Inshore Fishing Report Savannah, GA. – Tybee Island, GA. – Spring 2024
Our Spring bite has been good! Whiting are running in the sounds. Fishermen are catching these fish with bottom rigs and a small piece of cut bait or shrimp. Sharks are already pushing in so when using a piece of cut bait hooking into an Atlantic sharp nose shark is not unusal. We’ve also seen some black tips, bonnet head and lemon sharks as well. Spring can also be a good time to fish for large red drum in search of mullet, whiting, crab and other bait fish such as pin fish.
When whiting start running everything else will start biting. We’ll been catching whiting for a few weeks. The inshore bite is well under way. So far the most action has been redfish but large sea trout can be caught in the rivers and arounds the islands. Live shrimp are still fairly scarce but bait shrimpers who are willing to make long runs south of Savannah have been consistently finding shrimp for fishermen. In Thunderbolt, Georgia. Mr. Mike Mosely has been doing a great job in keeping his tanks stocks with shrimp. His shop is Top of the Line Bait & tackle. Nonetheless probably best to call ahead to see if Mike has bite on hand (912).665.3196. Other bait shops in Savannah that have a good chance of having live shrimp are Coffee Bluff Marina (912) 231-3628 and Bandy’s (at the foot of birdie going onto Skidaway Island). I would list Bandy’s phone number but I haven’t had success when trying to call but I have heard Bandy’s is finding and selling live shrimp.
All this said about shrimp: Shrimp are a great bait particularly when fishing for sea trout but don’t overlook mud minnows. Some spring days mud minnows will out produce even live shrimp. Veteran bait master Raburn Goodman (912) 977-0062 – Yellow Bluff Marina Community says live shrimp will produce more bites but mud minnows will produce more quality fish. Overall if you can find live shrimp its a great bait to have aboard. For red fish a piece of cut bait or dead shrimp at times better is all that’s needed.
For spring time reds I look for drainage areas. I’m looking for creeks mouths and gullies where bait can accumulate and mud banks with lots of fiddler crabs. The heads of creeks can be good as well. Look for any likely spots where bait can accumulate. Muddy or dirty water doesn’t mean you can’t catch reds. You can catch reds in dirty water. For sea trout look for clean water and current. My rule of thumb is in for redfish, out for sea trout. In short for reds I’m usually fishing close to structure. For sea trout it’s more about current and clean water. Some “drops” can be good both sea trout and redfish but that’s not the rule.
Pay attention to the stage of tide when catching fish. Redfish are creatures of habit but habits (patterns) can change be so after about 15 to 30 minuets it’s best to move on. I think fish can hear you talking. We ready to move I’ll say one more cast and then bam! Obviously if you caught one take another cast. Redfish take five years to able to reproduce. If you keep some to eat fresh release the rest. The limits on the Georgia coast likely aren’t justified in relation to the stock. Releasing fish is a good thing. Per Raburn Goodman the culprit on damaging redfish numbers are dolphin. Its reported one dolphin eats 50 pounds of fish per day. During the winter and early spring the main food source for dolphin are redfish. There is more fishing pressure than every before: more guides and folks relocating to the coast and more technology making fishing more efficient, storms and natural events can have a major impact on our fishery. The bottom line is keeping some fish is a blessing but going light on the resource will help insure fish for tomorrow.
As spring heats up plan your trip according to the local forecast for the day. Drink plenty of water and be courteous to other boaters. One fishing guide booklet says stay half mile away from a fellow fisherman. That’s the ideal. Keep plenty of room between boats and be aware of your noise and wake. Loud radios while cools aren’t too courteous. The sounds your boat is producing can be heard a long distance away. In fishing there is good noise and bad noise. Unnatural noises are basically jarring to fish so keep it quiet. When coming too close to a fellow fisherman you’re likely going to mess their fishing and yours as well.
One veteran legendary fly fishing guide when asked about the numbers of fish they caught his reply was it’s not who caught the most but who had the best time. I think he’s right.
I hope this fishing report is of interest and help. Thank you for your interest. Hope to see you on the water!
