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
Inshore
The large trout bite is on!
Last week's catching report went like this: Some inshore fishermen reported the bite was better on the incoming while others proclaimed it was best during the out going. All this information boils down to is the fact that when the tide is moving, the fish are biting. This is usually the best time to target the spotted sea trout clan. Some fishermen fished creeks, rivers, sounds, and beachfronts so as to find some sort of bite along with any migrating pattern. The rule of the thumb when "bites are had everywhere" is simple. Looking is probably in your future. Once you find a spot that looks fishy I suggest giving it a good 15 minutes before moving on.
Savannah River Mullet Run
Captain Jack McGowan reported that it had been a long time since he has seen this many mullet in the Savannah River area. According to the report all sizes from finger to the larger ones have been seen in this area. As we talked he explained to me about the jumps that a mullets takes. There is the "happy mullet jump and then there is the unhappy jump. The happy jump is the easiest to explain. As I look at a mullet jump I see a fish that is taking a sincere leap out of the water, but it seems once it makes it to the peak height, it looks like it's frozen in mid air. Firstly I must add, mullet are not streamline like most fish. They have a big head with a body to follow, which abruptly ends sharply. This means in my book that when they do take to the air they reach a point and for a second get suspended into mid air.
When a mullet is jumping to get away from a predator it's certainly is evidence by the way it gets out of the way. Its tail is waving, as it gets airborne. I can only assume that it wants to be ready to escape as soon as it touches back down into the water.
My father loved what I called "Mullet Jumping." We would catch them, clean them, and smoke them. Over the next few weeks I will include in the fishing reports fish tales about my father and mullet. The Little Miss Judy's Believe it or Not!" is located at the end of the fishing report.
Mullet makes great bait. We use it as cut and striped bait. It works on the bottom and when trolling whole fish. We call this trolled bait "split tail mullet," which makes for great offshore rigged baits. When it stripped into small bite size pieces, it offers a smell that brings on a fish bite. Finger mullets make great bait when use as live and whole dead bait. All fish from the inshore to the offshore water love a "mullet snack." With all of the mullet jumping action-taking place in the Savannah River I would think that cast netting could be in you future. After all where you cast might only be a few feet from where you fish. Please don't forget if you are planning on eating part of your bait, when cleaning the fish that you look for and save the mullet's gizzard. Don't panic, believe it or not, but once fried the taste resembles one that was removed from a chicken. I will stop at this point, due to the fact that I am probably lost you with that last statement!
Captain Jack McGowan rule of thumb when it comes to fishing while in the area where "mullets are-a-schooling." According to his experience fish that are feeding on mullet won't readily take smaller bait. So therefore to take advantage of this situation you either have to use the same size mullet or go with some sort of artificial or live bait that is larger. When looking to fish around surface schooling mullet it's best to pick the most prominent school to use as the center of you fishing universe.
There is several ways to target and catch mullet. The first and best is to use a cast net and the second is explained in the story located at the end of report in the "Little Miss Judy's Believe It or Not" section. There is another way and we used to do this when I was a small child. We would take light 4 pound test main line and attach a small almost non-existing "J" style hook. For bait I would take a small piece of bread, ball it up, and stick it on the hook. I remember also using canned biscuit dough. It certainly did stay of the hook better once dropped into the water!
I know that I am probably going to get this subject all messed up, but here goes. Mullet once reaching freshwater have a tendency to desire the taste of salt. I know it sounds crazy, but true. The fact of the matter is that they desire the taste so much that they will seek it out. Here's what you do once you find mullet in a freshwater situation. Firstly, head out to the old "feed and seed" store and purchase yourself a "salt block." Don't panic especially if you aren't near a convenient "Feed and Seed." Most grocery stores carry "mini salt blocks!"
Once acquiring the old salt block I suggest putting it in the water's edge where you have seen the mullet previously. I don't suggest completely submerging the block, but situating it so that the water covers almost ¾ quarters of it. I have covered the whole block, but it works better when it partly exposed to air. Here comes the part you have been waiting for. Mullet will pick up on the salt drift and seek it. Once finding the block the entire school will try to suck it up. So that you will get a visual of what I am trying to say here's what I call a hook to get you there. Picture in your mind one cow licking a salt block. Once getting to this point picture dozens of mullet sucking up to the block while others are trying to push their way in to get a taste. You could call them "miniature cows with removable scales!"