Coastal River Charters

Fishing this week has been good! Lots of small sharks (mostly bonnet heads and black tips) and large ladyfish near the sounds. Sharks and ladyfish have been thick! The state record for ladyfish is only 5 lbs.. There are plenty fish in the sounds over this weight.. We weighted one at 4.25 lbs. Ladyfish sometimes called “poor man’s tarpon” can be a challenge to land. Frequent jumps, incredible speed and a tender mouth make thrown hooks common. Those desiring to land these fish need to be to reel fast to keep up this speed demons. A solid hook set is no guarantee of landing this fish. This fish can be a lot of fun but also frustrating if you think you’re dealing with your typical inshore fish. Old timers say catching a ladyfish is a sign of good luck. That’s probably because you need luck to land this fish!

Seatrout action has been good when the water has been clean and sharks and ladyfish haven’t been overwhelming. Best action has around points and in the current. Those fishing at night around dock lights have done well! Redfish action has been good. Some small redfish are already 14″ (legal size). Most are still around 12″, still large enough to hit a plastic. Some larger redfish are on the flats. As temperatures begin to cool, action on tidal mud flats will heat up! The flounder bite has been good near the sounds. Those gigging flounders are typically taking more fish than rod and reel fishermen. Tarpon action appears to picking up but east winds have limited fishing. Nonetheless, there are reports of pogies, tarpon and large black tips on the beachfronts. As August comes to a conclusion this is an excellent time to think about large reds in the surf. Fishermen can target this fish from a boat or the beach. Timing in surf fishing, like all coastal fishing, is critical. Low incoming is a favorite tide to target large reds on outer sand bars. The state redfish limit is five fish per fisherman with a slot limit of 14 to 23 inches. Most redfish in the surf will be larger than 23 inches. It is possible to catch a legal fish surf. A large redfish, channel bass, is big a beautiful fish. It puts up a great fight, makes a great picture and might be responsible for making more fish. What a great fish!

Fishing for the coming week looks a little ify with Ernesto hovering below. Best fishing opportunities will come early in the week before the coast experiences wind and rain from the storm. Tides during the week are less than 7 feet building to 7.2 feet on Saturday. Rain is much needed. Despite good tides fishing opportunities will decrease as we go through the week.

Good Fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan

The seatrout bite has been consistent all summer! Several fishermen who strictly target tarpon during the summer months are fishing for seatrout. The tarpon bite has been fair at best. The seatrout bite has been consistent. Lots of small seatrout and larger fish as well. The pattern appears to be changing from a beachfront pattern to tidal creeks. Seatrout are still carrying roe. Nonetheless, their bellies appear to be flat appearing as if they have partially spawned. The best tarpon fishing is likely still ahead. The bite for small sharks has slowed. The bite for big sharks has heated up! Capt. Tommy Williams has landed several giant bull sharks. Large black tips can also be found around the beachfronts. Joe Thomas landed a large jack while trout fishing in an interior river. More and more jacks are popping up! There are lots of mullet in the rivers and creeks. The water temperature is still in the mid 80′s too hot for an ideal redfish bite but ideal for toothy fish. Mullet jumping out of the water at crazy angle are likely indicating sharks in the area. Bonnet head sharks have been the most numerous. Black tips are also present. It’s not unusual while fishing for seatrout to hook up several bonnet heads. Bonnet heads are usually closer to the structure. Bonnet head sharks often feed on crabs pinning their prey against the mud bank. Black tips are more likely found in the current. Ladyfish are present but thus far we haven’t seen school of this fish. We’re catching a few single here and there. This summer remains to be a good year for flounder! The flounder bite has gotten consistently better since shrimpers were required to place a by catch reduction device on their nets. Small redfish, first year fish, are about 12 inches. Lots of trash fish in the rivers. Schools of pinfish and yellowtail can deplete a quart of shrimp in little time. Those fishing near wrecks have done well on spadefish and spainish as well as few large catches of tripletail.

Tides for the coming week (Aug. 21st. – 27th.) should provide plenty of opportunities for good fishing! The tides the week before last were bigger than predicted. It can happen. Morning tides are softer than afternoon tides. Nonetheless the highest tide afternoon tide is at 7.6 feet well within the “good fishing” range.

Hope this of help! Practice catch and release (particularly for redfish and large roe seatrout)!

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Tides last were higher than predicted. High tides and windy conditions put a damper on fishing. Heavy rains over the weekend were welcomed! Once again we well behind the average rainfall. Salty conditions have likely helped to produce lots of seatrout. Shrimp are very abundant in the creeks and rivers. Finger mullet are schooling in the rivers and creeks just before dawn. Just before dawn is an ideal time to throw a cast net for bait fish. First year redfish are about 12 inches. These fish can be found along oyster bars, docks and other structure on lower tide stages. It’s not unusual to catch several small redfish then hook into a larger fish or seatrout. The word is that this year so far hasn’t been a banner year for tarpon. Those fishing south of Savannah are saying the tarpon bite in just beginning to heat up. Likely the best tarpon fishing in local waters is just ahead! Some jack crevalles are showing up. The shark bite has slowed. Nonetheless there are still plenty of sharks in local waters. On days when the seatrout bite slowed, the flounder picked up. The summer seatrout pattern is changing from a beachfront pattern to a backwater pattern. As bait pushes into rivers seatrout and redfish will follow.

Tides will be subsiding during the coming week. As tides subside fishing conditions will improve. Tides for the latter half of week look more promising.

August is a great month for redfish. It’s also the month to beware of jellyfish! Their sting can be painful. Anchor ropes can pick up particles from a jellyfish that can sting. Care should be taken not to rub in further. When surf fishing wearing long pants can be a good option when jellyfish are present. Large stingrays are in the sounds. At times these large fish can be seen becoming air born likely chasing a bait.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

The days have been hot! Despite the heat fishing has been good particularly in the sounds and around the beach fronts. Best fishing has been before midday. The wind has been consistently out the south (usually a southeast or southwest wind). When winds are forecasted at 5 to 10 knots, you’re likely the wind on the coast 5 to 10 knots stronger. Last week small tides meant slow drifts. When the wind and tide were opposing the drift was poor. Despite small tides and poor drifts several fishermen brought in nice catches of seatrout. Capt. Matt Williams on a Miss Judy’s charter brought in several nice trout. Capt. Matt said the action was consistent and that he could have caught fish on ten other drops! Cliff Avery who fished me on a Miss Judy’s charter last Wednesday said it was best fishing he has experienced. We fished for seatrout. Capt. Rick also reported a good catches of seatrout.

As the day heats up seatrout, large whiting and small sharks can be found in 15 feet or deeper water on the ledges of sandbars. Seatrout action at times can be fast and furious. Seatrout are running in all sizes with most are undersized. Nonetheless, there have been plenty of legal fish as well as large roe trout. In general, the seatrout are in a summer pattern moving from the beach fronts to the sounds. Days with overcast skies and a good drift have been an ideal for trout fishing. Despite a nonchalant attitude displayed by some trout fishermen, this summer has produced some very good trout fishing! If the trout fishing this summer is any indication this fall could produce some good to excellent fishing! Large roe trout are prized for their food value. Nonetheless going light on this fish is only smart. Cliff Avery, said he likes to practice CPR. Cliff said catch, take a picture and release! Cliff I said I’m tracking. The point is that a fisherman doesn’t have to kill every fish they catch to have a good time. Practicing catch and release or keeping a few fish is smart! Fishermen who try to rationalize their fishing by few more fillets are viewing this fishery in the short term. Keeping a few fish no problem. Maximizing your take will likely help create a poor fishery for not only yourself but for future generations. The future of a successful fishery on the Georgia is catch and release (per Spud Woodward Georgia DNR)!

Back to the report. Shrimp are ideal size for fishing! Bait shops should have ample quantities of shrimp. Mud minnows are plentiful. Finger mullet are showing up! When the finger mullet show up redfish wont be far behind! Flounder bite has been pretty good. Nonetheless, this is a tricky fish to catch. The best bite has been on lower water with mud minnows. Spanish are showing on the rips. Pogies,( menhaden), are everywhere one day; the next they can be hard to find. When pogies are difficult to find try fishing other baits: mullet or other small fish. Best fishing has been on the beach fronts and in sounds!

Tides for the coming week are small in the 6 foot range. Should be plenty of opportunities to target seatrout, flounder and redfish. Avoid the heads of creeks until the heat breaks. Fishing the sounds and beach fronts should be fishier and more pleasant fishing!

Hope this of help!

Capt. Jack McGowan