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
May 14, 2007
Saltwater Fishing Report
Captain Jack McGowan of Miss Judy Charters "Words of fish Catching Wisdom!"
Plenty of action for the inshore fisherman last week! Sea trout biting in the creeks and rivers as well near the beachfronts! Several sea trout landed in excess of three pounds. Shrimp are in short supply. Some local bait shops are getting Florida shrimp. If you're depending on shrimp, you better call ahead. Mud minnows are a great substitute for shrimp and usually can easily be obtained either from local bait shops or by setting a trap. There were reports of birds feeding on glass minnows. Blue fish were pushing the minnows to the surface. Birds find the minnows and fisherman find the birds. One fisherman said the blue fish action was non-stop and "he can't wait to target them with a fly!" In short lots of action - a dynamic food chain!
Blue Fish
I just had to mention this report since Captain Jack brought it up. We have been seeing lots of blue fish holding on the offshore official reefs. Catching schooling blue fish is a lot of fun on light tackle while using artificial bait. A big "don't worry" goes out to those fishermen that just want to use regular bottom tackle when bottom fishing, because this is a fish that eats all of the time. The fact of the matter is all they do is eat till they are full, "purge themselves," and then start the feeding pattern all over again. The good news is that when they purge themselves, (throw up most stomach contents) they cause their own personal slick. When you make this find any sort of artificial lure that provides action when retrieved will normally work in getting this fish's attention.
Just a note: I (Captain Judy) fished avidly for choppers blues during the nineties. During this time it was a hopeful given that these fish migrated to the artificial reefs located in around 55 feet of water. We called it their "refueling depot!" This deluge of "chopper blues" were here one day and gone the next. The good news is that even thought the migration for this area only lasted a couple of months patterns were definitely formed and remembered by us fishermen. Here are a few things that I discovered in regards to the "good old chopper blues!" When surface schooling these fish always steered towards the left. With that being said, "always present your bait to the left of the school." For this act chopper blues acquired the nickname of "lefty!" If you take a close look you will find that the left eye is normally large than the right. When blue fish are in a feeding frenzy feeding scents of "cucumbers and melons" can be smelled downwind. Thus meaning "follow that smell to the fish!"
We would quite often anchor up current of the Henry Bacon, which is located at the "L Buoy." Chopper blue found what they wanted in the way of food at this spot, because they stay here most of the time. My father came up with a plan in which to get the blue fish's attention. He brought a 50 bag of sinkable freshwater catfish food. The blue fish went crazy trying to eat all that we dumped into the water. The reason we knew is was working was because every time we landed one it was full of "sinkable cat fish food!"
Captain Jack's report continued:
This is looking like a good year for cobia! One Savannah guide: Capt. Greg Davis and Larry Hartenhoff landed five in one outing! Great job! Most of the catches so far have come the Broad River in South Carolina. I say, (Captain Judy) that it's a known fact that once the cobia spread out from Broad River that this is our time for catching and seeing cobia in our area. It has already been reported by many offshore fishermen that some of the big cobia seen in a while have been spotted in the Savannah River Channel. There have been some landings made while bottom fishing at the Savannah Snapper banks.
The redfish bite has been slow. A few good catches, but for the most part redfish has been slow. When the brown shrimp start making their arrival the redfish bite will likely heat up. At present the action on most flats has been slow. There have some good catches in local creeks. Likewise some flounder being caught, but anticipate the flounder to pick as spring progresses. Whiting action has been good. Sharks are becoming plentiful, as temperature raise and salinity remains high.
This past week we received some much-needed rain. It was a slow drenching rain. Rain is critical for a healthy fishery. Rainwater helps to balance the salinity and wash needed nutrients into the system. More rain is needed but thank goodness for the rain we've received. Wind in coastal fishing is a constant factor. The past week it seems as if we've received our share. Despite windy conditions many fishermen found good fish! Sea trout are taking center stage with several large catches and large fish being landed! Keep a few to eat and release the rest! Martha Stewart would say it's not a good thing to load a boat with large roe trout. Keep a few if desired and release rest. These large roe represent next year crop of fish. Keep a few and release the rest - it's a good thing! Thanks Captain Jack!