Savannah Fishing Report - Miss Judy Charters July

Fishing with Captain Alan of Miss Judy Charters

Cobia in the creeks, rivers, and sounds! Oh my! Here’s Proof!

Captain Alan Collins of Miss Judy Charter proves that setting out the old captain line really does pay off in fish! The definition of a Captain’s line is it’s the rod that after being set is basically just put in the rod holder. The bottom line is no one holds it. When a fish hits it and start running this is when the rod is handed to someone on the boat.

Here’s Proof!

Daniel Kaminski with a hand full of spotted sea trout and one horizontal red fish, which he caught while inshore fishing on Sunday June 27, 2010

This is Kathy Neubauer and her son Daniel Kaminski. Daniel is holding nice cobia, which was caught while they were inshore fishing for spotted sea trout. On some occasions we do catch cobia in the sounds, but rarely in the small creeks. Daniel did a great job of fighting and landing this fish! They chartered a boat with (us) Miss Judy Charters and fished with our inshore specialist Captain Alan Collins

Captain Alan Collins says, "CHANGE THINGS UP!!!

It's been a strange year to say the least fishing that is. Colder than usual winter, snow, and the water temp took forever to reach the 70-degree mark. So many people were scratching there heads, where are the fish? Did we have a fish kill? No one really had the answer. They had an opinion, but no answers. Well, if you sit back and think about it, the weather changed. The pattern of the fish changed but we all keep fishing the same as we did last year. yeah some of us had a couple of good days but most were left wondering what the heck was going on? Well being a guide and making my living by CATCHING fish I had to go out there and try to figure this out. I could rely on reds and flounder but I wanted to know if the trout were gone or had they just changed their pattern? So on the days I was not booked I went out and fished just for trout I have my favorite trout drops and that's were I started. I would start with the float rig. Different baits, artificial baits,

bottom fishing with a small split shot and let it float back with the current. I would start in one area and slowly work my way out trying everything in my tackle box until I was sure there were no fish there or I found some fish. I did this at all my trout drops from the Savannah River to the south end of Ossabaw sound and all spots in between. This included long talks on the dock and on the phone with other captains like matt Williams and any one else that would talk to me about it, You know fisherman like to talk so keep your ears open and you might here that they have been catching big trout on the beach

fronts. Well after a lot of time on the water and changing things a little or in some cases a lot I have found some trout, There not in all the usual spots and Im not going to tell you were they are that's up to you to put in the work but I promise you this if you move a little left or right of the norm you will be surprised what you will learn not only about trout but all kinds of fish. But I want to warn you there might be a couple trips you come in with very little or even nothing for your efforts, But don't let it get to you, Take it as a learning

experience and write it all down. I personally think as the summer goes on and we get into the fall the trout fishing will pick up, every trip I go out on the trout numbers are just getting better I'm seeing big trout as well as the little fish which is good to see. But I would also mention that coastal resources { D.N.R. ] has asked us fisherman and women to release any fish 18 inches or over, talking with one of there researchers he informed me that a trout over 18 inches buts out 75 percent more eggs than a smaller fish and they will lay eggs 3 to 4 times a year and that could mean millions of eggs from one fish,

so if we do have a shortage of fish, putting the larger ones back may help restore our numbers of the past years which were really good, I know its hard to release a trophy size fish. Its really hard to convince a customer to release a large trout especially if the day has been slow, but I'll have to say most are happy to help. Well I guess the point of this rant is to change things up, Try every thing and I think you will be surprised what you might learn and you might even find a few new fishing drops for your efforts. I'm not saying discard everything you know about trout fishing I'm just saying change up your

tactics if the usual styles not working, Just don’t pick up and leave thinking there’s no fish there, just try different tactics and fish 360 degrees around the boat before you give up on the area and be sure to take a couple different baits like shrimp and mud minnows or finger mullet I'm telling you a finger mullet or mud minnow lip hooked with a split shot and fluorocarbon drifting can be deadly.

Judy I'm not sure if I like this or not make any changes you want. I hope you can use it, If not I understand. If it will help you give me a topic you wont me to write about (inshore) and I'll do my best to help you out. I love to write about things like this I'm just not sure if you readers will like it. Let me know I'm happy to help.

Inshore fishing tip when targeting trophy red fish!

Captain Ray Crawley thinks a lot about red fish! And that’s why he always gets his fish! For those that don’t know I published 2009 a "Trophy Red Fish Booklet" with Captain Ray. It’s full of pictures with detailed information of how to catch a trophy red fish!

