JEKYLL & ST. SIMONS ISLANDS FISHING REPORT
By Captain Vernon Reynolds
HELLO GUYS, THIS WILL BE MY LAST SCHUDLED REPORT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I WILL BEGIN THE 2010 SEASON THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH. I MAY POST SPECIAL REPORTS FROM TIME TO TIME DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT HAS BEEN GREAT WORKING WITH YOU ALL AND I AM LOOKING FROWARD TO NEXT YEAR. IF I CAN HELP YOU IN ANY WAY JUST LET ME KNOW. HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is barely a month away. Tridatationally the Sea Trout turn on around Thanksgiving and this year is no different. Captain Eric Moody had a good mess of Trout a few days before Thanksgiving taken on live shrimp and jigs fished under a float. I and a friend had 12 good Trout the day after Thanksgiving taken on live shrimp fished under a cork. Captain Larry Davis and his friend Lenard caught 28 Trout up to four pounds the Monday after Thanksgiving taken on trolled jigs. David Capps caught 31 Trout casting jigs off a private dock in Fernandina December sixth. Most anglers reported good catches of Trout until the high tides hit the first of December. It is not that there is no fish taken on the Moon tides but that one out of 15 or 20 boats will have a good catch. The tides moved back into the fishable range December 6 and will remain so until the end of the month.
Winter Trout fishing implies trolling and casting jigs. Trolling is a fun fishing method and it can produce lots of fish in a short period of time. Trolling involves slowly moving the boat along with the motor, slowly being the operative word, while pulling two to six jigs behind the boat. Trout are in an aggressive feeding mode this time of the year and will strike anything that resembles a meal. Most anglers start the day trolling with the jigs bouncing off the bottom every 30 or 40 feet. If this speed is not effective speed up just a little, this keeps the lure off the bottom as it becomes a swimming bait. Keep varying the speed until fish begin to hit the bait. Most fisherman troll along the bank where there is more structure such as oyster bars, ballast rock piles and dock pilings. If you can find such structure off the bank with your depth finder it is well worth fishing. Depending on such things as water temperature, salinity and clarity Trout may well prefer deeper water.
Trout can also be taken by casting and retrieving jigs either from the bank, an anchored boat or a boat powered by a trolling motor. I like the boat moving, you cover more water, allowing yourself to find more fish, and the view changes. Just being on the water is a thing unto itself and seeing what nature has to offer is one of the main pleasures of any outdoor activity.
Jig heads, the metal part with the hook come in several colors and sizes. Red, white and chartreuse are the most popular colors. One quarter to one half ounce sizes work well. The deeper the water the heaver the Jig head. Jig tails are a different thing. They come in numerous colors, sizes and shapes. I like the curly tails or the paddle tails for the most part. Two to four inch jig tails seem to work well for me, but I really like Berkley's five inch Gulp Alive Crazy Legs Jerk Shad too. What color is the question? Some of the proven ones from Berkley and Saltwater Assassin (the two top manufacturers) are New Penny, Space Guppy, Chartreuse Pepper Neon, Opening Night, Candy Corn, Glass Minnow and Electric Chicken. These are but a few to choose from. The D.O.A. shrimp is also effective bait when cast and retrieved.
Coastal Expeditions is owned and operated by Captains Eric Moody and Vernon Reynolds. For more information or to book a charter contacts us at www.coastalcharterfishing.com or call (912)265-0392.
Do yourself a favor, take a kid fishing.