February 27, 2017 – Saltwater Inshore, Offshore, Blue Water fishing reports, and “Little Miss Judy’s Believe It or Not story! Thanks for Reading!
Fishing statement: To try to ensure that fishing stays in the hearts of those that love it and to help the ones that are going too!
This is a great white shark that came to and was hooked up while fishing on the Miss Judy Too with Captain Judy Helmey, off the coast of Savannah Georgia on February 20, 2017, Monday. On board was Captain Kathy Brown, David Miller his son Christopher Miller, and Captain Judy.
Hooked up three times: once by David Miller Blue Ash Ohio and twice by his son Christopher
While fishing in 80 foot of water, 22 miles offshore the Wassaw Sea Buoy in 60 degrees water. It ate a three black sea bass and mangled a nice 25-inch genuine red snapper. Once hooked up, this shark did the same thing three times. It picked up the bait, swam around the boat, kept the line tight, and when it was ready, it basically dropped the bait, but still stayed interested in the boat. For about 15 minutes we had the pleasure of this big fish’s company! Now, this was one big fish!
While drifting and plain old bottom fishing with David Miller and his son Christopher this past week we all encounter several awesome sites!
David Miller and his son Christopher Blue Ash, Ohio has been fishing with us for many years. And over these fishing times both father and son have had some interesting fish catching days! And I also should mention that some fish days have not been as good as others, but then I guess that is why we still call it fishing! However, no matter the type of fish day we experience whether it’s rough weather or a slow fish bite David and Christopher are always up for the challenge!
David and Christopher both have caught large bull reds, which were tagged and released; mega sharks, which were caught fought and released and all types of bottom fish from genuine red snapper to grouper to cobia anything that the ocean has to offer. And just when you think it couldn’t get better it certainly did!
Normally the father-son duo fish with us in May and in November every year. However, while freshwater fishing in Florida this month they decided to stop to see us and do a little offshore fishing with us. They booked several offshore days with the hopes that they would get two days of fishing. Believe me, over the years the weather has played a big factor. Heck on some visits they have done more watching of weather than fishing. But still they keep coming and all I have to say is “Thank goodness!”
February 17, 2017 – Friday
On the first day of fishing I have to admit, although we all tried, I couldn’t get any sort of a bite a going. Our goal on this fish day was to target sheepshead these fish decided that they were not going to participate! We fished hard and caught a few sheepsheads, but it wasn’t a banner day by any means. It was decided that we would target sheepshead on the first day and black sea bass on the second trip. Well, with our first trip behind us and little fish to show for it, we then started making plans to head out to a little deeper water for the second tone.
February 20, 2017 – Monday
After a few days of blistering winds, it was then David Miller and his son Christopher time to go once again. It was last chance for doing any offshore fishing before having to head back to Ohio! So, once again we were making way to the offshore waters. And the best news is that the winds were light and the winds were pretty darn calm. So with that David, Christopher, Kathy, and I knew that we at least had the weather on our side, for the moment!
I had decided to make way to a live bottom area about 20 miles off our coast located in about 75 to 80 feet of water. As we were making way meaning autopilot was doing all the work I was looking over some of my notes from my last fishing visit to this area. I had quite a few spots in mind that were holding fish last time. So I wanted to start there first. When we arrived I noticed that the water temp has gone up from 59 to 61 degrees. As I motored around looking for fish I notice that the water temperature was teetering toddle ring between 60 to 61 degrees.
After all, hooks were baited I moved into my first fish spot, we dropped our bottom rigs and caught a few small black sea bass. Mixed in with the small black population were ruby red lips, sand perch, and rock bass. Captain Kathy started putting the sand perch and ruby’s in the live well. The drifting was strong and to stay on the bottom we almost had to free spool to get this job done. However, once we starting to keeping our bait on the bottom we able to catch some nice keeper blackfish!
Christopher Miller brought this octopus to the boat. Now you must know it was not hooked up. The octopus latched on the bait, which was a piece of black sea bass. I lifted it out of the water and lowered it on the dock. The octopus then, let go of it intended meal, and took a quick tour!
Once landing on the deck it quickly changed color so as to match the flat surface that it was crawling on. It certainly unbelievable the chameleons like tendencies that the octopus has. After less than 50 seconds on the deck, the octopus found the open scupper and made a grand exit back to the sea.
David Miller Blue Ash Ohio said, “I have a nice fish on!” And this is where our fish day started getting real interesting.
As David Miller started reeling in his so called nice fish, I looked out and over the side. And I saw something real big surfacing. It was at this time I grabbed my camera and took the first picture of David’s hooked up 11 foot Great White Shark. Once it got to the boat it basically dropped the fish that it must have been barely holding in its mouth. It started swimming off. Once it disappeared Christopher Miller said, “I am hooked up with a really big fish!”
While Christopher had the great white hooked up I got a picture of it as it headed away from the boat. After a strong fight with the shark, it once again dropped the bait, and the line went limp.
While Christopher was reeling his bait back to the boat the float line got a hit. For the second time, Christopher had the great white shark on. When this big fish got tired of looking at us it simply dropped the bait and slipped back into the abyss. So let me re-cap: We had this great white shark three times. David has it on once and Christopher had it on twice. Before I go on, once was great, but twice is very awesome! So I will go ahead and congratulate both father and son on a great job done!
This great white swam around the Miss Judy Too scoping this floating object. Who knows maybe the shark thought, if not for a moment, that we were a possibility dead right whale. Before the encounter with the great white, I had noticed an ocean sunfish making quite a few jumps. I know, what an ocean sunfish looks like, when it jumps out of the water I always say “how do they do this!?” On this day, we noticed a large ocean sunfish making quite a few jumps clearing the water just about every time. Over the course of the fish day, we saw sunfish (maybe the same one or not) make quite a few erratic jumps. Since a big fish, such a great white shark can pick as well as choose what it wants to eat…I have to wonder if it was just teasing the sunfish. Or did the big shark finally eat the sunfish? We also noticed plenty of feeding bird activity in this area. And since there isn’t much bait fish for the birds to feed on normally at this time and at this depth, maybe some of the oils from the down under kill floated to the surface.
Christopher Miller Blue Ash Ohio has hooked up again! And of course, I had to ask, “Do you think it is another great white?” He smiled and replied, “No this fish is nice, but it certainly isn’t that big!”
As soon as we started seeing a little red, we knew that Christopher Miller Blue Ash Ohio had hooked up a nice genuine red snapper! This was a beautiful fish and the best news is that I had not been touched by any toothy wonders that might be lurking below!
Christopher Miller Blue Ash Ohio is holding another genuine red snapper, which he caught while plain old bottom fishing with small pieces of cut squid. Captain Kathy Brown is giving big thumbs up!
Christopher Miller Blue Ash Ohio is holding up his last caught genuine red snapper for this fishing day! And it was a nice one too! You have to admit he had a grand day….he hooked up an octopus, great white shark twice, three large genuine red snapper, an Atlantic sharpnose shark, and assorted bottom biters. Now the Atlantic shark looked like it had some size, that’s until the big great white shark showed up! And yes we all will be talking about this fish day for many days to come!
Last fish of the day was a white grunt, which Christopher Miller Blue Ash Ohio caught while making his final drop for this fishing day. Captain Kathy Brown is assisting! And although the visit for Christopher Miller and his father is over, they are have already set up their next fishing dates, and I got to tell now none of us know how the heck are we going to top this fish day! And if we do, I know the words that are going to come out of my mouth and they are “I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED A BIGGER BOAT!”
Thanks for reading!
Captain Judy Helmey
Miss Judy Charters
Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
(912)-897-4921 or (912)-897-2478
(912)-897-3460 fax
Fishjudy2@aol.com