Boat Disaster, Georgia Sea Trout, and Rain Out Weather
Capt. Ron Presley
May 24, 2009
Cocoa Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
Road Trip, Disaster and Rainout
I took a short road trip to Georgia last week. On the way I stopped at Amelia Island, Florida and took in a days fishing. That evening while in the hotel room, that overlook a marina and boat dock, I heard a loud noise. I looked out the window and black smoke filled the air and drifted out towards the sea. As I searched for the source of the smoke I spotted a 40 foot boat in flames at the far end of the dock.
Later investigation determined that the owner had earlier loaded and gassed the boat for an early morning departure for the Bahamas. It took some time for the firemen to stretch fire house out the T shaped dock and East along the decking. It was too late. The boat was a total loss. I later overheard a lady on a cell phone to relatives say, "Everything we have is on that boat, including a $1,000 in cash." What a devastating reminder to always take full precautions when dealing with gasoline. Accidents happen, but always following recommended practices for fueling and starting a boat. Don't let this happen to you.
Georgia Sea Trout
Once I got to Georgia my wife and I checked in to a downtown riverfront hotel. We did the thing on the waterfront and drove by Paul Dean's Restaurant (If you guys don't know who that is, just ask your wife, she probably does.) The next day was a drive out to Tybee Island for more sightseeing. What a great little beach town. We headed directly back to Savanna and checked out early - went back to Tybee Island and found a room. Lots of good food (I especially recommend the Breakfast Club for breakfast) and a beautiful beach. We found the public library which was perfect for checking emails and catching up on a little work. I know, should have left it at home but that's just the world I live in. Some things can't wait.
The next morning I got up early and headed for Hogan's Marina where I would meet up with Capt. Charlie Warren. Capt. Charlie is a tug boat captain where he docks and undocks ships in the Savanna Harbor. He was born and raised in Savannah and knows the area like the back of his hand. We fished oyster bars for speckled trout and did very well. I commented to Charlie that the fish seemed particularly fat and healthy. So much so they almost looked like a different species than we catch at home. They are also plentiful. The legal limit in Georgia is 15 fish with a minimum length of 12 inches.
We fished live shrimp under popping corks to keep the bait above the oyster bars. An occasional pop of the cork served to draw the feeding fish to the shrimp. After catching several I replaced the live shrimp with a RipTide 3 inch mullet (no surprise to you who read my reports regularly) and quickly hooked up on the silver shad color. After a few hours of catching trout we headed back to the dock to pick up my wife. She wanted a closer look at Paul Dean's house that wasn't far away. Capt. Charlie was very accommodating and took her nearly to Paul's back door. If you every want to do try some Georgia Sea Trout fishing just give Charlie a call at 912-313-6718. You can visit his website at www.savannahfishingguide.com. If you get there the right time of year he is also a cobia fanatic and will be happy to take you in search of the brown bomber.
Rainout
After returning home it has been nothing but rain. Some portions of Central Florida have had up to 30 inches. All trips had to be canceled and rescheduled. I am really anxious to get back on the water. The weather is a little better today with no rain yet although afternoon thunder storms will become a part of our normal weather pattern.
Who knows were the fish will be with a water level more than a foot above where it was only a week ago. The first trip out will be a prospecting trip for sure. Don't be afraid to check out new areas you have not been able to get to because of water depth. The fish are sure to move on up into the newly flooded areas. I will continue to cast my favorite RipTide 3 inch mullet because as a prospecting bait you can cover a lot of territory with it. If the winds are not too great top water baits also make a good search bait. We will all just have to adapt to the new water level. The fish are still there, but probably not where they were before.
That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.
Capt. Ron Presley
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