More bait means more fish!
Conditions are warming up on the coast! We are seeing more bait beginning to push in. Some cold water sharks are still around. The first sharks to arrive and last to leave in local waters are bonnetheads. Bonnetheads are starting to show up. Seatrout which up to late have been scarce are showing up as well! Seatrout and blues can be seen crashing small bait fish. As warming continues and salinity levels are in a more typical range. The bite should be heating up. Seatrout are starting to bite! Some of female seatrout are already full of roe and ready to spawn. The whiting bite has been good with most of these fish taken on shrimp or combination of shrimp and cut bait. Redfish action while not hot can still provide good action. Redfish can be found upriver, in the heads of creeks and near shell rakes in local rivers. Shell rakes close to deep water often are some of the most productive areas.
We started this spring with a slow start. Mostly credited to a cold winter. The bite was primarily redfish and sheepshead. The sheepshead bite is slowing as more bait and other fish push in. Fishermen will be targeting other fish inaddtition to sheepshead. The seatrout will likely continue to heat up in the coming days and weeks. Whiting although not a sizable is still a fun fish to go for when other species are scarce or you are simply just catching whiting. If you’re catching whiting while trout fishing its probably time to fish for whiting.
Some local bait shops are finding shrimp south of Savannah. This is typical pattern for Savannah. As conditions warm shrimp and other bait will be more abundant in local waters. For now no local shrimp but some local shops are carrying shrimp.
Fishing forecast should be on the upswing as conditions warm! Keep what you want to eat and release the rest!
Hope this of interest and help!
Fish On!
Capt. Jack McGowan