Coastal River Charters

The weather has been bumpy! Big tides and persistent strong north, northeast, northwest winds have made conditions challenging. It’s possible to catch fish in less than ideal conditions just more problematic. What to look for? First, try fishing protected water. In short get out of the wind. If fishing protected water is not working try putting the wind at your back and fish wind driven grass lines where bait could be pushed in. Redfish are plentiful!. Most of these fish are still a little under sized but some keepers are showing up as well (14 inch Ga size). Large red are on the prowl as well so don’t think all you’re going to catch are small fish. The bait of choice is shrimp. Shrimp are plentiful! Big tides can drive shrimp from the creeks and river into the sounds. Banks that were holding lots of shrimp a week ago can be void of today. River and creeks that have current pulling from two directions are more likely to hold shrimp. River and creeks with a direct flow to the sound are more likely during big tides to be washed out. Persistent winds have created higher than expected tides, holding water and causing conditions to appear more brackish than normal.

Despite challenging conditions good fish can be caught! When low pressure system finally work through fishing should be good. Indications were strong before the fronts. Good catches of large seatrout, tarpon were thick on the outer bars and good redfish action. Those venturing into the wind can catch some nice fish! For seatrout if traditional popping cork rigs don’t work try fishing deeper. Lots of reports of small seatrout. Fish that are almost legal will be keeper size in a few weeks! Black drum bite has been good to excellent. Black drum love wood, so fish dock piling, snags, dead trees anything with wood. Some sheepshead action. Sheepshead can be found close to pilings or hanging on oyster covered points. Both black drum and sheepshead can be a light biting fish. When fishing a shrimp one trick is to tail hook the bait and crush the head. Good whiting action near the sounds when the sounds have been calm enough to fish.

Tides have been unusually high due to strong north, northeast winds. Anticipate big water to remain till fronts work through. Conditions are challenging. Lots of small fish or as Miss Judy would say lots of “fetish fish”. Little fish that specialize in stealing a bait. Just because you’re out of the wind, you’ve found clean water doesn’t meant going catch bigger fish. On one recent trip while waiting before picking up at Miss Judy”s I noticed lots finger mullet working a point. In about three cast I had about four dozen finger mullet. Several were flung off during the day but several enticed a nice fish! A bait fish is a great bait and provide a plus in catching some nice fish. Big seatrout and redfish love finger mullet. A piece of cut mullet is also a great bait!

Hope this of help! Anticipate dicey conditions until fronts work through. If the opportunity avails itself put some finger mullet in your bait well it might save the day!

Good fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Sounds like a familiar refrain: fishing has been good! This week plenty of action with redfish and black drum. Larger fish on cut bait, finger mullet and some shrimp. Smaller redfish on shrimp. Small redfish, this year’s crop, are large enough to eat a plastic and can provide plenty of action. Most of these fish are 13 to 13 ½ inches, still a little under sized for keeping, but lots of fun on light tackle. Ladyfish seem to be everywhere. Again a great fight on light tackle! Most of the black drum are about two pounds. Black drum like sheepshead can be a little tough to clean but tasty! Black drum and sheepshead bite best in slower moving currents. The last couple of weeks catching plenty of black drum with an occasional sheepshead. Black drum are schooling in the rivers as well as in the sounds. When fishing for drum dead shrimp will work fine. The trick is get your bait close to the bottom and be prepared to set your hook at the slightest twitch. Small redfish are hungry so again an early hook set is best. Lots of small seatrout reported being caught this week. A good sign for fall fishing! As of yet not many seatrout have moved upriver. As bait, shrimp, continues to push into local creeks and rivers anticipate seatrout and redfish to follow. The better catches of seatrout have been towards the sounds. The whiting bite is good. Lots of whiting in the sounds. A usual method is to drop anchor slightly off center of a channel, along a sand bar or mud flat and bottom fish. Typically it doesn’t take long to get some bumps. Small sharks as well a variety of small fish are still thick in local waters so having an ample supply bait is a good idea.

