The inshore bite continues to surprise those holding the other end of the rod! Since we have not had much of a winter in area water temps have not been very cold. The fact of the matter is the fish have not gone into the hibernation mode during our so called winter season. And as you know neither have those that live above the water line either. So I am going to step out and say, “For those fishing offshore for sheepshead, here’s your sign, because spring time water temps have already started!” Surface water temps have been teeter toddle ring between the high fifties to low sixties. What does this mean? It is my opinion that the sheepshead that usually stay offshore until Mid March have already started advancing to the west. Now there are still a few being caught offshore. And believe me, those isolated spots that have not been fished much can still be holding some strong schools of these fish. However, some of them sheepshead have headed west!

Plain old bottom fishing in the creeks, rivers, and sounds is back!
The whiting bite has not only surfaced in the sounds but also in the creeks and rivers. Best bait for this fish is small pieces of air dried peeled shrimp. How do you fish this sort of bait? On the bottom near the sand bars with a standard old school Carolina type rig made with a small Kahle hook!

Spotted Sea Trout Plight!
Spotted sea trout can be caught in all of the usual spots that you have found them before. The secret in some cases is not only to fish close to the bank, but also the deeper waters on the other side of the boat. What does this mean? The spotted sea trout are staging deep not hibernating while feeding on any small fish or shrimp that are doing the same darn thing. This is where additional adjustable corks really do come into catching play! Best bait as usual is going to be live shrimp and if you can’t get it go for the muds. That would be the favorite cold water bait, which is the mud minnow! Once anchored, the deeper water behind you just might be holding fish. Here’s how to fish it, if you have 12 feet of water deep behind you I suggest setting your fished depth at about 11 feet, which means one foot above the bottom. Don’t worry if the trout are there, you will find out quick fashion! I call this fishing behind the line!


Red Fish and their friends!
For those inshore fishermen that want to look for and catch red fish all you have to do is go to all the same places that you have always fished. And if they are not there, I suggest working the bank looking for feeding or hovering sea birds and porpoises that are staging near a particular bank. Believe me, when I say, “The red fish is very smart when in survival mode. It pick shallow areas to school where it will be safe even long after the water had flooded the area. And the porpoises/dolphin, well, as the tide floods that just pushed their way in hoping for well deserved red fish meal! So therefore to get your best chances at catching a red fish a fisherman needs to become a bird and dolphin WATCHER!

The best bait for the red fish is going to be something that sends a luring scent. What would this be? Here’s your list: Old deep smelly last year’s 2016 shrimp, last year’s frozen finger or cut in steaks mullet, piece of pawn shrimp, chunks of blue crab, and I think you get the point!



While fishing with Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters William Waters fought, caught, and released quite a few red fish! Please meet just one of them!



While fishing with Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters William Waters and his mother Christy Waters fought, caught, and released quite a few red fish! As you can see these two red fish shared a quiet moment before being released back into the wild!



Please meet Major Danielle Diamond stationed at Fort Stewart, her father Richard Diamond Saunderstown, RI and Captain Tommy Williams of Miss Judy Charters. On the cleaning table is the fish that they kept, still swimming in the water are the many fish that they released! Just wanted enough for a late lunch at Fishing Fish Restaurant!


Major Danielle Diamond stationed at Fort Stewart, her parents Richard and Beverly Diamond Saunderstown, RI took an inshore fishing trip with Captain Tommy Williams III of Miss Judy Charters. Major Danielle’s mother, Beverly and I (Captain Judy) both concurred that our hair do’s were way too messed up to pose in this picture!

While inshore fishing with Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters Rebecca and Ches Winn caught some nice red fish and showed some great fish catching smiles.



While inshore bottom fishing with Captain Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters the Kaminsky family fishing team caught a plenty! Please meet the team: Alex age 12, Gabe age 10, and Tanner age 7 and their father Adam Kaminsky Savannah, Georgia. What did they catch? A gaggle of whiting! What does a gaggle mean when it comes to this pile of fish? A gaggle is a flock of geese when not in flight and it’s clear that this is fish not birds. However, it also means a group or aggregation or cluster lacking organization...now you get the picture and my meaning! What did they use for bait? Small pieces of shrimp laced on little bitty hooks!

Captain Kevin Rose of Miss Judy Charters was on a red fish finding mission and so was flipper!



Captain Kevin Rose of Miss Judy Charters reports...
While fishing with Tony Thomason from Monroe Georgia had a great morning on the water. At dawn we got into a nice bunch of trout and had fish on every cast until the Dolphin showed up and it was time to move. The next spot we ran to had a huge school of redfish with tails in the air winking and waving at us. The fish were very skittish and we managed to get a few on bottom rigs before Flipper showed up and put on an amazing strand feeding show. The next school we saw were larger over slot fish and the bottom rig with shrimp or mud minnows did the trick. Weather has been so warm the reds haven't been schooled up much until this week. Check out the redfish with a Dolphin modified tail.


While fishing with Captain Kevin Rose of Miss Judy Charters Tony Thomason Monroe Georgia caught the nice red fish! Check out the redfish with a Dolphin modified tail.

An Offshore Artificial Reef Black Drum Affair!

