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!
It had been dry in coastal Georgia until last month when the rains came. This mid-winter unseasonably warm, yet wet, the weather didn’t do anything to hurt the fishing.
Capt. Matt Williams of Miss Judy Charters took Bill Hunter, his son Dallas, and his father Al out and they had a great time. It wasn’t the perfect weather day, either. Early in the morning, we were all trying to decide whether or not Capt. Matt should leave the dock. The winds were howling and there was a strong line of showers moving in from the northwest.
As soon as I talked to Bill, he decided to go. It does seem that every time Bill leaves the dock the winds are howling. It is his signature weather event.
Here’s how it went: After departing with Capt. Matt, they searched for the perfect spot, which was somewhere out of the wind. Capt. Matt found it and they caught quite a few fish, with young Dallas catching the biggest redfish. I was watching the weather from the house and Matt was keeping an eye on the sky. After taking a quick look at the radar on their phones, it was time to make a run to the dock, where I met them and took a few photos while Capt. Matt hurriedly cleaned the fish.
As he was finishing up, we all felt drops of rain and then that line of storms we had been watching was now upon us. We all rushed up from the dock and the Hunter fishing team got in the car with a bag of fish fillets. Off they went to find another adventure!
Inshore, we are still catching the Savannah slam, which is redfish, spotted sea trout, and flounder. We are also catching sheepshead, black drum, and a few whiting. The best bait for all these fish is live shrimp, but if you can get them, mud minnows will work. For those fish that prefer to eat something wrapped in a shell, purple-back fiddlers are going to be your best bait.
The artificial reefs are offering short boat rides to big fish. They continue to amaze me for sure! There is plenty of catching to be had if you just keep looking. We are catching sheepshead, black drum, flounder, black sea bass, ocean perch, triggerfish and trophy redfish as well as other bottom biters. The best bait to use on the bottom is a squid. I have never met a fish that didn’t like this stuff. I guess you could call it the universal bait of all times.
Miss Judy Charters has been operating out of Savannah since 1956. See their website at www.missjudycharters.com and be sure to check out the Inshore School dates.