Coastal River Charters

Fishing has been for the most part good! When tides have been small, the current has been slow likewise the bite was slow. For the most part the best seatrout bite has toward high water close to the sounds. Shrimp are still scare. Some bait shops are carrying Florida shrimp: Ray’s at the beach and Adam’s Baitshop in Thunderbolt. The down side to Florida is they are small. The upside is you have bait, it’s hardy and will catch fish. Peanut size menhaden can be seen in thick schools. Having a cast net is a good idea! Small menhaden are another very good bait for seatrout. When fishing a small bait downsize your hooks from a 1/0 or 2/0 to a # 2 or even smaller size. This is also a good time to fish a bleeding bait (red) hooks. Seatrout action can be very good when fishermen “find the fish”. Even when fishing a hot spot timing is everything. Usually a drop will produce for a certain time. Then the bite will slow. Good flounder action in the creeks off the intra coastal waterway on bait and plastics. Mud minnows and finger mullet are great bait for flounders. Flounders will readily eat cut bait such as a chunk of blue fish as well. Typically flounder, black drum and sheepshead bite best on days with small tides. Look for flounder during the lower stages of the tide. Some small brown shrimp in the head of creeks. When throwing cast net in the creeks expect to pick up a lot of mud and trash. Fishermen can cast for shrimp but at present they aren’t plentiful. Usually by the 1st. of June small brown shrimp are plentiful enough for bait shrimpers to make drags.

For those wanting their lines tightened this is excellent time to play with some sharks. Lots of atlantic sharp nose sharks in local waters. Some black tips and bonnet heads present. Male sharp nose sharks are thick.

As May wraps up tide are on the increase. As tides build the bite will build till it reaches a diminishing point. Often fishermen arbitrarily pick a number as the diminishing point. For some fisherman 8 feet is the magic number for others 8.1 or 8.2 or 8.3 or some other number. You can catch fish on tides over 8 feet. We have had outstanding days on tides in the 9 foot range. In general on high tides look for clean water and places with gentler currents.

Hope this of help for the coming week! Practice catch and release!

Good fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

The bite has been good! As Spring tides abated the bite has picked up. The flounder bite is picking up! Generally Memorial day can be thought of as the time when flounder fishing starts. These fish can be caught on mud minnows, shrimp, finger mullet as well plastics and cut bait. The whiting bite is still very good. Lots of sharks in local waters: black tips, atlantic sharp nose, bonnet heads are providing most of the action. Small blue fish and lady fish are also present. Sea trout during the summer are usually around the front side of the barrier islands. Redfish can be found in areas with favorable conditions. As temperature rises look for redfish holding around docks, in deeper water and where bait is present.

Shrimp will be in short supply for the next few weeks. A few bait shops are importing shrimp from Florida: Yellow Bluff Marina and the Tybee Island Baitshop to name two. Adams baitshop is finding some local white shrimp. These shrimp are large and generally more difficult to keep alive. Nonetheless, large shrimp will catch fish. Artificial shrimp can work well under a popping float. Mud minnows are also a good alternative to shrimp. Brown shrimp will start showing up in a few weeks. Until then anticipate bait to be problematic. Bo Bowen owner of Bandy’s is recovering from lung surgery. Bo’s wife Liz has been running the shop. Keep Bo and Liz in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult period.

Fishermen and boaters should check all safety equipment making sure all items are present, in good working, and up to date. A check list of Georgia and federal requirements can be found at most tackle or marine supply stores. Reading the regulations on boating and safety equipment could spare a ticket and perhaps prevent a worst situation. In short the regulations are for the benefit of all who use the resource. One common infraction is calling up porpoises by slapping the hull of your boat. This activity that can put porpoises closer to humans than intended. Reading the regulations and finding what’s legal and be beneficial.

Tides for the remainder of the month look good. Tides will be springing as we head into June. Spring tides are higher tides than normal. As a general statement tides increasing in size over 8 feet become more difficult to fish. Generally tides in the 9 foot range are thought as spring tides. Wind and strong tide can make fishing difficult. When conditions become rough fish lee shores and try to fish spots with wind and tide working together. Tides for the next couple of weeks look good!

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

Fishing has been good! The pattern has been a little fall like in that some fishermen are finding lots of fish while others are struggling. Last week on a couple of occasions the bite was more of a bump than a bite. These light biting fish are usually large roe trout that haven’t move to beach front. The bite has been very good to very slow. The big factor isn’t finding bait and clean water. It’s simply finding the fish. Sea trout are in the sounds and on the inside. The bite is the sound in more traditional bite with sea trout slamming the bait! On the inside the bite has been soft and slow. Slow soft can mean big trout. Large roe are impressive to catch but better yet to catch and release! If the trout fishing thus far is an indicator of the fishing ahead we should have very good year. Sea trout action is taking center stage. Nice redfish can still be found on the flats. Although as things heat up anticipate more shark and toothy fish to appear.

A couple of reports of early season tarpon from Capt. Ray Crawely and Capt. Rick Reynolds. Both have either seen or hooked a tarpon. Large schools of ocean pogies have not shown up. Smaller river pogies can be found. Mullet in the Savannah River as well as in the sounds. The whiting bite has been very good to excellent. We caught a whiting the other day on a new penny jerk worm that was 14 inches. Thinking this was a redfish I put it the live well with another redfish to get a fin clipping for the DNR a little later in the day. To my chagrin one of our reds was a whiting. It was a large whiting! Lots of good reports of nice whiting catches.

Don Adams is finding shrimp. His shrimp are large white shrimp that over wintered (survived the winter). These shrimp look more appropriate for eating but will do fine in catching fish. Trash fish are present. When you get a bite look at what’s missing from you shrimp. This will give a good clue what kind of fish you’re dealing with. Light bite could be a sheepshead, black drum or even a large roe trout. When bits and pieces are taken from the shrimp you’re probably dealing with a bait stealer or as Miss Judy says a “fetish fish”. These are simply small fish that specialize in stealing your bait.

As we head into the first weekend in May we’re heading into Spring tides. The tides are getting progressively larger. Tides will be in the difficult range starting Saturday May 3 through Saturday May 10. This isn’t to say you can’t find fish. In general during for most fishermen the best time to fish on Spring tides is at the top or bottom of the tide. That being said quoting my uncle when is the best time to fish, it’s when you have the time. Hope this of help!

Good fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan 912.441.9930