more shrimp patterns out there on the tackle shelves. The secret is to use the lure that you have the most confidence in, because it seems if you don’t, well bites just don’t seem to happen. My father always said, “There should be no negativity when fishing!”
For those fishermen that don’t care to use artificial baits of any kind, well you also have options. As you know live shrimp is the most preferred bait that there is and bottom line is that all fish like it. Since all fish eat it meaning all sizes from petite to large; a fisherman’s chance of catching a keeper as well as losing your live shrimp part by part is possible. There are quite a few alterative live baits that you can catch yourself. And here’s where knowing how to throw a cast net is a big plus. During this time the creeks and back of creeks are full of schooling finger mullet. They do come in all sizes from petite to larger finger mullet. I suggest keeping all sizes, because when using live bait you want to match the hatch. When using larger live finger mullet as bait, your chances of a big bite is going to be less. However, when you do get a hit the fish are going to be larger, because the smaller keeper fish as well as the fetish fish will be scare off. What is a fetish fish? It is a small fish that dismantles and eats your shrimp one part at a time. The other live baits, which you could catch while casting for shrimp or finger mullet, are mud minnows, peanut menhaden, croaker, yellow tail, and basically any other small live fish.
The artificial reefs during September can be at times seemly completely baron. What does this mean, no fish bites to be had. It can be frustrating for sure, because you are marking lots of fish on your finder. And then as if someone turns on a switch the bite starts. So therefore when you arrive at selected artificial reef I suggest staying and waiting it out, because bites will happen at least eventually. When the bite is on you could find yourself catching Spanish or king mackerel and barracuda. Trolling Clark and Drone spoons will get a top water bite a going. For those fishermen that prefer trolling some real bait I suggest using medium size ballyhoo rigged on a Sea Witch. (http://www.seastriker.com/lures/lures_files/seabugs.htm) The best colors have been red/black, blue/white, and chartreuse. I prefer to rig the sea witch with my 3 hooks in a row method while using 100 pound test single strand wire as my leader. It is old school but it works. I take three 7/0 Mustad trailer hooks (J hook style with open eyes) and rig them in line. (http://www.tackledirect.com/mustad-o...s-34091dt.html) When a fish hits this rig, the hook configuration makes it almost impossible for them to avoid getting hooked up! I suggest pulling this bait about 50 to 75 feet behind your boat. It is going to be best if you adjust your reel so that it has a medium drag. This helps in the hook up department!
As far as the bottom bite, I suggest doing a little drifting keeping your baits at mid to lower water column depth. The best bait is going to be exactly what you catch with your gold hook sabiki rig. And of course always take along a little squid. This bait works offshore as well as shrimp does for inshore fish. My favorite sabiki rig is a Tsunami Sabiki TSB-068GL-8/10 style iridescent Hage-aurora green GL head. It also has some fish skin on each gold hook, which adds yet another reason why it attracts fish. Please be responsible when discarding your bait rigs. I always dispose of mine by putting them in an empty water bottle and securing the top tight.

September offshore fishing report
September for us offshore fishermen is “Snag a gag month!” This just means the grouper bite is better, because things are cooling down causing more movement. During this month all grouper such as Gags, Scamps, and Red grouper are more likely to be up and about. Best places to look for one of these fish are the live bottom ledges at the Savannah Snapper Banks. I like to call the fishing cities, which are small areas that hold all types of fish from small to large at all depths. These are basically ledges that are surrounded with sand. Best baits are going to be live cigar minnows, Spanish sardines, which can be caught with Sabiki gold hook rigs schooling over the structure at the artificial reefs. These baits are known for triggering a serious grouper bite. However, a bigger fish sometimes wants bigger bait. Baits caught at the banks are normally those fish that have air bladders such as sand perch, rock bass, vermilion snapper, pin fish, and ruby red lips also known as tomates. Before putting in live well I suggest deflating the air bladder with sharp pointed knife. These baits will also bring on big time grouper bite. For those that prefer jigging for their gags, well this would be a great time to give this type of fishing a type. I suggest using any sort of butter fly or those less expensive that “look, act, and work” like the same thing. When vertical jigging I suggest using 80 pound braided main line, 4 to 15 feet of fluorocarbon leader, and a jig (4 to 8 ounces) that has one or two hook located at top of the lure. You want your main line attached and your hooks at the same end. Jigging during this month is great because the large bottom fish start to move a little further from the protection of the ledge. The secret to perfecting this style of fishing is to keep the jig moving as erratically as possible while still imitating a bait fish that’s trying to make a solid getaway move. I love this type of fishing, because when you get a hit you are with the fish from the start to the finish!

If you really want a big big pull I suggest giving shark fishing a try in this area. While bottom fishing the Savannah Snapper Banks we have been hooking up a lot of big bulls, tigers, nurse sharks and sand bar sharks. If you are going to take one of these large sharks please check regulations before heading out. Believe me the rules can be a little confusing! As far as getting hooked up, well that’s easy, any fish that you have just caught pan size or larger bleeding (cut tail off live fish) and set out on a beefed up rig. Most of our sharks are caught on a Carolina style rig meaning 8 ounce sinker on main line then tie on a 100 pound swivel, and then tie on leader. As far as leader I do not used any sort of wire leader instead I use 10 to 20 feet of 80/100 pound test monofilament line. To this set up I tie my 14/0 circle hook directly on to my leader. This style hook pretty insures a behind the jaws in line hook up, which means the shark normally cannot use its teeth to cut the line. Once hooked up it is suggested to keep the line tight and not in-line with the shark. The roughness of the shark’s skin will fray your leader. Always situate boat so that main line is pulling straight off shark’s head.

As far as the top water bite we have catching king mackerel near shore at the Savannah River Channel, artificial reefs, and at the Savannah Snapper banks. Best bait when targeting this fish is the liveliest possible…blue runners, ocean menhaden, Spanish sardines, Spanish mackerel, and cigar minnows are just some of the good live bait choices. During this time it’s not unusual to catch Mahi Mahi while bottom fishing. They are curious fish and they will swim right to the boat. Just remove your weight off bottom rig, loosen your drag, and float your bait (squid of cut fish) right to the circling Mahi Mahi. While doing this throw freely over the side a few pieces of bait …if they are hungry this will really get them going! Once this fish turn on their feeding lights on they will **** this bait in just like most of us do when ice cream is involved! (I love ice cream!) If there is more than on one Mahi Mahi leave the last fish caught in the water until the next fish is hooked up!


Thanks for reading! Captain Judy Helmey Miss Judy Charters Savannah, Georgia


Captain Judy Helmey
www.missjudycharters.com
912 897 4921