Coastal River Charters – Inshore Fishing Report

2007 |2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
Dec. 15, 2004

Seatrout
Just bumped into Dewey Mosher, Dewey said he has been experiencing some of the best trout fishing he can remember! This is a strong statement spoken from a local who has grown up fishing local waters. Dewey reported running into different schools of trout in the Bull River, Back River and in various cuts. When asked what was his secret his reply was pitching plastics. Bait is good but sometimes plastics can be better. Matt Bauman of Matt’s Mobile Marine reported excellent trout action in about seven to eight of water. Matt’s fish came on 8.6 ft tides pretty impressive! Capt. Eric Traub said like most fishermen he catching trout but most are small. The prospect is next has the potential for a bumper trout provided there isn’t a kill off this winter. With temperature dipping below freezing shrimp will be more difficult to come by. Artificials, finger mullet and mud minnows will become the standard for fishing in coming weeks. I talked Chuck, Cransman manager, into taking a day off. We struggled for the first couple of hours then got into a great trout bite close to the sound. When trout are pulling like redfish the bite is on! Cold temperatures can turn a hot trout bite into a very subtle one. On days with a subtle bite fish slow, use jigs. Often as the day heat up the bite will heat as well.

Redfish
Can be found near mudflat warming themselves on low water. Jerk baits are very effective in snatching skinny water redfish. Some fish are still being caught around pilings and docks but as bait becomes scare look for these fish around flats. Monday Dec. 13th the DNR held at meeting discussing redfish stocking in Georgia. Experts from Florida and South Carolina were brought in. The bottom line is there is currently a proposed Peach State Reds Initiative which would begin stocking fish in Warsaw Sound by Nov. 2006. These fish would be of legal by 2007. Approximately 250 fingerlings per acre would be released. Increased awareness will no doubt mean more fishing pressure. Spud stated the future of our fishery depends on habit, getting enough fresh water and anglers voluntarily releasing fish. Stricter limits don’t appear on the horizon. Again catch and release and or limiting ones only makes sense.

Striper
Stripers action should be heating up as temperatures fall! When stripers are on the move they appear to be every where then gone. The striper bite at has been inconsistent but will no doubt pick up. Big fish travel late so expect the biggest fish when temperatures drop.

Forecast
As tides recede and hopefully temperatures warm fishing should likely pick up during the coming week. Don’t forget sheepshead during this time of the year. We caught a 7 pounder on a jig with a shrimp. Getting to be sheepshead time! As long as the cold does not persist fishing will likely pick up. Expect to see schooling redfish on the mudflats. These fish can be lethargic in cold water making it easier to get with in casting distance.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Dec. 5, 2004

Changing Conditions
Just wait a little bit and conditions will change! This week was a good example of changing conditions. Water temperature has dropped to the mid 50's, tides were in the six foot range over the week end resulting extremely clear water. Clear water and small tides sounds great but when I asked Jimmy at Adams Bait Shop how's the fishing? His reply was some catching them others aren't. The difference is the clear water. Those who are catching fish are adjusting to the clear slow moving water.

What Works
First of all notice number of "old timers" who are trolling. There are several small boats trolling plastics grubs for seatrout. Trolling will work. The preferred color is chartreuse. Although in clear water the more natural colors are preferred as well as reds and yellows. Pitching plastic will work. Remember to retrieve slowly when the bite is slow. Float rigs will work but you'll likely have better success with smaller floats and longer lighter leaders. I use fluorocarbon day in and day out. Clear water is a good to give fluorocarbon a chance if you not fishing it already. Capt. Ray Crawely says don't in such a hurry to move. Give the area fishing more of chance. Moving to another will likely produce the same results. Bites that are extremely slow or soft are indication you're around fish. Fish lighter tackle and fish slower. As the day warms up the bite will likely pick up. Until then work with what you have. A frisking live bait will entice most fish. Have patience, you'll be surprise at the bites you'll have when you adjust to the clearer, colder water. Saturday our action was almost non stop. The bites were slow. Several times a fish simple bumped a bait, held the bait for several seconds before committing. The bite was a winter bite. The fishing was good but fish were scattered. On days with little or no current the fish are not as likely to concentrate. Slow drift days always remind me of redfish. But this isn't always the case. Seatrout are still plentiful with lots of fish in the two pound range still in local waters. Slow drifts are usually thought of as the best days for fishing. They can be but you'll have to adjust to catch fish in cold clear water.

The Tides
The Tides are building that is they getting higher.. Building tides are usually associated with a stronger bite. Water conditions will more turbid later in the week as tide raises to the 8 foot range. Tides will peak Sunday with an 8.6 foot tide. A northeaster could make tides over 9 foot and difficult to fish. Fishing will likely be best during the week and more difficult over the weekend. Stronger tides will likely mean a stronger seatrout and aswell a stronger striper bite.

Bait
Bait is available but will become increasingly scare in the coming weeks. Expect most local baits to close around the 1st. Fish more plastics!

The CCA Low Country
The CCA low country boil was a lot of fun and big success. About eighty people attended, lots of nice prizes were raffled off. The treasurer, Russell Kent reminded those in attendance about the Redfish Restocking Dec. 13th at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum (I-95 exit 102) @ 7:00pm. Those interested in our redfish fishery are encouraged to attend.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Tip of the Week
In clear cold water fish slower and fish lighter tackle. Resist the urge to set the hook when first feel the fish and you'll probably catch more fish.

Nov. 30, 2004

Fishing has been good despite windy conditions. When there has been little drift due to small tides or a competing wind against the tide those days are usually better redfish days. Good drifts, those not too fast, not too slow are often good for seatrout. Stripers prefer strong moving water and generally bite best at the last of the incoming or first of out going. Bait (shrimp) is still in good supple but George Rentiers of Joey's Bait Shop said shrimp are becoming more difficult to fine. Usually most bait shop will try to remain open until New Year's. Don Adams said he'll stay open as long as he can find bait. For those depending on live shrimp, be prepared shrimp can be plentiful one day and gone the next. Bait shops south of Savannah often will be able to find bait longer into the winter than local bait shops. The closest bait shop that is likely to have bait into the winter is Harrison (good luck on getting them to answer a phone). Now is the time to dig out that mud minnow trap or look for finger mullet in the heads of creeks. For those wanting to get away from baits you'll be surprised at what you can catch. Jerk worms, grubs, paddle tails will catch plenty of fish!

Redfish action during the past week has been exceptional! The trick has been to get out of the wind and fish structure. Redfish will hold on almost any structure. These fish are schooling and putting on their winter feed bags so when you find they can be easy to catch. I always suggest keep a few if you wish and release the rest. Despite the seeming abundance going light on the resource is only smart.

We've had some great seatrout action this month and we'll likely see more good action through December. November is usually our peak month for seatrout but given the mild conditions we've seen we're likely to see some great trout fishing in the coming weeks.

Stripers have been biting but for the most part these fish have been the smaller fish. As days shorten and temperatures drop big fish will move into local water availing themselves to flies, jig and bait. Days with slow drifts are usually poor stripers days. Stripers like active water, shadows and structure. The colder the water, the bigger the fish!

Tides for the coming are gentle decreasing tides. Expect the trout bite to be more scattered. Redfish action should be excellent. Striper action only fair due to small tides. Overall fishing will likely be very good.

Tip of the Week
Gentle tides approach the drop you're fishing as quietly as possible. Ease your anchor over, be quiet and you'll likely catch more fish.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Savannah Red Trout Celebrity Tournament

Grand Champion Team, John Kicklighter, John Drawdy, & Scott Poppel - Capt. Jack McGowan

November 18 -20th, 2004 Savannah hosted the Savannah Red Trout Celebrity Classic part of the Redbone Tournament Series originating in Florida.. This was a major inshore fishing tournament designed to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The tournament brought in legends in fishing like Stue Apte, Sandy Moret, Gary Ellis and Bob Rich. The tournament was a two day catch and release event. Points were awarded for fly, plug or bait. The points were 200, 100 and 50 respectively. Seventeen boats made up the field. The guides were some of the best from the "low country". Captains were permitted to instruct but could not fish.

The Tournament
Tournaments take energy. Dr. Brad Goodman and Dr. Bruce Finkel were the local coordinators who spent countless hours in turning out a first class event. After the first day of the fishing a party and silent auction were held at The Westin Savannah. The weather for the second and final day of fishing was much like the first.. A gentle morning breeze coupled with an early morning low tide. Conditions were excellent for those wishing to target redfish on the fly. Gentle tides lessened the seatrout bite. Nonetheless, conditions were as good as one could ask.. Capt. Gary Ellis, series coordinator, stated the main purpose is the main purpose. Namely to benefit those suffering with cystic fibrosis not simply the competition.

Awards of the event are as follows:
Grand Champion Angler - Jim Daly
Captain, Grand Champion Angler - Capt. Matt Starling
Runner-Up Grand Champion Angler - John Kicklighter
Captain, Runner-Up Grand Champion Angler - Capt. Jack McGowan
Grand Champion Lady Angler - Sue Moret
Captain, Grand Champion Lady Angler - Capt. Scott Wagner
Team Grand Champions - John Kicklighter, John Drawdy, Scott Poppel
Captain, Team Grand Champions - Capt. Jack McGowan
Runner-Up Team Grand Champions - Jim Daly, Dale Daly
Captain, Runner-Up Team Grand Champions - Capt. Matt Starling
Pro-Celebrity Grand Champion - Sandy Moret
Captain, Pro-Celebrity Grand Champion - Capt. Scott Wagner
Celebrity Grand Champion - Bob Rich
Captain, Celebrity Grand Champion - Capt. Toby Hansen
Most Redfish Releases - Wynn Cowan (18 redfish)
Captain, Most Redfish Releases - Capt. Eric Traub
Most Trout Releases - Susan Ellis (25 trout)
Captain, Most Trout Releases - Capt. Brian Woelber
Biggest Redfish - Mindy Rich
Captain, Biggest Redfish - Capt. Toby Hansen
Biggest Trout - Bob Dibenedetto (19.75 inches)
Captain, Biggest Trout - Captain Matt Williams
Spin and Plug Division Champion - Craig Reagor
Captain, Spin and Plug Division Champion - Capt. Kent Bird
Fly Division Champion - Sue Moret
Captain, Fly Division Champion - Capt. Scott Wagner

A special thanks to my fellow fishermen and all those who helped to pull this event together and to John Kicklighter who put up with my coaching for two days

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Nov. 11, 2004

"The coming weeks should provide some of the best fishing of the fall!"
Fishing has good for the most part. Several large seatrout have been caught during the past week. The seatrout bite has noticeably picked up. Nonetheless, there are still lots of small fish present that can steal your bait and make fishing frustrating. When fishing and there are no small fish present that can be a good sign. When there no small bait stealer biting it can means big fish are present! Expect to find lots of small until water temperatures drops. At present water temperature is in the upper 60's to low 70's. We'll need around a 10 degree drop to see these small fish starting to disappear. There's plenty of shrimp in the creeks and rivers. Likewise there can be good fishing in the creeks and rivers as well. Allen Collins has had some good seatrout action in the Wilmington River. Activity in the Savannah River has picked as conditions have improved. Small male seatrout are the move as well as some large females. Usually the best seatrout fishing is where fishermen find a "drift". A drift is moving water. Redfish are usually found closer to structure. Seatrout are thought of as further off the structure and in the current. A few bonnet head sharks are still present but most of the shark activity has slowed. Whiting are running the sand bars with some large bull whiting being caught. Some black drum activity has been reported. Usually black drum bite best in slower moving water, often at high tide. A black drum bite can easily be confused with a small fish bite. Often a black drum will have a soft bite. Shrimp that are eaten from the tail forward might indicate a black drum. Black drum are schooling fishing so its uncommon to have several drum in the area if you've caught one.

Still lots of small seatrout being caught. A good sign for next year provided we don't an extremely cold winter. The coming weeks should provide some of the best fishing of the fall! If you don't catch fish immediately don't get discouraged. This is an excellence time of the year for inshore fishing! Look for clean water. Try to distance from other fishermen. Groups of boats together might indicate a big catch. More than likely it's simply the law of attraction one boat attracts another until there's a small raft of boats trying to fish one section of the river. On days with a slow drift, not much current, boats moving to and fro will likely deter the fishing by scaring the fish. On slow drift days try to minimize your noise and keep a respectable from other fishermen.

When to leave
Leave your drop after you've exhausted the possibilities: try the bottom, try fishing out away from the bank, try pitching a plastic. Sometimes the problem might be the fish are there but you can't get your bait through the small fish. Pitching a plastic letting it sink through the small fish and slowly working your plastic in. Work your plastic slow in slow moving water. Fish moving water! The most difficult time to catch is on slack water. When fishing look for clean moving water and bait and you'll likely catch fish.

Tides
The tides for the coming week are in the 7 foot range. Should be fine for fine! Watch your noise on small tides. Last week tides were much bigger than predicted, perhaps due to the lunar eclipse. Tides this week should be easier to work. Should be good fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan

Nov. 9, 2004

"Fall means fishing"
Fall is the time that most associate with inshore fishing. Water and air temperatures are dropping. There's still plenty of bait in the creeks and rivers as redfish and seatrout fatten up for winter. Last week inshore fishing was hot with many fishermen limiting on seatrout. Black drum, redfish, flounder and sheepshead were biting strong aswell! Bait shrimp became scare due to very clear water and strong demand at local bait shops. Despite very clear water many fisherman did exceptionally well with several limits of fish taken in the sounds. Striper action is also is heating up! Capt. Matt Williams said he fish his first day of the season for stripers. Matt reported catching 32 stripers with several in the 20 pound range!

Fishing should continue to heat up during the coming weeks as long as temperatures remain mild.. Fall fishing is little like playing the lottery. Keep playing and you're likely you'll likely have a nice return.. The fish this time of the year can be schooled up and aggressive. When one drop isn't producing another might produce. With many fishermen on the water this time of the year a safe bet is to get on drop and fish the tide.

Tides will build to 8.8 feet on Saturday. Tides in the beginning of the week appear more fishable than the latter half. Strong northeast winds have hampered fishing. Northeasters typically last around a week. Northeasters can exaggerate high tides making the tides much higher than predicted. As winds subside good fishing will likely continue. Some fishermen believe that the bite increases as tides build. This statement is true up a point: as tides get over 8.3 feet the water will likely become dirty and the current too fast to fish. When tides are close to the 9 foot range look for the fish back in the grass.

Fall is a great time for fishing on the coast! Fall means fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan.

Oct 21, 2004
Several fishermen have reported catching black drum this week in Warsaw Sound. Sea trout have biting but most have been small with fishermen catching 30 or more small fish to have half a dozen keepers. Bait steeler (pin fish and yellow tails) are still thick. Fishing finger mullet is great idea provided you find them. Fishing in the Savannah River has been off. Most fishermen are saying "too much fresh water". Salinity level can change but at present the Savannah and adjoining rivers haven't been very fishy. The best bite has been in the sounds. Redfish action has been good. Fishermen are encouraged to release redfish when possible. We've caught several nice flounder this week. Flounder are a fish that appears more numerous in the last few years. Seldom do we release flounder. This is a good to keep as well as few sea trout.

Fishing the Sound
When fishing the sound look for clean water. Water that is muddy will make more difficult. A usual method for most fishermen is to anchor on a favorite drop and wait out the fish. Often this method of fishing will produce as many fish as popping from drop to drop. Slack water is usually the most difficult time to catch fish. Try to fish moving water. Look for spots where there is a flow of water along the grass or oyster shells. Often you'll find one tide (incoming or outgoing) will work better than the other. The flow of water is often is equated to the "food chain". In other words when water the flowing a food chain can take place. Flowing water is the medium of the food chain. Birds, bait in the water and subtle currents are indicators. My preference of fishing is a little faster than most fishermen. Usually we'll give a likely area several minuets to produce. If nothing happens we'll work the water close at hand. Waiting on the fish will work provided you have the time and confidence the spot will likely get fishier. Some drops I'll wait on most I wont. Usually the problem isn't there aren't fish where you are it's likely the fish just aren't biting. You, another boater, porpoises or something might have unsettled the fish. Provided the fish aren't likely spooked, the conditions are good and trash fish aren't over running the area then I'll likely try several things to get the fish to bite: plastics, plastics under a float, cut bait, finger mullet, jigs, small floats with bait. Sometimes pitching a different variety of baits and plastics will produce fish when just shrimp wont. In other words, don't be afraid to try something different particularly when your live shrimp are on the size. Big fish like big baits even if it's an artificial.

Surf Fishing
Don't forget October is month for surf fishing! Changing weather and even northeasters can be turn on large stag bass. Large redfish will run the outer sandbars in search of easy meals. Finger mullet and cut mullet are the favorite bait but redfish are pretty in that will most anything as long as it's fresh. The other day we striped out a couple of pin fish can caught redfish. Crabs are a excellent bait. The key again is the bait has to be fresh. One fisherman had difficulty catching redfish on dead shrimp. The problem was he kept reusing same dead shrimp. What he had was a good cat fish bait. Something simply like fresh can make a big difference. I always try to fish big baits and fresh baits. A typical surf outfit is an 8 to 10 foot rod 20 to 30 pound line through a fish finder rig with 3 ounce pyramid sinker, barrel swivel, 50 to 80 monofilament leader tied to an 8 or 9/0 hook. Most surf fishermen prefer spinning tackle. Redfish in the surf can get large and are accessible to fishermen that don't have access to a boat.

Chuck King - Manager of Cransman Sporting World
Chuck asked how the fishing was. I told him we had a little northeastern. Chuck said he had a for me chuckle. One of his customers came in great excitement with what they identified as a piranha. Apparently the fish was caught at Lake Myer. When asked what's biting the piranha bite is a little slow!

Forecast
Seatrout bite will continue to improve fall progresses. Savannah River fishing will improve as fresh water abates. Until then better will be found in saltier water. This time of the year shrimp are moving in and good seatrout action can be found in tidal creeks as well in the sounds. Redfish will likely continue be strong. Stripers bite will pick up as temperature drop and days shorten.

Good fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Oct 13, 2004
The bite is on! Unfortunately fish are the only thing biting aren't fish. When fishermen loose a breeze small gnats or "no see 'ums" are terrible. When asked how do you get use to them, you don't. A good bug spray is helpful. Rhino juice or Gator Special that comes in small white bottles is about as effective a spray can get and the smell is not offense. Most of the first year redfish are legal size (14"). Seatrout are on the move but as of yet large schooling hasn't happened. The best is yet to come! When temperatures drop small fish (yellow tail and pinfish) will seek warmer water leaving larger fish. At present fishermen still should take plenty of bait (shrimp) because small trash fish are so abundant. When you're quickly going through your shrimp supply try a plastic under your float before leaving. Even a piece of cut might produce fish in pinch!

Fishing been pretty good during the past week. Lots of small redfish caught as well as more seatrout. Don't overlook fishing around pilings. You'll likely find large and small redfish. Surprising redfish will hold well off a bank when there's structure like pilings. Bottom and jigs can be effective. Keep a couple for supper if desired but go light on your catch.

Georgia has the highest redfish limit on the East Coast. Yes we have a third of the marsh grass but it's likely our higher limits will end up hurting our fishery. South Carolina per Spud Woodward is 15 years ahead of Georgia in their restocking program. The Carolina limit is two redfish per person.. When possible limit your catch to two redfish per fisherman and we'll likely be better off. Spud (at the October 5th) acknowledged there might a seatrout problem. Spud said the DNR would look at any ideas presented to them in regards to reducing the take of spring/summer roe trout. This is an idea all should be behind. Large takes on roe trout will adversely impact our fishery. Fisherman who were reporting nice catches of roe trout a few years ago are saying the fishery has declined. As more fisherman are learning the habits of this fish more needs to be done to protect it. Lastly the turnout for the October 5th was fair. Considering the importance of the issues to local fisherman a larger turn out would be helpful. We have hundreds if not thousands of fishermen that use our coast weekly. Issues involving our fishery are important to the quality of our fishery. You can help by your participation.

Oct 3, 2004
Fishing has been good for the most part. Sunday 10-02-04 was our slowest day of fishing. Winds have abated leaving several days of high humidity. Don't dispair cooler air is right around the corner. As temperatures drop and days shorten the bite will steadily improve. Bait shops have plenty of bait but sell out quickly during the fall. Throwing a cast net might save your day of fishing as well as pitching plastics. Jimmy Adams, from Adams bait shop reported good catches of seatrout, black drum and sheepshead around the Tybee Pier. Jimmy said most of these fish are hanging close to the pilings.

Seatrout, Redfish and Surf Fishing
The last several days tides were higher than normal. Small trout as well some larger seatrout were caught well back in the grass. Normally redfish are associated with being "back in the grass". Higher tides will push redfish further back and seatrout into water though of as redfish water. As water temperature drops and the water in creeks and rivers becomes saltier seatrout will push in. Small seatrout are plentiful and should provide good action in the coming months. Small redfish are mostly keeper size with some still around 13 inches (14" through 23" is the slot for Ga. redfish). There have plenty of fish caught in the 22 to 23 inch range. Looks like a good year for redfish! Merridith Davis says seeing butterflies this time of the year means redfish are in the surf. October is usually the best month for surf fishing! Best tides are usually low incoming as water starts to cover outer sand bars. Fish cut mullet or finger mullet close to breaks in the bars or any irregularity. Be careful when positioning your boat. Breaking waves can become large very quickly.

