Inshore Fishing Report!
Surf Fishing at the Georgia Coast is about to get good!
By Glenn Conway
Here’s one of Glenn Conway’s shark catching specials which took place on June 20 2015! Nice lemon shark! Over the last few years Glenn has been our connection to surf fishing off Tybee Island (Savannah Beach, Georgia) He has been nice enough to share some darn good already proven fish catching information, which has already been proven! So all this boils down to is this, “When Glenn writes we all want to read and give it a try!” So here you go……
Surf fishing forecast since to me (Judy) and I am forwarding it to you:
Well Judy, it appears spring is just about here and after what I would describe as a VERY mild winter, we are on the cusp of a new surf fishing season. I have spent my down time completing honey-do's for maximum fishing time credit and tying up plenty of surf rigs. Even spent some hard earned dollars on a new long cast spinning reel and spooled it with 500 yards of good braid to try gain some extra distance for targeting the Pompano. Confidence is high.
Surf water temps. Here locally (Tybee) it seems we have bottomed out at about 49 degrees this year (higher than usual) and that reading lasted for only a short day or two. I've been watching the movement of temps closely the last few weeks and have noticed a change in this year when compared to the last several years. Normally, this time of year the water temps seem to creep slowly upward during warming trends, and then stagnate during cooler trends, but this year seems to be different. I have observed this year that when we go through a normal warming trend the water temps don't creep, instead they jump. What does this mean? Not sure, but I'll speculate, water temps will rise faster than normal this year which will make the window of prime spring fishing come sooner than normal and be shorter in duration. Judy, I don’t even start surf fishing till the water temp passes 65 degrees. Don't think it’s worth it.
Checking out some online fishing forums it seems east central FLA is enjoying some increased surf action with catches of nice Whiting and keeper sized Pompano. Which of course signals the spring run northward has began. Northeast FLA has reported hit or miss catches with decent Whiting and Black Drum with hopes of the Pompano making a showing soon. Southeast FLA is experiencing the annual Blacktip migration northward along with other migratory species.
So, for GA surf fishing, if you ain't ready, you best get ready or you might just miss this year’s run.
Today (2/25) NOAA weather station Fort Pulaski at the mouth of the Savannah River had water temp readings top out at 57.7 degrees. I expect it to drop a degree or two this weekend and shoot past 60 next week. And in about THREE weeks pass that magical 65 degree mark.
Tight lines, Glenn
Inshore Bite
While fishing with Captain Kevin Rose, Colin Cosby caught this nice red fish. Captain Kevin’s bait for the day was mud minnows and watermelon flukes!
The old cold water red fish bite..tips
Red fish on the mud flats especially when the sun has heated them up. The best tide stages are low tide in mid day along with sunny conditions. Best baits are soft bait rigged weed less and mud minnows lipped hooked up small adjustable floats. Another good tip would be for you to be as quiet as you can on your approach to the fishing area. This means from the time you arrive to the time you drop you anchor “quiet” should be the word. It seems that sounds carries much more during the cold water times. Or it might be that since we only have one fish to target sheath is the word!
A few spotted sea trout are taking a swim about. The best baits are small freshwater type trimmed screw tails threaded on to small jigs. I suggest visiting http://jiffyjigs.com/ and ordering some of their screw tails. They have an assortment of great color light tackle jigs and screw tails, which means “set them up any way you like!”
Despite the craziest in regards to weather patterns we do have a surface water-warming trend. Since it has been so cold on and off, the waters have been on the real cool side. I have been watching and the water temperatures are creeping up, which is a sign the maybe springtime situations are taking a little control. Now, I’m not saying that a strong cold front won’t take the temperatures down again I’m saying they are most likely going to bounce back to warmer conditions a whole lot quicker. What the heck in about a month all this business about cold water temperature will be behind us!
And while fishing with Captain Kevin Rose of Miss Judy Charters bites did happen!
Ethan Harris with Captain Kevin
Zorn Rose Captain Kevin’s fish catching son!
David Harris
Artificial Reefs
Sheepshead or Bust!
Kevin Miller and Captain Garrett Ross showing off some really nice Sheepshead!
The Sheepshead bite has been strong at the artificial reefs with the best baits changing from purple back fiddler to mud fiddlers or flats black back fiddlers. However, if you can get any fiddlers I suggest doing so and don’t be picky.
Flounder can be caught while fishing the outskirts of the artificial reefs wreck. The best baits to use are live such as mud minnows or any live fish that you are lucky enough to catch while bottom fishing. However, there isn’t much of a small bait bite offshore so I suggest bringing mud minnows or finger mullet when possible.
Some nice black sea bass were caught while sheepshead fishing the past weekend. The bass hit fiddler crabs, cut fish, shrimp, and squid. These fish were mixed in with the sheepshead schooling over the structure. If you are targeting black sea bass I suggest fishing areas such as pallet ball, convert pipes, and low relief structure. Just keep moving around the structure at the artificial reef until you find the fish. Believe me they are there!
Savannah Snapper Banks Report!
It’s time to take a trip to the Savannah Snapper Banks! Then next question should be “Your boat or mine?”
On the boat Play Hookie!
Wesley, Ashley, Cole and Brooke fished the Savannah Snapper Banks this past week and had catching blast!
Brooke is sporting a big fish catching smile as she shows us that large trophy red fish are still schooling in the offshore waters off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Cole aka “Hollywood” is assisting!
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