• Savannah Fishing Report - GA

    Miss Judy Charters
    http://www.missjudycharters.com
  • Miss Judy Charters provides Inshore fishing, Offshore fishing, and Gulf Stream fishing charters. Whether it's sport fishing for the serious angler or a leisurely day for the family, we have the trip for you. We have been fishing in Savannah, Tybee and adjacent waters for over 50 years. We have the knowledge for your inshore and offshore fishing adventure.

  • Savannah Fishing Report - GA

    While fishing at the Savannah Snapper Banks Captain Ken Kennickell on Obsession of Miss Judy Charters while using assorted baits from small pieces of squid to live bait this fishing team caught exactly what they wanted. It not every weekend that we get to keep genuine red snapper, but to be honest none of us understand why!
    Aaron Rogers, Dublin, Georgia, Dillon Rogers, Dublin, Georgia Dennis Thomsen Dublin, Georgia Wes Thomsen Rents, Georgia Tanner Thomsen Rents, Georgia Deb Thomsen Dublin, Georgia and Captain Deidra Helmey Jeffcoat and Captain Ken Kennickell of Miss Judy Charters.


    Here’s a little information...these 8 genuine red snapper weight at the dock 148 pounds...if they would have been weight when they were still alive they most likely would have weighted together about 178 pounds...that is a lots of snapper dinners!!
    2017 Genuine Snapper Season is Over!!


    I don’t know rightly to thanks for this grand 2017 genuine red snapper season. It was opened for November 3, 4, and 6, 2017. We were supposed to get the next weekend, which was November 10, 11, and November 12, 2017. However, the high winds causing rough sea conditions prevailed! Our offshore boats were tied to the dock. The snappers are once again safe from the dozens of fishermen that might have gone to try and catch them! Back in the old days there were hundreds of fishermen that wanted to catch them! Here’s what I do know: The genuine snapper population has grown so much that all sizes of these fish can be caught from about 40 feet to 200 feet of water. On our last snapper banks trip we caught some many red snapper that it was almost embarrassing to keep saying I am sorry but the season is closed, the stocks are depleted, and they are endanger of being extinct forever! And I have to say all of this with a somewhat straight face. Now this is not because I am targeting red snapper. It is because there are so many of these fish up in the water column over the manmade reefs and the natural live bottom area. Georgia swimmers should not be so concerned about being attacked by sharks, because it’s not the toothy monsters that are going to try and eat us...It’s going to be the genuine red snapper! Laugh if you want, but when they devoured all the juveniles down under what do you think they will turn to next? Anything that will fit in their mouth or anything that they can tare apart with their K9 teeth! It’s not one fish to be afraid of it’s the thousands of snapper that are looking for something to eat. The good news is they have not devoured everything on the live bottom ledges, but its coming and its coming sooner than you think! Getting off my soap box now!


    Artificial Reefs


    The bottom fishing has picked up and I do believe that it is only going to get better. If you want to catch some nice black sea bass you are going to be to think outside of the box. You won’t find them everywhere on the artificial reefs, but you will find them in the more isolated spots. The best bait is going to be squid, dead shrimp, cut fish, and minnows. When I say minnows I am talking about Cigar minnows or Spanish sardines. There are still some live ones to be caught while using the old sabiki rig. And of course if you tackle store is selling them frozen; please pick a 5 pound box up. You will not be sorry!



    The flat fish have arrived and believe this is one hook up you don’t want to miss. This fish was caught using a drop through rig. What is a drop through rig? Well, it is the simplest rig that there is. To make this rig all you need an egg sinker, slide onto main line, and tie on the hook of choice. I like using a set up with 20 to 40 pound test monofilament line. There is no leader or swivel. The egg sinker must be able to slide freely on the main line to allow this rig to work right. This is not a rig that can be used with live bait. It’s the kind of rig that needs what is called “chunk bait, small pieces of fillet, or a whole squid head.” I must admit that the whole squid head is my favorite. Why? It looks just like a juvenile octopus on the fall/descent! All fish are very tempted and not guarded when it comes to this type of bait! How do you work the floating through the fish rig? Set the reel on a drag on “medium.” In other words “you want to be able to pull the line out when the reel’s bale/brake is on. Cast away letting the sinker and bait go into a “free fall.” Keep the reel’s bail open keeping your thumb lightly on the spool keeping the line for back lashing. Always keep thumb on reel and the other hand on the release level. As soon as you get a hit, “flip the level.”


    The secret to this rig is that you want the bait to seemly drop naturally meaning not like it has got a sinker attached to it. The weight used should be determined by the amount of drift. (The more drift the larger egg sinker needed) You will be surprised on exactly what a small ¼ to 4 ounce egg sinker will do when it comes to keeping you bait close to the bottom. The secret is not to use too much weight because you want your bait “to flow not drop fall.”


    Best Hooks to use for either rig


    Eagle Claw 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, or 4/0 “J” style hooks work great or 2/0 or 3/0 Khale hook the best thing to remember that you hook should be as sharp as you can get it. Please remember in this case circle hooks might just be your friend. As far as circle hooks go I have been using the offset Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Hooks, which have been working. It’s my opinion that this hook can work both way meaning you can treat it like a circle hook and not set the hook or you can set! It’s kind of up the fisherman holding the rod. Some like to bow to the fish when they get a hit, which means gently lowering the rod and some fishermen like the setting of the hook. No matter how you decide to go with or without the set these thin tinned hooks do work! By the way Eagle Claw isn’t paying me! I am paying them every time I use another box of hooks!

    From left to right: Eagle Claw hooks series L141 G Kahle hook series
    Eagle Claw L197 G series hook circle series


    These style hooks are very sharp, thin tinned, and work very well



    This bait is basically what we call a whiting cocktail. I have placed a small piece of shrimp and fish fillet on the hook. This is what we call double scent bait.




    From left to right: Tony Sparacio, Steve Root, Chris Archer and David Hurt, Jr. (South Carolina home based Fishermen) and Captain Judy Helmey Miss Judy Charters

    From left to right: Tony Sparacio, David Hurt, Jr. Captain Judy Helmey Miss Judy Charters, and Steve Root (South Carolina fisherman) David Hurt, Jr and Captain Judy are balancing this trophy red fish that was caught while plain old bottom fishing! This proves once again when you drop your hook in the ocean you really never know what might bite your hook! In this case it did and it was big too! Yes, this trophy red fish aka stag bass was carefully released back to the wild!




    Left to right standing: Scott Kickery Boston, Massachusetts, Conor Geary Hartford, Connecticut, Patrick Morris Brooklyn, New York, Kyle Defco Summit New Jersey, Frank Arabia Boston Massachusetts, and Phil DeBruin New York, New York.
    Sitting in front: Captain Kathy Brown Miss Judy Charters and Nicholas Dillon Fulco Brooklyn, New York holding the biggest fish for the day. A big doormat flounder! What did it eat? A small piece of squid and shrimp fished on the bottom on Captain Judy’s drop through!





    Who’s kissing this flounder right on the lips? Scott Kickery Boston Massachusetts! All that is left to ask is did Scott like it? Yes how do I know? He closed his eyes!

    Please meet the Cute Butt Boys Fishing Team!



    Nicholas Dillon Fulco Brooklyn, New York is holding up a just caught soon to be released red fish. This is Nicholas’s bachelor party! And his buddy Scott Kickery Boston Massachusetts is offering grand fish catching smile!

    From left to right: Charlie Jacobs Cary, NC Buddy Chumbler Ball Ground, GA, Amanda Jacobs Whitemarsh, GA, Brian Jacobs Ballground, GA, Ashley Chumbler Ball ground, GA Seven Zuccaro Andover, MA, and Captain Kathy Brown Miss Judy Charters

    Amanda Jones White marsh, Georgia is showing us two black sea bass for the price of one reel!

    Ashley Chumbler Ballground, Georgia is holding up a mutton snapper, which of course was caught and released back to the wild! Where did catch it? In about 45 feet of water on a small piece of squid!

    While bottom bumping at the Savannah Snapper Banks Brandon Wilcher Atlanta, Georgia caught this nice genuine red snapper, which unfortunately was fought caught and released back to the wild!
    October 28 2017 Brandon Wilcher 678 333 6663
    25 years old Atlanta Georgia



    Dave Hopp Bluffton, SC is holding up a nice genuine red snapper that he caught while bottom fishing at the banks.
    Mike Rogers, Geogia Marshall, Dave Ropes holding snapper, Dave Hopp allowing this fish a short puff on his fine cigar, and Ed Battacchio (All fishermen are from Bluffton, South Carolina and have been great customers of Miss Judy Charters for many years!) Heck, all I got to say now is, “And we are still all around!” And I mean the fishermen and the fish!



    Dave Hopp Bluffton SC is showing us that the genuine red snapper populations are strong. Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters is assisting! While at the snapper banks of this fish as well as many others it became apparent that when you dropped you hook with no matter what kind of bait you were going to catch a genuine red snapper. This is a large specimen and it was caught on a small 5/0 circle hook. Now I am not going show you all of the pictures I took because it would just look like I was taking pictures of the same fish! I think you get the picture!! And I am tired as well as other catching so many genuine red snapper. It doesn’t matter whether you are fishing in 40 to 150 feet of water YOU GOT GENIUNE RED SNAPPER OF ASSORTED SIZES! I already know that no one is listening and that this will not make a difference in any changes that our fisheries might decide to make. However, I am sure most all fishermen would have to agree that if those making the decisions should in fact let the facts be the facts, because if they did, we would all come out a lot better!
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