Coastal River Charters

Summer has officially started (June 21st)! This is probably no news. Mornings are likely the best time to fish. As the day heats up on shore, hot air raises drawing in a cool sea breeze. A sea breeze is from the east which can churn expose water making fishing difficult. Early morning fishing is often more comfortable and less choppy. Mud flats are holding some reds. Mud flats during the summer are generally more productive on higher water. Seatrout can be found around the beachfront but finding favorable conditions isn’t a given. Some small first year redfish (rat reds) are just large enough to bite hook. Tons of baby black tip sharks in the sounds and rivers as well as tons of bait (menhaden). Capt. Ron Thomas of the Bahia Bleu Marina says the tarpon have not showed up (in numbers) south of Savannah and similarly few tarpon have shown up in local waters. Most fishermen opt to fish the sounds during the summer months and the backwaters during the fall and winter. Strong east winds last week made fishing difficult no matter where you were fishing. On a challenging day one key for success is to find and fish protected water . Fish close to structure and deep during hot conditions.

Bait shops are finding more shrimp but supply is still inconsistent. Shrimp coming the creeks are painfully small almost too small to fish. One fishermen called me today and asked what’s the best bait for his mud minnow trap. Almost anything will work, my favorite bait for a mud minnow trap is a fresh fish carcass (minus the fillets!). If you can find some medium to large mud minnows fish them. Small pogies (3 inches) are great for seatrout. Larger pogies are great for larger reds. When the wind has been from the east fishing has been tough. Best fishing has been in the morning.

Tides look good for the first week of July. Fishing will pick up as storms and low pressure push out!

Hope this of help! Capt. Jack McGowan

Hot temperatures has meant some of inshore has bite has heated up while some has cooled. On the hot side the Herb River has produced some nice seatrout and redfish during the past week. Most notable was a seven pound seatrout caught on an artificial. In general the bite for redfish and seatrout has been a little slow. Water temperature is already near 80 degrees. When temperatures raise try fishing around docks. Docks provide shade, protection and deeper water for fish to hold in. Seatrout are typically thought to be on the beach fronts during the summer but this isn’t only place you’ll find these fish. Deep water creeks will hold pre spawn fish as they fatten for the spawn. It always a good idea to release large roe seatrout. My suggestion keep a couple and release the rest. Shrimp are still scare. As soon as the bait shops catch some bait they quickly selling out. Brown shrimp are in the creeks just not plentiful. The bait situation should improve quickly. Recent rains will likely improve local fishing. Rain water should help balance the salinity and wash needed nutrients into the creeks and rivers. On the down side ample amounts of rain could put a damper on what has been an incredible shark bite. Lots of fresh water dumping into the sounds can drive bait fish and the fish that follow them well offshore. Not to worry, the shark bite will be hot as bait fish push into the sounds! Wassaw sound is an incredible shark fishery due primarily to the lay of the islands and rivers. Those wanting to get their string tightened Wassaw is the place! Bull sharks are primarily on the flats, sharp nose sharks in the holes and along the sand bars, black tips in the gaps along the bars, bonnet and scalloped bonnet heads are mostly found closer to the river system and in muddier water, and occasional great hammer head. Little has been said about the Wassaw shark fishery. Whiting fishermen view sharks as tackle busters. Fishermen looking for aggressive fish with attitude shark fishing should be overlooked! Not only is shark fishing fun; fisherman of any age can get plenty of experience fighting a big fish! Sharks need to handle with care not to hurt yourself or the fish. Releasing sharks is always encourage. If you’re keeping a shark you need to certain your fish is legal (30 inch for small shark composite). My suggestion is have fun with the fish and release it to fight another day.

Last week we had several occasions with two or more fishermen were hooked up at the same time. It can be little crazy when everyone on board is fighting a fish. Keeping lines straight and bait in the water sounds simple but not so when you’re shark fishing. A large black tip will often make a fisherman follow him. We’re fishing relatively light tackle which add to the excitement of an already exciting fish. Shark fishing like most is about the food chain or moving water. I prefer to fish near the sand bars. I think of these bars as the interstate highway for fish. Fish can be dispersed anywhere in the sounds. A sand bars give a reference or a boundary that fish can follow and feed along. Not only do sharks work the sounds and sand bars but so do a variety of other fish. Last weeks some of fish that were caught while fishing the sand bars: summer trout, cobia, blue fish and whiting. When fishing close to the ocean the sentence “you never know” is definitely true. You could hook into a tarpon, a jack or who knows what. I think the fact that you could hook into so many different fish is part of makes fishing the sounds during the summer so much fun!

Thanks again! Hope this of help! Capt. Jack McGowan