Coastal River Charters

We currently experiencing colder weather than had in recent weeks. Nonetheless even as cold set in there have been good reports of seatrout in the Savannah River as well as around Isle of Hope. Most of the seatrout action has been on jigs. A recent favorite is the 4inch tsunami black mullet pitched under a float or by itself. As the cold persists the seatrout action will slow. Schooling redfish can be found along mud flats. Schooling redfish can give fly fishermen and those pitching jerk worms plenty of opportunities to catch fish in cold water. In cold water redfish will hold sometimes until a boat is almost on top of them. .Fish that aren’t moving can be difficult to spot, fish slowly in cold clear water. Striper action has been good in the Savannah River, at the Flood Gates as well at the Houlihan bridge. Most of the fly action has been on deep sinker fly lines and flies that push a lot water: sar-mul-mac mullet and whistlers are favorites. Fish structure and moving water for stripers. Currents in the Savannah can be treacherous. Opportunities, when the water isn’t moving too fast, to target these fish are usually a couple of hours or less . Best tides are either are one hour either side of the high or low tide. Fishermen desiring top water action for stripers need to be fishing at first or last light. Best action this year has been in the main Savannah River not its tributaries. Many believe the Back River is silting in due to the flood gates. Most of the silting is upriver of the flood gates and though to be changing the water flow and consequently the river is not holding fish like it once did. Others have said the lack of stripers in the Back Rive might be due fresh discharges and ample amounts of rain which deterred the shrimp and hence deterred the stripers.

When seas lay near shore action for action sheepshead has been good. Capt. Bing Phillips has said this earliest sheepshead bite he remember! Capt. Bing says to use a conventional anchor around pallet balls and a mitte mike around metal. Sheepshead action has been good with fish over eight not uncommon.

The CCAGA Coastal Conservation of Georgia is moving ahead with the strongest and largest board it has fielded in recent years. The Peach State Reds Initiative is an ambitious program between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the CCA, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the University of Georgia as well many are coming on board to take the initial steps in a stocking program in Georgia. As Capt. Wendell Harper said if we ever have an emergency or disaster the system will be in place to aid the recovery of this fishery. When asked what is the CCA is doing the Peach State Reds Initiative as well as the fin fish study are of major significance to the inshore fisherman. Support your local CCA chapter!

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

The New Year is upon us! Those who fished over the holiday season were met with cold conditions and surface water reaching as low as 44 degrees. The cold meant fish were driven to deep water in search of more favorable conditions. Suspending fish are difficult to catch. As conditions warmed redfish could be found on mud flats.

Conditions for the past week have more like spring like than winter. Unseasonably mild conditions and gentle winds gave fishermen opportunities to pursue near shore wrecks for sheepshead and sea bass with good success. Warming conditions also brought up seatrout and redfish. Capt. Ray Crawely stated he saw nice schools (10 or so fish in a school) and caught some nice reds arounds local mud flats. Generally the best tide to target these fish is when the water is out of the grass. Dead low tide is usually the toughest time to catch redfish. Once these fish feel a little current they will more likely to eat. Favorite winter baits are a variety of dead baits, plastics and mud minnows. Sheepshead actions has been steady with good action around the jetties and near shore wrecks. Most of these fish are taken on fiddler crabs but will take other baits such as oysters and shrimp. Some fisherman have been known to boil oyster to toughen them up so the sheepshead can’t steal them so easily. My thought is fish fiddler crabs and eat the oyster! Mild conditions will likely mean the bite will likely improve. Stripers which have been suspending will come up and should be more active as well!

Tides are building on Sunday the 9th to 8.2ft and rising. Tides will be below 8ft on Wednesday the 13th. Expect the better fishing from Wednesday through the weekend. Big tides can make bottom fishing more difficult as well as dirty water and produce drifts that are faster and less than ideal to fish. Best tides are usually those less than 8.3ft.

With all of this great weather fishermen should wet a line for some winter fishing! No live shrimp doesn’t mean no fishing. Fish more plastics. Plastics can out produce bait on many days. For those desiring to fish bait mud minnows will work just fine!

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan