# Jekyll island this weekend???



## charlie81 (Jul 18, 2016)

Heading to Jekyll this weekend with the family and I'm hoping to get a few hours to fish. Just wondering if I should try the beach, the pier, or St. Andrews. Thanks for any input.


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## DRBugman85 (Jul 18, 2016)

Try the pier at night under the lights low tide incoming,you can buy live bait at George's bait on the St.Simon caseway it's a little drive over and back but the trout are large in the sound now.Beware the shark's off the beaches thick.


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## skiff23 (Jul 18, 2016)

Mud minnows fished slowly around the pier pylons carolina rigged will catch flounder. And a lot of them.


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## WalkinDead (Jul 20, 2016)

Would suggest you bring your own lights as most of them on the pier do not work now but there are plugs with power on them at several locations.  
The pier has been allowed by the state to go to ruin in many ways.  It's basically a platform you can fish off of now but not much more than that.
St. Simons pier is much nicer; the lights work; there are venues close by for pretty much anything you might want or need; the water is deeper; and I have always had better luck fishing there.
Just my opinion.


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## charlie81 (Jul 20, 2016)

Thanks for all the input. Hopefully I can make it to the pier for a few hours Friday night. Walkindead, I've heard that from several other people as well, maybe I can make st Simons sometime Saturday. Whatever happens, I'll post any results. Thanks again.


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## WalkinDead (Jul 21, 2016)

The truly sad part of this is the state has had the money appropriated at least once to refurbish the pier and they have had the money to repair the damage done to the pier due to the boat running into it twice; once from the boats insurer and once through appropriation.  In every instance, the money was used for other purposes than intended.


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## charlie81 (Jul 21, 2016)

Wow. I was wondering what happened there. I don't know how long ago the accident was but I know they've had the left end blocked off the last 3 times I've been there and that has been a 2 year span.


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## WalkinDead (Jul 22, 2016)

Yep, the rebar finally rusted through and the two outboard pilings fell into the sea leaving that corner unsupported.  That outboard corner was the prime spot on the pier.


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## Gafiveo (Jul 22, 2016)

I am going to be at St Simon's from Sunday to Wednesday and plan on hitting the pier some. Charlie 81, let me know how the fishing is this weekend if you make it to the St Simon's pier. Any pointers you learn and can share will be greatly appreciated.  I have never fished that pier before. Thanks


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## charlie81 (Jul 22, 2016)

Gaf, doesn't look like I'll be able to make it over there. I did fish Jekyll pier for about an hour tonight, caught one decent sized croaker and that's about it. I tried fishing by the pilings with fiddler crabs for black drum or sheepshead but no takers. Maybe the wrong time of year for that? If anything develops tomorrow or Sunday I'll be sure to post.


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## Gafiveo (Jul 23, 2016)

Thanks! Maybe you will get them tonight.  Good luck


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## charlie81 (Jul 23, 2016)

Caught a few more croaker tonight on cut mullet and shrimp, not really what I was looking for but the kids had fun. I did meet "Pop" at St. Andrews beach this morning and I plan on getting a seine from him before my next trip. So hopefully my shrimping will be better than my fishing.


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## WalkinDead (Jul 24, 2016)

The large shrimp are tapering off now, and the smaller shrimp are showing up in greater numbers. The transition from last years larger shrimp to this years crop is currently occurring. Shrimping at night is far more productive than shrimping during the day, especially bright sunlit days.  Large numbers of blue crabs (40-70 per night) can still be caught seining, however, if you like crab.  The crabs can also be caught during the day.
Be aware that St. Andrews beach may have you dealing with the dolphins, which will tear holes in your net picking the fish out of them; if they are around while you are seining.  Should you encounter dolphins and have your net damaged, use plastic wire ties to patch the holes quickly; this will allow Pops to be able to repair it faster than if you attempt to patch it yourself with fishing line, unless you know how to do it properly.
Weekends get crowded at St. Andrews also.  There are other places to seine, but St. Andrews is the premier spot if you do not have a boat to get you to spots with no competition.  I would recommend doing your seining during the week, if possible.  While most will respect your rights to seine a spot you have been seining, there are also those who will not.  Deal with it, it's a public beach and at certain times during the tide the area is limited to only few spots where you can beach your net.
September thru December is the best time for numbers of shrimp, you will need a wet suit once the water gets too cold to stand if you intend to keep shrimping at that point.
Hope this information is useful.


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## Gafiveo (Jul 24, 2016)

Charlie 81, glad to hear that y'all were able to catch enough for the kids to have fun. We going to try St Simon pier tonight. I'll post how we do.


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## charlie81 (Jul 24, 2016)

Thanks for all the info walkindead! It will definitely be useful. My next trip isn't until the first week of October but I will be sure to keep all those tips in mind. One more question for you, as a kid (25yrs ago) I remember seining with my grandparents all the time but it was always on driftwood beach. Is driftwood no longer productive?


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## WalkinDead (Jul 25, 2016)

Driftwood beach is the north end of the island and shrimp can be caught there as well.  However, the slope of the bank at driftwood beach is fairly steep, which means you can't open your net very wide.  This limits the number of shrimp that can be caught with a single pass.  The area you can seine is also quite a bit shorter due to stumps and other obstructions located under the water.  You probably can catch just as many shrimp, it will just take far more passes.  
You do not have the dolphin problem at the north end you do at the south end.  The dolphin tour boats illegally feed the dolphins from the boat at the south end, which has them accustomed to being fed by humans, which in turn causes them to feed on the fish held by seines as they have no fear of human proximity.  My wife and I have seen the same dolphins year after year causing problems for seiners.


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## j_seph (Jul 25, 2016)

WalkinDead said:


> The truly sad part of this is the state has had the money appropriated at least once to refurbish the pier and they have had the money to repair the damage done to the pier due to the boat running into it twice; once from the boats insurer and once through appropriation.  In every instance, the money was used for other purposes than intended.


Isn't that Insurance fraud when they don't use the money to repair it?


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## charlie81 (Jul 25, 2016)

Thanks walkindead!
Jseph, that wouldn't be insurance fraud. It's the same as if I totaled my old truck and spent the money on fishing equipment instead of buying another truck. Fraud would be if "the state" intentionally damaged the pier to collect a check. What they did may not have been ethical, but it wasn't illegal.


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