Coastal River Charters

Fishing Last Week
Small sharks are plentiful along sandbars and beach fronts. Jack Crevalles are popping up in local rivers. Wind and rain can muddied waters making fishing conditions difficult. The key to last week’s fishing was finding clean water. Redfish and black drum can be found along oyster rakes and mud flats. Small male seatrout are showing up in local creeks and rivers. Bill Hopkins stated that he saw lots of tarpon although these fish were too shy to take a bait. When currents are slow due to winds and tides competing fishing has been difficult .The easiest time to locate finger mullet is early in the morning just before day light. On days when catching bait difficult: fishing likewise has been more challenging. More and more menhaden in the rivers means jack cravelles are close at hand. Last week I saw two schools of jacks in the Wilmington River (one school at the yacht club). The flounder bite can be good this time of the year. When major a front is about to pass through flounders are likely to bite very slowly. I heard it said once a flounder starts to bite you can light a cigarette by the time the cigarette has burn to the bottom its time to set the hook. This seems ridiculous but is probably right when the flounder bite is slow. Finger mullet is an excellent late summer bait. There tons of so called bait steelers: yellow tails, croakers, small blue fish, pin fish, needle fish and the like. I often tell clients during the summer months not to let a shrimp sit for more than a minuet or two. There are plenty of toothy fish that have mastered the art of steeling your bait, so check your bait often. Finger mullet are little hardier bait and a little more resistant to trash fish. Popping float is often a good idea. Leaders can tangle. Popping a float can attract a fish as well help untangle a leader. . Pop a float gently in shallow water as not to spook the fish. Redfish don’t seem to mind a falling barometer. As long as its not too windy to cast you’re likely to catch redfish. August is regarded as our best month for tarpon!

Tarpon Fishing!
For those of you who have been waiting to do some tarpon fishing, your wait is over! August is usually hottest to target tarpon on the Georgia coast! Like any fishing, fish moving water. Large pogie (menhaden) and mullet are favorite baits. Sandbars and sloughs are likely hot spots. Look for clean water, conditions that aren’t too rough to fish and bait (pogies) . Fishermen usually drift along outer sandbars or anchor up. The trick is to stay close the bait. . Plenty of bait fish is good sign as well catching black tip sharks. It thought that black tips prefer clean water much the same as tarpon. This is an excellent time of the year to tarpon fish! Expect to see biggest fish in late September or even early October.

Tides
Tides are definitely fish-able for the coming (Aug23-29th 2004). Tides are building through the week. Stronger incoming water can likely mean a good seatrout bite. Some fishermen believe the bite picks up as the tides builds. This is a pretty school of though. As we all know tides are just one factor. Wind is another. In general fish clean water and fish a drift.. The bite will likely pick up as the week progresses. When tides reach 8.4 foot on Saturday and Sunday conditions might be more difficult to fish.

Fishing Tip of the Week

Try to plan your fishing when tides are 8.3 feet or less. Bigger tides means faster currents. Strong currents will sweep bait away from fish and muddy waters. Big tides and storms literally suck bait out the local rivers and creeks and into the sounds (much like in the Forrest Gump movie).

Hope this of help! Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Fishing Report Answering Some Questions About Redfish

Not many days will go by when I’m asked a variety of questions about redfish. Hopefully, you’ll find the helpful.

Despite windy conditions fishing has been good! Fishermen finding protected shorelines and bait are often catching fish. Small redfish are plentiful. Often when a fisherman feels a bump when pitching plastic there’s often a small redfish. Small rattle floats are excellent when targeting redfish. Live or dead mullet are an excellent bait favorite for larger redfish. Redfish are usually found close to structure. The rule of thumb is in for redfish, out for seatrout. More redfish are missed because fishermen are too quick on a hook set rather than too slow. In general the faster your bobber or disappears the faster your hook set . When you’re fishing close to the bottom with little or no current a redfish might walk a bait. Let the fish walk your bait. The fish should feel absolutely nothing! Usually a redfish will walk a bait only a few feet. Then your float should vanish. When your float disappears pause slightly then set your hook! Hook sets should be firm. When fighting a redfish the first thing to keep in mind is the fish’s habits. Sharks will seek deep water. Redfish will usually make short powerful runs to any available structure. Drags need to tight enough to power a fish out of close at hand structure. Drags that are too tight will snap leaders on the hook set every time. My preference is 25 pound fluorocarbon. My preference is to fish 30 power pro with a 25 pound leader. You can tie line to line using a uni-knot. I make five wraps with the power pro and three with the fluorocarbon. I know it doesn’t seem like many wraps. This is what works for me. I use another uni for jig or whatever I’m fishing. When tying a superbraid to swivel or a jig go through the eye twice and make another five wrap uni-knot. My favorite rods for redfish are 6-12 pound jigs rods and 8-15 pound spinning rods for float fishing. There are many fine rods on the market. A favorite of mine are Key Largo rods sold by Chuck King of Cranman’s Sporting World. The key to a good rod is action. The rod needs to have plenty of strength and power in the lower third and plenty of flex in the tip. Chuck worked with the owner of Key Largo Rod’s Rick Berry to bring these rods in our area. These are fine rods. A good rod needs to have the proper action, a reasonable price as well as a solid warranty. Key Largo rods have an over the counter life time warranty. Support your local tackle shops.

Back to Fishing
We’re into storm season! Keep in mind what storms are doing regardless of planning to fish or not. Winds that churn waters and slow drifts will make fishing difficult. Fish can still be caught but finding clean water is a must. Fish lee shores. Tides for the coming are not large tides extending the time fishermen can get into and of low water areas. Minimize your noise and you’ll likely catch some nice fish. Redfish, flounder and seatrout are biting. Lots of small trout, not quite keeper size. Redfish are doing well with several reports of fish in the 18 to 27 inch range. The storms for the coming week are big question. Watch and listen to local weather reports!

Capt. Jack McGowan