Captain Judy Helmey
Miss Judy Charters
"Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!"
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
912 897 4921 or 912 897 3460 fax
www.missjudycharters.com
October 6, 2008
Happy Fish Day!
Saltwater inshore, offshore, blue water fishing report, Freshies Suggestions, and "Little Miss Judy's story! Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
Offshore Bait Report
At first I had to wonder whether or not we were going to have any more offshore live bait for the fishing 2008 season. Well, the answer came yesterday, Tuesday September 30, 2008. The artificial reefs located in around 50 feet of water held the interests of small, medium, and larger baitfish. A couple of days before, when the water was so full of sediment from the continuous strong easterly winds, there wasn't much under water visibility!
So lets talk about now bait times. Yes, we have them, but I have noticed that the bait crop is made up of smaller than larger. While on the subject of size, the smaller ones, it seems are being seriously stalked by those larger fish. I stopped at a rip right before reaching the artificial reef "L Buoy" and it was full of small juvenile baitfish. As the boat drifted in the rip the small fish started using us as their "safe area." There were thousands of these small baitfish. We watched as they rounded up in very tight schools under the Miss Judy Too. When we dropped our gold bait hooks into them they looked, but were much too small to eat. When we dropped down through them we caught some large baitfish, which were a little bigger.
However, they were standard size. After about an hour of messing around with bait too small hovering that were hovering right under the boat we did managed to catch enough baitfish for some serious bottom fishing. I was happy; because I haven't caught many bait fish over the last couple of months.
So off we went to the snapper banks making about 23 knots, because it was "glassy flat calm!" I was happy as I could be! I tried to explain to my customers how lucky that we were and I don't think they totally understood. However, before we got home "the worm turned," meaning it got rough. So therefore they knew it was a bonus weather day for sure! As I made way, thoughts of all the spots that I was going to be able to fish kept my mind in the "already arrived before I got there mode!"
Before I go fishing I go over if not only in my mind my plan for the up coming fish day. I know you must think that because I have been fishing so long that this is not necessary. However, for me it is, because I am always trying to figure out the best spots to fish under conditions handed. Well, this day was "not figured into the previous day equation." So therefore the "the sky was the limit of possible fishing spots to fish!" Believe me I hit about 20 spots on this day. They all produced fish from small too real large. It was a bonus day for sure and this is not a "fish tail!"