Inshore fishing report
Well, I don’t have to tell you that it is the hot time of the year, because it definitely is for sure! When the water is hot, like it is now, fish such as the spotted sea trout, don’t fed the same as they do in cooler water temps. Don’t not go! Just know you might find yourself on the short end of the stick! What does this mean? Lots of spotted sea trout almost legal! But as you know, practicing has it advantages meaning you might just find out a little more about this fish’s bite pattern!


Some really nice flounder are being caught in the sound while using finger mullet as bait. Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters shared with me his prefect flounder catching set up! He uses a standard traditional adjustable float rig. He adjusts the rig so that the bait, which in this case is the finger mullet, bumps the bottom with the aid of the cork. Captain Garrett leaves just enough tightness between the cork and the bait so that the current can still move the float covering more flounder catching possibilities!
As far a bait...


There is plenty of shrimp to be caught while doing a little casting around the mud bars. The best time to give this baiting up a try is when the water leaves the grass. No matter what, the shrimp have got to evacuate from the safety of the grass. Once they leave the grass it game on for the one slinging the cast net.


The other good live bait to use at this time of the year is going to be the finger mullet. These baits can be caught with the cast net and are mostly found schooling in the back of small creeks. If you happen to know where there are some lights around a dock this would be a target rich environment for mullet. Best times to catch schooling finger mullet around a dock light are to be on location one hour before daylight.


What’s the advantage to using live finger mullet as bait?


It is going to attract a larger fish bite. And this type of bait scares off the fetish fish. What is a fetish fish? A fetish fish is a small fish that dismantles your bait one piece at a time. When they are finished removing the eyes, the fins, the scales, this skin, the tentacles, and any other small parts they move on. Finger mullet even on the hook don’t look like bait that a fetish fish should mess with!



Alli DeYoung is holding a shark that was caught using a whiting steak as bait! We have found that croaker fillets and steaks don’t appeal to sharks. I suggest sticking with the whiting, if possible!


Plain old sound fishing!


There is one thing to say about this area and that’s so simple...it seems you can always catch something while plain old bottom fishing with small pieces of shrimp. This past week I took customers sound fishing and we caught assorted sizes of shark, whiting, blue fish, stingray, pinfish, and other biters! And then I took some customers that didn’t do so well due to a sluggish fish bite occurring! However, all the customers decided after catching a few assorted size sharks so close to the beach area that maybe swimming in the ocean was a little over rated!


Artificial Reefs
I got to tell you I have been fishing a long time, as most of you already know, and the fish still shock the heck out of me. The artificial reef whether is less or more than 50 feet of water are holding king/Spanish mackerel and barracuda. But and this is a big but, you can’t always count on the bite. Some days these fish are jumping and staying on the surface and then the next day or within the hour things can change that quick! What does the boil down to in a charter captain’s fishing world? Some days the fish bite and some days they don’t! And I yet, after over 50 years, cannot predict what is going to happen next!


And then of course when the top water fish bite doesn’t materialize everyone including myself wants to give bottom fishing a try. However, the fish that are holding in these areas are very, very small. So if you are making plans to fish the artificial reefs I suggest being prepared with proper tackle to give bottom fishing a trying. We generally especially at this time of the year don’t ever bottom fish at the artificial reefs. There is really not a thing to catch. The bottom line is if the top water bite does not happen, well, your fishing trip could turn into riding trip, but then that is truly fishing and not catching!


Savannah Snapper Banks
In my world especially at this time of the year I suggest if possible to take this trip! And I must ask, “Your boat or mine?” The bottom bite for an assortment of keeper fish such as grouper, lots of fish’s in the snapper families, flounder, banded rudder fish, trigger fish almaco jack, black fish, vermilion snapper as well as other biters is very good! As far as the top water bite we have amberjack, king mackerel, Mahi Mahi, jack crevalle, and cobia. There is lots of catching action to be had. The bottom line is if one type of fish does not bite, well, heck just move on to the next species. When fishing in a 100 feet of water species feed at different times in pecking order like moves. The best news is this area has a lot to offer the fisherman and the fish!
Thanks for reading! Captain Judy














Please meet David and Carol better known as the “Original Flounder Pounders!” Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters took the flounder pounders for a little 4 hours inshore fishing trip and things got real interesting in the catching department! While fishing on the bottom in the sound around a slough that water flows backwards flounder hook up were had. As far as bait, live finger and bu butter-flying fresh dead mullet worked like a charm. Ok...I will try and explain butter-flying fresh dead mullet! See picture below!




Butter flying any size fresh dead fish offers a fish a bait that looks alive but it is not! Here’s an example of a single tail fish being turned into the four tail bait!




While inshore fishing with Captain Garrett Ross of Miss Judy Charters Christian Cucinotta and his father Gene Pennsylvania had a fun catching ball! The action was good and they only wanted to keep a few! What for dinner? Red fish and spotted sea trout with a side taste of mangrove snapper!






While inshore fishing with Captain Robert Brown of Miss Judy Charter the “Leslie Long Fishing Team” had a catching blast! They are showing off their bonnet head shark! Yep, it looks like shark fingers are on the dinner menu tonight!




While inshore fishing with Captain Frank Cullum of Miss Judy Charters Miles Groover Atlanta, Georgia caught this nice spotted sea trout!





From left to right: Green check Corey Dukes Durham NC, yellow Ross Pritchett Roswell Ga, Captain Frank Cullum of Miss Judy Charters, and Blue Miles Groover Atlanta, Georgia


Captain took this trio on an inshore fact finding catching mission! While using live shrimp, fresh dead shrimp parts, frozen finger mullet, and live mud minnows as bait they really tapped into the catching marina! Here’s the impressive list: Bonnet head sharks, spotted sea trout, croaker, pinfish, red fish, flounder, and lady fish!





Ross Pritchett Roswell Ga is showing off his just caught soon to be released bonnet head shark. Who showed him the way? Captain Frank Cullum of Miss Judy Charters



Green check Corey Dukes Durham NC is holding up a nice soon to be part of the dinner men, spotted sea trout, which he caught while inshore fishing with Captain Frank Cullum of Miss Judy Charters!





Please meet Jonathan Smith Atlanta, Georgia he is holding a nice hog nose snapper also known as a white grunt! This fish was caught while plain old bottom fishing with small pieces of cut squid wings in about 100 feet of water! The best news is that when you bottom fish at the Savannah Snapper banks you really never know exactly what type of fish is going to bite your hook! I refer to this trip as the multi species catching trip! Why? When fishing in 100 feet of water fish them fish got lots of color!



From left to right: Becky and Jonathan Brinkley, AR, Tripp Wolfe Savannah Georgia Jonathan Smith and his father T Atlanta, Georgia! Becky is holding a nice genuine red snapper, which will soon be released back to the wild! Everyone else is holding a nice black sea bass! All fish were caught on double hook bottom rigs baited with small pieces of squid and cut fish!



Ty Smith Atlanta, Georgia is holding up to nice trigger fish, which he caught while plain old bottom fishing at the Savannah Snapper Banks!


Thanks for reading! Captain Judy