# Found the Reds at Sea Island



## fishdog (Apr 7, 2010)

It took us a few days but we did find them, you gotta get in somw skinny water but they are there and they will bite.
We are going to be around SSI for the rest of the week if anyone wants to join us.

Scott


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## Capt. Richie Lott (Apr 7, 2010)

Scott....

Across the creek from the ramp? Just curious.... I know it's about time for that to happen in that area.... 

Glad you found some reds regardless....!


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## Randy (Apr 7, 2010)

I hope they are still there in 3 weeks!


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## fishdog (Apr 7, 2010)

Capt. Richie, Yes. That area is hot and no one is out there, that is some of the best red fishing I have ever seen. The problem is they are over the slot. With the trout fishing so slow we have to spend the last couple of hours catching whiting to have something to eat, good problems to have. Most of our luck on the reds has come on the first couple of hours of the flood tide. We have not had any luck on the ebb....kind of strange.
Just got back from barbra jeans, time for a nap.


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## wharfrat (Apr 7, 2010)

good job on the reds. gonna look for trout up that way sat or sun or both!


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## fishdog (Apr 7, 2010)

wharfrat, Capt Richie might be able to put you on he trout but I can't, I would love to if I could. I have fished for the last five days and only pick one up here and there, none of my holes are working at all. They seem to be scatered out and not schooled up like normal. We have cought a few on new penny gulp, I have to say all off the ones we have put in the boat have been good fish.
 Back in the creeks there are reds and flounder and they will bight mud minnows. We have had the best luck with 1/2 ounce carolina rig. Poping corks have gotten a few but not as many as the bottom rig.
Where are you putting in?


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## wharfrat (Apr 7, 2010)

Appreciate the info and tips. Keep up the good work! I'll put in at Blythe, jekyll or ssi.
got any suggestions?


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## fishdog (Apr 7, 2010)

We will be here until Sunday. The area that we are fishing is out of Village Creek on SSI. Give me a shout if you want to go. If you have never put in there keep the tides in check for loading and unloading.


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## Capt. Richie Lott (Apr 8, 2010)

There only a handful being caught. I have been at St. Simons Marina talking with other guides almost every day. One guide had 15 trout, but traveled 60 miles total that day to get the few he brought back.

I haven't heard an excellent report yet. Reds are biting just fine on the flats, per usual. Looks like they're hearty and on a normal pattern.

Scott, about that spot.... Yeah, most of the fish are 26-32 inches in that area. It was a great tournament spot because we were actually keeping 27" fish in tournaments. The (2) largest 27" inch fish wieghed in and alive would win a tournament. Of course, we had to keep them alive and we had a pass from the DNR for those tournaments here in GA for those single day events (we COULD NOT KILL ONE).

it's so big back there and runs off in so many directions, there is alot of fishing territory. The Sea Island Fishing guides know it pretty well, too. They have mostly been offshore fishing over the past week, but you will see their Gordon Skiff in that area sometimes. They will usually be poling or on the trolling motor.... I have never done anything on the ebb in there either. Not until it hits the bottom of the ebb and starts to flood, as you said. No clue why, because the fish are resident to that area. They're there, they are just doing something we have not figured out, or not eating.... One of the two.



fishdog said:


> wharfrat, Capt Richie might be able to put you on he trout but I can't, I would love to if I could. I have fished for the last five days and only pick one up here and there, none of my holes are working at all. They seem to be scatered out and not schooled up like normal. We have cought a few on new penny gulp, I have to say all off the ones we have put in the boat have been good fish.
> Back in the creeks there are reds and flounder and they will bight mud minnows. We have had the best luck with 1/2 ounce carolina rig. Poping corks have gotten a few but not as many as the bottom rig.
> Where are you putting in?


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## fishdog (Apr 8, 2010)

Capt Richie, I have been seeing the guides back there poling around, and they are not very nice. The rest of the sea island guides have been doing thier whiting trips. I used to know the man that ran the service there, it seems to have changed hands. Is Dee Blackshear still around? He was a guide I used for several years back in the 90's. He is part of the reason I have marsh mud in my blood.


