Jan 02, 2009

By | January 2, 2009

Hard to believe 2009 is already here! The weather has been see sawing: cold fronts followed by unseasonably mild weather. On the whole not bad. Mild temperatures mean no fish kills and bait, shrimp, is available (at Adams). The bite in recent days has been primarily in the sounds, beach fronts creeks and sloughs. Storms that crossed northern Georgia dumped large amounts of rain which in turn flowed to the coast. The Savannah River system normally offers a strong winter fishery is off while rain water dissipates. Fishing will heat up in the Savannah River system as salinity rises. For now the best fishing has been in near the sounds. Inshore sheepshead and black drum bite is still on! Many fisherman have said and are saying this appears to be one of the strongest year for black drum. When the seatrout and redfish bite is slow sheepshead and black drum can provide plenty of bites and some quality fish!

Despite challenging conditions during winter it is possible to catch some nice fish! One fisherman today reported catching lots of redfish and seatrout. These fish can be waded up! A big catch one day can produce little or nothing the next. The best fishing has been towards the sounds. Those trolling plastics are doing well in the intra coastal. Nonetheless, fishing is fishing, one fisherman said he caught twenty nice seatrout while his fishing companion caught only two. That’s just the peculiarity of any given day. The short of this report is there are good fish to be found! Even fishing an ideal drop on an ideal tide could produce a bunch or a bust. When seatrout and redfish can’t be located fishing for sheepshead and black drum is an alternative that can likely provide lots of bites as well as quality fish. When fishing for sheepshead around heavy structure a drop shot can work well. Likely hot spots for sheepshead are close to rocks, fallen trees, dock and bridge pilings . Check your bait often. This is not the type of fishing where your bait will have to soak for half an hour. Typically the bite is within a matter of seconds. During the winter one day can perfectly suited for pitching artificials or a fly on the flats for redfish. While another day could provide a good seatrout bite. Yet another day is more aptly suited for sheepshead and black drum. The sounds are filling with mergansers, a migratory sea duck. Cormorants can be seen swimming in the rivers in search of bait fish. Egrets can be seen standing along marshy bank waiting for an unsuspecting minnow. Porpoises are in search of red drum; the main stay of their winter time diet. There are fewer boats are on the water. Most are fishing for sheepshead. Some are just taking winter jaunt. Winter fishing while mercurial can still fun and rewarding. Anticipate the best bite on mild sunny days.

Hope this of help! Hope to see you out there! Be sure to catch at least one of Miss Judy’s two Inshore Seminars this winter!

Good Fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan