From Kayaks to your boat or ours!
For those of you that want to do a little inshore fishing in your boat or one of ours this is the time of year where it can be really awarding as well as challenging! So, keeping that in mind, I am going to offer up a few fish catching ideas for this time of the year.

For those fishermen that prefer to do a little fishing from their kayak this would be a great time to give this a try. There is not a thing better than cruising along quietly with a lure in tow (also known as trolling), which works great in regards to locating fish. Another suggestion is anything upright covered with marine life such as barnacles, oysters, mussels, green grass, and etc holds the interest of Sheepshead. A kayak is the perfect boat to move in out of close would be fishing spots.

Now for those that want to fish from a boat meaning theirs or ours this also is good time to stretch the old line. Although we have not had much winter, fish know whether are not the water temperature dictate that they must go into some sort of hibernating zone. After all it is what they do at this time of the year and have done so for years. And since the water has not been getting as cold as it has in years past fish are still going to have some down time.



Spotted sea trout as of January 1, 2016 the Georgia DNR legal to keep is now 14 inches tail length having a bag limit of 15.


During this time of the year the old spotted sea trout looks forward to burrowing down somewhere somehow in the mud. After all they didn’t get their new spring name of mud babies, because they just played in it. Back in older days when we did have a more consistence winter weather patterns spotted sea trout, normally by the end of December along with the shrimp, were looking for a spot to settle in. These spots were normally located in the deeper parts of the areas such as a hole or bottoms of a drop off. The wintering spot normally picked for going into the hibernation mode would have little to no current and should be kind of tucked in. Once a trout picks a spot, it lays stomach to the mud, and wiggles until some sort of suction is created. Now, as I mentioned, shrimp also latch themselves to anything they can and they too, go into a symbolic wintering mode. The fish stayed in the winter mode until the water temperature started warming trend. I have notice and also from getting reports from fishermen that there most likely a chance that trout now do this sort of thing whether winter or not. So if you can’t find the trout where you normally catch them I suggest give you winter time spots a try.

Captain Tommy Williams, Leigh Ann Dowell, Wes Warren, and Captain Stephen Thompson had quite a day “just going fishing!”

Leigh Ann Dowell is holding up a nice red fish that is sporting some very interesting spots! My father always told me that each spot on a red fish indicates the number of times that it had escaped from getting eaten by a porpoise. (Dolphin mammal) Since it seems that each side of the fish can sport different spot patterns taking what my father told me into account, keeps it own score. In this case, Leigh Ann red fish has escaped around 8 times.



Leigh Ann Dowell is holding beautiful spotted sea trout. During the cold times when the water is so clear, the colorings on the fish are too!

Leigh Ann Dowell and Wes Warren are holding nice red fish that couldn’t resist their winter time secret bait.



Saturday January 9, 2016
Brady Bell Bunch Fishing Team fished inshore with Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters

I got to take my fishing hat off to these fishermen. They were nice, made lots of great jokes, picked on each other, and were just happy to go fishing. And all of this took place in the parking before they got on the boat with Captain Matt. Keep in mind that Saturday was one of those days where it was not really cold, but it was very damp and the sun was not shinning. To this fish day you could also add higher than usual tides, muddy water conditions, and raging currents. After loading up in the boat with Captain Matt all were laughing and cutting up! Once they arrived to the fishing spot they started catching red fish. After about 11/2 hours into the 4 hour trip the fog moved in and then it started pouring rain. So they decided to call it day and head back in. They still a great time even after getting a little wet! The joking never stopped and really the only reason they came home early was because it was little drier on land! The bottom line they never complained, they were happy with catching fish or not and they had a great time! All of them said, “Fishing is fishing and catching is always a bonus!” I truly believe that this fishing team would have fun just about anywhere they decided to go fishing or Brady “Hot Stud” Bell holding up a nice red fish, which he caught, fought, and relased!

Randy “Red Fish Catching Man” Gale caught, fought and released another one! Captain Matt found a school of reds and worked them to his and the fishermen advantage!


Artificial Reefs

This is “take a short boat ride to get to the fish” time of the year.

Check out the inside of a sheepshead’s mouth. Their mouth is built with some serious crushing in mind. The front teeth grab its prey and the back crushers seal the eating deal.



The artificial reefs located in 40 to 65 feet of water are holding black sea bass, flounder, Sheepshead, black drum, blue fish, trigger fish, and other bottom biters

Thomas, Nat, and Zack! I took this fishing grandfather, father, and son fishing. I stopped at the first artificial reef, which was the KC Buoy and we bottom fished with squid. For those that like jigging I suggest giving this try. During this time of the year, it seems that the larger black sea black prefer a bait that they don’t have to fight a smaller fish for. And my father always said, “The large the bait the larger the fish!” In some cases this is so very true!

Savannah Snapper Banks
Plenty of Fish and believe me, when I say, “You really never know what you might catch much less see!”

Gulf Stream

A Wahoo has plenty of strong teeth! So now you know why they are sometimes referred to as the “Tail Cutters!” While cruising at speeds of 30 MPH with its mouth in this mode, well, tails can be easily cut off. And what do they do after that? They make a quick turn back and pick up the fresh killed falling spoils! And that is why when you get a Wahoo hit, you had best free spool, because all smart Wahoo know that “No fish can swim without a tail!”



Bottom fishing is Red-Hot! Take the ride, it’s worth it!
For those of you that only like trolling I suggest putting bottom fishing on the back burner. But if the Yahoo Wahoo or the tuna don’t show, well, at least you got catching options.

“Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not!”

I published this story many years ago and sent I just went a oyster-ing so I had to bring it back to life. In this story Dell Bishop, made it back to the dock, but not in his boat. It sunk after a wave consumed it leaving Dell’s only option was to swim for it!

Dell Bishop Story

The first time I meet Mr. Bishop I didn’t. You didn’t read or I didn’t write that last statement wrong. It’s a true one for sure. My father always took his so-called “velvet drive transmissions” when broken to Mr. Bishop for repair. The reason I said, “I didn’t meet him, I didn’t!” Mr. Bishop has a strange set of rules when he worked on something. You dropped it off at this workshop and left. And by the way, what you dropped off had better not been leaking oil, making any sort of mess, or he wouldn’t work on it. When it was fixed word got back to you that it was done. At this time you drove to his house, put the repair funds in the tin can marked “for money,” picked up the now repaired piece, and left as soon as possible.

There is one thing for sure when it came to such dealings as this. Whatever Mr. Bishop fixed, “worked and well!” There was never a question about that! As a small child I just figured “an elf” fixed it or something! Heck, I never saw anyone so therefore it couldn’t be real in the first place at least not to a six year old. At any rate, there are many great entertaining stories that I could tell about Mr. Bishop. I will leave the rest for others. However, there is this one more that I have to share with you.

While waiting for my to-go breakfast from the Sunrise Restaurant the other day I sat down a bit with “Bootsie” Fischer (1933-2011) and Warren Mathieu. As I walked up I heard them both complaining about their eggs. One had too much while the other had too little. I guessed changing plates was out of the question. At any rate, I sat down and the conversation we had was what I as well as anyone else would call “definitely priceless!”

I started out talking about all of the whiting that I had been catching while bottom fishing in front of “Bootsie’s” dock. Both looked up and started explaining why this area was so good for whiting fishing. Here’s the story that they told me….

Apparently one day while collecting oysters in the back marsh Dell had made quite a haul. His 16-foot outboard boat was full to the brim. His boat, according to the story told, wasn’t the only thing “full to the gills.” In this case, I didn’t ask, but alcohol might have been involved.

As Dell made his way back to the dock he encountered what could have been called an “inshore rouge wave!” At least that’s what I am calling it! The wave capsized his boat throwing him into the water. His boat was filled to the gunnels with live oysters and it sank right away along with the old outboard motor-a-running. Dell swam to the Fischer Dock, climbed up on it, and watched as his boat completely disappeared down under. According to the story, there were many attempts to find the sunken vessel. However, it was never found.

Now this brings me back to this day and time. The place that I have been fishing is indeed made up of a big pile of something and it’s holding the interests of some pretty nice fish. However, since all parties searching for the sunken vessel have quit and no one seemed to be interested in its whereabouts there really isn’t any reason to give them the coordinates…what do you think?

Thanks for reading! Captain Judy



2016 Inshore Fishing Clinics

February 20, 2016 Saturday in classroom

$90.00 per person

Continental breakfast and lunch included
Place: Tubby’s Tank House 2909 River Drive, Thunderbolt, Georgia 31404
Time: 8:00 AM till 2:00 PM

February 21, 2016 Sunday on inshore boats in the water
$125.00 per person

Time: 8:00AM till12:00 NOON

Snacks and drinks provided by Captain Judy

Place: Miss Judy Charters dock
202 Wilmington Island Road
Savannah, Georgia 31410