Since we already know that a finger mullet is very active it’s always going to try and get away. This is a favorite bait to use for the larger red fish, because its movement brings on interests and it’s definitely a mouth full bite. Large fish didn’t get larger by being stupid! However, while you are waiting for a hit the old finger mullet is making all sort of crazy moves and in some cases swims right over the top of your leader or around your cork. This is not unusual and you would too if you thought it would get you out of harms way. Captain Ray suggests, "trimming the tail fins" of this bait. It won’t kill the bait, they can still move, and it does add some extra scent. I watched as Captain Ray took out his boat scissors and trimmed the tail fins completely off .

Captain Ray’s best rig used while using "trimmed tail live finger mullet as bait. I always call it "fishing naked," but that sometimes this statement causes confusion. However, I wouldn’t say, "During these hot time taking your clothes off might not be a bad idea. After all, it would be somewhat of a cooling event that’s if you didn’t sun burn too badly.

 

This is called a "Carolina Style Rig!" It’s standard design, proven, and worked for many years over. Here’s the recipe for Captain Ray’s personal rig. Slide ½ oz egg sinker on to main line, slide on slip plastic bead, then tie on #5 black swivel, (swivel from 50 to 100 lb will work) then tie on 12 inches of 25 lb fluorocarbon leader material, and then tie on a 2/0 silver Khale hook

There are many ways to skin a cat, so to speak, but this is a quick efficient way to get the most out of your trout filets.

1. Start by Laying out your catch. Always make sure the fish you keep are of legal size. In 2009, and in Georgia waters, Spotted Sea trout must be a minimum of 13 inches total length.

2. Make sure you have a sharp filet knife. I prefer one with a serrated blade, razor sharp. Lay the trout with his back to you.

3. Make an angled cut right behind his gill plate, down to the backbone. This cut should be the width of the spotted sea trout.

 

4. Make a slit from the trout’s anus to the previous cut shown in step 3. This should expose all the guts of the fish as well as the AIR BLADDER. It is important to remove all these before making the first filet.

 

5. Grab and pull the inside of the fish out of the body cavity and cut them out as close to the body of the sea trout as possible. The air bladder has the consistency of taffy and will keep you from making a clean cut.

6. Once the insides are removed, take a minute to see what the fish was feeding on. This trout had a small mullet in its stomach. The white mass is the air bladder.

7. Turn the fish on his side with his spine to you. Using the sharp filet knife cut down till you feel the backbone then smoothly cut the meat from the backbone, all the way to the tail. Then flip the filet over leaving the skin on the fish and still attached to the tail.

8. Starting at the tail, cut down until you feel the skin, then smoothly slice all the way to the end of the filet. Now you have finished the first side and have separated the meat from the bone and skin.

9. Flip the fish over and do the other side just like the first. Cut to the backbone then slice all the way to the tail. Flip the filet and leave attached to the tail. Starting at the tail cut down to the skin then slice all the way to the end.

10. Now you have 2 complete filets, with the rib bones and 1 fish head, backbone and skin. When finished with each fish place the filets in a container. Since spotted sea trout is a soft-bodied fish, I refrigerate the filets then cut out the rib bones. This picture is of all 7 cleaned trout.

12. Below are the leftover scraps of the fish. I return these to the River to be consumed by the Abundant Blue Crab populations!

All fish cleaning photos by Captain Rick Reynolds

Captain Jack McGowan says,

Kevin Draper, his cobia, and Captain Jack McGowan

This fish was caught in Wassaw Sound while doing what we all call "fishing regular!" Bringing to light once again that when you go fishing, bait you hook, put it in the water, you really never know what you might catch! In this case is was big boiling down to a nice cobia also known as a ling or lemon fish.

Captain Jack says, Summer is definitely here!

Temperatures are in the 90’s and afternoon thunderstorms can be a daily occurrence. Most fishermen during the summer try to start early and get back early. There can be exceptions. For example, one fisherman last week closely following the tides waited till mid afternoon to begin his king fishing. The trip was successful! Nonetheless afternoon fishing can be problematic. Typically a sea breeze will kick during the afternoon. This is an east wind created when the land heat ups during the day and raises sucking in cool air from the ocean. The only problem with a sea breeze it is an east wind and can be strong making conditions tough to fish.

Fishermen can find reddish on flats. Its not the heat that drive fish off the flats it is the lack of oxygen. Typically marshes that are lush and green can hold fish. Shallow water fishing is best during the early morning before temperatures get hot and a sea breeze kicks in. Small redfish as well as some larger one can found by clumps of oysters near marshy areas. There are reports of redfish along the sandbars as well!

With lots of baitfish off the beaches this means lots of fish! There are lots of large sharks, some tarpon spotted in the last few days, as well as cobia, Spanish and kings. Fishermen targeting Spanish have found success trolling as well pitching to these fish. The king mackerel action has been by those trolling live baits. Those catching cobia have found success anchoring up as well fishing the channel markers. The report is the cobia action slowed dramatically last week.

During the summer the bite turns to beach! If you are fishing around large schools of baitfish you’ll likely find some nice fish! Conditions have been just right for sharks along the beaches and off the coast. When large bait is present you’ll likely find large predator fish. When fishing the beachfront it’s likely to catch several species of sharks as well lots of other fish! Regulations can be complicated and identifying the fish can be tricky. If you are not positive it is a legal fish, then release it. Safety is another concern some sharks are relatively safe to handle while other fish are just an accident waiting to happen. One fish that fall into the category of "don’t handle" is the black tip shark. This fish is nearly impossible to hold. It has been said this fish pound per pound is stronger than any man. Wow! Enjoy the fun of the fight and release it to fight another day. If you keep any fish make sure you are following the regulations and have your plan of how you intend to safely manage the fish. Hope this of interest and help!

Fish On! Capt. Jack McGowan

Welcome to Shark-ville!

From left to right: Captain Deidra Jeffcoat, Captain Ken Kennickell, and Ali Bring make for a great picture sporting lots of "BIG SMILES!" Captain Ken is holding up Ali’s just caught Atlantic sharpnose shark. No shark steaks here "this shark is still swimming and feeding freely!" Who knows we might just catch it again tomorrow!

Artificial Reefs Report

Less than 50 feet of water

Lots of Spanish can be caught in these areas that are in less than 50 feet of water. You might not see them, but they are there! If you see them "pitch to them or troll spoon through and around them!" If you don’t see any "fish signs like birds feeding or hovering

"Just fish deeper!"

This photo was taken in the early seventies when I was about 19 years old. I call this the "wooden boat era!" My boat named "Judy" was a 31-foot wooden hull with a slant head six engine, which made a top speed of 12 knots. Back then no one was in a hurry, because we didn’t "no" that was an option. This king mackerel was caught on the beachfront while trolling a silver lead head that had a skirt made of white chicken feathers.

Artificial reefs Report

More than 50 feet of water

The big boys and girls have shown up in the form of "SMOKER" king mackerel! These fish light big baits trolled slowly in the mid water column. Bait such as blue runners, ocean menhaden, and ribbonfish will definitely get their attention. Live bait are better than dead, but if that’s all you have go for it. The biggest king mackerel that I ever caught hit a nice size Spanish mackerel. It was fresh dead meaning it still had that natural sign. I rigged it up with about 4 medium hooks made with single strand wire with no weights added, cast it out, and basically let it do it thing. We noticed that we could see the shine the Spanish made from a far distance in the water column. The bottom line so did the big 50-pound king mackerel!

Savannah Snapper Banks

All type of fishing from bottom to top can certainly be interesting! The bottom line "just go" and give it a try!

Gulf Stream Report

Gulf Stream fishing with Ed Stabell and the crew on June 18, 2010

I received an interesting blue water fishing report from Ed Stabell in regards to his blue fishing trip on June 18, 2010. He along with his wife Laura, Bob Jones of Atlanta and Daniel Jenkins and Robert Hughes of Savannah left port around 3:30 AM on his 28 foot Grady White, "Lucky Dawg." Once reaching about 10 miles out while heading in a SE direction at the stern a squall popped up producing heavy lighting and strong winds. According to Charleston Coast Guard the storm was traveling in a SE direction at around 15 knots. This put the crew in "harms way" due to the fact that it seemed that sooner or later they would have to deal with the storm. The worst news was the fact it blocked them from making way back to a safe harbor.

Here’s some good news, which I am labeling "being smart!" …Ed has XM satellite weather on his boat, which aided them in being able to see the size of the storm as well as the tract it seemed to be taking. Believe me when I say, "This is very good thing to have on your boat especially when your travels take you into the ocean!" I have XM satellite weather on my boat (Miss Judy Too) and I wouldn’t leave home without it. And there is another thing that I wouldn’t leave without and that’s my life raft. About 40 year ago while fishing off the Hilton Head, SC my prop cut through my hull making a 4 by 4 inch

hole. And let me tell you how much water can come into a hole that size. Back in the old days I would have said "Buckets and buckets of seawater!" The reason being is we actually did bail the sinking boat out with 5 gallon buckets. Yes we did have bilgue pumps back then, but on some occasions they needed some extra help. The fact of the matter is back then pumps didn’t do the complete job. I now would be saying, "Almost more than the pumps could handle!" Back in the old days we did have pumps, but they didn’t have all the "Bells and whistles" like the new now styles have. My newly installed bilge pumps have a high water alarms and also a float switch to pump out any general water in the bilge. Ed actually got out of harms way by using his XM satellite weather. The bottom line is "it’s priceless" having this information available at any time!

Finally fishing…

When they reach around 150 feet of water the lines were set and they trolled in the direction of the Triple Ledge. This particular trolling event turned out "no hits, misses, or hookups." After finding a temperature break in a rip holding patchy weeds that was running NE in around 200 to 250 feet "things changed in the hook up department!" The decision was made to take a more east direction while heading toward the Deli Ledge area. As they made way in their newly found rip the catching started.

Over the course of the morning and afternoon they hooked, 22 Dolphin, two barracuda, one shark, and had five other knockdowns, but with no hookups. They boated 11 of the dolphin and lost a 40 pound plus bull dolphin right at the boat. The large dolphin jumped breaking the line. As if that wasn’t enough insult, the fish made three more serious jumps right by the boat. According to the report a few of the dolphin were peanuts, but many were in the 20 plus pound range requiring "the art of gaffing and not slinging!" The crew did come up with a way to get extra action once hooked up. Their plan went something like this: Once hooked up and reeling the dolphin in they slowed the boat’s

forward movement looking for other fish following the action. On a few occasion they caught while using plain old cut bait dolphin the actually came right up to the boat. This move is called, "Taking the full advantage of the situation offered!" And you know the old saying, "Where you have fish you have fish!" Ed and crew seemed to be "in step" with each other.

Ed Stabell’s Bottom Line!

They had a great time and thanks to his XM satellite weather as well as knowing how to read they didn’t have to deal with the storm! Just the fish! Thanks for such a great report

Bill Vanderford is "Lake Lanier’s Legend!"

Antique Creme Lure, which is rare antique lure for sure. I have to admit if I was a fish I just might want to eat this lure. Here’s my personal (Captain Judy) assessment on this particular lure. The first thing that I notice is the fact that it has a deep diving scoop, which looks as if it is a bit adjustable. This means you can make it dive deeper if you would like. The lead swivel that you tie your main line too is positioned just right. At this angle the lure will dive with the least amount of effort. Lets talk about the broken back affect. Well, in my old fishing world this was known as one of the best things a lure could have. This allows the tail section to move "looking like a real live fish!" In my day "real deals meant a rod pulling time!" The slogan should have said, "Pull this lure, but only if you want to catch fish!"

Little Miss Judy’s believe it or not!

As you all know especially if you are a family with children still at home it’s

"VACATION TIME!" Most of our customers at this time of the year are basically families on vacation. I think it great! In fact it has made me start to think about the good times that my father and I had when we went on vacation.

"Summer of 1958"

Daddy decided that we would to Silver Spring, which is located in Florida. As we drove our way down the old Highway 17 S he explained what "Silver Springs" was all about. He told me that they had these boats that were made with glass bottoms. My mind raced on with that statement. I wasn’t sure after hearing about that one whether this was going to be fun or not. I had already had a bad experience being able to see what was swimming under me.

While we were visiting Savannah Beach one time my father brought me a float. This is the float of which I will never forget. It came complete with a viewer in it. The definition of a viewer in the middle fifties to a child under 10 years old is a simple one. When they made the float they put a piece of plastic in so that you could lie on it face down and view what may or may not swim under you. To a child the words "what may swim under you" could be critical especially if your mind plays tricks on you. Well my mind wasn’t playing tricks on this day whatever it was, was very big. It knocked me off my float, and

then it rubbed hard against my knee. The next thing I knew I was grabbed by someone and picked up out of the water. Apparently they saw the whole thing, whatever it was. My next stop was the first aid center, which as I remember was located in the middle of the parking lot. It wasn’t too bad of cut, but it sure did bleed a lot. My father nor did my rescuer ever say exactly what had attacked me. I really didn’t want to think about it. All I can say at this point is that a glass bottom boat wasn’t too appealing to me. At least until daddy told me it was floating in fresh water!

Thanks for reading!

Captain Judy

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31410

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