Fish On!
Jack
Our Spring bite has been good! Whiting are running in the sounds. Fishermen are catching these fish with bottom rigs and a small piece of cut bait or shrimp. Sharks are already pushing in so when using a piece of cut bait hooking into an Atlantic sharp nose shark is not unusal. We’ve also seen some black tips, bonnet head and lemon sharks as well. Spring can also be a good time to fish for large red drum in search of mullet, whiting, crab and other bait fish such as pin fish.
When whiting start running everything else will start biting. We’ll been catching whiting for a few weeks. The inshore bite is well under way. So far the most action has been redfish but large sea trout can be caught in the rivers and arounds the islands. Live shrimp are still fairly scarce but bait shrimpers who are willing to make long runs south of Savannah have been consistently finding shrimp for fishermen. In Thunderbolt, Georgia. Mr. Mike Mosely has been doing a great job in keeping his tanks stocks with shrimp. His shop is Top of the Line Bait & tackle. Nonetheless probably best to call ahead to see if Mike has bite on hand (912).665.3196. Other bait shops in Savannah that have a good chance of having live shrimp are Coffee Bluff Marina (912) 231-3628 and Bandy’s (at the foot of birdie going onto Skidaway Island). I would list Bandy’s phone number but I haven’t had success when trying to call but I have heard Bandy’s is finding and selling live shrimp.
All this said about shrimp: Shrimp are a great bait particularly when fishing for sea trout but don’t overlook mud minnows. Some spring days mud minnows will out produce even live shrimp. Veteran bait master Raburn Goodman (912) 977-0062 – Yellow Bluff Marina Community says live shrimp will produce more bites but mud minnows will produce more quality fish. Overall if you can find live shrimp its a great bait to have aboard. For red fish a piece of cut bait or dead shrimp at times better is all that’s needed.
For spring time reds I look for drainage areas. I’m looking for creeks mouths and gullies where bait can accumulate and mud banks with lots of fiddler crabs. The heads of creeks can be good as well. Look for any likely spots where bait can accumulate. Muddy or dirty water doesn’t mean you can’t catch reds. You can catch reds in dirty water. For sea trout look for clean water and current. My rule of thumb is in for redfish, out for sea trout. In short for reds I’m usually fishing close to structure. For sea trout it’s more about current and clean water. Some “drops” can be good both sea trout and redfish but that’s not the rule.
Pay attention to the stage of tide when catching fish. Redfish are creatures of habit but habits (patterns) can change be so after about 15 to 30 minuets it’s best to move on. I think fish can hear you talking. We ready to move I’ll say one more cast and then bam! Obviously if you caught one take another cast. Redfish take five years to able to reproduce. If you keep some to eat fresh release the rest. The limits on the Georgia coast likely aren’t justified in relation to the stock. Releasing fish is a good thing. Per Raburn Goodman the culprit on damaging redfish numbers are dolphin. Its reported one dolphin eats 50 pounds of fish per day. During the winter and early spring the main food source for dolphin are redfish. There is more fishing pressure than every before: more guides and folks relocating to the coast and more technology making fishing more efficient, storms and natural events can have a major impact on our fishery. The bottom line is keeping some fish is a blessing but going light on the resource will help insure fish for tomorrow.
As spring heats up plan your trip according to the local forecast for the day. Drink plenty of water and be courteous to other boaters. One fishing guide booklet says stay half mile away from a fellow fisherman. That’s the ideal. Keep plenty of room between boats and be aware of your noise and wake. Loud radios while cools aren’t too courteous. The sounds your boat is producing can be heard a long distance away. In fishing there is good noise and bad noise. Unnatural noises are basically jarring to fish so keep it quiet. When coming too close to a fellow fisherman you’re likely going to mess their fishing and yours as well.
One veteran legendary fly fishing guide when asked about the numbers of fish they caught his reply was it’s not who caught the most but who had the best time. I think he’s right.
I hope this fishing report is of interest and help. Thank you for your interest. Hope to see you on the water!
Fish On!
Jack