When speaking today with Don Adams, owner of Adams Bait Shop, Donny said shrimping is good but it’s a lot like fishing. Shrimp are here today and somewhere else tomorrow. Despite wind, rain and increasing tides Donny has been able to find shrimp. The shrimp are a nice size for fishing! Again having an ample supply of shrimp while fishing is a good idea. Pesky needlefish are present as well yellow tails, croakers and the like. Those who like eating a small fish yellow tails and croakers are excellent eating little fish. Anticipate being kidded if a buddy see you cleaning a small fish but they are good! This year for the first since childhood I ate couple of croakers. Very much reminded me of childhood (the little fish were tasty).

As tides continue to build throughout the week anticipate conditions to be more challenging. Larger tides will mean muddier water with more floating debris. The afternoon low tides during the week are in the positive range possibly mitigating conditions. The tides on Wednesday and Thursday are the highest with a 8.3 and 8.4 feet respectively. As tides builds look for areas with clean water, bait , birds and slower currents. On days with the higher tides focus your fishing on the top or bottom of tide. In muddy water usually you’ll find clean water right against the grass. Try to notice if the water in the grass is muddy if not you can likely catch seatrout and redfish by fishing right against the grass. Small fish can be nuisance. If you’re being overwhelmed by small fish pull anchor and try another spot. Remember fish have tails and just because you caught fish on a drop recently doesn’t mean they are there today. Keep moving you’ll likely find them!

Hope this of help! Capt. Jack McGowan

Fishing has been good up and down the coast! Good catches of seatrout south of Savannah. Good redfish and black drum action in the Savannah area as well as north of Savannah. Some flounder but the flounder bite appears to have slowed. The whiting bite has been good in the rivers around Savannah. Shrimp are plentiful but on the move. Shorelines that are holding plenty of shrimp one day can be empty the next. Typically when a caster find shrimp it only takes a few minutes to boat several quarts. The shrimp are still a little on the small for eating but ideal for fishing. Good schools of mullets can be seen in local creeks and rivers. Mullet are an excellent bait for big seatrout and redfish! When the opportunity avails itself don’t pass up putting a few mullet in your livewell! Seatrout action has been fair with some large trout as well small trout in the mix. Most of the action the past couple of weeks has been with black drum and redfish. Lots of small redfish an inch to half inch under size with a few of this year’s fish already 14 to 15 inches. Good schools of redfish 20 to 29 inches with even reports of a few ocean sized redfish coming into the backwaters. As bait pushes in anticipate the fall bite to heat up! Luckily we on the Georgia coast have missed the brunt of the storms for the past few weeks. Lots of clean water despite higher than normal tides and lots of wind. Fishing has been good with catches in the sounds, in the river and the creeks. Lots of trash fish: pin fish, needle fish, yellow tails to name a few. Having an ample supply of bait when this time of year is a good idea! Live bait, artificials, and cut bait will work. Sometimes a cut bait can produce a better fish than a shrimp. The idea is bigger fish feed on fish. When jig fishing stay in touch with your jig or you’ll leave lots jigs in the fish. Trying to remove a jig from deep inside a seatrout or redfish will result in killing the fish almost every time. Cut your line as close to jig as possible and release the fish. The fish has a much better chance working the jig through its digestive system than yanking it out. When you feel a bump set the hook. Missing a few fish is preferable to leaving lots of jigs in fish. When jig fishing you need to stay on your game. As soon the jig touches the water you need to be prepared to set the hook. The bait can be hot! One trip we caught three redfish with nothing on the jig, not a bait, not a plastic (one of the fish was a keeper). When the bite is on a delayed reaction will mean the fish will swallow the jig down to its crushers. You want to enjoy the fish and treat them as gently as possible. Fish engulfing your jigs means you need to tighten your game.

The bite has been good if not great! Several times we could have loaded the boat. To the credit of the those on board we’ve only taken some that going to be quickly eaten. Seafood is best fresh. Usually once fish or game is in the freezer it’s quickly forgotten. Most inshore trips should be viewed as an adventure rather than loading the boat. Yes catching quality fish is possible but most fish need to be released.

Tides are continuing to build throughout the week but will remain in the good range through the weekend. As tides build seatrout bite will likely pick up. Despite wind and rain fishermen should be able to find plenty of clean water. Redfish, black drum, sheepshead will likely be good. Seatrout action will likely pick up as drifts improve.

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