Tides for the coming week look good and should provide plenty of opportunities for some good fishing! Don't forget about the CCA Meeting Tuseday October 5th, 2004 at St. Peters Church on Skidaway Island at 7:00pm. Spud Woodward and Gabe Gaddis of Georgia DNR will speak on fishery issues. Gabe will give update on the Warsaw fish study currently under way. This is something vitally significant to the coast in maintaining a healthy fishery. All fishermen are encourage to attain.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Sept 7, 2004
Prior to the winds and rains of Frances there were two strong afternoon storms which dumped large amounts of fresh water into coastal waters. The storms occurred near low tide, mudding water and lower salinity to the point shrimp in a baitwell could not survive. Just a little earlier in the week the bite was good! On Wednesday we landed six redfish on the fly and lost two due to break offs. Needless to say fishing will be off until storms pass and weather subsides. For those brave of heart redfish can be found well back in the grass during inclement weather. Casting is difficult and usually these fish will be only inches of water. What to do?

Rigging
After most trip I'll rig or re rig my tackle. Rainy days can be an excellent time to check your tackle. If you're like me you likely fish a lot of jigs. The leaders on jigs will take a beating. I'll run my finger down the leader. It's not unusual for the leader to look perfectly good only for the last couple of inches to feel rough. It's time to change that leader. Leaders that aren't the same length or greater of the fish you're targeting then change them. Float rigs typically have a weak spot where the lead sinker attaches to the main line. The bead under your float or the float chafes your line. Inspect your knots as well as the main fishing line. Re tie anything suspect. Remove any tangles from fishing lines.

I'm often asked about oiling reels. In short a little goes a long way. Over oiling can slow reels and cause dirt and grit to stick to reels. On the hand reels in a salt water environment take a beating and giving a little TLC is needful. Use a premium reel oil such as something like Quantum's "hotsauce" highly touted by Capt. Rick Reynolds. When applying oil to the outside of a reel I'll place a small amount on screw heads. The thought is to create a barrier against salt deposits. Next I'll place a small amount on any moving part. Steve Williams at River Supply says don't overlook the roller bearing on the bail. A small amount of oil might kept your bearing from freezing and requiring a visit to Steve. Any excess oil should be wiped off. I don't oil my reels after every trip but getting into habit of oiling each reel will keep handles from sticking and reels operating a little smoother a little longer. When temperatures begin to drop apply less oil to moving parts.

Hope this is some help! Will get to regular format shortly. Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Aug 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 diffiuclt .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 Yatch 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 fishable 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

Aug 10, 2004
Fishing Report Answering Some Questions About Redfish

Not many days will go by when I'm asked a variety of questions about redfish. Hopefully, you'll find the helpful.

Despite windy conditions fishing has been good! Fishermen finding protected shorelines and bait are often catching fish. Small redfish are plentiful. Often when a fisherman feels a bump when pitching plastic there's often a small redfish. Small rattle floats are excellent when targeting redfish. Live or dead mullet are an excellent bait favorite for larger redfish. Redfish are usually found close to structure. The rule of thumb is in for redfish, out for seatrout. More redfish are missed because fishermen are too quick on a hook set rather than too slow. In general the faster your bobber or disappears the faster your hook set . When you're fishing close to the bottom with little or no current a redfish might walk a bait. Let the fish walk your bait. The fish should feel absolutley nothing! Usually a redfish will walk a bait only a few feet. Then your float should vanish. When your float disappears pause slightly then set your hook! Hook sets should be firm. When fighting a redfish the first thing to keep in mind is the fish's habits. Sharks will seek deep water. Redfish will usually make short powerful runs to any available structure. Drags need to tight enough to power a fish out of close at hand structure. Drags that are too tight will snap leaders on the hook set every time. My preference is 25 pound fluorocarbon. My preference is to fish 30 power pro with a 25 pound leader. You can tie line to line using a uni-knot. I make five wraps with the power pro and three with the fluorocarbon. I know it doesn't seem like many wraps. This is what works for me. I use another uni for jig or whatever I'm fishing. When tieing a superbraid to swievel or a jig go through the eye twice and make another five wrap uni-knot. My favorite rods for redfish are 6-12 pound jigs rods and 8-15 pound spinning rods for float fishing. There are many fine rods on the market. A favorite of mine are Key Largo rods sold by Chuck King of Cranman's Sporting World. The key to a good rod is action. The rod needs to have plenty of strength and power in the lower third and plenty of flex in the tip. Chuck worked with the owner of Key Largo Rod's Rick Berry to bring these rods in our area. These are fine rods. A good rod needs to have the proper action, a reasonble price as well as a solid warranty. Key Largo rods have an over the counter life time warranty. Support your local tackle shops.

Back to Fishing
We're into strom season! Keep in mind what stroms are doing regardless of planning to fish or not. Winds that churn waters and slow drifts will make fishing difficult. Fish can still be caught but finding clean water is a must. Fish lee shores. Tides for the coming are not large tides extending the time fishermen can get into and of low water areas. Minimize your noise and you'll likely catch some nice fish. Redfish, flounder and seatrout are biting. Lots of small trout, not quite keeper size. Redfish are doing well with several reports of fish in the 18 to 27 inch range. The storms for the coming week are big question. Watch and listen to local weather reports!

Capt. Jack McGowan

July 26, 2004
Good news for those fishing shrimp. Shrimp are getting larger! Don Adams says he's now able catch shrimp in the rivers. River shrimp are larger than shrimp found in the creeks. Pogies are present in the rivers but these fish are small and sound quickly. Large pogies can be found close to the sounds. Tarpon are present and can be found close to the bait (pogies). Several fisherman have landed tarpon; most have been well under 100 pounds. However some large tarpon have been caught. In general big fish show up during late summer or early fall. Redfish and seatrout have been biting on finger mullet as well as shrimp. The best redfish and seatrout bite has been near the sounds. Capt. Stan Allen says the bite has been inconsistent with a good day followed by slow one. The best bite has been usually either in the early morning or late in the afternoon. Plastics will work! Plastics can allow a fisherman to cover a lot of water and to literally hunt the fish. Keep in mind, work your plastic slow in slow moving water. Covering lots of water is fine just make your presentation is realistic to the conditions. There's tons of bait in the creeks so make whatever you're fishing stand out. Large baits stand out! Pin fish and other small bait fish can be numerous so bring plenty of bait. Fishing should likely improve as the summer progresses although it's pretty good now!

Tides are less than 8.3 for the remainder of the month. As tides builds into the 8 ft range the bite will likely pick up as well. Moving water equals a food chain. Try to fish moving water during your fishing trip and you'll likely catch more fish. Look for a good drift (flow of water), clean water and bait and you'll likely fine fish! There have been several reports of good catches of seatrout and redfish. Chuck King reports that most of his customers are releasing more fish. This only makes good sense as more fishing pressure is placed on resources. Present limits are likely unrealistic to sustain a healthy fishery. A keep few fish to eat and release the rest. Hope this report helps you in your enjoyment of our sport!

Capt. Jack McGowan

Tip of the Week

Bring plenty of bait and fish larger baits. You'll likely be surprised at the results you'll get.

July 14, 2004
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

July 06, 2004
Well the holiday is over! Hope you had a great one! There are a reports of some some tarpon caught in local waters. The bulk of these fish are still south of local waters and will likely start arriving in greater numbers in the coming weeks. Large jack crevalles have been working Cabbage Island Spit although these fish aren't staying on top of the water for very long. Large schools of pogies (bait fish) can seen in local rivers and on the beach fronts. Bait fish bring in bring spanish, jacks, sharks as well as other fish. George Hammond reported a nice caught of spanish in front of Wassaw pitching small silver spoons and trolling. The seatrout bite is on the beach front one fishermen (this week end) caught 15 roe trout off the public peir off of Tybee. This is a great catch! Keep a couple for supper and release the rest. These are the fish that will replenish the stock. Redfish action can be good. Best action for redfish has been pitching Bass Assassins (pin fish) as well as fishing live bait. Chuck King, Cranmans manager, and I caught several this afternoon on live shrimp. Our best result came on a "snag proof rattle sinker" (Chuck sells), 18 inches of fluorocarbon and a live bait hook. We caught several wary reds. The largest Chuck landed was 9 lb plus. Ask Chuck about the one that got away. Live bait and slow fishing is hard for even a wary redfish to resist. The flounder bite has been fair and will likely pick up in coming weeks. There's tons of bait in the creeks so take your cast net with you when go fishing. There's nothing like fresh bait!

Ron Thomas (Bahia Bleu) says afternoons can offer some of the best tarpon fishing. Most angler prefer incoming water. Ron says tarpon can bite well on either tide. The bait in so it should be only a matter of time before we start seeing tarpon rolling on the beach fronts.When you can chum 'em up. A trail of fresh fish aromas might turn a slow day in constant action. Today we were into some nice black tips. Purist might consider a black tip a nuisance while tarpon fishing. We look at black tips a possible harbinger of good things to come. Keep chumming or you might be watching others catching the fish!

Hope this report is of help! .

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

June 30, 2004
Redfish and flounder have provided most the action for last week. Small male seatrout are in the creeks. Large females (seatrout) on the beachfronts. The quality of bait shrimp has been poor. White shrimp are very small. They die easily and their small size isn't appealing to a large fish wanting a meal. Mudminnow and finger mullet are both availale to those willing to set a trap or throw a cast net.. These fish make excellent baits. Seatrout action has been slow with best catches likely coming at night fishing under dock lights. The flounder bite has been good but will likely pick up in the coming weeks. Whiting have become scare along the sandbars as small shark abound. An ocassional small redfish will take a bait but these fish are still a little too small to want to tangle with most baits. Gabe (from the DNR) said small redfish should start appearing in mid July. Despite ample rains some large mouth bass fishermen are saying they're catching some nice reds. Action for redfish along mudflats is slowing as more toothy fish move in. Sharks have been plentiful. Pogies are showing up on the beach front in force. Should be a good tarpon/jack year. The guess is that we'll a good bite but it will likely wont happen later than normal. Water temperature is already in the mid 80's. Best chances of success are usually found during the summer in the early morning. Fish moving water before the day gets hot and storms build. When the bite slows it's time to move to another drop. Last month's Salt Water Sportsman had a couple of articles which inshore fishermen could definitely apply to local waters for seatrout and flounders.

Tides are only in the 7ft range going into the holiday weekend. Southwest winds could slow the outgoing tide to a slow trickle. Best bite is likely early.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

June 16, 2004
Fishing conditions have been challenging for the past week. Strong (east, southeast) winds made for difficult fishing. Although fishermen who fished lee shores were able to catch some nice redfish. Seatrout fishing was slow due little drift. Flounder fishing continues to improve as summer progresses. Lots of small blacktip sharks can be near almost any sandbar. There have been reports of monster sharks in the Wilmington. The whiting bite is slowing as sharks become more plentiful. Local bait dealer, Don Adams reported dragging for shrimp was tough due to overly clear water. Don stated he made four drags in Gray Creek and caught a quart and half. Don said the bait is there but the water is too clear to catch them. This is a complaint you don't hear too often. Don said the shrimp can get out of the way of his net in extremely clear conditions. The local bait situation is still inconsistent but will be improving towards the end of the month. Don said this week he has shrimp from Florida. Jack Crevalles have already been caught in the Wilmington. Looks like it will likely be a good year for jacks and tarpon. Last week we marked large schools of bait but everything appeared to be down. Small mullet and brown shrimp are plentiful in the creeks. Those who are a little more energetic can likely catch plenty of bait in short order.

Tides for the coming week are relatively mild. Should be good tides to try your luck at flounder or redfish. Simple bottom rigs ( carolina rigs) and jigs can work well on days with poor drifts. Last week we caught seatrout on carolina rigs while float rigs weren't producing. Fish lee shores when winds knick up. Fish early to avoid the heat if possible. Fish a drift or moving water. Slack tide or still water is the most difficult to fish. Keep a few and release the rest.

Tip of the week
Fish lee shores when winds knick up. There are two schools of though one says when the wind is blowing on a shore line, bait is likely to be pushed in. Perhaps but you're more likely to be in difficult conditions with muddy water. This is not conducive to catching fish. What looks good to you is what will likely hold fish. Fishing lee shores will make your fishing more enjoyable and likely more fishy!

Good Fishing!!! Capt. Jack McGowan

June 08, 2004
Well I would be remiss if I did not mention the G8 submit and security on local water ways. In short stay clear of the Savannah River, the South Channel up to and including Field Cut. Fishing has been mixed bag. There have a few excellent sea trout catches near outer sand bars and sloughs. Sharks are very plentiful as well as ladyfish Local bait shrimpers are catching brown shrimp. The size of most local bait is about prefect for fishing, not too large, not too small. Landing Harbor, Bandy's as well as Adam's Baithouse are currently stocking shrimp. Shrimp are relatively plentiful in local creeks. Nonetheless call ahead as bait shops are still having difficulty getting enough bait on hand to satisfy local fishermen.

Tarpon
Yes, it seems a little early. Large schools of bait fish have been inconsistent. Schools of bait fish are here one day and gone the next. Nonetheless, there are reports of a couple of tarpon landed. Best tarpon fishing is still ahead when pogies are more abundant Should be a good year tarpon and jacks.

Redfish
Probably the most consistent fish on the coast are providing fishermen with plenty of action. Best tide to fish. Mid outgoing to low going tide. Yes, you can target redfish on almost any tide. Mid outgoing is generally deemed the best because the fish have get out of the grass with the tide. Remember wherever you fish for redfish keep plenty of water under your boat. Getting stuck is no fun. Fishing for redfish is like going to a party. Enjoy the party (the fishing) just don't stay too long. Small first year fish are showing in the Herb River. Small redfish will be abundant probably by July. These fish will be too small to keep but fun to catch. It easy to watch this grow a little each week by fall these small fish will 14 to 16". Large schools of small redfish means we will likely have some nice redfsih by fall. Fishing for redfish has been good. Even the best oyster bars or mudflats can only take so much fishing pressure. The redfish limit in Georgia is 5 fish limit per person. This is highest limit on the Atlantic.

Keeping 20, 23 inch will hurt any school of redfish. Our limits are likely too high for our fishery. I've heard it said a 23 inch redfish is too beautiful to catch only once. My thought is keep one or two for supper if you desire and release the rest. Redfish have a large rib bone. After cleaning the fish you'll be left with not much for the size of the fish. If you're targeting fish to eat try catching and keeping a variety. Whiting eat surprising well, as do flounder and seatrout. A small shark or two will provided plenty of fish. Think variety!

