Coastal River Charters

How’s the fishing? Pretty good despite strong winds and a lack of rain. Strong winds couple with large tides pushed water much higher than predicted. When fishermen are on the move it likely means they are struggling. Despite challenging conditions some fishermen were able to produce good catches of seatrout and whiting. When when wind and tides abated fishing picked up. Slow moving water due to small tides following the large tides can be challenging. Best action for seatrout is usually when fishermen find clean water and a good drift. This week we’ve caught seatrout on plastics as well as shrimp. Sharks are being to show up. Bonnet head sharks can be found close to their primary food source, blue crabs. When fishermen decide to keep a small shark make sure it’s legal ( 30″ TL). Try to avoid taking large bonnet heads. These are pregnant females. The presence of large bonnet heads is a sign of a healthy environment. Some states are experiencing a decrease in the size of this shark. There are small sharp nose sharks on the sand bars. So far the size remains of the sharp nose are less than two feet. Hopefully as the Spring progresses wel’l see larger sharp noses.

There are reports of glass coming into the sounds just sounds just south of Savannah. Glass minnows are indicator of good fishing. When this bait fish pushes in seatrout, redfish and lady fish will be close behind. This is the time when you can spot terns and ergets working glass minnows and find seatrout and redfish under them.

The whiting bite has been pretty good, not awesome but pretty good. Most of these fish are small 9 ½ or 10 inches with some bigger ones mixed in. One fishermen says he only keeps fish 11 or 12 or bigger. This is a pretty good rule of thumb. Small whiting can be fatally damage when unhooking so use care.

Seatrout are starting to roe up. As seatrout become laden with roe anticipate the bite to shift to the sounds.

The last couple of years seems to have been fair to below average years for cobia. So far there are reports of some nice being caught in the Broad River even in windy conditions. Live eels appear to be the bait of choice.

Bait shrimp is still available in the Savannah area. Usually there are a few weeks during the Spring when shrimp become scare in local bait shops. Maybe this year will be the exception but don’t count on it. Capt. Wild Bill Jarrell says Rayburn of Yellow Bluff development was having difficulty in finding shrimp. Shrimp season for the large boats opened last week. Local boats are still at dock. When fishermen see shrimp boats in the sounds the bait in! Capt. Wendell Harper says, do you fish shrimp boats? Fishing close to shrimp boats can produce a variety of fish. When setting an anchor fish close but definitely not obstructing the shrimper’s course.

Hope this of help! Keep a few seatrout, whiting or flounders when desiring some fish to eat. Always go light on take of reds or preferably release reds for another day.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Looks likes a good year for seatrout! At present not much rain. One benefit that seems to go hand in hand with high salinity is good numbers of seatrout. That being said we still need rain. The seatrout action thus far has been good! Seatrout are starting to roe out. As these fish roe out the bite will shift mainly to the sounds and beach fronts. At present the bite has been scattered. One day in the creeks, another in sounds and the next closer to fresh water. Live shrimp is still available and in good supply (Adams Bait House). Anticipate shrimp to become scare as large roe shrimp move to the sounds.

Despite water temperatures being all over the place from the low sixties to the low seventies. There are small sharks already in the sounds (likely due to high salinity). We’ve caught mostly bonnetheads and small sharpnose and a few cold water sharks. As conditions continue warm up the whiting and shark bite should heat up!

Redfish action has been fair. Catching a few but the action has not been great. As conditions continues to improve and winds subside reds will likely start reappearing in good numbers. During windy conditions redfish are likely present just more difficult to target. It’s more difficult to keep a lure in the strike zone, the fish just aren’t eating or fish have moved to more into more backwater settings . As I’ve said before this one fish that it’s good idea to go light on your take. Keep a few seatrout, flounder or whiting if you desire a few fish to eat.

Strangest catch of week was a short nose sturgeon by Jeff Smith at the Flood Gates. We were bouncing jigs at flood tide around when the fish hit. I thought we had a big old catfish. Then when I saw the tail I thought somehow a shark wondered up river. The sturgeon was quite a surprise. Also caught a few seatrout and a hybrid and red. Fishing upriver wasn’t hot but caught some nice fish.

The best action for last week been seatrout. The bite has been all over: one day in the sound, the next in a creek, the next in a river. It all about conditions. Is there bait and is the water fairly clean? If the answer both of those questions is yes. Then I’m looking for current to stimulate a bite (food chain). The seatrout bite has been good. Roe trout are next year’s crop of fish. That being said seatrout are very prolific. Keeping some should be no big deal (releasing big roe trout is good idea). Always stays with in the limits and encourage your friends to do likewise and support catch and release. I’m reading Tom Manns’ book, Think like a Fish. Tom talks about a fish he caught and put in captivity. His wife named this fish Leroy Brown. The point is was a dominate fish that could only be fooled once and exhibited incredible survival instincts. In our fishing we’re likely to come some Leroy Browns or Big Reds. These fish deserve to be released.

Hope this of help! Capt. Jack McGowan

Fishing has been pretty good! The seatrout have provided the best action. Seatrout can be found in the creeks and rivers. Don Adams, Adams Bait House, has been able to find shrimp south of Savannah. These shrimp are white shrimp that have made it through the winter. Most of these shrimp have been large but subsequent drags have produced smaller shrimp. Super large aren’t a very good bait for trout fishing. Super large shrimp are best for frying up and eating. Anticipate shrimp to become scare in the coming weeks as white shrimp move to the sounds. Brown shrimp will appear around the 1st of June. Seatrout will also take a wide variety of platics. The criteria is often flash. Seatrout are primary sight feeders. Bright colors are usually the best. When in doubt fish a white Berkeky glup bait. Redfish can be found on or around mud flats. A good indicator of when to fish for reds is when bait shows up. High outgoing can be a prime time to target reds as they feed on mullet coming out grass. Another prime time is towards low tide just as the current slows. Hard fast moving water is less fishy for reds. Looks for slower currents, clean water and bait fish.

Last Saturday Capt.”Wild Bill” Jarrell and I fished in the Savannah Redfish Tour (artificial only) Tournament. Lots of fancy go fast boats. Quite a spectacle! I believe there were 41 boats. My understanding is these tournaments are only going to become more popular in the coming years.. I believe about half the boats produced a goose egg. The other half turned in some nice fish. The good news is none of these were killed. We finished 4th with two 23 inch fish weighting 9.37 pounds. Tournaments can and do provide opportunities to reacquaint with old friends and making new friends. As fishing for redfish becomes more popular, practicing catch and release will become important! Encourage your friends to do likewise.

Water is in the mid sixties. Whiting and sharks are in the sounds but a strong southeast wind this week has made fishing around the bars sloppy. When fishermen have ducked out of wind fish can be caught but the bite has only been fair. As conditions continue to improve the whiting/shark bite will heat up!

Good Fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan