• Savannah Offshore 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 Offshore Fishing Report - GA

    Just bottom fishing in the sound with the MIGHTY EIGHT! Please meet the MIGHTEY EIGHT!

    Left to right: Spencer Smith, Atlanta, Georgia, Dallas Tinsley Atlanta, Georgia, Casey Kitchens Chattanooga, Tennessee, Josh James Knoxville, Tennesse, Elliot Duncan Knoxville, Tennesse, Brad Walker Knoxville, Tennessee, and Chris Griffin Knoxville, Tennessee





    Ryan Walker Atlanta Georgia is holding up a whiting, which was caught while plain old bottom fishing in the sound! Did we release it? Oh yes it is still swimming!



    Elliot Duncan Knoxville, Tennessee and Brad Walker Knoxville, Tennessee (smiling in the back ground! What did he catch? The Whiting are Biting!




    Working the artificial reefs!

    I know I have been doing this sort of fishing for a long time, but you know these darn fish can still throw a big twist especially when it comes to their feeding habits. The artificial reefs, especially for this area, are very important not only to us, but also the fish. The coast of Georgia being the furthest from the big ledge had a lot of sand in between. The artificial reefs provide permanent homes and also stopping off places for migrating fish. In my world of stalking, catching, and searching for fish I have come to quite a few conclusions about these areas. And believe it or not, but applying these tips with improve your catching opportunity. What does this boil down to?
    Less “just fishing” and more “serious catching!”


    Top and bottom fish migrate at all different times of the year. And they are mostly driven by water temperatures. Why? Because all size fish move with the changing temps. I am talking about bait and those that eat them. Please remember the old saying, “There is always a bigger fish in the sea!” So another metaphor comes into play which is “Where you have fish you have fish!” I will stop here!


    Before heading out I suggest having some sort of a fishing plan. I know the plan is to always catch fish. However, you got to be where they are to catch them! During this time of the year it has always be my experience that you won’t find bottom fish on all structure. It is a looking game for sure. Once you find them that you should not stay too long at the spot. Why? You will scatter the fish. I suggest a few drifts and then move on to the next intended spot. By moving you give the fish that are staying in that one spot time to regroup!


    Let talk about bait! It can be as simple as you like, but there are tricks that will lure in a bigger bottom bite. We always start out with small pieces of squid. If the bite is strong most of the time this you will be most likely catch the larger fish. However, if all you are catching is small black sea bass I suggest changing you baiting up thought. Take one of the smaller fish and cut it up like a loaf of bread. Here’s my description of a fish steak when using to attract larger black sea bass. The steak should be around once inch thick and you should cut off all fins. You don’t want to attract smaller fish you want the larger ones. This normally gets the job done, because a large black fish prefers a one bite mouth full than not.



    While offshore fishing with Captain Ken Kennickell of Miss Judy Charters Jackson Ridgeway age 18 Newnan, Georgia caught himself a nice black drum! Jackson is a freshman cadet at University of North Georgia. You Go Jackson and we salute you! This black drum was caught while using a purple back fiddler for bait. Where was it caught? In the mouth! Just kidding, the KC Artificial Reef!







    While offshore fishing with Captain Ken Kennickell and Captain Deidra Helmey Jeffcoat this pair of fishing did quite well! Mitchell Reed and Jarred Williford (both from Athens, Georgia) are holding up a couple nice sheepshead. What were they using as bait?

    Purple back fiddlers


    The sheepshead is known for sucking the insides of a fiddler so fast that you don’t even feel a jiggle. So therefore, I suggest always checking to see if the insides are still inside of the fiddler!

    Savannah Genuine Red Snapper Banks

    No this is not new fishing grounds...it used to be called “Savannah Snapper Banks!” I am officially changing its name!

    Who is this? Captain Judy is trying to get a self-ie! Captain Kathy David Miller and his son Christopher are all pumped and ready to GO FISH! And FISH BEWARE! Where are we headed? SAVANNAH GENUINE RED SNAPPER BANKS!




    David Miller and his son Christopher Blue Ash, Ohio scored again big time. On this offshore fishing day, the plan was to catch big fish. So that is exactly what we did! This is the first genuine red snapper fought caught and released!


    The Millers have been coming fishing here in Savannah, Georgia for many years. The fact of the matter is David Miller and his sons Christopher are known well by our fishing community. The fact of the matter is they are a serious part of our fishing family! And they are also familiar with the crazy weather patterns that we have here. They have stayed here up to two months at a time and understand our windy conditions. This last fishing trip was no different out of 7 days that they visited this time they fished 2 days offshore and 2 days inshore. Just about every day that they did fish the winds howled, but they just kept smiling!


    I think Christopher covered it all when he said, “The first step is planning the fishing trip and if the weather lets you go, then it is a big bonus!”







    Captain Kathy Brown of Miss Judy Charters is holding up a nice genuine red snapper the Christopher Miller Blue Ash, Ohio caught. As you can see another larger fish in the sea took a serious bite leaving this fish basically tail-less! Was this fish released back to the wild? Did it swim off? Since I am asked this question all of the time, I would have to say a big NO!


    This the second genuine red snapper fought caught and released!





    David Miller and his son Christopher Blue Ash, Ohio hooked up at the same time! Christopher is holding up a fine set of genuine red snapper twins! This the third and fourth first genuine red snapper fought caught and released on this fish day!


    Christopher Miller Blue Ash Ohio is holding up the fifth genuine red snapper fought caught and released!

    Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters is holding David Miller Blue Ash, Ohio sixth genuine red snapper for the day that was fought caught and released! What did this fish eat? Small ruby red lips also known as a tomtates and fire mouth



    Here’s what bait looks like after a genuine red snapper assault. The top bodiless fish is a small rock bass. Red snapper are known for using their K-9 like teeth for grabbing and holding on to their next soon to be meal. The second bait is a ruby red lips. The upper slashes and teeth marks show that this bait was attacked first by a big genuine red snapper. However, something caused the fish to let go. And when it did the waiting in line trigger fish took their toll on the dead leftovers.

    Captain Kathy Brown of Miss Judy Charters is holding David Miller’s seventh genuine red snapper fought caught and released! What did this fish eat? Small sand perch



    This is a sand perch. And it is great bait for genuine red snapper and grouper. Back in the old days before the genuine red snapper regime took over the reefs, I had a theory on why this was such good grouper bait. The sand perch is known for always staying close to the sand that surrounds the live bottom area. Now, when the fish wants to mingle and do a little feeding it moves into the live bottom area. As soon as its feeding goal is accomplished it heads back to the underwater sand dunes. My theory, which worked 9 times out of 10, was a grouper would have to move outside of its hole/ledge to get to the old smart sand perch. Why? Because, this bait always has its sights on its sandy areas of home. What advantage is this? Once hooked up you have a better chance of stopping the grouper from heading back to the ledge from which it just came. Once you start reeling the grouper gets disoriented on exactly the direction of its home! Your chance of landing this fish is higher for sure. However, I must report that at this time, it is hard to get to the grouper, which are holding down under the thousands of genuine red snapper in the upper water column!

    Christopher Miller Blue Ash, Ohio is holding up number eight genuine red snapper, which was fought caught and released! I counted this one juvenile genuine red snapper and did not count the others that they caught at this size. Believe me, if I had to guess I would add another 8 red snapper to the pile! But it is ridiculous enough as it is! We caught the juvenile snapper while targeting black sea bass. Back in the old days, normally when targeting areas that hold black sea bass you didn’t see any other types of fish. It seems that the red snapper have infiltrated the black sea bass! Let the facts be the facts!

    Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters is offering big thumbs up for David Miller Blue Ash, Ohio! Why? He is fighting the ninth genuine red snapper caught for this fish day! David and his son Christopher are true fishermen for sure. They will catch what’s biting no matter what....and they don’t complain about it either! Thanks goodness for this!

    Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters, David Miller, and his son Christopher Blue Ash, Ohio is holding a nice “you guessed it” genuine red snapper! This is the ninth genuine red snapper fought caught and released!





    Captain Kathy Brown of Miss Judy Charter and Christopher Miller Blue Ash, Ohio both approved of the black sea bass that we did keep! Christopher’s father David approves of this message!




    Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not!”
    SEA MONSTERS IN MY VIEWER”

    What do we have here?




    This was my friend Donnie Bauman. We both were dressed for outside knocking around. Donnie had his jeans on and so did I. However, if I am not mistaken that might be my pajama top. Now my shoes I know were purchased at Buster Brown’s located in beautiful downtown Savannah Georgia. I am sure I dressed myself on this play day!


    Well, this was what my back yard looked like during the fifties. My swing set, which had it uprights incase in cement. Why? Well, we would get to swinging so high that it would almost turn over. So, daddy had to make it so that it didn’t. And to the right of the picture was one of the seats for my see saw. I am so sorry I don’t have a complete picture of Daddy’s homemade special see saw. It not only went up and down, but around and around. Donnie and I would get spinning so fast that sometimes we would just fall off from being too dizzy!



    Not only would it go up and down it would go around too! This is exactly what my father’s homemade seesaw looked like! (Thanks Captain Steve “Triple Trouble” Howell for always finding me the pictures that I need for my stories!)


    As you all know especially if you are a family with children still at home it is almost “VACATION TIME!” Most of our customers during this time of the year are basically families on vacation. I think it’s great! In fact it has made me start to think about the good times that my father and I had when we went on vacation.


    “Summer of 1958”


    Daddy decided that we would to Silver Spring, which is located in Florida. As we drove our way down the old Highway 17 South he explained what “Silver Springs” was all about. He told me that they had these boats that were made with glass bottoms. My mind raced on with that statement. I wasn’t sure after hearing about that one whether this was going to be fun or not. I had already had a bad experience being able to see what was swimming under me.

    Yep, sea monsters in my view finder!


    I remember this one time while we were visiting Savannah Beach. My father brought me a float very similar to the one shown above. This is the float of which I will never forget. It came complete with a view finder in it. The definition of a view finder in the middle fifties to a child under 10 years old is a simple one. When they made the float they glued a piece of see-through plastic in so that you could lie face down and view what may or may not swim under you. To a child the words “what may be swimming under you” could be critical especially if your mind plays tricks on you. Well my mind wasn’t playing tricks on this day whatever it was, was very big. It knocked me off my float, and then it rubbed its sand paper like skin against my leg.

    The next thing I knew I was grabbed by someone and picked up out of the water. Apparently they saw the whole thing, whatever it was. My next stop was the first aid center, which as I remember was located in the middle of the parking lot. It was a pretty bad of scrape, which certainly did bleed a lot. My father nor did my rescuer ever say exactly what had attacked me. I really didn’t want to think about it. All I can say at this point is that a glass bottom boat wasn’t too appealing to me. At least until daddy told me it was floating in fresh water! Now you know the rest of the story!


    Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
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