Seatrout
Seatrout as mentioned earlier can be found towards and sloughs. There have some good catches of seatrout. Conservation still needs to be the watch word with this fish. Roe trout are in the waters. Many veteran fishermen believe the quality of our fishery has declined as usage has increased. Again our limits are higher than neighboring states. Keep a few fish if you desire and release the rest! We as fishermen as a group need to escape the mentality of scraping the bottom of barrel, of trying to catch the last fish. Instead my encouragement is view fishing as an adventure. Keeping some fish is a bonus Keep the future in mind!

Good Fishing!!! Capt. Jack McGowan

Tip of the Week -Fishing Etiquette
Don't follow the heard. Lots of boats usually doesn't equate to great fishing. For example one boat is fishing an area. A boat pulls up, then another and another. This is pretty lame. Fish an area according to conditions not according to number of boats. When fishing around other fishermen leave ample room, as not to disturb fishing conditions for others. When a fishermen is catching fish never but never try move in. I don't care how nice a guy you are this is inconsiderate!

May 28, 2004
Summer is officially about start. This means long hot summer days, baseball and of course fishing! A summer favorite is flounder fishing! This Spring has already produced some good flounder fishing. As temperatures heat up the flounder bite should pick up as well. Fishermen in South Carolina and Georgia have said this has been one of the best year's in recent memory for cobia. There have excellent reports from the Broad River in South as well off the Georgia coast. This is fish is on the move making it's spawning run. Like most fishing timely is everything. Fishermen who fail to find these will usually salvage the day fishing for redfish. The seatrout bite is picking up with good fishermen boating nice messes of trout. Some fishermen will deliberately limit their take of seatrout during this time of the because most of fish are likely to be roe trout. A couple of veteran fisherman told me they kept two or three fish and released the rest. Releasing fish isn't a bad idea. Seatrout are a delicate so handle with care.

The whiting bite is slowing up as sharks increase. Whiting are still working the sand bars just not as many as in early Spring. Brown shrimp are showing up the creeks. Emanuel, from River Supply, said he started catching small redfish. These are this year's crop of redfish. These fish will grow rapidly as bait becomes more and more abundant. Commercial crabbers are saying having to throw back lots of small crabs. On the other hand we're seeing crabs in the rivers definitely a good sign. Sure enough another sign of summer is the
arrival of tarpon. While in Cranmans, one Chuck King's customers reported seeing tarpon. It's that time of year!

Tides will be negative range heading into Memorial Day. Big tides usually mean difficult fishing. Tides will reach a height 8.7 on Wed. June 2nd.. Definitely a big tide but wind will likely be the determining factor. Many fishermen believe building tides mean a better bite (I'm one of them)!

Tip of the Week
You never know. You never exactly what's on the end of your line. Of course you know the fish you're targeting but part of the fun is the unexpected. Salt water fishing definitely has the unexpected This week we hooked in not one but two cobia while whiting and shark fishing. Don't pass up the fun and joy of the unexpected whether large or small, it's still fun! I've seen trout fisherman become discouraged when he caught a redfish and a person fishing for redfish pout when he caught a trout. Part of joy of saltwater is the variety and you never know. You might catch a spotted hake or pompano. One looks like a space creature; the other a tasty treat but never know.

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

May 19, 2004
Whenever there is delay in getting out a fishing report either fishing is real good or real poor. Fishing has been pretty good! During any given week a fisherman will likely see times of good fishing and times not so good fishing. Changes in the weather, pop up storms an increase in wind can make fishing difficult or even impossible for a while. The seatrout action by most accounts are off. Even Mr. Trout, Rupert Heller acknowledges the trout has been stronger. That being said Rupert caught 10 large roe in a strong southeast wind on Monday, pitching plastic from a boat that definitely is not an inshore boat. Ruperts reply seatrout are in the sounds! They the fish are going to move with the tide. Wait on 'em keep pitching and you might catch 'em. Pitching is fine but be prepared to be move if the fish aren't biting.

Live and dead Bait
Live and dead bait can work. Some of the favorite baits are mud minnows, mullet, crabs, shrimp, squid and pogies. Live lining bait is almost impossible for a fish to resist. When live bait fails to produce a strike, It’s likely the fish either have lock jaw (they are not biting at this time) or they aren't there. We'll usually will fish an area first with bait then switch to artificial. On occasion I'll have one fisherman pitching a plastic and the other on bait. When one method looks like it's out producing the other we'll switch. When possible covering water for tailing reds can be effective. Slowing move up or down a bank taking short casts close structure.

Anchoring up is hard to beat
With the chances to scattering fish and annoying fishermen often your best for success is to anchor up. Anchoring up is a tried and true technique. Pick a likely spot, one you likely fished before can caught fish, this is commonly referred to as a drop. A key to fishing a drop is the drift. Drift Is the flow of water. A drift that is not too fast and not too slow is usually the ideal. Moving water, a drift equals a food chain. This simply means when the water is moving you're likely to catch more fish.

Big Fish moving in!
There have several reports of big fish in coastal waters. Reports seems indicate fishermen are having better year for cobia than the previous year. Capt. Brain has landed some jacks already. Sharks are numerous on the sandbars and schools of pogies are popping up.

Flounder Fishing
Flounder fishing will likely be in full swing by the end of May. Several fishermen have already taken some nice fish. The anticipation is that we'll have another good flounder year! We caught two while fishing for redfish this week. Both were nice fish and destined for the cooler. Bait will be scare for the remainder of May. Mud minnows are a great for trout, bass and flounder. Capt. Ray caught two triple tail on the lowly mud minnow. It's a good bait.

Tides look very gentle
Tides look very gentle going to the week end May 22nd. And 23rd. Wind could be a factor. If a prevailing southeast wind continues the incoming tide will likely produce a stronger bite. . A gentle out going tide held back by strong wind could mean not much of a drift and not much of a food chain. Best chances of success fish early in the morning if possible.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

May 1, 2004
A lot has happened since my last report. We've had several nice catches of red drum on light tackle with several fish 24 inches or better. We've caught fish on mud minnows, shrimp as well plastics. Sea trout action has been picking up. There have some catches reported of a dozen up to forty sea trout caught. Live shrimp is still the favorite bait but call ahead as of this writing only Bandy's (at the foot of the Skidaway Bridge) and Adam's (down the road from the Sea Ray Dealership on hwy 80) have been open. Don Adam's has had shrimp from Florida. The shrimp supply will be improving as brown shrimp move into local waters towards the end of the month. Whiting are still biting but the bite is getting more sporadic as temperatures warm. Ample amounts of small sharks are following whiting can be found along sand bars. Manuel, from River Supply, said he's catching some nice spanish off of Tybee pitching gotcha plugs. Seems pretty early for spanish. Spanish, blue fish, small sharks as well as other fish will follow the bait into the beaches. Small bait fish are already showing up. Should be likely that bigger fish wont to far behind.

Redfish
With the lack of shrimp in local waters redfish are keying on crabs, in particular fiddler crabs. This is a good time to look for tailing redfish! Look for small parts of a tail fin sticking out and you might be surprised at what you'll see. Pitching a plastic that resemble a crab can definite work. My only hesitation is the bulkiness of some of these baits. A bulky is difficult to pitch into the wind. Sometimes a tailing redfish can be so preoccupied with sticking his nose in the mud that your plastic needs to land close to the fish as well as soft. We've done well pitching small floats such as the Low Country Lightings with shrimp or mud minnows. Low country lighting are sold by Chuck at Cranmans.

Low tides for the week are in the negative range. The afternoon high tide is building to 8.7 feet on Wednesday, not ideal. Nonetheless, winds and storms will be the determining factor for the week. Usually even under less than ideal conditions you'll still be able to find some fish. Look for good fishing by the end of the week when tides falls to 8.3 feet on Friday. The tides for the rest of the month look fine.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Apr 19, 2004
There have some seatrout biting in the creeks as well as summer trout the sand bars. Most of the seatrout have been 14 inches or less. Redfish have been fairly consistent although bite has slowed. Some large redfish (up to 40 inches) have been caught in Salt Pond. The Savannah River is yeilding some redfish and stripers although the bite has not been intense. The bite has been fair. White shrimp are no longer available and brown have yet to show up. Don Adams (Adam's Baithouse) had a delivery of Florida shrimp prior to the weekend. Live shrimp probably wont out fish a large mud minnow although live shrimp are nice to have on board if you can get them. Sharks are more plentiful this week along the sandbars. Chuck King from reports the sharks ar following the whiting in and some large sharks have been caught in the Wilmington River. Sheepshead can caught next to pilings and rock on or near low water. As more bait pushes into our creeks and rivers the bite will likely pick up. There have reports of seatrout on some of the inshore wrecks hopefully it wont be long till fish start showing up along local beach fronts, sounds and creeks. Shrimp will continue to be in short supply for the next few weeks so plan accordingly. Finger mullet, mud minnows and fiddler crabs are all suitable baits for live bait fishing. This time of the year it's best to gear expectations back. You can catch good fish but it's likely you'll one or two then it's time to fish another area.

Warming temperatures mean more bait which in turns means more fish. Fishing will likely be improving but expect to work for your this week much the same as last week. Fishing should be steadily be improving. Water temperature is already in the mid to upper 60's an ideal range for good fishing. Some flounders have already been caught; perhaps a sign of another good year for flounder. Several inshore fishermen are waiting for the inshore to bust loose. My guess is you're going to have to wait a few more weeks. A colder than average Spring has delayed the bite a good two weeks or more. Fishing will likely be improving daily.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Apr 05, 2004
Wind, Wind and more wind that's been story. Despite the winds there has been activity with redfish, seatrout, flounder, black drum, stripers and whiting. The bad news is local shrimp are scare or non existent. Don Adams says expect brown shrimp to start showing up either the last of May or the 1st of June, hence there nickname - junies. Adams said Florida shrimpers are having difficulty catching shrimp, like local shrimpers, again due to the winds. Despite strong winds last week bait was available and some angler caught fish despite the conditions. Best reports were around the jetties and for whiting on the sand bars. Five to seven pounder stripers can be found in small brackish creeks. The whiting bite is fairly consistent with one party landing fifty two fish. As winds diminish fishing should improve. For stripers your best chance of success is either first or last light. The seatrout bite is improving with more fish being caught in local waters. Nonetheless, most of the action with seatrout has been south around Ossabaw. Most fishermen believe this will likely be another good year for redfish. Although as this fish receive more pressur it is critical to release fish that are not in the legal bag limit. Releasing a legal fish while it might appear to be an unnatural act could help maintain a healthy fishery. Our limits on redfish will likely be reduced when Georgia has its next stock assessment. Redfish are a great light tackle fish! You'll be amazed at joy you'll get in catching one and releasing one. Everything you catch doesn't have to be eaten.

What's up with the flounder? Flounder are usually thought of as a summer fish. There have been several caught this Spring. Hopefully this is indication of good things to come. Capt. Matt Starling caught several nice trout on a dark colored Bass Assassin so much for using light color in clear water. Well the color theory is not out the window, there's plenty of wiggle room. Last year we caught fish in all conditions with Bass Assassin's electric buzzard it's dark bait with counter shading (two colors). A dark bait can work exceptionally well. Nonetheless, the standard in our waters is chartreuse. Hope you get a chance to do some fishing!

Good Fishing!

Capt. Jack McGowan

Mar 30, 2004
Strong winds and slow drifts made fishing difficult in waters noth of Savannah, Warsaw sound as well as Ossabaw sound. When the weather finally improved as the weekend approached fishing remained challanging. Several veteran fishermen had difficulty getting a strike when fishing the sounds. Despite this there has been a couple reports of large schools of redfish of 500 or more fish. Slow moving water made catching many of these fish diffiuclt. The past several week we've had little rain. Fish will likely seek less salty water. There has been some striper, redfish and seatrout in the Savannah River but fishing is still been challenging. Whiting are showing in the sounds. The law of attraction still works: one boat fishing along a sand bar will draws several boats. Whiting fishing is simply. Anchor along a sandbar and bottom fish with small shrimp, squid or some kind of cut bait. Often times you can along a mark fish on your fishfinder, drop anchor and catch fish. Boats that appear to be fishing in the middle of the river are probably whiting fishing. Well known drops are fine but you might be pleasanly surprised when drop anchor at a spot not fished by others. Pan weights are great for whiting fishing.. Small lead weight aren't as likely to roll and hold the bottom well. Chuck at Cranmans sells pretied pan rigs or you can tie your own. They work! Per Chuck at Cranmans inshore sheepshead fishing has been good. Whiting are starting to bite. Trout and redfish bite has been sporadic. A few flounders have been caught but not many. String rays are becoming more numerous on the mud flats. A sure sign of Spring.

Capt. Rick Reynolds says please use your boga or other gripping device with care. These devices can kill the trophy fish you thought you carefully released. The fish will appear in good shape only to swim off and die. Apparently there is evidence showing that grippers can cause fish to slowly suffocate. How's that for a shocker! I use my boga now only for fish we're going to keep. In the past I would often put one hand under the to displace the weight. From now on fish we're releasing will be held by hand.. Help spread the word grippers might be killing fish. On the same topic I've seen some pretty natsy releases on redfish by tv pros. Dumping a fish in the water might not kill a fish but likely leave it stunned for a propoise to have an easy meal. The larger the redfish, the more care is needed in releasing.

Fishing will likely pick during the coming week. Tides will be gentle all week but building. Bite will likely improve as tides increase. On days with little drift try sheepshead.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Mar 23, 2004
East winds working against outgoing water made fishing over the weekend difficult. When fishing a drift or moving water is critical. Water that simply appears to raise and fall with little drift is dead water. There is little or no food chain going. East are difficult because these winds affect the entire sound not a creek or two. Covering lots of might work. A fisherman best chance for success in a strong is fish protected an anticipate a slower bite. Covering lots will usually produced the same results. Work a small area and persist. If you're catching fish don't move stay in that area. If you're experiencing zero success then make a run.

March fishing can be mercurial. One day the fishing is on. The next day fishing is difficult. This is due mainly to wind. Redfish this time are around the barrier islands. A windy day can make fishing these exposed areas difficult. Usually fishermen can find a protected shoreline. All shoreline aren't equal. Rough bottoms are prime areas. Again back to the drift. The shoreline you're fishing needs to have some kind of current. The current can be a back current, an eddy, a secondary current or a straight current. The point is there needs to be moving water. Gentle currents are usually the best. Thin grass, points and pockets are likely places to find fish. Often the fish give themselves away by pushing water or hitting bait fish.

Unfortunately a windy day takes away a fisherman chances to see and hear fish. It's like fishing blind. Capt. Eric said anyone can fish in good conditions. Capt. Eric was kidding when he said this. The bottom line is finding in strong wind is tough. You can catch fish. My advice is gear your expectation lower if you catch lots of fish fantastic. If not realize they'll be other days when the conditions are more hospitable. A few extra miles of winds more or less can make a dramatic difference. Mud flats that yield redfish are suddenly shut down. Don't fret it's just Spring. When winds subside there will be plenty of opportunities to fish exposed water. When winds are up fish lee shores and protected waters.

The seatrout bite is turning on. One group of fishermen reported catching 50 large trout around Ossabaw. The redfish bite looks consistent. Whiting are to run. Bait fish, small pogies can be seen in the Wilmington River. Stripers are active. Live shrimp are available at some local bait shops: Adams 912-898-1550 and Capt. Matt's Bona Bella Marina call his dock hand George 912-484-2123. The bait that is available is large white shrimp. Large shrimp are a great striper bait. Smaller brown shrimp wont be showing probably for several weeks. Remember there will be a gap when the white have moved out and brown haven't moved in. You might want to call to ahead to make sure bait is available. Don Adams said he's finding some bait but he's having go south for it. When bait shops resupply their tanks bait quickly sell out. I'm convinced a fisherman can catch as many and perhaps more as well as more quality fish on plastics. This might be the year to try something different, you might be surprised! When winds have subsided fishing has been good. Fishing in the wind is tough but fish can be for those who persist. Get ready Spring is here!

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Mar 17, 2004
What's biting on the eve of St. Patrick's day. Redfish! Redfish can be found along the barrier islands. This is a winter pattern although redfish will remain in these areas until bait pushes into the creeks. These fish will range in size from 14 to 30 inches. Fish areas close to sounds and that have shelly bottoms. Floats such as low country lightings work well when fishing in shallow water and around shell rakes. Two approaches when fishing for redfish are one, anchor and wait for the fish to come to you; second fish from a boat at drift or with a trolling motor. The most common method is anchor up and wait for the fish.

Most of the areas close to sound look alike look for anything unusual and fish deep. Points and pockets are always favorite places to fish as well gullies, shell rakes and thin grass. Fishing a live or dead bait close to bottom will often produce results. The bite might be fast or at slower pace every day is little different. Give each area you're fishing plenty of time to produce. When you're satisfied that area isn't going to produce then move to another likely spot and you'll catch fish. Favorite redfish baits are live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, menhaden as well dead bait. Dead bait must be fresh. Old dead bait can catch catfish not redfish. Redfish action has pretty consistent during the past week. Fishing should improve as water warms and bait moves in. White shrimp are available in some local bait shops (Adams - but might you want to call ahead). There have been several catches of seatrout reported. Large seatrout are on the move and be caught in the creeks with live shrimp.

Starting on the 18th we'll have a negative tide on low through the 24th. The highs are less than 8 feet. Should be good tides for redfish and sheepshead. The seatrout bite should be picking up.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Mar 09, 2004
Well March is here! Strong winds can muddy waters. When winds lay fishermen are likely to catch seatrout, redfish or stripers. Locl live shrimp is available from area bait shops but call ahead some shrimpers aren't open or might have a difficult finding bait. Redfish are in the creeks but aren't plentiful due small of amounts of bait. Although large redfish have been caught fishig deep holes around around docks with figer mullet. Redfish feed primarily on fiddler crabs. When crabs aren't on the mud banks fishing will likely be slow. Water temperature is warming with temperatures close to 60 degree seatrout, redfish and stripers will likely become more active during the next few weeks. A typical March pattern is one the fishing is good the next day fishing might be off. March winds can muddy water reducing visibility to inches making fishing difficult. Look for clean water, bait (bait fish) and no porpoises and you're likely in a fishy area. March offer some excellent trout fishing. When the opposite happens the water is too clear try live a finger mullet shrimp or mud minnow. Some fishermen will tie up to five feet of fluorocarbon directly to their line, a split shot can keep bait close to the bottom. You'll be surprise a large mud minnow (with no weight)will swim to the bottom seaking shelter. If a fish doesn't smack a large free swimming mud minnows then there's likely no fish in the vicinity.

There have been reports stripers are on the move. The DNR pulled 71 stripers in one sampling (about a week). Smaller stripers those in the five to seven pound will start getting active. Count on these fish to be on the move searching for food till they for cooler water in coming weeks.

Good Fishing! Capt. Jack McGowan

Feb 04, 2004
Usually there's plenty to report but weather conditions have been such that not many fishermen have ventured out. Those that have braved the elements are targeting sheepshead, seatrout, redfish and stripers. With water temperature still hovering under 50 degree the inshore bite has slowed down. Look for a few sunny warm days and fishing will pick up. Capt. Vern said some stripers are popping up on some of the industrial docks in the Savannah River but as far as he knows these fish aren't large. Mud minnows are in good supply can be easily trapped. I caught a twenty today with no bait in my trap. The tides we have been having this week are gentle tides, not much current. These small tides are excellent for sheepshead and good for redfish. The best striper bite is going happen when currents are a little stronger. If the rains persist get under a dock at low tide and fish fiddler crabs along shell encrusted pilings and you likely pull some sheepsheed.

The bite has been better this past week south of Savannah with some redfish and seatrout being caught. Don't fret good isn't long off.

Capt. Jack McGowan

Jan 23, 2004
Well it's winter on the coast. The key to winter fishing is fishing when the conditions moderate. Typically a cold front will be followed by warming conditons. Fishing just before a front or after the front has passed can be productive. Best fishing for redfish tends to be close to the sounds and around mud flats that have shelly bottoms close by. North winds can make fishing open waters almost impossible so plan accordingly. Redfish have a tendency to hold during winter months. Moving a boat can easliy spook fish so try to be patient even when the bite is slow. Redfish on the fly is a winter time favorite. Small weedless rattle shrimp and crabs are favortes. Whatever you're fishing try to fish light: fluorocarbon leaders and small floats such as Low Country Lightings are well suited for winter fishing.

There have been several reports of stripers biting. Chuck at Cransman reports that a blueback Redfin lure has been his most productive lure this season. He has had anglers reporting catching large stripers while working this lure around structure in the Savannah and Back River. Finger Mullet as well large mudminnows will catch stripers. Fish structure and look for shadows.

Water temperature is around fifty degree. Seatrout when feeding they are feeding on hardbacks (a small shrimp) and mudminnows. One trout fishermen Gary Collins uses a Berkley powercraw for winter and springtime trout. A large mudminnow is hard most seatrout, redfish or stripers to resist. Fish a large mudminnows close to the bottom and something good is likely to pick it up. One thing about winter fishing is you'll have fewer bites but the bites will likely be a quality fish.

Good Fishing! Captain Jack McGowan