Inshore Fishing Report Aug 23, 2004

By | August 23, 2004

Fishing Last Week
Small sharks are plentiful along sandbars and beach fronts. Jack Crevalles are popping up in local rivers. Wind and rain can muddied waters making fishing conditions difficult. The key to last week’s fishing was finding clean water. Redfish and black drum can be found along oyster rakes and mud flats. Small male seatrout are showing up in local creeks and rivers. Bill Hopkins stated that he saw lots of tarpon although these fish were too shy to take a bait. When currents are slow due to winds and tides competing fishing has been difficult .The easiest time to locate finger mullet is early in the morning just before day light. On days when catching bait difficult: fishing likewise has been more challenging. More and more menhaden in the rivers means jack cravelles are close at hand. Last week I saw two schools of jacks in the Wilmington River (one school at the yacht club). The flounder bite can be good this time of the year. When major a front is about to pass through flounders are likely to bite very slowly. I heard it said once a flounder starts to bite you can light a cigarette by the time the cigarette has burn to the bottom its time to set the hook. This seems ridiculous but is probably right when the flounder bite is slow. Finger mullet is an excellent late summer bait. There tons of so called bait steelers: yellow tails, croakers, small blue fish, pin fish, needle fish and the like. I often tell clients during the summer months not to let a shrimp sit for more than a minuet or two. There are plenty of toothy fish that have mastered the art of steeling your bait, so check your bait often. Finger mullet are little hardier bait and a little more resistant to trash fish. Popping float is often a good idea. Leaders can tangle. Popping a float can attract a fish as well help untangle a leader. . Pop a float gently in shallow water as not to spook the fish. Redfish don’t seem to mind a falling barometer. As long as its not too windy to cast you’re likely to catch redfish. August is regarded as our best month for tarpon!

Tarpon Fishing!
For those of you who have been waiting to do some tarpon fishing, your wait is over! August is usually hottest to target tarpon on the Georgia coast! Like any fishing, fish moving water. Large pogie (menhaden) and mullet are favorite baits. Sandbars and sloughs are likely hot spots. Look for clean water, conditions that aren’t too rough to fish and bait (pogies) . Fishermen usually drift along outer sandbars or anchor up. The trick is to stay close the bait. . Plenty of bait fish is good sign as well catching black tip sharks. It thought that black tips prefer clean water much the same as tarpon. This is an excellent time of the year to tarpon fish! Expect to see biggest fish in late September or even early October.

Tides
Tides are definitely fish-able for the coming (Aug23-29th 2004). Tides are building through the week. Stronger incoming water can likely mean a good seatrout bite. Some fishermen believe the bite picks up as the tides builds. This is a pretty school of though. As we all know tides are just one factor. Wind is another. In general fish clean water and fish a drift.. The bite will likely pick up as the week progresses. When tides reach 8.4 foot on Saturday and Sunday conditions might be more difficult to fish.

Fishing Tip of the Week

Try to plan your fishing when tides are 8.3 feet or less. Bigger tides means faster currents. Strong currents will sweep bait away from fish and muddy waters. Big tides and storms literally suck bait out the local rivers and creeks and into the sounds (much like in the Forrest Gump movie).

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