While fishing at the new shore artificial reefs Ron Neil, Atlanta, Georgia caught his first black drum! What was he using as bait? One eyed two legged Purple back fiddlers!
Artificial Reefs in less than 50 feet of water



As discussed earlier in this report I think that the offshore sheepshead run is ending. And that some of these fish that normally wait until 1st to 2nd week of March to head back west have already started making their move! So I am not positively saying, “All offshore sheepshead fishing is over! However, it’s just that the herd is thinning out!” But then it is almost time for all of this to take place! But this offshore is not completely lost. Jetties, pilings, wreck, and any structure providing vertical feeding will hold the feeding interest of this fish. So while these fish are headed back inshore they got to stop off somewhere and feed. Think about it! Best bait is still going to be the purple back fiddler. And I suggest suspending this bait as close to the structure as possible!
Artificial reefs in more than 50 feet of water

Please meet the fish that Chris Marsengill’s Savannah, Georgia unknown fishing team caught while plain old bottom fishing at the artificial reefs! What do we have here? 106 fillets or 212 pieces or 424 bites of black sea bass and 8 fillets of white grunt. What does this mean? The unknown fishermen had one heck of a fish catching day and a great fish fry that evening! Who cooked? The Chef!

These areas are showing grand signs of feeding life. The black sea bass populations are doing quite well. And the fact of the matter is, is this...if you can get the bait to them they most likely will eat it! After all, the black fish falls under the glutton family feeders list! What does this mean? This fish will eat anything from your bait of cut fish or squid to discarded chicken bones to chewing gum. I think you get the picture! Now to add to this feeding frenzy we have sand perch, ocean perch, flounder, blue fish, white grunt, and etc. After all what can I say, “It’s fishing moving time again?”


To the left of this picture is my custom two hook bottom fishing rig made with electron fish attractors, in the center is just one of the fish that was caught while using this rig, (As you already know there were many fish caught using this design!) And to the far right is Captain Deidra sporting her fish holding smile! What does all of this add up too? Lots of fish attracting, which turned into lots of catching, which turns into lots of fish catching smiles! Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together! For more information: http://www.lifesparkfishingtackle.com/
Savannah Snapper Banks

Vermilion snapper! If you want to catch some nice bottom fish, such as vermilion snapper, white grunt, black sea bass, trigger fish, and porgy, I suggest fishing on some live bottom in 95 feet or more of water. Rumor has it, that if you want to practice some serious “catch and release” the genuine red snapper bite is on the WIDE OPEN MODE!
I always suggest before heading out to check for any fish closures. Please go to http://safmc.net/ for the latest information. However, I have had fishermen tell me that they have hard time roaming this site to get the current information. I suggest and I do this all of the time, to give them a call to get some clarification. Please call ..Phone: 843-571-4366 Toll Free: 866-SAFMC-10

Just to name a few that are currently closed: Genuine red snapper, (closed no season) grouper (opens May 1 2017-December 31, 2017) Cobia (closed for 2017 fishing year)
Gulf Stream Report! From yesterday and for today!

Now here’s an oldie but a darn goodie! This is a customer that I took blue water fishing in the nineties and Captain Ali Young of Miss Judy Charters holding his tuna. Sorry about not knowing the name, so if you recognize yourself please let me know....Here’s what I do remember about this blue water fish day..While making way to my designated trolling spot I had a US navy warship hail me on channel 16. Now he didn’t call me by my boat’s name of Miss Judy Too...The strong voice came over the radio saying, “I am hailing fishing vessel heading 115 degrees making 21 knots, at such and such coordinates, this is the US Navy Warship such and such!” After hearing and looking at my electronics I knew he must be talking to me. I immediately pulled my throttle back and answered, “This is the Miss Judy Too heading 115 degrees please come back!” And then the man said, “This is the US Naval Warship and we just about to fire a live missile, please tuck up next to us!” And I replied, but not before screaming “WHAT!” (To myself!) “Roger!” And then I pulled up close to the warship (why didn’t I take a picture?) they fired the missile off towards the east, and we watched as it disappeared over the horizon. At soon as this took place, the US Navy warship was back on the air saying, “Thanks Ma’am and have a great fishing day!” And with that I replied, “This is the Miss Judy Too Thanks and out!”

Two things happened this day...well, it was the first time that I have ever been addressed as ma’am by a US Navy warship! The second thing was that I never got this suggestion from any of my mates. My mate at the time was Captain Ali Young she suggested to “Get the nets out, let’s find where the missile landed, and just dip up the fish! And all of this happened before 9:00 AM and before we even wet a hook! Proving once again that while out on the ocean you never know what you are going to catch, to see, and to have to run from! In this case catching a fish was secondary to running from a live missile!

Gulf Stream Report
It’s that time of the year where a long boat ride might result in a box full of assorted fish. The bottom line to turning this trip into a catching success is to come to the fish fight prepared. If you are looking for the black fin and Wahoo bite and you don’t find it, don’t worry. I suggest while you are trolling to keep an eye on the fish finder and mark any spots that are holding fishing in the mid to near bottom water column. The reason is your catching options might have to change to jigging or bottom fishing. Another fishing option is to key on ledges and any wrecks, which can be worked both ways by trolling over and bottom fishing on. Any of these areas are basically stopping off feeding zones for all fish. (FZFAF)

I have fishermen ask me all of time, what are the best trolling lures for this time of the year? So I always answer “old school!” What is old school? Cedar plugs, Ilanders (red/burgundy, black hair) with horse ballyhoo, Ilanders Jr with dink ballyhoo, and birds with feathers in tow! Now, high speed planers, with rigged naked ballyhoo pulled 30 feet in tow. For those that are laughing, well, you don’t have to tell anyone you gave any of these old school suggestions a try!