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## Capt. Richie Lott (Apr 9, 2010)

Yea, I have known the Sea Island Yacht Club guides for a very, very long time. Those boys over there are very good firends of mine. You will probably never meet a nicer person than Dooley Miller. I will say this.... they have a little pressure on them.... I can assure you and you know how redfish spots are.. Everyone thinks they own the school of redfish on a mud flat. God forbid you ever get caught keeping one of them. 

About Dee, he is still guiding. Last I saw, his boat and his son Davids boat have been docked at the private little dock across from Golden Isles Marina. They were both running out of that dock for a year or more. If you need to get in touch with him, let me know.



fishdog said:


> Capt Richie, I have been seeing the guides back there poling around, and they are not very nice. The rest of the sea island guides have been doing thier whiting trips. I used to know the man that ran the service there, it seems to have changed hands. Is Dee Blackshear still around? He was a guide I used for several years back in the 90's. He is part of the reason I have marsh mud in my blood.


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## fishdog (Apr 9, 2010)

The guy I knew was Frank, he and his wife ran the little fishing shack before they built the new dock. We stayed there on our honeymoon and cought sheepshead all night one night. 

You are right about people fishing for reds, we all have our secret little spots. This past week I am not seeing enough boats out there to fill up a cooler if we wanted to, and the fish are big. I feel like I have seen an increase in the fish over the slot in the past couple  of years, do you fell like this is true or am I wrong?


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## Capt. Richie Lott (Apr 9, 2010)

Yeah, you're right. Frank Mead used to run it... And Janet Mead (his wife) was like the manager of the bookings and what not. ALOT of things have changed since then. I actually fished for Summer Trout offshore on the reefs the other day with Frank... The spot we were catching fish was barely big enough for both our boats and Frank was just as nice about it as he always was... He is a great guy and about the Sheepshead fishing!...! Yeah, Frank taught me everything I know about it... He gets those kudos! The man is a heck of a sheepshead fisherman.

Anyhow, about the over slot fish... You know, it just depends on the flat and time of year. The resident fish seem to be large and when fall comes around, the smaller fish gang up on the flats with the larger ones sometimes, so I can't call that one, bro. This time of year, they seem to all be 25-30 inches on flats around here. Every now and then you'll get a keeper in the bunch from my experience. I am sure others have a different view, but thats mine.

In those flats red schools, I rarely kill any. I want them to multiply for my fishing enjoyment! The passing through reds in fall on the shell beds are the fish we normally will keep maybe 2-3 of them. We watched a flat over by Lanier Bridge get almost wiped out a few years back, so I took that whole deal as a warning on those flat schools of reds.

 We watched the same 3-4 boats come in there and keep all the 24 inch fish they could catch, and after a month or so, from the pressure or the kill (which-ever it was) the fish were almost non-existent. Now, they could have moved... No one knows, but when the killing quit, the fish slowly came back on that flat... It took 2 years. My guess is... They were all dead.

like I said, I LOVE THIS GAME! Redfishing is my favorite. Still lots of mystery in the redfish game no matter how good a redfisherman is, no one has it ALL figured out and that is what makes it fun to me.......





fishdog said:


> The guy I knew was Frank, he and his wife ran the little fishing shack before they built the new dock. We stayed there on our honeymoon and cought sheepshead all night one night.
> 
> You are right about people fishing for reds, we all have our secret little spots. This past week I am not seeing enough boats out there to fill up a cooler if we wanted to, and the fish are big. I feel like I have seen an increase in the fish over the slot in the past couple  of years, do you fell like this is true or am I wrong?


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## fishdog (Apr 9, 2010)

I agree with you on keeping reds. I see nothing wrong with keeping fish and eating them, however I do just keep what I intend to eat. Most people get greedy whan they start to wear them out. Two fish is the most I keep and that is only once or twice a year and over the last few years it is less then that. If you want fish to eat, trout, flounder and whiting are just as good and there are plenty of them to be had. I would feel guilty keeping a 25" redfish, your talking about a five or six year old fish.


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