Fishing has been good for the most part. Nice seatrout in the ICW, sounds and neighboring creeks and rivers. Seatrout prefer clean water and current. When the drift is slow often seatrout can be found well off the structure. More current fish tighter to the grass lines or whatever structure you’re fishing. Capt. Eric Traub reports redfish popping up from Ossabaw to Hilton Head. Eric says the fish he’s finding are in schools of about or ten to twelve fish and skidish. Despite conventional wisdom that redfish are always in shallow water; try fishing well off the structure in deeper water you might be surprised in what you catch! Deeper water is likely a little cooler and more oxygenated. Some black drum being caught. Small drum will often congregate on stumps or fallen trees. Sargassum moved into Warsaw sound around mid week due likely to strong east winds. Any debris on top can fowl fishing line adding one more chore to getting a hookup. As quickly as the weed appeared it is breaking up just as quickly. The bite for small sharks( 3 foot and less) has been slower than usual. Tons of tiny black tips (12″ or so) some two footers but the usual over abundance isn’t there. The bite for small sharks will improve as more bait (pogies) pour into Warsaw sound. Pogies that can normally be found in the sound are well up river. Likely small sharks have followed. Bonnet heads are still numerous. Bonnet heads main diet is blue crabs. What dictates the presence of a species is favorable conditions per Capt. Wild Bill. It’s likely in the coming days conditions will change again and black tips and sharpnose sharks will be in abundance the sounds.
Those fishing shrimp might still have difficulty finding bait. Although the bait situation is improving daily. White shrimp are moving into local waters. White shrimp are still small but recent rains should help give them a boost. Brown shrimp for the most have move out to the sounds. Shrimper are having a difficult time keeping up demand. In the coming weeks shrimp should become plentiful. The shortage is seasonal. Capt. Wild Bill said he had outstanding day on seatrout on mud minnows. Most think of mud minnows as primarily a winter but its also a great summertime bait as well. Lots of trash fish so running through a quart of shrimp isn’t difficult. Seatrout are primarily live bait feeders but occasionally will smack a piece of dead bait. Cajun thunder floats as well as wide variety of poppers will work well doing this time of the year. The only draw back is that a dinner bell draws them all in (sharks, trash fish, etc.). Nonetheless, if seatrout are in the neighborhood a rattle float can be effective!
Tarpon sighting and hook ups are beginning to trickle in. Ricky Duffy said he saw several around Little Tybee. Capt. Eric reported sighting three as well. Brent McCollugh hooked one while trout fishing. Tarpon fishing isn’t hot but it’s starting up! Large sharks around the outer sand bars as well as massive rays. An occasional cobia might seen or hooked around the Warsaw rip, as well as blue fish, mackerel, whiting and sharks.
Tides for this week are in the negative range. Evening tides will build to over 8.1 feet. Tides for this week are not ideal but fishable. Morning mid outgoing tides are tricky to fish. Simply just not enough water for many fishermen to fish most drops. If you have a good flounder hole now is a good time to pull it out. Likely the better fishing will be later in the day. The tides next week will be in the 7 foot and less range likely good fishing!
Hope this of help! Capt. Jack McGowan