Georgia Coast Fishing Report: Inshore and Offshore
Capt. TJ Cheek
June 4, 2008
St. Simons Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Nearshore/Inshore:
Just like last report, the trout fishing has been VERY good. Trout are being caught from the Backwater around docks and in the sounds and beaches as well. Good, solid size fish are being caught and most of them are keeper fish, no need to measure. It will be clearly a keeper fish, especially off the beach @ Cumberland Island. Hunt the run outs that flow off the steep sloped Cumberland Island beach on the ebb flowing tide and fish all around the boat. Anchor in 5-6 ft. of water just beyond the breaker roll. Fish offshore of the boat and around all sides and in the breaker roll. Also, fish one down on the bottom for giggles... Most anglers are fishing an adjustable popping float at various depths until they get a handle on the fish, then hone in on them at that depth.
Keep in mind, many of these larger trout are caught on the bottom, so don't rule out fishing with a carolina rig with a light egg sinker or a split shot rig pinched on a few feet from the hook and bait. Roe trout LOVE that rig....
On the beach, Triple Tail are here, but not in the numbers we heard about and saw last month. Everyone knows about where to find these fish, so limit your catch, not catch your limit. Not enough is known about these fish yet. All that is known is they grow very fast, but there is alot to be learned about why they come here during the season of Spring and why are they floating in huge numbers only in certain areas, breeding patterns, etc. None of this has any proven scientific facts. In fact, Hickory Bluff resident, Jerome Dean, an excellent Triple Tail fisherman has been pushing a tagging program that will aid in the research of the fishery and we all hope with the efforts of Jerome and the DNR, we can soon figure out the secret rituals of the triple Tail.
Black tip and Black nose sharks are behind the shrimp boats THICK. Definitley NO SWIMMING behind the shrimp boats right now.... they have been so thick at times, you may not get back in the boat before you're full of holes or missing a limb. Drift a live bait on a float with 250 pound mono leader. Your leader needs to be about 5 ft. in length and before you tie on your hook, slide an oval float up the leader and pinch it tight to the top knot and swivel.. Hook your live pogey in the tail or in the back... HANG ON! It won't be long and you'll hook up with a bruiser...
Redfish are still in decent numbers, but sometimes hard to locate. We have managede to find a few as well as many other anglers. A few steady action days on them, but not every single time. There have been a few keeper size fish, but alot of them have been over the size limit to keep.. Either way, it's still fun.
Offshore:
Offshore kingfishing has been red hot... Reefs include; "C" - "F", "SFC", "G" and all the Navy Towers as well. The Spade fish are as thick as I have seen in years. Catch a few Jelly Balls near the beach on the way out and line them on a dock line in a 5 gallon bucket full of water. Cut a hole big enough for the rope to slide through the jelly ball. You will need about 8-10 of them. The reason behind this? To get a frenzy going behind your boat. Tie off that rope to your boat with a large stopper knot at the other end to keep the jelly balls from sliding off and drift through those spade fish schools. When they start following your boat and seating the jelly balls on your rope, take a very small chunk with a small hook and toss into the frenzy... GAME ON! Also, in these schools of Spades, there have been numerous very large Cobia, so Have your shrimpie jig or bucktail ready on a spinning rod or casting rod
Capt. Richie Lott
www.charterfish.com
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