Fishing been good! Tides have been gentle. The bite at times has fast and furious. Most of our action has come on finger mullet and Lindy’s snagless rattle sinker We’ve been tying this sinker directly to our line then adding a piece of fluorocarbon leader. This rig has consistently produced some nice fish. For fish that get gut hooked try using a circle hook or rigging like a fishfinder rig. The bite has been mostly seatrout and redfish. We’ve caught some flounders but likely the best flounder fishing is yet to come. Tarpon are showing up along the sand bars. Bill Bowers, an avid tarpon fisherman, says the tarpon bite is going strong off St. Simons. The thought is tarpon have not shown up in mass in local waters. The best tarpon fishing is usually in August in our waters. Allen from from River Supply reports spanish have been plentiful just not consistent for those wishing to pitch spoons or plugs at them. Small sharks are plentiful on the sandbars so have plenty of bait and tackle with you when whiting fishing.

Bait Situation
Shrimp can vary in size this time of year; one baitshop will have small bait another might have larger baits. My preference is fish larger baits when you have a choice. Use a little common sense. If your shrimp looks a lobster it might be ideal as a crushed bait for redfish.

The Tides and Fishing Strategy
Small tides means not much moving water. Anchor and staying put will often produce fish on days with slow moving water. If the bite doesn’t materialize then hunt your fish. Otherwise stay put and try not to make too much noise in shallow water. Tides are small going into the weekend. These are the tides that fishermen like the best. My preference is for a stronger drift or bigger tides. Small tides are easier to fish. The water is cleaner. On the other hand it’s easier to spook fish in slow moving . Nonetheless, the tides look good and seatrout are on the move. Fish that have been on the beach fronts are moving into the inlets. Keep a few release the rest.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan