If you would like to purchase some blue crabs please give Bob and Diane Lowery a call at 912 656 6350!
Please meet Bob and Diane Lowery (912 656 6350) Savannah’s own “Crab Whisperers!” This husband/wife team has been in the commercial crabbing business in Savannah Georgia for many years. As far as being knowledgeable they certainly are! Their great catches prove it! They know where the crabs are headed before they arrived! According to Bob it is all about water temperature and time of year. He knows exactly where the crabs walk, where, when, and what they are going to do when they get there!
The first of the week proved interesting the inshore fishing department. The winds were howling and the water was muddy! However, Captain Matt Williams went anyway!
Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters
Please meet Peter Clarke! He is holding a nice cold water red fish that he caught while fishing with Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters. On this particular inshore fish day the winds were howling and showed no signs of stopping during this scheduled trip. However, Peter said, “Let just go and see what happens!” With the sun shining and the winds howling a few bites did happen! Just goes to show you that if you don’t go you certainly won’t know!
It looks like the month of February is going to hold our coldest water temperatures!
Where the unusual become the usual
During this time and now that we are having some winter time conditions the inshore fish bite is a little on one day and off the other. There is one fish especially at this time of the year that definitely feeds in a pattern. The old cold water loving red fish is the one that I am talking about. To understand how this fish feeds it going to be the secret to unlocking its cold water bite. The red fish during cold water times, especially when the easy baits to digest quickly are not around, such as shrimp this fish has to eat what it can, when it can, and all it can. This is most likely where the term “tails up heads down or tailing reds” was most likely born. It is a true fact that when a red fish sticks its head down its tail comes up. The tail provides the force that pushes it and keeps its head near the bottom. I call this the rooting time of the year for the red fish. They love anything wrapped in a shell that fits in their mouth and can go down the hatch crushed or not! And to find this food they have to do quite a bit of rooting!
Photo by Captain Judy Helmey
This is what we found when we opened up one of the winter time red fish that we kept. The stomach was so packed with crab’s parts that I could only imagine that the fish was uncomfortable. As soon as we opened the red fish’s stomach undigested shell parts fell out! We found shrimp pieces, whole small clams, blue crab parts, and fiddler parts in all different sizes and shapes. It still amazes me that this fish took our bait offering with its stomach so packed! It goes to show you some of these fish will eat at any time especially when something such as your bait comes into to view.
Unlocking the feeding code!
Inshore fishermen that get the opportunity to fish all and any of the time are most likely the ones that can crack a red fish’s feeding code. Over the years of much winter time fishing we have found that a red fish once it finds a place to bulk up that this is exactly what they will do. Keeping in mind that last statement, we believe that once a red fish school does it bulking up thing that they have to rest and wait for their digestive system to do its job. And that is what most of them do….however, if you think like a fish you can get a red’s attention “full stomach or not!” Let’s say you have been working a school of red fish, which have pretty much stayed in the same area for a week. While they are staging we know that they are eating as much as they can. So let’s assume that their stomachs are completely full. Then I suggest using a fluke rigged weed less. As far as working this lure, I suggest casting into place, letting it fall to the bottom, and then retrieve using a series of light jerks and twitches. Working a lure in this fashion causes a lure to provide a small most visible to the red fish mud storm. Anything that moves right on top or near a muddy bottom causing a mud storm and a red fish knows this sign. By using this suggestion the red fish is not hitting your lure because it is hungry. It is hitting it because you have triggered the bite!
Photo by Captain Matt Williams
Now let’s assume that their stomachs are not full and that they are still putting on a heavy fed bag. Then I suggest using mullet steaks, finger mullet, fiddler crabs, pawn shrimp chunks, or blue crab parts as bait. These baits work great when casted right into the considered feeding zone. Once the bait is placed I suggest letting it “soak and sit” right on the bottom. The scent that these baits put out most likely will bring the bite to you. I don’t suggest holding your rod as you would normally do any other time. I suggest laying the rod down while pointing it as directly as you can to your bait, set your reel on a light drag, engage clicker, and try not to grab it when the clicker clicks! And give them time to eat before you pick your rod up! I know this is a hard suggestion and that most fishermen will not be able to do this, but please still try!
Offshore Trophy Red Fish!
What bites a Whoop Ass Jig? Just about everything that swims!
http://www.nutsandboltsfishing.com
After using the Whoop Ass Series of jigs I realized just how Captain Cefus must have come up with this name. Add the reason, I think, if you want to kick some fish tails I suggest purchasing yourself some Whoop Ass Jigs!
Fishing rips and artificial bottom with artificial baits for trophy red fish
This is a jig that I have used for many catching seasons. It comes in many different sizes and colors fitting nicely with any rod/reel set up that you care to use. Yes, size and weight sometimes matters. (Stock up now!) http://www.nutsandboltsfishing.com/c...tackle-company
This jig works with or without an added screw or paddle tail. The fact of the matter is you can tip it with a piece of squid or cut fish. When fishing offshore I prefer using a 3 ounce (blue/white or green/white hair) Whoop ass jig, because it works. Before you go to thinking that this is an advertisement to get you to purchase these jigs, it is not. I like writing about baits that have been proven. And I can say for sure that this jig has been proven, because I have caught all types of fish from cobia to black sea bass to trophy red fish to sharks to amberjack to grouper. My friend, Captain Cefus McRae along with his trusted wonder dog Buck (http://www.nutsandboltsfishing.com) has perfected this jig as well as many others. I suggest checking out his web site and ordering some now, because the 2016 fishing season is upon us!
Amberjack with a mouth full of Whoop Ass Jig!
Normally sharks don’t usually get too excited about a jig. However, in this case it did, we hooked up, and a long strong fight ensued!
While jigging with a 3 ounce blue white Whoop Ass jig rigged with a 4 inch white eel better known as cobia candy eels trailers…I hooked up this nice cobia! http://www.nutsandboltsfishing.com/c...bia-candy-eels
Captain Steve “Triple Trouble” Howell while making signature jigging moves caught this nice black sea bass! Proving once again that this jig works!
Terrell Gooding while jigging with a Whoop Ass jig bites happened! This gag grouper did what just any fish would do when presented with bait like this that triggers a hit!
Savannah Snapper Banks
Yes it is time to go, but only if you want to catch fish!
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