Miss Judy Charters
Captain Judy Helmey
"Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!"
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
912 897 4921 or 912 897 3460 fax
www.missjudycharters.com
August 6, 2007
Captain Judy's Saltwater Fishing Report
Which includes:
Inshore report, Offshore Report, Freshies Suggestions, and "Little Miss Judy's Believe It or Not!" (Story)
Inshore Fishing Report Straight from Captain Jack
McGowan's helm!
Fishing has been good! Sea trout and flounder have provided the best action! Female sea trout are still loaded with roe. Most of the bite is close to sounds and beachfronts. The best time to fish for sea trout during is usually early in the morning or during the evening. Sea trout love current. The most dynamic action is often where there is clean water, current and bait. Given these conditions the sea trout bite can be dynamic. Porpoises and sharks can adversely impact on sea trout fishing. When predator fish are present try fishing closer to the structure. It's likely you can still catch some quality fish by making some anchoring adjustments. We're catching most of our fish on live shrimp. There are lots small fish out there so take plenty of bait with you.
For past couple of weeks I've had to take a "double shot" of bait. Double what you would normally expect to fish. My preference is to fish bait not too large or too small. Bait that is just right. Granted a nice flounder or sea trout will take small bait. On the other hand it's all about energy. How much of payoff will the fish receive if it goes for your bait? For a quality fish, fish quality bait.
The standard way to hook a shrimp is to run the hook just under the horn, in front of the larger black spot and behind the small black spot not touching either. For bait that is particularly frisky try putting a small spilt shot on leader to make it easier for a fish to target your bait. Usually when you see your shrimp dancing on top of the water it will be followed by a nice bite. There are lots of small fish around so a dancing shrimp might simply be your shrimp trying to evade a small one.
Rayburn Goodman, of the Yellow Bluff Marina community, says shrimp in his area have been scarce. Fishermen are catching fish but finding shrimp is another matter. Locally, in Savannah, we are fairing much better. Don Adams, of Adams Bait House, is finding shrimp. Don's brother Jimmy says after recent rains the shrimp are growing quickly.
The recent pattern has been sea trout towards the top and bottom of the tide. When current has slowed the flounder bite has picked up. Larger reds have feeding during the last of incoming and the first of outgoing. Tides will be building this week to 7.7 feet on Sunday August 5th. Larger tides will mean stronger currents setting up less opportunity for flounders. When fishing stronger currents target sea trout until currents subside. Large whiting (12 inch and larger) can be found on the sandbars as well as lots of bonnet head sharks. Bonnet heads are very abundant up and down our coast. These shark main diets consist mainly of shrimp and crabs. It's not unusual to see a crab swimming by get nailed by a bonnet head. Bonnet head will work sandbars and oyster-encrusted points that bait is passing over. A large pregnant female bonnet head is likely over three and half feet and thick. They can provide a nice tussle on light tackle. Don't anticipate a great sea trout if bonnet head are numerous. Black tips and other predator species can be found along the rips.
Most of the menhaden has been further off the beachfront. Likewise most of tarpon and jacks that have been seen or caught have been on outer sand bars to near shore wrecks. Tides for the coming week are building. Nonetheless, high tides will be less than 8 feet with slightly negative tides on Saturday and Sunday. Overall tides look fishy! Afternoon pop up storms is always a possibility for best chances of success during the summer fish the early morning hours. Hope this of help! Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan
Miss Judy Charters